Suzanne O’Connor’s Bargains LA

BigCityDeals

In a big city like Los Angeles, there are big deals to be found everywhere. Competition is fierce amongst retailers. Importers and manufacturers abound! Services want your business!
Nice to have help finding them from Big City Deals.com.

Similar to Groupon, this free site (Big City Deals) lists specials money savings deals in Cities nationwide for just one day. Ya gotta move fast to get the deal.

Recent savings have included a 30 minute golf swing evaluation by Golf TEC in Santa Monica at $25 instead of $85. And $25 of SOS Emergency Preparedness products for only $10.

Still in it’s Beta mode (working out the kinks), Big City Deals posts BIG savings for big city dwellers like us. Actually for anyone who loves a deal.

Big City Deals is a nice new addition to money saving websites.

ServiceMagic

If you’re one of those lucky folks who just purchased a new home or need to spruce up, make repair or upgrades in your existing home for the holidays, then check out ServiceMagic.com. 

On this site, you select what kind of work or what you need in terms of contractor/ handyman services and they send you names of 3 pre-screened, qualified, insured, licensed and bonded workman you will bid on your job.

This service is free to you.


ServiceMagic has made over 12 million matches between consumers and service professionals skilled in more than 500 home related services nation wide. Plus you can read word of mouth feedback from customers who have used the service professionals.

Is it completely fool proof, no. You will have to provide an accurate description of what kind you need done. But it does help you make better choices for getting work done around your home. You make the final choice on who you use.

ServiceMagic.com also want you to follow up with them on how the work is progressing. Then, if something goes wrong, they’ll help you communicate with your service professional and even provide up to $500 of additional labor toward making the job right.

Finding qualified home improvement services and contractors just got easier.

Debt Proof Living

Years ago when I did my first NBC 4 morning news show, Mary Hunt was the interview in front of me. Her practical, frugal tips, advice and good sense made a serious impact on this humble bargain hunter.

But frugality was not in vogue then.

Well it is now and this Queen of frugal common sense has a website packed with tidbits of info to help all of us manage our finances better.  The real practical tips are in her membership section. Included in her subscription based newsletter were articles like “3 Ways to cut the High Cost of Health Care, “ Generosity and the Recession”, “8 Restaurant Ploys to Watch For” and more.

The value here is the expertise of Mary Hunt. With dozens of television appearances, magazine article and a track record that is over a decade long, this frugal financial Queen is the real deal. …Not a “pop up” frugalista.

Though her advice and insights are practical and serious, Mary keeps it light.  She also keeps membership affordable with a 6-month membership at $18, a 12-month at $29, a 24-month at $56. Of course you can gift a needy someone with membership too.

By following one piece of advice you’ll probably save more than the subscription price. Living debt free is real freedom and Mary Hunt will help get you there.

WiseMoneyMatters

Do you have a difficult time saving money. At the end of the month is all you money gone? Well apparently you’re not alone and thousands of people have the same problem.
WiseMoneyMatters.com can help with insightful and real life tips on how to save money everyday.

Each week they have a new Weekly Financial Check Up (so you can see how you’re doing) along with productivity tips ( to help you use your time better and make more money) and Investing Basics (for those of us who are investment dummies).

Simple concise advice and information to help you keep and save more of what you make.

FreeShipping

One of the drawbacks to online shopping are the shipping charges. Smart online bargain shoppers have always known the cost of shipping can make the difference between a good deal and a great deal. But finding out who has free shipping deals can be daunting.

Until now…. www.FreeShipping.org is cool site that list which stores are offering free shipping coupons. This site provides a list of known online retailers who are offering free shipping coupon codes to over 850 stores including JCPenney, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Dell and Gap.

So I looked up Nordtsroms and got several free shipping offers
1. Free shipping when you spend $50 or more in Beauty.
2. Free shipping on orders over $200.
3. Free shipping on Nordstrom gift cards.

Operated by the husband-and-wife team of Luke and Maisie Knowles, this well organized site is easy to cruise and I also found dozens upon dozen of other web stores that offered free shipping including Best Buy, Target, Amazon, Office Depot, Brookstone, Buy.com, Radio Shack, Shop4tech, Shutterfly, Sony, Sears, Ace, American Eagle Outfitters and many more. You can also locate free shipping coupons by store name, category, soon to expire and most recent free shipping coupons.

