Archive for February, 2010

TASTE

Friday, February 26th, 2010

TASTE
French-American restaurant in Cleveland Heights is offering a $75 gift certificate for $35. Fine print: Expires 08/29/2010. Limit 1 per person. Limit 1 per table, 2 for tables of 5 or more. Tax and gratuity not included. Reservation recommended. Not valid for special events.

Doesn’t say it isn’t good for alchohol, so it’s good for wine and other drinks!

Deal good until Sunday 2/28.

Click here to order:
TASTE DEAL

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

RESTAURANT.COM 80% OFF DEAL

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

RESTAURANT.COM
Save 80%! Get $25 restaurant gift certificates for $2 (normally $10)! New restaurants every month – 100th Bomb Group, Naya, Captains Club, Sushi Rock, Luchita’s, Giovanni’s, Mallorca, Marbella, and many more. Call the restaurant before you show up and make sure they still take it and very the stipulations just to be on the safe side. Restaurant.com will give you a mega-certificate to use if a restaurant closes or doesn’t accept them anymore.
Use code SAVOR.
Ends 2/28/10.
Click here to order:
RESTAURANT.COM 80% OFF DEAL

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

DEALS O’ THE WEEK, FILET-O-FISH

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Damn you… you catchy jingle!

TACO BELL
Taco Bell is giving away a free Fresco Taco. Deals ends when 1 million are given away. Click here to get your coupon:
http://www.drivethrudiet.com/

IHOP
Free pancakes on Tuesday, Feb 23rd from 7 AM to 10PM at participating locations. Donations are encouraged for the Children’s Miracle Network for the event.

MCDONALDS FILET-O-FISH
Is it just me or does that “Give me back that filet-o-fish” commercial by McDonalds one of those creepily hypnotic jingles that just sticks in your head. Damn them for doing that. It comes up at the most inopportune times like when I’m at church. But then there is usually a bratty screaming kid that snaps me out of thinking about it.

If you can’t get enough of the singing fish, you can buy it at Rite Aid for $19.99. Click here for a $5 off $25 coupon at Rite Aid:
http://img.ionmx.com/ionmxweb2/MXOrgs/6008/Content/images/welcome/RA-FebCoupon5off-ADA.pdf

TRIDENT
Another commercial that is really bizarre is the one for Trident Three Layers. There is a UPS guy that is in the front bushes of a house eavesdropping on a conversation the family is having in their living room and he said he would get paid in Trident gum. I would’ve got the garden hose out and sprayed him away from the house.

Then there is a phone guy across the street with apparent super-hearing that moans about wishing he got paid in Trident gum. Yes, yes, hey business world, us workers have no need for cold hard cash. We would prefer gum. Chewy gum. Especially one from Trident that has three layers of flavors. If we were paid in gum, I wonder if we would still need to fill out W2 tax forms.

WENDYS
Sign up to http://www.wendys.com and they will send you a $1 off coupon for their new fish sandwich. Get other coupons during the year for other sandwichs when you sign up to get their e-mails.

DOLLAR MENU
Dollar menus at fast food restaurants are great deals. Some are such good deals; they are loss leaders. For the most part you can get three dollar menu burgers for the price of one regular sandwich.

MEAT
People always ask me, “Joe, where do you get your meat?” I tell them I always get it half off. And then I freeze it. There are always buy-one-get-one free deals on meat. Load up on it and it’s good for at least 6 months. Meat usually goes bad after 6 months, so there is plenty of time to enjoy your meat. Ask the butcher about his meat too. They will discount any meat that they need to get rid of before it goes bad and expires. Butchers are very proud of their meat. They always want to give their meat away at a discount when they know it’s going bad. Ask him to show you his meat that they need to get rid of. Hold your meat in your hand and then start haggling.

Nobody likes meat that isn’t fresh, but what is gross is the packaged meats that use coloring and preservatives to make it look fresh. If you have to doll up your meat in order for it to look good then you have some nasty meat. The packages always seem to bloat up. Bloated meat doesn’t look healthy. It starts to turn green and slimy and smell. I think that is what finally killed Tops in Ohio – they decided to get rid of their butchers and go with pre-packaged meat. So tell your store that you go to not to ever wrap your meat in a package full of junk. Let them know you like it fresh.

