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Home > Smart Spending > Archives > 2009 > January
January 2009
Atlanta on the Cheap: Sentimental Journeys and Political Futures
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta trio the Preakness will perform at Wordsmith Books in Decatur on Jan. 31. Look for the band’s debut album in the spring.
It’s a great weekend for free and inexpensive entertainment options. In addition to great music of many styles, there are great options for those looking for Super Bowl alternatives. As Black History Month begins Sunday, you’ll find many related events that offer cost-efficient ways to observe, learn and enjoy. Gwen Ifill’s speaking engagement listed below is just the beginning. For more, try our complete list of Black History Month events.
LOCAL TUNES
Atlanta’s the Preakness has that ramshackle, lo-fi indie-pop jangle in its soul and the bands songs are as catchy as a bramble. Here’s a chance to see the local trio for free — and at an earlier hour than the usual club gigs. The band’s EP (formerly available on vinyl only) is now downloadable via iTunes, but the full-length debut album is coming any day now. A CD release gig is set for late March at the EARL in East Atlanta. 8 p.m. Jan. 31. No cover. Wordsmiths Books, 545 N. McDonough St., Decatur. 404-378-7166.
NOSTALGIA FOR NADA
Take a musical trip into the past with the Sentimental Journey Orchestra. You’ll hear tunes originally associated with some of the great bands and leaders of the big band era, including the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Les Brown and the Band of Renown (which gave us both the song that inspired the Sentimental Journey Orchestra’s name and the woman who sang it, Doris Day), Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman and Stan Kenton. At Gresham Chapel. 8 p.m. Jan. 31. Free. Woodward Academy, 1662 Rugby Ave., College Park. 404-765-1488.
JANE AND THE SUPER BOWL SUNDAY
In a shrewd bit of Super Bowl counter-programming — intentional or not — Emory University’s film studies department is sponsoring the Jane Austen Book and Film Festival. It gets under way with a panel discussion about how money, marriage, and love appear in Jane Austen’s novels, and three films based on the life and works of Austen. Discussion 5-7 p.m. Feb.1 in Woodruff Library. “Pride and Prejudice” at 8 p.m. Feb 1. “Emma” at 8 p.m. Feb. 2. “Becoming Jane” at 8 p.m. Feb. 3. All films in White Hall. Free. Emory University, 1380 S. Oxford Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-727-6123. Check out our gathering of more non-football Super Bowl Sunday events.
FUTURE SOUNDS
Hear new directions in music as Georgia Tech’s contemporary music artists-in-residence Sonic Generator offer a program titled “Paranoid Cheese and Other Delicacies.” The concert features compositions by Marc Mellits, Terry Riley, John Cage, Randall Woolf and Panayiotis Kokoras. 8 p.m. Feb. 2. Free. Georgia Tech Alumni House, 190 North Ave. N.W., Atlanta. 404-385-7257.
THE MODERATOR SPEAKS
Journalist, television newscaster and author Gwen Ifill raised her profile this year with a gig moderating the vice presidential debate. She’ll be at Agnes Scott College to discuss her book, “The Breakthrough,” and share her observations on Barack Obama’s landmark campaign and its implications for African-American political power. In Gaines Chapel, Presser Hall. 8 p.m. Feb. 3. Free. 141 E. College Ave., Decatur. 404-471-6430.
Read other money saving tips at Your Money, and see a list of all of more upcoming free and cheap events.
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Solid advice on liquidation sales: Compare prices at other stores
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Once upon a time, if you saw me going into a store to do business, chances were good that I was lured by a going-out-of-business sale. Or, as the retailers call it, a liquidation sale.
Here’s how I thought it worked:
Stores, eager to lock their doors shut, quickly wanted to unload inventory and had tagged it with rock-bottom prices. They might even be willing to haggle. Wrong. Here’s how it usually works:
A liquidator company purchases the merchandise, then sets the prices, sometimes above the retailer’s own. Because it has agreed to pay a fee to the store’s creditors, it must keep prices at a reasonable level to cover the upfront cost and generate some profits.
An insider once told me that liquidators of furniture would ship tables and sofas from other stores to the one about to turn out the lights. So much for clearing out the floor.
Were you aware of this?
Advertised prices can be misleading. Fifty percent off might mean half-price on suggested retail, not the store’s price.
Experts say you might secure a better deal at a doomed store before it begins the liquidation sale. So, if you hear a starting date for liquidation, visit the store a week prior.
Let’s hear if you’ve sampled bargains at the latest major chain to liquidate, Circuit City.
