January 2009 Archives

Dear readers,
Thank you for all the wonderful and supportive comments and emails you sent me about my decision to start my own blog, BargainBabe. I am rocked by your confidence.

This is the last post I will write on the Bargain Hunter, a blog I created some 19 months ago after my editor Ron Kaye told me to try something new, even it meant I might #@%*$ up.

I made some mistakes, but I transformed myself into a blogger and learned how to write in my own voice, one that is fun, personal, and easy to read (on my good days, at least).

Along the way I made a lot of friends and discovered I'm a really cheap gal!

I hope we can continue our cheap talk at BargainBabe.com.

Signing off for the last time,
Your cheapskate,

Julia

Transitioning to my new blog, BargainBabe.com, has produced a lot of questions from readers. Here are some answers.

Q: When is your last day at the Daily News?
A: Friday, Jan. 23, 2009.

Q: When will the last Bargain Hunter Daily Digest be sent?
A: Friday, Jan. 23, 2009.

Q: If I am subscribed to the Bargain Hunter Daily Digest will I automatically begin receiving the Bargain Babe Email Updates?

A: No. You must sign yourself up on this page. FeedBlitz will send you a confirmation email. If you don't get a confirmation email from FeedBlitz check your spam folder. Open the email and click where it says "click here to activate your account" OR follow their directions to paste a super long Web address into a new browser window.

Unless you follow these steps to activate your account you will not receive Bargain Babe Email Updates. And that would be a shame. So complete the sign up process!

Q: What will happen to the Bargain Hunter after Friday?
A: The Tuesday column will continue to appear in print so please read the paper! The blog will not be updated.

Q: Where can I send pitches and press releases to?
A: For the Bargain Hunter Tuesday column, please email pitches to sandra.barrera@dailynews.com.

Q: Why are you leaving the paper?
A: It was time for me to go off on my own. I'll explain more on BargainBabe.com.

If you have any questions, julia@bargainbabe.com!

The Marie Callender pie sale begins Jan. 30 and goes until Feb. 28. During the sale whole pies (excluding cheesecakes and fresh fruit pies) will be $7 at participating locations.

You also pay for the $.50 redeemable tin. Pies are usually $8 to $14-. Their pie menu includes apple, custard, chocolate cream and many more.

Find a Marie Callener's near you. They have shops in CA, OR, WA, ID, NV, UT, AZ, CO, OK and TX. Call to check if your local shop is participating.

This Saturday, Jan. 24, the used kids clothing store Wear It Once, Wear It Twice, is having a $10 bag sale. Everything with a red tag that you can fit into a bag is $10. Items without a red tag are as marked.

"If you really work you can put in 20 pieces," says owner Aura Veliz. The store gives out the bags, which are "a little smaller" than the plastic bags you get at the grocery store, Aura said.

Caveats: toys and top name brands (like Janie and Jack) will not have red tags.

The store carries sizes for newborns to age 12 years old. The store has a sale about every 2-3 months to move inventory more quickly.

Visit them at 1725 W. Verdugo Ave. in Burbank. (818) 558-4006. The store accepts cash, checks and credit cards. Thanks, Rachelle!

To kick off a few new coffee blends, Panera Bread is giving away free coffee all day on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009.

No coupon or code is needed. Just stop in to receive a free small cup of coffee. Panera is also giving away samples (i.e., not full size) of three new grilled breakfast sandwiches and a strawberry granola parfait.

Panera has locations in Northridge and Simi Valley. Find a Panera near you.

A reader wrote in with a question about how to find the right mortgage for him. Here's my answer.

If you have a financial dilemma that you want help with, email me at julia@bargainbabe.com. Each week on my new blog, Bargain Babe, I help a reader solve a money problem.

Tomorrow, Friday Jan. 23, is my last day writing the Bargain Hunter blog. It will not be updated after then, however another reporter will continue to write the Tuesday column so please check out the paper that day!

Buy.com has a Westinghouse 26-inch LCD monitor for $260, which is 3.7% lower than it's previous price at Buy.com. Shipping is free.

Buy.com says this monitor sells for as much as $700 but really the high price is about $500. Amazon has the same monitor for $260, but I'm not sure if they charge for shipping. Other sellers start in the $400s.

Set up a price alert at PriceSpider.com to see how the price fluctuates.

I had a friend in college who regularly fell into money, a fact of life that seemed particularly unfair because her family was quite rich.

Yesterday, while roaming the Valley for my final Lincoln Lunch, it hit me that I was the kind of person who falls into bargains.

