Archive for March, 2010

80% off Restaurant.com gift certificates

There’s usually a $35 minimum restaurant purchase, but this remains a good deal if you want to get out to dinner. Restaurant.com’s $25 gift certificates are now only $2, and certificates of different values are also 80 percent off. The offer expires March 31. Use promo code ZOO when purchasing.

$10 off Whole World Improv tickets

Whole World Improv regularly offers $5 ticket discounts, but they’ve doubled that with this $10 off ticket offer. Purchase at least two tickets online before 3 p.m. Friday for Friday’s 9 p.m. show or one of Saturday’s shows starting 8 p.m. or 10:30 p.m. Use the promo code SPECIAL when making your purchase to get $10 off per ticket. The discount is not available for walk-up purchases.

68% off Thrashers tickets

The Atlanta Thrashers remain in playoff contention despite a humbling loss to the Bruins earlier this week. To make a run for the postseason, they’ll need the help of fans, which is probably why we’ve seen …

Continue reading 80% off Restaurant.com | $10 off Whole World Improv tix | 68% off Thrashers tickets | Half-off Zpizza »

Let’s face it. Not everyone is caught up in the coupon craze. Knowing you’re not overspending is satisfaction enough for people like C.J. Remboldt. She doesn’t use coupons and never has, she said. But she likes saving, which is why one of the newest businesses in the grocery world has been her shopping companion of choice.

Photo: Joey Ivansco

The Grocery Czar, owned by Marietta’s David McKeone, does the comparison shopping many don’t care to do themselves. The subscriber service compares prices on as many as 80 items, twice a week. The majority of the products are not the circular sale items. Four shoppers armed with the same grocery list head into Publix, Kroger, Walmart and Aldi twice a week. Then, McKeone does a side-by-side comparison on everything from laundry detergent and trash bags to skinless chicken breast and tomatoes.

The findings might look like this: The same brand of a 5-pound bag of red potatoes one week this month was $3.99 at Publix, $2.47 …

Continue reading New price comparison grocery service saving shoppers hundreds »

IRS extends Offers in Compromise

The Internal Revenue Service has built in more flexibility to work with tax payers who are unable to currently pay their full tax obligation. The Offers in Compromise allows the tax payer to settle the debt for less than the full amount owed. This year, however, the compromise is not only based on past income, but on current and potential income as well. That gives the IRS more room to work with the recently unemployed or those with economic struggles.

Additionally, the IRS is hosting a series of Saturday Open Houses beginning March 27 to give tax payers an opportunity to work directly with IRS employees to address issues and ask questions about the tax credits available to them. This online tax center provides help for the unemployed.

Free Tax Advice Thursday

There are 300 tax law changes in effect this season. If you have questions, you’re probably not alone. H&R Block will provide free tax advice for 24 hours on Thursday, March 25. More …

Continue reading IRS extends Offers in Compromise | Free tax help from IRS, H&R Block and Turbo Tax | Win $3,000 in Jackson Hewitt contest »

Since I launched this blog months ago, the stories of despair have only grown.

Perhaps it’s simply that more are willing to share their experiences. Or maybe things are really getting even tougher. No matter the case, it is very clear that thousands of people in metro Atlanta are trying to live on less.

Unemployment has run folks over. And for those still standing, taking a 50 percent paycut or more has been disheartening.

Rather than place blame on credit card companies, mortgage lenders, the government, the economy or even our employer, I’m more interested in hearing from you about how you’re living on less.

What adjustments have you made in order to make ends meet? Do you have a roommate? Have you moved back in with your parents? Have you put off retirement, taken a second job, opted for public transportation over your own vehicle?

What real-life examples can you give about making a go of it when you’re salary has gone way down?

Follow me on Twitter @atlbargains or on

Continue reading How do you live on less? »

Free Tax Advice Thursday

There are 300 tax law changes in effect this season. If you have questions, you’re probably not alone. H&R Block will provide free tax advice for 24 hours on Thursday, March 25. More than 50 tax experts will be on hand to answer questions when you call 1-866-HRBLOCK (1-866-472-5625). You can also have questions answered via email at taxtalk@hrhelp.com. You can also submit questions online at http://getitrighthrblock.com or via their iPhone with the H&R Block Tax Answers application.

Free help from Turbo Tax

If you’re a Twitter user, there’s another way to get free tax help as well, this time from Turbo Tax. You can tweet a question to @TeamTurboTax and get free answers from a team of Turbo Tax product experts. The service began Feb. 1.

Enter tax refund contest to win $3,000

Want to double your tax benefit? Jackson Hewitt tax services is offering an opportunity to do that. The average tax refund crept over $3,000 for 2009, according to numbers released …

Continue reading Free tax help Thursday | 66% off Lookingglass Alice | Braves Opening Day discount | Plus, food deals »

Here’s your Spring Break guide to popular Atlanta area attractions where you can get discounts and save money on the kiddies while they’re out of school. Some might require that you visit the attraction by April 4, therefore kicking off the off-week with a bit of fun.

