If you buy movie tickets online there is a way to get around paying the service fee, which can run $1 and up per ticket. This method works for AMC theaters only, but I wonder if other movie chains have similar programs that include this benefit.
Here’s how it works. Join AMC’s free MovieWatcher program. When you are ready to buy tickets, log in to your MovieWatcher account. Start your movie search at MovieWatcher and remember to manually enter your membership number on the purchase page.
Hubby did this when we saw Coraline in 3-D (which I recommend) and he said it “was worth about $2 worth of hassle.”
Thanks, Hubby!
Starbucks is going to start selling instant coffee for less than $1 a cup to fight “affordability” misconceptions, says CNN Money.
Here are a few food deals to be aware of.
Subway brought back it’s $5 foot long promotion, with most sandwiches priced at $5 when you order the full 12-inches. Find a Subway near you.
IHOP is celebrating National Pancake Day by giving away free short stacks of pancakes (three) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on on Feb. 24, 2009. Customers are asked to make a donation to a local children’s hospital in lieu of paying. Find an IHOP near you.
Get a free entree when you buy one entree at TGI Friday’s. Print the coupon from this page. Expires March 1, 2009.
Wienerschnitzel has a coupon for free regular fries and a medium drink when you order a 1/3 pound spicy polish sausage at the regular price. Print the coupon here. Expires Feb. 28, 2009. Find a Wienerschnitzel near you.
Thanks, Tina!
The blog Pecuniarities has a great post with all the Web sites where you can watch TV for free. For free!
They include Hulu.com (a great all-around site), TV.com (many shows are in HD), Fancast.com (has videos not on Hulu, like old episodes of Friends), Joost.com (has content from Showtime and HBO) and TidalTV.com (good selection but quality is not as high).
Then there are all the network channels, including ABC, ABC Family, CBS, NBC, Fox, USA Network, SciFi, Fx, The WB, The CW, and TV Land.
And don’t forget the educational channels: The History Channel, National Geographic, the Discover Channel, Animal Planet, PBS, HGTV, and the Food Network.
Makes you want to kill your cable service, right? Read the original post for reviews of each site.
1. If the post office does not cancel a stamp, do you save it for later?
a) yes b) no
2. Have you ever asked for a discount?
a) that is SO tacky b) every time I buy c) only if I’m feeling lucky
3. When a bottle of shampoo or cleanser is almost gone, do you turn it upside down to get the last drops out?
a) absolutely b) not worth my time c) if I remember
4. At home if I am cold I:
a) turn the heat on low and put on a sweater b) blast the heat c) hang out in my sleeping bag
5. Paying retail makes me:
a) happy b) unhappy c) depressed
6. At the grocery store I know what a “good” price is for:
a) milk c) everything on my list c) milk, eggs, and cereal
7. I like the Internet because:
a) it helps me keep in touch with my friends b) it has free porn c) it helps me find deals
8. What do you do when you want a shiny new bauble?
a) wait 30 days before making a decision b) pause before charging it c) already bought it!
9. When traveling I prefer to:
a) crash on a friend’s couch b) book a room at my favorite hotel c) haggle with the hotelier until I get 40% off
So, how cheap are you? Keeping reading for your score.
(my actual lunch) I was a bit nervous about being able to find a $5 Lincoln Lunch in the posh Gaslamp district of San Diego until I asked a doorman for a tip. Just up 6th Avenue there is a hole-in-the-wall Mexican place, he said.
Bingo! Hole-in-the-wall + Mexican = good chance for a Lincoln Lunch. I hiked up the hill to Antonio’s Mexican Food, which is on the corner of 6th Ave and A Street.
The large eatery was busy and had a huge, bright yellow menu above the cashier. I gave up my place in line to take it all in. Burritos were $2.60 and up, super tacos were $2.15 to $3.55, kids plates were $3.75, tostadas were $2.25 to $4, and eight different tortas were $4 each. Was anything NOT a Lincoln Lunch?
I ordered a Mexican style carnitas taco for $1.25 and a pair of chicken enchiladas for $4.15. My total came to $5.82.
I paid and sat at a counter seat where I could watch passerbys. A server called my number about five minutes later. I grabbed my food, snagged a slice of lime and radish from the salsa bar and sat down to grub.
The taco was very hot and had a lot of meat. The only drawback was the so-so guacamole. My chicken enchiladas were topped with sauce, shredded lettuce, and grated cheese. They had a lot of nicely-salted chicken and would have been enough for a full meal.
The atmosphere at Antonio’s is very casual. Not a great place for a business meeting (unless you want to prove how cheap you are) but a good spot for meeting a friend or grabbing a quick bite. Food is served on disposable plates and plastic utensils. Bus your own tray. 1350 6th Ave. 619-239-8786.
