Archive for June, 2010

Deals of the Day:

HalfOffBuys.com: $60 for a signature hot towel manicure and pedicure, plus an aromatherapy facial from Sol Oasis. Value: $130. You have five more days to make this purchase.

HalfOffDepot.com: $35 for 2-hour crash course at monica B. Photography. You can choose from five different courses, including Digital 101, Flash, Travel, Editing and Creative Photography. Value: $75. The deal is valid until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 23 and classes begin June 26.

HalfOffDepot.com (side deal): $95 for a kids four-week workshop. The classes are designed for children ages 8-10 and 11-13. Value: $200. It expires April 1, 2011.

LivingSocial.com: $10 for dinner and drinks at Hearth Pizza Tavern. Value: $20. Toppings include unique offerings like shitake mushrooms, shrimp, chorizo salami, and butternut squash. The restaurant is located on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs.

MyDailyThread.com: $20 for dinner and drinks and Serpas. Value: $45. When 150 people make this purchase, …

Continue reading Top Atlanta (and beyond) deals: Spa | Sushi | Photography classes | Pizza | and more… »

Maria Thacker doesn’t consider herself a yard sale pro. Still, she is savvy enough to pull in big bucks when she hosts a sales event from her Atlanta area home. On her first two tries, she raked in about $500 and expected no less the third time around this past weekend.

AJC file photo

She grew up going to weekend sales with her mother and as an adult, has shopped her way to some good finds, like a $100 dining room table and chairs set. When her turn came around, she was well prepared. That, said Laura Leist, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers and founder of Eliminate Chaos, is key to any yard sale success.

“If you have a well organized yard sale, you’ll probably have a better chance of selling your stuff,” Leist told Bankrate.com.

Having quality items doesn’t hurt, either. Just a week ago, I bought a name brand sweatsuit for the winter for 50 cents and a fleece sweatshirt for 25 cents. That doesn’t compare to what Deanna Mingo found at …

Continue reading How to have the ultimate yard sale »

How’s this for a news flash: Dora the Explorer gummy bears obviously taste better than the same gummy bears in plain packaging.

A recent study conducted by researchers at Yale University found that kids between the ages of 4 and 6 think that foods in cartoon-decorated packages taste better. Only 40 children participated in the survey, but I suspect that the results would not have differed if thousands had taken part. The study used Shrek, Dora and Scooby Doo on packaging. Here’s a sample from the findings, as described on ABC News.

Eighty-five percent of the children in the study opted for the cartoon-decorated graham crackers over the plain-wrapped ones when presented with a choice of snack; 55 percent of them said the cartoon-decorated crackers actually tasted better. For gummy snacks, 85 percent chose the cartoon package over the plain one for a snack and 52 percent of the children thought the snacks in a cartoon-decorated package tasted better.

But researchers were …

Continue reading Do your kids force you to spend more than you want to? »

Free bowling for kids at 300 Atlanta

Are you already tired of hearing your kids complain about how hot it is, preferring to stay in the air conditioner instead of playing outside? Well, here’s a compromise: bowling. Now through Sept. 7, kids 12 and under can join 300 Atlanta Summer Kids Club for free. With that comes one free game and free shoe rental every Sunday through Friday before 4 p.m. 300 Atlanta is located at 2175 Savoy Drive, Atlanta.

Save 80 percent at Restaurant.com

Get $25 Restaurant.com gift certificates for $2 using promo code SUMMER through June 24.

Free tea at LeMadeline

It’s the first day of summer and quite naturally, thoughts go to sweet tea and lemonade. For today only, iced tea — including the mango tea — is free today at LeMadeline.

Follow me on Twitter @atlbargains or on Facebook at AJC Atlanta Bargain Hunter

Continue reading Free bowling for kids | Save 80% at Restaurant.com | Free tea at Le Madeline »

Today’s top deals:

Groupon.com: $35 for a year-long family membership to the Center of Puppetry Arts. Value: $75. Once you purchase this deal, the membership must be activated by July 22 and is valid for one year. Benefits include free admission, priority seating and more.

Halfoffdepot.com: $2,400 for a complete Lasik procedure at Woolfson Eye Institute. Value: $5,000. Once you purchase, this deal expires Oct. 15.

LivingSocial.com: $40 for three one-hour class at Absolute Body Symmetry. Value: $135. This deal includes three one-hour classes featuring salsa, pole dancing and Burlesque. All classes must be redeemed by the same person and the deal expires Dec. 21.

MyDailyThread.com: $20 for dinner and drinks and Serpas. Value: $45. When 150 people make this purchase, everyone gets a free appetizer on their next visit (Tuesday through Thursday).

Scoutmob.com: 50 percent off at TAP. The deal expires Sept. 21, and there is a maximum discount of $20.

