http://www.bargainsla.com/blog Zannee's Blog en Suzanne O'Connor Copyright 2010 2010-02-08T20:52:55+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/frugal_valentines_day_budget_gift_ideas/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/frugal_valentines_day_budget_gift_ideas/#When:20:52:55Z -If you’ve got kids…have them draw a picture of a heart, a bouquet or even a “best mom” ”best dad” and frame it. 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… -Memorize a Shakespeare sonnet (118 is a good standard) and deliver it at an appropriate moment. Don’t forget to rehearse it! - Hide Valentines Day cards or love notes in places “he” or “she” will find them. Inside his favorite suit pocket, his briefcase, the top drawer of his desk or hidden in their laptop. - Frame a favorite romantic picture of the two of you. It can be a wedding picture, anniversary picture or any picture of you both together. -Surprise that special someone when they come home from work. If you’ve got kids send them to their grandparents house for the night. Load up on dozens of candles from tapers to votives, light and set them around the house.  When they arrive home from work, greet them with a glass of wine.  Don’t forget to prepare a romantic dinner. Pick up a nice bottle wine on the cheap at Trader Joes. While you’re there check for tasty morsels to add to your menu. They always have a good selection of chocolate. Dress for the occasion. -Find a couple of well reviewed fun movies on Netflix and rent them for Valentines Day. - Learn “I love you” in as many languages as you can. Write them down in personal notes and deliver them with gifts of scented soap, lotions and bath oils… You can also text them throughout the day to someone out of town. - If the weather’s okay, pack a picnic with tasty delectable treats and wine from Trader Joes and head out for a picnic. - Create a sexy massage or “cuddle” coupon book for an intimate get together. - Buy the BIGGEST candy bar you can and use your computer word program to create a new personalized wrapper. Don’t forget the bow. -Can’t afford flowers, try flower seeds packets artfully arranged in a flower basket. Include a coupon to help with the gardening. Just because you’re on a near zero budget doesn’t mean you can do something thoughtful for someone who’s special to you. Most importantly, spend time with your Valentine. Zannee's Tips, Do it Yourself 2010-02-08T20:52:55+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/renovation_surprises/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/renovation_surprises/#When:21:40:55Z Here’s a good one…. Did I tell the one about the 1926 home whose garage had no foundation? Our garage floor was not level. After laying self-leveling concrete inside our garage we found a floor leak after the heavy rains a couple weeks ago. Investigation by our contractor found that leak was coming in from below ground level and that our garage had been sitting nicely on our lot for the last 84 years without a foundation. Who knew… obviously not our home inspector. The fix required a lot of concrete and labor intensive work digging out the underneath dirt from our garage, putting in wood for support and structure and laying in new cement. During the process an old gas pipe burst in the back yard (what a mess!) and that had to be replaced as well. All this happened the day before we were set for final move in. So what do you do? Outside of dealing with it, paying for it at $1600 … ya go shopping for window treatments. Having to stay out of everyone’s way while they replaced the pipe, and mixed & poured cement, I grabbed the kid and headed to Villa Firenze custom order drapes for the living room and our daughter’s bedroom. My Cadillac tastes had me pick out some nice “Oyster” colored fabric and of course I wanted lined and interlined curtains for insulation. I also ordered a custom duvet set. At a total of $750, I am sure I save at least $1600 going through Villa Firenze on this first order. But the savings here paid for my garage foundation fiasco. The breakfast nook, dining and kitchen are next on the list of windows to be done. After hitting Villa Firenze, I headed to Bed Bath and Beyond for some rods and curtain clips, using a 20% off a new home owners coupon to lessen the expense. Then I stopped at Chevy’s… a soda for the kid and a margarita to sooth my financially shocked nerves and to brace for the extreme chaos that was about to happen the next day…  3 chimney contractors, 3 cement workers, and inspectors and 3 office movers, moving us in all on final move in day. Nothing like everything happening at once. Bargain Buys, Shopping Adventures, Home & Garden, OM Gosh! 2010-02-04T21:40:55+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/caesar_stone_counter_tops/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/caesar_stone_counter_tops/#When:21:18:28Z 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. Liking nice things has its drawbacks. Well true to National Flooring Liquidations outlet pricing, Alfred came in at $2400, instead of $3000.  That’s for two counter tops and a back splash. Included in the price was the slab (from Israel) and fabrication (done locally). I picked a super cool edge cut… again, the most expensive. The certified fabricator did these by hand as well as cut out fabrication of the new sink. After a quick con/ pro discussion about cost vs value, we agreed to go ahead with the Caesar Stone. Our rational was simple, if we had to do it, and could afford it, to do it right the first time.  We’ve used National Flooring Liquidators for both the new floor and counter tops. Here’s how the cost came out: 120 sq ft of Porcelain floor tile at $450 instead of $600. 