Cheap thrills: Go online to save money

Times are tough, but bargains are relatively easy these days. You just need to know where to find them and have the dough to spend. The latter, we can’t help you with, but we can try with the former with these online tips. (For more, go to theguide.latimes.com.)

First, try Goldstar.com, which offers discounted tickets on concerts, theater, performing arts, comedy, festivals and a handful of sporting and dining events, or StubDog.com, which recently entered the L.A. market. For half-price theater tickets, LAStageTix.com lists a bunch, and Theatermania.com has a variety of discounts as well.

Next up, the blogs. Some notable bargain-highlighters include LAist.com, with a daily list of rock shows as well as weekly lists of book events; LosAnjealous.com, which has weekly concert picks; and Angelenic.com, which usually has the scoop on events in downtown L.A.

ArtSceneCal.com is a good resource for gallery and museum events, including the monthly art walks that can be found in Pomona (March 28), San Pedro and Laguna Beach (April 2), downtown L.A. (April 9), Northeast L.A. (April 11) and the Miracle Mile (April 18). LosAngeles.Going.com lists events, including “recession busters,” mostly for twenty- and thirtysomethings, while EyeSpyLA.com skews more family-friendly.

Finally, if you need to drown your sorrows, check LA.MyOpenBar.com, which features drinking deals for each day of the week.