A Lincoln Lunch at TGI Friday’s! Get a salad or sandwich for $5 Monday through Friday from 11 am to 4 p.m. Or you can get a free appetizer when you buy a beverage at TGI Friday’s now through Nov. 1, 2009. Good when you sit at the bar from 4 pm to close.
Some caveats. Print the coupons here.
There’s a new website that makes swapping clothes awfully easy. It’s called ThredUp and the idea is you offer up clothes you no longer want and agree to receive similar items in the mail from other members.
The first step after you register is entering brief descriptions of your unwanted threads, including the brand, size, color, pattern, and condition. Then you tell the site what kind of clothes you want to receive in return.
The last step is buying envelopes, which you use to mail your items to others. In order to receive any envelopes, you must have purchased some. A set of three envelopes is $25 (so each item you receive is about $8). Get 50 percent off your first set of envelopes with code FirstOrder. Payments are done through PayPal, so you don’t need to share your credit card info with ThredUp.
You can keep what you receive, or trade it in for something else. What makes ThredUp work is when users obey the golden rule – send only what you would want to receive. No one wants to receive your sweat stained shirt – even if you only wore it once! Got more questions? Check out their FAQ page.
I heard about ThredUp from a reader named Debbie, who has a clever use for the site:
It’s like clothing consignment meets Netflix. Personally I don’t know if I’d want to trade for clothes for me but for kids…awesome! Trade up for a larger size that fits them as they grow.
ThredUp is invite only – but guess what? I scored you an invite! Use code bargainbabe to check out ThredUp for yourself.
Here are some of the best posts from my new site, BargainBabeLA.com. You too can share a deal and become a Bargain Buddy, which comes with great perks like a free Bargain Babe T-shirt, an annual Lincoln Lunch on the house, and a never ending supply of bargain karma!
Get a TOTALLY FREE meal at Stonefire Grill in Pasadena this Saturday, shared by The Unethical Man. Reservations are required!
Still looking for a costume? Check out the major Halloween swap happening this Saturday, shared by RebeccaQuinn.
Daphne’s Greek Restaurant has a fabulous dinner deal that includes an appetizer AND dessert for just $6, shared by cheapskategal
Recycle your electronic devices for free in Griffith Park this Saturday, shared by RebeccaQuinn.
Get FREE entry today and Friday or pay just $5 Saturday and Sunday to the Orange County Auto Show, shared by David.
Check out the deals at the new Henry’s Market in Burbank, shared by bargainbabe.
This week’s top Bargain Buddies are The Unethical Man, RebeccaQuinn, and cheapskategal. Congrats!!!
Get 50 percent off your weekend car rental from Enterprise now through May 2010. Good on economy to full size cars for three days, Friday to Monday. The deal is available at most neighborhood locations. No code needed.
Caveats: not available at airport locations. The discount only applies to the daily rental price, not the extra fees and charges. Limited availability. Read the fine print.
Get 20 percent off a purchase of $50 or more from Carter’s. Expires Oct. 21, 2009. Some caveats, but not many. Print the coupon here.
Get a free burger and fries from Denny’s when you purchase a burger, fries and two beverages. Expires Nov. 23, 2009. Print the coupon here.
Get a free panty and $10 off any bra when you join Victoria Secret’s Pink club, which is free.
Get 30 percent off the list price of any item at Borders now through Oct. 19, 2009. Some caveats. Print the coupon here. Online use code BSA6576K.
Common Sense With Money reports you can get a $20 dollar Jack CA$H® Card when you buy one $20 Jack CA$H® Card with any American Express® Card. Call 1-800-955-5225, select Option 3 and then Option 2, to get the deal. Remember to ask about how you can use the card and check if there are any restrictions for using the card. Details here.
What the? H&M is debuting heels by Jimmy Choo for $99 to $149, which is a significant discount off the usual Jimmy Choo prices (not that I know first hand) of $400-ish. The heels are strappy, happy, and high.
The Choo shoes show up in H&M stores Nov. 14. You can watch a preview video here. It comes with music so adjust your volume if you’re at work.
There has been such an outpouring of comments from readers who want to win The Frugal Foodie Cookbook that I decided to share the scone recipe I made from it. If you want to win the cookbook, comment on my review by Thursday night.