There are coupons for meat – Hormel, Tyson, Perdue, etc. Pairing a coupon with BOGO meat will get me usually at least 70% off. I always give my meat to the cashier and have them gently scan it and then put it into two old bags. I prefer two bags than one. If something happens to the one bag I don’t want my meat to drop to the floor. Having two bags makes me feel more secure. I also always keep an eye on the cashier and make sure they don’t put something nasty like Comet on my meat. You’d think the cashiers are old enough to know better, but sometimes you have to tell them what to do.

SEA SALT
Get a Diamond Sea Salt coupon for .50 cents off that will double at Giant Eagle – one canister cost me 19 cents after the coupon. Aside from being a healthier salt, it’s great for killing slugs! Click here to get the coupon:
SEA SALT COUPON

ALDIS
Grapes – $1.59 for 2 lbs.
Mushrooms – 8 ounce – 99 cents

GIANT EAGLE
Get 20 cents off per gallon at GetGo gas stations when you buy $50 of restaurant gift cards at Giant Eagle. Remember – You’re allowed up to 30 gallons of discounted gas when you redeem your GetGo rewards. Limited time only.
List of restaurants here: http://www.gianteagle.com/GiftCards/browse.aspx?cntid=177291

FITNESS19
They have a $9 per month (with $59 initiation fee) or $9 initiation fee deal. Their new fitness center is located at 30240 Euclid Avenue in Wickliffe next to Big Lots. They have other locations in Parma, Stow, & Cleveland. Go to http://www.fitness19.com for details.

FITWORKS
The have a $19.99 per month with a $19.99 enrollment fee deal. Deal ends 2/28. Go to http://www.fitworks.com for details. Locations in Mentor, Downtown Cleveland, Parma, Richmond Heights, Rocky River, & Willoughby.

GOING OUT OF BUSINESS
K-Mart – Eastlake, West 65th, Dayton, Wadsworth, and Milton in Ohio. For a full list of store closures go to: eight stores in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Georgia, Florida, Colorado and Washington. K-Mart has over 1,300 stores nationwide and 17 in Northeast Ohio yet. I’m surprised the store in Eastlake lasted this long. There was never anyone shopping at the store. Tons were there today. But don’t get caught up in lame 20% to 30% deals when stores initally go out of business. Wait for the deals to hit at least 50% off.

BEST DEAL MAGAZINES
Weekly Specials – all $3.75 annually – use code WKLYSPEC:
Parents
Weight Watchers
Taste of Home

Daily Specials:
2/22 Angels on Earth 1 Year $4.29
2/23 Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel 1 Year $8.49
2/24 Bridal Guide 1 Year $3.99
2/25 Yoga Journal 1 Year $3.99
2/26 Garden & Gun 1 Year $3.79
2/27 Men’s Fitness 1 Year $4.29
2/28 Smart Money 1 Year $10

Take An Extra 15% Off Most Titles – Code: PXCJ228 Offer Expires February 28, 2010
TAKE AN EXTRA $5 OFF $30 ORDER COUPON – Code: MNDCJ228 Offer Expires February 28, 2010
TAKE AN EXTRA $7.50 OFF $40 ORDER COUPON – Code: MQQCJ228 Offer Expires February 28, 2010
TAKE AN EXTRA $10 OFF $50 ORDER COUPON – Code: MQPCJ228 Offer Expires February 28, 2010

Click here to order:
BEST DEAL MAGAZINE DEALS

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK
All books $19.99 and get free shipping. Click here to order:
ENTERTAINMENT BOOK DEAL

OUR TOWN COUPON BOOK
Find many fast food coupons including those for McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, and tons more. Hundreds of restaurant coupons – some up to $30 off! It’s like finding a gift card on every page. Many golf coupons, movie coupons, winery coupons, and West Side Market coupons. Coupons for businesses in the Greater Cleveland area East, West and South side – from Amherst to Ashtabula!
The book costs $25 – & Free Shipping!
Click here to order:
http://www.joethecouponguy.com/merchandise/index.htm

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

CAFE TANDOOR

Friday, February 19th, 2010

CAFE TANDOOR
Get $15 for $35 Worth of Indian Fare and Drinks at Cafe Tandoor. Deals ends Sunday, 2/21.
Click here to order:
CAFE TANDOOR DEAL

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED

Friday, February 19th, 2010

WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED
Free 2lb deluxe blend birdseed coupon in the Thursday, 2/18 PD Inside & Out section. I’m thinking if it’s good enough I may have found something to eat while I’m watching the Cavs. If you see me perched in a tree…beware.