So now you can shop online, and save even more. How cool is that!

GreenKidsAuction

As a parent and an avid shopper I always shop at resale and consignment stores. When my persnickety fashion obsessed daughter wouldn’t wear some of the clothes I bought her, I resold them back to a children’s resale store. Only got a small percentage of what they were worth, but a little is better than nothing.

Now a new website has put the obvious Green Spin on the re-use resale matter with www.GreenKidsAuction.com. Here you can buy and sell gently worn / gently used kids fare from clothing and accessories to toys and furnishings in an auction format.

The deals are here, but like Ebay you have to know when to stop bidding so you don’t over pay. 5% of Green Kids Auction’s profits will be donated to Healthy Child, Healthy World (www.healthychild.org)

As a brand new site, the listings aren’t full yet and right now it’s FREE to list your item until it sells! Normally there’s a success fee of just 4.95% when an item sells. S. Too busy? They can send you a list of agents in your area & they’ll do the work for you!

Heck make a little money, save a little. In the end it all adds up. So go clean out your kids closets.

Favorite Newsletters

I like to stay informed. Getting the inside scoop often leads me to bargain sources, companies, innovations and ideas that I can pass on. My day always begins with checking news sites, shopping and news blogs, and the slew e-mail newsletters I am signed up for.

Two e-newsletters that always have tantalizing tidbits of information are Jens List and Robin Sax facts.

Robin Sax’s, Saxfax Weekly is a self-published e-newsletter sent out by a Robin Sax. This Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney, legal analyst, speaker, and author has been seen on many media outlets.

She is also a pretty savvy consumer and has made it a hobby to be in the know. In her weekly newsletter (Thursdays) she shares a variety of information, including contacts and resources, whether it be for a nanny, notary, web designer, legal information, or a specialized gift and like me she shares her info for free. How could I not like her and what she does!
www.robinsax.com/

One of my daily fixes come to my in box as Jen’s List. This valley mom daily newsletter is packed with community information, especially useful for moms but also of great for general interest.

I have been subscribing since last Spring and have received dozens of resources for nannys, home improvement, money management, home sales and rentals, entertainment, legal, health, kids classes and schools and more. Leads run from the Valley down to the South bay.

I wish I had had her as a resource when my daughter was little.

www.jenlevinson.com/

Stay in the know and link up with these two savvy chicks!

Thrifty Kitchen

I love it when life is made simpler and cheaper. Both happen at ThriftyKitchen.com.

For a $10 a month subscription you can have weekly family dinner recipes based on the discounts and sale items offered at your local supermarket. You can save a bundle by eating what’s on sale each week! You choose the store you prefer to shop and the number of hungry people you need to feed - they do the rest!

Each week, on Thursdays, you log in and see what’s on sale each week as well as information on applicable coupons and where to find them or print them online. Then on Friday you go back to view “This Weeks Menus and Recipe Meal Plan” for tasty recipes that use those ingredients. You print your customized shopping list and purchase the ingredients in one shopping trip, then just follow the instructions for each day’s meal prep.

These tend not to be gourmet meals but are family-friendly, nutritious, and simple to make. The recipes are adapted from a wide variety of sources including website owner Lisa Leete own family favorites, cookbooks, cooking magazines, online cooking sites, and reader submissions.
The menus are highly varied, but some ingredients are more common than others. Chicken is a frequent ingredient, as it is lower in fat and very reasonably priced compared to many other protein sources. Vegetables are a major player in both side and main dishes. If you see an ingredient in a recipe that you know won’t go over well with your family, simply leave it out.

Seems like a good way to spend less and eat better!

SaleGrab

Okay if you are a die hard bargain shopper, have I got a site for you.  www.SaleGrab.com lists the deepest discounted prices on sale merchandise on dozens of different websites. Mostly fashion and accessories. Although I did spot several digital cameras and a few other electronics.

The savings on average 50%-95% off the original retail. 

