This came in via the comments section, but I thought it needed it own post.

Bargain Hunter readers can receive half-off an animal massage session from Buddha Dog Animal Massage. Regular rates start at $30. Sessions are with a Registered Vet Tech and Certified Animal Massage Therapist, are at your location in the L.A. area, and will include Acupressure, TTouch, Stone Massage and Reiki, as well as a consultation, physical exam, and a walk before and after if desired (recommended). Massage is especially helpful for arthritic and senior animals, as well as growing young animals, athletic and competitive dogs, working dogs, recovering animals, and fearful and stressed animals, but offers healing benefits to all animals. For more information, please see http://buddhadog.com or call 818-300-4478. Thank You!

No, thank you, Buddhadog!!

This might sound freaky to some of you, but honestly, it can work. I had a crazy Maine Coon cat called Chuy who had some sort of obsessive tail twitchiness that the vet wanted to control with drugs. Instead, I took him to a pet chiropractor in Pasadena who used a form of spinal massage that calmed him right down. All she had to do was lay one hand on him and he would start this insane purr and relax into a puddle of happy grey fur. So, if you have a hyper, weird, sickly, depressed or otherwise out-of-sorts animal, this might be the ticket.

--Post by Mariel

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Came across this blog courtesy of Jen's List. It is called Fun and Free Giveaways and it is a light, woman-centric blog with posts most days. (Sounds like another blog I know, eh?) Today the writer has a post about a store giving away a white picture frame with butterflies. In another post she lists three Web sites that give away free stuff. Check it out!

Posted by Julia Scott at 8:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you are looking for deals that ran in Monday's column, you are in the right place. Bullseye! Below are links to every deal mentioned. In general if you have a hard time finding a sale, please enter a keyword in the search box on the left and search the blog. All the sales with that keyword will come up. Thanks! ~Julia

Free shipping Web site: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/free_shipping_web_site.html

Popchips Offer: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/bogo_free_popchips.html

Magic Mountain tix $27: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/magic_mountain_tix_27.html

Sharper Image coupons: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/sharper_image_deals.html

CD rates: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/cd_rates_falling.html

Ann Taylor Loft 20% off coupon: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/ann_taylor_loft_20_off.html

Two-for-one at Yozen Frogurt: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/yozen_frogurt_2for1_1.html

Three weeks free at Curves: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/curves_three_weeks_free_with_m.html

Posted by Julia Scott at 4:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi folks, my next theme will be pets! I am not lucky enough to have a furry animal (actually, it's my landlord's fault) but I know plenty of folks do. Please send me any ideas you have for where pet owners can save a buck! The theme is scheduled to run Wednesday, May 21 so send them in soon by leaving a comment on the blog (click on the tiny "comments" link underneath this post). Thanks! ~Julia

Posted by Julia Scott at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Women in wealthy homes make the majority of buying decisions, a story from Marketing Daily says. "Women make the home appliance decisions in 68% of households, and the travel decisions in 61%. They make the health-care calls, including choice of plans and providers, in 48% of such households, and the home improvement purchases in the same percentage. Two-thirds of wealthy women say they make family financial decisions jointly with their husbands, but fully 22% say that they make all of these financial decisions on their own."

Women in wealthy households, which they define as having a total income of $150,000 or more, don't balk at addressing service and product quality issues.

The story is based on a survey from the Luxury Institute in New York. CEO Milton Pedraza knew before the survey came out that women make big money decisions. "Recently," the story says, "his own wife walked out of a Best Buy store after a salesperson asked why her husband wasn't with her ... taking her $3,000-plus TV purchase elsewhere."

My question is, did they ask these wealthy women how important it is to get a good price? Even folks with tons of money want to save a buck!

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Just discovered this Web site. It's called FreeShipping.org and it is a ton of, you guessed it, free shipping codes. You can search by store, category, expiration date, and alphabetical order. The display format is easy to scan so you can figure out quickly if there is a code for your particular needs. Check it out!

I will add it to my links on the right of the blog in case you forget the Web site's address.

Posted by Julia Scott at 8:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Falling interest rates are good for home owners or anybody taking out a loan, but when it comes to lending your own money to others (in the form of a CD), dropping interest rates are bad. I found this out when I opened a letter from my bank last night, which had written to say they were pleased I renewed a 12-month CD at an interest rate of 3.25%. My jaw dropped. That's barely inflation!

I compared my last renewal letter from a year ago and sure enough, my interest rate for the previous 12 months was 5.20%. It dropped almost 2%! Now I'm on the prowl for a better CD rate, and you may want to do the same.

Bankaholic lists the top 25 CD rates. Using the tabs at the top of their site you can compare CDs for various time periods and dollar amounts. As I write this GMAC has the best rate (4.10%) for a 12-month CD with a minimum deposit of $500. It may pay to make a few calls and switch.

Posted by Julia Scott at 7:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I always get a lot of calls and emails on Mondays, when my column runs in the Daily News, from readers who cannot find one of the deals mentioned. None of the posts actually go away, they just get bumped down by newer sales. The search box on the left will help. To make it even easier, I've compiled all the links below.

B-DAY STEAK: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/free_birthday_steak.html

DESPERATELY SEEKING: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/desperately_seeking_lincoln_lu.html

MAIL MOVIES: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/moves_in_the_mail_4mo.html

BABY CHEAP: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/babystyle_25_off.html

FREE VEGGIE BURGER: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/free_veggie_burger_at_johnny_r.html

SHOES $20 OFF: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/shoescom_20_off.html

$2.99 GAS: http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2008/05/299_gas_for.html

Posted by Julia Scott at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you think you have wrung every last dollar from your budget, these tips, courtesy of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, will help you squeeze out a few more pennies.

+Raise the deductibles on your insurance policies and switch from monthly payouts to one yearly bill.

+Use coupons for everything, not just groceries. Get them from the paper, at online coupon sites, and directly from the manufacturer.

+Sign up for e-newsletters from the stores you frequent. The dispatches often contain coupons or let you know when a sale is going on.

+Sign up for rebate sites like eBates.com or Cashbaq.com, both of which give back a cut of your total purchase.

+Ask for a discount. Call your credit card company and ask for a lower interest rate if you carry a balance month to month (the Fed just lowered rates again). Same goes for your cable company and other vendors. Often asking nicely and pointing out that you are a longtime, loyal customer will persuade them to shave off a few dollars.

+Take advantage of merchant bonus offers when you cash your government stimulus check at their store. Many grocery chains are offering a 10% boost! If you give them your $600 check, they give you a gift card worth $660. That kind of short-term return is hard to match.

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Get the low down on 529 college savings accounts at SavingforCollege.com. The site covers everything from the basics of what a 529 plan is to how fees for the plans are steadily dropping. You can also calculate how much college will cost by your child's age. The family of a 12-month old will need to sock away $623 each month to pay for the their total college bill, a whopping $294,496, the site estimates.

Check out their ranking of the least expensive 529 plans (each state has their own) and the top 10 performing plans. They site has a forum page where confused parents of the college-bound can ask questions and share knowledge. The site is free.

Posted by Julia Scott at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I got such a good response from my Sunday story about trimming household spending that I decided to let y'all know how my saving plan is going. Hubby and I made a long list of our expenses, highlighted categories where we can spend less, and made a to do list to trim out bills. I followed through on one of them and made $70 in 7 minutes!!! No joke.

Hubby and I pay $28.15 a month for the Sunday New York Times. That is just over $7 a paper. Yikes! I called the Times to see if they could extend a discount to a longtime loyal reader. No such luck, the lady on the other end politely informed me. But I can already read the sections I like online, I pointed out. No deal, she said. But I can probably get the paper cheaper off the newsstand, I protested. Can't help you, she said.

By this point I had convinced myself to cancel the paper, which is what I told her. Hold on a second...oh my supervisor has approved a 50% off deal for 16 weeks, plus an additional 4 weeks if you pay by credit card. Kaa-zam!!

My bill drops to $70.35 for 20 weeks, down from $140.74. I hope we save as much with the other items on our to do list.

+Call cable company and ask for $10 off a month, we had the discount our first year of service and are considering switching companies

+Look for cell phone plan with fewer minutes but more texts to fit with our usage patterns

+Reduce gasoline bill by working from home more and carpooling

+Don't risk parking tickets, bring change or keep looking for spot

+Shop around for cheaper places to fill generic prescriptions

+Use dry cleaning coupons instead of going to the most convenient place

+When ordering take out, split a dish instead of creating leftovers

Posted by Julia Scott at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The $600 checks the government is sending out to stimulate the economy will arrive in bank accounts and mailboxes across the country soon. If you are going to spend yours, take advantage of retailers that are offering special discounts tied to the rebate checks. Click here to see when your check will be sent.

