LA Decostified

We've moved!

2009-05-06T02:54:00.000-07:00

LA Decostified is switching from Blogger to WordPress! We apologize for the inconvenience but we hope it will help us make the site easier to navigate and more exciting. You can still find us at www.ladecostified.com

(if you are getting this message, you are viewing the blog through: ladecostified.blogspot.com)

Feel free to email us if you have any issues with the change. Thanks for reading!

Happy Beverage Day

2009-05-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is National Beverage Day - betcha' didn't know that, huh? Who makes up these special occasions? Sometimes we wonder if these special "days" are just made up by companies as an excuse to promote a product. We're okay with that though.

In celebration of this glorious day, Arby's is offering Free Iced FruiTeas all day on May 6th (tomorrow)! You can choose from four flavors - Passion Fruit, Mandarin Peach, Diet Peach, or Diet Blackberry. There is a tiny catch in order to get the free beverage...

They want you to say, "I'm parched. FruiTea Me!" when you go up to the register. We're not kidding.

Get Some KFC, Oprah's Treat...

2009-05-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

Oprah has teamed up with KFC to offer a FREE grilled chicken meal coupon! The coupon entitles you to 2 pieces of KFC grilled chicken, 2 side orders, and a biscuit at any participating location.

You must download the coupon before 7:59pm (PDT) on May 6th. Once you download it, you have until May 19th to actually redeem it. According to the Oprah site, you should be able to download the coupon 4 times (per computer)!! That is a lot of chicken. More information and download instructions can be found here.

Might not be a bad idea to get in touch with your vegetarian friends and ask to use their computer too...

Thanks K.C.!

Need a Boost?

2009-05-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

We're giving you two opportunities to get free coffee this week!

May 5th or May 6th: Free Cup of Seattle's Best Coffee at Borders

Visit link, print coupon, visit store, order coffee, get caffeinated!

May 7th: Free Iced Coffee From 4pm - 7pm at The Coffee Bean

Perfect for a mid-day boost. And what's more, Coffee Bean will be donating $0.25 for each cup of iced coffee given away. Donations will go to Big Sunday, a non-profit that mobilizes volunteers to help make their communities stronger, happier, and healthier!

Thank you to the many readers who contacted us about both of these coffee giveaways. Keep 'em coming!

More Resumes than You'll Ever Know What To Do With...

2009-05-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

Looks like the office supply chain store wars are getting even more heated - and we all get to reap the benefits!! We just found out that Staples has launched a campaign too, a Career Stimulus Program. As part of the program, Staples is offering customers 20 free resume copies AND 40 free business cards! They have also launched a special section of their website for the program, that offers job hunting & resume writing tips! The offer lasts until June 13th.

Be careful if you're an office supply impulse shopper like me and tend to buy unnecessary pens, highlighters and post-its. Wait until you get a real job and then take their supplies!

Free Resume Printing & Faxing in May

2009-05-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

Office Depot is helping you "take care of business" (and get a job) by offering customers 25 FREE resume copies and FREE resume faxing until May 30th. Perhaps they're trying to out do Fed-Ex Kinkos, who offered 25 free resume copies to customers a couple months ago, but only for one day. We're okay with this little competition.

Visit your nearest Office Depot between now and May 30th to take advantage of the offer...or more than one location to really take advantage.

She wasn't even hiring.

Thanks Resume Donkey!

Did you miss out?

2009-05-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

We had a great time attending Unique Los Angeles this weekend! If you missed out on the action, check out photos of some of our favorite pieces and booths here.

PBR would be better as a plant.

Winners n' Twitters n' Facebook, Oh My!

2009-05-03T21:25:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Drew C. from Burbank, winner of our latest giveaway. Drew will be receiving a copy of the DVD Milk. Thanks to everyone who entered!

We have acquired a few really great prizes to give out in the coming weeks, so keep reading for your chance to win! Also, make sure to follow us on twitter or join our facebook group for updates on new posts, contests, and last-minute freebies/events that don't make the blog!!

Drop and Give Me 20!

2009-05-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

Monday May 4th Morning Crunch is going to be holding a free session of their fitness Boot Camp! All you have to do is RSVP by tonight at 7pm. Check out their website for more details and to find your nearest boot camp!

Free Comics and Pomegranate Juice

2009-05-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

We have a few late additions to our Weekend Fun guide...

Free Comic Book Day is this Saturday (tomorrow)! Take a stroll down to your local comic book shop where they'll be handing out free comic books all day. Each store will have different choices, deals, and rules so make sure you find out what they are and don't just walk in, grab a comic and leave. It's frowned upon. You can find a participating store on the website.

The Santa Monica Classic (benefitting Heal the Bay) will take place on the Santa Monica Pier this Sunday morning. POM Wonderful is running a sampling, at which I (Danit) will be working! If you're up early on Sunday, make your way to the pier for some delicious POM juice, amongst other festivities. Additionally, you'll receive a coupon for a free bottle of POM if you get your picture taken with me (the "POMbassador") at the event and post it to your facebook/twitter/blog! For more info. on the event, visit the POM Blog. Hope to see you out there on Sunday!

Weekend Fun 5/1-5/3

2009-05-01T00:36:00.000-07:00

Friday:

Giveaway Deadline: The MILK giveaway ends tonight at 11:59 pm so if you've been putting it off now's the time to email in your suggestions!

Cost: FREE

Hands On 3rd Grand Opening: This is a new workshop where you can learn everything your grandmother never taught you! Whether you're looking to crochet yourself a new garment or you're planning on becoming a championship framer Hands On 3rd has classes to get you off on the right foot to achieve your dreams and say "screw you, grandma, I'll make my own damn scarf!". They're having an open bar grand opening party from 6pm-9pm.

Cost: FREE

First Fridays at the Museum of Natural History: Have you ever wanted to party with Charles Darwin? Well now you can!.. kind of. For those of you interested in learning from the past, the LA country Museum of Natural History is celebrating the life and times of Charles Darwin with 3 bars, 2 bands, 2 DJ's, and a discussion with Paleoanthropologist Dr. Donald C. Johansen. The festivities start at 5:30pm. Make your high school science teacher proud!

Cost: Adult $9, Student (w/ ID) $6.50, Members FREE

Saturday:

Free Yoga & Pilates Classes: In honor of "Pilates Day", The Pilates Body (1460 Granview Ave. Glendale) is offering three FREE one-hour classes! The event runs from 12pm to 4pm, but make sure to visit their website for a more detailed schedule of classes. The studio will also be serving snacks/refreshments and holding a raffle for free prizes. If you plan to attend, make sure to RSVP soon as we're sure this event will be popular!
Cost: FREE

Free Frozen Yogurt at Red Mango: Visit your local Red Mango between 12pm-4pm to try their new flavor, Tangomonium, w/ one topping!

Cost: FREE

All Weekend:

Unique Los Angeles: This two day shopping extravaganza hosts over 275 local designers, artists, and merchants selling their wares at great prices. Whether you like to stimulate your local economy or you just want some really cool artwork for your mom (hint: Mother's day is next weekend), Unique LA is the place for you! And if supporting local artists didn't make you feel good about yourself, half of your admission goes to support local charities. The event runs Saturday from 11am-7pm and Sunday 11am-5pm.

Cost: $5

Spring Stroll on West 3rd: Celebrate the coming of springtime with a leisurely stroll down 3rd st. between Fairfax and La Cienega complete with in-store events, special sales, and refreshments to enjoy along the way! Well you'll find all of this at the Spring Stroll on West 3rd event going on this weekend.

Cost: FREE (unless you decide to buy things, of course)

Big Sunday: The name may be a little deceiving but this weekend is Big

Sunday, the largest regional service event in America. With a staggering 545 different service projects ranging from maintaining hiking trails to getting your nails done for charity, there really is something for everyone! So if you've ever wanted to get into volunteering this weekend seems like a pretty good time to do it!

Cost: Free

LaidOffCamp Los Angeles

2009-04-30T23:16:00.000-07:00

We can't believe we just now found out about this event, as it's happening tomorrow afternoon. But decided to post about it because it sounds like an amazing opportunity for the unemployed crowd!

"Enterprising individuals in professional transition will have a unique opportunity to gain perspective, discover new passions, and reinvent their careers at LaidOffCamp LA. The format features an open, participatory discussion forum designed to educate, empower, and connect community members. Panels, workshops, and discussions will include topics such as: building your personal brand, transitioning to a new industry, legal & accounting demands of launching a new business, finding affordable health insurance, alternative working spaces, alternative income sources, and how to become a freelancer."

Friday, May 1st

Location: BlankSpaces (5405 Wilshire Blvd.)

Hours: 1pm-6pm

More info & RSVP here

We are dropping all our plans for tomorrow and attending, so please join us for some of the sessions if you're free! Make sure to RSVP (tickets are free to the unemployed and pay-as-you-wish for the employed).

