So, for today and to keep you busy over the weekend, here are a few:

This great info sent in by Mindy in New York, a die-hard coupon clipper and price comparison shopper: New Trade in Program announced by Best Buy.  Click here for info. Thanks, Mindy!

Have dry eyes?  Here’s a FREE bottle of Optive lubricant drops! This is stuff that is just not available at a low price, so Click here to register  your info for a personal rebate coupon.

Now, let’s start talking about Christmas — already???  Yes!  Hot gift items are available NOW at discount prices — we’re doing our best to find them for you.  Shop now, get what you want, and be done, and paid, by December.  Here’s some of the biggies:

Amazon announced last week that they were lowering the price of a new KINDLE Wireless Reading Device (6 e-reader to under $260 with free shipping, the lowest price ever. You can also pre-order the next generation Kindle, launching on October 19, or, if you’re shopping for yourself, there are a limited number of refurbished models for $219.

DIGITALLY REMASTERED BEATLES BOXED SET — We think this is THE gift for baby boomers on your list, and Amazon has the lowest price, free shipping and reliability. They’ll be shipping on 10/31.

Click here to go to Amazon.com, and you could probably get your holiday shopping done by Halloween!

And a few discounts, for gifts or for yourself — Shop THIS WEEKEND for these deals:

Get low $2.99 shipping on purchases at OneHanesPlace.com. Enter promo code 611690 at checkout. This offer is valid through October 25th.

Extra $50 off unlocked BlackBerry Storm. MSRP: $899. Kusho.com price: $499.99. Now, just $449.99! Use code BB_STORM_449 through 11/16

Or, Get an unlocked black Blackberry Pearl Flip (8220) for just $239.99. Use coupon BB8210EARL20OFF thru 11.16.

A great freebie from a great resource for beauty products: FREE 27 Piece Mini Makeup Kit With Any Purchase from ELF COSMETICS! Use code LOYAL thru 11/13

Happy Weekend, Happy Shopping, and let us know what we can find for you!

Next week, we’ll talk about ways to make extra $$$ for the holiday season. Meanwhile, for more on Holiday shopping, click here!

Skip the shopping for a day, go get some culture!

For today,  click here to read more on discount travel and entertainment.  Happy Weekend!

Here are a few links to get you there.

Stay cool!

Great Escape Theaters

Regal Cinemas

Cinemark

For more local and regional location listings:

Five Cent Nickel

Also, check your local newspapers — lots of cities do free movies in parks and other venues.  You can also order discount movie tickets through your local Entertainment Book — which is free for the balance of 2009 with your order for next year’s book.  Good deal.

Of course, there’s always the stay at home movies.  If you really don’t want to leave the house, Blockbuster online and Netflix always have great offers.

If Dinner and a Movie is more your style, there are some fabulous discount dining sites.  My favorite is Restaurant.com.  Great discounts on loads of restaurants nationwide, and no sign-up fees.

For more ways to save on entertainment, click here.

Have a fun and safe holiday weekend.

First of all, let’s get the terminology straight. When I lived in NY, a spa was someplace you went to have massages, facials, and if you were really lucky, you might go to Arizona or Utah for a week of exercise and pampering.  

When I moved to Florida, I was truly confused, because down here, a spa is a hot tub. In NY, a hot tub is a hot tub.

But I digress.

In February, while most of the Northern Hemisphere is shoveling snow, I started a very strict diet, with a list of maybe 10 foods that I was allowed to eat.  Since eating a major part of my social life, I decided to stick close to home for the 6 weeks I’d be on the plan, and focus on making myself healthier.  

As a home-based writer, I have the luxury of doing this without having to go to work out of the house.  So, for six weeks, I cooked simple meals, walked on the beach almost daily, spent spare time reading and watching girlie movies and just generally taking care of myself.  I made exercise dates instead of dinner dates with friends.  Armed with a selection of articles from a women’s health and beauty magazines, I tried a bunch of different exercise routines, healthy spa meals, and the most fun part, beauty treatments. I let my hair go grey, started a new skincare regime, (see Drugstore Junkie for more about this) and treated myself to long, warm showers with body scrubbies and smoothers, followed by new body lotions.  

I had my favorite masseur come over for a relaxing, rejuvenating massage, my favorite nail technician for a manicure and pedicure, and, had I not just had one, I would have had a doctor come in for a shot of Botox too. 

I know I’m lucky to have the time to do this, but this is definitely doable by anyone — in a week, a weekend, or even just a day.

First, line up a few good friends to join you.  Get rid of the family for a while, and make sure you’re stocked up on:

1. healthy foods to cook (or go wild and have it catered!)
2. movies and music
3. body brushes, scrubbies, soaps and lotions (see 100 under 100 for shopping tips) and at home facials and peels
4. magazines with “spa weekend” articles
5. ‘good’ wine
6. herbal tea
7. yoga and exercise videos

Get on the phone and find a massage therapist, nail tech and maybe a hairstylist who will come to the house — most are thrilled to have a few people to work on at once. 

Set up a schedule.  Do a morning walk, stretch or yoga class, an at-home facial, and a light lunch and siesta.  Then, a harder exercise class, followed by massages, manicures and other self-pampering treatments  – if you can’t or don’t want to have professionals come to the house, you can help each other . After another healthy meal, take what’s left of the wine, settle in for the evening and watch a good movie.  

Or get in the hot tub.  Oops, I mean the “spa”.

For a  long, long time, I knew that I had a talent for finding just what I wanted, at the price I wanted to pay — and it was always way less than you’d expect.  And it’s not just about the stuff!  I’ve eaten at the finest restaurants, traveled the world, done lots of fun things and made a few great investments to ensure a safe and abundant future.   Now, I’ll teach YOU how to do the same.  Rule #1 — make it fun.  

For a little more about me, please click here.  Check back often, as I will be sharing lots of tricks I’ve learned over many years of bargain shopping.  And please, write to me too — I’d like to know some of your tricks and triumphs, what was your Best Bargain EVER, and what info you’d like from me.  

Till next time, 

Robin