101” x 24” counter top w/ sink, back splash and edging fabrication plus an additional 20” x 50” counter top with edging fabrication.  Including installation…. Both counters at $2400 instead of $3000. In total I saved $750 by going through National Flooring Liquidators. We even have a large enough piece of Caesar Stone leftover for a possible bathroom vanity counter later on. Before: After: National Flooring Liquidators 1705 S. Mountain Ave., #A-5 Monrovia, CA 91016 626.358.3145 8768 Archibald Avenue Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 909.484.1300 National Flooring Liquidators My contractor (Al Menendez) demo’d the old counters & sink, laid a new wood base, repaired the old wood trim and touched up the paint for an additional $200. Caesar Stone http://www.caesarstoneus.com/ Bargain Buys, Zannee's Tips, Shopping Adventures, Home & Garden 2010-02-01T21:18:28+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/to_drive_or_not_to_drive/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/to_drive_or_not_to_drive/#When:16:18:19Z 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. Tackling driving woes is part of bargain hunting in Southern California. I always ask myself when I have to drive out of the way through bad traffic, if it is worth it. Sometimes it is…. sometimes it isn’t. I will absolutely drive through bad traffic using this criteria: -If it is for a once in a lifetime sale on an item I have been coveting for awhile. -If I know I will save more than $200 on an item /items that I need. -If it is a deal on an item I really need… now. I also will plan as best I can my driving route and time frame to correspond with the easiest driving…. Not always the shortest route. I will not drive if bad weather makes it dangerous or if the savings aren’t enough to warrant the hassle. I also never drive without a back up plan if I could be made late from a trip. With family responsibilities, I always have a back up plan arranged with hubby or a family friend. A fully charge phone, cash/ CC and water are always with me if I am driving out of my comfort zone. Oh and of course my AAA card. I also do some internet research for price comparison before I go too. Keep in mind that, “Money saved is money earned”. It’s an old, but true adage. So when I went out of my way to buy crown molding last week for $60 and saved $140. I made $140. I was gonna buy the crown molding no matter what. After gas ($7), my time costs ($25 hr x 2) I still came out $83 ahead. Time to get out of your comfort driving zone and go check out Southern California. The deals are out there. Zannee's Tips, Local fun 2010-01-26T16:18:19+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/our_renovation_saga_continues/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/our_renovation_saga_continues/#When:18:27:33Z OMG! The kitchen is just one series of repairs. The recent dishwasher install meant we had to drill a hole to put in an air intake. This revealed that the wood under the kitchen counter wasn’t wood but was an old Formica counter top (laminate on press board). Further inspection revealed it was rotted away. After weighing the costs of fixing it, new wood laid down with the entire counter tile re-set, we opted for a new kitchen counter. I am not a fan of tile on a counter top, even ultra-cool retro tiles. I don’t like having to clean the grout every week. Since we had to re-counter the kitchen I wasn’t gonna hang with the current sink either. Though it was fine, the kitchen sink had a big worn porcelain spot. So it was off to look at counter tops, slabs and sinks. With a move in date of 1/25, we needed to hurry. Hubby took on finding the sink while I set out to get the counter top. I went to my favorite off price tile & flooring guy National Flooring Liquidators. Here’s where I looked at dozens of natural stone and fabricated stone counter tops. Most at 20%-35% below market. Of course I fell in love with the Caesar Stone. … it was one of the most expensive.  I asked the in-store dealer, Alfred to bring some samples to the house to check colors and have Hubby see it along with his best price quote he could give us. The fabrication can add a lot to the cost. I did my homework that night. I learned about the history, green components, superior durability, ease of cleaning of Caesar Stone and that a slab and counter fabrication could run me near $3000 for just the one counter top.  OMG! What had I gotten myself into? While we waited on the quote for the Caesar Stone hubby nailed down a great deal on a top of the line sink. After going to over a dozen outlets and home improvement stores he got the guys over at Pacific Sales (the kings of overprice!) to give him a deal. After he balked at the $520 price for a CECO porcelain under-mount cast iron sink and started walking out, they said they could give him the contractor’s price of $350.  He went for it. After my initial shock, I realized what a great quality sink it was and how it would out live the two of us. Now if we can get a great deal on the Caesar Stone, we may be able to do this without using our credit cards…. Although it will be rice and beans for dinner for awhile. Bargain Buys, Shopping Adventures, Home & Garden 2010-01-20T18:27:33+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/im_an_organizing_fool/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/im_an_organizing_fool/#When:18:03:00Z No doubt I made a fool out of myself at the Container Store yesterday. When I found a solution to an odd cabinet problem found in our 1926 home… I got stupid giddy. The dishwasher install took out my best kitchen drawers and a cabinet. Not one deep drawer left in the kitchen. No place for the dough roller, hand mixer or dish towels.