A few reminders...

2009-04-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Free Carvel Icebergs from 3pm to 7pm today!

Dine Out for Life tonight and 25% of your bill will be donated to Project Angel Food.

ENTER OUR GIVEAWAY, deadline is Friday at 11:59pm.

... seriously guys, our readership is higher than ever and the number of submissions is lower than ever! We put this giveaway up because we really want to get your feedback on what you like and what you don't like about LA Decostified. So even if you don't really care about Sean Penn, or Milk, please email us your suggestions!

Getting the Most of Your Gas Mileage...

2009-04-30T00:39:00.000-07:00

Although it is exciting that gas prices are well under $3, we still value getting good gas mileage and making the most out of each fill up! We've done some research and compiled a short list of simple gas saving tips - small changes that could make a big difference. Additionally, we've included a list of very useful websites that could help you in your quest to make your gas tank last!

LA Decostified's Top 5 Gas Saving Tips:

1. Slow Down: Gas mileage decreases rapidly once you exceed 60mph. In fact, every 5mph you drive over 60 costs you roughly an additional $0.24 a gallon for gas. Ideally, when not on the highway, you should try to keep to a steady 40 mph to get the best gas mileage.

2. Stick to the Main Road: Avoid rough roads whenever possible. Dirt and gravel can rob you of up to 30% of your gas mileage (and it could make you kind of nauseous too... which is never fun)!

3. Air Conditioner vs. Open Windows: At lower speeds, you're better off opening the windows to cool down. At higher speeds, open windows (and a sunroof) will just cause wind resistance and make it harder on your car- using up more gas. So unless it's 90

degrees out... the general rule is windows down at low speeds and A/C on at high speeds! We found one Consumer Reports article that said this didn't make a measurable difference, but there were so many sites that said it did so we decided to leave this in.

4. Avoid Idling: This one is huge. It's important to turn your engine off if you anticipate being idle for a minute or longer. By turning your engine off every time you're idling, you'll be making a small change that'll make a big difference in your fuel economy!

5. Drive Smoothly: Hard acceleration and braking is a major gas killer, and it's also really bad for your brakes & engine (take it from the girl whose parents own a "Brake World"). This one is harder than it sounds, as stop-n-go LA traffic makes it nearly impossible. But try to make those stops as smooth as possible and you'll be saving about 3 mpg (depending on your car).

For a more extensive lists of tips and stats, check out this article.

Handy Websites:

Gas Buddy - We've raved about this one in the past...our favorite gas price comparison website. Simply type in your zip code and a lovely list of your local stations and updated prices will come up.

Cost To Drive - Cost To Drive lets you input your trip and type of car and gives you an accurate estimate of how much your trip is costing you! Especially useful if you're trying to decide between public transport or driving, and even more useful when planning road trips!

E-Ride Share - This site is great if you are looking for carpool buddies! They help you find anything from people who work in your area, to people who want to carpool to the grocery store. Carpooling will save you money, make your trip more interesting, and let you drive down that coveted HOV lane on the 405!

Go Loco - The Facebook of carpooling sites! Go Loco helps you connect with friends and friends of friends to share trips. You get to create a profile about your likes and dislikes while on the road and search for carpool buddies that have the same preferences!

MeetWays - Looking to do lunch with your friend that lives across town? MeetWays will help you find the perfect halfway point between two locations, and even let you search specific businesses in that area!

Metro - We say it all the time, but too many people are hesitant about using public transportation in LA! The Metro site is extremely handy in helping you plan your trip and lists really accurate train times.

Free Frozen Yogurt at Red Mango

2009-04-29T18:56:00.001-07:00

Red Mango is unleashing its newest flavor, "tangomonium", this weekend! Stop by your local shop between 12pm and 4pm on Saturday to test out the new flavor for free. As always, call to make sure your store is participating!

If You're Into Carb Comas....

2009-04-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

We have another freebie to add to this week's plethora of free things....

Some Domino's locations will be giving away FREE Pasta Bread Bowls for carryout tomorrow, 4/29, from 11am to 2pm. Make sure to call your local Dominos (or heck, your nearest five locations) because very few are actually participating in the offer. We called about seven locations until we found a winner (11674 Ventura Blvd. Studio City)!

Thanks to Danni for the heads up!

Two Reason to Eat Out This Week...

2009-04-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

If you plan to eat out this week, we have two fabulous options for you...one is for our charitable readers with jobs, and the other is for our unemployed readers who are broke. And if you're just really ambitious and hungry - do both!

Wednesday, April 29th

Wacky Wednesdays at Cafe 50's: This fun neighborhood diner offers FREE dinner (with drink purchase) to anyone who comes in wearing pajamas on the last Wednesday of each month! The offer runs from 6pm - 10pm and requires that you wear old-school two piece button down pajamas to receive the special. If you know where to find such pajamas (for cheap), feel free to comment and let us all know. Thanks Jaydi!

(10 points if you can identify the gender of this mannequin!)

Thursday, April 30th

Dining Out for Life Los Angeles: Eat out and help support a great charity all at once! This Thursday, join Dining Out for Life and 25% of your bill will be donated to Project Angel Food -

an organization that cooks and delivers 11,000 free, nutritious meals to homebound people with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses every week. A few dozen restaurants are participating in the event, so be sure to visit the website to see a full list of restaurant & locations. Personally, we recommend Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood!

OMG another giveaway!!

2009-04-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

We want your feedback and we are willing to bribe you for it...

We love working on LA Decostified and pouring our blood, sweat, and tears into researching the best of LA on a budget. However, we want to hear what you guys like, don't like, and would like to see on the site in the future. Do you want more videos? More events? More coupons? A different color font? Do you just want us to shut up? Well, let us know!

Send us your suggestions anytime this week to be entered in our newest giveaway and win a copy of the movie Milk! Anyone living in LA county who emails up before 11:59pm on Friday will be entered into a random drawing for the movie, winner will be announced on Monday.

You really have no reason not to enter this one, so do it, now!

(Cupcake Not Included.)

This Week in Food Deals!

2009-04-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

This upcoming week has more freebies and ridiculous food deals than usual so to help you plan ahead we're putting together this quick list of where to go to get your deals this week!

Sunday

Where: Pretzelmaker and Pretzel Time

What: Free Original soft pretzel

When: Check your local store for times

Monday

Where: KFC

What: Free Piece of KFC's new Grilled Chicken

When: All Day

Tuesday

Where: El Pollo Loco

What: Free 2 Piece leg and thigh with 2 tortillas and salsa

When: until 8 pm

Wednesday

Where: Baskin Robbins

What: 31 cent scoops

When: 5 pm to 10 pm

Thursday

Where: Carvel

What: Free "Iceberg"

When: 3 pm to 7 pm

That's what we've got for now! As always check your local store to make sure they're participating in the deal. There are few things more disappointing than being charged for something you thought was free.

Weekend Fun 4/24-4/26

2009-04-23T15:56:00.001-07:00

This weekend is a busy one...lots of fun events & free things!

Friday:

NFT Book Release Party: Not For Tourists are releasing their 2009 Los Angeles Guide and you're invited to the party! Termed the "ultimate guide for the savvy city dweller", NFT books will help you discover there's much more to Los Angeles than the Hollywood Sign and the Santa Monica Pier. Print out an invitation and bring it with you to receive a FREE copy of the new guide (worth over $20) and a free beer!! The party starts at 6pm at Footsie's, and books & beer will be available while supplies last.

Cost: FREE

The Warehouse Sale: The country's largest warehouse sale is coming to Pasadena this Friday for one day only. The Warehouse Sale offers tremendous discounts on designer clothing, and draws quite a crowd in every city (see pictures on their website)! If you're looking for a new pair of jeans, it might not be a bad idea to head to the Pasadena Convention Center between 2pm and 8pm...but RSVP first or you'll have to pay a cover charge! Thanks to Tiffany for sending this over to us.

Cost: Depends on how much you buy...

Saturday:

Grilled Cheese Invitational: We've been counting down the days to this event for weeks now, and it's finally here. The Grilled Cheese Invitational is making its way to LA this Saturday and it is bound to be a glorious event, filled with cheese-themed poetry, comedy, and of course the grilling competition. Kraft Singles will be on-site giving out FREE grilled cheese sandwiches, but if you get there early enough you can sign up to be a judge in the competition... which means you get to try ALL the delicious cheesy concoctions! The event runs from 12pm - 6pm and admission is only $5. We highly recommend taking the metro (to chinatown station) so as not to deal with parking. More details about location/times/cheesy activities can be found here.

Cost: $5

Ikea Sampling: Ikea has been bringing a little taste of Sweden to it's stores for years but this time the taste is FREE! From 1pm to 3pm Ikea in Burbank will be handing out free samples of delicious swedish delicacies! Well maybe they're delicacies, we don't really know the difference. Either way head to their kitchen department on Saturday for some eats!