I had heard San Diego was a military town but it didn’t hit me until I saw copies of the Navy Dispatch next to the Union-Tribune and LA Times. A military newspaper! If you have any military ties, ask for discounts everywhere. Most museums post the military perks they offer, but remember to ask before you buy anything.
Free tram ride – one of my favorite things to do was hop on a free tram ride through Balboa Park, which makes two loops around various museums and park sights. My driver and tour guide Kathy had so much fun telling stories about the park, which is bigger than Central Park (1,200 acres v. 860 acres) that her enthusiasm rubbed off on me. Each tram loop is about 15 minutes and you can go ’round as many times as you wish! The hub is in the center of the Prado at the Plaza de Panama, but they make various stops throughout the park. Note, a second tram driver was not nearly as entertaining as Kathy.
Spreckels organ pavilion – every Sunday at 2p.m. there is a free organ concert, rain or shine. The pavilion is in the center of Balboa Park.
Botanical Building – The garden inside Balboa Park is always free to visitors. I saw many orchids inside the arched wooden structure and a beautiful pair of birds of paradise, above.
Timken Museum of Art – This Balboa Park gallery of masterful European, Russian, and American works is always free. 619-239-5548.
Walk along Harbor Drive – The 1.5-mile stroll along San Diego’s waterfront from Ash Street to the Convention Center is studded with public art, cool boats, and many vendors. There is plenty to see, like this over-sized swordfish, even if you do not pay to go into any of the ships that have been turned into museums.
Rent bikes – Wheel Fun on Harbor Drive rents bikes for $10-$15 an hour or $22-$45 for a full day. Military and airline employees can get a 20% discount if they ask. Other tourists may be able to negotiate a slight discount in the slow winter season or mid-week. Rent bikes downtown you will get a better rate at the San Diego Bike Shop, which charges $10 for the first hour and $5 for each additional hour up to $25 a day. A two-day rental is $45.
USS Midway Museum – Admission to the museum is steep with adults paying $17 and seniors 62 and up paying $13. Students are $11, retired military members are $10, kids age 6-17 are $9, kids 5 and under are free. Active members of the military are free. Admission includes a self-guided tour in English, Spanish or Japanese. 910 N. Harbor Dr. 619-544-9600.
Maritime Museum – Tour 5 historic ships, including a submarine, at the northern end of Harbor Drive. Adults are $14, seniors 62 and older are $11, active military w/ID are $11, children 6-17 are $8, children five and under are free and members are free. 1492 North Harbor Dr. 619-234-9153.
Watch airplanes land – The San Diego airport is so close to the city that you can see airplanes coming in for landing from many vantage points. The best one I found is at the corner of Albatross St. and Ivy St., a neighborhood that is apparently inured to jets roaring overhead at regular intervals. The southwest corner has a full view of the runway, which is lit up at night. A good activity with kids.
Coronado Island – Enjoy the sights and walk on one of the island’s three beaches. Bring a picnic lunch to keep your costs down.
Free museums - Many of the museums are free one Tuesday each month, including the Rueben Fleet Science Center, the Museum of Man, and the Museum of Art. Read the complete schedule of free days. Note, some of the museums are only free to residents of San Diego County and active military members, including the Model Railroad Museum, Natural History Museum, Japanese Friendship Garden, Air & Space Museum, Automotive Museum and Hall of Champions Sports Museum. Call ahead to confirm.
San Diego is a much bigger city than Santa Barbara, which I wrote about visiting cheaply last week. I covered a lot of ground on foot but think the best way to see the city is by renting a bicycle or a segway, if you don’t like hills.
I divided my finds into two categories – cheap places to eat and cheap things to do. On my next visit I’ll cover nightlife and shopping.
Brickyard Coffee & Tea – Rest your feet and sip a cup of coffee in their shaded outdoor patio right off the trolley line on your way down to Seaport Village, a cute collection of shops on the water side of Harbor Drive. At $1.75 for a small the coffee isn’t cheap, but the atmosphere makes up for it. Lunch wraps start at $5.50, sandwiches are $8 and up. 675 West G St. 619-696-7220.
Sultan Shawarma – This tiny eatery in the Gaslamp district had some of the lowest lunch prices I saw. A falafel sandwich was $6, other sandwiches were $6.49. You could probably get by ordering just the baba ghanouj ($5) or get a bowl of soup ($2.50), side of hummus ($2) and pita bread ($.50). 543 4th Ave. 619-231-1824.
