Your turn…
MAR-LOU SHOES
Get a free $10 gift card for Dave’s Supermarket when you try on New Balance shoes and bring an ad found in the front page section of the Sunday 12/12 PD. Coupon ad expires 12/31/10.
NEWS-HERALD
Get the Sunday News-Herald for $1 at Bondi’s at 38803 Lakeshore Blvd in Willoughby. Offer ends 12/26/10.
BORDERS
Get around 50% off on New York Times best sellers. Free shipping!
Click here to order:
BORDERS DEALS
BOOKCLOSEOUTSGet new books up to 90% off. Books make great gifts because they fit into stockings.
Click here to order:
BOOKCLOSEOUT DEALS
TOYS-R-US
The holidays aren’t the same without crazy fighting and gamesmanship over board games at family gatherings. Everyone has that ultra-competitive family member or one that quits after their interpretation of the rules aren’t followed. Create the animosity and grudges for life by getting board games. And find out the IQ pecking order of who will be deemed the smartest in the family by their number of board game wins.
$4.99 for these games after $3 rebate: Operation (great game after 8 cups of espresso), Trouble, Battleship, Twister, Connect 4, & Trouble.
$2.99 after $2 rebate: Memory, Andts in the Pants, Hi Ho! Cherry-O, Chutes and Ladders, Candyland
30% to 35% off on most other games.
FTD
Get 25% to 50% off with a deal on each day leading to Christmas including some at $19.99.
Click here to order:
FTD DEAL
MICHAELS
50% off any regular priced item coupon in ad – good 12/12 & 12/13. Up to 60% off on Christmas items.
WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED
Free 2 lb deluxe birdseed coupon in 12/9 PD.
ALDIS
Celery – 69 cents
Russet Potatoes – $1.69 – 10 lb bag
Navel Oranges – $1.49 – 4 lb bag
Pineapple – $1.49
WALGREENS
Free after register rewards:
Active-On for Arthiritis or Muscle/Pain
Goody barets
M&M holiday bags – 4/$3 after $5 register rewards and $2/3 coupon.
CVS
Excedrin PM – buy $20 worth and get $10 in extra bucks – use four $2.50 – about free
Duracell Batteries – get $5 in extra bucks with a purchase of $15 worth – priced $2.99 and $5.99 on sale – plus use coupons
Complete contact solution – free after extra bucks
RITE AID
Colgate – free and make money after $1 coupon
Rite Aid brand envelopes and tape – BOGO – plus get $1 in UP rewards
Velveeta/Hormel entrees – 99 cents after $1 UP rewards
Precise heat patch or cream – 2/$3 after $2 UP reward and $5 coupon
Ecotools – free on some items after BOGO50% and $5/2 in UP rewards
Blue Diamond almonds – BOGO – plus use .50 off coupon found here:
http://www.bluediamond.com/index.cfm?navid=8
GIANT EAGLE
Last chance to get 20 cents off per gallon with each $50 worth of gift cards purchases. Ends 12/15.
Zone Perfect bars – free after $1 coupon
Sara Lee Pies – BOGO – use .75 coupon = $1.74 a pie (don’t need to buy two for the BOGO deal – each item is half off)
Coffeemate creamer – free after .75 coupon that doubles at http://www.coffee-mate.com/offers/default.aspxBreakstone sour cream – 40 cents after .55 coupon that doubles
Martha White baking mix – 10/$10 plus get $2 on your next shopping trip coupon with purchase of 10 – plus use $1/4 coupon – in the end you can get 12 for $7
Mentos – free after .55 or $1.00 coupon
GIFT CARDS
Getting a gift card involves risk since the store could go out of business leaving the card worthless. So use them quickly or give cash wrapped up with coupons for the store! Here are some locations that are offering deals on their gift cards – note some may offer a bonus gift card that is good for a limited amount of time – deal may vary at selected stores:
AMC – $10 in concessions wyb $50 worth of Gift Cards
Applebee’s – Buy $50 in gift cards, get $10 bonus card.
Arby’s – Participating locations are offering a free combo when you buy a $20 gift card.
Barnes and Noble – Buy $100 gift card, get a $20 bonus card.
Ben & Jerry’s – Get a free ice cream when you buy a gift card for $10 or more.
Benihana – Buy $50 gift card, get $10 bonus card.
Bob Evans – $10 Gift Card wyb $50 worth of Gift Cards
Bonefish grill – Buy $100 gift card, get a $20 bonus card.
Borders – $10 Bonus Coupon wyb $50 Gift Card (Bonus coupon valid 12/26-12/31)
Brunswick Zone – $5 Certificate wyb $25 worth of Gift Cards
Buffalo Wild Wings – $5 Coupon wyb $25 Gift Card
California Pizza Kitchen – Buy a $100 gift card and get a free $20 bonus card that is valid Jan. 10, 2011 through Mar. 25, 2011.
Carraba’s Italian Grill – Buy $100 gift card, get a $20 bonus card.
Cheesecake Factory – Get a voucher for a free slice of cheesecake on your next visit when you buy a $25 gift card. Ends Dec. 24, 2010.
Chick-fil-A – Select locations are giving away a free 2011 calender stocked with freebies when you buy a $20 gift card. Otherwise the calenders cost $6.
Chili’s – Gift card orders of $100 or more are 10% off.
CiCi’s Pizza – Buy a $20 gift card, get a coupon for a free adult buffet.