How else would I have discovered a grand opening special with $.50 tacos and $.99 chili burgers? I'm already cheap, so I felt a twinge of guilt about my discovery. But not enough to deter me from eating lunch at Mighty Burgers, formerly known as Tommies Hamburgers.

At the counter I ordered one carne asada taco, a chili burger, and a small mint milkshake that was $2.35. My total came to $4.16 with tax, making it one of my cheapest Lincoln Lunches ever. Though not a contender for healthiest.

The cashier who rung me up called out my order when it was ready. I fetched it and returned to one of 11 small tables in the eatery. The taco was tiny but tasty, adorned with diced onions, cilantro, plus a lime and radish slice from the salsa bar.

The burger bun was very hot and soft, probably steamed. The patty was thin, the chili smooth, and the onions raw. Eating the chili burger I remembered that I like chili fries a lot more than chili burgers. It did not taste bad, I just don't like chili burgers that much. If I go again I will order four tacos.

The small milkshake was very tasty and had chunks of mint in it. I nursed it all the way back to the office. The grand opening specials end very soon. If you miss them there are plenty of other Lincoln Lunch options on the menu. Many sandwiches, burgers, veggie burgers, and burritos cost less than $5.

Visit Mighty Burger at 16649 Sherman Way in Van Nuys. (818) 782-7363.

How are the prices? Are they any better than the last round of liquidation sales? Leave a comment to share your experience.

One of my favorite savvy shoppers, Suzanne O'Connor at BargainsLA, warns away from liquidation sales.

"Most liquidation companies come in and mark prices up to or higher than the originally MSRP and then slowly lower prices from there," she said in an email. "The prices before the liquidation company came in often were lower than the liquidation price. These companies also may bring in other outside product to try to sell at these sales.

"Avoid these sales. Only go when the original companies are having markdowns and showing signs of distress. That's when the real deals will appear."

But I think it's a good idea to drop in now to see how prices are. Then wait until they drop to a price you are willing to pay.

This is a hard post to write but I must tell you that I am leaving the Daily News to write my own savvy-spending blog, Bargain Babe. This Friday, Jan. 23, is my last day.

I am going to be an independent online journalist, or an idiot who gave up a steady paycheck during a recession, depending on how you look at it.

My decision to start Bargain Babe both terrifies and thrills me.

I have never been self-employed. Pursing other people's dreams for me has always been easier than pursuing my own. If I fail, everyone will know about it.

On the other hand, I am determined to make Bargain Babe successful. I am a hard worker, the timing is right, and I must practice what I preach. Online is my future, baby.

The Daily News will continue to publish a Tuesday Bargain Hunter column, written by a different reporter. The Bargain Hunter blog, however, will not be updated after Friday, which is also the last time I will send the Bargain Hunter Daily Digest.

Thank you for reading the Bargain Hunter blog and column, sharing tips and leaving comments during the past 19 months. It has made me look forward to coming to work everyday.

Saying goodbye to you and to the blog I created, nourished, and raised during the past year and a half is very tough. It is my baby, and nobody wants to give up their child.

So instead of saying goodbye, I am saying see you later on BargainBabe.com.

Your favorite cheapskate,

~Julia

PS. Hubby says goodbye, too. He will miss you almost as much as I will. "I'll miss being the little Hubby elf in their lives," he said.

I wanted to let you know there are some great posts up on my new blog, Bargain Babe. (I had to switch it from Bargain Hunter Babe, but that's another story.) I hope you'll check it out!

Here are the posts on Bargain Babe:

Financial dilemma: creating spending boundaries

Eating out of my freezer. How many days can you last?

How long do you wait to make a big purchase?

As part of a cosmetics settlement, you can get free make up today at a number of stores, including Macys, Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom. A Web site has info about the lawsuit that is resulting in the massive giveaway.

Seem suspicious? I thought that too, until I found this story from The Boston Channel about the $175 million make up settlement. Each person who qualifies can ask for one item between $18 and $25 free.

"To qualify for the giveaway, a person must live in the United States and have purchased a cosmetic on the settlement list made or sold by the defendants between May 29, 1994, and July 16, 2003. Some of the retailers among the defendants include Foley's, Dillard's, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's, and Neiman Marcus. Manufacturers include Clinique, Estee Lauder, Chanel, M.A.C., and L'Oreal."

Browse the list of free products available while supplies list here. Thanks Tina and Lynn!

