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Here some cool samples from today’s offerings:

A 2-2/3-cubic-foot Haier compact refrigerator/freezer combo for $93.54 at Amazon after $129 savings. Free Shipping.

Dell Inspiron 13 13.3-inch Laptop with Pentium Dual Core, 3GB Memory, 250GB HD, Slot DVD Burner + $15 Dell GiftCard costs $399. Original price was $619

Oakley Vault Felon Sunglasses $50. This is reduced from $150.

Me Like!

I called Jan Drugs in Canada, and their price was around $90, as was my Medco prescription plan. I was getting crankier and crankier, and finally decided to call the doctor to see if there were any other options. The nurse who picked up was as outraged as I was, and he kindly offered to put aside some free samples for me.

So I went from $135 to zero. Not bad, don’t you think?  I guess it never hurts to ask. Especially since the spray doesn’t seem to be doing much.

I also like their motto: “Cutting back while moving forward.”

One site they wrote about is called Dinner Garden.org. This is an organization that provides people and community groups with free vegetable seeds and growing tips for cheap gardening in whatever space they have available: patios, backyards, schoolyards, community lots, and church lawns.  “They envision a nation where front lawns, empty lots, medians, parks, schools, churches, and community centers devote space to fruit and vegetable gardens.”  Sounds good to me.

My son was wandering through the mall a few weeks ago, not looking for anything in particular.  He noticed that Macy’s had a one-day special: a rack of men’s pants for ten dollars each.  Being his mother’s son, he happily snatched up four pairs.  

My friend Jay regularly checks the clearance sections at Target.  The merchandise in these areas goes from 30% to 50% to 75% off, based on how long it’s been sitting there.  

He knew I needed a small space heater and bought me a box of two for $14.95.  He found a large patio table for himself for seventy bucks.  It had originally retailed for almost $300.  He’s also gotten fountains and other garden accessories at rock-bottom prices.  

Jay also trawls for specials in the grocery aisles.  Last week he scored 8 boxes of cereal for a buck.  That’s a lotta corn flakes!

Through a combo of Radio Shack and Amazon, Jay got four Tivo units (He kept some and sold some) and two one-year subscriptions.  After discounts and rebates, he actually earned $100.00.   He finds a lot of these electronics deals on Fatwallet.com.  

Jay also buys lots of Christmas stuff after the holidays, when they are greatly reduced.  Those greeting cards will be just as effective next year.  Santa won’t go out of style anytime soon.

Off-season shopping is also a good idea for fashion.  February and August are the big clearance months in clothing stores.  Emporiums like Loehmann’s add further reductions to their already discounted goods, so the savings can be major: like $20 for a $200 top.  Of course, if you insist on being up-to-the-minute in the latest styles, you will have to pay full price at the beginning of the season.  Different strokes…

The website Money Saving Mom lists current supermarket and drugstore coupons.  I buy very little processed food, so a lot of this packaged, chemicalized stuff is of no interest to me, but I can always use a free toothpaste!

Public libraries are one of the biggest cultural bargains around.  Not only do they offer books, magazines, CDs, videos, and internet access, but they have lectures, exhibits, classes, and special events for kids.  Also, they have terrific book sales where the prices are low, low, low.  Plus, I’ve never met a librarian who wasn’t willing – even eager – to help with my stupid questions.

I take advantage of the library system right in my home office.  Let’s say I read a review of a novel that sounds interesting: this is usually a psychological mystery written by a woman that takes place in a gloomy English village. I just reserve it online, and my local branch contacts me when the book is available.  Easy as pie. (An expression I’ve never really understood: what’s so easy about pie? I think pie is difficult.)

BOOKS ON THE WEB

I just heard about a book site that functions like Netflix.  It’s called BookSwim.  You sign up for a certain number of books per month, keep them as long as you want, and postage is free.  Another popular site is PaperBack Swap.  You post books that you are offering.  When someone responds, you mail it to them and then your can choose any book on the site and it will be sent to you with free shipping.  They also list hardbacks and audiobooks.

THE USUAL SOURCES

I get most of my books where I get most of my everything-else: yard sales, thrift shops, and rummage sales.  I also borrow from friends.

GROUP READS

Many of my friends belong to book clubs.  This is a great and inexpensive way to combine intellectual stimulation with snacks.  It’s not for me, though, because some of the choices are non-fiction, and I have very little interest in the real world.

One day I’m going to organize a Shakespeare book club.  I’ve read and seen many of the plays, but always feel that I’m missing a lot of it – especially the jokes: there are too many puns based on unfamiliar words. I need help.

