November 6, 2009
Hoping the freebies will pick up once we get closer to the holidays. Here are just a few for you to enjoy in the next week.
Gratis Gift Cards
- Lots of online retailers and brick-and-mortar businesses want you to start shopping early for the holidays. That’s why many are offering free gift cards with a purchase. Check out this MSN Money Smart Shopping article for all the details.
Free Food
- On Wednesday, November 11, 2009, participating Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar locations throughout the U.S. will invite all past and present military personnel to enjoy a complimentary entree from their special Veterans Day menu. Veterans and active duty military with proof of United States military service will be able to select one complimentary entrée from a Menu of delicious favorites: savory seven-ounce House Sirloin, hearty Fire Pit Bacon Burger, mouthwatering Three-Cheese Chicken Penne, zesty Fiesta Lime Chicken, juicy Chicken Tenders Platter or fresh Oriental Chicken Salad. All the traditional sides are included.
- Dress all in orange on Tuesday, November 10th, and head over to your local Whataburger: your clothing color choice will net you a free Whataburger.
Admission on the House
November 5, 2009
Thrifty folks like I am look for ways to get the products they like and use without spending too much in the process. That’s why places like Freecycle, Craigslist and eBay continue to exist. But I’m always amazed at the folks who give away or sell perishables on these lists–things like baby food or infant formula. As your mom may have said to you, “You don’t where that stuff’s been.”
Turns out that certain kinds of products for sale online are actually stolen goods. That’s why I’m dedicating today’s post to the following list, courtesy of the National Retail Federation (NRF), of common household items that you should never, ever buy via eBay or other online sites. Not only could it be dangerous–you don’t know the origins of the product or even if it’s the real deal–but it could also be illegal.
According to the NRF, organized retail crime investigators from a variety of the nation’s largest retailers have identified these items as the most popular health and beauty products stolen and resold by criminals:
- Abreva
- Advil
- Aleve
- Alli weight loss pills
- Benadryl
- Braun toothbrushes & replacement heads
- Bumble and Bumble
- Claritin
- Cover Girl cosmetics
- Crest Whitestrips
- diabetic testing strips
- e.p.t. pregnancy tests
- Gillette Fusion Razors and replacement cartridges
- Gillette MACH3, Venus and Sensor razors and refill cartridges
- Lotrimin
- Matrix
- Nicorette
- Oil of Olay
- Oral B replacement heads
- Pepcid AC
- Prilosec
- Primatene
- Pureology
- RoC
- Rogaine
- Similac
- Sudafed
- Schick Quattro razors and all Schick refill cartridges
- Sonicare replacement heads
- Tylenol Extra Strength
- Visine
- Zantac
NRF also added these items to the list:
- High-end liquor
- Cigarettes
- Red Bull energy drinks
- Blu-ray movies and player
- Braun electric razors
- Dyson vacuums
November 4, 2009
Despite my frugal ways I hate that I often “waste” money by forgetting to take laundry out of the washing machine in a timely manner. Why is this a waste? Because I end up with smelly laundry that I’ve got to wash again to get rid of the odor. So now I’m using twice the detergent (or vinegar) and twice the water to freshen my already clean laundry. Even with DIY laundry detergent, I’m still wasting my resources. (By the way, my laundry room would never look this neat; I just think it’s a nifty-looking washer and dryer.)
Since I’m an olfactory-oriented person (remember my post on that wretched insulation?), leaving the clothes as is as they go into the dryer or onto the line just won’t work. I don’t want to smell like a wet dog when I put on my clean clothes, and I don’t want my family going around smelling like that either. (The dog can smell like a wet dog anytime he wants to–especially when it’s raining.) In some cases I’ve found that a few shots of Febreze on the offending attire can help get rid of the smell, but in most instances I’ve got to run the whole wash cycle again.
That’s why I was interested in this press release from Whirlpool about its new Duet washing machine (pictured above): it supposedly fixes this smelly laundry problem for absentminded people like myself. Here’s a blurb from that release:
The Whirlpool® Duet® steam washer’s FanFresh(TM) option intermittently tumbles clothes in the wash drum for up to 10 hours after the cycle ends. Meanwhile, a quiet fan draws out moisture through a vent to help keep clothes smelling fresh and prevents wrinkles from setting in. According to a 2007 online survey conducted by Whirlpool brand, 72 percent of respondents said it is important that their clothes never smell sour when left in the washer, yet only 47 percent are satisfied that their current washer completes this task.*
When my current top loader dies, I’m totally getting a front loader again (I had one in my old house), and I’ll seriously consider the Duet. A front loader like this will save me money in the long run by using far less water than my old top loader. The fact that it may also help me avoid my smelly laundry ways in the future–which, in turn, means I’ll use even less water and detergent when I no longer have to rewash my already clean laundry that just happens to smell bad? Well, that’s just priceless.
November 2, 2009
For awhile supermarkets were rewarding shoppers who brought their own bags by giving them money off their purchase. Except for my local Superfresh, which gives me three cents for each bag I bring, not many stores are giving those discounts anymore. But you have to wonder: if a store asked you to spend a little upfront to save in the long run, would you?
The reason I’m thinking about this now is this: I got a press release last week from CVS on the store’s new GreenBagTag program. It’s pretty straightforward. You spend $.99 for one of these GreenBagTags. Every fourth time you use it, you get $1 in CVS Extra Care Bucks. 
