Mountain House Community Garage Sale is This Weekend!

This is probably my favorite event in Mountain House.  Every year, I find something I need at an awesome price. 

The first year we lived here, I got some perfect curtains for my house.  I really needed them, too, because we had just moved in, and the last thing we needed to spend money on was new curtains.  Last year, I got a nice bookshelf that I had been looking for, along with a bunch of nice, practically new, clothes that I knew would fit either my sister or me for $1 a piece.  My parents got some nice leather couches for a steal, too. 

So, you can bet we well be out in force come Saturday morning.  Come join us.  You can find all of the info and maps here: http://wiki.mhvillages.com/~wiki17/index.php?title=Community_Garage_Sale

Bargain Alert: $25 for a Horse Riding Lesson in Livermore

My sister is a horse person, so I practically grew up around horses, and I was lucky enough to be able to ride when I wanted.  So, it always surprises me when I meet adults that have always wanted to but have never ridden a horse. 

Right now, Groupon has the opportunity to do that for a great price, right here in Livermore.  Airdance Farm is offering 3 different packages, starting at $25 for a lesson, $89 for 4 lessons and $49 for an introduction to horses (which includes a lesson). 

It sounds like this is a great chance to fulfil those life-long dreams.  Or better yet, make your little one's dream come true before they grow up.

Check out the deal here.

Weekend Plans: Thrift Store Hunting

On many weekends, I find myself hitting the local thrift stores in Tracy or Livermore.  I do a lot of shopping there for my step-daughter, since she goes through clothes so quickly, and for myself when I need a new pair of jeans or top and can't bear to spend department store prices.  I've had great luck at thrift stores finding stylish, hardly-worn clothing for really cheap.

I especially love the Buena Vidas' half price sale on Saturdays.  Buena Vidas is a thrift store in Livermore that benefits a local youth ranch.  They have a wide array of items and the Saturday prices can't be beat.  (They also offer a voucher program for those who can't afford clothing or other necessities - see their website for details.) I'm already planning to go this weekend for my latest crafty project. 

Which local thrift stores are your favorites?

Bargain Alert: Half Price Vouchers for Blue Nile

If you're looking for something sparkly for your Valentine (or yourself), this is just the ticket.  For the next week, you can purchase either a $50 voucher worth $100, or a $100 voucher worth $200 to spend at BlueNile.com from Living Social.


Go here to get this deal.


And check out http://www.bluenile.com/ to find what you're going to get!

This Weekend Around The Altamont Pass (Shoestring Edition)

Need plans for this weekend and don't want to spend a whole lot of dough?  Here's just a short list of fun and cheap things to do in The Altamont Pass Area:

Friday

• Free Family Movie Night at Bethany School in Mountain House (donations accepted)

Saturday

•  The Livermore Rummage Sale 
• Build-a-saurus event at Lowes (kids can build and take a wooden dinosaur for free.  Must RSVP.)

All Weekend

• $2 off Popcorn at Regal Cinemas with this mobile coupon. (Don't forget your discounted tickets to Man on a Ledge or One for the Money.  Check out this post.)
• Redbox is giving away discounts for answering trivia questions correctly
• Bare Escentuals is giving a way a free sample of Active Cell Renewal.  N.P.N. Head to the Stoneridge Location.
• And don't forget the free lip gloss from Victoria's Secret with any purchase (with the coupon).

Thanks to Hip2Save for most of this fab info.  Head on over here for much more, including lots of discounts for shopping.

Bargain Alert: For the Grown Ups - 2 Craft-Beer Flight Paddles at Tap 25 for $6

I had noticed Tap 25 last week on Yelp and it had really good reviews.  It's a newer place, in the charming Blacksmith Square (corner of Livermore Ave and Railroad).  They have 25 rotating taps of American craft beers (hence the name) and I hear the food is good, too. 

This weekend, for $6, you can get a voucher for two Craft-Beer Flight Paddles (regularly $12) from Living Social.  I'm not quite sure what a paddle is, but I'm anxious to find out. 

Get yours here. 

(This is my link - which will give me a promotion.  Remember you can do this, too.  If you want to go the site directly, go to www.livingsocial.com and select Walnut Creek/Contra Costa)

Also remember that you can't use your voucher until the day after you purchase it.  (Too bad, I definitely could have used a beer tonight.  It's been a long week.)