Ralphs and Albertsons will add $30, $60 or $120 to a gift card when you exchange your tax refund or economic stimulus check for a gift card. The bonus equals 10 percent of the amount you exchange. The offer starts Friday and lasts through July 31. One per household up to $1,200.

RadioShack gives a 10 percent discount on tabs of $50 or more when you use your stimulus check or tax rebate between May 4 and July 12. The balance will be put on a Vision Silver Prepaid MasterCard that can be used anywhere MasterCard is accepted.

Sears, Kmart, and Land's End offer a 10 percent bonus when you exchange your entire rebate check for gift cards. That means a $600 check nets gift cards worth $660. Bring in your check between May 14 and July 19 to get the deal.

Staples is offering no-interest on purchases over $499 with some exclusions when you use your Staples credit card. Valid April 21 through June 30, 2008. Mention code 31831. Read the fine print at here.

Restoration Hardware is offering $100 off a purchase of $750 or more through Wednesday. Get a voucher here to shop in stores or use code HEMAP804 online or over the phone. You can put off paying for a purchase of $750 for one year with no interest when you use your Restoration Hardware credit card.

If you plan to save your check...

Continue reading "Rebate redux" »

Posted by Julia Scott at 1:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Buying a flat screen TV is a lot more fun than saving your $600 rebate check, but it won't help your solvency. Think twice, be realistic, and consider these tips from the Wall Street Journal before you head to the electronics store.

+Put the rebate towards credit card debt. "A $600 balance on a credit card with an 18% interest rate costs $108 a year" in interest alone. Debt at these rates is not a bargain.

+Start or add to a retirement account or IRA. Max out the limit you can contribute to the retirement plan at your work. Or, if your job does not offer one, start an IRA. "IRA accounts grow tax-deferred, allowing you to earn interest tax-free," the story says.

+Set up a 529 college savings account. The money grows tax free if used for education.

+Create a health savings account. If you are eligible, you can pay for out of pocket medical expenses like co-pays and prescriptions with pretax dollars. There are some limits to how much you can put into the account. Some let you rollover a remaining balance to the next year, others do not.

Posted by Julia Scott at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Here is a Web site that helps you find the best bank for your needs. At FindABetterBank.com you enter your zip code, then rank 12 account features as things you either don't care about, would like to have, or must have. Answer a handful of questions about what fees usually snag you, then sort through the results it spits out. It took me about three minutes to go through the process.

You can rank the results by estimated annual fees (the Web site guesses what you pay according to the info you shared), the percentage of preferred features you ranked or proximity. The results also detail each bank's features, fees, and savings account rates. The site was started by two guys, one with a finance background and one a techie. Their premise was that it is too difficult for people to switch banks and that if the process were easier the better banks would rise to the top.

People have such different needs I do not think there is one "best" bank, but certainly this site can help you find one that suits your lifestyle. Read more about how the site works.

Posted by Julia Scott at 7:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you read my Sunday story on making a household budget and are looking for the blank budget worksheet, you are in the right place! Download it by clicking here. Note, you need Excel to open this document. The form automatically sums your expenditures, but you may need to add line items for categories not already listed, like Internet connection fees.

Good luck filling it out! It is tough to figure out where every penny is going, but you must know this to get control of your cash flow. Once you have that under tabs, it is a mental wrestling match with your inner spending beast!

Thanks to Rebecca Robins, a CFP in Stevenson Ranch, who agreed to let me share this document with Bargain Hunter readers.

Posted by Julia Scott at 1:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Tipsy shoppers are helping boost Internet sales, a story from the LA Times says.
"BUIs -- those who buy under the influence -- may be the Internet's dirty little secret," the story says. "(Then again, how dirty can you feel when you wake up spooning your keyboard?) And with retail e-commerce up 19% to $136.4 billion in 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, it's not shocking to realize that some people are boozing and browsing."

Makes sense. A few drinks and that sizzling dress on your screen does not seem like such a stretch. And gosh dang it, I deserve it! Hiccup. But I disagree with the last sentiment in the story - that online shopping is the one thing you can do while drunk that you won't regret. You may be able to return a mistake, but you will probably have to pay shipping and/or a restocking fee. Plus there's the whole hassle of it.

Posted by Julia Scott at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi folks, just wanted to let you know the techies at the Daily News are changing the blogs Monday afternoon so there will be no new posts during the then. They say it will take two hours but my guess is a lot longer. I will do my best to get out the daily digest before the freeze but if I don't please check the site to see all the new deals. Hope to be back to normal Tuesday. Thank you for reading the Bargain Hunter and sending me tips! ~Julia

Posted by Julia Scott at 8:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have received a lot of calls from readers having a hard time finding the site. Yikes! The site is up and running so I'm guessing you mistyped a character in the Web address. Just one wrong letter or punctuation mark will send you who knows where!

I try to answer all the emails and calls I receive about the site, but here is one tip that will take you far. Once you do reach the Bargain Hunter site, bookmark it by pressing and holding CTRL and the D button. On some browsers bookmarks are called Favorites. Next time you want to save a buck, just click on the bookmark/favorites tab at the upper left of your window and scroll down until you see Bargain Hunter. No need to type in www...

Hope that helps! ~Julia

Posted by Julia Scott at 8:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you can't find a deal, especially one from Monday's column, it may be because newer posts have pushed down the item you are looking for. But none of the deals go away, you just have to look a little harder.

Try using the search box on the left. It's under where you enter your email to sign up for the daily digest. Enter a keyword (like Morton to find the steakhouse deal), click "Search the blog." All the blog posts with that word will come up.

Good luck!
~Julia

Posted by Julia Scott at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With a spate of real and possible retailer bankruptcies, it is wise not to hold onto your gift cards too long, according to a Wall Street Journal story. "The economic downturn is expected to lead more retailers to file for bankruptcy-law protection, in which case their gift cards may become worthless or harder to redeem," the story says.

Think Sharper Image (which started re-accepting gift cards but with a lot of rules) and Levitz Furniture (which suggested folks with gift cards file a claim in bankruptcy court). Fortunoff, Harvey Electronics and Lillian Vernon have "made bankruptcy-law filings" but say they will continue to honor gift cards. Guess it's time to use that Pottery Barn card!

Posted by Julia Scott at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The $10 coupon book from the Wildlife Way Station in Angeles National Forest has some good discounts in the San Fernando Valley. Mostly buy one get one free offers for food with a few merchant and entertainment discounts.

Discounts include two-for-ones at Baskin Robbins, Domino's Pizza, Yum Yum Donuts, Subway, Falafel Palace, Marmalade Cafe, Casa de Carlos, QDobas, Pizza Cookery, Sid's Seafood (up to $20), and Shalimar Cuisine of India. Entertainment discounts include various offers for Knotts Berry Farm, Ultrazone Laser Tag, Skateland and the Aquarium of the Pacific. Merchant discounts include coupons for Three Dog Bakery, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Baklava Factory, a bunch of car washes, and EZ Lube. There are 101 coupons total.

The coupons are good until Dec 30, 2009. And that's not a typo. Non-profits like Girl Scout troops, public schools, Kiwanis and Lion's clubs, and religious groups sell the books for $10. The WWS and the non-profit selling them split the proceeds. Call the non-profit group you would like to support to see if they are selling them or buy it directly from the WWS by calling Bruce at (800) 345-6371 or emailing a request to Bruce@thekuhngroup.com. I'm told books for Santa Clarita Valley and Orange County are coming in 3+ months.

Note, this is different than the Entertainment book. The WWS takes in wild and exotic animal that need a home and places (most of them) in zoos or animal parks. Thanks, Frank!

Posted by Julia Scott at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UPDATE: You must send in your used Target bags in the Newsweek cover. Making an envelope out of other materials will not get you the coupon for a free tote.

PREVIOUSLY: Target and Newsweek are working together to give out free re-usable tote bags. Here's how it works: you mail in your Target plastic bags using the Newsweek magazine cover from their April 14 "Who's the Greenest of them all?" issue and they mail you a coupon for a tote that is made of plastic bags.

No postage needed. You just have to get your hands on the April 14 issue of Newsweek. Come to think of it, you probably don't even need that. Here's the address if you want to send in your plastic Target bags in some other material:

Terracycle
121 New York Ave
Trenton, NJ 08638

Since you can squish the plastic bags so much, mail them in any piece of paper by folding it into an envelope.

Caveats: must be mailed by May 31, 2008. One per household.

Posted by Julia Scott at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

If it's not gas, housing, and grocery prices squeezing your budget, it's taxes. Hubby and I are getting hammered by the IRS this year, partly because we sold our condo and can no longer deduct mortgage interest. But we forgot to increase our paycheck withholdings. Ouch!

Short term, we pay the tax man. Mid term - over the next three months or so - we will cut back to recoup the payout, which will likely come from our savings. So where am I cutting back?