Cost: FREE

Swap Meet: Free Karaoke is back again! If you missed the video we did about Beta Level's monthly Swap Meet check it out!

Cost: FREE

Sunday:

Freak Dance: We love the Upright Citizens Brigade for always having great comedy shows for about $5. But we especially love them this weekend for having a free show on Sunday evening! Freak Dance: The Forbidden Dirty Boogaloo is UCB's in your face musical theater extravaganza! It's got "More sex than Flashdance. More drama than Footloose. More danger than The Lambada. More fighting than You Got Served. More pretentiousness than Save the Last Dance..." Interested? Click here to get more details.

Cost: FREE

All Weekend:

LA Times Festival of Books: This 2 day event at UCLA features more than just books. The annual festival includes 6 outdoor stages featuring musical performances, interviews with authors like Kristin Chenoweth and Bob Barker, live cooking shows, and poetry readings. There will also be panel discussions indoors for $.75 a ticket and an entire section devoted to comics, graphic novels, and manga. There really is too much to write here so check out the official website for a full schedule. The festival runs from 10am-6pm on Saturday and 10am to 5pm on Sunday and it's sure to be a blast!

Cost: FREE (or $.75 for the panels)

Burbank Art Festival: This Saturday and Sunday Burbank will be shutting down San Fernando Blvd. to make way for over 100 award winning artisans to sell they're wares. You'll be able to find everything from photography to ceramics at this semi annual event and this time they're devoting an entire block to the art of Burbank's students with art projects, performances, and demonstrations of all forms of art. Check out Just Burbank's page for more detailed information.

Cost: FREE

Recession Thursdays at South

2009-04-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

Looking for a way to unwind after work today? Or do you not work and just want to go out without spending too much money? Either way... you should head to South in Santa Monica for Recession Thursdays!

Specials include:

$3 drafts

$5 well drinks

$2 mystery shots (whatever the bartender feels like giving you!)

$1 grilled cheese sandwiches

$2 pulled meat sandwiches

The specials run from 5pm to midnight every single Thursday (even if the Lakers are on)!

Happy Volunteer Week!

2009-04-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

We've been looking forward to doing a volunteering-themed post for a while now and what better time than during National Volunteer Week (April 19th - 25th)! We know a lot of people are interested in getting involved as volunteers but don't know how - this post is for you!

Paul and I have been volunteering through LA Works regularly for a few months now and are big advocates of the organization! Their mission is simple: to bring people together to strengthen communities and develop leaders through meaningful volunteer action.

We like volunteering through LA Works for many reasons. First, they make it easy and convenient to find a project that works for you, wether you prefer working with kids, the elderly, animals, or just love gardening. They also understand that people have jobs (well, some of us don't, but still!) and lives, so there are a plethora of programs running every week from the mornings to the evenings. Lastly, the website is very easy to navigate...I'm especially a fan of the calendar feature.

We encourage everyone to at least visit the site and try out a project that seems interesting. Prior to LA Works, Paul had never volunteered and was kind of worried that he would feel awkward volunteering with kids in shelters, or adults with disabilities. However, working on one project made a huge difference on his outlook and he now loves volunteering! So if you're hesitant, just sign up with a friend and give it a shot...it will be fun and you will be making a huge difference in people's lives!

If you have any further questions about volunteering, or would like us to recommend some projects that we've enjoyed working on, email us!

Disney Celebrates Earth Day

2009-04-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

In honor of Earth Day, all Disney Store locations are holding a nationwide recycling program, Recycling is Magic, to help educate children (and adults) on the importance of recycling. Tomorrow, store guests are encouraged to bring in 3 plastic bottles to recycle. In return, Disney will be giving out a free reusable Earth Day bottle to all participants!

As another part of their conservation campaign, Disney Stores will begin carrying shirts and tote bags made with recycled plastic water bottles. We are definitely intrigued... For more information on Disney Earth Day products, visit their special online boutique!

Free Cone Day!

2009-04-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

April 21 is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's! Tomorrow from 12pm to 8pm go into any Ben & Jerry's for a free scoop of ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet. If you've never been to a free cone day before keep in mind that the line can get pretty long so give yourself some time. Check out the Ben & Jerry's website to find your local shop.

National Record Store Day

2009-04-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

Today Saturday the 18th is National Record Store Day! Record stores around the country will be offering special deals, in-store concerts, giveaways, and (most importantly) free stuff! Check out the Record Store Day website to see the participating record stores in your area and drop by to see what you can get!

Eat fancy for 70% off...

2009-04-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

We love to eat out every once in a while but simply can't afford to go anywhere fancy due to lack of finances. Restaurant.com is a huge money-saver, offering restaurant gift cards for a fraction of their value. They typically charge only $10 for a $25 gift card. Of course there is a catch... each restaurant has its own stipulations, but nothing too crazy (not valid on weekends, minimum $35 purchase, etc).

This weekend is especially exciting because Restaurant.com is offering 70% off if you use the promotional code "FEAST" at checkout! This means that the $25 gift card I was talking about, will now only cost you $3. It's kind of nuts.

The code expires on Monday, April 20th, so make sure to take advantage of it soon. We are hoping to finally get the chance to try out the Bonaventure Brewing Company, Kazuyo Sushi & Sake, and Prosecco a Trattoria.

Weekend Fun 4/17-4/19

2009-04-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY:

Friday Night Jazz @ LACMA: Enjoy live jazz music and art, as LACMA's Friday Night Jazz series returns for its eighteenth season. This Friday will feature Jazz Wave (a fifteen-piece ensemble) from 6pm - 8pm. Admission is free and best of all, they leave you with an hour to check out the museum after the concert! If you can't make it this week, check the website for a list of guests on future Friday nights.

Cost: FREE.

SATURDAY:

Nothin' But Sand Beach Cleanup: The area around the Santa Monica Pier was recently given an "F" on its Beach

Report Card. So what better way to celebrate Earth Day weekend than to volunteer with Heal the Bay for this weekend's beach clean-up! The project will take place from 10am - 12pm and you can get more info here. The seagulls will thank you by not pooping on you on your next pier visit!

Cost: FREE.

KSCR Mixtape Exchange: Let's just start by saying that this event sounds amazing. Make a mix CD (or two...) that conform to the theme of the event and exchange your music with fellow

mixtape-makers! The event takes place at the Ground Zero Performance Cafe from 8:30pm-11pm and the theme for the night is "Your Last Day on Earth." Creativity is encouraged, so feel free to design a cover art, etc! Visit their facebook page for more details.

Cost: FREE.

SUNDAY:

Universal Studios Eco-Fair: Universal will be celebrating Earth Day with a big festival just outside their main gates from 10am - 4pm on Sunday. Some cool features of the fair include electrical bike rides, autograph signings by teen star Kyle Massey, and demonstrations of solar powered ovens. Parking is free for anyone with a California Clean Air sticker, or you can take the red line metro directly to Universal City! Please note that this doesn't include admission to the theme park, but the eco-festival is still a fun way to spend your Sunday afternoon!

Cost: FREE.

Cha Cha Lounge: This lovely establishment in Silver Lake serves $2.50 Stoli Bloody Mary's every Sunday from 5pm - 9pm! I personally can't think of a better way of preparing for a long week than cheap Bloody Mary's. This is another one of those events that happens every week so you can make it a new Sunday evening tradition! Visit their website for more information.

Cost: $2.50, $5, $7.50...

Bike Night!

2009-04-16T10:38:00.001-07:00

Whether you've got a fixie or you're training for the Tour de France here's an event for you! The Hammer at Ucla is holding a special Bike Night this evening! On top of free admission to the museum they'll have free bike Valet from 7pm-11pm, free vegetarian delights, live music with visual projections by Telematique from 7pm-8:30pm and a free screening of the coming-of-age film "Breaking Away" at 8:30pm.

Being a bike enthusiast myself, I think this sounds like a great event. But even if you don't have a bike, parking is only $3 after 6pm. Definitely check out the write-up on The Hammer's website for more info!

Indiana Jones at The Americana

2009-04-16T08:32:00.001-07:00

Don't forget, tonight is the second installment of the "movies under the stars" series at The Americana at Brand; and they will be screening Indiana Jones. We went to see Shrek last week and had a blast! However, a few very important recommendations...

-Dress warm and bring tons of blankets, it's chilly!

-You can also bring a pillow if you really want to get comfortable.

-Bring snacks or dinner with you. The stuff they sell is really pricey.

-Parking is free Monday through Thursday, so no need to park down the block and walk over (like we did).

For more information, check out our original post on this event.

Free Lunch Today at Cafe Wa s!

2009-04-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

We almost missed the bandwagon on this final tax day treat, so extra special thanks to Jaydi for this next one.

