A reader named Carrie claimed the second and final $25 Starbucks gift card, which I gave out to celebrate Bargain Babe’s one month anniversary. The contest ran over the past month so now the site is two months old. Congrats, Carrie!
You can still sign up for my free email updates, even though the contest has ended.
Carrie was sweet enough to share some of her favorite deals when claiming her prize. She writes:
Just thought I would take this opportunity to thank you for all the information you have passed on to me and the other “bargain hunters” out there. I especially appreciate the Amazon “Subscribe and Save” information you mentioned in a Bargain Hunter blog. I wasn’t sure if you wanted ideas for other bargains, so I’m passing these ideas to you for consideration.
Freedom Gardens – My husband and I have been working on a “Victory Garden” since last year, slowly converting our garden into edible landscape. I have found an amazing resource through freedomgardens.org (kind of a facebook for gardeners all over the world). It has allowed us to connect with like-minded local urban homesteaders. Once you join FreedomGardens.org (for free), you select the groups you want to participate in. Our local “SoCal Gardeners” group on that site hosts a monthly vegetarian potluck, swap, movie, and chance to connect with like-minded locals for $10 per person.
Path to Freedom – The creators of Freedom Gardens.org are an inspiration in themselves. Check out pathtofreedom.com to learn more about their “Little Homestead in the City”, or see them on You Tube “Homegrown Revolution — Radical Change Taking Root: http://www.youtube.com/user/dervaes. Positive answers to how to live more green, and be more self-sufficient one-step-at-a-time.
Oh Fancy That! – I hate that our economy is making things tough on little shops around our country, and would encourage customers to support those shops — the ones you don’t want to disappear. One of my favorite shops is Oh Fancy That! a fantastic source for British imports. Jean Karasek’s shop carries an assortment of British foods, knickknacks, greeting cards, china and teas including PG Tips (my favorite). Quite a few people get their British “comfort” foods there—many things you can’t find in local stores — and seasonal merchandise like crackers (those popper-things that have treats inside). I got a children’s tea set in a carrying case for about $20 around Christmas. Oh Fancy That! is located at 18399 Ventura Blvd. in Tarzana. 818-996-4405.
Loyalty cards are a great way to save money when you eat out. Most cards are free and only require you to remember to get them stamped or punched for credit every time you make a purchase. Here are a few good ones.
TGI Friday’s Give Me More Stripes gets you two coupons for signing up and $8 off every time you spend $100.
The Diners Club card earns you perks on restaurant purchases.
A friend raved about Baja Fresh’s loyalty card but their site says the ended the program.
In Los Angeles, the free Stand card gives you 5% off all food purchases. You earn about 1 point for every food item, excluding drinks. When you rack up 100 points you get $5 off.
Red Mango, a Pinkberry knock off in Southern California, has a loyalty card that offers $5 off when you earn 500 points. Join at least two weeks before your birthday and get 500 points on your special day!
I took advantage of JetBlue’s $69 one-way flights from Long Beach to New York City – what I call a smart splurge – and am having a ball visiting my sister in the Big Apple. Living in Los Angeles has softened me up, while she has become the consummate New Yorker.
She stays out all hours of the night, can calculate taxi fare between any two points, and has maximized the potential of her tiny apartment by stashing her microwave and toaster under the sink. They still work!
I am no longer a New Yorker, but being in the city I lived in for ten years has reminded me of all the things I miss:
- Fearless subway musicians who provide free entertainment while you wait, including a tap dancer at 42nd Street who set up a mini-stage and then danced to the beat of three drummers across the platform
- People so interesting looking that I can make up whole stories about their lives, like the philosopher with orange-brown hair who would eventually break the heart of the woman cuddling him on the subway even though he did not know it
- The rumbling of the trains passing below, a comforting reminder that you can go anywhere, do anything, at anytime
But I stayed long enough to remember why I left:
- Where did all these people come from? Get out of my way!
- Waiting so long for the NR that its nickname, the Never Rarely, comes true
- Smells that are not appropriate to write about, even on a blog
When I get back to Los Angeles I’m going to grab my yoga mat and let go all of New York – the good and the bad – with a few down dogs. I’m ready to be a softie again.
