Sunday, March 1, 2009

I LOVE DRUGS (TORES)


Image via duanereade.com




On sale this week at Duane Reade: 

Vitamin Water, 5 for $5
Select Windex and Fantastic Cleaning products, 2 for $6
12-packs of Budweiser/Miller Light/Coors Light, $10.99

and: 

Time to throw that old wand out: Buy  select brands of mascara, get 25 extra bonus points!

For details and more sales, click here

Friday, February 27, 2009

Depression Era Cooking, With a Smile


At left: The lovely Clara Canucciari. Image via greatdepressioncooking.com

I read a great article in the NY Daily News today on Clara Cannucciari, a 93-year old grandmother and YouTube sensation. Her gimmick? Cooking the meals that her family made to survive during the Great Depression. 

Ms. Cannucciari is charm personified. She's as comfortable relating cheap cooking tips as she is revealing snippets of her hardscrabble history--and she does so without the slightest hint of "you kids these days" grumpiness. Maybe it's because her grandson is the man behind the camera, but I suspect that she is a truly lovely woman, motivated by a sincere desire to help others. The way she ends her shows seems to indicate that this is the case: "Thanks for listening," she says, smiling at the viewer. "And God bless you."  

I think I love her. 

You can read the article here and you can watch her cooking show (there are seven episodes so far) here. Apparently, a DVD is in the works (or at least, that's what her website says). You can bet I'll be buying it. 

Free, Naturally


Image via kashi.com

Kashi is venturing into the frozen meal category and, in order to drum up interest, the company is giving away coupons for free meals on their website. Get yours today!

Food Emporium Friday


Image via thefoodemporium.com 

TGIF! It's time for another round of Food Emporium Friday, in which Two, Cheap highlights items on sale at The Food Emporium. Remember, most of these deals are only available to Food Emporium Rewards card holders, so get yours today.

This week's circular didn't have much for me, but that might be because I just ate a humongous late lunch. I feel like a woman on the verge...of needing new jeans. All right, enough of that. My picks are below. Check out the sales for yourself here

ON SALE THIS WEEK, 2/27-3/05

AC Seltzer, 5 for $3

Hunt's Snack Packs, 2 for $3

Premium Gold Angus Boneless Sirloin Steak, $5.99 a pound

Thread Bare


Image via Superstock.com

In these tight times, it's been hard for me to justify certain grooming expenditures. My hair, for example, has gone from sunny blonde to sandy blonde to sorta blonde to scarcely blonde to seemingly brown on account of the fact that I simply cannot stomach paying $300 for highlights. Other things have gone by the wayside, too. Manicures and pedicures were never high on my list; now, they're off it. I went to Supercuts the other day for a quick trim, and while I didn't come out of there looking like the Bride of Frankenstein, I also am not sure that what happened was worth $20--how someone can do a mediocre job cutting an inch off stick-straight hair is beyond me. Next time, I'm going to let my boyfriend do it. Really.

And then there are my eyebrows. Un-groomed, they are like two caterpillars embarking on a dangerous game of chicken. Groomed, they often seem off kilter and misshapen. I've never been able to pluck them on my own, and I am always frustrated when I pay someone and get not-so-great results. It's enough to make a girl want to rip her (eyebrow) hair out. 

Enter Perfect Brows, on 1st Avenue between 78th and 79th. They will thread even the most unruly caterpillars into glorious arcs for the low, low cost of $7. And, what's more, repeat customers get their 7th threading free.

I went last week and the result was fantastic: clean arches with minimal redness after the fact. A week later, my brows are still perfectly shaped. If you live in the neighborhood, this is definitely a good spot to try. 

Watch and Earn


Image via alliesanswers.com

With rents dropping all over the city, almost everyone I know is renegotiating their leases. But did you know that you can also get a break from your cable provider? 

It's true. One of my best friends just sent me this email:  

"I just called RCN complaining about a phantom $20 increase in my bill and threatened to go to Time Warner. After a lot of negotiating, she [the RCN representative] reduced my bill from 140 to 88 a month!!! That is almost $700/year in savings. ...You should all do the same. When you are not getting anywhere with the first [representative], ask for the retention specialist. That is when the magic happens!"

It's a great lesson: you can't get what you don't ask for, so you might as well stick your neck out and give it a shot.

Sadison Avenue


Above: Who woulda thunk it...


Something I never thought I'd see: a sale at Fred Leighton.