Cafe Wa s in Hollywood is offering free(!!) lunch from 11am - 2pm today. Everything on their special tax day menu sounds really delicious too. And seeing that they are typically not the most affordable place in LA, this is really a great opportunity for the funemployed! Get there early and be prepared to wait a bit, as it is going to be first come first served.

April 15th has truly found a place in my heart...

Tax Day Relief

2009-04-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

It seems like everyone is talking about the impending tax day...but we've found a few reasons to love tax day. As you may have guessed, these reasons involve free (and cheap) food!

Cinnabon is offering free "Tax Day Bites" (mini cinnamon rolls) to all tax payers between 5pm and 8pm tomorrow. With well over a dozen stores in the LA area, there is no better day to put that diet aside and head to your nearest location!

P.F. Changs China Bistro is giving everyone 15% off their bill all day tomorrow!

McCormick & Schmicks is getting in on the action by giving tax payers dinner certificates for $10.40 to use on a future visit. They're also offering a number of tax day specials throughout the day! Contact your local restaurant for more details on their specials.

Maggie Moo's Ice Cream Treatery will be giving out free 2 oz. scoops of ice cream from 5pm - 9pm. Maggie Moo's doesn't have any locations in Los Angeles, but there are locations in La Verne, Ladera Ranch, or Chino Hills.

TGI Fridays is giving diners $5 gift cards when they spend $15-$25 on Wednesday, and $10 gift cards for spending over $25.

We hope everyone has the opportunity to take advantage of at least one (if not more!) of these great offers. Especially free Cinnabon. Yum!

As with all free offers and and nationwide discounts, we recommend calling your particular location to make sure they are honoring the offer! Usually it shouldn't be an issue, but nothing is more disappointing than getting somewhere thinking you're getting free (or cheap) food and then being turned down.

One more reason to put ketchup on your ketchup...

2009-04-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

We are obsessed with ketchup. That's why we were extra psyched when we came across this coupon book, which includes a coupon for a FREE 24-oz bottle of Hunt's Ketchup! Simply take a few seconds to create a (free) account to receive this special offer.

(Yes, Paul owns this shirt.)

Free Archery at Rancho Park

2009-04-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

Down at Rancho Park in Beverly Hills just past the Baseball fields and dog training and next to the Bocce courts you'll find an Archery Range where you can learn how to shoot for free!

Every Saturday volunteers from The Southern California Archery Association hold a mandatory safety/ orientation course where they teach you how to shoot and how to keep yourself and others safe while doing it. After about an hour they clear out the range to

give the students a chance to hit the targets (or the wall, ground, etc.). Once you've taken the course you can come back when the range is open to practice what you've learned. If you get good enough you can even enter tournaments held at the Rancho Park Range and other Ranges in the area!

If you go, make sure to give yourself plenty of time to park as spaces are limited and there are often little league games and dog training classes going on. The classes and the range are always free but they do rely on donations to keep up and running so bring a few dollars if you can.

Orientation: 11am - 1pm(ish)

Hours: Saturday 9:30am - 12pm

Sunday 12pm - 2pm

Wednesday 7pm - 9pm

We took the orientation class last week and loved it so much we're going back again this Saturday! 2012 Olympics here we come!

Weekend Fun 4/10- 4/12

2009-04-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

All Weekend:

6th Annual Fracas! Improv Festival: This three-day comedy festival runs from April 9th-11th at USC. The Festival features over 40 hours of improv from 23 college troupes around the country, as well as a number of discussion panels. A schedule of the festival's performances and panels can be found here.

Cost: FREE.

Friday:

Falafel Fridays at California Pita: Get a fully stuffed pita for only $1.99 at the Sherman Oaks location of California Pita every Friday! We haven't had the chance to try this out yet but Jeremiah has recommended it... and since he won our giveaway last month by recommending Sky's Tacos, we trust his opinions and can't wait to try it!

Cost: $1.99

Soup Kitchen Fridays: Every Friday, The Edison features "depression era cocktails at depression era prices"...and we're so very okay with that! From 5pm - 7pm, you can enjoy complimentary grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup as well as gin & whiskey cocktails for 35 cents. I challenge you to find us a better way to spend our Friday evenings...

Cost: FREE / Mad Cheap

Saturday:

Archery Lessons at Rancho Park: We want to do a more extensive post about this so keep an eye out for that tomorrow. But yes, there are free archery lessons every Saturday morning and they are highly recommended!

Cost: FREE

Egg-cellent Magnolia Bicycle Tour: Hope on your bike and take a ride down Magnolia Blvd. this Saturday for an afternoon of holiday-themed fun and free gifts! We have been to past events at Magnolia Park in Burbank and it's always been a blast getting to know local small businesses and enjoying their free giveaways. And if you don't own a bike, I wouldn't worry about it too much...treat it as a nice walk! The event will take place from 3pm - 7pm; visit their site for more details.

Cost: FREE.

Sunday:

Stand-Up Comedy at Hamburger Mary's: Hosts Jason Dudey and Pat Branch and a number of other comedians bring their comedy to Hamburger Mary's in West Hollywood on the second Sunday of every month! They also have drag contests on some Sundays, but that might be an afternoon thing. The comedy show (which boasts itself as "gay stand-up comedy for everyone... straights included!") runs from 7pm to 9pm and should provide some great free entertainment during your dinner. And seriously, what better way to celebrate Easter than with Gay stand up comedy?!

Cost: FREE (though you'll probably want to buy some food)

Movies Under the Stars!

2009-04-09T11:06:00.001-07:00

Spring Movie Nights start tonight at The Americana at Brand, which we affectionally refer to as the valley's version of The Grove!

Bring a blanket and enjoy open seating on their lawn, which opens at 6:30pm. The movie starts at sundown...get there early to get a good spot, because I could only imagine the place will fill up with families who came to the mall for pictures with the Easter bunny! There will be food for sale from local eateries but we recommend bringing your own and picnicking because it will probably be pricey.

More details are available on the flyer below. Shrek is playing tonight, and we are so there - so say hi if you decide to attend.

MAKE UP!

2009-04-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

e.l.f (short for eyes, lips, face) is having a massive sale on all of their makeup after being bought over by Nordstrom! They are getting rid of everything with the old packaging, and selling tons of their products for $1 each! Yes, I said $1 each. And the sale isn't only on makeup, they have some excellent brushes and eyelash curlers (and more) for you to take off their hands.

And as an extra bonus, enter the coupon code "CAROLINA" for 50% off your order (of up to $15). Shipping isn't included but with $1 make-up and $7.50 off, I think it'll be affordable! I'm off to make my purchases before they run out of the good stuff...

EDIT: Apparently their stuff is always $1 and the whole "being bought out" thing is a massive rumor circulating the internet for a few months now. STILL an amazing deal...but they won't be running out of products anytime soon. And the coupon code is still a go! More on this...

A million thanks to BoredLA for being the first to rave about this offer.

Having a Mad Monday??

2009-04-06T14:13:00.001-07:00

Start off your week right, with free vodka and tequila shots at The Standard tonight! If you could muster up the energy to get off your butt on Monday night, it could be fun. And if you're unemployed like us and don't have to worry about working on Tuesday, it could be even more fun!

You must RSVP to attend without a cover charge, so make sure to email them soon. And free shots are from 10pm - 11pm... so don't be too fashionably late if you want to take advantage of the free alcohol.

Mad Mondays

The Purple Lounge at The Standard

8300 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles

10pm - 2am (with free shots till 11pm)

RSVP in advance!! Email: hollywoodrsvp@standardhotel.com

Now if only the Metro ran directly to The Standard...

Thanks to My Open Bar LA, for always having the scoop on partying for free/cheap!

Pink Slip Party

2009-04-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

We hadn't heard of "Pink Slip Parties" until recently, but apparently they've been going on for a while now all across the country! With the unemployment rate in California only rising (what is it now, a bit over 10%?), there's never been a better time for these parties.

What exactly is a Pink Slip Party? In short, it is a huge networking event that brings together unemployed/laid-off job-seekers and recruiters! The events take place at a bar/restaurant and typically feature cheap food and drinks. This Associated Press video will better explain how the parties work.

Interested? Well you're in luck. The next Pink Slip Party in LA takes place tomorrow in Beverly Hills. The party is being hosted by Accountemps, a staffing firm for accounting and finance professionals. So if that's your industry, and you're sitting at home reading this in the middle of the day, you should probably attend!

Accountemps Pink Slip Party

Tuesday, April 7th

6pm to 8pm

Boe Restaurant (at the Crescent Hotel)

403 N. Crescent Dr. Beverly Hills, CA.

**1/2 price gourmet appetizers and $5 cocktails!**

99 Cents Only Grand Opening!

2009-04-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

Even though we didn't end up being the first 9 people at the Grand Opening of the 99 Cents Only store in La Verne, we still had to go out and see the festivities! There was a band, a DJ, and a woman dressed as the Easter Bunny! But most importantly there were some great deals.