The site organizes by steepest discounts first and some of these are so steep…. it’s stupid!

Some women’s Prada pants were $50 instead of $544. A men’s LS silk shirt by Nautica is $10 instead of $70. A stunner was a pair of Marc Jacobs Sunglasses. They say they list for $2500. No wonder no one bought them. Here they’re $120, a much more sane price.

The items at the deepest discounts had a very small size selection, often one of a kind. When you got into the 60% off range you got a bit of a better selection with more current merchandise. A Charles David Oxford pump retailed for $144 and it’s on sale at $44 in all sizes. But you have to remember these items are severely discounted for a reason.
Every item is sold off a different website, this is just a referral or affiliated website. The sites are pretty well known. Amazon, Macy’s and the like.

You can cruise the site by type of clothing and a few designer names. But the fun is starting at the deepest discounts and going from there.

Curl up with a cup of Hot Chocolate and spend a little time. You may come across the one item you’ve always wanted for a super cheap price.

SayGoodCredit

How many of us start out every year organizing our bills and setting up budgets only to see another year go by and deeper in debt. Sound familiar?

I used to think my problem was never making quite enough money to cover my expenses. I lived in the world of “ifs”. “If “I could only get a better paying job. “If” I could make a killer business deal. “If” I could only catch up.

But my real problem was not knowing how to budget, plan ahead and live within my means. Now is always the time to get back on track.

A great starting place is http://www.sayplanning.com/saygoodcredit/manage-budget.html

There are tips on establish credit, rebuilding credit, budgeting planning and management, managing mortgage debt, avoiding ID theft, setting up a spending plan and more.

It won’t be the most thrilling read of the day. But the information, links and advice will help steer you to a better financial future.

aLaTest

Ever read a Consumer Reports report on a product you use and completely disagree? Would you like to see other people or professionals reviews of products your interested in before you buy? Then check out www.alatest.com where you can find objective reviews on products that are totally independent.

This site is free and offers quality product information and reviews from over 600 sources summarizing the results through standardized ratings that seem to follow standardized grading on a 100-point scale. The weakness is that scores of 90-100 points get “Best” ratings and scores of 60-69 still get a “Good” rating. But if you ignore the wording and stick with the score you can quickly decipher what’s what.

The categories on alatest.com cover mostly electronics and home theater products including photography, games, home electronics, appliances, computers and more.

Another good tool for savvy consumers to use before you buy.

ShopItToMe

“Wow” flew out of my mouth the second I figured out how cool this website is. If you’re into online sales but rarely find your size or designers you adore, then www.ShopItToMe.com could well be your ticket.

The concept is simple and the service is FREE. Simply select your favorite designer apparel brands (Armani, Prada, Bebe, Betsy Johnson, Theory, Tahari, Juicy Couture, Seven Jeans, BCBG, etc…) and your size. They’ll cruise the websites of leading online retailers and then email a daily or weekly summary of the items that go on sale in your size. Clothes you love, in your size, emailed to you on sale. How cool is that?

You can specify if you want to receive daily, weekly, or semi-weekly emails. But, you’ll only get an email if a new item appears on sale in your size. They work with online stores for Saks Fifth Ave, Macy’s Gap, Nordstrom’s, Pink, Brooks Brothers, Overstock, Zappos, E-Luxury, Ann Taylor on Bluefly. So you won’t be shopping untried , unknown online stores.

CounterfeitChic

Ah, the world of fashion knockoffs.

You’d never have guessed how pervasive this world is until you read the blog CounterfeitChic.com. Written by law professor Susan Scafidi, who hides a copy of Vogue in her briefcase, you’ll find she her pulse on the business and legal aspects of business of knockoffs. Informative, insightful and full of stuff you would never have thought about before.

From Old Navy knocking off designer denim leader 7 for All Mankind to Urban Outfitters knocking off Lavin necklaces, the scoop is here with loads of extra inside info. Susan touches on just about every aspect of counterfeiting designs and products, from imports to home grown varieties along with inside industry information and insight. It’s a compelling read and a must for anyone who has ever bought a knock off ….or never has.

