Megan's Law

Hi!
Not really Christmasy news, but very good news indeed.....the California Department of Justice has recently unveiled a new web site providing information on the more than 63,000 registered sex offenders throughout the state. This site allows the public for the first time to use the internet to look up information that was only previously available by going to the
Sherriff's office and asking to see it in person. You used to only be able
to see a little dot on a street, telling you an offender lived somewhere around there, but now you get an actual photo, description and details of the offense! I looked up my neighborhood within 3/4 of a mile and wouldn't you know that a man who had committed lewd acts upon children lives a couple
blocks from an elementary school. #$!@#$! (That's the sound of me punching
his lights out.) The intent of this info is not for citizens to dish out
their own justice on these criminals, however, but to simply be informed and know how to better protect themselves and their families. Hmmm...maybe that is a Christmas present afterall.
Now, on to happier, Christmasier thoughts...
With the purchase of a $25 Gift Card, you will receive a 16 oz. bottle of their famous salad dressing at Pat & Oscar's! You can also buy their yummy
dressing at Costco now. mmmmm Check out the local newspaper for a coupon
for a free bag of breadsticks. Yea! You can also get a free bag if you sign up for their "Breadstick Club" at www.breadstick.com
President Hinkley is going to be on Larry King Live on Sunday, December 26 at 6:00 pm (check TV listing for correct time.)
The San Diego Blood Bank is dangerously low on blood supplies during the holidays and is holding blood drives all over town. If you have a minute or two in between all of your errands, run over to the Souplantation by the Carlsbad Mall on Thursday, December 23rd in the morning where the BloodMobile will be. Not only will you be helping people in your community, but you'll get a free dinner pass at Souplanation, a free Whalewatching expedition ticket, t-shirt, and all the free juice & cookies you can consume
to get your blood sugar levels back to normal after donating! :) Any time
you'd like to find a donation site in your area just call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.
It'll be one of the most meaningful gifts you can give this Christmas.
After all of the holiday parties you may be ready to just dial the phone for dinner....
Is ordering pizza a bargain? It can be! Of all of the amazing breakthrough stories done at the Wall Street Journal, this is a big one. The newspaper decided to document haggling experiences at some of the traditional pizzas chains as well as a couple of the local shops. The Journal reported that if you ask for a discount on the pizza, 80 percent of the time you will get it.
It’s an unwritten law that you can get a markdown, but most people don’t know it. The demand for pizza is elastic, meaning it’s an impulse buy. So, pizza companies are willing to work with you. Secondly, how often are the deliveries on time and how do restaurants get the order wrong? The most common length of time for delivery was one hour. The 30-minute delivery thing seems to be over. And some shops now charge a delivery fee. So, it’s best to pick it up yourself. If you go to pick it up, it’s hotter and fresher. And you can more easily work a discount. So, don’t be afraid to try and work them down.
That's it for today. Only a few shopping hours until Santa comes....good luck out there!
CENTSerely,
Sister Thrifty

Christmas Shopping

Well Hello there my little Elves.....
Here are a few shopping tips to help you during the next few days before Christmas....

For a great last minute gift go to www.giftcertificates.com I've used them
before and it's fast and easy. The best part is the recipient can use the
money at the store of his/her choosing. Even better, if you buy $50 or more
you'll get a fere $5 promotional "SuperCertificate".
To save $20 off your next product purchase of $150 or more use coupon code
8237436555707987 at www.staples.com Offier expires 12/24/04.
If you order by December 20th you can get free delivery by Christmas! You
can also save 10% on one item in your order when you use coupon code H76LDQK
at the checkout at www.barnesandnoble.com
Awhile ago I told you about an interesting web site called www.opentable.com
We have so many new subscribers that I thought I'd mention it again,
especially in case you're thinking about making dinner reservations at a
restaurant for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or even New Years Eve. You can
make reseravations for various restaurants throughout the US and by doing
so, you actually earn points that can be later turned into dollars and spent
at the restaurant of your choice. I tried it out and it was fast, easy, and
now I have points to spend! Woohoo! Click on the town where you live or
even where you might be visiting during the holidays. You have to make
reservations anyway, so you might as well be rewarded too! :)
By the way, a friend told me a terrible story yesterday that reminded me
that we all need to be very careful with our purchases while we're out there
shopping. She had purchased a portable CD player for her daughter at
Macy's. When she brought it home she wanted to show it to her husband
before wrapping it up for Santa. When they opened the box they discovered
that some sleezy, crummy crook of a shopper had stolen the CD player and
replaced it with another less expensive item from the same store so that the
box would be heavy and feel like the correct contents were inside. Can you
believe that? I was so mad for her! Thankfully, there are enough kind
people and heroes in the world to make up for cruddy scumbags like that.
EESH! Check your bags and boxes before you leave the store.
That's it for now. Good luck out there! Merry CHRISTmas!
CENTSerely,
Sister Thrifty

Telemarketing

Bells will be ringing.....