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

DEALS O’ THE WEEK, DEAR ABBY

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

MARCS
Get 2% off on gift cards. They also sell gift cards for Speedway that will get you 10 cents off per gallon.

AUNTIE ANNES
On February 20th, Auntie Anne’s will be having a free pretzel day – stop by for a free Original or Cinnamon Sugar pretzel between 10AM to 3PM.

ELECTRIC DISCOUNT
Do you have an all-electric house or business? Anyone that does is in for a shocker. The deal given over 30 years ago for all-electric homes is being rescinded. Some people are seeing their bills double. Politicians are working on getting the discount continued. Check out the story here:
http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=129808
http://bulletin.aarp.org/states/oh/2010/5/articles/electric_bills_stun_those_who_heat_reddy_kilowatt.html
ALDIS
Red Grapes – 89¢/lb.
Oranges – $1.39/4 lb. bag
Grapefruit – $1.79/ 5 lb. bag
Milk – $1.79 gallon

CVS
Sobe water – Free after BOGO coupon found here: SOBE BOGO COUPON
Aussie Shampoo – Free after $1 coupon and extra bucks
Crest Pro Health Rinse or toothpaste – Free after extra bucks & coupon
Colgate Advanced toothpaste – Free after extra bucks & coupons

GIANT EAGLE
Carolina Rice – 19 cents after .50 coupon
Simply Asia noodles – free after .75 coupon
Trident Layers – free after .75 coupon

RITE-AID
Motrin PM – Free – make money after recent $1 coupon
Olay products – 3 for $18 – use recent coupon to get the free – plus make money with this $15 rebate: http://www.olay.com/Club_Olay/feb2010/images/TE_Rebate_Form_OlayHomepage.pdf

WALGREENS
Air Wick Imotion – 50% off – use $4 coupon to get it free

DEAR ABBY
true story…
Back when Pauline Phillips wrote Dear Abby I noticed that her answers were increasingly off-the-mark. She was wet-noodle lashing herself almost every other day because she kept retracting her answers after readers pointed out the errors in her answers. At the end of 1999 I decided to write Dear Abby a letter and let her know that she should consider hanging up her advice column along with her sister that wrote Ask Ann Landers who was also consistently retracting her answers. After all, when there is discourse in the world, I seek to correct it. Dear Abby wrote me back. Not too long after I got a reply letter back from her, she decided to retire and hand the Dear Abby baton to her daughter. Whether my letter spurred her on to consider retiring I don’t know. I’m sure she chewed on it for awhile just re-reading my letter while smoking a cigar or whatever she did when she wrote her column.

I pictured Dear Abby hunched over due to all the noodle-lashing with her back all scabbed up tippy-tappying on her typewriter. But what ticked me off is that people listen to her advice and were taking to heart what she said when she was giving bad advice. Should someone miss her “noodle lashing” retraction it would lead them astray.

As an example, say there was a letter about how a mother-in-law was coming over her daughter-in-laws house and complaining that her cooking was not good enough for her son. Dear Abby would say something like the daughter-in-law should win the mother over by telling the mother-in-law that she needed to bleach her mustache. That would make them even in her book and all would be good. Not quite good advice in my book. I could see her answering that they should get matching tattoos to create a bond, but not trade one insult for another.

In the letter she wrote back to me she really didn’t address her poor advice. I was disappointed, but sometimes people have a hard time dealing with reality. Nowadays you hear some people in the media say how wrong the other person is, but yet they show a pattern of being wrong themselves. Notice how nobody stepped forward to fess their part about their decision to unregulate banks or whatever reason you want to believe helped cause the financial crisis. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to see people fess up when they are wrong. People appreciate honesty. Notice how Tiger Woods wasn’t honest, while David Letterman was and Letterman looked like the good guy just because he was honest even though he did something despicable. After all, how can something be fixed if the people responsible don’t acknowledge their part in it. The truth will set you free they say.