 Plus an odd, unfinished space next to the refrigerator was nearly unusable at 10” wide by 39 high and 40” deep with the access point at only 10 inches wide through an adjacent cabinet. I didn’t want to ask my contractor to build shelves and the space looked useless for drawers. Trips to Target, Big Lots, Marshall’s, and the like yielded nothing to help. 
A coupon from the Container Store showed up in my in box and there was one conveniently close in Pasadena. I figured what the heck, I’d go give them a try.

 I really am control freak and the Container Store plays to the inner organizer controller in me. Though the prices didn’t please, I was in heaven. 

Their line of Elfa was on sale at 30% off.  Totally cool metal, mesh drawers, shelves and more in a huge variety of sizes and shapes for storage in closets, cabinets or free standing. I pulled out the trusty tape measure and checked. They had a 4-drawer tower that would fit in my awkward space and give me the drawer space I desperately needed… on sale! 

Here’s where I got stupid giddy. I started trying to flag store clerks down, jumping up and down… yeah really. Then in my excitement, the speed of my voice increased as I asked the clerk questions. They accommodated every request. I could pick drawer size and configure it in many different ways. They’d even put it together for me… unlike Ikea.

 While they were assembling my prize I ran (literally) around the store snapping up expensive trash cans, cabinet organizers and more…. I had the 20% off coupon to rationalize my excessive expenditure. 

I had so much loot at the end, the bags broke at check out (another embarrassing moment) and they had to help me to my car. The entire time I am excitedly happy and a bit too chatty. Need to work on that.

 Though it wasn’t the best bargain I ever got, finding the right product to solve the kitchen issue was worth it. I will be back for more. The Elfa Sale goes on thru 2/7. If you’ve got organization problems this product may be a great fit. It was for me. BTW… the online/ by phone coupon code for 20% off is WR5009… thru 2/7. Can’t combine the coupon with already marked down product.

Happy Organizing! Bargain Buys, Shopping Adventures, Coupons & discount codes, Home & Garden, Sales 2010-01-14T18:03:00+00:00 Kevin O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/how_charter_cable_messed_up_and_t-_mobil_saved_the_day/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/how_charter_cable_messed_up_and_t-_mobil_saved_the_day/#When:17:12:57Z Setting up a new home isn’t easy. Especially if you run a business out of your home. Our internet server in both locations is Charter Cable.  We ordered new service at the new house to start on the 11th and keep our old connection open through the end of January at our old house. Essentially two accounts open at the same time for a two week period. We needed the overlay so we can set up our new network and trouble shoot before we move the office over to the new location. This simple order was too much for the puny, imbecilic brains at Charter cable to handle. They proceeded to cut cable at our old address on 1/6, 3 weeks before the order and also cancel the install order at our new address.  The initial order was written correctly but some moron decided to cut the cable lines anyhow. We are currently paid ahead on our bill and have been customers for over 10 years. When we called in the problem it took Charter 2-full days, 6 phone calls and 8 different people for anyone to understand what the problem was. They wouldn’t or couldn’t deviate from standard procedure to send a guy out, climb a pole to re-activate our account. They had to issue a new order for install. How stupid to you have to be to work at Charter Cable? We have everything already, they just needed to re-connect the line that they cut.  This problem was their fault, not ours. After 2-days without internet or cable service (Hello! We run an internet business here!) we told them we would switch servers if they didn’t get someone out immediately. ATT was pining to get us to sign up for their bundle services. For Charter Cable, “immediately” translates into 24 hours, so as I write this we still do not have cable or internet service. The good news we had T- Mobil cell service with two Blackberry phones that can act as modems. Though limited, we were able to check email, send Bargain Alerts and Newsletters and do minimal web postings. We had been considering switching cell service companies, but the capability and the low cost of internet access with T- Mobile saved the day from full disaster. We’re sticking with them. As for Charter Cable, they suck and we’re stuck…. for now. We are researching another way to do this. Bad service should never be rewarded. Complaints & Ripoffs, Consumer, OM Gosh! 2010-01-08T17:12:57+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/ikea_sunday/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/ikea_sunday/#When:03:40:04Z Sunday, Hubby, I and the kid stopped into Ikea to see if they had some options for our counter space problem in our new kitchen. I hadn’t seen a zoo of people at Ikea like this since they first opened. Every room had hundreds of people milling through the rooms, on in-store computers and trying out every fixture, furnishing or doodad they could find. Thank God I am not claustrophobic or I would have left screaming. I am not a fan of the set up at Ikea and prefer to only shop in the “Marketplace”. Please don’t tell me to follow the path like a brainless sheep. I don’t like feeling herded. Even with my overall bad attitude, we stuck to the plan and found several things that would make counter space better. One was a Stenstorp Kitchen cart with chopping block top at $199 that was a perfect fit. Plus it had back wheels, giving it had semi cart capabilities at a fair price.  