ExperienceLA

New to Southern California? Or are you an old timer. Either way with summer here it’s time to get to know all the cool places and stuff we have to offer. But with gas at over $3 a gallon, it’s time to get to know the area via the metro.

At www.ExperienceLA.com you figure out how to get around and many of our wonderful sites by using the metro. Reader Jennifer G writes in …”We plan our family outings around the metro system. We’ve been to Universal Studios, Hollywood & Highland, Aquarium of the Pacific, California Science Center, Staples Center, and the Disney concert hall so far! They even have a section where you can find free events in the L.A. area!”

I found a link to a large number of our regional farmers markets and festival and fairs. Since there is always something going on in L.A…. From traveling art exhibits and live theatre to sporting events and festivals… Start planning your adventures by using the LA County Cultural Calendar and Experience LA.com. It should be your first stop.

MyBargainBuddy

I get daily e-mails from www.SmartBargains.com, www.Overstock.com, www.Marshalls.com, www.TJMaxx.com and a menagerie of other discount sites. It’s exhausting.

But one of my all time favorites is www.MyBargainBuddy.com. Yes, it is another one of those portal sites that lists coupons and online deals. The difference is that here, owner Karen doesn’t overdue it, listing every deal out there so your head spins. She highlights a reasonable amount for easy browsing.

The day I visited My Bargain Buddy, the site had a link to a Rival Premiere 5 speed blender for $14.99 instead of $29.99. I also spotted an Ipod Nano Sync and charging cradle with a remote for $24.99 instead of $89.99. Plus this site links you to links for additional savings on the already discounted merchandise. Cool!

This well laid out site is easy to navigate and easy on the eyes. Die hard shoppers can go to the All Stores page and check out everything if they want to. But I recommend
signing up for the free daily newsletter to quickly scan the choice best bargains of the day along with links, sales, coupons and special offers.

Any easy way to save.

Bookins

Avid book readers… oh how I envy those with the downtime spend reading. But if you compile more hard back books than you want to keep or your budget is being undone by your habit try Bookins.com.

On this free site, you can freely trade used books with other avid readers. You select books you want to receive and then you list the books you have available for trade. Bookins arranges for member to ship you the books you requested and then you mail your books when requested in the pre paid envelopes printed from your own computer.

You own the books you get or you can exchange them when you’re finished. No need to go to the post office. Their easy shipping process prints shipping labels with free prepaid U.S. postage from their website so you don’t use your own stamps.Shipping is only $3.99, including delivery confirmation. Same low shipping price for all books, billed to the person getting the book. There are no shipping charges to the sender.

This is a great way to trade new hardcover books and pay very little to read them.

Photostamps

This idea is incredibly simple and far reaching. Postage stamps with images of your choice on them. You take your own images or photographs and turn them into real U.S. postage! You can put your company’s logo, your wedding photo, newborn photo or anything else that isn’t profane or copy righted.

You may purchase Photo Stamps in one of seven different postage denominations ranging from 24 cent postcards to 39 cent regular first class to $4.05 for packages. One sheet of twenty $.39 cent stamps is $17.99. Though it’s not a “bargain” it’s so cool and unique, it goes beyond bargain hunting.

Versatile, fun, memorable and a great way personally meet all your mailing needs. Just think of it. Your face on a stamp.

EmergencyCafe

As a native Californian I have lived through 3 good sized earthquakes. The Sylmar quake from 1971 is one of my earliest scary memories. Most of us who have been here awhile take earthquakes seriously even though we live with it with the attitude “it goes with the territory”. But many of you new to Southern a California don’t know what you need or how to put together an emergency kit. Everyone in California should have one.

This is where Emergency Café comes in. Operated by Cari Butler, this entrepreneurial mom Emergency Preparedness began when her daughter started pre-school and was required to have a personal emergency kit. It occurred to her that everyone should have their own personal emergency kit at an affordable price. She now provides consultation services for families and businesses, as well as offering the Emergency Café line of kits.

For do it yourselfers you’ll find a check list of supplies to take to the store. For those of us with less time, you can purchase kits starting at $55 for a one person kit up to $205 for a five person kit. There are backpack kits for your car, pet kits, under the bed kits, tools, ladders… the basics all reasonably priced, all in one place.

