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Shopping, dining and styling for less in the City of Light

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Who knew you could visit Paris without paying through the nez?

The City of Light offers a wealth of deeply discounted, inexpensive and free ways to explore the city.

The French Target

If, for instance, you arrive in Paris without your belt or you need affordable skin cream or you just want to score baguette-and-cheese for lunch, put your money on Monoprix. I call it the French version of Target.

The store on the Champs Élysées — my favorite — is open until midnight Mondays through Saturdays. I have spent countless hours in Monoprix, especially buying Mamie Nova, a delicious French gourmet yogurt.

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Monoprix is also ideal for buying necessities I forgot (hello, toothpaste), and also buying groceries, clothing and cosmetics. It carries the French makeup line Bourjois.

Get a pass

If museums are your must-see, buy the practical Paris Museum Pass (www.parismuseumpass.fr), which provides, free, unlimited access to more than 50 monuments and museums in Paris and the Paris region.

A two-day pass, for example, is 48 euros, about $56, and there’s no queueing in long lines.

Last year my sister Chris and I bought the Paris Pass, and besides going to such favorites as the Musée d’Orsay, we discovered Le Musée Gourmand Chocolat, a chocolate museum in the 10th arrondissement where a cup of hazelnut hot cocoa makes an ideal lunch.

This pass provides discounts on transportation, cruises, excursions and lots more.

Cheap eats

Hungry? Of course you are — you’re in Paris. Why not try an authentic French dining experience, in a local home?

We went with Bon Appetour, which is a great way to experience local, gourmet French fare in a Parisian home. For about $35, we feasted on made-from-scratch Parisian fare created by a French chef and teacher. It was a delight that we would definitely do again.

Bon Appetour also offers tastings and cooking classes besides its dining experiences.

Info: Bon Appetour, lat.ms/bonappetour. To find other private dining experiences, check out the Paris tourist office website, lat.ms/parisprivatemeals, or Google “in-home dining Paris.”

While you’re in the land of Le Cordon Bleu, consider dining at a hotel school where you’ll get a Michelin-worthy meal for about 15 to 30 euros, about $18 to $30 a person. Here, trainee chefs do their apprenticeships and create excellent, elegant dishes served in faultless style.

A couple to try: Restaurants de l’ecole Ferrandi (lat.ms/ferrandi) and Restaurant Vatel (vatelrestaurants.com).

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And how about some free snacks? Some bistros serve clients a popular dish, usually couscous, in exchange for buying a drink.

Try La Cordonnerie, 20 Rue St. Roch in the 1st arrondissement; couscous from 9 p.m. Thursdays. To find more, go to the Paris tourist office website, lat.ms/parischeapeats.

Shopping

Flea markets are also a find. The Puces de Paris-Saint-Ouen porte de Clignancourt is a hub of 15 markets in the 18th arrondissement where you’re sure to discover something special to bring home.

Over the years, I’ve scored a couture designer skirt for $20, luminous artwork, $10 tasseled loafers, and antique Limoges porcelain. It’s the thrill of the hunt at cut-rate prices.

Info: Puces de Paris-Saint-Ouen porte de Clignancourt, lat.ms/saintouen

When it comes to shopping, two words: Elaine Sense. She is a transplanted American who offers guided shopping tours catering to your interests, and she knows you never want to pay full price.

You’ll get to shop private sales at the best addresses that are under-the-radar for the best of confiture, olive oil and beauty bargains and warehouse sales for vintage clothing. The cost: $125 an hour including a curated lunch. (No website, but you can email at Elaine.Sense@gmail.com.)

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Hair styling

Who doesn’t want a chic French haircut – for free? Low-cost salons such as Tchip, which are all over Paris, are another way to make the best-tressed list – on a budget.

A cut and shampoo runs about 22 euros, about $26, but if you register online for Happy Days, that price is 19 euros, about $22, on the 20th through the 25th of the month.

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel

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