We put together a video of to give you a taste of the festivities and show you some of the great finds! We also spoke with Elsy Guaradado, the manager of public relations for the 99 Cents Only stores to find out how they bring us the great deals they do!

Weekend Fun 4/4 - 4/5

2009-04-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

All Weekend:

Museums on Us: It's your last chance to take advantage of Bank of America's Museums on Us campaign! We did a full write up on this last month, if you need a recap.

Saturday Afternoon:

International Pillow Fight Day: Pillow Fight Day is happening in pretty much every major city in the world this Saturday! LA's event is taking place in Pershing Square at 3pm, where hundreds will gather for a massive pillow fight. We are extremely excited for this fun afternoon! The official Pillow Fight LA website includes all event details, including suggested bars to meet at before the pillow fight!

All Day Sunday:

The LA International Curry Festival: Stop by to enjoy some authentic Thai curry dishes and desserts, as well as various types of curry from other countries! This annual festival is expected to draw thousands of people looking to experience the Thai ambiance and taste delicious curry! One of the main events at the festival is the Curry King contest - in which you too can cast a ballot for your favorite curry. The festival runs from 10am-7pm on Sunday. For more information, visit the festival's official website! (special thanks to boredLA for this event)

Sunday Afternoon:

LA D-Fenders Basketball Game: Make sure you get to the Staples Center early Sunday morning to collect your free tickets to the LA D-Fenders noon game. The D-Fenders are the Lakers' development team, and they will be playing the Utah Flash. For more details on this event, take a look at our original post about it.

10 and 11

2009-04-01T10:55:00.000-07:00

Our 99 cent store camp out plan was a bust. How disappointing is that! We arrived a little over 24 hours before the store opening, only to find people sleeping outside of the store. We were #10 and #11 in line...just missed being #9 and getting the 99cent ipod. Sad morning. Who knew people would sleep outside of the store for 2 nights in a row?! That's nuts, they deserve the ipods.

We will still be heading there tomorrow morning though for the big grand opening...should still be some great deals!!

Free Smoothies Today

2009-04-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

Look what we found...

Free "Strawberry Wave" smoothies from 4pm-6pm today at Juice It Up!

(limit 1 per customer)

Find your local Juice It Up location here.

99 Cents Only Store Grand Opening!

2009-04-01T00:51:00.000-07:00

This Thursday is a very big day for us. It is one we've been looking forward to for about two months now - the grand opening of the newest 99 Cents Only store, in La Verne, CA! Now we don't live anywhere near La Verne (35 miles away actually), but 99 Cents Only stores make a huge deal of their grand openings and we can't wait to be part of it! Specifically, the first 9 people in line for the Thursday morning opening will be receiving 99 CENT IPOD NANOS! Yep, you read it correctly, an 8gb ipod for under $1.

We will be camping out in front of the store starting at about 7:30am tomorrow morning - just over 24 hours before the store's grand opening. As of now, I am a nervous wreck because it will be a huge disappointment to show up so early and not be one of the first 9 people in the line. We will be updating our twitter/twitpics regularly so you can track our progress and see how the 24 hour camp out goes! Past openings have drawn hundreds of people and featured news stations and marching bands- and this one will be doing the same.

We've obtained a press release from 99 Cent Only's PR team and are listing all the details about the event and the insanely cheap giveaways below. Enjoy!

Details...

Grand Opening : Thursday, April 2nd 8AM

Address: 1504 Foothill Blvd. La Verne, CA.

Special guests: Damien High School Jazz Band, La Verne City Mayor Don Kendrick

What you can get for under $1...

First 9 people in line: 8gb ipod nano

Next 99 people in line: scooter

Next 99: Art of Pirates of the Caribbean book (value is 49.99)

Next 99: Brilliant Beginnings Toddler Guidebook with 2 music CDs

First 99 people in line on...

Friday 4/3: Nail Art Airbrush System (value is 29.99)

Saturday 4/4: Executive Portfolio Binder & Calculator (value is 19.99)

Sunday 4/5: Best of Friends, 4-pack DVD collection (value is 25.99)

Monday 4/6: Oneida 9-slot Cutlery Block (value is 12.99)

Tuesday 4/7: Backstroke Back Massager & Video (value is 19.99)

Wednesday 4/8: Automatic Powered Scissors (value is 19.99)

They're nuts, right? I wish we lived closer to La Verne because I would probably be there every morning next week. Let us know if you plan on heading out there yourself on Thursday (or Wednesday afternoon?) and enjoying the opening festivities! Or if you plan on hitting up some of the deals later in the week.

I hope we survive the cold tomorrow night...it will be worth it if I have an almost free ipod in my hand on Thursday morning!

Free Bakeware!

2009-03-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

In case you weren't aware, silicone baking products are all the rage nowadays! And LA Decostified is going to make you the coolest kid in town with these free silicone products...

The Great Indoors is offering a free silicone head spatula between now and Saturday, April 4th. Print your coupon and bring it to the customer service desk at The Great Indoors to receive your free spatula! Please note that the store has only two California locations - Burbank and Irvine.

Secondly, our friend Tara sent us this next offer for free silicone Burnless Bakeware! The website lets you choose exactly what free item you'd like to receive! Choices include Burnless Bakeware muffin pan, fluted cake pan, loaf pan, and many other sweet options. The company will charge you $1 to ship the product, but that is a very small price to pay for these items (each valued at about $20)!

Happy Baking!

Weekend Fun 3/28-3/29

2009-03-27T23:09:00.001-07:00

Just a few suggestions for how we think you should spend this fine weekend...

Food:

The Stand. With four locations in Los Angeles, and amazing afternoon specials, The Stand is one of LA's hottest hot dog spots. They have $1 hot dogs everyday from 3pm-5pm. If you wanna spice it up a bit, you can get a loaded hot dog for $2.50. And 20 oz. beers are only $2! The website doesn't list veggie dogs as an option, but I'll call to check and then re-update this post.

Cost? A few bucks.

Saturday Night:

Swap Meet! We posted about this event last month and even shot a video so that you could really get a feel for what "super secret karaoke" is like. It only takes place once a month, so you should really try to fit it into your Saturday night plans. :)

Cost? FREE.

Sunday Afternoon:

L8S ANG3LES at the Annenberg Center for Photography. A collection of work from eleven celebrated LA photographers, all celebrating the human condition as seen through the lens. This weekend is opening weekend for the exhibit - so if you can't make it this weekend it's not the end of the world (it runs until June 28th). For more information on the Annenberg Center and this exhibit, visit their official website. Seeing as Paul is a photographer, we will definitely be visiting the exhibit at some point in the next few weeks!

Cost: FREE.

Sunday Night:

Movie Night! Stay in and watch a good movie from Red Box. Go to your nearest Red Box rental location and use the code "DVDONME" when checking out! You'll get a free one-day rental, and as long as you bring it back in time, your card will not get charged. This code works once per credit card, so use it wisely. Our rental recommendation? Rachel Getting Married.

Cost: FREE.

Two of Our Favorite Websites

2009-03-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

We use these two websites on a fairly regular basis and I'm sure this has saved us tons of money. So now, we shall share them with you...

One of my absolute favorite place to go when planning any sort of travel is Kayak.com. This site not only scouts all the airlines (or cruise ship companies, hotels, etc), it also searches through Travelocity, Orbitz, and a plethora of other discount travel sites to make sure you get the absolute cheapest rate possible! It saves so much time to not have to check a bunch of different sites. When you are searching for tickets, make sure to play around with all the options so that you get the cheapest option. For example, search nearby airports and then uncheck the "leave/depart from same airport" box. Try it and you too will fall in love with my favorite travel site in the world.

There are few things more disappointing than filling up a tank of gas and then seeing that the gas station down the block is significantly cheaper. Give Gas Buddy your zip code and it will list the prices of all your local gas stations. People are constantly submitting gas prices (we're talking every hour), so the price listed is extremely accurate. And hey, if you're a big fan you can even submit prices of local stations yourself!

Free LA D-Fenders Game

2009-03-25T19:06:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars...

LA Lakers' development team, the LA D-Fenders, are offering fans free tickets to their game on Sunday, April 5th. The D-Fenders are part of the NBA development league, which means this is your opportunity to see future Lakers/NBA stars before the rest of the world discovers them! It will surely be a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Free tickets will be available at the Staples Center box office on the day of the game! Not sure about the parking situation but there is a metro stop right by the Staples Center, so we recommend parking at your nearest Metro station and taking the train in.

LA D-Fenders vs. Utah Flash

April 5th

12pm

Staples Center

Special thanks to LA Free Bee, for posting this event!