• A lot of people are embarrassed to question the price of something because they’re afraid of looking Cheap.  As I’ve said before, there’s a big difference between being Cheap and Frugal.  There’s nothing shameful in trying to get the best price for something, but it is evil to have your house guests turn blue because you refuse to turn up the thermostat.
• John correctly pointed out that negotiating is not only about the price of something.  There are often more personal elements that come into play.  My friend Laura was house-hunting and found the place of her dreams: a sprawling ‘60s home on a hill with a striking view.  The house was not in great condition, but Laura is passionate about mid-century architecture.  The competing buyers saw it as a teardown.  Laura was the only one who promised the elderly woman seller that she would respect the integrity of the design, and gradually restore it to its original glory.  She got the house even though the other offers were higher than hers.

I buy so much stuff that I’m forced to have a ginormous yard sale twice a year, with hundreds of tasty items. It’s a great opportunity to study people’s bargaining skills. Here are some approaches I do not recommend.

• “How much?  That’s ridiculous. I could get it cheaper at K-Mart.”
• “Thirty dollars? I’ll give you five.”
• “I can’t pay ten dollars. Here’s one-fifty, but my money is special. It’ll bring you good luck.”
• “Twenty dollars? Oh gee, I only have eight bucks with me. Will that do”?

These bozos are being insulting, aggressive, and manipulative.  Why would I want to give them a break?  Here are some techniques that do work:

• “You have such cool stuff. If I buy a lot, can you give me something off?”
• “That’s a fair price, but it’s a little high for me. Any chance you could do better?”
• “I love your hair!”

That last one gets me every time.

It helps to give the seller some insight into who you are. I happen to have a soft spot for teachers. They are undervalued and underpaid for the important work they do. A pleasant young women at my sale said “How much for the big box of construction paper and charcoals? I teach special needs kids and they love crafts projects.” I gave it to her for free, and she’s become one of my regular customers. She always buys clothing for herself, and I pick up paper and art supplies throughout the year to donate to her class.

WHAT CAN YOU LOSE BY ASKING?

You’d be surprised at how many store owners are open to friendly haggling.  For starters, you can always ask for a discount if you’re paying cash, or if you’re buying multiple items.  My brother-in-law Søren is a champion negotiator who gets markdowns in clothing boutiques, furniture and appliance stores – even hotels.  He does this by being charming, sincere and civil, and by believing that it never hurts to ask.  We were on vacation in Italy, and wandered into an eyeglass store.  Søren asked to see a fabulous pair of designer shades, but he wasn’t comfortable with the price.  He pointed out, in a pleasant way, that this was October, so the season was over – plus he offered to pay cash.  He succeeded in getting a lower price.  Use your judgement, though.  All the charisma in the world isn’t going to lower the price at the gas pump.

Some people are constitutionally unable to haggle. Kim actually said to the flea-market vendor, “Only ten dollars for that vase? Oh, no, I feel I should give you twenty.” Kim is no longer allowed to come shopping with me – but she’s very welcome to shop at my own sales.

Yard Sale Treasure Map

You enter your location and a map comes up with addresses and info in yard sales in that area. Plus, there’s no charge to list your own sale. The only flaw is that they are not quick enough to take down outdated ads, so that when I asked for Sunday sales on February 26th, I got some listings from February 21st. So make sure you read the fine print! There’s nothing more irritating than driving to a sale that isn’t there.

Black Board Eats

You get emails about restaurant deals in your area. You then have twenty-four hours to click on the discount passcode, and have to use it within 30 days. The day I signed up, I was offered 30% off the entire bill at Sofi, a local Greek place with a lovely garden. I’m already dreaming about the mixed appetizer platter.

Groupon

They email you various kinds of deals. The system here requires a minimum number of takers for the deal to be valid. Today’s offer was a $70 mani-pedi for thirty bucks. Unfortunately, it was miles away from where I live. You can’t register by zip code, so I’m receiving deals that cover the entire suburban sprawl of Los Angeles.

I’m always glad to hear about more cheapo sites, if you want to share.

This is, needless to say, an incredible resource for bargainistas. I’ve gotten everything from Arche sandals to Chantelle bras at lower-than-low prices. It does take a little effort. You have to study the measurements carefully, or better yet, know your size in each label because all brands vary. High-end European labels tend to run small: yet another reason to hate the French.

One neat little trick is to deliberately misspell the item you’re looking for. You’d be surprised at how many sellers list Chanel as Channel, so you can bid on that bag without much competition. I personally wouldn’t wear Chanel since she was a Nazi collaborator, but not everyone is as politically correct as I (sometimes) am.

CRAIG’S LIST

You can find anything on this site, from a one-month sublet to a gently-used coffin. Some of the listings, though, are quite poignant, and I often wonder about the back story.

