Cheapsters

Farewell Cheapsters.org, Hello Cheapsters Books!

jacheap — Sat, 22 May 2010 13:54:50 +0000

Dear Cheapsters,

jackie the cheapster

I am sad to say that cheapsters will no longer be a blog, but will be converted into a series of themed chapbooks. The reason is that I got burnt out trying to maintain something that I didn’t have the wherewithal to pull off. As I have a day job, all my free time was spent working on the blog, and I had no time or energy to work on my fiction and music-related writing, which are really important to me right now. If you are interested in cheap events and dollar deals, there are a multitude of sites for L.A. events, such as Lafreebee.com, bargainbabela.com, and walletpop.com.
These cheapsters chapbooks will be published several times a year. No calendar and dollar deals, just in-depth articles and interviews. The Paper Kitty ‘Zine team will be reunited, with Viet handling all the art and design while I’ll be taking care of editorial. The first one will be printed sometime in the fall. More details to come!

Cheapsters was created to be a resource for young people living on a shoestring budget. I made it to meet other cheapsters. You can always e-mail me at jackie[at]cheapsters[dot]org.
Thanks for reading and we’ll keep you posted on the development of the first chapbook.
Best,
Jackie the Cheapster

Vintage Coupons

jacheap — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:00:20 +0000

Patrick the cheapster found a really cool link on flickr to vintage coupons. I posted a few of my favorites here. It’s fun to see coupons for 7 cents off and retro product design is always a treat. To see the complete set, visit Waffle Whiffer on flickr.

Cheapsters Giveaway

jacheap — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:00:53 +0000

Congrats to cheapster reader Priya Lorenz, who won our “Ask Siggy Freugal” question” giveaway. Priya won a $20 gift certificate to Frysmith gourmet fries food truck and a limited-edition cheapsters bird plushie! Stay tuned for more giveaways!

A Ticket to Heaven for Only 25 Cents

jacheap — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:00:38 +0000

Cheapsters can now ride the newly reopened Angels Flight for a quarter.

By Emily Burnett

“Built in 1901 by Colonel J.W. Eddy, lawyer, engineer and friend of President Lincoln, Angels Flight is said to be the world’s shortest incorporated railway. The counterbalanced cars, controlled by cables, travel a 33 percent grade for 315 feet. It is estimated that Angels Flight has carried more passengers per mile than any other railway in world, over a hundred million in its first fifty years.”
– plaque near top of Angel’s Flight

Built to transport people up and down the steep Bunker Hill in downtown Los Angeles, the original Angels Flight funicular railway was closed in 1969 when Bunker Hill was redeveloped. In 1996 the railway was rebuilt and reopened about a half-block south of the original site, using the original cars. It was then closed again in 2001 due to an accident resulting in a fatality and several injuries.

Angels Flight, now restored and brought up to safety standards, reopened on March 15, 2010. So now Los Angelenos can (safely) ride this piece of L.A. history…for only 25 cents!

You can board Angels Flight at the top (through California Plaza, from Grand Avenue) or the bottom (351 South Hill St., 90013), and you pay the fare at the top, where they give you a nifty “souvenir” ticket. It’s 25 cents one way, or 50 cents round trip. Trains run every few minutes, so you never have to wait very long. The seats don’t look that comfortable, but they’re perfectly fine considering the ride only lasts 40 seconds (slightly less time and much less energy than it would take to walk up the hillside, or all the way around the block).

Location: 351 South Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Schedule: 6:45am to 10:00pm, 365 days a year.

Transportation: Ride the Metro Red Line from North Hollywood or Union Station (or Purple Line from Wilshire/Western or Union Station) to the Pershing Square Station, exiting on the 4th Street side. (If you exit 5th Street/Pershing Square, just walk a block and a half north.) You will see Angels Flight on the west side of the street across from La Cita and Taco House #1.

You may recognize the Angels Flight hillside as the one cleared by goats a year and a half ago.

A number of buses also go downtown. From Santa Monica / Westwood / Echo Park (and many places in between), you could ride the 2 or the 4 line to 4th and Hill Street downtown. To leave downtown, you would catch the bus on 4th and Broadway (a block east of Hill) heading north.

Off of Wilshire from west of downtown, you could catch the 720 or 920, then get off at Wilshire/Western where you can catch the Purple Line mentioned above.

Fare: $1.25 per ride, or $5.00 for a day pass—TAP Card required for day pass and may be purchased at Metro vending machines in rail station. Note: Metro is raising fares to $1.50 per ride and $6.00 for a day pass starting July 1.