Here are all the deals mentioned in today's column in the LA Daily News.

$4 sandwiches

Green gold

Spend to revive?

IHOP deals

Pinkberry

Lincoln Lunch: Filipino

The Bakers Square diner and pie shop in Granada Hills is closing on Feb. 1 and will re-open as a Du-par's. But Du-par's will not accept gift certificates from Bakers Square so use them immediately!

Bakers Square in Granada Hills is located at 17921 Chatsworth St. 818-366-7258.

Thanks, Yolanda!

UPDATE: The sushi place nearby IS open. My mistake.

PREVIOUSLY: (my actual lunch) I knew just where to head for a Lincoln Lunch this week after spotting a $5 meal near the sushi place I checked out last week.

The small eatery, Heaven's Kitchen, bills itself as serving "Filipino fast food" that is so good it tastes like heaven. A tall order. The $5 lunch is the only option so your food comes as fast as you can pick which two dishes you want.

There were ten to chose from the day I went. Mussels in broth, barbecue pork skewers, fried whole fishes the size of my index finger, green beans with almonds, a traditional ground beef dish that was bright pink, adobo chicken soup, tamarindo soup and a bitter melon dish with ground meat.

The friendly server recommend the barbecue skewers and while I was debating my choices, he gave me a free taste of a small fried fish. Crunchy and salty.

I chose skewers, adobo chicken, and one scoop of rice (you can get two). I splurged and bought a coke, which brought my meal to $7.21, including tax and a $1 tip. Without the soda it would have been about $6.30.

My two skewers were very tasty, slightly sweet and moist. Tough to get off the stick, however. The adobo chicken came in its own mini soup dish. The chicken was flavored with soy sauce, onions and green peppers. The pieces were very bony so I picked the meat off.

The server also gave me a free taste of tamarindo beef soup broth. It was quite sour and had a strong beef flavor. Very interesting but I don't think I would have enjoyed a whole serving. The rest of my meal, however, was divine. My only regret is not trying one of the vegetable dishes. What a lot of meat!

Visit Heaven's Kitchen at 7605 White Oak Ave. in Reseda. 818-881-8664.

Togo's brings back their $4 sandwich specials through the end of February, maybe longer. Every day one sandwich from their "greatest hits" menu - like turkey and avocado - is marked down to $4. The sandwiches are usually about $6. Browse a menu of the sandwich deals by day for SoCal and a similar daily menu for NorCal.

The specials are part of a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). No idea how they raise money by lowering prices.

Caveats: at participating locations only. Call ahead to check if your local Togo's has this deal.

Here's a site to check out if you think you may be getting scammed or want to find out different ways people may try to scam you online, over the phone and through the mail. The Ripoff Report has info about protecting your identity, telemarketing fraud, sweepstakes scams, and more.

If you register on the site you can lodge a complaint about a business. Ripoff Report is edgier than the Better Business Bureau, where consumers can also file a complaint about a business.

Read more about Ed Magedson, who runs the Ripoff Report. Thanks, Sean!

The Starbucks gold card costs $25 for a year and gives you a 10% discount on almost all purchases, a free drink when you buy the card in a store, a free drink on your birthday and 2 hours of free WiFi access every day.

To get your money back you need to spend $250 a year at Starbucks, which is $4.80 a week. That equals three trips a week if you buy a small brewed coffee, and 1.5 visits a week if you buy a $3 latte or espresso.

The card is accepted at company-owned stores only, which is about 70 percent of the chain. Call your local store to see if they are participating.

You can load the gold card with cash like a gift card and leave your wallet behind when you make a coffee run.

Caveats: the 10% discount does not apply to Starbucks gift cards, publications, digital downloads, membership fees and online purchases.

Holiday sales were as bad as they have been since folks started keeping track, and the future is not any brighter for retailers, a story in today's LA Daily News says. Retail sales dropped 2.7 percent in December, which is more than twice was experts predicted. In coming months more retailers will file for bankruptcy, close stores and layoff employees.

The story continues: "'Consumers are in deep hibernation, and there is no sign that they will wake up this spring or that the retail outlook will pick up anytime soon,' said C. Britt Beemer of the America's Research Group in Charleston, S.C."

Consumer spending adds up to about two-thirds of "total economic activity," the story says. Which means the less we spend the more we contribute to the recession, except that it wasn't consumer spending that got us into this mess.

So why should consumers go into debt to get us out of it?

Even if you made significantly less in 2008 because you were laid off or became unemployed, remember to pay your taxes says a story in today's LA Daily News.