Sometimes people need gentle reminders. Or a seed needs to be planted in their mind. It’s just like an athlete that keeps playing when they are way past their prime. Sometimes ya gotta know when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em. Ya gotta know when to walk away and when to run. And never count your money when it’s sitting on the table. That has nothing to do with this moral of the story, but people don’t like it when you count money you’ve won from them in front of them. Bonus moral-of-the-story day.

I wonder if there was someone in her life that told her like it is. Too many people go about life without friends or family giving them honest feedback that is for their own good. Do you have someone that will tell you when you have a booger flitting out your nose – those people are your true friends. Let people know they are special to you by telling them you can see stuff on their person where it shouldn’t be.

Do people think that they aren’t going to make mistakes their whole life – and who do you think will tell them when they are going down the wrong path? Last I checked the Wrong Police didn’t send me a message or arrest me when I was wrong and needed to come to terms with it. Remember how Fonzie didn’t look cool when he couldn’t say wrong.

Eventually these same folks need to see a psychologist to straighten things out. Or otherwise they become one of those people that write diatribes on their houses or cars. How fun is that! All my grievances about how I was treated in life for all to see…the writings on the wall as they say. I say a good counselor might be a better option.

Some people that don’t have enough social contacts or close family spurn any feedback as if that person was being mean-spirited by telling them the truth. There is a difference. The gentle truth can help people grow. For instance, it’s like if I see someone in the store and tell them they need to pluck their hairs that are growing from their enormous bulbous mole, I mean it in a nice way. Sometimes I will get out my monocle so I can better see the mess and I offer to tweeze them right then and there – nice deed #2. It’s usually met with some gruff remark.

Everyone has a wall up when they are initially approached about correcting a behavior. I’m sure later when they calm down they will realize they should’ve just accepted it as a something necessary that they have to come to terms with and let me do it. There is a lady cashier at one of the Walgreens I go to that is overly due for a full face plucking. She’s next on my list. Some of her facial hair is so long that it can be used for guitar strings. I’m guessing she uses them to floss too.

Dear Abby’s daughter now writes the column. I still read it every day and her daughter doesn’t make anywhere near the amount of initial bad advice as her Mom did. I later found out that Dear Abby had Alzheimer’s disease which sadly may explain some of her answers. She was diagnosed with it in the early 1990’s.

Interestingly, I found out that Dear Abby had a falling out with her twin sister who wrote the Ask Ann Landers column. How can an advice columnist not get along with her own sister!? And a twin at that! That’s like your right hand getting mad at your left hand because it gets all the attention.

Apparently way back in the day Dear Abby decided to undercut Ask Ann Landers so that she would get her column in the paper. Ann Landers also got divorced which is odd since she wrote relationship advice (she died in 2002). Dear Abby mentioned her sisters divorce in the letter. Some might say that a divorced person may have better insight into a relationship after going through a divorce. But then again, why do over 70% of second marriages end up in divorce if that person knows better after going through one. But then again, some psychologists get divorced and they thoroughly understand human behavior and can read relationship red flags. Some people become psychologists to better understand themselves and perhaps that means they are the ones with the red flags. Just because someone wears a swimsuit doesn’t mean they’re a swimmer.

There are a lot of other hypocritical oddities in this world – some may shock you and are disgusting. For instance:
Dr. Laura Schlessinger gives relationship advice…yet she had an affair with a married man and is divorced. Besides her sister, she also didn’t speak for around 20 years to her mother, of whom they found dead, undiscovered for two months.
Rush Limbaugh rallied against drug use…yet he was caught fraudulently obtaining prescription drugs and was put on probation.
Rep Foley was caught texting sexual messages to a young male intern…yet he proposed toughening child sexual predator laws.
Rev Ted Haggard rallied against gays…yet even though he was married he was caught in a relationship with a male prostitute…not to mention he did drugs too.
Barney Rubble married a brunette…yet he preferred blondes.
Glenn Beck tells the world how to be…yet he was an alcoholic drug user in the past and called a rival station’s wife and mocked her miscarriage when he was a radio DJ.
Our last few Presidents used drugs, some heavily…yet they are fighting a war on drugs.
Bill Clinton loved women…yet he married one woman that some might say was manly.
Popeye loved spinach…yet he chose a vegetable over Olive Oyl of whom had a mystery child that didn’t look like Brutus or Wimpy.
Bill O’Reilly spouts his moral values…yet while married he settled a sexual harassment lawsuit.
Kirstie Alley wrote diet books…yet she looks like she ate all her books with all the fixins.
George Washington didn’t belong to any political party and didn’t want any to be formed…yet now many people are ruled by their party and not by the people…ahhh the good ol’ days.