Angels Flight, now restored and brought up to safety standards, reopened on March 15, 2010. So now Los Angelenos can (safely) ride this piece of L.A. history…for only 25 cents!

Location: 351 South Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013

Schedule: 6:45am to 10:00pm, 365 days a year.

Transportation:

Ride the Metro Red Line from North Hollywood or Union Station (or Purple Line from Wilshire/Western or Union Station) to the Pershing Square Station, exiting on the 4th Street side. (If you exit 5th Street/Pershing Square, just walk a block and a half north.) You will see Angels Flight on the west side of the street across from La Cita and Taco House #1.

You may recognize the Angels Flight hillside as the one cleared by goats a year and a half ago.

Off of Wilshire from west of downtown, you could catch the 720 or 920, then get off at Wilshire/Western where you can catch the Purple Line mentioned above.

Free Scoop of Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream Today

jacheap — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:00:44 +0000

Haagen-Dazs, the fanciful gourmet ice cream maker, is celebrating its 50th birthday in style by giving away a free ice cream today. Just stop by one of their shops from 4 pm to 8 pm to enjoy a free scoop of one of three original ice cream flavors: Haagen-Dazs Chocolate, Coffee or Vanilla. Haagen-Dazs shops at the Burbank Towne Center, Beverly Center, The Grove, and at the Americana in Glendale.

If you live in the San Francisco area, there are shops at the San Francisco Centre and at the Stonestown Center. For New Yorkers, there are quite a few shops, including one at Hanover Square – Soupman, Penn Station, and several in Brooklyn, where the first shop opened. Visit their website to find a shop near you.

Cheapsters on haitus this week

jacheap — Wed, 12 May 2010 13:54:30 +0000

I suffered a minor injury to my hand this past weekend have to keep it easy with typing. Nothing severe; just a silly mishap. I learned the hard way not to put my fingers near sharp, shiny objects in the kitchen. Sorry to say that the site is taking a break for a couple of days. I’ll do my best to get this week’s Cheapster’s Weekend up. We’ll definitely be back next week.

50% Frappucinos at Starbucks

jacheap — Fri, 07 May 2010 19:58:19 +0000

Take note there’s now a happy hour for caffeine addicts. From May 7-16 you can enjoy a Starbucks frappucino at 50%. They’re promoting three new flavors of frapps: the mocha light, extra coffee caramel, and strawberry and crème. Swing by anytime between the hours of 3:00 – 5:00 pm to enjoy their signature ice blended beverage. This happy hour runs into the weekend too. Sweet deal!

A Cheapster’s Weekend: May 6-9

jacheap — Thu, 06 May 2010 15:54:38 +0000

Thursday

Before the weekend gets crazy with cheapster happenings, take a few minutes to enter to win a $20 gift certificate to Frysmith food truck and a limited-edition cheapsters bird plushie. Get all the details here.

Friday

Bikerowave Party: The Bikerowave in Mar Vista, an awesome place to work on your bicicleta, is throwing a party to celebrate its birthday and all the cool kids will be there. Feast on goodies from the Tamale Lady and a taco truck. Did I mention there will be requisite booty shaking underneath a bona fide disco ball? What more could you ask for? Afterward you can check out what’s hip and happening at the Mitsuwa market around the corner. Say hi to the security guard for me. He’s a nice guy.

Cost: Free
Time: 8 p.m.

Bikerowave | 12255 Venice Blvd. | Mar Vista, CA 90066 | Map It

Feed Your Head’s 2^nd Year Anniversary: My friend Brad Roberts, a true devotee to the local indie music scene and expert blogger, is celebrating the 2 year anniversary of his blog, Feed Your Head, with a show at Pehrspace. This is one of my favorite places to see live music in the city. It’s a small, intimate space and since there’s no bar you don’t have to deal with crazy drunks stumbling out in the parking lot. The lineup is sure to please many an audiophile, and includes Seasons, Radars to the Sky, George Glass, Downtown Union, and a special solo set from Harley of Red Cortez.

Time: 9 p.m.
Suggested Donation: $5

Pehrspace | 325 Glendale Blvd. | Los Angeles, CA 90026 | Map it

Saturday

L.A. Art Show: A one-night Art Exhibition with 30 plus Angelenos, L.A. Art in Numbers celebrates Art in Los Angeles. A buttload of artists will be exhibiting their work, such as Shark Toof, Two Rabbits, and Meow. There will be silk-screening by the Hit + Run crew. Hit + Run were at a Storiesbookstore event last year and I scored a free tote bag with some neat prints on it. Score! DJs Jeremy Sole (KCRW), Take (Brainfeeder), Valtron (Beat Swapmeat), & Toks (Hit+Run) will be providing music and enjoy complimentary libations courtesy of Bear Flag Wine. A portion of the proceeds benefit The Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. It’s sure to be a ripping good time, as my friend Sandy would say.