Depending on when you lost your job and how big your severance package was (if any), Uncle Sam may owe you.

"If your annual income declined because you lost a job or had other changes, your tax bill is likely to be lower, and you could be due a larger refund," the story says. Read the whole thing here.

The IRS just announced an improved e-file program that gets refunds to you in as quick as 10 days. Alright!

Sharondipity, a moderate to upscale gift shop in Woodland Hills, is marking down almost their entire store by 30 percent to make room for new inventory.

The sale includes jewelry, picture frames, dishware and purses. Holiday decorations are 50 percent off. Sale items are final sale and do not include gift wrap.

A few items are not on sale, including some fine jewelry, select candles, and Eco water bottles. The sale started yesterday and goes for about two more weeks, an employee said.

Sharondipity accepts cash, credit, and checks. Hours are 10 to 5 Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday. Visit them at 22563 Ventura Blvd. at Sale Ave. 818-225-1018.

Banana Republic has a daily "bag grab giveaway" through Feb. 10, 2009. Play by registering your email, name and gender on their site.

After registering, click on the "play" button and images of three purses will flip, showing various bags. If, when they slow down, they all land on the same bag, you win. You can play once a day.

Over the course of the contest Banana Republic is giving away 36 bags, so your odds are not great. But I bet the giveaway will attract a lot of shoppers.

I played yesterday and got a coupon code for 20 percent a purchase of $125 or more. Today I played again and got nada. Maybe lady luck will be with me tomorrow.

Thanks, Sue!

Today, Jan. 14 only, register online to receive a coupon in the mail for a free bottle of Suave Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Spray, Styling Aid, BodyWash, or Body Lotion worth up to $3.00.

To get the coupon you must register your name, address and email. I did and got a message saying I would receive a coupon in 2-4 weeks. The coupon is good through Feb . 28, 2009 so I need to use it shortly after receipt.

Registration ends at 8:59:59 p.m. PT today.

Caveats: one coupon per household.

A community book sale in Granada Hills this Sunday, Jan. 18, offers some 1,400 used books. Paperbacks are $.50, hardcovers are $1 and a limited number of coffee table/art books are up to $5. The sale is from 12-3 pm.

St. Andrew and St. Charles Episcopal Church is holding the sale. The books are collected and donated by parishioners and proceeds benefit the church.

Books are roughly sorted by type, including fiction, non-fiction, biography, autobiography, history, children's, mystery, classics, poetry, self-help, cooking, and more. There will be free coffee and cookies, a church volunteer tells me.

Visit the church at 16651 Rinaldi St. in Granada Hills between Havenhurst and Balboa.

IHOP has two pancake deals that you might be interested in. One is going on until Feb. 22, the other is on Feb. 24 only.

All-you-can-eat pancakes are $5 until Feb. 22. This deal is not a regular menu item but appears a few times a year. If you don't see it on the menu ask for the Hungry Consumer Relief Plan.

Feb. 24 is National Pancake Day, when eaters can get a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes from 7 am to 10 pm. In exchange, you are asked to donate what you would have paid for the pancakes to their local children's hospital or another worthy cause.

I'm told you can get a free photobook at Hoorray when you enter code bzzalbum at checkout. I have not tried this myself, however, so please let me know if the code does or does not work for you.

Start the process of uploading your photos and laying out your free photo book here. Code expires Jan. 20, 2009.

Reader Gillian writes in with a tip for finding coupons for smog checks in California. Go to SmogTips.com and search by zip code or city for a list of local smog stations. A link to each station shows the address, phone number, a map, and what coupons are available.

Smog Tips also has information about getting $1,000 for a car that does not pass a smog test.

My only contention with the site is that it is unclear how they decide which shops to list. The site says "SmogTips Certified stations are continuously screened for quality work, excellent service and the highest level of integrity. You'll be pleased to know our stations have passed a stringent background investigation and must conform to guidelines set by the State of California before they are eligible of receiving the SmogTips™ Seal of Approval."

So do stations pay to get listed or not? I'm going to put a call in to ask. On the other hand, if you can use the site to find a coupon and get a low price for your next smog check, I'm all for it. Thanks, Gillian!

Here are all the deals published in today's LA Daily News column.

Half off books

Make more money
DineLA

Lincoln Lunch: Japanese curry

Free drink

Can you afford it?