Yeah… more counter space. We also grabbed some magnetic knife holders so we can take the knife block off the counter. Again, more counter space created. But when we entered the check out/ self serve pick up area, we balked at the incredible long lines. You’d think we were at Disneyland or a Laker playoff game. With lines 30-50 people deep. Living reasonably close to an Ikea, I suggested we come back during a weekday morning when it was more civilized. After all, none of the items we wanted were on sale or needed immediately. All agreed and we fled quickly from the mad shopping scene….. only to return later this week. Shopping Adventures, Home & Garden 2010-01-05T03:40:04+00:00 Kevin O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/new_home_repairs_and_dilemas_12_30_2009/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/new_home_repairs_and_dilemas_12_30_2009/#When:07:50:10Z This week…. 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. The new height of the kitchen floor (tile plus Wonderboard added 1 full inch) is making it difficult to buy a new dishwasher. The standard height of a dishwasher runs 33 ½-34 inches. I only have 32 ½ inches. This makes it harder to find a deal at my favorite appliance discounter, The Weiler Group in Chatsworth.  I have only been able to find 3 models that come in my size and they didn’t have any in. So I am gonna give them week before I go out and buy from the big retailers. Counter space is also an issue. We are working on coming up with creative ways to increase counter space. The bread maker, the knife block and breadbasket will all be stored inside the cabinets. A new built in cutting board is being put in and cabinet between the stove & refrigerator will be added. If you have any ideas… please send them in! 50 years of contact paper have been peeled out of the kitchen cabinets. OY! The last layer proved too difficult and I am just gonna have to paper over it. The new house is buzzing with contactors and workman: -The exterior of the house is being patched & painted.  -Termites damaged an exterior column and after basic repairs our contractor re-stucco’d it to match the 80 year old stucco and got it painted so you can’t tell there was any repair work done. Sweet! -The roof is currently being re-roofed with new Spanish tile. -The chimney has come down and is starting to be re-built. Scary! -The windows have been repaired from the previous owner’s dog damage. - A new back door is being put in and a new threshold is being put in. - One new storage shed has already arrived from Tuff Shed. Another one is on the way. - Hubby and cable guys are starting to set up our new wireless computer network. - Our hard wood flooring contractor, Blake’s Floors has sanded, patched cracks and stained our floors. 4-coats of Polyurethane are currently being done. 1200 sq ft of white oak hard wood floors redone for $2200…. A very good price. Hubby is also buying stuff. New office = new office stuff. Another vintage tanker desk and table plus an upright file cabinet. We are on the hunt! Thankfully we don’t need any new electronics… yet. The work continues as the bank account dwindles. Zannee's Tips, Home & Garden, Consumer 2009-12-31T07:50:10+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/the_day_after_christmas/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/the_day_after_christmas/#When:17:04:57Z The family talked me into after Christmas Sale shopping…. At the mall. Even though I know better I went along with it cause I need to start picking up stuff for the new abode. The day after Christmas the mall has horrible parking, people are now ill tempered and not in the Christmas mood anymore, the After Christmas sale ads are deceiving and check out lines are long. The shoppers may be in an off color mood but the sales help was terrific. Happy, helpful, quick, responsive, polite and smart. It made the trip easier than expected. We flew through the Burbank Media Center with sales in every store.  Odds and ends, clothing and gifties were looked at and ultimately discarded. Stopped into Bed Bath and Beyond where I got sticker shock on items I needed for the new pad. Shower rods were $29-$89, Shower curtains were $19-$89. Shower curtain hooks were $12.99. Bathroom accessories… soap, dishes, trash cans, etc ran $12.99-$29.99. Yikes!  I just got cheapie shower curtain liner $16 and basic plastic hooks for $4 and will search for better goods at a cheaper price at Big Lots, Villa Firenze and Home Goods. On the way home we stopped at OSH. I again was a little stunned at the prices… Contact Shelf Paper $7.99 a roll. Geeze …when did it go from $4 to $8?  Also picked up some Super Fine 0000 steel wool pads & gloves to start cleaning hubby’s new prized Wedgewood stove.  The pop in at Marshall’s found some great buys on Holiday décor and table top, and 50%-60% savings on the bathroom items I just looked at, at Bed Bath and Beyond.  Shower curtain hangers were $4-$6 instead of $12-$15, shower curtains were $10-$30.  