99 Cents Only, how I love thee.

2009-03-24T21:49:00.001-07:00

As if we needed more reasons to love 99 cents only....

(those Pringles are spicy guacamole flavored, and they are amazing)

Free Samples

2009-03-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

This post is to help clean you up a bit!

Let's start with your hair...

Dove is giving away samples of their new Therapy System shampoos and conditioners. They even let you select between Heat Defense Therapy and Intense Damage Therapy treatments...is there really a difference between the two though? Request your free samples here.

Moving on to that smokin' hot body of yours....

Caress Evenly Gorgeous exfoliating body wash will leave your skin "sensually smooth and polished to perfection". When requesting your sample, you are also entered to win a $100 Caress gift card! When applying for your samples, make sure to check the "request a sample" box at the bottom of the page.

And now for more of an internal cleanse...

Powdered drink mixes are popping up everywhere, but this one is particularly excellent for your body. Kellogs All-Bran Pink Lemonade Fiber Drink Mix contains 10 grams of fiber per serving - that's 40% of your daily requirement! Although the sample will have to be the Pink Lemonade flavor, there are also other varieties in stores. Request your sample here (bottom right of page).

And for those of you who are big fans of All Bran, they are offering a $5 mail-in-rebate form for a number of their products. So if you are willing to put in a little more effort, you can get more than just a small drink mix packet!

Free Tango Classes all week!!

2009-03-22T09:52:00.001-07:00

If you weren't into learning African American inspired dances yesterday, perhaps tango is more your thing?

Free beginner tango lessons all week at Tango Kabloom!

The classes are offered between 8-9pm every night through Thursday, March 26th at Tango Mar Vista (which is not too far from Santa Monica). Visit their website for more information. And if you go, take some pictures striking your best tango pose and send them to us!

Special thanks to LA Happenings for the tip.

Luckyfish Recap

2009-03-21T01:07:00.000-07:00

Dinner and cocktails were delicious last night at Luckyfish! We waited in line for a little over two hours to get in, but the California Rolls were the best Paul and I had ever tasted, so it was well worth it. Not to mention, a few sushi chefs came down the line every so often and let us sample Hanabi (crispy rice topped with spicy tuna), making the wait significantly more bearable. But pictures speak louder than words, so see for yourself:

Hope some of you were able to make it to the event. We saw one of our readers on our way out...hope you and your friends also felt it was worth the wait, Tiffany!

I like $5 T-shirts

2009-03-19T16:02:00.001-07:00

In the past couple of months I found this website full of really cool, unique T-shirts called Threadless. I always love their designs and though they're typically cheaper than you'd find in a store I still couldn't justify dropping $15 on a T shirt I didn't really need. $5 on the other hand...

Threadless is having a "Spring Cleaning Sale" and they're clearing out their inventory for $5 and $10 a shirt which is too good of a deal to pass up. The sale runs until Monday the 23 but when they run out of sizes that's it and they're already out of a lot of stuff so I suggest you hit that up as soon as possible so you can make your friends jealous!

A Taste of Dance

2009-03-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

Celebrate Ailey Week at the Music Center by taste testing a variety of dance styles for just $1 a lesson! This Saturday only, participants will get the chance to partake in a number of 20-minute lessons that highlight the African American dance styles and heritage.

Classes include Breakdancing, Hip Hop, The Charleston, Jazz, Krumping, & many more! And for only $1/lesson, this is a great opportunity to take up a couple styles and diversify your dance skills!

Tickets will go on sale at 10:30am Saturday morning (cash only) and space is limited, so get there early.

A Taste of Dance

Saturday, March 21st

11am - 4pm

Music Center Plaza (135 N. Grand Ave. Los Angeles)

For more information, visit Music Center's official website

(This could be you. In fact, that's Paul on the right.)

We Have a Winner!

2009-03-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

First of all a big thank you to everyone who entered our contest! We got a lot of great suggestions and were very impressed by the resourcefulness of our readers. So here's the moment you've all been waiting for. The Winner is...

Jeremiah C. with the Sky's Tacos lunch special!

Sky's Tacos located at 5408 West Pico Blvd. is a small restaurant you could easily drive by without noticing but it's definitely worth the trip. As a matter of fact we almost wish we didn't know about this place because now we can't stop thinking about it. For $3.79 you get a Beef,

chicken, or turkey taco with rice and beans. While this isn't the biggest meal that was entered it was certainly the best. We had a number of taco related suggestions, some much more filling, but this was quite possibly the best taco I've ever had. If you happen to want to try something else Sky's has a very large, very reasonably priced menu and I for one intend to try everything on it.

Coming in a close second was Michael B. & Amy C.'s suggestion: The Breakfast special at the North Hollywood Diner!

Served from 5am until 10am on weekdays, The North Hollywood Diner's breakfast special is a great start to your day. There are three options and all of them come with unlimited coffee for only $3.95. This deserves extra points for being the only entry that was a sit-down restaurant and even after tip and tax this meal still comes in under $5. The North Hollywood Diner is located at 11329 Magnolia near the corner of Magnolia and Tujunga.

And finally we have the most unique suggestion and our honorable mention: Tamara C. with the Madison Kitchen's lunch special!

Even though it didn't make the top two we thought we had to talk about this one and give props to Tamara for sending us the most unique entry. Tucked inside the basement of a church at 1029 East Vernon Ave., the Madison Kitchen is a cafeteria style restaurant that serves a wide selection of southern style meals for reasonable prices. The lunch special we enjoyed for $4.99 is your choice of a meat, two sides, cornbread, and a drink (and yes, they have southern sweet tea). The Madison kitchen is open from 11am to 3pm Monday- Friday and it has a staff of incredibly nice people who tell you to "have a blessed day" when you get your food!

Once again, thank you to everyone who entered the contest and we leave you with a little collage from some of the places our readers suggested!

Sushi & Cocktails = Love.

2009-03-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

Luckyfish Sushi in Beverly Hills is celebrating their 1-year anniversary by offering everyone $1 sushi & $1 cocktails all day Thursday! Also, free parking in their garage for the first 2 hours, so you don't have to worry about finding street parking.

There are few things I love more than a tasty sushi roll and a martini. And with hours like 11am-11pm, there are no excuses for missing out on this. Check out the flyer below for details and maybe we'll see you there!!

Thanks for the tip Jaydi!

You can never have enough undies...

2009-03-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

Free Aerie underwear at American Eagle!

Print your coupon and rush over to your nearest AE store to claim your free undies, valued at $7.50. Coupon expires tomorrow (3/18), so when we say hurry we mean HURRY!

More options for St.Patty's Day!

2009-03-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

If you are looking to go out St.Patty's night without paying an absurd cover charge, you may want to consider attending The Moth's StorySlam spoken word event tomorrow night! Admission is only $6 and this month's theme is "Birthdays".

As the event description explains, "throw your name in the hat for the chance to be one of ten storytellers selected to share their true-life tales, or volunteer to be a judge and rate contestants..."

Sounds like a fun time!

When Irish Eyes are Smiling

2009-03-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

Being an Irishman from Boston, I was worried about what I was going to do for St. Patrick's day. Luckily LA has been kind enough to offer a little slice of the homeland with the 10th annual St. Patrick's day parade complete with a free concert!

The Parade starts at 11:30 at Arcadia and Main in Downtown and runs to Pershing Square where The Young Dubliners (A pretty Kick-ass Irish rock band) will be performing from 12:30 until 2pm. As always with parades there will be food vendors so I'm sure you'll be able to get all the corned beef and cabbage you can handle. There isn't too much more info on the LA Parks website but here's The flyer.

After the parade keep in mind that a lot of Irish bars charge covers as high as $40 where as a 12-pack of Guiness is $13 at Albertsons, just something to consider when planning your evening festivities. And if you're looking for something a little sweeter, Yummy Cupcakes in Burbank and Santa Monica is selling Guiness, Lucky Charms, Chocloate Mint Chip, and Irish Cream Pie cupcakes tomorrow. Their cupcakes are $3 each and worth every penny.

Giveaway update!

2009-03-12T22:21:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that we will have to wait a few more days before announcing the winner of our giveaway. We got tons of GREAT suggestions and we want to make sure to check each and every one of them out before deciding on a winner!

We are hoping to have the final results by Wednesday, March 18th. Sorry about the delay, but thank you for your patience.

Tuesday = delicious fries & free resumes

2009-03-10T10:56:00.001-07:00

Free Drink and Fries at Jack in the Box all day today! Print this coupon out and bring it with you. We are so glad that Jack has woken from his coma. ;)

Maybe treat yourselves to the fries and drink after getting all those free copies of your resume at Fed Ex today. Make sure not to get them greasy though!

Watch Ellen!

2009-03-09T23:38:00.000-07:00

We have been waiting for today for a few months now... because we had tickets to Ellen!!