For more deals, see:

The Green …

Continue reading Check out Atlanta’s hottest deals: Save big with these discounts and bargains »

Best of the weekend’s grocery store deals: From the Living As Mom blog. This blogger, Tiffany Dockery, is based in metro Atlanta.  Today she gives us  some of the best Publix deals and coupon match-ups through June 24.

Here are a few things to keep in mind for newbies shopping at Publix:

• You may combine store coupons with manufacture coupons
• Some will accept competitors coupons (also can be stacked with manufacture q’s
• Most will double coupons up to .50 cents
• BOGO at most store means half off (you do not have to buy 2)

Here’s a snapshot of some of the deals you’ll find through June 26 at CVS and Walgreens, based on the Coupon Mom blog authored by Marietta resident Stephanie Nelson. Click on the blog to find printable coupons and other helpful grocery store shopping information.

Preview of CVS Good Deals 6/20-6/26

Colgate Total Advanced or Enamel Strength Toothpaste 4 oz–FREE– after $2 Extra Bucks Reward and 6/6 S cpn–limit 1 reward—Charity!!!
Gillette Fusion ProGlide …

Continue reading Deals of the week and coupon-shopping at Publix, Kroger, CVS and Walgreens »

Beat the Heat Zoo Atlanta deal

There’s never a dull day at Zoo Atlanta. But there are hot ones. You can beat the heat — and save some money — by taking advantage of the Zoo’s Beat The Heat promotion. Through June 27 on Saturdays and Sundays, you can take $5 off your individual ticket purchase if you arrive before 10:30 a.m. Just mention the promotion at the box office to save. For a family of four, that’s $20 off admission. Also, remember that Fulton County residents with a library card can use a once-a-year free pass for admission. The pass is good for two adults and up to four children ages 18 and under.

BOGO  Bodies The Exhibition and Dialog in the Dark

This weekend only, June 19-20, there’s a buy one, get one free deal for Bodies…The Exhibition and Dialog in the Dark at Atlantic Station. If you buy a child’s ticket for $16 to either exhibit, you get an adult admission for free. The child (age 12 and under) must be present in order for you to redeem the special.

Free …

Continue reading Zoo Atlanta deal | BOGO Bodies The Exhibition and Dialog in the Dark | Father’s Day freebie »

Results of a Capital One survey released today found that nearly 45 percent of all high school seniors polled say they are unsure or unprepared to manage their own banking and personal finances. However, of those who have taken a personal finance class — 30 percent of the sample — 75 percent said they feel prepared to manage their finances.

Outside of the classroom, students exposed to financial literacy at home are overwhelmingly more confident with money matters than their peers who do not learn about money in the home. One out of five students, 20 percent, polled say they talk to their parents about money management and personal finance issues “frequently,” while 45 percent said they sometimes ask questions and 34 percent said they never talk to their parents about money, or do so only when necessary. Of those who do so frequently, 71 percent rate themselves as “highly” or “very” knowledgeable about personal finance and 81 percent feel prepared to manage their own finances …

Continue reading Nearly half of high school seniors lack confidence in money matters »

Nick Manos is not a carbon copy of his father, Theater of the Stars longtime producer, Chris Manos. Born during the Great Depression, the elder Manos watches every penny.

“He’s always aware of where he spends his money and others don’t spend his money for him,” said Nick Manos, president of the theatre company. “He opens the mail as it comes in. He reviews the bills after they’re put together. He signs the checks personally after the bills have been approved. I grew up in the 1960s; not all of those lessons connected.”

Fitz Johnson launched the Atlanta Beat. Photo credit: Brant Sanderlin, AJC

Enough of them did, though, that Nick Manos’ success resembles that of his father’s. Fitz Johnson’s financial perspective mirrors that of his dad’s also. Both are gutsy men, sometimes making unpopular choices with hopes of a major reward. Walter F. Johnson is a retired Army general who did not get into the defensive contracting business until he was 55. By the time his son, …

Continue reading Like father, like son: What two successful businessmen learned from Dad »

For any number of reasons, people find themselves unable to make their car payments. The repo man is no one’s friend, at least not during his working hours. They are big, bad, mean and scary. But, they’re just doing their job. When you don’t pay your lender, they show up, sometimes at all hours of the night.

Richard Grosvenor gathers information before repossessing a car. AJC file photo

Here are three ways to avoid having your car repossessed, based on the PTMoney.com blog. For full details on each, click on the above link. Here’s a snapshot:

1. Call Your Lender – Get on the phone with the company that lent you the money for the car and talk to them about your situation. They should be open to working with you and keeping your business. They don’t want a charge-off.

2. Consider a Refinance – If you’re past that point, consider asking your lender about a refinance. Yes, you can refinance a car loan. By extending the term, you could potentially lower your payment to …

Continue reading Keeping the repo man away: What to do when you fall behind on car payments »