Why would people do the opposite of what they preach? Sometimes people tend to swing the other way when they mess up in life. In other words, if someone rallies against something it’s probably because they are feeling guilt for doing it or something just as sinful in their past. It happens to the best of us. I learn from all the mistakes I’ve made. Moderation is key. And whenever I’m in a bind, I think I’ll write Dear Abby a letter. Me and her are tight.

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

BEST DEAL MAGAZINE DEALS

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

BEST DEAL MAGAZINES
DATE TITLE TERM PRICE
2/15 Family Fun 1 Year $3.99
2/16 Car & Driver 1 Year $4.29
2/17 Body & Soul 1 Year $5.29
2/18 Consumer Reports 1 Year $19.89
2/19 Every Day With Rachael Ray 1 Year $9.49
2/20 Game Informer 1 Year $5.39
2/21 Shopsmart 1 Year $19.89

Take An Extra 15% Off Most Titles – Code: PXCJ221 Offer Expires February 21, 2010
TAKE AN EXTRA $5 OFF $30 ORDER COUPON – Code: MNDCJ221 Offer Expires February 21, 2010
TAKE AN EXTRA $7.50 OFF $40 ORDER COUPON – Code: MQQCJ221 Offer Expires February 21, 2010
TAKE AN EXTRA $10 OFF $50 ORDER COUPON – Code: MQPCJ221 Offer Expires February 21, 2010

Click here to order:
BEST DEAL MAGAZINE DEALS

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

RESTAURANT.COM 70% OFF DEAL

Monday, February 15th, 2010

RESTAURANT.COM
Get restaurant gift certificates for 70% Off! Spend $3 for $25 gift certificates! Use code ENJOY on any three of their popular products: Gift Certificates, Dinner of the Month Club, and Gift Cards. Ends 2/21.
Click here to order:
RESTAURANT.COM 70% DEAL

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

GROUPON DEAL – HOGGYS

Monday, February 15th, 2010

GROUPON
Get a $20 gift certificate for Hoggy’s for $9. One day deal! Check for deals in other cities. Spa deals, haircuts, restaurants, etc.. Click here to order
GROUPON
DEAL

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

REDBOX FREEBIE

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

REDBOX
Free movies are so much better than any that cost any coin. Get a FREE one night DVD rental from Redbox. Use code 2DGTAL22. Redbox is found at Giant Eagle and Walgreens amongst other stores. Don’t forget to return the movie by 9pm the next day to avoid the $1 per night charge.

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

ROSES

Friday, February 12th, 2010

SAVALOT
A dozen roses are $9.99. Go to http://www.sav-a-lot.com and print a $1 off coupon for the roses. While you’re there get bananas 3 lbs for $1 and bag o salad for 99 cents. Now there’s some gifts for Valentines day that will endear you to your special someone.

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

ENTERTIANMENT BOOK DEAL

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK
Get $14 off any book plus free shipping. Ends 2/14.
Click here to order:
ENTERTAINMENT BOOK DEAL

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

SOUTHWEST $39 ONE-WAY FLIGHTS

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

SOUTHWEST
They have $39 one-way flight specials going on now until May 25th. Purchase by Feb. 11.

Here are a list of deals for Cleveland:
From Cleveland back to top
To Baltimore for as low as $39 one-way
To Chicago for as low as $39 one-way
To Hartford for as low as $39 one-way
To Long Island for as low as $39 one-way
To Nashville for as low as $39 one-way
To New York for as low as $39 one-way
To Norfolk for as low as $39 one-way
To Raleigh/Durham for as low as $39 one-way
To St. Louis for as low as $39 one-way

To book a flight, click here:
SOUTHWEST VACATION DEALS

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

RESTAURANT.COM 80% OFF!