Starting Jan 1, 2005, all cell phone numbers will be made public to telemarketing firms. So this means as of Jan 1, your cell phone may start ringing off the hook with telemarketers, but unlike your home phone, most of you pay for your incoming calls. These telemarketers will eat up your free minutes and end up costing you money in the long run.
According to the National Do Not Call List, you have until Dec. 15th
2004 to get on the national "Do not call list" for cell phones. They said that you need to call 1-888-382-1222 from the cell phone that you wish to have put on the "do not call list" to be put on the list.
They also said you can do it online at http://www.donotcall.gov/ Registering only takes a minute, is in effect for 5 years and will possibly save you money (definitely frustration)!
Hurry! The deadline is fast approaching!
CENTSerely,
Sister Thrifty

Catalog shopping

Hey everyone!
To get you into the Christmas spirit switch your radio station (San Diego
area) to 101.5. It's playing nothing but holiday music 24/7. I love that.
To get a free screen saver for your computer that has a cool snow falling scene go to www.freeze.com
I love it when you can get get certificates for people on your gift list and even get back something for yourself (or to give to yet another person on your list!) For example, if you buy $25 in Rubios gift certificates, you get a $5 certificate for free. Same thing with Chilis. If you spend $50 in gift cards at the Old Spaghetti Factory you get a free dinner. If McDonalds is more your speed, you can save money there too! You get a free smoothie for every $25 you spend at Jamba Juice too (I love those smoothies even though they are overpriced!) Let me know if you hear of any other deals out there this season so I can spread the word with everyone!
Have you lost all of the U's in your Scrabble game or can't find the weapons to play Clue? No biggie, just long on to www.gameparts.com to find replacement parts for games, current or discontinued! There, now "you've got game."
Enter discount code #40506 and you'll save $5 off your purchase of $25 or
more at www.spilsbury.com Unique and interesting items for the person on
your list who has everything.
Check out www.collegedeal.com for local deals around the college town scene.
For an in-store coupon worth 25% off any regular priced item at Waldenbooks click here:
http://f.chtah.com/i/16/276579827/couponA25_1209.htm
Alrighty, that's it for now. I gotta get out there and shop! (If my husband is reading this, I really meant I was going to go do the dishes.)
CENTSerely,
Sister Thrifty

Cable

Hey there you Christmas shoppers!
In the true spirit of Christmas, cable companies are raising rates again.
Monopoly cable companies are once again pushing through massive fees that are way beyond the rate of inflation. Cable companies seem to raise rates over and over again with utter contempt for their customers Thank goodness for satellite. More than 20 million households now have satellite, and the number of people signing up for cable is declining. But cable companies still come through with increases. People pay twice as much per channel for cable as they do for satellite even though satellite gives customers many more channels for less money. Satellite also offers a much better picture, much better sound, and the people who have it typically love it. If you have cable, you can get out. You are not a sitting duck, so don’t just sit there.
Even better news is that cable companies are starting to roll out phone service, and phone companies are claiming they will offer television service. These developments won’t take place for a while, but, when they do, it will mean more competition in the phone and television business. For right now, though, reevaluate your cable versus satellite. If you want BYUTV you need to get either Dish or DirecTV satellite systems.
How about tipping over the holidays? How do you know who gets a tip and how
much to give? Well, according to Money Magazine, if you have a regular
babysitter, you should give him or her a night’s pay, plus a gift from your child as a bonus. If you have a nanny, you give one week to one month’s pay plus a gift. At a day care center, Money says to give each worker $25 to $70. Each schoolteacher gets a gift, and housekeepers get one week’s pay or more. The garbage collector should receive $15 to $20. A gardener gets $20 to $50. And, if you live in a high rise with a doorman, each one gets $20 to $100. Elevator operators get $15 to $40. Manicurists should receive the cost of one session; personal trainers - $25;. massage therapists - $50 to $100; mail carriers – a gift under $20 because it’s against the law to give them cash or anything more than $20. Finally, paper delivers should get $15 to $20. What I've decided is people who subscribe to Money Magazine have a heck of a lot more money than I do!
As a special Holiday offer, when you purchase $100 in gift cards at Souplantation or Sweet Tomatoes Restaurants, you will receive one complimentary meal pass to give as a gift or use yourself on a subsequent visit! This offer is valid until December 31, 2004 so hurry in to your local Souplantation or Sweet Tomatoes today! You may also download an order form on our website at www.souplantation.com or www.sweettomatoes.com.
And now, in local news:
A family is looking for an LDS couple to rent their granny flat. $850-950, full kitchen, 1 bedroom, laundry, walk-in closet in bedroom, located in a nice area in Vista. If you are interested, or know of someone who is looking for a place to live, call Ronnie Kingsbury at 945-9404 or email her at ronniekingsbury@hotmail.com
A cute little dog needs a home immediately! Owners can't keep her any longer. She is a black flat hair terrier with white paws. She is housebroken, good with kids and other pets, One year old, owner is willing to get her fixed. Call Mary Olsen at 631-2610 or email her at maryolsen88@hotmail.com

Sarah White's mother-in-law is trying to find 2 Fisher Price Little People Nativity sets. Fisher Price catalog is out and won't have any more this year. If you hear of any could you please let Carol know. Her phone # is:
760-789-7128.


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