Bathroom décor was $3-$12. I left with a Brush metal toothbrush holder at $3 and a trash can at $10. A dinner of leftovers was followed by a drive around Glendale, La Crescenta, Pasadena and Altadena to check out Christmas décor lights. Highlights include the Balian Mansion in Altadena….. Outstanding! And the Hastings Ranch competition display was lots of fun with Christmas themed streets. Bargain Buys, Shopping Adventures 2009-12-27T17:04:57+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/kitchen_fixes/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/kitchen_fixes/#When:16:49:09Z Hubby has wanted an old vintage stove for decades. Far be it from me to deny him now that we are home owners. But old 300 lb stoves don’t do well on linoleum floors and suddenly the kitchen floor, which I hadn’t wanted to upgrade for a few years had to be replaced with porcelain tile… now. We were able to secure a heck of a deal on some tiles at Felikians in Pasadena (130 sq ft of porcelain tile at $4.00 instead of $5.50- yeah I have champagne taste and went for the highest end!) But no matter how you slice it, our costs just went up… again. With cost souring, the hunt for the vintage stove went from purchasing a fully restored stove in mint condition through Savon Appliance ($3000-$4500) to finding one on Craig’s List in near mint condition. We decided to pay up to $1000 for one or under $300 if it needed full restoration. But at 38”-40”, we will need to loose cabinet space to accommodate it.  Hubby found a great deal on an Old Wedgewood double oven stove in near mint condition (Marsha at Savon Appliance told us what to look for) at just $500. These stoves are workhorses and will last forever. The next kitchen problem was of my own creation. I want a dishwasher. Old homes generally don’t come with them. I do a lot of hand washing of dishes, but when we do entertain, a dishwasher is a must. To put one in meant losing even more cabinetry. I had to solve the cabinetry loss before I could purchase a dishwasher and have it installed. Since we have a breakfast nook, a free standing, kitchen hutch added to the breakfast nook would solve the loss of cabinetry in the kitchen. But with budgets starting to run low, I have to keep the purchase at under $300. Trips to thrift stores, furniture consignment stores yielded either junk or cool pieces out of my price range. I again went to Craigs List to hunt. Found a hutch that was water damaged and passed on it. Then looked at another that looked great in the pics but was actually too flimsy for the heavy-duty use I would give it. But the hunt finally paid off. I found a rustic, solid wood pine cabinet for $150 from a private seller in Santa Monica. Add in the $40 for a guy to deliver it and I paid $190. If I had bought it new, even at my discounters it would have run me $450-$550. With the purchase of the rustic maple table from King Richards Antique Mall and the rustic pine cabinet, my cabinet problem is solved and breakfast nook is complete. Next issue… the dishwasher! Bargain Buys, Shopping Adventures, Home & Garden 2009-12-22T16:49:09+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/omg_were_in_escrow_part_3/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/omg_were_in_escrow_part_3/#When:16:39:52Z I am in an astonished state at how smoothly everything is going. Seller credited us a large amount for repairs, appraisal went through, loan funding and underwriting went through, just waiting for a walk through and signing. Must thank my oh so fabulous Realtors (Jon Trunk and Bonnie Davis at Keller Williams, Studio City 818.432.1525) and mortgage guy (Brett Doscher at Augusta Funding, 818-841-2995 Ext. 1992) for making the process smooth. But the needed repairs are looming and will cost serious bucks! The necessary repairs: -Re-roofing ½ of the house with Spanish tiles is $7000-$8000 and repairing the rest is an additional $1000. We are getting additional quotes. -With a huge barrel ceiling we gave up on the idea of painting ourselves. We got several quotes on interior painting in 4 different colors and settled on a $2500 bid which included interior closets, all cabinets, a huge window repair and the trim.  -To refinish all the wood floors: sand, stain, and do 4-coats of polyurethane $1800-$2500… We are still getting quotes and recomendations. -To rebuild the Chimney is hovering around $10-$11000. We are still interviewing contractors. -Possible sewer upgrade, exterior painting and stucco repair will also have to wait until next summer or a bit later. -Lack of Office Space! Decisions are now being made now on how to tackle our lack of office space. A cool idea has opened our eyes to another possibility. Buying a Tuff Shed. They come in large sizes up to a 10 x 14 with windows, real doors and are fully assembled in a day with 30-year roofs. We’d have to insulate, drywall, paint, run electricity and install an air conditioner. The cost to do that would run an additional $2-$3000. And take about a week. Our inspiration is: Tuff Shed http://www.tuffshed.com/ and Someone who has already done a shed conversion http://www.aboutdean.com/office/osp/index.asp We are using Al Menendez, 626 831 2429- Licensed contractor for quite a few things including painting, office/ shed conversion issues and a possible new kitchen floor. Please don’t call him till February as we will need all his time! We were very impressed by his knowledge, attention to detail, ability and his 5 star recommendations from a variety of sources. In total, all of these upgrades and repairs are serious money. More than I have ever spent on a shopping spree!  But we have learned that if we have the money to do a needed repair or upgrade, to get it done. Postponing usually ended up with us doing the bare minimum, which is never the best decision in a home. Get it done and done right so we can live in the home is the plan. Now we have to close escrow and get going! Home & Garden, Consumer, OM Gosh! 2009-12-17T16:39:52+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/the_good_and_the_bad/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/the_good_and_the_bad/#When:20:44:44Z Bargain shopping when it’s raining is a fun thing to do. Driving and walking in the rain not so much. So, Saturday morning early, during some very light rain, I headed to the Bauer Factory Sale to get a pal a set of their famous mixing bowls at a rock bottom bargain price…$66 instead of $140. They had such a great set up. Several guys in the parking lot with umbrellas showing you where to park and then escorting you in under the protection of their umbrella into the warehouse. Everything was beautifully displayed and well organized making it easy to shop with lots of informed sales help and a super fast checkout. I was done with my shopping fun in under 15 minutes. So now it was off to the Warehouse Sale at the Cooper Bldg I went. But with extra time to kill I stopped in at Marshall’s. Even at that early hour it was packed. I snooped around for half an hour, put a few deals in my cart. Headed to check out with a very long 30 person deep line. With only a few checkers, I knew this was gonna take forever. Nothing I had was spectacular, so I bailed and left the store… only to be confronted with a downpour outside. Drat, I had left both my rain coat and umbrella in the car. I made a dash of it across the parking lot and then cut thru their medium landscaping where I slipped on the wet muddy surface and fell face first into a puddle of muck. Yes, this is where you laugh. I would have made Laurel and Hardy proud. Covered in mud, soaking wet with my pants ripped and a bloody knee I spring up cause I felt so embarrassed an stupid. I stumble into my car to assess the damage. It was enough to send me home to change and clean up. I didn’t make the Cooper Bldg Sale or any other sale that day. Bargain Buys, Shopping Adventures 2009-12-14T20:44:44+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/omg-_were_in_escrow_part_2/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/omg-_were_in_escrow_part_2/#When:18:36:50Z Our new home is a 1927 Character home with 1200 square feet, 2-bed / 1-bath, a breakfast nook, formal dining, high barrel ceilings, upgraded electric and new copper plumbing, big closets (huge plus) and all hardwood floors, good kitchen and bath and the foundation is bolted (Yeah!). A bit smaller than we had hoped for, but it screams cute and has possibilities for additions and changes as needed. Why such a small house? We didn’t get the bigger house 1800 sq feet 3 beds/ 2 bath that accepted our low offer at the same time.  We would have been in upgrade “fix it “mode for years. It need new everything and it had been built in 1927 as well.  It seriously needed everything! All new baths, new kitchen, new chimney, new roof, new electrical, new plumbing, new windows. The “fix it “bill would have been over 80,000!!!! ... and have taken forever. So we passed on it and opted for the smaller house. So far, escrow is going smoothly. Our Realtors Jon Trunk and Bonnie Davis (Keller Williams, Studio City 818.432.1525). They’re staying on top of things, working around our hectic schedules, working holidays, ready & willing to explain everything. They’re recommendations and insight has been excellent. The Inspections: We got the home inspected by La Rocca Home inspections. http://www.laroccainspect.com/ They did a really super job, giving us and the current homeowner a complete verbal assessment followed by a formal written assessment with pictures, dvd and full structural explanations. On their advice we also got a sewer inspection, a Chimney inspection and roof inspection. The results weren’t good and they needed immediate repair. We ended up having to ask for a credit back for a new roof and new chimney. Luckily we got it. Our mortgage guy Brett Doscher (Augusta Funding, 818-841-2995 Ext. 1992) is also on top of the process. He has kept us informed,trouble shoots to make things run smoothly and does everything he can to work with our bizarre schedule. He also got us locked in to a super low interest rate. While we waited for appraisal and loan funding, we started to plan out how long it would take to make necessary repairs, paint and refinish the floors. But the big issue is office space. Until we convert the garage or add a room or something, we will be working out of the breakfast nook. Possible …but not idea. Home & Garden, Consumer, OM Gosh! 2009-12-09T18:36:50+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/last_minute_holiday_gift_ideas/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/last_minute_holiday_gift_ideas/#When:16:33:46Z 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. Wine is a good gift. I always keep an eye out at Ralph’s, Trader Joe’s and World Market for highly rated wines at under $15.  If I was in the Marina /WLA area, I’d pop by Los Angeles Wine Company on McConnell to nab some good deals on wine. This worked great at a recent party where the $10 highly rated wine we bought was preferred over the other obvious cheapies. Candles are another great general gift. Of course they had standout buys on these at last weeks Archipelago sale. But you can also find standouts at Villa Firenze Warehouse and at General Wax and Candle… both in North Hollywood. Scarves are a great general gift… mufflers especially. Everyone seems to love receiving one. These are usually door buster deals at department stores and can easily be picked up for under $15 almost anywhere. I have picked up near a dozen different scarves at the upcoming LF Warehouse Sale for $10 or less and have stashed them away for gifts. But I could always use some more. I also keep a few extra games around. They are not just for kids ya know!  