A few bloggers have issued warnings and advice to Circuit City scavengers. One is a disgruntled employee, so consider where he’s coming from. The other tipster lacks the employee’s bitterness.
Going out of business? From what I’ve learned, you can go without me.
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Looking beneath the surface at two-for-one grocery deals
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The clerk at the supermarket cash register handed over a receipt that brought a smile to Mr. Cheapskatin’s mug.
My bill: $28. My savings (from sales, two-for-one deals and coupons): $35. If memory serves, the 55 percent reduction was a career high.
Have you ever beat my record?
Still, my main grocery employs a tactic that does not set well with me. On some two-for-ones, it hikes the item’s price.
I noticed it the other day on Campbell’s chunky soup. A can cost $2.39. Since I matched it with a freebie and had clipped a coupon for another dollar off, I shouldn’t complain.
But my secondary food stop, whose prices are comparable, has long offered the same soup for $1.75.
Ditto for Del Monte canned green beans: two-for-one at $1.29. At my alternate store, 79 cents apiece.
Have you detected this phenomenon at your supermarket?
Lesson learned: When spotting an enticing offer, especially a two-fer, compare it to another store’s price. The item may yet be worth buying then, but you’ll know to avoid it when the sale expires.
You can check sales at multiple stores for comparison’s sake — and print out coupons, to boot. If you know of a Web site that lists regular prices for those stores, please pass it along.
Remember, some deals are soup-er, others aren’t worth a hill of beans.
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Atlanta on the Cheap: See a Movie, Be on TV or Grab a Book
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“New Tree” is among the works by Meg Aubrey in “I Just Live Here,” a show of Aubrey’s paintings opening this weekend at Gallery Stokes. The show is part of the Castleberry Hill Art Stroll.
Want to be on TV? Check out the open casting call below and it could happen. That’s just one of the free options that could keep you and yours entertained this weekend, and into next week, without parting with those precious green pictures of dead presidents.
“RISE” AND SHINE
Former 99X and Dave FM morning show host and actor/producer, Steve Barnes, is producing a new TV series in Atlanta. “High Rise” will hold an open casting call for 30-40 featured extras to appear in the series 1-3 p.m. Jan. 24. The series will include 20 five-minute episodes premiering March 31, airing exclusively in Atlanta on Comcast Channel 1 Video On Demand and online at http://www.highrisetheseries.com. Free. Verizon Wireless, 3275 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-442-9316.
TAKE A STROLL
Castleberry Hill Fourth Friday Art Stroll involves simultaneous receptions at various art spaces in this former meatpacking district. At Gallery Stokes, check out Meg Aubrey’s “I Just Live Here,” a series of paintings that draw on the landscape of suburbia as subject matter for large-scale paintings. 7-10 p.m. Jan. 23. Gallery Stokes, 261 Walker St., Atlanta. 678-770-7812.
MORNING RUN
Geoff Hollister, one of the architects behind Nike’s rise, is also the author of “Out of Nowhere: The Inside Story of How Nike Marketed the Culture of Running.” He’ll sign his book and give running tips at the Nike Store in Lenox Square. 9:30-11 a.m. Jan. 24. The first 10 visitors will receive a free copy of “Out of Nowhere.” 3393 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-846-5549.
CLASSIC GROOVES
Remember vinyl? Well, it’s cool again, so head over to the Great Southeast Record Fair and score some old technology. This record and collectibles show also features non-vinyl music-related items, including CDs, posters, t-shirts and autographed memorabilia. 1-9 p.m. Jan. 25. If you find something you simply have to have, you’ll need to part with some cash, but it’s free to look. East Atlanta Icehouse, 543 Flat Shoals Ave. S.E., Atlanta. 404-577-2073.
HELLO DALAI
Martin Scorsese’s 1997 film “Kundun” is based on the life and writings of the Dalai Lama, the exiled political and spiritual leader of Tibet. This free showing of the movie includes a pre-screening discussion led by Philip Glass, who composed the film’s Academy Award-winning score. Sponsored by the Emory University Department of Film Studies in White Hall. 6:30 p.m. Jan. 26. Free. Emory University, 1380 S. Oxford Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-727-6761.
YEAR OF THE OX BEGINS
Pianist Frederic “Shu-Chuan” Hsiang performs a free Chinese New Year concert at Steinway Piano Galleries in Alpharetta. The event will also include a drawing for an original Wen ze Chen “Piano Island, China” oil painting. Seating is limited. 7-9 p.m. Jan. 26. Free. 5950 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta. 770-777-1300.
