Check It. Groupon goes to the IE.

The money-saving site Groupon announced yesterday that it started covering the Inland Empire, so folks who live there or visit can save their money, too.

Today's daily deal for the IE: $20 for three boot camp sessions. A steal!

Check back in, or subscribe to their daily newsletters online.

-- Lauren Williams

Do It. Save your money.

These two websites, Groupon and LivingSocial are amazing for great deals around Los Angeles. Subscribers can get up to 90 percent discounts on a variety of things and services around Los Angeles, as well as recommendations to new and interesting places in LA.

I first found out about the two sites when a girlfriend told me about getting free money at the Gap. Something like $50 when you buy a $25 Groupon. Half off $50 worth of items at the Gap.

Hundreds of thousands of people responded, Groupons were sold every 10 seconds, and I realized I had to get on this bandwagon. Free money. It doesn't get much better then that.

In a time when people really are trying to cut back on eating out, buying new clothes, and luxuries like wine tastings and spa days, this let's you do some largely guiltless splurging -- since you're not actually splurging. This also has half-off unavoidable essentials, like handymen visits (Monday's deal).

This is also great if you're planning a trip out of town. If you want some luxury treatment at an incredible discount, these again are greats site to check out.

-- Lauren Williams

Make It. Saving [A budget].

Although this post is going up today, Wednesday, Jan. 20, today I am headed down to South America to travel, live, and work.

Working a part-time job, though, can make saving for such a trip a bit rough.

The thing that made this trip doable was tiny, incremental saving. One tip I was taught was to set aside a small amount of money each week, and at the end of the year, you will have enough money for a nice trip.

Last year, near the beginning of the year, I began setting aside $20 each week. I was paid in cash, and it felt good putting the physical money away in a coffee can in the kitchen, but you can do this with automatic deposit, too.

If you were to start doing this today at the end of the year there would be $1,000 sitting in your coffee jar/piggy bank/empty planter/savings account or wherever.

Really, it doesn't take too many shortcuts to be able to scrape $20 out of a weekly budget, which makes this savings plan pretty tangible. The hard part, however, is not breaking into your savings before the year is over. Once I had saved enough for a plane ticket, I stopped saving -- bad idea. But hey, it got me this far.

-- Lauren Williams

Do It. A new do.

If a few of your New Year's Resolutions were to both save money and get a new look, then you're in luck. Rudy's Barbershops located in the Silverlake, Melrose, and Downtown areas of LA as well as Santa Monica and Hollywood, are quick, stylish, and affordable.

Men's buzz cuts are $15, styling $24 (for men), and for women, a wash, cut, and styling is usually about $35. Another bonus is that they only use quality products: Bumble & Bumble.

I've never had a bad cut here and never waited more than five minutes. The one downside: Sometimes the stylists and the clientele have a too-cool-for-you attitude, and some of the cuts are a bit too modern/stylish/cool.

But all of the hairdressers are very knowledgeable. Because of my curly hair, I've had so many people that don't understand that one inch while it's wet, means three when it's dry for the curly haired person. The stylists at Rudy's know exactly how to treat hair of all types, and have great recommendations.

Other locations around the Pacific Northwest are in Portland, Ore., and Seattle, if you're traveling.

Pictured above is the Rudy's off Melrose, but I usually go to the one Downtown inside the Standard hotel, off 5th and Flower.

-- Lauren Williams

Photo credit: Flickr.