Stop saving

Disney installments
Budgeting part 2

If you can get a car loan it is a great time to buy because struggling dealerships are slashing prices, according to a story in today's LA Daily News. Loan approvals have dropped from about 80 percent to about 50 percent.

"If you have (credit score of) 700 and above, you don't have a problem getting a loan," the story says..."But anyone with a credit score of 650 or lower may be having trouble getting approval.

"In cash terms, a credit score of 720 to 850 could get you a car loan at about 6.7 percent, which means you'd pay about $768 a month on a three-year $25,000 loan, according to Myfico.com, a Web site operated by Minneapolis-based Fair Isaac Inc. The median credit score in the U.S. is just barely in that top financing bracket at 723.

"By comparison, a score of 620-659 qualifies you for a loan at 12 percent, which increases your payments on the same loan by $63 to $831."

Read the full story here.

Circuit City may go bankrupt by Friday if a buyer does not step in, the Washington Post reports. What I'm wondering is if the big box electronics store is still accepting gift cards?

Circuit City filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in November, which allowed it to reorganize.

"Circuit City attributed its November bankruptcy filing to the credit crunch," the story says. "Officials said 75 percent of the company's transactions are made on credit cards. Sales plummeted as consumers were no longer able to get credit or scaled back on their purchases.

"Declining sales hindered the company's ability to make inventory payments to vendors, who in turn tightened credit on Circuit City. As a result, the company was limited in buying merchandise to stock its shelves."

If a buyer does not step in soon the company could go out of business. Read the full story here.

You may remember hearing about the Economides, a family of seven that lives on $44,000 a year. They call themselves America's cheapest family and recently they started a blog.

The family posts about once a week and today wrote about how to save money on college textbooks by renting them.

Not to toot my own horn, but I wrote about renting textbooks almost a year ago.

The family takes questions, though the only way to contact them seems to be by leaving a comment. Thanks, Ryan!

Get in free to the California African American Museum on on Jan. 18 and Jan. 19, 2009 as part of a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King that is sponsored by Target.

Hours on the free days are from 11 to 5 Jan. 18 and noon to 5 Jan. 19.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is also free on Monday Jan. 19 from noon to 8. They are free on other holidays, too.

Get a free small yogurt with one topping from Pinkberry when you buy one yogurt that costs at least as much. Valid at participating stores through Jan. 25, 2009. One per customer. Print the coupon here. The freebie is part of Pinkberry's fourth anniversary celebration.

Caveats: cannot be combined with other discounts. Thanks, SCRS!

I did it. I got an iPhone! Guess what my first bill came to after one day of service? Read all about it on my new blog, Bargain Babe.

There is also a great post about which vegetables freeze well, which is a follow up to when bargain hunting bites you in the bum.

I write a lot about saving money by spending less, but what about earning more money? Here are a few ideas.

• Sell items you have not worn or used in 1-3 years at a garage sale for 50% of it's original value or less, depending on the condition.
• If a garage sale is not possible, sell your best items on eBay. Watch out for fees, though. If an item does not sell you still have to pay eBay.
• Offer to run a garage sale for a busy neighbor, friend, or relative. I told my sister, who has three young children and a stressful job, that I would find items in her house that she could sell, advertise and run the sell myself for 35 percent of profits. She jumped at the opportunity!
• Lower your mortgage rate. My friend refinanced and got a whole point lower. Sure, it cost her about $2,400, but she will come out ahead in 12 months.

• Sell advertising on your car.


• Be a golf caddy.


• Shovel snow.

Do you remember reading my post a few weeks ago about getting $100 for opening a new checking account at WaMu?

It turns out it is more complicated than WaMu spokesman Gary Kishner let on. To get your $100 you have to do more than open a new account, deposit $100, and keep it open for 12 weeks.

Luckily, reader Glenn tipped me off. He writes:

"Today, I went to my local WaMu branch and opened the free checking account. I was just going to do it online, but my gut was telling me to open it in person. I'm glad that I did.

"The bank associate informed me of a few things that weren't...

A&M Book Cellars is having their semi-annual half-price book sale Sunday, Jan. 11 through Saturday, Jan. 17. All the books in the store - except the $.25 bargain room - are half price, including audio books. Sale pricing makes brand new paperbacks that sell for $5 just $2.50.

The only wrinkle is that during the sale customers using their store credit (A&M accepts trade-ins) pay the regular price, not the sale price, says owner Alice.

"The amount of credit we give is based on the idea that we are going to sell the book at full price," Alice said. Seems fair enough. Customers can, however, bring in books during sale to trade-in and use the credit after the sale.