Ingredients:
2 c flour
1 c oats (I used the quick minute kind but it calls for old fashioned)
1/3 c light brown sugar
2 1/5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/5 sticks butter, chilled
3/4 c raisins
1 c + 1 tbsp milk, divided
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Directions: Preheat oven to 400. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Cut chilled butter into small chunks and mix together with your hands or a mixer until it resembles coarse meal. Mix in the raisins. Add 1 cup of the milk and stir until blended. The dough was very sticky when I made it, but that’s okay. Grab roughly 2 cups of dough and form a ball. Smoosh the ball on a floured surface so that the dough is about 1 inch thick.
Cut into 4-8 wedges, depending on how big you want your scones. Dip the knife in flour if the dough is really sticky. Tip: Don’t worry about the flour on the bottom of the scones, it will be absorbed in the oven.
Transfer wedges to a greased baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until scones are firm to the touch and golden. Repeat with the remaining dough. Tip: You can squeeze a lot of scones on one tray because they don’t expand very much in the oven.
While baking, mix the remaining 1 tbsp of milk with the sugar and cinnamon. As soon as the scones come out of the oven spoon a little of the glaze on each one. Serve warm. To freeze, cool the scones completely before stashing them in a freezer bag.
Get $10 off a $50 purchase at Walgreens online through Thursday Oct. 14, 2009. Use code GOOD4U. You can use the coupon up to five times before it expires. Some caveats.
Get 20 percent off coats and jackets at Victoria’s Secret today only! Use code WARM20. I like this yellow and black wool plaid coat for $134 (orig. $168). Remember to check the offer code box when you first look at your shopping cart, then enter your code later. You can enter up to three offer codes per purchase.
Get up to 40 percent off on boots at Steve Madden online. I like this shorty Corvett boot, above, with ruched leather on the front and a small tie at the calf, for $105 (orig. $150). The knee-high Verona boot is also super cute, with a very short heel and two buckles, for $112 (orig $160).
Reader tip! Cindy writes that Target now credits $.05 for each bag you bring in.
I was at Target over the weekend. We took our own reusable shopping bags as we try to do whenever possible. The cashier informed me that for the month of October they are offering 5 cents off your total bill for every reusable bag filled during your purchase (whether you bring your own bags or buy a reusable while in Target). Not a large amount, but nice idea to bring awareness to reducing use of plastic bags and encouraging reusables. I only purchased a small amount of items and filled two bags so I got 10 cents off.
Most of the chain grocery stores got on this bandwagon months ago and also offer free bag recycling. I hope Target will continue to offer this credit beyond October and that even more retailers will join suit!
CNN Money made a list of the top 10 well-paid jobs and got quotes from folks working those jobs on why they are so happy. The top jobs include:
1. Chief systems engineer
2. Physician’s assistant
3. College professor
4. Nurse practicioner
5. IT project manager
6. Certified Public Accountant
7. Physical therapist
8. Computer security consultant
9. Intelligence analyst
10. Sales director
I’m surprised to see that college professor ranked as a top-paying job, but I suppose if you consider that the job comes with four months vacation that changes things. It’s interesting that three of the top ten jobs are in the health care industry and two are in tech. I’m surprised doctor and lawyer don’t appear on the list. Is your job on the list?
Ideas continue to pour in for the the frugal costume contest. Thank you! Here are some of the best ideas you have shared lately.
John’s costume is plain and simple:
One time my wife cut a hole for the head and two for her arms in a large industrial black trash bag, tied a rope around her waist and went as a Bag Lady. Everyone loved it.
Elizabeth’s idea is classy:
Two years ago, I wore a dead-on Jacqueline Onassis-style ‘do and oversize dark sunglasses, borrowed some pearls and, beneath a tailored suit jacket, wore a giant pumpkin face that I’d cut from one of those cheap plastic lawn bags. My Jackie O. Lantern was a hit everywhere it went that year and cost me a grand total of $8 for the drugstore sunglasses and pumpkin bag!
Anyone could do Kathy’s idea:
My hairdresser gave me this one. No cost, clever and my personal favorite: comfortable. Using some safety pins, pin one or two socks, a pair of undies and any other small cloth items you can think of, to various places on your clothing. You are now “Static Cling”!
Liz has four winning ideas – I especially like the second:
In my college/post college days when money was always tight, I thought of some great costumes using my warped sense of humor. (1) Similar to Kathy’s static cling, I dressed, head to toe, in black and stuck string, crumpled tissues and other light weight items on me and went at “dryer lint”. (2) Again, I dressed in black. Then I cut the cereal names from their boxes and pinned them to my body. My only other prop was a cleaver with fake blood on it. I was a ‘cereal’ killer. (3) I bought a cheap, yellow sweatsuit from Kmart, laid it on my driveway and then sprayed black spray paint on a section of my car’s spare tire. I then rolled the tire over the front of the sweatshirt top and then on the pants. Voila! Speed bump. (4) I borrowed a white lab coat from my friends mom and made dental tools from aluminum foil. I placed the tools in the breast pocket along with a few packs of Dentine gum. I was the 5th dentist – the one that didn’t recommend Trident. When people asked what I was, I handed out a piece of Dentine as I explained the costume. It was a big hit.
