The drugstore of today is more a mini department store then a simple pharmacy. Though if you need help with over the counter treatments, rest assured there is a kindly and sometimes quite attractive professional to help. As always join the club at CVS and get further discounts and coupons.

When did they start to carry good wine? And at a discount? With great sales, you know that you are getting the finest  quality for drinking or gift giving. Buy a bottle of wine, some chocolates or cookies, a gift bag, and you have the makings of a lovely present for coworkers, neighbors, or friends.

Need a quick toy for a tot and don’t want to brave the big box stores. CVS has quite the respectable toy section. Good to know that Play-Do never goes out of style. Check out the paper goods for fun pens or get some great hair accessories. Put together some things that are more fun then one big item.

And they have food, not fresh organic produce but cereals, soups, and odd things that you might want on a Saturday afternoon when a snack attack strikes. Mixed nuts for company. Ice cream for sundaes.

One could roam forever in a drugstore. The shampoo aisle alone is good for an afternoon. Curly, straight, dyed, more volume, and every other permutation of hair cleanser is there. Me, I am an Aussie Miracle with voluminizing kind of gal. For less then $10, I can be pouffed to the max. For another few dollars, you can try the three minute conditioner. Soft, shiny, and luxurious hair is on the way.

Backpacks, vitamins for you and your pet, lip gloss, cotton swabs. In a pinch, the drugstore solves all problems.

The Frugal Diva cannot tell Two Buck Chuck from Chateau Lafite-Rothschild so it was up to my friends to inform me of this new policy at many restaurants – free corkage. You bring the wine and they provide the glasses, you sip and they serve, you pay nothing and they stand by at your service. In an effort to brave the new realities of consumer spending, many restaurants allow patrons to bring in their own wine at no fee. 

This is a great perk for those who have an extensive collection and for those who stop by a market and pick up a decent bottle for $8 to $12. Twelve dollars is just about what a  glass of wine goes for in many places and you will be getting four full glasses for the same price. When choosing restaurants for a night out this usually leads to a minimum savings of  about $50. 

Opentable.com allows you to check out which restaurants are letting you bring wine at no charge. Some like the Daily Grill only allow it on Tuesdays, others such as Roy’s are continuing it every day on a month to month basis, and I Cugini in Santa Monica allows it anytime. On the Open Table left hand side they have free corkage and BYOB listing for restaurants in every city.  Policies change quickly so always call to verify before making a reservation.

Stop by Fresh & Easy on your way to dinner and find award winning bottles at great prices.   I pick wines, the same way I pick race horses-by their names.  So I was drawn to Pacific Coast Highway’s Chardonnay and took it when joining friends for dinner.  Everyone applauded my choice of this lovely white wine and no one guessed it came in under $10.  Unlike my choices at the track, this wine was a winner for price, quality, and remembering long wonderful rides up the coast when I first moved to LA.

Another plus about Fresh & Easy, you don’t have to negotiate through an entire store when in a hurry or high heels.

Disclaimer: Fresh and Easy sends The Frugal Diva occasional samples and gift cards plus her stepson works there as a buyer.