Suggested Donation: $10
Time: 7 pm – 11 pm
Please RSVP to RSVP@LAArtinNumbers.com

High Profile Productions | 5896 Smiley Dr. | Culver City, CA | Map It

Santa Monica Festival: This year’s theme for the SaMo Fest is Engaging Culture, Renewing Community so put on your vegetarian shoes (no, I’m not making that up) and check out ways to be more green. Sponsored by Community Arts Resources (CARS), the festival boasts several performance stages where you can enjoy international sounds or take a free dance class. Engage in workshops happening throughout the day, head over the Eco Zone to learn about sustainable living, and feast on some goodies at the marketplace and café. If you fill out a survey card at the info booth you can enter to win a bike. Woohoo!

Cost: Free
Time: 11 am – 6 pm

Transport: Free bike valet, or you can take the No. 8 line on the Big Blue Bus, which takes you straight to the festival.

Clover Park | 2600 Ocean Park Blvd. | Santa Monica | Map It

National Train Day: Choo Choo! Union Station is where it’s at this Saturday for train lovers and expats looking for a way to get a quick ticket out of town. In honor of National Train Day, Union Station in downtown will be converted into a makeshift museum with exhibits on the National Park Service trails and rails and model train and train equipment displays. The featured exhibit is one on the railroad braceros, about the thousands of Mexicans who came to California during WWII to help build and maintain the railways. There will also be culinary demonstrations at the “Dining the Rail Way” exhibit. Perhaps the chef will be concocting food they serve on the train? Also Huell Howser, of California’s Gold fame, will be making an appearance!

Cost: Free
Time: 11 am – 4 pm
Transport: $6 parking at the E. Cesar Chavez and N. Vignes St in the MTA Lot, or take public transit

L.A. Union Station |800 N. Alameda St. | Los Angeles CA 90012 | Map It

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive: Got that is doing nothing but taking up space and collecting dust? The post office will be collecting food items this Saturday and will deliver them to local food banks. Any non-perishable items, such as canned meats and fish, canned veggies and soup, juice, pasta, rice and cereal. One item that food banks love receiving is canned tuna. It’s a great source of protein, can be stored for long amounts of time, and is relatively inexpensive. This is a super easy way to give back to the community. All you have to do is leave a bag with your donated items next to the mailbox, and the USPS does the rest.

This is also great opportunity to declutter. I took a quick look at my kitchen cupboards last night and found a fair amount of stuff that has been sitting in there for *ahem* a while.

For more info, visit: www.usps.com/stampouthunger

Free Screening of Money Fix + Potluck: The Echo Park Time Bank is hosting a free screening of The Money Fix (6:30 pm). A film by Alan Rosenblith, The Money Fix is a feature-length documentary exploring our society’s relationship with the almighty dollar. By looking at economic patterns in both the human and the natural worlds, it looks at different ways we can redesign the lifeblood of the economy at the community level. The film will be preceded with a free workshop on the principles of time banking (5:00 pm 5:30 pm) and a potluck (5:30-7:30 pm).

Cost: $5 Donation
Time: 5:00 pm

Echo Park Film Center | 1200 North Alvarado St. | Los Angeles, CA 90026 | Google Map

Sunday

Free Mother’s Day Performance: Need something to do with your ma for Mother’s Day? The Downtown Women’s Center, a nonprofit that houses transient women, presents Get Oprah On the Phone, a performance by D.I.V.A.S. (Dames Invested In Very Authentic Storytelling). It’s a Mother’s Day rant and celebration, and sure to be a hoot! This is an interactive performance, so audience participation will be encouraged. You’ll also get a chance to enter in a free raffle and enjoy yummy desserts and hors d’oeurves.

Cost: Free
Time: 4 pm

Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock | 2225 Colorado Blvd. | Los Angeles 90041 | Map It

Screening of Roger Beebe’s Films for One to Eight Projectors: Renowned experimental filmmaker Roger Beebe, whose films have shown at Sundance and MOMA, will be presenting a program of his recent mutli-projector films. This sounds like a zany experiment, as Beebe explores the possibilities of using multiple projectors—running as many as eight projectors simultaneously. These films are in their own right performance films, technological demonstrations, and aesthetic works all at the same time.