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

RESTAURANT.COM
Get restaurant gift certificates 80% Off and receive a $15 FTD® Floral Reward! Spend $2 for $25 gift certificates! Use teh discount on any three of their popular products: Gift Certificates, Dinner of the Month Club, and Gift Cards. Call the restaurant to see if you can use one over Valentines Day weekend.
At checkout use code: HEART
Ends 2/14

Click here to order:
RESTAURANT.COM DEAL

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

DEALS O’ THE WEEK, WEDDINGS, VALENTINES DAY, TRAVEL

Monday, February 8th, 2010

This e-mail will be about wedding, dating, travelling, and the like with Valentine’s Day this week. Remember that a lot of restaurants don’t allow coupons to be used on Valentines day. Call and ask before finding out after you get the check. Just remember, women think it’s hot when a guy uses a coupon on a date or with the wife. I therefore am very hot.

THE KNOT
Get wedding supplies and favors for up to 75% off. Use code HEARTKS15 to get 15% off orders of $100 or more.
Click here to order:
THE KNOT DEALS
MYWEDDINGFAVORS
Find wedding favors and accessory deals on this site. Get 10% off on orders of $150 or more.
Click here to order:
MYWEDDINGFAVORS DEALS

SUITS
I found suits at 80% off and more at JC Penneys on clearance this past weekend. Plus I used a coupon for $15 off. I got 3 suits for $200 that normally would’ve cost $1,200.

WEDDINGS
Now’s the time to dig around for wedding deals. There are some wedding shows coming up (find them at http://www.weddingsincleveland.com/events.asp) and it’s best to get the deals now rather than the month of your wedding. You’ll have enough to worry about then. And aside from the wedding it’s best to plan ahead for your honeymoon. If you book your honeymoon just before you wedding, you may find that the cost to fly is very high. If you plan months ahead, you can get a good deal and avoid the hassle of last-minute planning. Many of the wedding shows have great giveaways and drawings.

I think planning weddings is lesson #1 on each person in the marriage will get along in stressful situations. And it also brings to the surface how each other deals with money – after all money is the #1 reason people get divorced. If you both don’t know how much debt each has or what your spending money on – you will later – most likely in divorce court.

Honeymoons can sometimes be a last-minute preparation with changes going on until just before the wedding. Plan way ahead. Don’t overspend…same goes for the wedding itself. Don’t start off on the wrong foot and be in debt right from the very start. Save and sacrifice. Don’t spend lots of money on things that aren’t important.

Our honeymoon was very unique. Not so much where we went, but what happened. We got married on September 8th. We left for our honeymoon on September 9th. I had thought about leaving on the 10th to give us a day to recoup from the wedding, but we decided to go on the 9th. Our first destination was San Francisco. The first full day there we did a long hike through Muir Woods and then did Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghiradelli Square.

The next morning we had tickets to Alcatraz. I got up and turned on the TV. There seemed to be some event going on. It became clear that it was something major. Yes, it was 9/11. So here we were in a hotel in San Francisco and the word was that the Transamerica building nearby or the Golden Gate bridge were targets for the terrorists. Hearing that the bridges out of town may be shut down, we decided to see if we could get to our next destination a day early. Our next stop was in Napa. Luckily they had a room available at the hotel we were going to stay at. A quick trip through Chinatown for lunch and ride back on the trolley we were on our way.

We still had stops in Napa, Reno, and Lake Tahoe for our honeymoon with a return visit to San Francisco for our flight back. We wanted to make the best of the honeymoon. It was great to see the patriotism across the U.S. We were riveted to the radio and TV. The mood was aptly somber. Sad to see such divisiveness in the U.S. now when it comes to politics. Everyone loses with an us versus them attitude.

We had a choice to make after we left Lake Tahoe. Either we drive back to San Francisco to catch our flight or we drive back home. Many flights were still being cancelled yet, so there was no guarantee that the flight was a go. They could fly us to the first stop and then we could get stranded at an airport. So as I got to the end of the driveway I asked my wife, “left or right.” Left meant we would drive home from Lake Tahoe. Right meant we go back to San Fran and attempt to fly home. We went left. Car rental companies were waiving one-way fees. Ours gouged us on the rate, but I complained that we already had a car booked, so they refunded us the money.