+ That girls' getaway to Vegas is gone, baby, gone. SAVINGS: $700
+ Spring facial will have to wait until summer. SAVINGS: $105
+ No new threads. But I do have a $50 JCrew gift card for when I get desperate. SAVINGS: $250
+ Working from home twice a week to cut down on my gas bill. SAVINGS: $50/week
+ Eating in instead of splurging at restaurants with Hubby. SAVINGS: $200
+ Leaving my credit cards at home. SAVINGS: PRICELESS.

That brings my total to $1,305. A good start but not enough to keep the IRS at bay. I could extend the cutback period, but it's awfully hard to keep the belt that tight long term. Any ideas, folks? Email me.

Posted by Julia Scott at 1:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

UPDATE: My Nitty Gritty Grocery List now includes the Food 4 Less prices for all 35 items. Shoppers not familiar with Food 4 less may be surprised that for many items the grocery chain bumped Vons and Trader Joe's from being the low price leader, which I mark below in bold.

I totally redid my grocery cheat sheet to list just what I consider a "good" price for each item so you don't have to comb through all three store columns. This way if you can't remember the lowest price you can get for an item, just pull out your cheat sheet and the decision is easy.

Remember, grocery prices fluctuate greatly so you will have to update your own list every few weeks.

PREVIOUSLY: Old school coupon clippers make it seem as if saving 50% off your grocery tab is no big deal. As the Bargain Hunter, I figured it would be a cinch. So for "work" I dug through the Sunday newspaper circulars, surfed the Internet for the best online coupon sites, and looked for coupons everywhere. Was I able to drastically reduce my grocery bill? Check out this Sunday's LA Daily News for the full scoop. In the story I tell readers to come here for a full comparison of prices (my "cheat sheet") at two supermarkets I frequently shop at. So without further ado...

Bolded prices mean that store is the clear price leader. If neither price is bolded it means the item was a draw. Items marked with an * frequently go on sale or have coupons available. Use all your willpower to buy them only at these lowest prices!! And remember, sales and coupons can often tip the price in favor of Vons, which doubles coupons up to $1.

Assume items from Trader Joe's are sold under the private Trader Joe's brand unless otherwise noted. A price range is listed for items from Von's because the chain offers a variety of brands. Lower range prices are often the store's own Safeway brand of food.

Posted by Julia Scott at 8:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

You may have noticed the tiny green buttons that started appearing at the bottom of each post yesterday. They say "Share This" and look like a mini wishbone. Clicking the button lets you share a post with everyone else in cyberspace by sending the post to Web sites like Digg, Reddit, and Del.icio.us. These sites rank stories and blog posts by how many votes each one gets. So in theory you can go to one of these sites and read the top ranked stories. Each time you share a post it gets one vote. Vote a lot!!! You can also email a post to a specific person with this button (click on the gray "Send" tab).

I hope you will share blog posts you find useful with your friends and others in cyberspace. Sharing posts will help me spread the word and help others save a buck! Just click on "Share This," then choose the ranking site you want to send it to.

Caveats: there always is one, right? This caveat is that to share a post you need to register on the ranking sites. I like Digg because the site is really intuitive and well organized, so if you only join one consider Digg.

Posted by Julia Scott at 8:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Geri Cook, one of LA's original bargain hunters, has died. She was 83. Cook is the mom of Suzanne O'Connor, who runs BargainsLA, a great source for local sales across the region. Cook wrote the "Bargains" column for the LA Times and also worked for the Daily News for four years. She had a radio programs on KGIL-AM and regularly appeared on KCBS evening news. Read the full obit in the LA Times here.

Posted by Julia Scott at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

...and figure out if they are a bargain! A story from Shop Smart magazine says look for these details to determine if clothing is well made or if manufacturers skimped.

Shirts - Hems should be smooth and free of wrinkles, buttons should be sewn into an extra layer of fabric (look for subtle stitch lines on either side of the buttons), and there should be two layers of fabric across the shoulders. Avoid a shirt with a collar that does not fold down properly - it wasn't been cut right.

Pants - look for neat, tightly stitched seams with no loose strings, invisible hems at the foot (unlike jeans or casual pants), and avoid pairs with sticky or hard to reach zippers.

Jackets - the arm should be made out of two pieces and not pucker along the shoulder. A jackets made of two panels of cloth on each front will fit better than those with darts or seams. High end jackets should have piped lining. Jackets made of wool with a little spandex will wear well and keep their shape best.

Posted by Julia Scott at 7:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Machinist blogger has figured out a way to access all the Wall Street Journal stories online for free. Normally subscribing costs $80 a year. The deal is that the WSJ wants to get traffic from search engines like Google and sites like Digg that collect popular stories, so the financial newspaper makes most or all of its stories free if you access them through these sites.

Normally, when you click on a link to a WSJ story from an ordinary Web site you get a truncated version of the story and have to log on and pay to finish reading it. "But if you click on a link to that same article in Google News, you'll be sent to the full story for free. This is true, also, of WSJ links on Digg, and probably a few other big referral sites, too," the blog post says.

If some stories are still off limits you can install a referer spoofer, which is totally legal, the Machinist blog claims. For directions click here and scroll down to where it says "The slightly harder way (but you do get all the Journal's stories):"

Posted by Julia Scott at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Major chain stores like Home Depot, Circuit City and Best Buy are quietly adopting policies that let their sales force haggle with customers, a recent story in the New York Times says. Basically the down economy is giving folks like you and me wiggle room because retailers really want to make the sale.

The folks in the NYT story successfully talked down prices by arming themselves with information and playing hard to get. I'm terrified of haggling, but I have a feeling once I do it a few times it will come easy. Here's how to get started:

+ Know the price of the item you want on the Internet and at the store's competitor.
+Tell the salesperson you saw a similar item for such-and-such price selling at X.
+Consider bringing a friend to play good cop/bad cop. One person wants to buy the item, the other doesn't and threatens to leave.
+Tell the salesperson the item looks worn or damaged, if appropriate.

Making stuff up is not good. But if another retailer is selling it for less, that's information that will empower you. Good luck and let me know your haggling stories!

Posted by Julia Scott at 7:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The March 24 issue of Newsweek suggests a few credit cards for small business owners and some of them sound like good deals, depending on your needs. The American Express Plum Card gives you two months to pay your balance in full without fees as long as you pay 10% of the total due on time.

A business card from Advanta offers no interest on balance transfers for 15 months and an 8% fixed APR thereafter. The Capital One Business Platinum With No Hassle Cash card gives you 1% back on all purchases with no limits. The next year you get a quarter of the previous years' rebate.

Get 5% back on office supplies with the Discover Business Cash Back card. It also gives 2% back on gas and 1% on everything else. Find a card appropriate for you at creditcard.com.

Posted by Julia Scott at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Feeling panicked about the crappy state of the stock market? Me too. But the best strategy is to think long term, according to a Q&A in yesterday's LA Times. Writer Kathy M. Kristof answers these questions: My portfolio lost 20% of its value. Should I sell? Only if you need the money for expenses in the next 12 months. But if you "simply hate the discomfort of the financial turmoil, hang tight," the story says.

I want to take action. Where do I start? Put pencil to paper and write out the worst thing that could happen. Think through the next step and the outcome may not seem so scary. Also consider re-balancing your portfolio.

If brokerage firms like Bear Stearns fail are my stocks safe? If you invest in a firm that is SIPC-insured you will "get back the stocks, bonds, mutual fund shares and cash that were in their brokerage accounts before" the firm went belly up. Check if your brokerage is SIPC-insured at www.sipc.org.

I'm retired, will I outlive my savings? You can "safely withdraw about 4% of the value of your portfolio each year" and chances are you will not outlive your savings, the story says. If your investments have dropped below 4% your spending money could shrink significantly. Get a part time job or learn to live on less.

I had high risk tolerance a few years ago but now with the crummy economy, housing market and job situation, should I reconsider my risk level? It's a good idea to revisit your risk tolerance and how your portfolio is balanced once a year.

What is a diversified portfolio? In a diversified portfolio your money is invested in lots of different places, from stocks to bonds and cash. Within each type or "class" of investment you can put the money in different places. That way if one part drops you won't feel the hit as strongly because other investments balance it out.

Read the whole story here.

Posted by Julia Scott at 7:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The quickest way to get your $600 "economic stimulus" check from the U.S. government is to sign up for direct deposit. Electronic payments will be sent before any paper checks are mailed. All payments will be sent according to the last two digits of your social security number.

For direct deposit: if the last two digits of your social are 00 through 20, payment will be transmitted May 2. If the digits are 21 through 75, the money will be deposited May 9. If they 76 through 99, payday is May 16.

Paper checks will be mailed May 16 through July 11. Check exact mailing dates for paper checks. To get the $600 via direct deposit choose direct deposit when you file your 2007 tax returns. Only folks who filed a 2007 tax return are eligible to get the $600. To determine if you are eligible and how much you will get (kids are worth up to $300 each) click here. Read FAQs about the checks.

