Archive for August, 2009

Twitter find of the day: Thanks to @favthingsATL on Twitter for this great deal — free sushi on Thursday at Atlanta’s premiere sushi restaurant, MF Buckhead. From 8-9 p.m., get free Shrimp Tempura, Spicy Tuna and Nigiri appetizers.

That precedes a sake tasting, with an expert walking patrons through the nuances of sake. Following the toast is a tasting of five sakes for $15. Specialty Japanese cocktails are $5 as well.

For the free sushi tasting tonight at MF Sushi, RSVP using this address: raw@mfbuckhead.com

If you stay for dinner, you’ll get 10 percent off your meal.

MF Buckhead is located at 3280 Peachtree St. in the Terminus building.

Follow me on Twitter @atlbargains

Have a deal or story idea? Email rcash@ajc.com

Continue reading Free sushi at MF Buckhead »

Deep Discount at The Atlanta History Center

The Atlanta History Center is one of the Southeast’s largest history museums. It has award-winning exhibitions, and houses a wealth of cultural and educational features. Yet, I’ve not gone. It’s on my to-do list, and this deal makes it even more appealing. A family of four — two adults and up to four children between the ages of 4-12 — can visit for only $19.99, shockingly below the regular $75 admission fee for the same number of people. Children 3 and under are free. You’ll need to purchase your ticket here. Don’t be confused by the clunky language on the Web site. I stumbled through it as well, but called the Atlanta History Center to clarify.

Discounted tickets for 7 Stages’ HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical

First, the fact that this show will feature a number of local bands and musicians caught my attention. Then the price. The preview show for HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical at 8 p.m. Sept. 11 is $10. …

Continue reading Deep discounts: Atlanta History Center | 7 Stages | Free college fair »

Why pay someone to do something you can do yourself? That’s the question a lot of people are asking themselves. One answer might be that it’s too hard to do it on your own. But in a lot of cases, that’s not true. Every week, we bring you D.I.Y. tips to help you save a little — or a lot of — money.

Follow these step by step tips on How to Paint from Home Depot’s Carl Koebbe:

1. Start with color. What can be worse than having to live with colors on your wall that you can’t stand. Too bright? Too dull? Wrong shade? Just…wrong! There are thousands of colors to choose from. Help yourself by buying 8-ounce sample cans for about $2.50. Put it on the wall in a small area and then give yourself several days to see if you like it. Be sure to check it out under different lighting, and at different times of the day.

2. How much? Seems obvious, right? Koebbe says most people over-buy, and then find themselves trying to figure out what to do with the leftover paint. You can use a paint …

Continue reading DIY: 10 steps to a successful home paint job »

Identity theft is among the most potentially financially crippling crimes in the country. It is rampant here in Georgia, including here in metro Atlanta. Georgia ranks seventh in the nation in reported cases, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The estimated financial impact is $500 per victim.

It is no surprise that an Atlanta-wide coalition of civic groups and local government officials have initiated a public awareness program to combat identity theft here. The campaign is being led by the Atlanta Victim Assistance’s Project SAFE program and is being funded through a U.S. Justice Department grant.

There are steps consumers can take to help protect themselves, including using a credit card instead of a debit card, according to the Wallet Blog’s report on the topic.

In short, money stolen from your checking account with a debit card can send your finances quickly spiraling with bounced checks. With a credit card, there is more time to recoup the losses and …

Continue reading Is it safer to use a credit card or a debit card? »

There’s cheap. There’s free. And then there’s value, which is what you’ll get with a $40 all-access pass to the Atlanta Underground Film Festival Aug. 26-30. The ticket includes access to scheduled events for the AUFF, DocuFest (Aug. 26-30) and Animation Attack! (Aug. 26-27 and 29-30). With individual tickets $8, this is a steal for anyone interested in seeing as many independent films as they can in the five-day window. The events, featuring more than 100 films, will be held throughout the city at eight different venues. That’s a lot of short films, documentaries and full-length indie films for off-the-commercial-path movie buffs.

For a deeper dive, be sure to take part in a new addition to the film festival, a series of free discussions over cocktails with the film directors. They are being held at 9 p.m., Thursday through Saturday at The Studio Bar at The Artmore Hotel, 1302 W. Peachtree St. Read more about the films here.