Read other money saving tips at Your Money, and see a list of all of more upcoming free and cheap events.
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The Art of Haggling Spills Over to U.S. Shores — and Stores
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My first stab at haggling unfolded 21 summers ago during the Olympics in South Korea, where back-and-forth dealing is a way of consumer life. I negotiated for a tailored suit at an amount about 10 percent under its already low price.
Back home, I’ve yet to dust off my lone haggling experience and apply it at a bricks-and-mortar store. Just didn’t seem proper.
Now I hear that shoppers increasingly haggle, even with chains such as Best Buy.
See a big-screen plasma TV that would bust your budget? Make a reasonable offer south of the amount on the tag.
Some bold shoppers apparently can pull it off. They are good actors, able to feign shock at a weak counter from the sales clerk, and well-researched, able to quote a cheaper price at the rival store down the street.
There are few avenues I won’t travel to spend wisely, but haggling in a roomful of people strikes me as intimidating.
How about you? Have you given haggling a whirl in the U.S., where the practice is far less common than in Europe and other continents?
If so, what businesses have you found are willing to play the game? Share your experiences — good, bad and ugly.
Meantime, I will pore over tips and advice as I haggle with myself on whether to haggle for my next dishwasher.
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Tax Preparers: How Not To Spend An Arm And A Leg On ‘Em
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My income tax preparer is a longtime pal who meets with me at her office home within a brisk walk from mine. Far as I can tell, her performance is A-plus. An ideal setup, except …
Her fee is $150 per hour. Pretty steep, to be sure.
Do you pay close to that amount? Worth it?
There are some tasks I do — and you can do — to trim the tab if your preparer charges by the clock.
Mine provides me with a form that I fill out as fully as possible with numbers I have compiled. Any figures that I cannot supply on my own, the chore falls in her lap — which means a higher bill for me.
I save receipts, W-2s, copies of relevant checks and medical bills during the year. Besides totaling them for the form, I paper-clip by category and supply the entire batch to the preparer, which saves her time (and me money) in sorting through them.
Whether it’s bookkeeping or tax expertise, she charges the same rate. I’m smart enough to handle the former, not the latter.
Are you organized enough to compile the necessary paperwork and do the simple math?
I schedule our get-together well before April under the assumption she will be slammed when the filing deadline approaches, increasing the chance of mistakes. Correcting them could shoot my final bill higher.
You can remove the human element out of tax preparation and do it yourself with software programs such as TurboTax. They are dirt-cheap but are advised only for those using simple tax forms.
Have you dabbled with online tax programs?
If you are searching for a preparer, check out these tips from the IRS.
Mr. Cheapskatin’ hates to pay top dollar with anything, so I may hunt for a replacement despite all of the pluses with my situation. With apologies to the Clash: Should I stay or should I go?
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Free and Fun: Get Out, Get Involved and Keep Your Cash
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Author Jill Conner Browne will be at Barnes & Noble in Alpharetta at 7 p.m. Jan. 16 signing her new book “American Thighs: The Sweet Potato Queens’ Guide to Preserving Your Assets.”
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is coming Monday, and there are many ways to spend the holiday, from volunteer opportunities to parades. Most of those events (see our MLK page for the full list) are free of charge. But the MLK events aren’t the only way to keep your money in your pocket. Here is a sampling of those holiday-related events and a few more inexpensive ways to get out, get involved or just be entertained.
ROYAL TATER
Jill Conner Browne — aka the Royal Queen of the Sweet Potato Queens of Jackson, Miss. — discusses and signs her new book, “American Thighs: The Sweet Potato Queens’ Guide to Preserving Your Assets.” 7 p.m. Jan. 16. Free. Barnes & Noble, 7660 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta. 770-993-8340.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Join Composition Gallery as it celebrates its third anniversary with a silent photography auction, jewelry and artwork by Sabra Gallery, and live music by jazz guitarist Trey Wright. The event also serves as a celebration of President-Elect Barack Obama’s forthcoming inauguration. 7-11 p.m. Jan. 17. Free. 1388 McLendon Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 678-982-9764.
SUITES AND SONATAS
Pianist Benjamin Warsaw will perform with the Ahavath Achim Synagogue’s chamber orchestra. The program includes Bach’s Piano Concerto in D Minor, Grieg’s “Holberg Suite,” “Kol Nidre” (the Yom Kippur prayer) arranged for strings and Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 2. 3 p.m. Jan. 18. Free. 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Atlanta. 404-355-5222.