I was called down to play Pictionary with Ellen at the end of the show and won $500!! SO EXCITING. We also got audience gifts (a movie, you'll have to watch to find out which one) - so you know one of those will be passed on to our readers. Keep your eyes out for a future giveaway!

The show we were at will air tomorrow (Tuesday), so check your local listings, and watch me win some money. woohoo!

-Danit

For those of you with a sweet tooth...

2009-03-07T21:55:00.000-08:00

We've been drooling over the thought of Betty Crocker's Warm Delight Minis for a while now but haven't gotten the chance to try them. Now is the chance to try it for free! Sign up for the Betty Crocker Newsletter and they'll mail you a sample in 6-8 weeks. Plus they'll send you more samples as they become available in the future! And if you're not a fan of the newsletter, hang in there for the sample and unsubscribe later.

Also, Baskin Robbins is offering Buy One/Get one Sundaes until March 28th with this coupon. Judging by the picture on the coupon, one sundae alone seems to be enough for two people. So we consider this coupon buy two get two free. But that's just us.

Enjoy the chocolatey sweets!

Free Resume Printing!!

2009-03-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

Next Tuesday, March 10th, is Fed Ex Office Free Resume Printing Day!! The promotion will give any customer 25 free copies of their resume. If you are part of the 11.6 million jobless people in America, you should hurry over to a Fed Ex and get that resume printed.

And hey, if you are employed, you may want to take advantage of this opportunity to get some extra copies. Fed Ex isn't the cheapest place in the world, but we're definitely impressed that they are reaching out to help in these rough economic times! So thanks Fed Ex!

Click here to find your nearest location. Hopes this gives everyone a little more motivation to get out there and keep applying, despite the lack of jobs.

Free iced tea lattes!

2009-03-05T16:23:00.000-08:00

Only until 6pm today at The Coffee Bean...that gives you a little over an hour and a half to get your butt over there and get a free late afternoon caffeine fix!

Find your nearest Coffee Bean location here. And run!

(Sorry for the late notice on this one, but special thanks to Lindsay for giving us the heads up about it.)

Time is Running Out

2009-03-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

Only 38 hours left for those of you who keep putting off entering our giveaway. We are only taking submissions until midnight on Friday, March 6th...so HURRY!

If you've never heard of this "giveaway" we speak of, follow the link on the right column of this screen and check out the bag of goodies that could be yours if you enter.

For those of you who have entered, thank you so much for your suggestions. We are having more fun than we ever imagined stuffing our faces for $5!

Swap Meet Follow-up

2009-03-04T15:56:00.001-08:00

We put together a video from "Swap Meet" last weekend! It was a great time and we'll definitely be back next month! Special thanks to our friend Mike for his skillful camera work.

In case you missed the original post here it is!

Get Some (culture) this Weekend

2009-03-04T13:26:00.001-08:00

As a special thanks to customers, Bank of America is running the "Museums on Us" promotion across the country. Bring your Bank of America card to any of the museums on their list and receive free admission this Saturday and Sunday!

If you live in the LA area, LACMA and the Autry National Center of the American West are participating museums (we've been dying to go to LACMA!). However, more are listed in Long Beach, Riverside, San Diego, etc., and of course, in other states. The website is really easy to navigate, so definitely check it out first if you are thinking of going.

If you can't make it out this weekend, this special will also be running on April 4th and 5th.

*Special thanks to reader Cassandra L. for telling us about this awesome promotion!*

Cheap & Free

2009-03-02T10:35:00.001-08:00

Baskin Robbins offers $1 scoops every Tuesday evening from 6pm-10pm! No coupon needed. We are definitely visiting our local store tomorrow and taking advantage of this deal. Perfect size dessert for $1! You may want to call your local location just to confirm that they are running the same offer.

Bring this coupon into Jamba Juice and enjoy a yummy cup of their oatmeal for only $1.

Also, if you have some spare time today and want some free things, we've compiled this lovely list of free samples you could apply for. These are legitimate and don't require that you fill out any surveys or sign up with silly sponsors in order to get your sample!

Free Quaker True Delights Granola Bar (offer on bottom of page)

Free Kashi microwavable all-natural entree

Free Splenda Sweetener Samples (not much, but hey, it's free!)

And of course, you can still win a whole bag of free stuff by entering our *LA Decostified giveaway*!

99cent weekend findings!

2009-03-01T16:50:00.000-08:00

We just returned from a long and productive 99cents only excursion... we visited 3 different locations. Some people do drugs to get their kicks; we scour dollar stores! The trip was quite productive, if only because we finally found the Bertolli Ravioli we have been on a hunt for all week (thanks to the 99 cent chef for the heads up on this one)! Below are the top finds from each location.

North Hollywood (Lankershim & Moorpark)

Toll House MINT SWIRLED Chocolate Chip Cookies

These look super tasty and are simple to bake if you have friends coming over last minute and want to treat them to delicious cookies.

North Hollywood (Victory & Vineland)

Bertolli Mushroom Ravioli in a Mushroom Cream Sauce

We bought 8 bags!

Burbank (Victory & N. Buena Vista)

Stouffer's Corner Bistro Margherita Flatbread

It's not often you find great microwavable vegetarian meals. Especially not for 99cents!

And finally, we thought you might enjoy a picture of what our freezer looks like. When we find something fantastic and rare, we like to stock up on as much as possible! So between last month's vegetarian Boca Chili and today's ravioli, we've got quite a collection...

Remember, if you guys come across an amazing find at 99cents only, let us know!

Swap Meet (aka Free Karaoke!)

2009-02-28T09:23:00.000-08:00

We were introduced to Swap Meet and Beta Level (the lovely folks who put it on) shortly after moving to Los Angeles. Swap Meet is a night of free karaoke in a basement in Chinatown with haphazardly placed Ikea furniture. The directions are sketchy, the bathroom door is a tarp, and we absolutely can't get enough of it!

Swap Meet is one of our favorite Saturday night activities in Los Angeles. What sets this place apart (other than free admission) is that it's significantly more interactive than your standard sitting-and-watching-someone-sing karaoke. It is not uncommon to be singing a song and suddenly find that someone you've never met has joined you onstage to be your backup. Doors open at 10pm - but don't get there that early unless you plan on sitting around alone for an hour or two until people show up, we did that our first time.

If you plan on going, make sure to write down these hilarious but surprisingly accurate directions to Betalevel:

Address: 963 N. Hill Street (Chinatown) Los Angeles

1. Find yourself in front of "Full House Restaurant"

2. Locate the alley on the left hand side of Full House.

3. Walk about 20 feet down the alley (away from the street).

4. Stop.

5. Notice dumpster on your right hand side.

6. Take a right and continue down the alley.

7. Exercise caution so as not to trip on the wobbly cement blocks underfoot.

8. The entrance to Betalevel is located 10 yards down on the left side, behind a red door, down a black staircase.

Since the place is also home to theater shows, galleries, etc., free karaoke only happens on the last Saturday of each month. We are planning on heading over there tonight, and you should too! But if you can't, the next Swap Meet will be on March 28th.

As always, if you have any questions or want to know more about how to get there, what to bring, what to expect, etc...feel free to email us at LADecostified@gmail.com.

LA Dodgers Job Fair

2009-02-28T09:12:00.001-08:00

We all know how rough it is to find a job in this economy. So for all our unemployed or partially employed readers, you might want to consider attending the LA Dodgers Job Fair this weekend. There are over 500 seasonal positions available and they are hoping to fill them all this weekend.

We aren't huge Dodgers fans and never pictured ourselves working at a stadium... but money is money! And this could be fun! So if you plan on going, maybe we will see you there.

Saturday (2/28) & Sunday (3/1)

10am - 4pm

Dodgers Stadium

Enter through the Sunset Gate and head towards the Stadium Club and third baseline suites

Fast Food Finds

2009-02-27T11:07:00.000-08:00

Subway $2 Gift Card Giveaway

Fill out this quick form and Subway will send you a $2 gift card in the next 10-12 weeks. Limit one per household. Do it soon before they give them all away! We are HUGE fans of Subway, no where else can you get this much HEALTHY food, and so fast & fresh...for $5! We wish this was a bigger giveaway though...$2 for the whole household?

Fr ee Arby's Roast B eef Sandwich

...with the purchase of a drink, expires March 9th. Enjoy!

Pancake Day Pictures

2009-02-26T23:03:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Marita S., who sent us pictures of her friends enjoying free pancake day on Tuesday...looks like they had a great time!

Giveaway!

2009-02-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

Tell us your favorite meal for under $5 in Los Angeles and you could win all this stuff!

We got a hold of one of the gift bags that Jimmy Kimmel gave out at his Post-Oscar show...and we decided to pass along our good fortune to you!

