Bargain Alert: FREE Papa Burger From A&W for Joining Their Text Club

Right now you can get a FREE Papa Burger (Single not Double) from A&W by texting BURGER to 70626.  There's no purchase necessary, and the coupon is valid May 4 - May 10, 2012. 

This automatically signs you up for their text club, but you can always opt out later, if you want to.  And, rumor is that only some restaurants are participating, so you'll need to make sure your local one is.

Yay for Free Stuff!

Bargain Alert: Tax Day Freebies and Deals

I'm sure you've seen the articles about all of the tax day freebies, but I thought I'd post some of the local deals here, as well.

Here's a few courtesy of MSN Money:

• Arby’s: Free curly fries at participating restaurants April 17. For the coupon "like" Arby’s Facebook page.
• Panda Express: You can get a free single serving of Shanghai Steak on April 17 with a coupon from the Facebook page.
• P.F. Chang's: 15% off dine-in and take-out orders April 17. The deal does not include happy hour or P.F. Chang's for Two.
• Sonic: Half-price drinks and slushes all April 17 at participating restaurants.
• Office Depot: The chain is offering up to 5 pounds of free paper shredding and 25 free photocopies (say, of your tax return) through April 16.

And some more that I found while looking around the web, courtesy of The Christian Science Monitor:

• Chevy's Fresh Mex: A tax-free deal. Chevy's will pay sales tax on all meals. 
• Chili’s: Free dessert or appetizer with an adult entrée purchase. Only one coupon is redeemable per table, so it looks like you’ll have to go alone.  You will have to use This coupon.
• IHOP: Kids eat free with a paying adult from 4 pm to 10 pm. Offer valid through  the month of April.
• McDonald’s: Free pie or small cone with purchase of $2.99 or more. Only available at participating locations.

Gluttony will surely make me feel better after writing that check to the IRS...

Bargain Alert: Wedding Bargains from Groupon

As you know, wedding season is just getting started, and Groupon is offering some great deals for just that purpose.  I'm a little late on posting about these, so you'll want to move quickly, but I just had to share some of these great deals that you can use online or locally.

Half off voucher for BlueNile.com.  You can buy a $50, $100 or $200 voucher for BlueNile.com from Groupon for half price.  This is a great deal for purchasing wedding jewlery.  Go here to get it. 

$99 for an Engagement Photo Shoot by Supreme Optique Photography in Tracy.  For $99 you get a two hour photo shoot, at two separate locations, with time for two wardrobe changes, and eight 4x6" prints (a $230 value).  Get this one here.

Go here for more wedding deals, including a deal for invitation printing, custom photo books, custom labels, and many more.


Remember, these end today, so hurry on over and get your Groupon.

Bargain Alert: A Couple of Great Dining Deals from LocalGruv

There are a couple of good deals on food available today on LocalGruv.com.  You can get a $10 voucher for $5 to use at Carl's Jr. in Pleasanton, or at Wise Guys Philly Cheesesteaks n' Gyros in Livermore.

Carl's Jr. is always a decent bet in the fast food world, and I have been wanting to try their new Jalapeño Patty Melt.  Click here to get the half off deal for Carl's Jr.

And I'd seen Wise Guys a few times off of the Airway Blvd exit on 580, but I never knew that they served Philly Cheesesteaks.  I'm definitely going to have to give them a try.  Click here to get the half off deal for Wise Guys. (This one is only available today.)

Bargain Alert: $11 for 2 Hours Studio Time, 12" x 12" Canvas and Use of all the Supplies at Sharaku Paintertainment

For the next four days, LocalGruv is offering a voucher for 2 hours of studio time, a 12" by 12" canvas and all the paint and supplies you'll need to create a beautiful painting at Sharaku Paintertainment in Pleasanton.  (Although in my experience, I usually start out feeling like I'm going to paint like Van Gogh, but end up with something that looks like an elephant painted it.  But most people are much more artistic than I am.)  And at $11 you might as well give it a shot, since you couldn't even purchase the supplies you'd need to create a painted canvas for that price, so it's totally worth it. 

