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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!

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?

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

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!

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

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!