A&M gives credit on a sliding scale based on how well they think the books will sell. Typical rates are $.05 for a book that will sell in the bargain room and up to 30 percent of the cover price for hot sellers.

Hours during the sale are Sunday 1-6 pm and Monday through Saturday 10-7. Sunday, Jan. 18 the store is closed so the staff can recover.

Visit them at 19801 Vanowen Street, Unit F. The store is at the back of a small strip mall just west of Marshalls and Vallarta. They accept cash, checks, credit cards and debit cards. Call (818) 716-6259 with questions.

Thanks to reader Lori who sent me this tip! Thanks to Alice and Marty for details!

I have created my own personal finance blog that is edgier and more personal than the Bargain Hunter. I'm going to use it for posts that are not appropriate for the LA Daily News.

It's called Bargain Babe and today's post is about my bargain instincts failing at the grocery store. What would you do with five pounds of frozen peppers?

Check it out and let me know what you think!

~Julia

I read the sweetest story yesterday on Jen's List, a daily email that has LA family-related news. Not sure which list member shared this dog tale, but it is worth passing on.

"An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard; I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of.

"He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head; he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.

"An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.

"The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour. This continued off and on for several weeks.

"Curious I pinned a note to his collar: 'I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.'

"The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar: 'He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 - he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?"

(not my actual lunch) Months ago I saw a sign I could scarcely believe. A banner outside a strip mall at White Oak and Saticoy read "$3.99 curry lunch."

That's impossible, I thought as I sped by. A $5 lunch is rare, but $4?! Unheard of! I scribbled down the address anyway.

Yesterday I returned to the scene of this unusual offer and found the sign still hanging. So it wasn't a blitz promotion designed to make a splash. But was the serving size respectable? And was the food any good?

I traced the lunch special to Hanabi Sushi & Roll at the back of the strip mall and entered the restaurant to investigate. A server promptly brought me a menu, even though...

A reader named Corrine left a comment yesterday asking if I knew of a cell phone plan that is $15 for three months with rollover minutes. If only!

Unfortunately, I do not know of any plans that cheap, Corrine, but T-mobile has a pre-paid plan that is $100 for 1,000 minutes that are good for one year, according to a post on Consumer Reports.

That is about $8 a month for 80 minutes. Renew before the minutes expire and they rollover.

Here are 10 ways to tell you cannot.

Personally, I prefer Tough Money Love's top 10 signs you cannot afford it because it has more attitude.

Peet's Coffee is introducing two new "light" beverages and is offering a free drink when you order a "light" caffe mocha or vanilla latte. The caffe mocha has sugar-free chocolate; the vanilla latte has sugar-free vanilla.

Of your two drinks, you pay for the more expensive one. Print the coupon here. Expires Jan. 18, 2009.

Caveats: excludes licensed partner locations, airports, hotels, grocery stores, colleges, universities, BART locations, Peet's at The Village at Corte Madera, Peet's at Glendale Galleria, and Peet's at Providence Medical Center. May not be combined with other offers. Limit one per visit.

The second DineLA brings fixed-price lunch and dinner menus to local upper crusty restaurants, making them affordable for the masses. Yipee! I'm hungry already!

DineLA is Jan. 25 to 30 and Feb. 1 to 6. You can book reservations online at select restaurants now. Reservations officially open Jan. 11.

There are three pricing categories.
($) Deluxe Dining is $16 for lunch; $26 for dinner
($$) Premier Dining is $22 for lunch; $34 for dinner
($$$) Fine Dining is $28 for lunch; $44 for dinner

Browse the list of participating restaurants here. I would love to eat again at Chaya Venice or Roy's in Woodland Hills. Are there any restaurants on the list that you recommend?

This week's issue of Newsweek makes a case for filing for bankruptcy. "If you're reaching the end of your rope, don't try to hold on," writes the mag's personal finance guru Jane Bryant Quinn. "Save what you can."

Are you tapping into your retirement to make ends meet? Is your home worth less than the mortgage plus your home-equity exemption?

If so you should consider filing, Quinn says in her persuasive column.

The Knitting Factory in Hollywood is giving away 10 pairs of tickets to 26 shows - that's 260 tickets - this Monday, Jan. 12. They are calling it the "Broke After The Holidays" give away.

To get a pair of free tickets visit their box office Monday, Jan. 12 between 6 and 8 pm. You can get one pair of tickets per person. First come, first serve. You must be at least 21 years old.