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are three types, according to experts I interviewed. Accessible, aspirational and ultra. Why does anybody care? They spend way more than bargain hunters.

Accessible shoppers buy at places like Macy's and Nordstrom. They will spend about $300 on a shopping spree and buy items like a Coach handbag, Cole Haan shoes or high end J.Crew apparel. Accessible shoppers have "traded up from mass retail" stores like Mervyns and Target. "There's a noticeably lower price point versus the aspirational customer who wants to participate in what we consider true luxury brands," said luxury consultant Suzanne Hader.

Aspirational shoppers will blow a wad - $600 to $10,000 - on a purse or item of clothing from a "true" luxury brand like Gucci or Channel, but only every other year. They shop at anywhere from Macy's to Neiman Marcus. When recession looms "this is the category that pulls back first," Hader said. "They like luxuries but want to keep their house and put their kids through school."

Ultra luxury shoppers spend...as much as they want. One expert I talked to said this tiny but coveted group of buyers has "unlimited resources." They shop at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus and buy jewelry from top labels like Harry Winston and Van Cleef & Arpels, tropical mansions and zippy sports cars. "The true affluent person with a multi-million dollar income they are going to be willing to pay for that (quality)," said Judith Murphy, associate publisher for the American Express magazines Departures and Black Ink. "They don't want to be part of the mass luxury group."

Continue reading "Are you a luxury shopper? " »

Posted by Julia Scott at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wow. I am *almost* in shock. Overstock.com, the online discount retailer known for their low prices on sheets, leather jackets, and watches, is now selling cars. Cars!

For each car the site lists the invoice price (what the manufacturer bills the dealer) and the MSRP (retail price as suggested by the manufacturer). To get a quote from a dealer you have to register and share a bunch of information, which Overstock sends to dealers, who contact you. The site also sells used cars and has a clearance lot. The deal of the month is a 2008 Toyota Avalon, above, for $3,679 below MSRP, according to the site.

The more you shop around for a car and the more you know about the car, the better your chances are of getting a good deal. Let me know if you save a buck!

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm always looking to improve the site which is why I took this reader suggestion to heart. How about a blog post devoted to reliable sites for coupon codes? I sorta thought I had taken care of this with the links at right under "My Faves," but I realized if you are not already familiar with each site, it's unclear which ones specialize in coupon codes.

So I broke out my top five sites for coupon codes at right. Here's a run down to get you started. Retailmenot is searchable, plus it lists popular stores and coupons. For each code it lists the success rate and reader comments. Many of the codes are no longer good, unfortunately.

Current Codes lets you search...

Continue reading "Best sites for coupon codes" »

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Get all the day's new sales and coupon by plugging your email into the box on the upper left corner of the site. I send the daily digest once a day Monday through Friday, though a strategically placed kitty may block your access! Some readers find getting the digest easier than going to the site. And I don't share e-mail addresses. Period. ~Julia

Posted by Julia Scott at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Am I saving enough? This question that has been on my mind since the Daily News laid off 22 newsroom employees Friday. How long could Hubby and I get by if I was not working? I turned to AnalyzeNow.com, which Newsweek recommended in its March 3 issue, for free planning advice. The site is run by retired Boeing president and engineer Henry "Bud" K. Hebeler.

The Web site does not have direct links to its free retirement planning tools, unfortunately. But it is easy to navigate by clicking on the links on the left side of the home page.) Under "Free Programs" there are tools for pre-retirement planning, whether you should take Social Security at 62, 66 or 70, a calculator to determine your investment's return, and a savings planner to help you create a budget that will allow you to retire comfortably.

The site also has answers to basic retirement questions. Click on "Ask Bud About" for detailed answers to if you should pay off your mortgage before retiring, how long to wait before you start taking social security, and the pros and cons of international investments.

You can buy a comprehensive planner for $49 to $89 under the "Comprehensive Planning" link.

Posted by Julia Scott at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's a list of eight ways to sock away $100 from The Street, a Web site chock full of highbrow investment advice. Every blue moon they delve into everyday money matters, which brings us to the subject of this blog post: pulling five Andrew Jacksons out of these daily routines.

Wash With Cold Water
Using hot water when you do a load of laundry accounts for 85% to 90% of the energy used during the cycle. Switch to the cold/cold setting and watch your utility bill shrink by more than $100 a year (assuming you do one load a day).

Drink More Water
All that soda, juice, and energy drinks add up. If every drink costs $1 and you cut out two a week, that adds up to $104 a year.

Compare Prices
Shopping around always pays off. So does waiting to buy during a sale and using a coupon. Luckily, there are no shortage of comparison shopping sites, like Shopzilla, ShopLocal, BizRate, Amazon, and eBay.

Use Coupons
Spend a few minutes with the Sunday newspaper circular clipping coupons for items you regularly buy. You only have to save $2 a week at the grocery store to ring up $100 a year.

Start Haggling
Haggling makes me nervous, too. But it can..

Continue reading "Sock away $100 " »

Posted by Julia Scott at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When my mom offered to cover all my books in college I was relieved because I knew they added up to $300+ per semester. My chemistry book alone cost $112 and it was only for one semester! Now students can turn to Chegg.com, a Web site that rents textbooks.

Prices are about 40 percent of the list price of a new book, according to a story by the Kansas City Star in Missouri. For every book rented Chegg.com will plant a tree. Students buy a tree in textbooks every year, according to the site.

Another textbook rental site is BookRenter.com, which boasts prices 50 percent to 75 percent below retail. Rental periods range from 1 to 4 months and shipping is included in the book price.

Both are great sources to check out if you can't find the books you need used.

Posted by Julia Scott at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

With soaring gas prices, housing malaise, and the recession doom and gloom, it is no doubt a good time to save money. And as long as you are stashing some away, make sure it grows quickly. The Web site Bankaholic.com lists top CD rates, savings rates and credit card offers, not that I'm encouraging you to go into more debt. Pay those monthly bills in full, my friends!

The savings rate for One United tops the list with a 5.15 annual percentage yield for an account with a minimum of $1,000. Not too shabby. The yield drops to 4.10 percent at AmTrust Direct, but you only need $1 to get started.

A six-month certificate of deposit (CD) at Flagstar Bank earns 3.91 percent and requires a minimum of $500. For a 12 month term, Patelco will give you 4.07 percent with a balance of at least $1,000.

Credit cards are so specialized these days it's wise to carry around multiple cards to get the best deal in different spending categories. Many cards offer rebates on gasoline purchases - a budget near and dear to the hearts of Angelenos. The AmEx SimplyCash card pays 5 percent back on gas station purchases and is accepted at Chevron, Texaco, Shell Gas, and Mobil-Exxon. For airline miles, consider Miles by Discover, a card that gives you double credit for travel and restaurant purchases. The miles are good at any airline, they do not expire, and there is no limit to the number of miles you can earn. Shablam!

Posted by Julia Scott at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There's a new deal Web site in town, Deals Plus, and it seems to be decent. The home page lists electronic deals, the deals page lists clothes, watches and more electronics from popular e-tailers like Newegg, Buy.com, and Amazon. The coupons page has some decent free shipping and percentage off codes, but nothing ground breaking.

Deal Plus' strong point is its price comparisons. For any item you are interested in it will spit out the prices at a few sources. A two-disc widescreen edition of Goodfellas II lists five prices, bottoming out at $10. A search for a GPS watch came up with a few options, including the Garmin Forerunner 50 for $85. If you plug in your zip code the site will include shipping costs in the prices, giving you a truer comparison.

Another cool thing about this site is the answers page. You can post a question - like what's wrong with the iPod - and get informative *and* snarky responses. They also have a groups page with topics like freebies, Amazon fillers (for when you need to hit $25 for free shipping), and PS3 Wii info.

Thanks, Michelle!

Posted by Julia Scott at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you are having a hard time finding a coupon or blog post, especially one from Monday's column, it may be because newer posts have pushed down the coupon you are looking for. There are two ways to find a coupon.

First, enter a keyword into the search box on the left side of the Bargain Hunter Web site. You will find it a few inches below the box where you enter your email to sign up for the daily digest. Enter a keyword to find the coupon, click "Search the blog," and browse the entries it pulls up. I recommend using a single keyword for starters.

Your other option is to scroll down to the very bottom of the page and if you still don't see the coupon you are looking for click "Earlier entries from..." That will take you to earlier entries. You can keep clicking on earlier entries as far back as you want!

Hope that helps.
~Julia

Posted by Julia Scott at 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Got a magazine teaser from Consumer Reports that gave the skinny on 10 everyday items and whether they are a good deal or not. On the bad list: sugar-free oreos (they have nearly as many calories and cost almost double), whitening toothpaste (they tried 41 types and none whitened teeth anymore than regular toothpaste), automatic shower cleaner (Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner was ineffective), stain remover pens (a Tide stick removed only 6 of 48 stains), Hellman's Easy out mayo (11 percent was stuck in the squeeze jar).