We stayed a night in Park City, Utah and another in Omaha, Nebraska. We saw a lot of flags and USA written on everything. I enjoyed the drive, although the Plain states that were nothing but corn and cows made me sleepy. I got to see some states I’ve never seen. It helped me in my quest to see all 50 states of which I finished the other year when we went to North and South Dakota.

We stopped at a store in Carson City, Nevada to get some shoe polish and wrote “USA” and “Just Married” and the like on the car windows. I think it saved me a speeding ticket in Iowa. After Omaha we were heading straight home and we were ready to get home. I was buzzing along and as you get out of Nebraska you drive over a hill into Iowa. At the bottom of the hill was a policeman doing radar. I knew I was nailed. I could see him creeping up ready to gun it to get behind me. As I passed by I looked over at him and he looked and I’m sure saw what we wrote on the windows. No ticket. Little did I think that our messages would save us from a speeding ticket.

We missed out on a lot of things we scheduled. I had 50 cent tickets for an Oakland A’s game. It was a businessman’s noon game deal and I was thinking that I would buy a whole section. It was one way I could get my first foul ball. We also had tics for a game in San Francisco too. But the games were cancelled – no refunds which I thought was cheap on MLB’s part. Even a balloon ride in Napa got shut down.

Years later we went back to San Fran and Napa and did some of the things we missed out on. Just like anything, go with the flow. We made the best of it in a time that was crazy. And after all what we went through was nothing with what some others had to deal with at that time.

FLOWER DELIVERY
Don’t forget to send flowers for Valentines Day! Especially those gents that are in the doghouse or forgot birthdays or other special days in the past. We found some good deals on this site. Plan ahead so that you don’t have to waste money sending flowers using next day service. Expect to find some deals at local stores or click here to order flowers:
FLOWER DELIVERY DEALS

CRIMINAL SEARCHES
Ever wondered about the person you’re dating? Not sure about leaving the door open for the contractor? Your neighbor a little creepy? Check out http://www.criminalsearches.com and you will find out some of the background of a person. Best of all, it’s free.

DON’T DATE HIM/HER
Is the guy you’re dating a player and not suitable to be dating anyone from the human race. A site called Don’t Date Him Girl might be for you. Gals list their loser exes on the site for all to see. Save yourself from wasting time and money dating the wrong guys by checking the list. If you seem to be always dating these type of guys, then maybe it’s time for a heart-to-heart talk with yourself to find out why ya pick the loser types.
The site can be found at http://www.dontdatehimgirl.com. There are other sites that list gals not to date, but they are a bit more risque.

Time to book you vacation or honeymoon! Plan ahead to save more. Travel sites and tips:

BEST WESTERN
When we drove back home from our honeymoon we stayed at Best Westerns. They publish a great booklet on their hotels in each state, so I was able to figure out where to stay using it. Their hotels are very reasonably priced and are of consistent quality. Free breakfasts. One thing about low cost hotels – they are more likely to have free wifi than a more expensive hotel!
Click here to book a room:
BEST WESTERN DEALS

PRICELINE
Find flight, hotel, and car rental deals on Priceline. Bid for your deals. Find $44 one -way flights on Air Tran via Priceline – ends 2/9. For bidding help and advice go to http://www.betterbidding.com. Click here for the site:
PRICELINE.COM DEALS

EXPEDIA
Expedia was started by Microsoft. You can find travel deals using Expedia at:
EXPEDIA.COM DEALS

TRAVELOCITY
The second largest online travel agency.
TRAVELOCITY DEALS

HOTELS.COM
They offer discounts on hotels. They get special discounts for rooms that they sell to the public. They also usually offer rebates for your stays. I recommend checking TripAdvisor.com for ratings on hotels by people that stayed at the hotel.
Click here to book a room:
HOTELS.COM DEALS

CHOICE HOTELS
Just like Best Western they offer value. The chain includes Mainstay, Cambria, Comfort Inn, and Extended Stay amongst others. Largest franchise hotel chain in the world. As with any rewards program at hotels, airlines, etc., be sure to sign up for their points card. Click here to book a room:
CHOICE HOTEL DEALS

KAYAK.COM
They are a travel site aggregator – they check for the best airline, hotel, and car rental deals instead of you having to go to each individual site itself. We use them all the time to find the best deals without having to check all the different sites out there. They don’t check Choice Hotels, Southwest, and JetBlue though. We used them to find a $66 flight from London to Paris last year. Look for the best flight deals on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. Find them at http://www.kayak.com

MEGABUS
Want to go from Cleveland to Chicago for $2 round-trip? Other routes are just as cheap. Check out http://www.megabus.com. They offer $1 seats that once they sell out go up to $8, then $15 when they sell out, etc. Book the seats once the schedule opens up to get the $1 seats before they sell out.