Gift Bag Includes:

Simple Shoe company hemp bag

Scrabble board game

Good Grips LiquiSeal Travel Mug

Wahoo flip flops

Free Monster energy drink at Wahoo

Tickets to The Improv (admission for two)

Commander in Chief DVD (episodes 1-10)

Ghiradelli almond milk chocolate bar

Kai perfume oil

Lucky B Cosmetics perfume samples

Runner Up Prize:

Free Lucky Strike 1-hour Bowling session for 4 (shoes included)

Deadline for submissions: Friday, March 6th

How to Enter:

-Email LADecostified@gmail.com with your submission

-Include name of food establishment, ONE specific menu item or a collection of menu items that total UNDER $5, before taxes.

-State if the offer is only valid during specific days/times. Inclusion of drink as part of the meal is at your own discretion.

-Include contact information (name , email, city you live in)

Judging Criteria:

-how good the deal is

-how much food you're getting

-how good the food is

Rules:

-Must live within 100 miles of Los Angeles to enter

-Restaurant/Meal must be within 30 miles of Hollywood

-One entry per person

Winner(s):

One winner and one runner up will be selected on March 13th

GOOD LUCK!

Free Yoga Follow-Up

2009-02-25T13:57:00.000-08:00

As promised, we went to a yoga class at Runyon Canyon this morning. Although we’re not well-versed with plank position and our downward dog needs a little training, we managed to get through the class without falling over too many times! From what we hear, each instructor brings a little bit of their own flare into the classes. For example, Hannah (who teaches Mon. & Wed.) adds a small ab workout to her classes. Despite being yoga newbies, we were able to get most of the poses down pretty quickly and enjoy the class.

We’ve compiled a small list of tips you may find useful if you’ve never attended yoga at Runyon Canyon.

o Finding parking is a huge pain, and you may have to park a few blocks away, so get there early and be prepared for the uphill walk on Fuller.

o Arrive early and pick a spot in the middle with lots of grass. Some areas have a lot of dirt and gopher patches, which make rolling around on the ground less fun.

o Most people there had their own yoga mats, which typically run from $12-$20. But if you can’t afford one a large towel works just fine! Blankets are not a good choice, as they don’t offer the traction needed for these positions.

o Dress in layers. When we got there, it was chilly and breezy, but the sun got much stronger over the hour and we both regretted wearing long sleeved shirts! A light t-shirt with a zip-up would be perfect.

o 10:30am-11:30am is a rough estimate of how long the class lasts. Both times we went, the class ended at about 11:40am, so don’t schedule something immediately after the class. Yoga is no fun if you have to glance at your watch every two minutes.

When you go, park near the Fuller Ave. entrance of the canyon. You will see the grassy yoga area on your left upon entering the gates. Enjoy!

Send us your pictures!

2009-02-24T20:47:00.000-08:00

We were surprised at the lack of people at IHOP today since I waited an hour in line last Free Pancake Day; but we were seated right away! The pancakes were fluffy and perfect. Thank you IHOP!

We actually ran into a couple different people today who had printed Jack in the Box's Free Tacos coupon, which was awesome. Paul got to enjoy FOUR free tacos, since I am a vegetarian and apparently they don't make them meatless.

Send us your pictures, if you took any on this glorious day of free foods, and we'll post them!

Free Tacos at Jack in the Box

2009-02-23T23:07:00.001-08:00

Thanks to our friends at twitter, we just discovered that Jack in the Box is giving out 2 free tacos tomorrow (all day) to every customer that comes in with this coupon.

Free breakfast AND lunch? It's like a dream come true!

Hang in there Jack!

Pancake Day Reminder!

2009-02-23T18:31:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to hit up your local IHOP tomorrow (National Pancake Day) for a free short stack of Pancakes! The event is running at all IHOPs between 7am and 10pm.

Make sure you bring a couple bucks for your waitress and a couple more to donate to the Children's Miracle Network!

Oscar Giveaway (coming up soon)

2009-02-22T23:28:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to our favorite film of the year, Slumdog Millionaire, for winning the award for Best Picture! You know how we feel about poor people becoming millionaires....

In honor of the Academy Awards, we are going to be having a giveaway in the next few days. We are still hammering out the details but we promise some fun goodies. Stay tuned and you too could be the owner of free stuff!!

Are you kidding me?!

2009-02-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

99 Cents Only in North Hollywood

Looks like we're going to be eating caesar salads for the next two weeks...

Free Yoga at Runyon Canyon

2009-02-20T08:06:00.000-08:00

When we asked our friends for advice on activities that aren't too pricey here in LA, almost everyone mentioned Yoga at Runyon Canyon. Two sisters, Hannah and Kamala, are kind enough to teach these AM yoga classes for free every single day of the week! Classes run from 10:30am - 11:30am. If you are going, make sure to bring a towel or a mat and a couple bucks as a donation.

**Fun Fact: Hannah and Kamala are also professional fire dancers! Impressive, huh?**

While we are not seasoned yogis, Paul and I are eager to attend these yoga classes - perhaps we will get more flexible, get in touch with our spiritual side, or simply have a stress-free morning. Either way, I have a feeling that getting into the habit of morning yoga a few times a week could only help us better deal with the stresses of unemployment! We plan on going on Monday and/or Tuesday - so look for an update on how it went next week!

How could this get any better? Starting in April, they have sunset yoga in the evenings....

Mark the date!

2009-02-18T11:41:00.001-08:00

February 24th is IHOP National Pancake Day! Celebrate the occasion by visiting your local IHOP between 7am and 10pm to receive a free short stack (three) of buttermilk pancakes. Just remember to give yourself about an hour to stand in line, Pancake Day is quite popular so bring a friend or a book to read while waiting.

Pancake Day is an annual celebration at IHOP to benefit the Children's Miracle Network. The restaurant collects donations on this day to help benefit children's hospitals in your area.

Free Pancakes AND a good cause?? Who could ask for anything more!

The most magical place on earth is not Disney...

2009-02-05T14:22:00.000-08:00

... it is 99 Cents Only stores. While most people cringe at the thought of buying something other than hangers at a dollar store, this chain of stores makes it a pleasure to purchase anything from tomato sauce to cereal to kiwis. They have it all!

If you haven't been there yet, I can imagine you are a bit skeptical... most of our friends thought we were crazy when they first heard we did ALL of our grocery shopping here. Then we started having dinner parties where everything served was purchased at 99 Cents Only... and slowly everyone we know turned into a believer.

Currently, Paul and I spend about $20-$25/week for the both of us and eat healthier than we have in years. It's nice to be able to afford something other than pasta for dinner! The best thing about 99 Cents Only is that you never know what you will find... there are the staple products that they always carry, but once in a while you'll come across really amazing finds (ie: Egg Beaters, Boca brand Chili, Smart Balance spread, Sargento cheese). The key is to know when your local store gets deliveries, and do your shopping that day!

From this day forward, we here at LAdecostified vow to share any and all great finds we come across at our local stores! In the coming months, we hope to not only share the amazing products we find, but to provide you with tasty recipes from the 99 Cents Only cookbook and to post delivery days for Los Angeles area stores.

Lastly, we encourage YOU the readers to tell us about your experiences with the store and share your great finds with us!

Our most recent purchase was HUGE and came to $40(!) :

Grand Slam Update

2009-02-03T13:58:00.001-08:00

After waiting in line for an hour this morning, we finally made our way into Denny's to enjoy a delicious (and free!) Grand Slam. All in all the tasty breakfast and super friendly servers made the wait worthwhile. They even gave us a coupon book for future visits!

Note: It is important to still tip your server for the original cost of the meal in situations like this! Just because you are getting it for free doesn't mean they are doing any less work. :)

Free Grand Slam

2009-02-02T22:25:00.000-08:00

If you missed the Denny's Super Bowl commercial, you may not know about the amazing special they are having tomorrow. Free Grand Slams!! There is no catch... trust me, I looked through all the fine print. Be prepared to wait in line though, last time IHop had a similar special there was a wait!

Welcome!

2009-01-22T22:48:00.000-08:00

So here's the deal... we're poor, and we're not alone.

We moved to Los Angeles four months ago and like many others, we assumed two weeks was plenty of time to get an apartment, get great jobs, and start living the fabulous LA lifestyle that we read about every week in trashy magazines while waiting in line at CVS.

We were wrong.

The apartment took about a month, because the whole "unemployed" thing didn't go over too well with most building managers. And we're still working on getting jobs. But while we're not exactly club hopping with "Speidi", we like to think we're living pretty fabulously.

In the land of glitz, glamour, and celebrities, it's easy to forget that there are so many (broke) people like us out there. This blog is for us. We're here to show you that living on a budget in LA doesn't have to mean sitting home alone on Friday night eating ramen. There are hundreds of incredible things to do for free in this city as long as you know where to look...

After all, they say LA is all about who you know, and now you know us. Let's do lunch.