On the good list: Epson PictureMate photo printers (excellent quality, convenient to use), the Furminator pet brush (effective and easy to clean), bamboo-cotton blend towels (softer than all cotton towels after washing).

Get 13 issues of Consumer Reports Magazine plus their Annual Buying Guide and How to Clean Practically Anything, for $26,

Posted by Julia Scott at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(not my actual dinner) I finally used a coupon from my 2008 Entertainment book and it nearly paid off the cost of my $15 invesment. Hubby and I had dinner at Shalimar Cuisine of India in Woodland Hills and got one free entree because we ordered a second entree. My chicken tandoori was perfectly spiced and tender. Hubby's lamb in lentil sauce was more sweet than spicy and also very food. Rice and freshly made naan were tasty.

With one beer the tab came to $37, including tax and tip. The coupon knocked it down to just under $28. Reviewers on Yelp give Shalimar the thumbs up. Fyi, when you use the book you need the card that comes with it. That prevents people like me from ripping out the coupons I won't use and giving them to others. Darn.

The SFV book is currently selling for $15, plsu $3 shipping. Search for books by state.

Visit Shalimar at 23011 Ventura Blvd. in Woodland Hills. (818) 225-7794.

Posted by Julia Scott at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thanks to all the readers who have left a comment on the Bargain Hunter blog. A lot of folks are still emailing me directly, which I enjoy, but that means other readers cannot benefit from your insight! Please consider sharing your two cents on any blog post by clicking on the tiny "Comments" link that appears underneath the black line at the bottom of each post.

It is totally anonymous because you don't have to leave your email address or Web site, just a name. If you want to email me directly, I'm at julia.scott@dailynews.com.

Posted by Julia Scott at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)

Time to update the list from Consumer Reports magazine about when is the best time to make certain purchases. Here's what they recommend for January and February:
Beddings, CDs and DVDs, cookcare, houses and condos, linens, swimwear, toys, treadmills, TVs, winter clothing, humidifiers, indoor furniture, and small consumer electronics.

March and April: Humidifiers, TVs, winter coats, winter sports gear, digital cameras and spring clothing.

Posted by Julia Scott at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am currently guilty of carrying around...let me count...nine gift cards, plus an extra Starbucks card at home. I'm guessing you are only slightly less guilty than me. But watch out for stores that slowly chip away at your gift card balance, warns a story from Stateline.org. "...some cards come with expiration dates or maintenance fees that make using them a hassle. For example: Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s gift cards expire two years after they were last used. Shell’s gas cards impose a fee of $1.75 each month after a year of non-use. The All-Access Visa Gift Card charges a processing fee, a $4.95 monthly fee after the first year, and 50 cents just to check the balance of the gift by phone."

But not all is lost. The story continues "...30 states have some sort of limitation on expiration dates or fees, while another seven require that fees and expirations be disclosed." Stores such as Barnes & Noble, Blockbuster, Kmart and Toys “R” Us have dropped their expiration dates and service fees.

Pay special attention to prepaid cards like those from Visa and American Express. They can be used at any store but have the highest processing fees, monthly service fees, and expiration dates, the story says. "Even without card fees, retailers are still raking in money because many gift cards never get used. Nationally, about 10 percent of the value of gift cards is never spent, and in 2006, that added up to $8 billion."

Posted by Julia Scott at 7:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

No publicity is bad publicity, right? So I'm stating the obvious. I have a new blog photo! In the old one nobody could tell I was looking through a storefront window for a bargain - most people thought I was a peeping tom. Riiiiiight. What happened was that when I was getting my picture taken (never fun) you couldn't tell I was behind a window because it was plain glass - there was no contrast. So we used the sunburst pane. Some bargain hunter trivia for ya. I hope the new photo is a little more obvious. Me + money = savings! The new pic will also run with Monday's column.

Posted by Julia Scott at 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Some tips from MSNBC on paying off that horrendous credit card bill you racked up last month! 1) Lock up your credit cards. That way you eliminate impulse buys and force yourself to part with cash every time you buy. Keep the cards stashed until you've got your bill under control. 2) Just buy what you need. Duh. We all *wish* we could do this, but with a loaded bill double your will power by asking yourself if you truly need the item up for consideration. Give yourself a fighting chance by avoiding stores in the first place. 3) Lower your interest rates. If you pay your bills mostly ontime you probably get a million credit card offers. Check their teaser rates for balance transfers but be careful about the conditions that could jack up your rate. 4) Pay it off! Just paying the minimums is not a good strategy. The MSNBC article crunches the numbers - and they are scary! "Say you owe $8,000 on your credit cards at an interest rate of 19 percent (many people with significant debt owe much more and are being charged interest rates in the 25 percent to 30 percent range). If you pay the minimum...

Continue reading "Paying off holiday debt" »

Posted by Julia Scott at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(no relation to post, just a cool drawing) Vicky's Deals is a small deal site with household coupons and freebies. One cool feature is that she lets readers post coupons, but that means there's a lot of unnecessary rambling. Not like Slickdeals.net, which gets nearly all its coupons from readers but presents them in a neat, concise fashion. Also, without photos her site tires quickly. Vicky's forums page lets readers react to her deals and post their own sales. They put the most recent comments on top so scroll down to find the coupon. I tried to sign up for her daily email but the system wouldn't accept it. Her coupons today are a free rubber stamp at iPrint, ShoeBuy coupons, and a Baby Gap coupon for $15 off $75. Can you tell I'm lukewarm about this site? There are others that are much better.

Posted by Julia Scott at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

None of the ads tell you what coupons are actually *in* the 2008 San Fernando Valley coupon book, so I'm spilling the beans.

Shalimar Cuisine of India - buy one lunch or dinner entree and get one free up to $13
Tarzana Hand Car Wash - hand wash, tire dressing and polish was for $10 (save $9).
The Stand - 2 for 1 Stand Dogs
Auntie Anne's - buy one pretzel get one free
Baja Fresh - $5 off a tab of $15 or more
Subway - buy one get one free 6-inch sub
Fatburger - buy one get one free with any item on the menu (freebie is cheaper of the two)
Cavaretta's Italian Deli - same deal as Fatburger
Maggie Moo's - same as Fatburger
Movie tickets at the Mann - $7 each (some limitations)
Movie tickets at Regal Theaters - $6 with limitations, $7.50 each no limitations
Dodgers - buy one get one free for an infield or lower level ticket
Footlocker chains or Champs or Footaction - $10 off a $50 purchase
50 free prints at Snapfish, 30 free prints at Shutterfly
Ace Hardware -$5 off an $25 purchase
Harbor Freight Tools - 15% off any single item
Longs Drugs - $5 off an purchase of $25

A reader reminded me to check out their online deals, which include even more restaurants, retail shops, and entertainment venues. I also got 3 mags free for 3 months for registering my card, which gets me deals at certain locations. The SFV book is still $15 with free shipping.

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Have you noticed stores are tightening their return policies? Costco changed their liberal return policy to 90 days for electronics, and many others have followed suit, according to a story from the Associated Press. "Sears, Roebuck and Co. maintains a broad 15 percent restocking fee, introduced in 2005 on select items including home appliances, electronics, and sporting good not returned unused with full packaging. Plenty of stores also track customers' returns, blacklisting "serial returners." Dworksy noted that bucking the trend was the nation's leading consumer electronics chain Best Buy Co., which liberalized its holiday returns policy this year. It now allows returns on all goods until Jan. 31. Previously, computers were excluded, some other items needed to be returned by Jan. 8 and still others by Jan. 24"

There are many exceptions. REI has an incredible "100% satisfaction" return policy that I fear will one day go the way of the dodo. My sister tested their committment to this policy by returning a pair of 10-year old hiking boots. One boot had a hole in the sole and so she was no longer satisfied, she told the cashier. The fact that she had put hundreds of miles on these boots didn't stop her from taking them back, or the cashier from giving her a full refund!

Posted by Julia Scott at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

if you are already familiar with eBates.com, which has automatic rebate deals of 1 to 25 percent with hundreds of stores, Cashbaq.com will be easy to digest. At Cashbaq you register for free, click on one of the 500 stores they have rebate deals with (like 3 percent at Banana Republic), then four to five months later you get a check in the mail - a verrrry long wait. (eBates is 3 months). Cashbaq gives you $5 just for signing up while eBates gives you a $10 gift card once you sign up and make a purchase through their site. (Use my email, julia.scott@dailynews.com, in the "Anyone referred you?" box, and we both get a bonus!)

So who has the better deals? A quick comparison of a few stores with the eBates rebate listed first, following by the rebate at Cashbaq:

Target 4% ..... 5%
Home Depot 4% ..... 2%
Best Buy 1% ...... 1%
Gap 3% ..... 3%
Amazon.com coupons only ..... coupons only

So in some cases it might make sense to shop at one versus the other. But it would be nice to have all your checks coming from one place so they are easier to remember. See what works for you.