City Pizzaria - A long line spoke well of this joint, where slices of cheese or pepperoni were $2.50 each. All other slices were $3. Limited indoor and outdoor seating. 1125 6th Ave. 619-531-0955.
Jugos de la Fuente - This “cafe and rebel juice bar” had plenty of seating and great prices. Five different sandwiches were $5 each, a 1/2 sandwich 1/2 soup combo was $4, wraps were $4, and a large salad was $4.50. Get a 1/2 sandwich and 1/2 smoothie for $5. 1048 7th Ave. 619-696-1466.
Taco Express – This out of the way restaurant smelled delicious and had a fenced in patio. Burritos start at $3.50, tacos are $2.05 and up. Two enchiladas (beef, chicken or cheese) are $3.75. Combination plates that include rice and beans are $5.25 and up, house specialties start at $6.45. 1330 State St. 619-235-0311.
Hub Market and Deli - Their breakfast burrito with three eggs and bacon or sausage is $3. Add hash browns for $1. Most lunch sandwiches are $6. You will have to find your own seating, however, as this deli provides none. 748 6th Ave. 619-544-1917.
In the Market - This small market and deli has lunch specials for $5.50 and up. Regular salads and sandwiches are $6 and up. Breakfast starts at $5. 1036 7th Ave. 619-232-5175.
Haggling comes down to three basic things: being nice, having information, and getting up the nerve to ask for a discount.
1. I have no scientific evidence, but I find being friendly gives me a greater chance of getting a discount than not. After all, no one wants to help a jerk. Explain your situation – no matter how aggravating – with a smile. This gives the impression you are asking for help, not blaming them. Being friendly gets them on your side and willing to work with you. Being a jerk makes them fight against you. Say things like:
- “You can understand how frustrated I am”
- “I’m a loyal customer, is there anything you can do to help me?”
- “I always pay my bill on time. What can we do about this late fee/charge?”
- “I have gotten great service from –company name– so this is really unusual”
- “I’d like to keep doing business with you, but…”
- “Can you work with me?”
2. Be informed. Do your homework before you ask for a discount… (more…)
- food (though generally not at a restaurant unless you call ahead and make a special deal)
- travel arrangements through an agent
- clothes
- shoes
- electronics
- home goods
- services like hair cuts, massages, and spa treatments
- anything at a garage sale
- monthly contracts including your cell phone, cable/Internet, newspaper, magazine
- health care (especially if you can pay upfront in cash)
- oil changes and car maintenance (if you negotiate ahead of time)
What else have you negotiated a discount for that is not on this list? Leave a comment!
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If you missed this post, check out my guide to asking for a discount, aka haggling!
A friend posted a number of short how-to videos related to Valentine’s Day that I enjoyed watching. Topics include:
- how to pick out jewelry for a woman
- how to cook a sex-charged dinner
- how to pick our lingerie for your lady
- how to score on Valentine’s Day
- how to survive Valentine’s Day alone
Each video is 2-3 minutes. Watch them here.
More V-day resources: cheap Valentine’s dates and a source for Valentine’s Day coupons.
Itching to see all five of the best picture Oscar nominees? AMC Theaters has just the deal for you. They are showing all five movies on Feb. 21 for $30, or $25 if you are a Movie Watcher member. The ticket includes a large re-fillable popcorn.
Here is the line up. All times are local.
Milk – 10:30 a.m.
The Reader – 1:05 p.m.
Benjamin Button – 3:45 p.m.
Slumdog Million – 7:15 p.m.
Frost/Nixon – 9:45 p.m.
You can come and go as you please, so if you have already seen one of the movies you can use that as a break to stretch your legs and get real food.
Thanks, Roxanne!
Many colleges automatically charge you for health care as part of the tuition and fees, says a recent NPR story. But if you already have coverage for your son or daughter, you may be able to get a refund. It takes a lot of persistence and paperwork, however, to get a refund. Find out how one parent fought to get reimbursed for $1,100 – the cost of health care for one semester at his son’s school.
Thanks, Dan!
My trip to Santa Barbara was so successful that I decided to take the train down to San Diego and explore the city’s bargains. So far I’ve already discovered a great deal – free WiFi in the downtown Santa Fe train station!
There are many, many low-cost activities, shops, and restaurants in San Diego and I hope to find as many as possible in about 24 hours. Tell me what deals I should check out while I’m in town by leaving a comment. Thanks!
Julia
aka Bargain Babe
No matter what your income for 2008, you can file your taxes for free online. If you make less than $56,000, read the section about Free File, which walks you through each step of the process.
If you make more than $56,000, you want Free File Fillable Forms, which are designed for people who have completed their taxes before and basically know what they are doing.
Here are links to both free e-file programs.