Stop by www.emergencycafe.com for your emergency supplies.

Come on, get on it, it’s been 12 years since the last big quake! Some might say we’re over due for a good shake!

ChillOutLA

Okay, so I am gonna let you all in on my little secret. For the last 15 years I’ve been teaching commercial dance classes. I didn’t drop them after I became a bargain shopping guru. But I did slowly cut back as my work load increased and am sadly down to just one a week which is soon to be history.

Dance as a first love had always been a way to relieve stress, stay in shape and use my creative juices. As a teacher, I have never had to pay for a class and I am now facing paying for something I have received for free. Off hand I’d say I am spoiled. But it’s time to get on the ball and start the search for both R & R and a good exercise program… be it yoga, pilates, weight training, ballet classes or whatever.

Which brings me to Chill Out LA. This online site give you the low down on local spas, classes, yoga and other “centering” activities to help both mind and body stay in shape. Every Thursday they send out an e-mail packed with info on spas, massage centers, yoga studios, meditation workshops, and rejuvenating getaways are truly affordable. Not just the over-hyped “Hollywood glam” stuff. Real classes, real people at real prices.

The last e-mail I received had power yoga classes at $8-$10 a pop which is below the Westside norm of $12-$18. Most of the sources tend to be in LA proper but since sign up is free it’s worth it. Hopefully they’ll expand as their readership does. An easy way to find the sources that take care of your bod…. for less.

MoneyPants

Did you overspend again this year? Oops -did I bring up the uncomfortable money issue? The New Year is always a great time to start a new. One of the most useful things we can do is get our financial houses in order. All of us, no matter what our financial status should re-examine our financial behaviors, spending and saving habits and long term goals. But not all of us can afford professional financial consultation.

Welcome to www.MoneyPants.com. Three friends, who are not financial advisers got together to create a better way to gain control of their money. The result is a very useful website. For $9.95 a month they’ll helps you track your spending, create livable budgets and make financial priorities.

Learn how to save 10%-20% by becoming aware of unconscious spending habits. Set up a spending plan as a way to reach your goals. Use their software program “Cash Track” on their site to track your spending. Since no account information or personal data is listed it’s very secure. You list what you spent money on and evaluate if it was worth the expense. From cookies to car payments. Seeing all of it in front of you helps you create a realistic budget, track spending habits and make changes to meet your goals. They’ll also e-mail you when your bills are due. There are message boards where you can pal up with someone who has similar goals.

This is basic financial planning and budgeting for those of us who need a pal and a plan to get and keep us on track. If you suffer from “the more I make the more I spend” syndrome and no matter how much you try, you’ve spent all your income or more by the end of the month, this site is for you. Plus they have a 30 day try out where they’ll refund your money if the program doesn’t work for you.

A great way to start your New Year.

CheapskateMonthly

Down deep inside of every bargain hunter is a suppressed cheapskate. All of us want to get more for less, become debt free, live well within our means and learn the inside tricks of how to do that.

Mary Hunt’s Cheapskate Monthly newsletter is packed with creative and realistic ideas on how to live debt free, improve your credit score, reduce your debt and manage your money well. Mary uses her own experiences as a point of reference and with her strong background in business and finance along with 13 years of Bringing dignity to the art of living within ones means.” Credo, her insights into our daily financial world are as practical as they are inspirational.

All of this information is presented in a straight forward, easy to read format with a sense of humor. Cheapskate Monthly tips, advice, and hard learned information should be incorporated into our lives.

Estate Sales

Savvy bargain shoppers can get real deals on estate furnishings, collectibles and artwork at Estate Sales. Estate sales are where the dealers shop to find inventory for their antique shops. Outside of cruising through local papers for listings, where can people go to get information? Try Estate Sales LA sales calendar www.estatesalesla.com

Here they list the Estate sales they will be conducting in the Los Angeles area along with a brief description of inventory offered. They don’t list pricing, so it’s up to you to decide when you get there to what’s offered up for sale is a reasonable deal. Like all bargain hunting … do your homework.