FOUR KING THINGS
With King Day coming Monday, there are many related events taking place that celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. And everything listed here is free of charge. The civil rights leader’s life gets the operatic treatment in “King: The Story of a Preacher from Atlanta.” On Sunday, Jan. 18, Theatrical Outfit will perform a free concert of excerpts from Douglas Tappin’s new contemporary opera. 3 p.m. Jan. 18. Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, 407 Auburn Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-688-7263.
There will also be parades on the actual holiday (Monday, Jan. 19) in many towns around the metro area, including Marietta, where the procession begins at the intersection of Fairground Street and South Marietta Parkway. Proceeds north on Fairground Street, turning left onto Roswell Street before ending in Marietta Square. 1 p.m. Jan. 19. Lockheed Employees Federal Credit Union, 430 Commerce Park Drive, Marietta. 404-863-0945.
In downtown Atlanta on Tuesday, Jan. 20, the Sweet Auburn pilgrimage is a four-block journey that ends at the King Center, 449 Auburn Ave., and features guests such as Afeni Shakur, mother of the late hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur, and other community business leaders. 9 a.m. Jan. 20. Southern Christian Leadership Conference National Headquarters, 320 Auburn Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-522-1420.
On Wednesday, Jan. 21 , the National Archives and Records Administration-Southeast Region headquarters (beside Clayton State University) will show “At the River I Stand.” The documentary recounts the two months leading to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968, coinciding with a labor strike in Memphis. Noon-1 p.m. Jan. 21. 5780 Jonesboro Road, Morrow. 770-968-2555.
For more holiday events, check out our MLK page.
MUSIC MAKER
Kevin “Kalimbaman” Spears not only designs and builds his own Kalimba/Mbira instruments, but he’s also an innovative performer. His music employs electronics and effects in bringing together jazz, rock and African music. 7 p.m. Jan. 22. Free. Decatur Library Auditorium, 215 Sycamore St., Decatur. 678-436-3237.
Read other money saving tips at Your Money, and see a list of all of more upcoming free and cheap events.
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Save On A Trim, Massage and Meal: Give It The Ol’ College Try
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Got a plan to pamper myself someday soon.
First, drive to the Aveda Institute Atlanta in Buckhead for a haircut and style.
Then, zip up to the Atlanta School of Massage in Dunwoody for an aromatherapy wrap . Finally, swing by Lumiere, a restaurant in Tucker, for a filling meal.
What do these places have in common? The services are provided by students. As a result, they cost much less than comparable businesses staffed by professionals.
The trim would set me back $15, and this is no quick, in-and-out Great Clips experience, either.
The 50-minute wrap goes for $40, the same amount charged for a massage.
The supper at Lumiere, managed by students at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Atlanta, seems like the day’s dessert. Only one entree exceeds $12.95. Better yet for the pocketbook, tipping is prohibited.
Hours of operation are relatively limited, seeing as how the students may have to attend classes. Lumiere, for example, is closed Saturday through Monday.
Have you sampled any of these three establishments? Or, any other student-run business?
Tell us about your visits. Good, bad or in-between?
I’m eager to give this trifecta a try. Here’s hoping the pupils earn an A with my hirsute, relaxation and hunger needs.
To find ways to help make you way through a bumpy economy check out Your Money.
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A Prescription For Savings: Buying Meds In Bulk By Mail
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Prescription in hand, I drove directly from the doctor’s office to the pharmacy. The three-month supply of drugs would cost me $173 and change.
I did not pout and I did not cry. I’m telling you why: My insurance provider’s buy-in-bulk, home delivery service.
Ninety days’ worth of medicine for 40 bucks — 20, if it’s generic. Better yet, delivered free to my mailbox.
Downsides? Well, you cannot turn around and file for insurance. That’s OK, since the savings usually are far greater with mail-order.
You’ll have to wait up to a week before the shipment arrives unless you pay $15, in my case, for overnight. So, make sure you don’t run dry before your meds are replenished.
And you must remember to request a prescription covering 90 days from your doc. That’s assuming you need to take the drug that long.
Does your insurer offer such a program?
If so, do you take advantage of it?
For more on filling your prescriptions at places other than your brick-and-mortar pharmacy, here are prices at various online pharmacies and the FDA’s advice on Internet drug purchases.
The vast differences in price bring a painful reminder of the obscene mark-ups on some meds. It’s enough to make you sick.
Knowing I can save big bucks on the mail-order option accelerates me down the road to recovery.
To fine ways to help make your way through a bumpy economy check out Your Money.