Posted by Julia Scott at 8:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I've been getting more emails and comments on the blog and thought I'd share a few. Fran wrote in about My Gift List, my failed experiment to track and limit my Christmas shopping (I went $60.50 over budget). "Thank you for all your help this holiday season. It was the first year that I subscribed to your newsletter, and it helped with my budget and made shopping fun."

Reader Melissa comiserated with me for having to buy underwear for a grown man (part of Hubby's Christmas present). "Ok... The underwear item was hilarious and one EVERY woman gets. My husband has the most tattered underwear and think they are in great shape."

At least one reader noticed the new daily digest format has pictures! And links that work! (What a novel idea). "I really love the new format," Bruce said. "Easier to read and more pleasent to the eye. Keep it up Julia." Thanks, and remember you can now sign up for the digest by plugging in your email in the box on the upper left hand of the blog.

Sol sent a quick French lesson. "Hi Julia, I think that highlighting a charity every day like you're doing is a wonderful idea. I hope many people choose to participate and donate. I just wanted to point out though that if you're going to refer to something as daily in French, the correct format is DU jour, not DE jour. Just my two cents. Thanks for bringing us the goodies!"

David left three suggestions for dawgs once the Weiner Factory closes. "Tommy's and Carney's are well-known for great chili. Less known is Marty's on the Westside (Pico just east of Prosser). It's easy to overlook but well worth the stop. Chili and grilled onions are always ready. Need I say more?"

I love it when readers email me directly but please consider commenting through on the blog (just click on the tiny "comments" link below each post) so others can benefit from your thoughts!

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

At least twice I've written about crazy people who stand in line a *really* long time for a new electronic gadget or some other excuse to spend money and be the envy of your social circle. Saturday morning I found myself being one of those crazy people you roll your eyes at. My ridiculous excuse: the REI used gear sale, when the sporting goods store pawns off returned gear that ranges from barely used to slightly defective.

I woke up at 6:11 a.m. - before the alarm went off - pulled on my jeans and high tailed it over to REI. As I approached the entrance I was amazed to find no one in line. If I am the first person in line I really AM crazy, I told myself. Luckily, around the corner there were about 40 crunchy granola types waiting patiently. The girl in front of me was reading the presidential primary voter info booklet. And it was still dark!

The sale started at 7 a.m. and they let people in about 30 at a time. I was in the second batch and immediately went for the sleeping bags. I've been using a lavender one my mom bought me, like, in the 80s, and the thing just doesn't work anymore. Slim pickings - just 3 bags and one was $199 so I didn't even consider that one. After close comparison I chose a silver REI Zephyr with orange accents that is warm to 20 degrees, for $59.93 (orig $149, selling new for $115). Not bad considering the only reason it was returned was that the original buyer wanted to zip it to another bag. I've already tested it and it's very warm.

I also grabbed a large KEEN messenger/weekend bag that I'll use to replace my ailing gym/weekend bag. It was $35 (orig $90, selling new for $65) because the lining in one of the pockets has a two-inch tear. (I know how to sew.) It ain't a looker, though. When I showed it to Hubby he said, "Keen, they make shoes don't they? This bag looks like a shoe."

Posted by Julia Scott at 7:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spoofee.com is a discount Web site I recently discovered. The presentation is a tad jumbled for but each sale item the have a rating, detailed instructions for how to get the discount, and a final price that includes shipping. Often they list one or two price comparisons. They also have a loooong page for coupons (best when you can jump right to the retailer you intend to shop at, as opposed to browsing). The page for free stuff can be entertaining to scan (want a free 2008 Shirdi Sai Wall Calendar?). They also compile weekly ad flyers from dozens of stores. A decent Web site to keep in mind, just don't ask me how to pronounce it. spUU-FEE? spOH-FEE? spUU-F?

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you have not already donated to charity consider waiting until Jan 1. That way it counts during the 2008 tax year. Then make another donation in late 2008 and skip all of 2009. For tax purposes it lets you bundle your charitable donations into one year for maximum impact, but it still feels like you are giving during the holidays. This is especially useful if you itemize your taxes.

Posted by Julia Scott at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The holiday buzz is wearing off, and, looking around, there are a few things in your stash you would rather be without. OK, maybe a lot of things you are eager to part with. Some you might be able to regift, a practice now widely accepted as long as you cover your tracks. Others have "return me" written all over them. You might want to wait a few days to make your returns because crowds are expected to hit post-holiday sales today and use the gift cards burning holes in their pockets. Follow these tips, courtesy of "The Giftionary" author Robyn Spizman, and you will maximize your chances of turning Christmas chaff into greenbacks. Keeping reading my story in Wednesday's Daily News with tips for smooth returns.

Posted by Julia Scott at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Great advice from the Budget Fashionista on how to spot a fake on eBay. A reader wrote in with this questions. "I bought a Burberry trench on eBay for $175. Is it too good to be true? I haven't received the coat yet, but I wanted to be sure. The pictures look pretty convincing."

The BF answers: "The rule of thumb when it comes to eBay is that if looks like a fake, priced like a fake, sounds like a fake, then most likely it's a fake. If someone is claiming that a certain high end item, like a designer handbag or a designer purse, is brand spanking new and less than 50% of it's original price, then most likely you're being scammed. Now there are times when it may be the real deal, for example after Christmas you may find a lot of unwanted presents on eBay."

She suggests taking these steps to weed out the bogus items:
1. Ask for additional pictures, especially of the clothing tag
2. Ask for them to scan or take a photo of the receipt
3. Check their seller ratings- I never purchase from any one with less than a 100% rating. Others say a 95% or above rating is fine, but I like to be extra careful.
4. Follow your gut. If it feels wrong, then it is.
5. Check to see if the photos look like they were ripped from the site of major luxury store (like Saks, Neimanmarcus.com, etc)

Sounds like good advice to me.

Posted by Julia Scott at 8:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm taking a few days off next week but will still be blogging over the holidays (I'm addicted, I know.) No daily digest until Thursday so puh-leeze check the blog yourself. Don't be lazy, now. I know it's easier when posts are delivered to your inbox, but even the bargain hunter needs a break! If you havn't already added www.insidesocal.com/bargain to your Favorites or Bookmarks what's stopping you? Oh yeah, and Merry Christmas!

Posted by Julia Scott at 2:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Reader Cathy wrote in with recommendations for three Web sites for deals on perfume, games and DVDs, and books. Scentiments.com has "all the designer fragrances at really low prices." I'm not up on perfume prices (I'm still wearing a bottle of Noa that I bought, like, in the 90s) but a quick comparison against Macy's for a 3.4 oz spray bottle of Acqua di Gio for Men by Giorgio Armani was $50 at Scentiments and $67.50 at Macy's. It's starting to smell a lot like Christmas! UPDATE: Reader Susan writes that you can get 5% off with coupon code coupmtn. Hope it works for you!

Deepdiscount.com has " great buys with great prices and free shipping." A DVD of the Bourne Ultimatum is $16 and yesterday I blogged about it selling for $25 at Best Buy. Nice.

At Zooba.com all books are $9.99 plus shipping is free. They have a hardcover copy of the Barefoot Contessa at Home, which is going for $23 on Amazon.com. I have three of her cookbooks and find them to be very reliable, if heavy on the cream and butter. I often cut down the butter by 1/3 and am fine.

Three for three! Not too shabby. Thanks, Cathy!

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A friendly reader suggested I check out the coupon site RetailMeNot.com, which lists popular coupons, lets you search by store name, and lists the success rate of each coupon and how many people voted. The coupons were a bit disappointing, however. Maybe I just didn't spend enough time looking.

A search for Target came up with five screens, two actually for Target, and three for stores with similar names (like abctarget.com). The Target coupons were all free shipping or discounts only on specific products. A search for Macys came up with only expired coupons. A search for a number of other retailers produced mostly free shipping codes, not a bad way to save money but a little disappointing. Some did not have expiration dates, also annoying.

Still, I would recommend checking the site because you can tell pretty quickly whether or not there is a discount at the store you are shopping at online. And shipping can add up. Thanks, Kristin!

Posted by Julia Scott at 8:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Since dollars aren't worth much these days I thought this picture was more fitting.

A recent issue of Newsweek listed a few financial Web sites....zzzzzzz. Huh? What? I know, totally boring, but every once and a while ya gotta thing about saving the big bucks. Here are their tips:

helpwithmybank.gov = "Get scam and phishing updates and learn what your big bank can and can't get away with at this federal regulatory site" Their FAQs are interesting.

bankaholic.com = "Find the latest credit-card and savings deals at this lively blog" The flashy site has deals for high percentage rebate credit cards and savings accounts.
lazymanandmoney.com = "Another blogger reveals his family finances: some good tips and a great name" 'Nuff said.