Karen’s idea is clever and low-budget!
I had a very sarcastic friend in college, many years ago, and she dressed in a green t-shirt and jeans. On the left side near her heart in black marker she wrote the letters NV. When asked what her costume was she replied: I’m green with envy.
Missed the contest rules? You describe a low-budget Halloween costume in a comment. On Halloween I dress up as the cheapest, most bizarre costume you’ve suggested. With pictures of the winning costume, of course!
So what frugal costume should I dress up as?
Magazine subscriptions make fabulous presents! Get 50 percent off subscriptions to more than a dozen magazines from Amazon.com
- Better Homes ($7.50)
- Dwell ($10)
- Forbes ($10)
- Garden Design ($10)
- Good Housekeeping ($4)
- House Beautiful ($5)
- Kiplingers ($6)
- Popular Science ($5)
- Popular Mechanics ($5)
- Smart Money ($5)
Use code OCTMAG50 to get the discount. The coupon code box comes up after you have hit “proceed to checkout.” I love reading Dwell even though I don’t own a home.
Caveats: subscription term varies so check if you are getting a full year before buying.
Buying magazines through Amazon.com supports BargainBabe.com!
Still looking for a Halloween costume? PureCostumes.com has a range of traditional costumes like jailbird, witch, and 50s poodle skirt girl, above. Plus, you can get 12 percent off using code BargainBabe. If your tab is $100 or more, get free shipping with code SHIP100.
I saw costumes for as little as $8 on the site and for as much as $90. Most were priced between $10 and $40. Toddler costumes ranged from from $8-$45, most kids costumes were $20-$30, adult costumes were mostly $20-$40, and the majority of the plus size costumes were $30-$40.
Under each age category there is a clearance section with slightly lower prices. You can also search for costumes by price.
The site lets you calculate the shipping before you fully check out, which is a nice feature. Shipping to Los Angeles was $8.70 and up.
What I like best about The Frugal Foodie Cookbook is that to make three different recipes I did not need to buy a single ingredient. Not having to go to the store saved me time and money – plus I got delicious food out of my pantry!
The authors’ food philosophy is to keep it simple but not necessarily cheap:
Bring frugal is about getting the most value from your food. It doesn’t mean using absolutely the least expensive ingredients. You could probably pare your food budget down to pennies if you lived on potatoes and ramen noodles – but would you call that living? Making smart choices about how, when, and where you spend your money will fill your pantry and menus with delicious options.
I tried two recipes (I never got around to the third, no-knead bread) and both turned out great.
I made teriyaki chicken by marinating chunks of raw meat in a broth that took me 10 minutes to put together (soy sauce, sesame oil, white wine, chicken broth, sugar, honey, orange juice and garlic). Instead of simmering the meat in the broth on the stove, as recommended, I skewered the chicken and tossed them on the grill. My friends gobbled them up.
Next I made raisin scones with a cinnamon glaze, above. Scones are super easy to make (combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking power and soda, salt, butter, and milk). The glaze was a matter of mixing together sugar, milk and cinnamon. Scones freeze well and by cutting the dough into small wedges I made twice as many, about 32 instead of 16.
The 189-page book covers regular meals, party food, kids meals, midnight snacks and thrifty gifts. It’s a relatively small book that is handy to have in the kitchen when your cupboards are full but you’re not sure what to make.
I’m bummed to be giving away this book because I’d like to make a few more recipes. But as per my habit, I’m giving away my review copy to one reader who leaves a comment on this post by Friday! If you don’t win, you can buy the book from Amazon for $10.85. Or check your library.
Related:
Every Tuesday I review a book about saving money. Send me your book to review!
Book review – The smartest way to save – don’t spend
Book review – Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel
Borders is getting on the free WiFi bandwagon – woot woot – following Barnes & Noble in offering Internet access gratis to customers. Borders plans to roll out the free WiFi later this month. Here’s a press release about the deal they signed with Verizon. Barnes & Noble started free WiFi in July.
The real question is, how long until Starbucks rolls out free WiFi? I give them 3-6 months but that could be wishful thinking.