But there’s a catch:
- You have to decline a plastic bag and bring your own, or not take a disposable bag at all
- You have to scan your GreenBagTag and your CVS Extra Care Card in order to earn benefits
From what I can tell you can only scan your GreenBagTag once per transaction, not one time for each plastic bag you don’t use. Also, I can’t figure out if the $1 you earn is a $1 off any item you want to purchase after that 4th use of the GreenBagTag or it’s $1 off a specific item related to what you’d purchased recently. (I’d prefer the former, in case CVS was wondering what a customer like myself thinks.)
What do you think? Is spending $.99 on one of these GreenBagTags to save $1 every fourth time you use it worth it? I’m still on the fence about whether or not I should get one. Will you?
October 30, 2009
More Halloween freebies, plus free food from Boston Market, Taco Bell and Uno Chicago Grill. Yum!
Halloween Freebies
Order an assortment of 12 or more Halloween cookies (below) from online organic bakery Beautiful Sweets, and you’ll get eight free Halloween cookies with your order. (This offer is good through October 31st.)- Theatre Artists Workshop members in East Norwalk, Connecticut, will entertain young goblins and guardians with Ghost Stories on Saturday, October 31 — Halloween afternoon — from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at TAW, 5 Gregory Boulevard in East Norwalk. Kids are invited to get a head start on the evening festivities and are encouraged to come in costume with friends and family. All ghosts and goblins will be admitted free and guardians are $5. Refreshments will be served. No reservations are necessary and no drop-offs are allowed.
- Kids get free food at Uno Chicago Grill on Halloween, October 31, from 11 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Kids’ activities include trick-or-treat goodies, including complimentary Craisin® packets courtesy of Ocean Spray®, ‘Decorate-Your-Own’ pumpkin, and a free make-your-own pizza for any kid who comes in costume.
- Stop into Taco Bell after your trick or treating (or 6 p.m. until midnight) on Halloween (October 31st), and you’ll get a free Black Jack Taco–that’s one of Taco Bell’s new tacos made from what looks like black corn.
- Quench your thirst for free on Saturday, October 31st from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Sonic Drive-In restaurants. Participating locations will be giving away a free 14 oz. Cherry Limeades or 14 oz. Diet Cherry Limeades.
- The Promenade at Coconut Creek in Florida will be hosting a Halloween Trick or Treat at the shopping center on Saturday, October 31st from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. There will be free candy for the kids, along with complimentary Halloween photos from 4:00pm to 6:00pm.
- Customers can visit any Toys”R”Us store, dressed up in their ghoulish garb, on Saturday, October 31 from noon to 3pm for free trick or treating. Children ages three and up who attend Geoffrey’s Trick “R” Treat Parade will receive a complimentary, reusable bag, which they can fill up with goodies and giveaways (while supplies last) as they parade around the store with everyone’s favorite mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe.
Free Food
Admission on the House
- These are the last two days (October 30 and 31) for children 11 years old and younger to receive free admission to visit the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park.
- Free tickets to the new movie “New Moon.” How does that sound? If you live in Pittsburgh and can donate blood on either November 2nd or November 3rd, here’s the 411: Central Blood Bank is hosting a special New Moon-themed blood drive event on Monday, November 2 from 1 PM to 8 PM at the Sokol Club, located at 2912 E. Carson St. and Tuesday, November 3 from one PM to seven PM at Dingbats, located at Pittsburgh Mills. The first 250 donors who schedule an appointment for either drive by visiting the Central Blood Bank website or by calling (412) 209-7080 and then providing the drive code “Q002″ for November 2 drive or “Q003″ for the November 3, when they show up to donate blood, they will receive a free pair of tickets to a special midnight screening of Twilight: New Moon. The screenings are taking place at the SouthSide Works Theater on Nov. 19, 2009, the night prior to the opening day of the movie’s release, and at 11:59PM and on Nov. 20, 2009 at 11:59PM.
October 28, 2009
I just heard about this freebie being offered today, Wednesday, October 28th, in New York City. If you’re a Yankees or Phillies fan–or even just a fan of cheesesteak–you’ll want to know about this offer. Here are the details:
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) is hosting a Phillies fan party in New York City during game one of the World Series at Shorty’s, an authentic Philly cheesesteak restaurant/bar located at 576 Ninth Avenue (between 41st & 42nd). Starting at 4 p.m. you can enjoy free Shorty-sized cheesesteaks. The freebies last until game time.
There will be other chances are freebies throughout the night, including a $100 gift certificate for a Garces Restaurant Group hotspot in Philadelphia (Amada, Tinto, Chifa or Distrito) if the Phillies hit a homerun. GPTMC will give out other With Love, Philadelphia XOXO(TM) prizes, including the hugely popular “Dear World Champions, Oh wait, that’s us” posters that debuted last May. (I’ve seen these driving on I-95 on my way to Philly. They’re awesome!)
Shorty’s was selected as With Love headquarters because owner Evan Stein is from Philadelphia and his place has always been a haven for Philadelphia food and sports fans. He serves up his sandwiches Philly-style — “wit” or “witout” fried onions and with ingredients from Philadelphia vendors.
