Some tips from health reporter Emily Hagedorn: 

There are two Yahoo groups that local people use to post things they want for free and will give away for free. Both require registration, but they get more items than even Craigslist does.

http://groups.yahoo.com/gro...

http://groups.yahoo.com/gro...

I’ve gotten a free drill, picture frames, cookbooks, Christmas lights and a filing cabinet, among other things, off of these. I’ve also posted stuff I’ve had that needed to be purged.

This find is reported by Reid Kanaley of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Here's what he writes in a tip sheet out this week:

"Jeff Ostroff, a “self-proclaimed consumer advocate,” says he intends his Web site to help a car buyer save $2,000 on a purchase (though testimonials claim even bigger savings). He gets paid by some of the car-shopping Web sites that he recommends, but insists that he really, really likes those sponsors. See if you don’t recognize yourself as a victim in his list of top car-dealer scams."

It's at www.carbuyingtips.com

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Some shopping tips from Mary Lou Fulton, a vice president here at The Californian:

I'm a big fan of 99 Cent stores. I was there last night (Columbus and Mt Vernon location)  and they have tons of stuff for Easter baskets you can make on the cheap: baskets in a variety of colors, the fake grass, tons of candy, plastic eggs galore and lots of goodies like bunny-shaped chalk for writing on the sidewalk and Easter-themed stuff for blowing soap bubbles.  

Also a lot of people don't know that 99 Cent store sell groceries, including fresh produce and milk and cheese. Last night I saw a three-pack of organic romaine lettuce for 99 cents!  Also fresh broccoli and Balance energy bars for 59 cents each.

A colleague took her lunch break and landed at Timeless Furnishings.

Her mission? Find a bed.

She reports she got one at 50 percent off the regular price and got a quality mattress and box spring.

Lots of stuff is on sale, she said. The store's at 1918 Chester Ave.

Painted window signs along downtown Chester Avenue tell a sad but urgent story.

"Our loss, your gain!"

"We quit you save."

Classic Interiors, at 1918 Chester Ave., is closing for good after more than five years at Timeless Design Center. And while its exit is part of a bleak situation for furnishings retailers nationwide, it does spell opportunity for anyone in the market to buy a bed, sofa, dinette or framed mirror.

For example, inside (and this only applies to the first floor; businesses on the upper levels will remain) discounts range up to 60 percent. The place is literally crowded with furniture that owner Shirley Vance hopes to sell by the time she moves out in about a month.

The products on sale are wide-ranging in their style. If furnishings are what you're looking for, it's definitely worth a look.

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Yikes! Gas prices have soared to an all-time high, with a nationwide average of nearly $3.23 a gallon.

How much more can we take?

There was a day in the not-too-distant past when a $20 bill filled up my much-loved Saturn.

Now? Last week, driving back to Bakersfield from Los Angeles, I needed $37.

So let's at least do what we can to help each other out. Where's the cheapest gas in Bakersfield? And other places in Kern, too?

You can check out this map too.

— Christine Peterson

It's been three months, you notice. Time for an oil change for the old set of wheels.

Where's the cheapest place with good service? Where can you get the job done fast?

Welcome to the newest Californian staff blog.

Our mission: Help you spend your hard-earned money wisely. We'll bring you tips from our own experience, point out sales and coupons, and pose questions about where to find good deals.

But we need your input. Have a question you'd like us to pose to the penny-pinching community? Know of a good deal that we should let everyone else know about?

Shoot an e-mail to me.

— Christine Peterson