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Econo-Entertainment: From Art to an Astronaut
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mae Jemison, shown here at the Red Dress Heart Truth show in February 2007 in New York, will be the keynote speaker at Georgia Perimeter College’s Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration on Jan. 15. Former astronaut Jemison was the first woman of color to travel into space. Photo: Dima Gavrysh/Associated Press
They’ll be dancing in Decatur and chuckling at the Chattahoochee Nature Center, but we’ll be celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day all over the metro area. Here’s how to join in the fun. The events listed below are just a few of the week’s entertainment bargains, and all but one are completely free of charge.
LAUGH
The long-serving Laughing Matters Improv troupe does a kid friendly show at the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell on Saturday. The group will take suggestions from the audience to create sketches, skits, songs, and stories and kids and adults join the actors onstage to learn the basic components of improvisation. All ages. 11-11:45 a.m. Jan. 10. $5; $4 senior citizens; $2 ages 3-12; ages 2 and younger free. Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell. 770-992-2055 x 224.
LOOK
Artist Maira Kalman is known for her New Yorker magazine covers and is the author of more than a dozen children’s books. She’ll talk about her work at Jackson Fine Art, where her work is currently on view, and sign books. 11 a.m. Jan. 10. The show of Kalman’s work opens Jan. 9 with a reception 6-8 p.m. Photos by French photographer Willy Ronis are also being exhibited at the gallery. Free. Jackson Fine Art, 3115 E. Shadowlawn Ave., Atlanta. 404-233-3739.
LEAP
The dance company that regularly takes audiences behind the scenes with its free “Lunchtime in the Studio” series will offer a Visiting Choreographer Salon on Jan. 15. CORE Performance Company will share its new work developed with guest choreographer Polly Motley. The salon is free and open to the public and will include light refreshments. 7 p.m. Jan. 15. Several Dancers Core Studio, 139 Sycamore St., Decatur. 404-373-4154.
LEARN
“Our Friend Martin” is an animated children’s educational film about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement. The movie utilizes the voices of Oprah Winfrey, John Travolta, James Earl Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, and Samuel L. Jackson. 4:30 p.m. Jan. 15. Free. Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, Fairburn, 60 Valley View Drive, Fairburn. 770-306-3138.
LISTEN
Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel in space, is the keynote speaker for Georgia Perimeter College’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration. The event takes place at Beulah Missionary Baptist Church. 7-9 p.m. Jan. 15. Free. 2340 Clifton Springs Road, Decatur. 678-891-2555.
For more, check out our Martin Luther King Jr. page which includes history, photos, news and MLK Day events around Atlanta.
Read other money saving tips at Your Money, and see a list of all of more upcoming free and cheap events.
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Protect Your Cars and Home, But Don’t Overdo It
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A sedan hibernates in my driveway, its operator away at school. It was spared when a tree in my front yard toppled, tearing up said driveway but leaving my house unscathed. (As for the neighbors, well, sorry about the damaged SUV and roofs.)
So, insurance is on my mind. Specifically, how to trim my premium for auto coverage, given that one vehicle is idled indefinitely, and home, seeing as how another oak is precariously close to eliciting cries of “tim-brrrr.”
Thankfully, my car and home policies are packaged with one company, which saves me anywhere from 5 to 20 percent.
Do you have separate policies? If so, why?
My deductibles have inched upward, by choice, as the cars have aged. Many experts say that $250 for comprehensive and $500 for collision are ideal.
As for the house, raising the deductible to $1,000 is widely recommended.
Are you comfortable with those, or do you prefer lower deductibles?
The thinking is, for lesser repairs, filing a claim ultimately will hike your premium anyway, so take care of those out of pocket.
Check out more money-saving tips for your [wheels](money-saving tips] http://www.edmunds.com/advice/insurance/articles/44858/article.html) and your [digs](http://www.ourfamilyplace.com/homebuyer/inssaving.html).
Oh, and please forward them to my neighbors before my other tree takes a fall.
To find ways to help make you way through a bumpy economy check out Your Money.
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Kind acts can lighten a burden
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Amid economic uncertainty, financial collapse and job losses, simple kindness may be the only currency we still have in abundant supply.
A generous act, especially one that happens unexpectedly, can lighten a burden and delight both giver and benefactor.
Here’s a perfect example: Recently, at the produce stand at the Wachovia building downtown, two strangers paid for an elderly woman’s purchase. They apparently didn’t know each other and or her but split the cost between them. The act touched many people, including the elderly woman.
