Discounts

Best Buy has dropped the price of the iPhone 4 in its store and online to $49.99. The discounted price is $50 less than the 4's regular retail price, and it comes the same week Best Buy discounted other Apple products, notably MacBook Pros . The $49.99 is available with a two-year contract and comes with free shipping if its purchased online. [Updated, 1:31 p.m. May 17: The discount applies to the 8GB iPhone 4, based off of Best Buy's website. ] While the deal is nice, it isn't the only one going on with the iPhone 4 or even the iPhone 4S. Both Target and RadioShack slashed the price of the two most recent iPhones by $50 earlier this month, according to CNET . With some complaints about the 4S's battery life as well as Siri's performance , a $50 iPhone 4 is not a shabby deal.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa launched a prescription-drug discount program for city residents Monday, following up on a campaign promise he made five years ago while running for mayor. At a senior center in Montecito Heights, Villaraigosa said the city had contracted with Ohio-based Envision Pharmaceutical Services, which will negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to obtain lower prices for residents who carry discount cards. The discounts, which could range from 5% to 40% depending on the medicine, will be available at about 1,500 Los Angeles pharmacies that participate in Envision's network.

This holiday season, don't be surprised if your gifts come from discount stores -- or if some of your friends don't buy you anything at all. Lingering economic worries will cause holiday shoppers to trim budgets and look for more deals this year, according to a National Retail Federation survey to be released today. The survey found that U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $682.74 on holiday shopping, a 3.2% drop from $705.01 last year. The findings are in line with recent projections by numerous analysts and retail groups that call for a flat to negative Christmas season as consumers continue to worry about their jobs and finances.

Pack heat and eat cheap. That could be the motto at All Around Pizzas and Deli, a Virginia Beach, Va., pizza shop offering 15% discounts to customers who show up with their guns or their concealed-carry permits. Owner Jay Laze, who was looking for a way to boost sales, said he heard about a frozen yogurt shop in Utah doing a bring-a-gun, get-a-discount deal and decided to, well, give it a shot. “The news made it all the way to Virginia,” Laze said. “And I wondered why nobody here was doing it.” Since he started the deal Friday, Laze said, he's seen about six times as many customers as usual and an array of guns  - the first customer brought in an AK-47.

If you're thinking about traveling out of the country next year, this Cyber Monday sale might provide early inspiration. Friendly Planet Travel features destinations from Dubai to Peru during its 24-hour sale with $100 to $400 off all tours. The deal: Use the code "Cybermonday" when booking online, and the discount will be applied. Some examples of savings: $200 off a nine-day trip to Thailand with airfare for $1,439 per person and $200 off a 13-day trip to South Africa with airfare for $3,199.

Bangkok, Thailand-based Tucan Travel designs budget tours for younger travelers that combine cultural highlights with camping, hostel and guesthouse stays. The company's January sale takes up to 40% off the price of trips to South America and Asia. The deal: Budget Expeditions , called Bex for short, are most suitable for 18- to 35-year-olds. They're designed for people who are the "same age, on the same wave length and are geared up for the experience of a lifetime," the company's website says.

Who could object to rewarding people who quit smoking, lose weight or start to exercise? The American Cancer Society and the American Heart Assn., for starters. Some companies are charging lower insurance premiums to workers who meet benchmarks for healthy living. The Senate's healthcare overhaul legislation would expand the trend. But instead of cheering the proposal, some patient advocacy and health groups are worried that it could mean higher rates for less-fit Americans, possibly pricing them out of their employers' insurance plans.

Travel company Gate 1 Travel kicks off Black Friday early with discounts of $50 to $1,000 off every tour the company offers. The deal applies to hundreds of land tours as well as river and sea cruises in the U.S., Asia, Europe, South America and other destinations. The sale begins online on Thanksgiving and continues through Black Friday (Nov. 23).  The deal: The sale applies to all trips offered by Gate 1 Travel and its small-group travel wing Discovery Tours . Travelers save $50 on a trip priced at $500 or more (use the code "BL12FR50")

Carefree RV Resorts has a Veterans Day special that lasts far longer than the holiday. Active, retired and veteran military servicemen and women will receive 50% off the cost of renting recreational vehicle sites year-round at the company's chain of parks. The deal : The offer from Carefree RV Resorts is for military members, past and present, and their immediate family members (children, parents and siblings) who are traveling with them. The discount applies to 35 parks in California , Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey and Texas.

With the sun breaking through after a storm and Christmas less than two weeks away, shoppers dutifully trooped to the region's malls on Sunday -- though apparently with less free-spending enthusiasm than anxious merchants would like. There was plenty of elbow room at Sherman Oaks Fashion Square, despite signs offering steep discounts. "We're Dropping Our Pants," said a sign pledging 30% off the price of dungarees at Lucky Brand Jeans. Other store windows promised deep discounts ("50% Off Entire Store!"