Yahtzee, Backgammon, Checkers, Scrabble, Pictionary, Dominos etc. Cool fun classic games all available for under $20. If at the very last minute I still don’t have a gift for someone, I do the gift card thing… Yeah- it screams of “I forgot” but only if you don’t think about the type of gift card you’re giving. Most supermarkets have a rounder of gift cards for purchase. An extra nice effort would be tucking the card tucked into one of those oversized chocolate bars or a mug with Hot Cocoa mix. It adds a bit more thoughtfulness. What are you last minute gift strategies? Bargain Buys, Zannee's Tips 2009-12-07T16:33:46+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/omg_were_house_hunting/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/omg_were_house_hunting/#When:19:03:03Z Time to let ya’ll in on a little secret. We’ve been house hunting for the last 10 months. The serious hunt started in March ’09 when we started working with our first Realtor. He showed us dozens of homes. From the gutted, REO homes for pennies on the dollar to beautiful move in ready beauties.  Hubby and I are into character homes…. Craftsman, Traditional,Storybook, Mediterranean… you know homes that have seen some life and have some architectural integrity. Not just a box with an open floor plan. We put in three different offers on 3 different homes.  The first offer was on an approved short sale and was immediately refused. Another one was on an incredible Mediterranean REO fixer in Chevy Chase Canyon. No one seemed to be interested in it so we bid low… but then the onslaught of investors came in and outbid us. Another one was on a REO fixer home that sold for less than our offering price. What the #^*%!!! At this point I am seriously hating house hunting and want to kick a few disreputable, slimy listing agents. Then we started working with another Realtor, my old dance buddy Jon Trunk and his partner Bonnie Davis (Keller Williams, Studio City).  Both were straightforward, smart, trustworthy and very thorough. Plus they were way fun to house hunt with.  In the end we saw hundreds of homes… really. We also put in several more offers on homes we found through them… none panned out, Finally, our Realtors got wind of a older character home that wasn’t listed yet and got us in before anyone else.  This one was very cool! During this process we had so many different things to consider… schools, pricing, size, location, the incredibly difficult and prolonged sale of our desert property (UGH!). This was often a very hard, very confusing house hunt with too many variables. We made hard choices and our offer was accepted on the cool character home….a 1927, somewhat upgraded Mediterranean with 2 beds and 1 bath that met most of our needs and has the possibility for an office or room addition. Through this process we met some savvy, honest, wonderful Realtors, who were on top of their game and incredibly helpful. We also met some slimy, selfish, sneaky, dirty, icky unprofessional Realtors and listing agencies. House hunting is not a game for the weak kneed or faint of heart. Now on to escrow…. Home & Garden, OM Gosh! 2009-12-03T19:03:03+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/cyber_monday_online_shopping_tips/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/cyber_monday_online_shopping_tips/#When:14:56:47Z 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. 1. Know your online merchant.  Be familiar with the site you’re shopping. Sites like BizRate.com and others evaluate hundreds of online businesses on customer service, privacy policies and content. 2. Look for sites that off encryption protection on the pages where you enter your billing, credit and personal information. Look for a small key lock symbol in the lower left hand corner of your browser window that will appear locked. Also you look for HTTPS   S standing for Secure. 3. Shop with larger more established companies or a site you have shopped from before. Brand new, never scene before websites should be avoided. 4. Pay by credit card or Pay Pal. Both will cover you incase of fraudulent charges. 5. Print a record of your transaction and save it till your product arrives. 6. Never, ever supply your SSN or birth date when making a purchase. 7. Check the return policy before you purchase. Look for a contact phone number listing in case there is a problem. 8. Always use the latest version of your browser and keep your anti virus ware updated. 9. Most importantly, do your research / homework before you purchase an item. Most sites may give you Free shipping this season, but won’t pay for shipping if you return the item. Happy web shopping! Zannee's Tips, Online Sales, Consumer 2009-11-30T14:56:47+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/online_sales_for_the_thanksgiving_weekend/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/online_sales_for_the_thanksgiving_weekend/#When:01:40:49Z If you’re like me, you avoid the malls on Thanksgiving Weekends Black Friday. Shopping online while munching on left overs is one of my faves! Here are some outstanding sales for this uber shopping weekend!
 Mor Cosmetics is having a Black Friday Weekend Sale with savings of 25%-50% off throughout the their site. Enter BFog at Checkout for an additional 10% savings. http://www.morcosmetics.com http://www.JoesJeans.com Has a special code for discounts this weekend. Shop 11.27.09-11.30.09 Enter Promo Code: blackfriday to receive 25% off your entire purchase Yes… the new legging jean is included. Betsy Johnson is sharing the love with 40% savings sitewide! http://www.betseyjohnson.com/ Of course one of my all time web bargain haunts has outstanding deals this weekend. Bargain Outfitters. Savings average 35%-79% plus use coupon code BF854 for an additional $5 off. http://www.bargainoutfitters.com/net/Main.aspx If you missed the last Bed Head PJ’s Sale… cheer up. They are having a 4-day sale on 11/26-11/30 with everything marked down to $62. Retail prices range from $130—$175.