Read Newsweek's other "Net Interest" tips.

Posted by Julia Scott at 8:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is slightly old news but new to me. Starting Jan 1, 2008 a new California law lets consumers get cash for gift cards with less than $10 left on them, according to the Consumer Federation of California. Now you don't have to carry around cards with almost nothing on them or buy some lame gift just so you can zero it out. For a long time businesses have benefitted from folks like me and you who never get around to spending the last dollars on a card. I still have $46.42 on a Pottery Barn card I got more than four years ago! Since 2005 "these cards netted Home Depot and Best Buy an income of $43 million apiece, The Limited another $30 million," according to the Federation.

So how to you get your money's worth? Just take the card to the store it is good at and ask. Works for cards purchased before Jan 1, 2008, too.

Posted by Julia Scott at 8:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If only! Posts will be light tomorrow because I'm taking the day off to finish my Christmas shopping and get some needed R&R. That also means no daily digest Friday! Please read the blog the old fashioned way at www.insidesocal.com/bargain. Thanks! ~Julia

Posted by Julia Scott at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Soon the Bargain Hunter Daily Digest will have a new look. I've been testing out newsletter software and almost have all the kinks ironed out. For many of you this means the digest will come with pictures and look like the blog, replete with my goofy peeping tom picture! (Nobody gets that I'm supposed to be looking *through* a shop window for a bargain.) For others it won't look much different (because your computer can't handle the pics so it just gives you the text like now). I'm afraid a few emails of folks who have already signed up will slip through the cracks so if you stop getting the digest please let me know!

I am especially excited about a new feature that automatically signs people up for the digest. Just plug in your email in the box on the upper left hand corner of the blog and you will start getting the digest within 24 hours. Let me know what you think of the changes! ~Julia

Posted by Julia Scott at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When shopping online, remember to check the automatic rebate you can get through eBates. I blogged about them before but here's a quick recap. Sign up at eBates (name, address, email, etc), then go to eBates.com and click on the retailer of your choice. eBates tracks what you buy at the stores, then sends you a check for a rebate based on the deal they have with each retailer. I've gotten $22.50 in checks from eBates since signing up with them (one drawback, the checks take awhile to come.)

Some of the better deals: 4% back at Target, 13% at ShoeMall, 12% at PetCareRx, 10% at Hallmark, 10% at Match.com, 10% at Steve Madden, 8% back at Starbucks, 7% at Quicken, 6% at PetSmart or PetCo, 6% at Beauty.com, 4% at Sony, 2% at Circuit City. Search all the stores they have deals with, search by the biggest rebates (25% at two magazine Web sites plus double digits at many ink jet places).

Read more about how eBates works. When you sign up, say I referred you and we each get a bonus when you make your first purchase! Just use my email, julia.scott@dailynews.com. Thanks!

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's that time again when I remind my readers that anybody can sign-up for the Bargain Hunter Daily Digest. Once a day, Mon thru Fri, I email out all the day's blog posts. If you want to sign up, email me at julia.scott@dailynews.com. Thanks!

Posted by Julia Scott at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A few fun items landed in my mail box recently. Reader Carole said a post about a free meal was useful even though she couldn't use it. "I passed the word along regarding the McCormick and Schmick's free meal offer on Sunday for veterans. The feedback from a friend of mine in the San Diego area was that the meal was excellent as was the service. Thanks again."

A reader named Ron was honest, but gentle, about certain preventable malfunctions on the blog. "Julia, I really like your email updates. I look at them every day. Just in case you haven't gotten this feedback, some of your links don't work. About one in five that I try. You might want to check them, before you post. Thank you for all your efforts."

Good advice, Ron. I admit it, I have been plagued by bad links and I am working for greater accuracy. If you come across a bad link, please let me know which link is not working. Also try these two things. 1) Make sure you are copying and pasting the *entire* link from the daily digest into your browser window. Sometimes the link is so long it takes up two lines in the digest. But the text from only the first line make it into the link. If even one letter is missing the link won't work. Here's an example of this:
http://www.insidesocal.com/bargain/2007/11/scrooge_alert_maggianos.htm
l

Don't forget that last l, or whatever is cut off. Another thing to try: give the links plenty of time to load, up to five minutes or longer if you have dial-up Internet access. If all else fails, email me.

Lenee sent me an email that put my head in the clouds. "Hi! You earn your place at the paper! Your column has the most impact on our daily lives--great job, keep up the good work!!" Lenee, I'm saving your email for my next performance review!

Lastly, a note from my mother, who throughout my journalism career, has sent me supportive emails about a story or item I wrote. The thing is, she always signs them "a reader" or "a fan." Mom, you know that I can see your email address, right? Okay, just checking. Here's her email about a recent blog post (which she requested, btw): "Loved all the items on Amercian made products. keep up the great work. a reader" Ya gotta love my Mom.

Posted by Julia Scott at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Web site BFAds.net, which listed the Black Friday sales at dozens of retailers days and weeks in advance, is extending their life by tracking down online sales today, Cyber Monday. (The thought is that after browsing stores over the weekend people find the best price online and make the purchase today.) They list the sales for Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Circuit City, Staples, Buy.com, Sears, Kmart, Overstock.com, OfficeMax $30 off $200 purchase with coupon code ELF.

Retailers who have extended their Black Friday prices to today are listed here.

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One reader got a great deal on a 46-inch LCD HDTV Saturday by outsmarting a retailer that teased a really low price but immediately "sold out" because they stocked an artificially low number of the product. Circuit City advertised a Sharp Aquos HDTV for $1299, he writes. "But by the time I realized I wanted it on Saturday afternoon, they were sold out of it at every store in LA and online. So I took the circular to Sears and got them to price match it (and) include 10% of the difference. They were selling it for $1999 so I got it for $1229. They had to order it though. I'll have it in about 10 days. I'm very, very excited."

Note today's price tag is $2,327. Find a Sears near you.

Caveat: The Sears folks did hassle him a little so he went to a second Sears. At the first one the employee said they don't price match on one or two days sales, which is not part of their price match policy. At the second Sears it wasn't a problem. For a few hours of work and a little bit of driving around, he got his TV on super sale. Thanks for sharing, Josh!

Posted by Julia Scott at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's time to update the Consumer Reports magazine When to Buy calendar from the July 2007 issue of ShopSmart. Based on their infinite wisdom, they suggest certain months for buying certain bigger ticket items to maximize the bang for your buck. In Nov, they say it is a good time to buy a new car, bike, computer, gas grill and toys. In Dec, they list everything in Nov plus a TV, and small consumer electronics (all those competing holiday sales really do add up in your favor). In Jan it's a good time to buy bedding, CDs and DVDs, cookware, houses and condos, linens, swimwear, toys, treadmills, TVs, and winter clothing.

Posted by Julia Scott at 8:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here are two recent stories on shoppings tips for two different types of shoppers that ran in the Daily News. Find which one you are!

Tips for tracking down the best bargains on Black Friday
So you didn't stay up all night waiting in line outside Wal-Mart to buy a massive flat-screen television at rock-bottom Black Friday prices. But you do want to cross a few people off your list today and save a buck or two. Here are a few tips to still make the most of one of the busiest shopping days of the year...Keep reading.

Bargain Hunter gives you the lowdown on Black Friday shopping hoopla
The countdown has begun. Not until Christmas, silly. Until stores across the region open before the crack of dawn so shoppers who have scarcely digested their turkey dinners can ring up Black Friday sales. Deals will abound but so will crowds and cranky cashiers. It may not be possible to eliminate all the hassles of Black Friday - one of the biggest shopping days of the year - but a little forethought can maximize your shopping time and your savings...Keep reading.

Posted by Julia Scott at 7:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If there's anything I've learned from watching my blog hits over the past few days it is you guys are hard core! Serious, determined, bargain shoppers. I'd love to hear your Black Friday stories and share them with others. Send me a line or two about how early you woke up, the crowds you braved, a funny thing you saw or heard or did, or some other anecdote about your holiday shopping today. Have fun! ~Julia
PS. My email is julia.scott@dailynews.com.

Posted by Julia Scott at 7:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Many of you have probably already noticed that the search function is not working on the blog. As part of our "technical upgrade" a bunch of stuff got screwed up, and this is still broken. The tech guys say it probably won't be fixed until next week. Lame-o. In the meantime, I recommend searching by the categories listed on the bottom left hand corner, or, if you can vaguely remember how old a post is, by month. You can pull up an entire months worth of sales by scrolling down past the categories on the left hand column. My apologies for the downgrade the technical upgrade has brought.

UPDATE: It's back on. Wahoo!