Another source on the internet to try for estate sales and garage sales is Craig’s List garage sales page http://losangeles.craigslist.org/gms/. Craig’s List has pages for cities nationwide so you can even help Aunt Edna find a garage sale near her home in Milwaukee.

SheFinds

The boutiques and designers of New York are always at the top of fashion divas shopping list. But us hip West Coasters, Southerners and equally savvy Mid-Westerners can’t always hop on a plane to shop these designer digs. Enter www.SheFinds.com.

Owner Michelle Madhok, knows the trends and where to find them. Her expertise and knowledge give consumers everywhere the insight they need to get the latest styles and products that fit everyone and every budget. She reads all the fashion publications, scopes out the streets of New York and scouts the stores to find out what’s worth your while. Then she surfs the web for the best style finds and put them at your fingertips in her free weekly newsletter.

Like BargainsLA.com, SheFinds.com is packed with great ideas and sources. You’ll find out about new trends, products, designers and shopping boutiques before the masses and where the sources are for those items. But the area that She Finds has that Bargainsla.com does not offer (or I’d lose my mind) are leads to some of the best online sales in “Deal Alerts”. She Finds digs around, scopes ‘em out and saves you time and money by helping you find the best the web has to offer. As all savvy shoppers know, the best bargain shoppers are armed with up to date information. Here’s a great place to get that along with the goodies.

If you’re a shopping fashion diva or just a “wanna be”, She Finds.com is the place to visit to get in the know.

GotPrint

Some things take awhile for me to feel comfortable with. Shopping online wasn’t one of them until it came time for me to print up some postcards. I was still stuck in the 1990’s where you walk into a print shop and place your order. Printing was not something I felt comfortable doing in cyber space.

My girlfriend Lorelei had designed and printed up my last batch of business cards and swore by www.gotprint.net. I was so relieved not to do it over the internet that I really was surprised when I walked into this small working warehouse with my disc and was directed to put my order in through their site. I had to establish an account and ALL of that was done online whether or not you lived nearby. Thankfully I used their in house computers to do that.

Got Print finished my order 3 days before they said they would and it came out perfect. I printed up 5000 5 x 7 postcards for $449 plus tax. Since I was local I could pick them up and avoid shipping costs. The quality and service was excellent and everyone involved was extremely helpful and courteous.

After cruising their site I realized you can do almost anything here online. Business cards, booklets, brochures, mini menus, posters, press kits, CD covers, letterhead… anything you can print. You can upload directly to them or send in a CD disc via the mail. They check it for any problems before they print. They can accept any of the following file formats: .TIF, .TIFF, .EPS, .AI, .PSD, .JPG, .PNG & .PDF

The pricing is better than just competitive… it’s a down right bargain. Some specials on now include 5000 full color brochures for $368, 5000 full color front and back business cards for $99 and 5000 full color front and back 4 x 6 postcards for $239.

Because of the quality and pricing I will use Got Print for all my printing needs… ordering over the internet and picking up in person. But even if you live out of the area, it’s a real deal!

ConsumerWorld

To keep on top of consumer information I read everything I can get my hands on. The LA Times, OC Register NY Times and Daily News almost daily. I cruise dozens of websites looking for trends, recalls, fashion tid bits, business mergers, sales, web technology info and store opening info. It’s a good hour of snooping every day.

One of the best of these is Consumer World. I find the most amazing factoids and leads through this weekly e-mail updates. Did you know that this week is National Consumer protection week? Neither did I, until this morning. But I get more info than that and most of it is eye opening.

How about what the top consumer complaints were for 2004? How do you spot a “Fake” product… that’s one I’ll need to read. I learned about Phishing through Consumer World… those phony account updates e-mails. Do you know about the new trend of paying by using your finger print? Did you know airline complaints jumped 24% in 2004? Consumer World also offers a “Bargain of The Week” with a lead on finding this week Roses for $19.99. Hmm, isn’t that my territory?

These are all pieces of information that most of us can’t seek out by ourselves and effect our financial spending and stability. Through their weekly e-mails I can decide what articles I need to read on their website and what applies to my “bargain” neck of the woods.

Smart consumers, smart people stay well educated about their world. This is another easy way to do that. You’ll be able spot a scam and save a buck or two.