• “WEDDING GOWN, Cost over $5,000.00. Asking $750. NEVER WORN.”

• “HUGE DIVORCE SALE – FORTY YEAR COLLECTION – EVERYTHING MUST GO”

There’s a lot of human drama going on here.

On Craig’s List, I’ve made contact with some trendy new L. A. Designers who hold private sales of old samples. Linda Loudermilk had one of her artful organic skirts featured in The Devil Wears Prada. I bought a large quantity of clothing (mostly for gifts or resale) so she gave me good prices.

One item I kept for myself was a four-hundred-dollar skirt for which I paid ten bucks. Linda sells to a lot of celebs, so when I wear the skirt, it’s the only time I actually have something in common with Paris Hilton.

CONSIGNMENT SHOPS – SECOND-HAND WITH A FANCY NAME

These profit-making stores sell high-end items in good condition. They don’t want to be confused with lower-end thrift stores, and I get a kick out of the various euphemisms: “designer resale,” “pre-worn,” “gently-used,” etc. My favorite is the Australian “pre-loved.”

Some of these pre-loved boutiques can be pricey, but you’re still saving a bundle. Catwalk, in Los Angeles, specializes in fine designer fashion – like a Chistian Dior floral silk brocade jacket which, two years ago, retailed for $3,500. You can buy it at Catwalk for nine-hundred bucks. A little out of my league, but then again I live in sweatpants.

A resale shop can be a lifesaver in an emergency. Benni is a friend of the great Swedish actor Max Von Sydow. One day Max breezed into town and called to invite us to a formal reception to meet his new French wife. I had three days notice, nothing to wear and the very limited budget of an unemployed free-lance actress/writer.

So I hit Ravishing Resale, my local consignment shop. The glamorous owner, Maruschka, is a friend of mine. (I often consign my yard sale treasures to her.) She had the perfect dress for me: a sexy black beaded cocktail number from Fred Hayman Beverly Hills. I paid $100, which is a lot for a dedicated frugalista like me, but the dress retailed for over $800 and I didn’t have time to shop around.

At the reception, I got to sit with the wonderful old Hollywood star, Roddy McDowell, who complimented me on my outfit. Max’s French bride outdid everyone though, in a fabulous gown by Moschino. I doubt it was “pre-loved.”

SAMPLE SALES

You can find these wherever there is any fashion industry. I search for them on Google, or on Craig’s List. These sales are great if you want brand-new stuff as opposed to pre-worn. I went to one recently and got a $300 Karen Zambos Vintage Couture dress for ten bucks.

RAG HOUSES

These are warehouses for vintage clothing where they sell stuff by the weight. A lot of vintage stores and professional eBayers get their inventory here. I go to one – A & D Wholesale Vintage Clothing – where the price is four bucks a pound. Clearly, this is not the place to buy heavy wool coats, but I picked up a dozen vintage silk Hawaiian shirts for almost nada. Then I brought them on a visit to Denmark and we took a family photo in cold, grey Copenhagen with everyone in these colorful, tropical shirts. It sure as hell brightened up the gloomy day!

There are lots of websites for discount fashion shopping. One is Gilt.com, where they sell high-end designer goodies at huge discounts – more than half off. They’re still not what I would call cheap, but a lot cheaper than full price.

Last week, I scored a shopping bag full of gratis hair products, toiletries, and unused make-up. Then Benni needed to get rid of his computer monitor. I posted a listing, and it was gone within 24 hours, which is a lot better than having to schlep it over to the electronic waste dump.

Freecycle has thousands of local groups representing millions of members. As a result, they are currently keeping over 500 tons a day out of landfills. This amounts to five times the height of Mt. Everest in the past year alone, when stacked in garbage trucks. In spite of the old inspirational song, “Climb Every Mountain,” I say that’s one mountain no one should have to climb.

These are fun to browse, but the prices of professional dealers are usually too high for me. If I do go to a flea market, I try to get there for the last hour. That’s when the vendors are ready to make deals and clear out the inventory. By the way, I often see those same vendors picking through the goods at yard sales. And they can sometimes be a little arrogant.

Quite a while ago, I fell in love with Bakelite jewelry and started buying it cheaply on country weekends. I wandered into a fancy-dancy shop off Madison Avenue and saw that they had duplicates of my pieces, so I offered to sell the owner some of my collection. He sneered at me like I was some kind of filthy rag peddler, “Sorry. I do not buy from the STREET!” I held on to my Bakelite, which is worth a lot more now than it was then. A little while ago, I sold a few pieces to a dealer, who told me that she is a “picker” for that very same shop. I was tempted to include a note, “Regards from the street!”