Go here to purchase your voucher and see the details of the offer. 

And what's even better, a portion of the proceeds go to The Taylor Family Foundation.

Bargain Alert: Free French Fries from Burger King This Weekend

This Saturday, March 17th and Sunday, March 18th, Burger King is giving away a free value size french fry to every customer, with no purchase necessary.  And to celebrate St. Patty's Day, they're serving them with a special green sauce.  I'm not sure if that's gross or fun, but who can pass up some tasty, free french fries?

Click here for more info: http://www.bk.com/en/us/company-info/press/press-release2536.html

Bargain Alert: Kids Eat Free at Chili's March 5-7th (Plus Free Chips and Queso)

For the next two days, kids 12 and under eat free at Chili's with the purchase of a regular entree.  I rarely need an excuse to go to Chili's, so this is a bonus. 

Click here for the coupon you'll need to bring.

Plus! If you sign up for their email club, you get free chips and queso. Double Bonus!  Go here to sign up. 

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.

Bargain Alert: Saturday Brunch Buffet for Two at the First Street Ale House for $13

This deal from Living Social is especially timely, considering First Street Ale House was just voted the best restaurant in Livermore by Mountain Housers, in a poll conducted by MountainHouseLiving.com.

For the next two days, you can purchase a voucher for $13, good for two Saturday brunch buffets, including $6 toward drinks, at the First Street Ale House.

Get yours here!

Bargain Alert: Free Frozen Yogurt (and Toppings) at Yogurtland Today 2/6/12

I love froyo and I especially love free stuff.  And today is the best Monday ever, because you can get Free Frozen Yogurt (plus toppings!) at Yogurtland from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM (valid at participating locations only).  Unfortunately, our nearest location is in Dublin, but I'll probably stop on my way home!

Here's their website, to find locations, etc., but it was running pretty slowly when I tried to access it: www.yogurt-land.com

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!

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: Weekend Movie Plans - Discounted Tickets to Man on a Ledge and One for the Money

Your weekend movie plans are set.  Right now you can get discounted movie tickets to two new movies: Man on a Ledge and One for the Money.

Man on a Ledge looked really exciting when I saw the trailer for it a few weeks ago, and currently, Living Social is selling a voucher for 2 movie tickets to see it for $12.  Tickets are purchased through Fandango.com and the voucher covers up to $13 per ticket ($26 total).  Get the deal here.

Don't forget that Living Social will refund your purchase if three of your friends buy it from your referral link!

And Groupon is offering a deal to see One for the Money for the same price ($6 tickets, but you can buy these individually). This one goes through a site called Hollywood Movie Money that I'm not familiar with, but is probably similar to Fandango. I've heard this movie is based a really funny book series, so it might be a fun one to check out, too.  You can get that deal here.

I think this is a great price for a night out, even though you can get movie tickets for not much more than this.  But if you were going to see these movies anyway, why not save a couple of bucks.

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: $20 to Spend at The Body Shop for $10

Living Social is selling $20 vouchers for The Body Shop for $10.  The only problem is you'll have to travel a little further from home if you want to use this deal.  The closest Shop is in Modesto at the Vintage Faire Mall.  (Unfortunately, they're not valid online.)   But it might make a nice Valentines Day gift for someone you know.

Get the deal here.

Bargain Alert: Free Kindle Edition of Quick & Easy Family Dinners Cookbook

Here's something fun you can get for free: a Kindle edition cookbook: Quick & Easy Family Dinners.  Don't worry if you don't have a kindle, you just need the kindle reader app, which you can download on to your computer, your ipad or smart phone.  I'm not sure how promising the recipes are, but since it's free, it's probably worth a glance. 

Let us know if you try out any of the recipes.

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 and Good Cause: We Give Books

This is totally awesome. 

We Give Books is a website that allows you to read children's books for free online with your little ones.  And for each book that you read, they donate a book to a literary cause (choose from one of their options) so that kids who wouldn't otherwise have access to books can get them.  There is no downside.  Please do this.

http://www.wegivebooks.org/

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.