Has a friend, a family member or someone unknown to you done something that’s helped ease your emotional or financial load? Perhaps paid your bills? Picked up your tab at a restaurant? Bought clothes for your kids? Or just offered a helping hand or a sympathetic ear? Please share your stories of how random acts of kindness have made a difference in your life in these tough times.
Send them by e-mail, along with a daytime phone number, to vconwell@ajc.com. A reporter may contact your for a story.
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How To Become A Millionaire — Our Way
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It warmed my heart the other day to be reminded that most millionaires in the U.S. are … cheapskates.
They drive American-made cars. They buy clothes off the rack. They fill up at fast-food restaurants. Yes, they even clip coupons.
Not all rich folks use those tactics to erect a staircase to wealth, but many do. Donald Trump is hardly the role model.
We know this from “The Millionaire Next Door,” a book by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko. Check out the first chapter.
Their survey of people with seven-figure bank accounts, conducted in the 1990s, determined that the average income then was $247,000 and the average home value was $320,000. (Both figures probably have not climbed much, if at all.) But a sizable number earned less than $100,000 annually.
Are you surprised?
While a good portion are entrepreneurs, plenty of millionaires hail from the ranks of employees with household-name companies. They invest one-fifth of their income and spend the rest cautiously. They commonly describe themselves as tightwads.
The findings offer us hope that there is a purpose to cheapskatin’. The road to affluence is paved with … coupons, as well as Costco and Sam’s Club membership cards.
Feel better now about your frugal ways?
To find ways to help make you way through a bumpy economy check out Your Money.
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Budget Fun for the New Year
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Decatur-based singer-songwriter Caroline Herring, a nationally lauded local treasure, will perform a free show at the Decatur Library on Jan. 8. Photo: Kevin Garrett.
Spend the first few days of the new year spending nothing — or almost nothing. Here are a few big deals in arts and entertainment, and a budget dining option.
NIFTY NEON
You’ve probably seen Stephen Antonakos’ work, even if you don’t realize it. His neon sculpture, “Four Walls,” greets airport patrons on the escalators at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. The sculpture’s presence there was threatened earlier this year, but a grass-roots campaign to save it proved successful. Here’s another place to see Antonakos’ art, and you won’t have to buy a plane ticket. In fact, you won’t have to spend a thing, because it’s free. “Darkness and Light” is a show of drawings and models built around installations of neon light. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays; noon-5 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays through Feb. 15. ACA Gallery of the Savannah College of Art and Design, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-815-2931.
CRAZY QUILTS
The Arts Clayton Gallery in Jonesboro offers an interesting perspective on our roller coaster world with “Crazy Quilts for Crazy Times” The show consists of winning entries from the Georgia Quilt Council’s “Quilt Challenge,” with nearly 30 individual variations on the “crazy quilt” theme. An free opening reception takes place 5:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 8. The show continues 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays through Jan. 30. 136 S. Main St., Jonesboro. 770-473-5488.
OPRAH’S TRAINER
Oprah pal and former trainer Bob Greene, a bestselling author and exercise physiologist, shares his latest books for better health, “The Best Life Diet” and “The Best Life Diet Cookbook” at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Acworth. Greene will be in the store 6-8 p.m. Jan. 8. Free. 3826 Cobb Parkway. 770-966-1226.
SWEET CAROLINE
Decatur-based Mississippi native Caroline Herring will easily win over any audience with her haunting melodies and sharp lyrics, which she delivers in a voice that conveys pain and regret. She’s one of the Atlanta area’s best-kept secrets but continues to make waves on a national level. “Lantana,” her latest album, was one of NPR’s “Folk Alley’s” Top 10 folk albums of the year. Herring plans to head into the studio in January to record the follow-up. 7 p.m. Jan. 8. Free. Decatur Library Auditorium, 215 Sycamore St., Decatur. 678-436-3237.
PASTA FOR PENNY-PINCHERS
The Old Spaghetti Factory is celebrating its 40th anniversary by giving you a present. On Jan. 6 at dinner, the Oregon-based restaurant chain will offer a complete meal for about $3. Kids’ meals are about $2. Guests will have their choice of six selections, and each meal includes a salad, a spaghetti entree, fresh bread and spumoni ice cream. After the 40th anniversary special on Jan. 6, guests get 40 percent off complete classic meals on Mondays and Tuesdays for the following three weeks of January. Check out the restaurant’s online home for more info on these frugal feasts and directions to the Atlanta location at 249 Ponce de Leon Ave. in Midtown.
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