Bargain Babe

Spa lovers rejoice! SpaFinder.com is offering discounts on massages and facials to make them more affordable for regular folks like you and me as part of their Deal Days promotion. Treatments are either 50% off or a flat $50. The catch is that you do not get to chose the treatment. The spa decides ahead of time which services are discounted and you pick from their offerings.

The spa deals are only available between Sept. 20-26, 2010. You can book now to get an appointment at participating spas around the country. SpaFinder is not associated with Spa Week, as I erroneously stated in a previous post.

Time was $5 movie tickets weren't such a good deal. But let's not speak of that. For now, let's speak of how through Sept. 30, McCormick & Schmick's seafood restaurant is offering a $5 movie ticket with the purchase of any entree.

Considering the costs of dating these days, that is a tasty deal. It's part of the chain's "Reel to Reel" summer promotion (get it? Reel in the fish. Movie reel....?).

Not all McCormick & Schmick's are participating in all areas. Click here for a list of participating restaurants and theaters. Tickets available while supplies last. I'd call first.

Late summer is one of my favorite times of the year, and not just because of the warm weather. The back-to-school deals and freebies are AMAZING. Here are my tips to get your kid ready for the first bell and stock your home office for pennies on the dollar.

This weekend only, Old Navy adult jeans are all 25% off. Click on and print the coupon at right to get this deal. Expires Aug. 29, 2010. One time use per person. There is no limit to the number of jeans you can use this coupon for. Can you say fall jeans run?

Caveats: not valid online or at Old Navy Outlet. Not valid outside the U.S. Not valid on gift cards, packaging, taxes, clearance merchandise or previous purchases. Cannot be combined with other discounts or offers.

One of my mottoes as the Bargain Babe is to "buy ahead of need." If you buy when prices are low, you can ride out high prices for weeks or even months. The end of summer is the perfect time to put that motto to use. The deals in this video will tempt you to open your wallets and spend. Which may not be a bad thing, after all.

There is something for everyone in this week's wild and wacky list of Friday Freebies. Want to lose weight? Take advantage of free yoga classes and a seven-day free gym membership. Got a student at home? There are many free and practically-free deals on back-to-school supplies for the upcoming school year. And don't forget about the free Cheetos and free shampoo and conditioner from Aveeno. At the end of this post is my video on end of summer deals. Enjoy your weekend!

At the top of my list of favorite pseudo-holidays (like National Pancake Day) is National Yoga Month. This September, there are free yoga classes, free week-long yoga studio passes, and other events to celebrate a type of exercise that relaxes the body and the mind. I'm a yogi -- can you tell? If you are new to yoga, National Yoga Month offers a low-cost way to try it out! You don't have to buy a mat to take advantage of these deals. Many yoga studios offer free mats to borrow during class or charge a nominal fee, like $1. Just make sure to wash your hands after class. A lot of other yogis have sweated on that mat. Everything you need to know about National Yoga Month is on YogaMonth.org (see above link). The site has a list of 1,500-plus studios that are giving away free week long yoga passes. A smaller number of studios have free days. The "holiday" is also a promotional vehicle for the "Titans of Yoga" DVD, which is $25. (Expect lower prices as part of the month-long celebration). If you miss the free yoga or do not have an event close to you, look for donation and community classes for reduced rates.

As a thank you for tolerating site maintenance, Kohl's is offering free shipping through Aug. 29, 2010. Use coupon code YOUR50 and make sure you have $50 in your cart or it won't work. Standard shipping is currently $.99 per item, so this may or may not be a better deal, depending on how many items you planned to buy.

You can use up to two promo codes at a time on the Kohl's website, which is awesome. You must enter your credit card info before you can test the codes, however. Two more Kohl's coupon codes you might be interested in:

• URSECRET15: Use this coupon code to get an extra 15% off intimates, many of which are already on sale. Expires Aug. 28, 2010.
• EB15SAVE: Use this coupon code to get 15% off an order of $100 or more. Expires Aug. 31, 2010.
• Sign up for Kohl's email list and you'll get a $5 off coupon to use in stores and a 10% off Promo Code to use online

Remember to shop through eBates and you'll get an extra 4% in cash back rewards off your total purchase. Thanks, Eve!

Get a free sample of Cheetos Mighty Zingers, a spicy food product, when you share your name, address, e-mail, and date of birth. I've never tasted Cheetos Mighty Zingers, but they come in two flavors, Sharp Cheddar & Salsa Picante, and Ragin Cajun & Tangy Ranch.

This deal is only available while supplies last. The sample is through Walmart, so you will begin receiving e-mails from the mass retailer if you sign up. However, you can unsubscribe later.

Caveats: Expect the freebie to arrive in 4-6 weeks. One sample per household. It's available to U.S. residents 18 or older.

At the top of my list of favorite pseudo-holidays (like National Pancake Day) is National Yoga Month. This September, there are free yoga classes, free week-long yoga studio passes, and other events to celebrate a type of exercise that relaxes the body and the mind. I'm a yogi - can you tell?