If you buy a lot of stuff on eBay, you may want to consider signing up for Power Snipe, a paid program that places your bid in the last few seconds of an auction. This cuts down on bidding wars that drive up prices. People often try bidding late in the game on their own, but can be foiled by a slow Internet connection or another wiley bidder. In a nutshell, Power Snipe increases your chances of winning at a low price.
A reader named Andrea recommended Power Snipe. “I’ve used it several times and have only lost one auction,” Andrea said. “I get stuff super cheap and on my terms this way. And I never have to pay attention to the auction–it does it all for you! Even searches using keywords. Got my kid’s snow gear and a painting selling in a gallery for $300 for $95.”
Power Snipe costs $50 a year so it is not for casual eBay users. Members tell Power Snipe which auctions to watch, set their maximum bid, and wait for an email from Power Snipe after the auction has ended. The program also searches for auctions by the product you are looking for and lets you to bid on the same item from different sellers until you win at the price you set.
Thanks, Andrea!
I was interviewing a mortgage broker named Debi Merchain when she told me something shocking. To get the best credit score I need to have three active credit cards. What??? I thought I just had to pay my bills on time!
“A lot of people make the mistake of just using one credit card,” Debi said. Ideally you would make regular, on time payments on three credit cards, a mortgage and a car loan. The three main credit card reporting agencies, Experian, TransUnion and Equifax, like consumers who use multiple types of credit responsibly, Debi said.
I’m not in a position to buy a home so I’m not going to consider that option. But should I buy a new car and get another credit card? I paid for my used car in cash and have two credit cards.
That could help, she said. But don’t buy a car or get a mortgage just to bump up your score a few points. Because my housing and car needs are met, Debi recommended I get a third credit card and use it once a month or so. Just enough to show it is active and to establish a record of paying the bill on time.
Debi also said that the criteria the credit agencies use to determine your score changes. So three credit cards plus a car loan and mortgage won’t be the top standard forever.
If you want to know what your credit report looks like, once a year you can get a one from AnnualCreditReport.com.
A new study says shoppers are less likely to spend money if they carry $100 bills than if they have $1 or $5 bills in their wallet.
“Some consumers see large bills as more sacrosanct than a bunch of chump change,” says a story in Time magazine about the study, which will be published in the Journal of Consumer Research. The downside to carrying big bills is that once we break the $100, we are likely to blow the rest of our wad.
I rarely carry cash because I spend it so quickly. I prefer to use my credit card for most purchases because at the end of the month I have a record of where my money went. With cash, it is too easy to forget how I spent my money.
Judging from the number of comments left yesterday (42) about my contest giveaway for two $25 Starbucks gift cards, I did not fully explain how the contest works.
Readers who signed up by March 23 at 9 p.m. PST for my free email updates are automatically eligible to win. There is nothing more you need to do if you are already on my daily or weekly email list.
Age is not a factor in the contest! When I mentioned none of my “old readers” had responded to my winner announcement (a private email I sent directly to them, not the daily update), I really meant “existing readers” who were already signed up when I started the contest on February 23.
I picked one winner from the pool of existing readers, and one from the pool of new readers.
Now I am randomly selecting another winner plus two alternates from the pool of existing readers. A new reader named Olivia already claimed her prize. So you may still have a chance to win!
I will email the three lucky raeders and give them 48 hours to respond. If the winner does not reply to my email I will go to the first alternate, and so on.
If you want to sign up for my free email updates, you can do so here.
If you are a homeowner struggling to pay your mortgage, check if you are eligible for lower payments under President Obama’s mortgage modification plan using a calculator from MainStreet.com.
To be eligible, all of the following must be true:
- Is the property owner-occupied?
- Is the unpaid mortgage balance less than $729,000?
- Did the mortgage originate on 1/1/09 or earlier?
- Are you having trouble paying the mortgage?
If you answered yes to the above four questions, continue using their calculator. If you qualify, the calculator also tells you what your new payment would likely be under Obama’s plan.
If you are looking for gently used clothing, toys, and gear for babies or kids, check out the LA Kids Consignment sale, which starts today and ends Sunday. I called it a “garage sale on steroids” when I wrote about it more than a year ago and the sale has only grown since.
Kristin Nelson, who runs the sale, is incredibly well organized and picky. Which means the sale is incredibly organized and only the best stuff gets accepted for sale from her army of consignors.