AVIS
First car rental business to be located at an airport. Rent primarily GM cars. Click here to rent a car with them:
AVIS CAR RENTAL DEALS

BUDGET
The husband of Ann Landers of Dear Abby fame was one of the founders of the company. I actually got a response back from Dear Abby on a letter I sent to her. I’ll reveal what it was about in one of my future e-mails. Anyway, rent a car from in essence, Dear Abby at:
BUDGET CAR RENTAL DEALS

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
They have an easy to use travel site. Southwest tends to have great deals on their flights and the best service. And no baggage fees like the other airlines. Find luggage fees at: http://www.farecompare.com/resources/airline_fee_table/index.htm
Find their Southwest last minute and other deals here:
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES VACATION DEALS

JETBLUE
They have great deals on flights. To book a flight and check pricing go to:
JET BLUE AIRLINES DEALS

VACATIONSTOGO
Find cruises up to 75% off and more. We used them to go on a cruise to Hawaii – Norwegian Cruise Lines – 7 nights – balcony for 80% off – normally $5,000. We got it for $1,000. My wife chatted with a lady that was there with her family that paid the $5,000 per person. They could’ve gone on 5 of the same cruises instead of just the one for the price! Bogus for them, but she told them about the site, so now they know. Click here for the site: http://www.vacationstogo.com

NEWS-HERALD
1/2 off subscriptions. Deal only available on 2/15 – call 440-951-6397 – Use code PRZ-3.


DENNYS

Get a free breakfast at Denny’s from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9. Anyone who shows up at a participating location gets a free Original Grand Slam, which is two eggs, two slices of bacon, two pieces of sausage and two pancakes. They also give out free Grand Slams for your birthday. If your b-day is Feb 9th – get ready to fill ‘er up. Click here for details: http://www.dennys.com/superbowl/splash1.html

Thanks to Frank S for the tip.

BEST DEAL MAGAZINES
Daily deals:
DATE TITLE TERM PRICE
2/8 Family Circle 1 Year $4.29
2/9 Automobile 1 Year $4.29
2/10 Harper’s Bazaar 1 Year $4.29
2/11 Motorcyclist 1 Year $4.29
2/12 Road & Track 1 Year $5.29
2/13 Running Times 1 Year $4.29
2/14 Fitness 1 Year $4.29

Take An Extra 15% Off Most Titles – Code: PXCJ214 Offer Expires February 14, 2010
TAKE AN EXTRA $5 OFF $30 ORDER COUPON – Code: MNDCJ214 Offer Expires February 14, 2010
TAKE AN EXTRA $7.50 OFF $40 ORDER COUPON – Code: MQQCJ214 Offer Expires February 14, 2010
TAKE AN EXTRA $10 OFF $50 ORDER COUPON – Code: MQPCJ214 Offer Expires February 14, 2010

Click here to order:
BEST DEAL MAGAZINES

ALDIS
Apples – $1.29 – 3lb bag
Pears – 99 cents – 4 pack
Oranges – $1.39 – 4 lb bag

CVS
Free after extrabucks:
Dove
Power Bar Gel Blast – plus use recent $1 coupon to make money
Valentine Photo card
Nivea lip care – get $5 when you spend $10 – get nearly free after BOGO coupon
Nabisco Triscuit, Wheat Thins, or Ritz – 5 for $7 – then use recent $1 coupon to get them for $2.

WALGREENS
Free after register rewards:
Dove’s Mens Wash – make money after recent $1.25 coupon
Super Poligrip

RITE AID
Free after rebate:
Dove Mens Wash – make money after recent $1.25 coupon
Find $5 off $25 coupon at: http://www.redplum.com

Gillete Razor – 99 cents after recent $4 coupon

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com