Posts from — August 2009

Sonoma County has a reputation of being pretty pricey—and there’s no denying it can be if you want to go the luxury route—but there are hundreds of fun, free things to do if you want to enjoy yourself on a budget. To narrow it down a little, here is a list of ten free things to do in Sonoma Valley.

If you’re exploring Sonoma County, this is part of a series. See also ten free things to do in….Cloverdale, Santa Rosa, Bodega Bay, Sebastopol, Petaluma, Windsor, and Healdsburg.

[Read more →]

ATTENTION: THERE IS AN UPDATED VERSION OF THIS POST HERE.

If you have a night out on the town planned, here’s a round-up of local restaurant coupons or gift certificate deals by city.  As always, read the fine print—these could expire at any time, some are as supplies last, and there are often annoying restrictions. [Read more →]

KRSH is having a  special Monday show on Monday, August 31st . The Legendary Duke Robillard with Dr. Bluz and The Interns featuring Michael Barclay will perform. The KRSH Backyard opens at 5:30.  Music at 6.  Low lawn chairs only, please.  No coolers, no dogs.  Kids welcome. The concert is free, but food and beverage is available for sale.

Monday Aug. 31, 2009, 5:30  pm

KRSH

3565 Standish Ave. off Todd Road exit on 101 in Santa Rosa.

We’re running a Guacamole Day contest here on Sonoma on the Cheap (3 winners get a prize pack of Wholly Guacamole and Salsa as well as other goodies). In order to enter, you need to go here and post a comment suggesting either something to mix in with Guac, or a wine pairing.  Mix ins are so far, mostly expected—sour cream, lime, onions. But the wine pairings are getting interesting… [Read more →]

Sadly, car repairs can be big ticket items—and can make a huge (and unexpected) dent in the budget. Almost worse than the damage to the budget is the little voice in your head wondering, “can it really cost that much?”

If you want a second opinion, RepairPal provides free estimates on repairs to most cars, customized by ZIP code. You can access RepairPal on your computer or get the free iPhone app. [Read more →]

Pizza chain founder “Papa” John Schnatter recovered the beloved car he sold in 1983—a Z28 Camaro—the sale of which ultimately helped him start Papa John’s. He’s celebrating by offering free pizza to all Camaro owners Wednesday, August 26,2009. To get the deal (a free large one-topping pizza), customers must show up in their Camaro to order & pick up the pizza. Limit one pizza—and one visit—per Camaro.

For the full story, read Papa John’s blog post. To find a store near you, check the Papa John’s store locator.

Thanks to Carole at Greater Seattle on the Cheap for the lead.

Frisco Kids is having a backpack/luggage contest. If you are in need of kid’s back to school backpacks or luggage, you might want to check it out.

On the subject of contests…have you entered our Guacamole contest yet?

Every Wednesday, for the next 5 weeks, the Beth Ami synagogue in Santa Rosa will host a free movie night.  The films start at 7.30 pm. Free kosher, organic pop-corn will be served. [Read more →]

You can get free comprehensive vision and eye exams for children under age of one with  InfantSee, a free program that provides comprehensive vision exams for children ages 6 months to 1 year of age. Early detection of eye conditions is the best way to ensure your child has healthy vision for successful development. This program is designed to help families who don’t have vision insurance, but also don’t qualify for public aid have their babies eyes checked. You can read more about the program, and search for local doctors who support InfantSee here.

Coming soon: Free installation of high-efficiency plumbing fixtures (toilets, urinals, faucet aerators, showerheads) for commercial, residential and multi-family customers located in eligible service areas, which include:

• Airport / Larkfield / Wikiup Sanitation Zone
• Geyserville Sanitation Zone
• Occidental Sanitation District
• Penngrove Sanitation Zone
• Russian River County Sanitation District
• Sea Ranch Sanitation Zone
• Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District

Sign up online to be notified as more details become available.