Here's Tap 25's website, as well: http://www.taptwentyfive.com/

And of course, always enjoy your adult beverages safely and responsibly.

Bargain Alert: $16 for a Photo Shoot and 8 Portrait Sheets at The Picture People from Groupon

For the next two days, you can get a Groupon for a photo shoot and 8 portrait sheets from The Picture People for $16.  It's a $144 value, so that's a great deal!  The nearest location that you can redeem this Groupon is at the Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton, but it's also valid at the Concord and San Mateo locations.

The only downside, to me, is that you can only select one image for all of the printed portrait sheets, which include one 10" x 13", one 8"x 10", four 5"x7"s, ten 4"x6"s and 16 wallets.  But this is perfect if you've been looking for a cheap way to get the first portrait of your little one to send out to the whole family, or if you just need that one great shot for the new family portrait. 

I've never used The Picture People, but I've seen pictures from others who have, and they're always adorable.  I'm tempted to get this deal, but I know I'd want all of the images on a disc as well, and that can be pretty pricey ($150 for the high resolution images on a disc).  But they also have a View & Share CD for $35, which include all of the images in a lower resolution, so that you can share the images online with friends and family.

Get the Groupon here.

Bargain Alert: $10 for $20 to spend on your favorite sports team's gear

I'm a fan!  Today on Living Social, you can get a $20 voucher for $10 to Fanatics.com to spend on sports memorabilia.  They have stuff from all types of sports, including college.  Someone in the neighborhood may be getting a USC flag to fly this football season.

Get the deal here.

Note, this link gives me a promotion if enough people also purchase it.  You can do the same after you purchase yours.

Bargain Alert: Half off Dog Grooming Services in Livermore ($15 for $30)

If you're a dog lover like me, you might like this deal from a great deal site that I just learned about called LocalGruv.  Today you can purchase a $30 voucher for $15 for Dog Grooming Services at The Sudsy Dog on 2nd Street in Livermore.  You have a few days to purchase this deal, and a portion of the money will go to the East Bay SPCA.  What can be better?

Go here: http://localgruv.com/

I had to share this pic from the site.  It's too much.

Thanks to Jeff from the Mountain House Forum for letting me know about this one.

Bargain Alert: Free Food and Discounts from Panda Express

Thank you, again, to Hip2Save for this gem.  On January 23rd, Panda Express is giving away FREE Firecracker Chicken Breast - no purchase necessary.  Then on January 24th through February 14th, they're giving away any free entree (excluding shrimp) with the purchase of a 2-entree plate, or you can get 10% off any purchase. 

You'll have to bring the coupons, though, available here.

Bargain Alert: Groupon for Casa Flores in Tracy

I'm loving all of the Groupons that are available in our area lately (with the exception of the Jamba Juice Groupon - see the updated post about that).  And here's another one I just learned about (and bought!)

For $10, you get $20 to spend on food and drinks at Casa Flores Mexican Restaurant.  It's valid at 8 locations, including the one on Tracy Blvd in Tracy (but not the ones in Manteca or Modesto, in case you're planning to go there).  I haven't been to Casa Flores before, but with a 50% discount, I'm definitely going to give it a try.

Go here to get all the details and to purchase the Groupon.

Bargain Alert: Groupon for 2 Medium Whirl'ns Frozen Yogurts with 2 Toppings Each for $5 (Update: Not Available in our Area)

Here's another Groupon that we can use close to home!  I just received an email from Groupon apologizing because this isn't available at Jamba Juices in our area and they'll be issuing refunds to those who purchased it.  Sorry about that!


For $5 you can get two Medium Whirl'ns Frozen Yogurts with two toppings each from Jamba Juice.  I didn't know that Jamba Juice had started selling froyo.  But since my step-daughter and I love frozen yogurt, we'll definitely be getting this one.

Get the Groupon here.

Bargain Alert: Livermore Rummage Sale January 28th

When I was looking at the LARPD website, I also saw that their monthly rummage sale is on January 28th 8:00 AM to Noon.  I believe they're held monthly on the last Saturday of the month.  I've been to it once and, although it wasn't huge, I would say it was definitely worth a visit, and I'll probably go again soon. You can also rent a space and sell your own stuff.

