larger view

One of the news staffers rented a movie at Blockbuster over the weekend and found out the current prices were $2 a day for a new release and $1 for an older title.

He let us know, and reporter Courtenay Edelhart checked it out with the company. Turns out Bakersfield is a test market for this pricing. Of course, keep the item longer than a day and you'll keep paying.

What do you think of the pricing?

Will you be going to Blockbuster? Or are you a Netflix customer?

The last time I said anything about IHOP, a bunch of bloggers protested, saying they don't like the food. Fair enough.

When you're looking for inexpensive breakfast — say with a large group or a family — it can be a great deal. And right now the Rosedale Highway location and the one off Buck Owens Boulevard are handing out $5 coupons for your next visit.

Not bad if you're buying a $6 or $7 breakfast to get $5 off.

— Christine Peterson

Loading...

Larger Map

larger view

It's sale time at J.C. Penney.

One deal the store is running right now is buy one, get the second one for 88 cents, on all kinds of items. 

I can be skeptical of that — who wants two of the same shirt or shoes? Or, alternately, is the price of the first item so high that a second for 88 cents really isn't a deal?

So I checked it out, and bought four shirts, all very different (I won't be wearing the same thing every day), that were part of the promotion.

They ended up being about $16 each. Worked for me.

— Christine Peterson

larger view

You gotta love this headline: Jack Feels Your (Gas) Pain!  

That comes to us today from the PR folks at Jack in the Box, who want you to know they're handing out two free regular tacos on June 26 to any customer who brings in a gas receipt. (No copies! No cheating!)

"The rising price of fuel is really putting the pinch on consumers," said Terri Graham, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Jack in the Box Inc., in a Jack's press release. "Giving away free tacos is our way of letting guests know that Jack's got their back in these tough economic times."

No taco hogs — one order of two free tacos per customer!!!!

The deal's good from midnight until 11:59 a.m. that day.

Now before you bloggers point out the obvious, let me say it: Yes, I do realize that if you go there you'll likely spend money on a soda and fries or other stuff.

(An aside. Ever wanted to interview Jack? Well, the Fast Food Maven blogger at the Orange County Register, Nancy Luna, wanted to. Read it here. So there's a shout-out to Nancy, a former co-worker of mine!)

— Christine Peterson

larger view

Check out the $5 Outback Steakhouse coupon in today's Californian.

It's for $5 off a Summer Days Aussie Graves entree with a minimum purchase of $25.

It's good Mondays through Thursdays, through Aug. 19.

larger view

I was just reading a story from one of our news services that offered tips for throwing nice, yet reasonably priced birthday parties for children.

It pitched advice you've probably heard before — hold a party at home, pick a simple activity to keep children busy like staging a play with all the kids as actors or decorating cupcakes, etc.

But what really caught my eye was a link to a Birthdays Without Pressure Web site.

There you can "rate your community's pressure" when it comes to parties and read some outrageous stories. (Like the mom whose invitations requested gifts worth at least $35 because the $10 gifts from the previous year didn't cover her costs.)

What are your tips for a party that's nice, yet won't break the bank?

What outrage have you encountered?

— Christine Peterson

larger view

Here’s a penny-saving trick for those of us who absolutely MUST have our regular non-fat, half-caf, Venti latte — or maybe an iced, double-mocha blended coffee drink from Starbucks.

If you’re a card-carrying “member” of Barnes & Noble bookstore on California Avenue, you can get a Venti latte for $3.19, rather than the regular price of $3.50. Just tell the barista you’re a member and provide your phone number if you don’t have your card.

But don’t drive too far out of your way. With gas at $4.30 a gallon, you’ll burn up any savings by making a detour.

— Steven Mayer
 

Loading...

Larger Map

larger view

Even the folks at the California Living Museum know economic times are tough. Check out this "raw report" press release:

 In an attempt to help in difficult economic times, the California Living Museum (CALM) will offer a monthly Kids Free Day at CALM on the last Saturday of the month through the end of 2008. CALM is located at 10500 Alfred Harrell Highway (between Lake Ming and Hart Park) in northeast Bakersfield.

“We know it’s an economically tough time for some out there,” said Lana Fain, zoo manager, “We want people to be able to visit the zoo and not have it impact their budget. We hope to attract new residents to Kern County and this is one way of welcoming them to the area.”

The free day will also apply to Twilight at CALM on the evenings of July 26 and August 30.

Another way to save dollars is to purchase a CALM membership which allows you entrance to the zoo at no additional charge. Memberships come in a variety of levels from individual to business, and applications can be downloaded from CALM’s Web site at http://www.calmzoo.org.

Call (661) 872-2256 for more information about Kids Free Days at CALM or to purchase a membership. 

For more than 25 years, CALM has cared for animals that have been injured or otherwise cannot survive in their native environment.
 

In honor of Father's Day, we share this online survey from U.S News & World Report found by one of our staffers.

It's a quick seven questions meant to make you think about this big choice.

Here it is!

larger view

Spend $20, save $5.

That's the coupon Walgreens is offering shoppers for Friday only. Find the online coupon here.   Hit the "print coupon" button.

The deal excludes alcohol, prescriptions and co-pays and some other items, just as many store coupons do.

Need to find a store near you? Click here.

— Christine Peterson

larger view

McDonald's is selling 42-ounce sodas for 69 cents.

(For those of you pinching every penny, that's 74 cents with tax in metro Bakersfield.)

Of course they figure you'll buy a bunch more and still spend several bucks. Me? I cleaned out the bottom of my purse, scooped up a bunch of pennies and just bought the soda.

— Christine Peterson

From a New York Times columnist comes these three free gems to use on your cell phone.

The first one is 800-GOOG411. It's a voice-activated directory inquiry and is totally free. Don't ever call 411 from your cell phone again.

800-2CHACHA is a question answering service. I tried this earlier this morning. I called the number and asked 'How old is David Beckham'? Cha Cha texted me back to say they were working on the question. A few minutes later the answer came back with the correct age and birthdate. Only charges are usual text-message fees.

Lastly, 866-JOTT123, is a memo-taking service. You're on your way home from work and you have a great idea, like, don't forget to send flowers to your mother for her birthday tomorrow. The service converts your voice message to text and sends it to your e-mail address. You can put other people's e-mail addresses in there too. Go to jott.com to sign up (it's free).

You can see the entire New York Times column here.

Being a cheapskate has never been so debonair!

larger view

Check out this report from USA Today:

"Thirsty for more business during the worst slump in its history, Starbucks will try to lure more customers by offering two hours of free AT&T Wi-Fi a day.

"The Wi-Fi freebie will be available starting Tuesday to customers who purchase a minimum $5 reloadable Starbucks Card and register online for the Starbucks Rewards Card program. The two hours must be consecutive. New members also receive a voucher for a free drink."

If you take a look at the Starbucks Web site, the company is offering other deals with the Rewards Cards. Sign up for them here.