Photo credit: Six Flags Over Georgia

Six Flags Discount

What kid wouldn’t want to go to Six Flags Over Georgia during Spring Break? The problem is that it can get a little pricey, but here’s one way to save. I found this coupon on the Stride Gum Facebook page. Present this coupon at any participating Six Flags theme parks and get one general admission ticket for the price of a child’s ticket. Take note that you can’t print the coupon directly from Facebook; instead, copy and paste the web link it gives you, then print out the coupon. The offer is valid through Oct. 11.

BOGO Value Pass at Fernbank

The Fernbank Museum has two ways to save during Spring Break. Right now you can save $10 on the purchase of two …

Continue reading Save with these Spring Break specials at Atlanta area attractions »

Tiger Woods speaks at a 2009 Masters press conference. Photo: AP

Tiger Woods was spotted on Monday by the Golf Channel gearing up for the Masters at Augusta National. Since Woods announced last week that he’ll play in the tournament, his first since the sordid sex scandal sent sports’ biggest star scampering for hiding, already high interest in The Masters has risen.

So has demand for the coveted Masters badges. If you want to get a glimpse of Tiger on the course, be prepared to pay on the secondary ticket market. However, you can save a mint by opting to see a practice round, or Thursday and Friday rounds. After all, who knows if Woods will even make the cut?

But prices for seven-day badges are lower this year than they were just two years ago. If you want to walk the hallowed grounds of Augusta National, you’re likely to do it for less now than in recent years, says SmartMoney.com.

Even factoring in the 30 percent “Tiger effect” increase, seven-day Masters badges are …

Continue reading Even with Tiger, Masters badges at Augusta National cheaper than recent years »

Elaine Otterbourg checks out a smoker. Knowing what to buy when can save you a lot of money. Photo credit: Bita Honarvar

Off-season purchases have always been the way savvy consumers have saved the most money. Buy summertime clothes in August. As the weather warms, swoop in for discounts on winter wear.

Here’s the exception: When retailers are eager to boost sales to meet quarterly and annual goals, shoppers benefit, regardless of the season. That’s the case right now as Atlanta-based home-improvement retailer Home Depot charges toward what it hopes will be a 2.5 percent sales growth in 2010. Traditionally, September — the back end of summer — has been the best time to purchase grills and landscaping plants. Surely, there will continue to be deals on those items in the fall when demand drops.

Still, Home Depot’s latest promotion proves that striking while the iron is hot is as advantageous for shoppers as eying the calendar. For four days, the store launched a Black …

Continue reading Knowing when to make purchases could spell significant savings »

Free Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake

Complete this Domino’s pizza survey to get a coupon code for a free Chocolate Lava Crunch Cake when you place a delivery order online. I found this offer on dealnews.com, which offers the best prices of the day on practically everything.

Free Cone Day

This is a reminder that Tuesday, March 23, is Free Cone Day at participating Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shops. The freebie is from noon to 8 p.m.

Free Starbucks Pastry Day

March 23 is  Free Pastry Day at Starbucks. Purchase any drink from Starbucks and choose from a wide variety of pastries ranging from scones to muffins, bagels to danishes. You’ll need to present this coupon on your mobile or printed out, and take advantage of the offer between opening and 10:30 a.m.

Fave Deal of the Day

This is my personal favorite today from the deal sites. Repast, one of Atlanta’s premier restaurants, has become more accessible for those watching their bucks, thanks to this offer on My Daily Thread. For $25, …

Continue reading Freebies: Chocolate Lava Cake | Ben & Jerry’s | Starbucks pastry | Fave Deal of the Day »

Free recital by pianist Simone Dinnerstein

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein will perform a free one-hour recital on March 31 to benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank for Orchestras Feeding America. Admission is free with a donation of non-perishable food items.  The event begins at 7 p.m. at the Woodruff Arts Centre. Attendees will also receive a 10 percent off ticket voucher to one of Dinnerstein’s upcoming concerts with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on April 1 and April 3. There, the food drive, which includes 160 orchestras in every state, will continue.

$10 “Black Pearl Sings” preview tickets

“Black Pearl Sings” plays at the Horizon Theatre March 26 through April 25. It tells the story of Susannah, who travels the country recording lost traditional songs. When she finds Pearl in a Texas prison, she discovers dozens of musical treasures rooted in the African tradition. Pearl must decide whether to give away her ancestors’ songs for a chance at her own freedom. Preview tickets …

Continue reading Discount on “Lookingglass Alice” | $10 tix for “Black Pearl Sings” | Free piano recital, plus ASO discount | Save on “Grease” »