The free tickets are for shows between Jan. 16 and April 4, including performances by Peachcake, The Reverend Peytons Big Damn Band, Chris Schifflet (Foo Fighters), and Volto! Browse all the free shows. Not sure if there is a drink minimum once you get into the club.

Visit them at 7021 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. 323-463-0204. Thanks, Adam!

Last week I blogged about creating a budget to help you spend less. The first step was to write in your monthly and irregular yearly expenses into your budget worksheet.

Today we're taking the next step. Open up your budget and add in any expenditures that slipped through the cracks last week. It's super important to figure out every way your money flows out if you want to stem that flow.

Multiply each line item by 12 to get the yearly amount you spend on each category. Think the numbers are a little high?

Target two or three categories for reductions and aim to decrease your spending in these areas by...

I just received this breathless email from Travelzoo about a Virgin America fare sale that has flights out of Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas for $59-$139 each way.

"What makes this really stand out is that you can travel any day of the week, and there is only a 1-day advance purchase required," the email said. "We rarely see air sales as wide open as this!"

Sample fares (one way):
- Los Angeles-San Francisco ... $59
- San Diego-San Francisco ... $59
- Las Vegas-San Francisco ... $59
- Los Angeles-Seattle ... $69
- Los Angeles-Boston ... $139 (route begins Feb. 12)
- Los Angeles-Washington, D.C. ... $139
- Las Vegas-New York City ... $139
- Los Angeles-New York City ... $139

The sale started today and ends Jan. 20. The best fares will go asap, of course. Book a fare now.

Travelzoo says if you wear an article of red clothing on board the airline will treat you to 1 free alcoholic beverage, but I have not confirmed this. Has this worked for anybody?

...you may not receive the Bargain Hunter Daily Digest again. If an e-mail to an AOL address bounces even once AOL blocks the sender (in this case, me). Many accounts bounced over the holidays.

Normally, the Bargain Hunter Daily Digest can bounce three times before they are removed from the list. But AOL accounts are removed after just one bounce so you will not continue receiving emails from julia.scott@dailynews.com.

If possible, sign up again using a different email address. You can sign up for the free Bargain Hunter Daily Digest by plugging in your e-mail to the upper left corner of the Bargain Hunter.

A colleague brought in three dozen of the tastiest looking donuts I have ever seen and placed them directly across from my desk. Someone is trying very hard to break my resolution to eat healthy.

Good thing the Daily News had tips yesterday on belonging to the 20 percent of people who actually keep their resolutions. The story covers six promises, including exercising more, losing weight, stopping smoking, reducing stress, seeing your doctor and eating right.

Get 40% off the list price of one book at Borders stores with their free membership program. Expires Jan. 6, 2009. Some caveats.

Many, many items are 50% off at Lucky Brand Jeans across the country, including demin, sweatshirts, and clothes for men, women and kids. An employee was unsure how long the sale was going to last. Price adjustments are also available for recent purchases (technically they have to be within the past 15 days, you may be able to talk your way into a reimbursement for an older purchase). Final sale.

Get 25% off almost everything at MAC online today through Jan. 8 as part of the friends and family sale. Some caveats. Use code MACFF9.

Get 40% off regular-priced merchandise at Michael's through Jan. 10. Some exclusions so read the fine print.

The luxury lingerie store Faire Frou Frou in Studio City is having a blowout sale. While much of the lingerie costs more than $100, they do have underwear for $6 (orig $22).

What good coupons am I missing? Please share yours by leaving a comment. Thanks!

Even the mouse is feeling pinched. Disneyland annual passholders who live in SoCal can renew or buy a new pass and pay for it by the month.

Monthly payments break down renewals to as low as $11.17 a month and as low as $5.42 a month for new passes, which require a down payment of $69. To get the monthly option go to the main entrance ticket booth.

The pass includes admission to Disneyland and California Adventure, discounted rates at Disneyland hotels, select discounts on food, passholder-only events, subscription to Backstage Pass, a collectible Passholder-only publication, up-to-the-minute Extra e-mail updates, access to the annual passport website.

Caveats: You must live in zip codes 90000-93599.
Thanks, Shane!

Here is a six-question quiz about how frugal you are from the blogger Blunt Money. I took it and am told I make frugality into an art form!

"You know where to get the best deals on absolutely everything -- and that means high-quality, long-lasting stuff. But you only bring home the things you really need or want, and are careful with the things you already have."

