Send your Smyrna-Vinings deal tips to megsavesyoumoney@gmail.com. I’d love to feature your tip in my next column. So give me a shout and I’ll return the favor with a shout out to you and your super saving ways!  It's tough to beat a deal boasting an 80 percent discount. But I found one! For an amazingly cheap date night, check out this week’s deal from Restaurant.com. You get a gift certificate to your favorite Smyrna-Vinings (or nearby) haunts for 80 percent off the restaurant.com price by applying the code "FALL" at checkout. In many cases that means you can buy a $25 gift certificate for $…

Send your Smyrna-Vinings deal tips to megsavesyoumoney@gmail.com. I’d love to feature your tip in my next column. So give me a shout and I’ll return the favor with a shout out to you and your super saving ways!   If the man in your life loves to golf, but could maybe use some...(ahem) assistance on the course, then this week is a great time to knock out some early holiday shopping! Stock up his golf bag with gear thanks to an offer from Golf Warehouse Atlanta on Spring Road and then help him fix that crazy slice with a great deal on local golf lessons! And, to my dear husband, I swear I'm not…

Send your Smyrna-Vinings deal tips to megsavesyoumoney@gmail.com. I’d love to feature your tip in my next column. So give me a shout and I’ll return the favor with a shout out to you and your super saving ways!   September means cooler air, colorful trees, fall festivals and the start of Christmas shopping for those of us who like to shop ahead. I can help you enjoy at least two of those this week. The Taste of Smyrna is this Saturday on the Village Green and features free admission and tasty treats ranging from $.50 to $4. Some tips to keep it cheap: 1) Go with a set budget. 2) Do a few laps…

Send your Smyrna/Vinings deal tips to megsavesyoumoney@gmail.com. I’d love to feature your tip in my next column!  So give me a shout and I’ll return the favor with a shout out to you and your super saving ways!  Don’t let the rainy forecast ruin your Labor Day. Rather than laboring over the grill, stay dry and treat yourself to some retail therapy.   There are great shopping deals this Labor Day…and for the most part, they’re all calorie free! I know I don’t usually post “around the mall” deals, but I have included a few of my favorites because I’d feel like I was cheating you out of great…

Send your Smyrna-Vinings deal tips to megsavesyoumoney@gmail.com. I’d love to feature your tip in my next Smyrna-Vinings Patch column. So give me a shout and I’ll return the favor with a shout out to you and your super saving ways! With the big Dancing With the Stars cast reveal coming tonight, again, like every year, I’m thinking about signing up for dance lessons.  Among my usual excuses are that I have doubts about convincing my husband to try it and that it’s probably too expensive anyway. But I’m out of excuses this year! I have two great dancing deals for you this week! Arthur Murray …

Send your Smyrna-Vinings deal tips to megsavesyoumoney@gmail.com. I’d love to feature your tip in my next column. So give me a shout and I’ll return the favor with a shout out to you and your super saving ways! When we first stepped onto the Smyrna-Vinings dining scene, my husband and I were so excited to taste the local flavor and decided to go on a dining marathon to cover as many restaurants as we could before we had to start paying for a babysitter. I’m so excited that two of my favorites (Blackstone Steaks, Taverna Fiorentina) have fabulous deals this week! Maybe I can afford a sitter …

Waltz right into Wacky Wednesday at Great Harvest Bread Company on Atlanta Road. The “original whole grain bread store” offers delicious giant muffins for only a buck on hump day, but don’t stop there. Great Harvest offers a mouthwatering assortment of breads, baked goods, sandwiches, soups and coffee. Wacky Wednesday also includes a free kids meal with purchase of adult sandwich. Through Saturday, all Great Harvests in Georgia are participating in a fundraiser for a little girl named Annabelle who is fighting leukemia. Purchase a loaf of “Annabelle’s Bread” (Honey Whole Wheat Bread), and $3 …

Your passport to exotic world cuisine is at the Cobb International Farmer’s Market, right here on Smyrna’s Spring Road. A wonderland of tropical fruits, hard-to-find spices, delicacies of all types and myriad of ethnic specialties, this old supermarket space is now home to the globe. Kids adore this hands-on whirlwind tour of world cuisine, where an exploration of textures, colors, nationalities and smells keep them enthralled. Although perhaps not the best place to buy all your groceries, the fruits, vegetables and seafood here are unbeatably fresh and varied, and prices are far, far cheaper…

It’s a no-brainer that we’re all trying to save a few bucks on groceries these days. Though not as ubiquitous as the big chain stores, break your rut and give Aldi a try. This compact, European-style store is perhaps more utilitarian than you’re used to and proffers fewer choices, but you won’t believe some of the deals. Cons: no pharmacy, no large customer service counter with stamps and money orders, no natural foods section, must purchase or bring your own bags. Pros: all the food you need for huge savings. With a little foresight and planning, shopping at Aldi can make a huge difference …

No one, and we mean no one, can resist delicious malt-vinegar seasoned popcorn shrimp, fried fish and hushpuppies at Captain D’s Seafood Kitchen. Of course, you may not be aware that the Captain has broadened his menu to include more healthful options including a seasoned tilapia platter and a wild Alaskan salmon salad, both served with ginger teriyaki, scampi, or sweet chili sauce. Sides are also appealing and above-the-norm for a fast-food establishment: broccoli, corn on the cob, green beans, fried okra, and roasted red potatoes. Every Thursday, Captain D’s spreads the love by offering …

If you’re one of those granola-loving, natural foods kinds of families, you probably know how expensive it can be to buy organic. Natural foods can sometimes be difficult to unearth in big chain supermarkets. Goodness Grocery, “Your Natural and Organic Store,” is conveniently located in West Village. Just large enough to house a wide variety of supplements, dry goods, produce and frozen items, Goodness Grocery also has a cozy “Soup Garden” area and a delicious assortment of takeout foods. The personable staff makes it easy to find what you’re looking for. Far from being a mega store, this …