The Bargain Hunter

A final goodbye

2009-01-23T19:28:23Z

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

The final Daily Digest: Q &A

2009-01-23T19:27:55Z

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!

Marie Callender's pie sale starts soon

2009-01-23T19:25:50Z

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.

Kids clothing sale - a bag of stuff for $10

2009-01-23T18:49:05Z

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!

Free coffee at Panera Jan. 28

2009-01-23T18:24:03Z

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.

What is your financial dilemma?

2009-01-22T21:15:03Z

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!

Westinghouse 26-inch monitor price drop

2009-01-22T18:56:57Z

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.

Lincoln Lunch: taco, chili burger + milkshake

2009-01-22T18:32:29Z

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.

Have you been to the Circuit City liquidation sale?

2009-01-21T21:20:37Z

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.

The end of the Bargain Hunter blog

2009-01-21T15:00:33Z

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.

Free make up today

2009-01-20T19:05:14Z

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!

Tuesday column deals

2009-01-20T14:00:48Z

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

Lincoln Lunch: Filipino

Use Bakers Square gift certs now!

2009-01-16T20:18:28Z

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!

Lincoln Lunch: Filipino fast food

2009-01-16T20:08:09Z

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.