Getting in is free but expect big lines on the weekend. Friday and Saturday sale hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, when most items are 50% off, the hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The sale is at City-Art, 7733 Hayvenhurst Ave. in Van Nuys.
Congrats to Olivia, who will be getting a $25 Starbucks gift card in the mail! Olivia won in the “new” reader category.
Unfortunately, none of my “old” readers responded! So you still have a chance to win!
Hubby, can you randomly select another three winners in this category? I will notify the winner and two alternates by email and give them 48 hours to respond, just like the first group.
Thanks to everyone who entered the contest by signing up for my free email updates. I hope reading Bargain Babe has helped you save money. Stick around because there will be another contest soon!
~Julia
aka Bargain Babe
There are a ton of sites out there where you can get coupons. Here are a few of my faves. Add yours by leaving a comment!
Retailmenot is the motherlode of coupons sites with discounts at more than 20,000 stores. Downside is nearly all the coupons are for online, so for in store shopping check their printable coupons.
Wow-Coupons has special pages for travel, rebates and restaurants, but they are strongest when it comes to groceries and retail.
Coupon Cravings has freebies and coupons for items around the house, like contact lens solution or disposable women’s razors.
Free Printable Coupons ain’t the prettiest site out there but it gets the job done. Expect food and retailer coupons.
Bargain Briana hosts Freebie Friday with links to many products that are gratis, of course!
For shipping coupons, look no further than FreeShipping.org, a site I have been a fan of for some time.
Get 40% off the list price of one regular-priced item at Borders today through Saturday, March 28, 2009. Good in stores but not online. One per customer. Join their free membership program to use the coupon if you have not already. Print the coupon here.
Caveats: cannot be combined with any other offer or discounts, excludes previous purchases, non-stock special orders, gift cards, newspapers, magazines, comics, coupon books, eBooks, digital downloads, vinyl LPs, self-publishing programs, Smartbox products, Rosetta Stone® software, shipping, and all electronics, including but not limited to the Sony® Reader and the Zune™.
Find a Borders near you.
If you read about Bargain Babe in today’s issue of AM NY, welcome!
This blog is all about saving money on everyday expenses, like groceries, household bills, and vacations.
If you like what you see, sign up for my free email updates.
Thanks for checking out Bargain Babe!
Julia
aka Bargain Babe
A blog called Frugal Dad has an interesting post today about the pros and cons of giving teenagers a credit card. “One could make the argument that normalizing the use of plastic too early could be dangerous,” he writes.
“Call me old-fashioned. I just don’t think kids are able to fully grasp the transactional differences in swiping plastic and watching that $20 leave their hand and receiving $0.70 in change back.”
On the other hand, if your teenager first encounters credit under your eye you are more able to teach them how to use it properly. Frugal Dad resolved the situation by giving his kids a credit card only to be used for fueling up the car.
If my teenager were mature enough, I would let them apply for their own credit card their senior year in high school. They probably would not qualify if they did not have a job. But if they were earning their own wages and paying the credit card bill themselves, the relationship between earning and spending would be mighty clear. I know I watched every penny I earned in high school very carefully to save up for the things I wanted.
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Get a $25 gift certificate from Restaurant.com for $3 with code SAVE. Expires March 31, 2009.
Win a $25 gift certificate from Children’s Orchard, a used clothing store for kids, by following them on Twitter (@childorchard) and by being the first to correctly answer their Famous Moms Quiz. The quiz is everyday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. EST. Here is an example from a press release: “This modern, pre-historic mom raised acute little girl while married to the loudest guy in her rocking town. Who is she? If you knew the answer, Wilma Flinstone, then you could have won a $25 gift certificate.”
Get free shipping on nine specific items at Sephora or when you spend $50 or more. Now through April 1, 2009. Use code SHIPFAVES when checking out. The nine items include Philosophy Hope in a Jar, Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation, Givenchy Phenomen’Eyes Mascara, Nars Blush, Clinique All About Eyes™ Rich, Smashbox Primer for Face, Sephora Bronzer Brush, Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer, or Living Proof products.
For SoCal residents: get a yearly pass to Universal Studios Hollywood theme park when you buy a regular-priced admission ticket now through April 30, 2009.