Posted by Julia Scott at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

More than a few readers have written in about the bad link on yesterday's Blockbuster coupon, which really was a steal. Unfortunately, it was too good to be true. Snopes.com, a urban myth-busting site, has the scoop: it was a legitimate coupon at one time. But because of scanners and the Internet and modern technology, the coupon spread to so many more people than intended that Blockbuster decided not to accept it anymore.

In short, I apologize for getting all your hopes up. If you feel like Charlie Brown after Lucy has snatched the football away at the last minute, I understand. I will try to be more vigilant about checking out coupons before I post them, though frauds are awfully hard to detect. Thanks for sticking with me through the occasional bad coupon. I hope all the other sales make up for it. ~Julia

Posted by Julia Scott at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I've been told some of the links are not working. Yikes! What might be happening is that the links in the daily digest are so long they end up taking up two lines. But when you click on them it only puts the first line of code into your browser window (where it says http://...) A link does not work without both lines of code or even if one letter is missing. So capricious! Try copying and pasting both lines of code into your browser window so that no letters are cut off.
If it still doesn't work, let me know which specific link is not working and I will check it. Also give the links plenty of time to load, up to five minutes or longer if you have dial-up Internet access. Hope that helps. ~Julia

Posted by Julia Scott at 6:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

For a few days the ability to comment has been on the fritz. It seems to be back on for now so please do leave a note or message by clicking on the teeny tiny 'comment' link at the bottom of each post just below the line that separates each post. Thanks! ~Julia

Posted by Julia Scott at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Get all the day's new blog posts by signing up for the Bargain Hunter Daily Digest. It goes out once a day and I never sell or share email addresses. Thanks!

Posted by Julia Scott at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

They say talk is cheap, which sounds like a good price to me. Commenting on the blog is free, however, and I strongly encourage you to do so! (There's a teeny tiny Comments link at the very bottom of each blog post.) Here's what people have said so far.

One reader named Rod says the column is helping him get ahead in a family contest: "My son and I have a contest every year to see who has found the best bargain. I'm leading by finding a GE ceiling fan on the clearance rack at Target for $3.00, originally $49.00."

A grumpy reader was miffed that I had a bad coupon last week (actually, the second bad coupon on the blog...out of more than 600 posts. Some track record.) The anonymous person writes: "First the coupon was exp. for World Market, now for Linens and Things. SPANK SPANK. How can you prevent this from happening again????" I promise to flog myself 10 times for every bad coupon I post.

Between the two I'd rather have dinner with reader Phyllis, who wrote: "I LOVE your whole column. Enough said!!!!"

Bargain hunter Caryn left this comment: "Hi Julia, I was wondering how I subscribe because I want all the latest!" Just email me at julia.scott@dailynews.com and I'll add you to the daily digest that goes out once a day with all the new sales.

One anonymous reader noticed I've been sending the digest out late: "I was wondering if there was a bargain hunter email today?" There is everyday but it's going out later because of my email troubles (which are almost as bad as boy troubles). I've been lucky enough to receive so many requests to join the daily digest that GMail thinks I am spamming people and locks my account for 23 hours. As soon as it unlocks I send out a flurry of emails, including the digest, which makes GMail lock my account again.

If we were in a relationship, Gmail would be in the dog house. Without dinner. And it's raining. Grrrrr. I'll spare you the back and forth with the tech guys who say they are working on it, yada yada yada. In the meantime, thanks for reading and keep sending me all the good tips!
~Julia

Posted by Julia Scott at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Bargain Hunter column in the LA Daily News that has been running every Thursday is moving to Monday. So there will not be a column tomorrow, Nov 1, but I have lots of goodies for Monday's column. Thanks for being patient and sticking with me during this change!

Posted by Julia Scott at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sign up for the Bargain Hunter Daily Digest and get all the day's new deals and discounts emailed to you. I send it once a day. To join email me at julia.scott@dailynews.com

. Thanks!

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A reader named Marsha wrote in about steep savings at a restaurant where I recently found a Lincoln Lunch: "Julia - My girlfriend and I went to Follow Your Heart for lunch with our coupon from the Entertainment Book. We each had a dinner entree (spanacopita with rice, salad or soup) and took half of it to go because of the large portion. It cost each of us $7+ change plus the tip." Before the $9 off coupon the tab was $26, including tax. That's savings of about 30%!

Marsha happens to be selling the coupon books, good thru Nov 2008, for $20. It is a charitable contribution because proceeds benefit the USC Norris Cancer Center, Marsha said. Email Marsha at prideofla@sbcglobal.net if you are interested. The books have coupons for restaurants, movies, retailers, and more. You can buy them directly from Entertainment Book for $25 plus $1 shipping.

What the heck is Spanakopita?

Posted by Julia Scott at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Forgive this brief self-promotion: I now email a daily digest of all the day's blog posts, so you don't have to visit the Web site or wait for Thursday's column. Just send me your email and I will add it to the list. It's much better than getting spam and it's free, though some readers have asked what I charge, contributing to the over-inflation of my ego! The digest may even help you save a buck or three.

Posted by Julia Scott at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The best way to get discount groceries is by using coupons at the supermarket, right? Not anymore, says an article in the Morning Call newspaper in Allentown, PA (about 60 miles north of Philadelphia). The story says "...everyone can find great drugstore deals if they know how." Do this by buying ahead of need (i.e. stocking up when an item goes on sale), participating in store rewards programs (like Extra Care at CVS), clipping coupons, watching for rebates, and most importantly, stacking all of the above at once to bring the price down to zero or possibly back in your favor.

Because each drugstore has a different policy think about what works for you, the story says. "If you hate mail-in rebates and clipping coupons, CVS is the way to go. If you'll do a lot of shopping for rebated items, Walgreens' 10 percent bonus in-store credit can add up. If you are age 60 or older you qualify for Rite Aid's special discount program, Living More, which gives you 10 percent off on Tuesdays, among other benefits. Details are available at http://www.riteaid.com."

Look for coupons on Nelson's site, the Coupon Mom, which can be difficult to navigate.

Posted by Julia Scott at 9:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you'd like to get all the day's new blog posts send me your email and I will sign you up for the Bargain Hunter Daily Digest. The digest does out once a day with all the new deals and discounts. For some readers this is easier than visiting the site. And it's so much quicker than snail mail! Email me at julia.scott@dailynews.com

if you are interested. Thanks!

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sounds like it's time to buy a gas grill. Consumer Reports Magazine has a smart article about what time of year shoppers should buy certain major purchases to get the best price. In-house researchers looked at industry surveys and publications and talked to experts to come up with this list, from the July issue of their magazine.

September:
bikes, gas grills, shrubs, trees, perennials, small consumer electronics

October:
bikes, digital cameras, gas grills, winter coats

November:
new cars, bikes, computers, gas grills, toys

December:
new cars, bikes, computer, gas grills, small consumer electronics, toys, tvs.

If you want to take advantage of sales on gas grills (or another item) but don't live in a warm climate that lets you use them year-round, keep the new purchase in its original packaging. When you open it next spring or summer, it will really seem like you just bought it.

More items to come when it's closer to that time of year.

Posted by Julia Scott at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Newsweek points out that one benefit to the mortgage mayhem is that banks are raising their CD rates so folks will deposit their cash. Here are a few 6-month rates: Countrywide, at the center of the subprime scandal, has a 5.65% interest rate but requires a $10,000 deposit. American Enterprise Bank of Florida has a 5.15% with a $500 deposit minimum. ING Direct requires just a buck to open a CD that carries a 4.9% rate. Rates change everyday so check BankRate.com to compare the latest CD rates for Los Angeles. Beats putting your money in a piggy bank. Oink Oink!

Posted by Julia Scott at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Going to toot my own horn here for a moment. I had a Sunday story in the Daily News and a few of our sister papers (like the San Gabe Tribune and Long Beach Press Telegram) about 9 things you should always buy on sale. Here's a link to read the full story, or a few of the tips below from "Learn never to pay full price again."

All in good time.

Nearly everything - even the iPhone - eventually goes on sale. But certain items go on sale so often that you should never pay full price.

The trick to making sales a staple of your shopping diet is patience, according to bargain hunters and marketplace masters.

"A little bit of delayed gratification can go a long way," said Helen Malani, a shopping expert at the West L.A.-based Shopzilla, a Web site that compares the price, rating and shipping fees of more than 30 million products from about 90,000 stores.

Buying early can help just as much as waiting around for a sale and buying late. As long as the item won't take up too much space or perish, why not purchase it on sale weeks or months before you use it?

My Grandma Jo did this every January. While the rest of us were wallowing in our Christmas loot, she headed to the stores to stock up on greeting cards. I used to roll my eyes when she proudly relayed how many dollars she saved on the Santa-splashed cards - 75 percent off, of course.

Now, I realize my grandma was one savvy spender. Continuing in that tradition, here are nine things you should always buy on sale.

Continue reading "9 things never buy full price" »

Posted by Julia Scott at 7:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)