If you are new to yoga, National Yoga Month offers a low-cost way to try it out! You don't have to buy a mat to take advantage of these deals. Many yoga studios offer free mats to borrow during class or charge a nominal fee, like $1. Just make sure to wash your hands after class. A lot of other yogis have sweated on that mat.

Everything you need to know about National Yoga Month is on YogaMonth.org (see above link). The site has a list of 1,500-plus studios that are giving away free week long yoga passes. A smaller number of studios have free days. The "holiday" is also a promotional vehicle for the "Titans of Yoga" DVD, which is $25. (Expect lower prices as part of the month-long celebration).

If you miss the free yoga or do not have an event close to you, look for donation and community classes for reduced rates.

Thanks, Teresa!

Rent one movie and get a second movie free from Blockbuster Express using coupon code G218C4. The code is valid today, Aug. 25, 2010, only and expires at midnight local time. Make sure to have two DVDs in your cart before entering the code. The free movie rental is good for one night so if you keep the DVDs longer you'll be responsible for extra fees.

If you sign up for emails from Blockbuster Express, they will send you a coupon code like this almost every week.

Recent movies that Blockbuster Express kiosks are stocked with include The Back-Up Plan (With J.Lo, rated PG13), Death at a Funeral (R), and City Island (PG13). Selection varies by kiosk. Reserve the movie you want to watch ahead of time online to ensure it is available.

Starting tomorrow, Thursday Aug. 26, 2010, get a whopping 30% off as part of a huge Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy Give & Get sale, which ends Sunday Aug. 29. (If the above link does not work try this one.)To get the deal, select one of six charities to receive 5% of what you spend. The charities include The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The World Wildlife Federation, Feeding America, RED (an AIDS charity), Big Brother Big Sister, or Teach for America. Great choices all around.

Once you select a charity, sign up with your name, e-mail, and choose a password. You can invite up to 50 friends to get the discount and spread the message on Facebook and Twitter. Then check your email for a confirmation message. It's unclear if you need a coupon to get the discount, so to be safe, print out the confirmation e-mail and bring it to the store when you shop.

Caveats: This discount is not available online, unfortunately, but is accepted at Gap, Gap Outlet, Gap Factory Store, The Gap Generation, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory Store and Old Navy stores in the U.S. only (including Puerto Rico). Not valid at Edition by Banana Republic. Discount cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Not valid on gift cards, packaging, taxes, prior purchases, or telephone orders placed to stores or customer service 1-800/888 numbers. Not valid at Gap on Keds® and Robeez®, or diaper bags and strollers at babyGap.

Gap Foundation's total donations to all U.S. and Canadian non- profit organizations in connection with this offer shall not exceed U.S.$1.5 million. Such donation does not entitle the Gap Inc. customer to claim a charitable contribution deduction. Copies of offer card will not be accepted.

The Aveeno free sample offer is back! Get a free sample of Aveeno's Nourish line of shampoo and conditioner when you answer three questions about your hair-care habits. You can choose to receive a coupon instead of a free sample. The offer expires Dec. 31, 2010, but supplies will run out long before then.

To get the deal, share your name, address, e-mail and gender, plus answer four more questions about hair products. I got a free sample months ago and liked it. Each packet had enough to wash my hair twice. You can pick from the moisturize, volumize, revitalize or shine versions.

Caveats: the free sample takes 4-6 weeks to arrive. Limit one sample per household. Must be 18 years of age and older or age of legal majority in your state at the time of registration. Offer limited to the United States.

Get an 80% discount on a meal from Restaurant.com through Aug. 31, 2010. Use coupon code CLEARANCE to get a $25 gift certificate at a restaurant of your choosing for just $2 (the certs start at $10 per). Unclear if the coupon code is case sensitive. There are thousands of restaurants across the country that accept these certificates.

In some cases, the $25 gift certificates costs $15 instead of $10, which means with coupon code CLEARANCE, each one is $3. Pretty manageable, huh? If buying one is not in your budget, win one of two $100 Restaurant.com gift certificates on my money saving blog, BargainBabe.com.

Caveats: one certificate per visit to a restaurant. There are usually minimum spend requirements on food that go above and beyond the $25 gift certificate. Alcohol, tax, and tip do not count toward the minimum. Not valid on previously placed orders and cannot be combined with other promotions or offers.

Buying a certificate supports WalletPop.

Vistaprint is very savvy. The company knows people are looking for back-to-school supplies and office products for their home work stations, so Vistaprint comes along with an offer for their top 10 products -- free!

The freebies include business cards, return address labels, postcards, rubber stamps, banners, photo calendars, pens, sticky notes, T-shirts and mugs. (Tote bags and mouse pads are free, too, when I last checked).

Get a free 7-day gym pass to any Gold's Gym when you share your name, e-mail, ZIP code, and phone number. Select which gym you'd like to use for the 7-day free trial (you cannot use multiple gyms during the trial). Then answer three multiple choice questions about your fitness goals, habits, and preferred type of exercise. You'll need to choose a date to meet with a fitness pro for a fitness assessment. Then print out your pass.

Unclear when this deal expires. Valid for first-time members only.

Caveats: must be a local resident older than 18 years old. Valid at participating locations only. Amenities vary by location. Other restrictions may apply.

Signing up supports WalletPop.