Suzanne O’Connor’s Bargains LA

A Real Anti Aging Solution

I always thought aging was a gradual process. In some regards, it is. But for me, moving into a new place and doing renovations aged me at least tens years. Hubby kept asking me to stop frowning. Furrow lines from a day of squinting stayed longer, got deeper and didn’t go away after a good nights sleep. Crows feet, which up to now had only been minimal, were deep. What the heck happened?

Lamp Quest

During our re-design of our home I wanted to brighten up our dining room with new lamp shades. I was able to find a bunch of cream silk chandelier shades at Lowe’s at Lamps Plus for $3-$6. But a pair of table lamp shades proved harder to do.

After shopping through dozens of websites and stores I finally decided I should look into either re-covering them or using different shaped shades all together.

Re-Purpose, Re-Claim and Recycle the Old

I hate to throw things away …. But I also hate to keep things I don’t need and have too much stuff.
Re-using and re-purposing the old is one of the best bargains around. Not only do you usually get higher quality goods but you’ll save money and keep stuff out of the landfill
Here are some ways we re-claimed and re-purposed stuff to save money.

Frugal Valentines Day Budget Gift Ideas

You don’t want to be cheap, but if your budget is non existent for Valentines Day, creativity is the name of the game to make someone feel extra special.
Here are some ideas to get ya going in the right direction for that very special someone…

Caesar Stone Counter Tops

As our renovation saga continues ... the way we buy the best for less also continues!
We waited patiently a couple of days for the estimate of our new Caesar Stone counter tops.  During which I called a few other sources and got ballpark quotes of $2900-$3500 based on the measurements taken.

We braced ourselves and tried to come up with an alternative that made hubby and I as happy. Not much came to mind.

To Drive… or Not to Drive

Driving in Southern California is nothing less than a hassle.  Some areas of town suffer more than others with consistently heavier traffic making heading out to an off the beaten track bargain spot difficult.

I get it.  But if you want to save money… real money, ya gotta drive.

New Home Repairs and Dilemas 12/30/2009

The additional weight of the new porcelain tile and vintage stove caused concern for our contractor.

He crawled under the house to make sure it could support the extra weight. He decided we needed to add extra supports to the joists of the floor to secure and support the additional weight.

Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas

Last minute gifts…. I hate shopping for last minute gifts. But I like to have extra gifts around for unexpected house guests, hostess gifts and reciprocal gifts for people who thought of me…. but that I, shortsightedly, didn’t think of them. Usually these gifts have to be a bit more generalized.

Cyber Monday Online Shopping Tips

Cyber Monday is here and the next two weeks will bring some of the very heaviest online shopping weeks of the year. Like shopping everywhere, it’s buyer beware. So here are some tips to help you shop safely without letting the bad guys get your info.

Black Friday Shopping Tips

Julia Scott over at Bargain Babe recently asked shopping tips for Black Friday….
I don’t shop on Black Friday.

I hate Black Friday and avoid the insanity at all costs. The Black Friday shopping scene is unnecessary if you’ve been following my leads for deals. No need to participate in all the hysterics and chaos.

However….