Some of the Best Things in Life Really Are Free

Consumer experts with a knowledge of the San Fernando Valley helped compile these suggestions to live more frugally:

Basic Shopping Tips

Plan errands in advance to avoid wasted time and wasted gasoline.

Bring a checklist and stick to it. Don’t grocery shop while hungry because it makes you overspend.

Organize coupons and shop on days when double or triple values are offered. Caution: Don’t spend $2 on gas to save 10 cents, and compare the discount price to its generic counterpart.

Unlike many parts of the city, most stores and malls in the Valley have free parking or they validate. If not, free street parking is usually available in nearby neighborhoods, but check signs for restrictions. Also, time your shopping to get out of the lot before being charged. The first hour may be free, but the second hour could run $3 every 20 minutes.

Cheap Thrills

Second-run theaters and discount matinees for plays and movies can cut costs in half. The Entertainment guide has two-for-one offers at restaurants, museums and shows.

Look for free poetry readings and good singing at bookstores and coffee shops all across the Valley.

“Tonight Show” tickets with Johnny Carson or Jay Leno and a slew of top-notch stars are available for free in Burbank. Call (818) 840-4444. For “Wheel of Fortune” call (213) 852-2458 and for “Hot Country Nights” call (818) 506-0067. The NBC Studios are at 3000 W. Alameda Ave.

Free videos, records, books, children’s shows and entertaining lectures are available at your local library. Be careful about returning videos on time. Late fines can cost much more than video store rentals.

Many video stores offer two or three videos for the price of one on certain weekday nights. Instead of forcing yourself to stay awake on a work night, borrow a second VCR, copy the films and watch them on the weekend.

Bargain Shop Spots

There are Price Clubs in Burbank and Northridge, Pace Membership Warehouses in Woodland Hills and San Fernando, and Costco Wholesale Stores and Pharmacies in Canoga Park and Van Nuys, all specializing in bulk-rate items.

The Valley is full of swap meets, large garage sales and estate auctions. Check newspaper listings and the Recycler.

Most notable string of thrift stores: Lankershim Boulevard north of Magnolia Avenue in North Hollywood for furniture, clothes, cars--it goes on for miles. Al’s Discount Furniture, for example, advertises “Furniture of Tomorrow with the Prices of Yesterday.”

Ventura Boulevard has its share of discount shops and cheap diners, believe it or not. Check out sections of the Boulevard in Studio City and Tarzana for shops selling bargain clothes, knickknacks and crafts.

Radiating out from Van Nuys and Victory boulevards in Van Nuys are low-price stores in virtually every direction for shoes, jeans, electronics, jewelry, Army surplus gear and more.

Frills Without Bills

Seek out “Happy Hours” with good free buffets. El Torito, Stanley’s and the Sagebrush Cantina are recommended, but you have to buy a drink.

Mums, daisies and carnations--or any plant that isn’t cut and can be transplanted--are cheaper and longer-lasting than cut roses. Best bet cut flowers are stocks, which look like snapdragons, are fragrant and cost less than $5 for 10 stems. Also, dried flowers last longer.

How about bargain basement prices for a Gianni Versace, Yves St. Laurent, Chloe, Valentino or Bill Blass? Jean’s Stars Apparel, 15136 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, is the oldest of the Valley’s few “gently worn” resale stores with designer clothes.

Co-op preschools, where parents help out and tuition is lower, are at city parks in Sepulveda, Studio City, Encino and Sherman Oaks.

The Free Outdoors

The zoo is always a good deal, $4.50 per adult and $1.50 per child, but the Wildlife Waystation is cheaper at $2 a person. The first and third Sundays of each month at 1 p.m., animals can be seen by the public at 14831 Little Tujunga Canyon in the Angeles National Forest.

A hike on any park trail can make a nice day outing. Romantic drives along Mulholland are no longer cost-efficient, so try large local parks such as Chatsworth Park, Hansen Dam Park, Verdugo Mountain Park, Topanga State Park, Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area and Brand Park in Glendale.

Nearly every small park, such as Warner Ranch Park in Woodland Hills, Valley Park in North Hollywood and the Sherman Oaks Recreation Center, have regularly scheduled concerts, games, bingo, films and lectures.

The San Fernando Mission and Griffith Park--where a ride on the wooden carousel still costs less than a buck--are good standbys. But a most interesting day can be spent among the mosaic murals, quaint chapels, colorful gardens and famous tombstones at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park Hollywood Hills, overlooking Burbank. Picnics are welcome.