Cost: $5 donation
Time: 8 pm

New Echo Park Film Center Analog Annex (please call or e-mail them for directions to their new 2nd location!)

Win a $20 Gift Certificate to Frysmith + Bird Plushie

jacheap — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:42:10 +0000

We’re giving away a $20 gift certificate to Frysmith food truck. The winner will also receive one of our adorable plush birdies, hand-crafted by the talented Miss Trish of Plush Parade. There are only 10 of these plushes in existence.

by Trish Tatum

In order to win, all you’ll need to do is submit a question to our advice columnist Sigmund Freugal. The question has to do with a cheapsters-related matter on how to save money on an area in your life. So if there’s something you’ve been quibbling over, now’s the chance to have Siggy dole some advice out to you.

Please e-mail questions to contests[at]cheapsters[org] with “Sigmund Fregual Contest” in the subject line. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, May 18th at midnight. One lucky reader will be chosen at random.

The winner will be announced on our site on Wednesday, May 19th.

My One Cent with Sigmund Freugal: Sex Is Cheap

jacheap — Tue, 04 May 2010 19:00:49 +0000

Advice columnist extraordinaire gives you his one cent on inexpensive lovemaking and whether or not to gym it. (Please note this month’s column is intended for a mature audience.)

Sigmund,

I very much enjoy the making sex with ladies, but I do not very much enjoy the expensive buying of condom in convenient store. They are so expensive I wish sometimes to not to use them but am afraid of the STDs like syphilis and pregnancy. How is possible for me to continue enjoying of safe sex without spending all of money on protective rubber sheath for my “сарделька”?

Poor Old Orgasmic Russian

POOR,

I am very glad to hear how concerned you are about having safe sex, as it is very important to protect yourself and others from diseases and unwanted pregnancy if you are going to engage in sexual acts, which, clearly, you are. Of course, the cheapest form of safe sex is abstinence (it’s totally free!), but let’s be real: you’re going to have sex and you need condoms that are cheap (in cost, not quality).

Well, here’s a little knowledge: if you’re on a college campus, your student health center will typically give out free condoms, sometimes just sitting in a little fishbowl on the counter. Just reach in a grab some. Bam! Free sex! If this is not available to you, try your local planned parenthood. Seeing as how they probably won’t let you walk out of there with hundreds of condoms, you are probably going to need a longer-term plan to obtain condoms which will cost you a bit of money.

Your next stop can be your local Costco or Sam’s Club. Of course, you will most likely have to buy in bulk, but think of the savings! For Costco, you don’t even need a membership if you order online at Costco.com. And checking their website, I see they offer 40 condoms for $10, which is 25 cents a pop (literally). Not a bad deal considering it costs twice that just to make a call at a pay phone (meaning phone sex is more expensive than real sex).
For more savings, you can buy in bigger bulk at websites such as discountcondomking.com or condomusa.com, where if you buy 100 or more at a time you can get several different kinds for less than $0.20 each. Condomusa.com is currently running a 2010 Spring Sale and even offering some free samples to try out if you’re not sure what kinds to get, so check them out. Good luck on your quest for safe and inexpensive boot-knocking.

_______________________________________________________

Sig,

In a previous article some dude asked you about getting in shape on the cheap. Well, I’d like to work out with dumbbells, but there aren’t any used sporting goods stores near me. Do you think I should just join a gym? I know they’re expensive, but if I don’t have any equipment at home, what other options do I have?

Cheap Overweight Guy

COG,

There are plenty of good reasons to join a gym but usually “because it’s cheap” isn’t one of them. And gym memberships tend to become even less cheap if you pay for one and then never show up because it’s not as convenient as working out at home. Of course, only you can decide whether it’s worth it or not. However, if it will make the decision easier, there are many other ways of getting weights or exercise equipment in your home if used sporting goods stores are not an option.

Craigslist is great for finding used equipment because the ultimate truth is that most people who buy the equipment don’t stick with it and end up selling it. Whether it’s dumbbells, benches, Gazelles or a Bowflex, you’re likely to find some pretty decent deals on Craigslist (if you work on your negotiating skills, CL can be a goldmine). And another good thing about working out at home with used equipment is that if you end up not using the equipment you buy, you can always sell it some other out of shape sap who thinks it will change his life. Unfortunately, you can’t sell your gym membership if you end up not using that. Think about it.

Quibbling over a cheapsters-related matter? Want some tips on how to get the most bang for your buck? Then shoot Sigmund Freugal an e-mail at: Freugal[at]cheapsters[dot]org.

My One Cent with Sigmund Freugal: Beef it Up and Whiten Down