I will go to John Wayne ( Orange County ) in Nov. I'm checking the air ticket to LAX. That is cheaper than to SNA directly. However, I don't know how to go John Wayne with cheaper way from LAX.
I haven't car license. Rental car is too expensive. Only me, I'm a lady! 
Please  help! Urgent!

1) Take Super Shuttle - approx. $50
2) Have someone picked you up at LAX - free

But you still cannot survive in Orange county without driving or taxi. There are very few bus in Irvine area.

BTW, it doesn't make sense to fly from LAX to SNA. The driving minutes are about 1 hours without traffic.

If you think car rental is too much, there is not a whole lot of option.
If you still want to go this route, you can
1) take a FlyAway bus from LAX to Union Station (http://www.lawa.org/flyaway/)
2) take a Metrolink train from Union Station to Tustin station ( http://www.metrolinktrains.com/schedules/html.php?id=241)
3) take a OCTA bus from Tustin to SNA (http://www.octa.net/pdf/pdf/sept2008/route472_473.pdf)

actually, i live in LA now. If u want to go to SNA from LA, the shortest way and fastest way is to take a cab from LAX. However, it could be quite expensive if u are jammed on the freeway traffic. Usually, if u arrived in the International terminal, there is a directory board. There is a chinese owned taxi company. Call them, it should help u a lot.

Don't know where OP is flying from but I would think the savings of air fare would be cancelled out by cab fare.

i just found out that the fare from LAX to SNA is about 30 USD, u can call taxi from LAX, chinese taxi company, if no traffic, should be half an hour. so, try your luck. But don't take shuttle, it will take u forever cuz they will wait until the whole shuttle is full and make several stops.

俾錢請我做你司機 hahaha  (認真既)