Enjoying Bay Area activities on a budget

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There is so much great entertainment available in the Bay Area, and that includes theater, sports, concerts and nightclubs. If you're sitting home tonight because you think you can't afford any of that, think again. It can also be half price.

There is excitement in the air as thousands of people stream into the Giants ballpark on game day. Among them are Mimi Thomas and Carrie-Ann Cleveland, who are indulging in a girls' day out.

They climb up to their nosebleed seats, braving a brisk wind. But they're happy anyway.

"We've got a view of the bay here and the whole field, and we're running down the roster of what we're going to eat," said Thomas

"Especially when you save so much on the tickets, then you can splurge on the food," said Cleveland.

And save they did. Don't tell their neighbors in the stands, but Mimi and Carrie-Ann paid just $8 for these tickets -- half the regular price. How?

They bought them through www.goldstar.com.

It has all kinds of half price tickets for entertainment events such comedy, theater, day spas, and yes, ball games

Carrie-Ann and Mimi are regular Goldstar users. They say it lets them sample all kinds of fun stuff while sticking to a budget.

"When I first got on, found out about goldstar I was going to everything," said Cleveland.

Here is some of the deals Carrie-Ann finds. San Francisco's Beach Blanket Babylon tickets at half the price, free tickets to Cobb's Comedy Club and dinner theater at Teatro ZinZani are $50 off the regular price.

Other deals include Warriors basketball $65 tickets for $17 bucks, Berkeley Reperatory Theater tickets half off and a champagne brunch on the bay half price at $39.

Goldstar does charge a service fee of about $4 to $12 per ticket. Still Carrie-Ann says there are great deals.

"I learn about a lot of things I would have never even known existed and of course the price makes it affordable to try lots of different events," said Cleveland.

Not that she loves everything she sees. I've been through a couple events on Goldstar I've actually wound up walking out on," said Cleveland.

But when you're paying half price she says, it's no big deal.

"You still go out to dinner with your friends and talk about how bad the production was," said Cleveland.

The website is updated regularly and you can search by zip code for events near you. Related link: