I thought I’d share a few money-saving sites I’ve discovered in the past few months. Naturally, they are all free to join.
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 The only flaw is that they are not quick enough to take down outdated ads, so that when I asked for Sunday sales on February 26th, I got some listings from February 21st.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.
• OPENTABLE.COM is free to join, and I often use it to make reservations. It’s faster than calling, plus there’s a savings plan. Each reservation gives you one hundred points. When you reach two thousand, you get a twenty-dollar credit. I like the idea of earning money while I eat!
• There’s also RESTAURANT.COM where you pay ten bucks for a twenty-five dollar restaurant voucher. I got so excited the day I joined that I ordered ten vouchers immediately. The following week they went on sale for half-price, and then two weeks after that they were down to two bucks. They keep repeating the same cycle, so I’ve learned to wait for the cheapest offering. Someone is paying me twenty-three dollars to eat out. That’s a deal no frugalista could resista.
• CHOWHOUND.COM is another great site, where foodies swap info on cheap eats all over the world. We used it when visiting Palm Springs, where we found a terrific Thai place.
OENOPHILE
Restaurants make more money on wine than food, so that bottle of Cab-Sav is way overpriced. I have a lawyer friend who actually has the guts to say, “I’ll have your second cheapest bottle of Chardonnay.” Note the choice of “second cheapest” rather than “cheapest.” Classy!
I often call ahead to ask the restaurant’s corkage fee. That’s what they charge if you bring your own bottle. If the fee is fifteen dollars or under, it’s a good deal: fancier places charge thirty bucks. Word to the wise: the waiter will look at your bottle and comment on the choice, so avoid embarrassment and leave the Thunderbird at home.
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