That on over 60 designs in PJ’s robes and gowns…. And the quality can’t be beat! http://www.bedheadpjs.com/Shopping/SaleCategoryItems.aspx?AllOnSale=Yes I will also be scouring Amazon.com for deals using my Prime membership for faster delivery. Overstock.com, SmartBargains.com, BedBathandBeyond.com and shop4tech.com are always on my hit list, especially during the Holidays. Have a safe, joy filled, shopping extravaganza weekend! S. Fashion, Online Sales, Sales 2009-11-26T01:40:49+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/black_friday_shopping_tips/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/black_friday_shopping_tips/#When:15:23:53Z 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, the only things I may consider hitting the stores for are items that never go on sale… PS3, Xbox, higher end sound systems, or specialty flat screen TV’s… or perhaps new car special… otherwise I stay home, eat pie, Thanksgiving leftovers and play some Beatles Rock Band while hanging with friends and family. If you have to shop on Black Friday several things come to mind: 1. Make a list of specific items you are looking for. Know sizes, color preferences, needs and stick to your list. 2. Do your homework. Find out whos’ got what at what price before you shop. Know how much you can afford to spend before you hit the stores. 3. Wear sturdy/ athletic shoes, comfy clothes and plan on “hands Free” shopping. Leave your stilettos and fancy handbag at home. 4. Do not take the kids, boyfriend, spouse or gossipy girlfriend.  Only take someone with you that you can “team” shop with.  Shopping on Black Friday is work and will need your full focus and attention. 5. Have a plan of attack. Be prepared to move fast and pounce quickly. 6. Hang on to your manners. No item, regardless of price is worth pushing, shoving and being rude for. This is after all, just stuff. 7. Eat well before you shop and take a bottle of water with you. 8. Be grateful. If you have the money to shop, remember there are those this year who don’t. 9. If you hate crowds try shopping online for deals. Deals can be found throughout the Holiday season, especially on Cyber Monday 11/30. 10. Leave a bit of wiggle room in your budget for the unexpected bargain buy. Stay alert, hang tough and be a smart shopper ! I’ll be thinking about ya while I’m eating pie! Although… I may combine eating pie with shopping on the web. Here are some great web resources for finding up to the minute in store deals: www.blackfriday.info/ bfads.net/ blackfriday.dealighted.com black-friday.net Zannee's Tips, Shopping Adventures, Consumer, Do it Yourself 2009-11-21T15:23:53+00:00 Suzanne O'Connor http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/our_contest/ http://www.bargainsla.com/blog/entry/our_contest/#When:21:15:03Z In case you haven’t already heard, we are having a contest. We’ve been doing this BargainsLA thing for 10 years now and think it’s time to celebrate… and give back some of the fun. So we’re having the “I Love BargainsLA.com” Contest. Okay so you think, “Geeze, they want some stroking!” Yep, it’s true. Over the years we have received some pretty amazing stories like the lady who annually hits everyone of our Frugal Bugle Winners, Or the college grad who got a bargain suit for an interview and landed the job. Or the gal that had to get all new furniture after a fire burned down her home… It was these amazing stories that inspired the contest. So think hard and remember the thrill of bagging that bargain or how you used the sources on BargainsLA to help you meet your bottom line. How saving you some money changed or bettered your life style or impacted your budget. Tell us … show us! Write it down, take pictures or draw a picture, write a poem about a sale or a bargain buy, make a video, create some performance art… get creative! Tell us why you love and use BargainsLA.com. Originality and ingenuity are a plus. Contest runs through December 23rd, 2009 and we wouldn’t do a contest unless we could give some cool prizes! 1st Place Prize: Playstation PS3 AND a Wii/Nintendo Gaming System from Game Dude. 2nd Place Prize: $500 gift certificate from Ski and Snowboard Liquidators. 3rd Place Prize: $200 worth of event tickets (50% savings) from Goldstar Entertainment. 4th Place Prize: $100 worth of jewelry from Athena Designs. Additionally 5 honorable mentions will each receive a BargainsLA.com “Bargain Snob” hoodie (Retail $35.00). You must be a registered subscriber (entered on our email list) to submit. If you are not already on our email list, sign up here. We will verify email accounts against all entries. Send your entry to submissions@bargainsla.com. Attach any jpeg pictures etc you wish to include. Submissions need to include your name and email address for contacting winners. As usual, this is confidential info and will not be shared….period! But you already knew that. Check out our contest page for more rules. So get busy! Entertainment, Local fun, Consumer, Do it Yourself, OM Gosh! 2009-11-18T21:15:03+00:00