Last day for Arby’s Summer Giveaways

Wednesday is …

Continue reading Fast cars and free pizza | Free Arby’s | Value Indie Film Fest »

Tiffany Dockery was a casual coupon shopper at best. She clipped when it was convenient, and had no real savings strategy when it came to grocery shopping.

“I found broke before I found frugal,” said Dockery, a Grayson resident and author of the Living as Mom blog.

Starting a family changed that. As daily expenses mounted with the birth of the first of her two children, Dockery buckled down, becoming a champion at paying basement prices on even the most popular items. The budget loosened a bit after her husband’s pay structure changed, but by then, Dockery was all-in. She rarely pays full price for anything in the grocery aisles, and she regularly beats the sales prices, too.

Her enthusiasm — she’s now saving 60 percent off what used to be a $189 a week grocery bill — blossomed into a blog.

“I started the blog just to show my family and friends,” she said. “It started out as a joke, but it grew and became bigger than anything I would have imagined.”

As Labor Day weekend …

Continue reading Can you feed 10 people on $40? Like this, you can »

What do fish and football have in common? Well, nothing much, unless you’re a Miami Dolphins fan or you’re attending the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic next weekend. As part of the festivities surrounding the Sept. 5 game between Alabama and Virginia Tech at the Georgia Dome, you can get into the Georgia Aquarium the night before, on Sept. 4, for Fan Night from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. for $17 (regular price is $26). You don’t need a game ticket to get the discount, but do expect to buddy up with lots of Alabama and Virginia Tech fans while you’re there. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Free Appetizer @ Longhorn’s

Atlanta on the Cheap posted a pretty good deal today for a free appetizer with an entree’ purchase at Longhorn Steak House. Here’s the coupon:Longhorn Steakhouse

Follow me on Twitter @atlbargains

Story idea or deal? Email rcash@ajc.com

Continue reading Can’t-beat Georgia Aquarium ticket deal | Freebie at Longhorn »

Eat More Chicken

I’ve heard of the Funky Chicken, but I’ve never heard of the Chicken Wave. If you’re new to this concept, too, don’t worry about it. All you need is a craving for a free Chick-fil-A sandwich, a little patience. You have two options for a free sandwich. I told you last week about the Sept. 7 promotion. On that day, wear your favorite team’s sports logo to participating restaurants and get a free original chicken sandwich. Or you can join the wave: Click here, and follow the instructions. The first 250,000 to sign up will get a free sandwich, and be registered for a daily drawing for a $50 gift card. It takes a few minutes to get through the registration process, but if you love these sandwiches, it could be worth it.

Old or new, it’s still good

Just put a call into Starbucks. They tell me this isn’t new, but since I’m just learning about it, I thought I’d tell you too. You can get a free coffee on your birthday! All of you have to do is register for Starbucks …

Continue reading Yep, another free Chick-fil-A sandwich »

With Labor Day weekend approaching, families will hit the road for a weekend of travel to close the summer. They’ll return for the holidays, but these cost-savings tips for rental cars will remain the same.

Do your research. Comparison shopping can take some time, but it’s usually worth the money. Check with the rental car companies’ websites directly, as well as online travel sites.

Look for special weekly and weekend rates.

Use additional discounts offered by AAA, AARP and others.

Return your car on time.

Before agreeing to additional insurance coverage, check to see if your own car insurance covers rentals. Your credit card company may also provide insurance if you book and pay for the rental using its card. Be sure to ask about both options before paying for insurance.

Return the car with the gas tank fuel to avoid exorbitant refueling charges.

Check with the rental car company about its policy for additional drivers. If you’re a married couple, both parties are often …

Continue reading How to save on car rentals »

Atlanta Journal-Constitution business reporter Michael E. Kanell reported this morning that 493,748 unemployed Georgians were looking for work in July, up 64 percent a year ago, according to state Labor Department estimates.

Job fairs are popular these days. You can save money on your job search. Photo: Elissa Eubanks

While there are reports the economy is slowly recovering, the story here in Georgia remains unnerving. The unemployment rate went up to 10.3 percent, nearly a full percentage point above the national level. That means a lot of people are standing in long lines at job fairs, driving countless miles across the metro area seeking employment and spending money on interview clothes, photocopies of resumes, gas and more.

Looking for a job is tough emotionally, and can be a challenge financially as well. The phrase it takes money to make money is true. With that, here are 7 tips to help you save money while you’re job hunting. This won’t ensure employment, but at least …

Continue reading 7 tips to save money while job hunting + free resume’ copies »