Here's the flier for January. 

Bargain Alert: $20 for Paintball Package for 4 in Livermore

For $20 you can purchase this Trubates deal which is good for a $120 paintball package for 4, including equipment rental, although air and paint are not included.  I thought I'd share this one because it can be used in Livermore, off of Stanley Blvd. 

Bargain Alert: Free McDonald's Coffee Through January 15th

More good news for coffee lovers.  I heard on the radio this morning that McDonald's is currently giving away free coffee.  No purchase necessary.   It was hard to find information about this on the web, (I didn't even find anything on the McDonald's website) but I found this article that confirms that they're offering a free small coffee in their San Joaquin County restaurants through Sunday. 

My recollection of the radio ad was that the promotion lasted longer that that, so perhaps they're offering it after January 15th in Alameda County, but don't quote me on that.  I'll update this posting if I find out more.

Taco Night!

Fridays are often taco night in our household.  That's because our favorite taqueria in Tracy, Taqueria Maguey, sells $0.75 tacos on Fridays (and Wednesdays).  Their tacos are on the smaller side, but deliciously filled with quality ingredients.  About 4 will fill me up, and I like to eat a lot of food. They also have other deals the rest of the week, but I love ending my work week with tacos and maybe a chile relleno, if they have any left.

Taqueria Maguey
2242 W. Grant Line Rd.
Tracy, CA 95377http://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-maguey-tracy

Bargain Alert: Free Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss with Any Purchase

Thanks to Hip2Save.com for letting me know about this deal!  Now through February 2nd, 2012, you will receive a free Beauty Rush Lip Gloss with any purchase in Victoria's Secret stores (but not outlets) with this coupon. 

Bargain Alert: $2 for 5 $1 Vouchers for Blockbuster Express Kiosks - Three Days Left

I found another great Groupon today that I thought I'd share: $2 for 5 $1 vouchers for Blockbuster Express Kiosks.  These are good at all of the Blockbuster Kiosks and blockbuster.com.  You have three days left from today to purchase this.

Here's the link: http://www.groupon.com/deals/blockbuster-express-harrisburg-4?c=dnb&p=2

This information comes from another website/blog that I found recently that I absolutely love, Hip2Save.  I totally recommend it for anyone, not just the super-thrifty.  http://hip2save.com

I suggest that you sign up for their email alerts - they send all the deals to your mailbox daily.

Bargain Alert: Groupon for Qdoba in Tracy - One Day Left

On Groupon right now, you can get a $14 voucher to Qdoba in Tracy for $7.  It's rare for Groupon or any of the other deal sites to have deals so close to home, so I had to post about it.  I bought this one since it's a new restaurant that I'd been wanting to try, and I'll definitely try it if I get a 50% discount.

Here's the link.  You won't be able to purchase it after tomorrow: http://www.groupon.com/deals/qdoba-stockton?c=dnb&p=5

Bargain Alert: Eco Friendly Bathroom and Window Cleaners - Costco

On Saturday, I was at Costco in Tracy, and I saw a great deal for ATTITUDE Certified Eco Friendly Bathroom and Window Cleaners.  It was $2.97 for a spray bottle and 1 gallon refill.  On the shelves next to these bottles was were equal-sized bottles of PineSol, which were $10 each.  So, I couldn't resist - I bought two sets of the bathroom cleaners.  I tested it out on my shower, which picks up a lot of soap scum, and it worked pretty well.  They were almost out of the bathroom cleaners when I was there, but they had plenty of window cleaner left.  I'm not sure if this item is being sold at other stores, or if it's at the same price.

On a side note, I really wish I could buy eco-friendly and organic products all the time, but I just can't afford to.  So, whenever possible, I do, or I buy the most eco-friendly items that I can afford.  Costco is actually a great place for good deals on some green products.  We try to buy their recycled paper towels and toilet paper, as well as some of the Kirkland brand green(er) cleaners.  Prices for these products are often comparable, if not cheaper than their traditional Kirkland brand items.  And even when it ends up being a little bit more, I can justify buying it anyway because it helps me feel better about my impact on the world.