The only question I got wrong was how old you should start giving an allowance to your child. The options were 3, 8, or 16. I won't give away the correct answer, but it shocked me.

Overall the quiz was too short to accurately reflect my cheapness. Good intentions allowed me to create a more frugal picture of myself than history reveals.

A telling question would have been how many times have you reneged on a spending promise in the past month? I had lunch with colleagues today that was a $13 slip up. Oh vey!

For more in-depth money quizes, check out a general financial quiz from the US Financial Literacy and Education Commission.

Or, take a USA Weekend Magazine quiz that covers a range of financial topics.

Here are all the deals published in today's LA Daily News column.

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Lincoln Lunch: hot dogs and potato nuggets

I got this idea from your answers to my recent poll about 2009 financial goals. I had no idea you were all so worried about money!

Here are a few ways to reduce pocketbook stress.

• Think about what you can control. Do your best not to stress about what is out of your hands.
• What can you do about the things you can control? Brainstorm every idea that comes to mind and edit out the lame ones later. I find when I "say yes" to all the ideas that pop into my brain, in the long run I end up with better solutions.
• Start small. Pick one thing you can do to reduce your stress about money and hold yourself to it.
• Talk to a friend or partner about your worries. Venting is a fabulous way to let go, even if it is only a temporary solution.
• Pick an accountability partner that you report to for purchases over a set limit, say $100. Anytime you want to make a purchase over that limit, consult them. As adults, we shouldn't need help saying no, but in reality most of us do (me included).
• Exercise. Breaking a sweat is a great way to forget your troubles and feel good about yourself.
• If your problem is serious, get professional help.

A two-page brief by a professor at the University of Florida defines financial stress and suggests a few ways to reduce it. It's actually pretty helpful!

Texting while driving in California can net a $20 fine for the first offense and $50 for the second offense. But with court costs the first ticket will cost you close to $80 and the second ticket about $150, according to an NPR radio report I heard.

For more on the new rules about texting while driving read this Q&A from the LA Times.

I'm back from two weeks of mostly being on vacation and hope you are, too. Hubby and I arrived at LAX late last night and saw a very unusual chauffeur sign in baggage claim.

At the bottom of the escalator where men in suits wait with placards for "R. Lapin" or "M. Schrader" was a young man holding a manilla folder. In purple marker were the words "The world's most beautiful woman."

Awww.

I pointed it out to Hubby. "He made a sign for you," Hubby said. I smirked. Nice try big guy. But it made me wonder who the sign was for. His girlfriend? His wife? I stopped to watch the young man from a distance while Hubby fetched our bags.

The man's eyes were trained on a stream of arriving travelers coming down the escalator. He never took his eyes off the arrival line unless someone sparked a conversation.

I imagined the young man was here to pick up his girlfriend. She would burst into tears and he would get down on one knee and propose. Or maybe he was a newlywed in the throes of desire. Being separated for even a weekend compelled him to declare his love in public ink.

I imagined there would be a squeal when she saw the sign, a big hug, probably tears.

My cell phone rang. Hubby had our bags and wanted to meet outside. Still no girl.

We dragged our luggage to the bus stop (and you thought there was no bargain angle - we got home for $.75 each). Luckily the bus stop was just outside so I could continue to watch.

Not only was this young man very sweet, he was very early. Why was she taking so long?

One bus came, not ours. Another bus stopped on its way to an unhelpful destination. Still no girl. Finally, the bus Hubby and I needed pulled up. One last look back. She was there!

They were tightly embraced. I could not hear words. I could not see tears. They unlocked, then grabbed each other again. I saw her pull away and take out a camera. A picture to remember the sentiment. I had a feeling she would never forget.

Hubby and I got on the bus and went home.

(my actual lunch) My favorite fashionista recommended I check out Fab Dogs in Reseda for a Lincoln Lunch that would extend my binge on rich holiday food. Seeing how I ate half a Toblerone chocolate bar this morning, I decided my return to healthy eating could wait until the new year.

A positive review on the entrance to Fab Dogs boded well, as did other munching customers. Inside, a menu offered 22 hot dogs, specialty dogs and double dogs. Free toppings include grilled onions, fresh garlic, raw onions, sweet relish, dill relish, jalapeños, sliced dill pickles, and celery salt. Other toppings cost $.35 to $.95. If you are not in the mood, there are almost a dozen burgers to choose from.

I chose the $2.75 Ripper dog, a house specialty that is built to split open while it deep fries. I wanted mine with grilled peppers, fresh garlic and...