Denny’s – Buy $25 gift card, get a $5 bonus card.
Famous Dave’s – Buy $25 gift card, get a $5 bonus card.
Fazoli’s – Buy $20 gift card, get a $5 bonus card.
Friendly’s – Buy $25 gift card, get a $5 bonus card.
Fuddruckers – Get a $5 bonus gift card for every $25 gift card you buy. Ends Dec. 31, 2010. The bonus cards are valid Jan. 1, 2011 through Feb. 28, 2011.
IHOP – Buy $25 gift card, get a $5 off coupon.
Jamba Juice – Buy $25 gift card, get a free sixteen size smoothie.
Joe’s Crab Shack – Buy $25 gift card, get $5 bonus bucks.
LL Bean – $10 Gift Card wyb $50 worth of Gift Cards or Merchandise
Macaroni Grill – $5 Gift Card wyb $25 Gift Card
Max & Ermas – $5 Bonus Gift Card wyb $25 Gift Card
O’Charley’s – Buy $25 gift card, get a $5 bonus card.
Outback Steakhouse- $20 Gift Card wyb $100 Gift Card
Panda Express – Free Two Entree Plate wyb $25 Gift Card
PF Chang’s – Buy $50 gift card, get a $10 bonus card.
Qdoba Mexican Grill – Buy $25 gift card, get a $5 bonus card.
Red Robin – Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 gift card FREE
Romano’s Macaroni Grill – Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 gift card FREE
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse – Buy $250 in gift cards, get 10% back in bonus cards.
Scrambler Marie’s – $10 Gift Card wyb $50 Gift Card
Smokey Bones – $5 Gift Card wyb $25 Gift Card
Steak ‘n Shake – $5 Bonus Certificate wyb $20 Gift Card
Subway – Free 6″ Sub wyb $25 Gift Card
T.G.I. Friday’s – $5 Gift Card wyb $25 Gift Card
Taco Bell – Free Large Soda wyb $10 or $20 Gift Card
TGIFriday’s – Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 bonus card.
Uno Chicago Grill – Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 bonus card.
Wendy’s – Free Fries wyb $15 Gift Card
BEER REBATES
Find them in the beer section/displays of area stores.
Coors – buy $100 or more in gift cards and one 18 pack of Coors Light or Coors Banque get a $25 rebate.
Heineken/Amstel – buy $80 worth of groceries and two 12 packs of Heineken or Amstel Light get a $20 rebate.
Heineken/Amstel – buy $20 worth of Christmas tree or holiday decorations and one 12 packs of Heineken or Amstel Light get a $15 rebate.
Budweiser – buy over $10 in salty snacks, ice, coolers, condiments, dips, bottled water, pizza, buns, and prepared foods from the deli and one 12 pack of Budweiser get a $10 rebate.
Budweiser – buy over $10 of any turkey, ham, or deli platter and one 12 pack of Budwesier get a $10 rebate.
WINE REBATESLook for a $5 rebate tag on Estancia wine when you buy $10 worth of groceries and a bottle of Estancia wine. Found it on sale for $10.99 at Giant Eagle.
BEST DEAL MAGAZINES
Great affordable deals for magazine subscriptions – make great gifts!
Weekly Deals:
WEIGHT WATCHERS
Additional 50% Off
$7.48 for 1 year
Coupon Code: WWSPECIAL
FRESH HOME
Additional 60% Off
$6 for 1 year
Coupon Code: HOME
SHAPE
Additional 20% Off
$3.75 for 1 year
Coupon Code: WKLYSPEC
Deal of the Day:
12/13 – Angels on Earth 1 Year – $4.39
12/14 – Bowhunt America 1 Year – $5.39
12/15 – Elle Decor 1 Year – $5.39
12/16 – Car & Driver 1 Year – $4.39
12/17 – Budget Travel 1 Year – $4.39
12/18 – Clean Eating 1 Year – $9.39
12/19 – Shopsmart 1 Year – $19.89
Take An Extra 15% Off Most Titles – Code: PXCJ1219 Offer Expires December 19, 2010
250+ Magazines under $10 with this coupon!
55+ Popular Magazines – Just $3.99 with this coupon!
30+ Popular Magazines – Just $5.24 with this coupon!
TAKE AN EXTRA $5 OFF $30 ORDER COUPON – Code: MNDCJ1219 Offer Expires December 19, 2010
TAKE AN EXTRA $7.50 OFF $40 ORDER COUPON – Code: MQQCJ1219 Offer Expires December 19, 2010
TAKE AN EXTRA $10 OFF $50 ORDER COUPON – Code: MQPCJ1219 Offer Expires December 19, 2010
Click here to order:
BEST DEAL MAGAZINE DEALS
TIRE RACK
Slip sliding in the snow? Need new tires? I find the best prices on Tire Rack. Purchase them and install them yourself or have your local dealer price match them. It will tell you the best tires for your car and rates the best ones according to people that have purchased them for their car. Check for rebates on tires on the site too.
Click here to order:
TIRE RACK DEALS
ATLAS CINEMAS
Get 4 admissions for half off for Atlas Cinemas. Click here:
http://woiowf.incentrev.com/detail/DQZL0DD4EF20D64
or here:
http://cleveholiday1.mediawebconnect.com/Atlas-Cinemas/30738
REOPENED
Wexler’s Tavern & Eatery – Cleveland (Old Brooklyn)
OPENING
Kumo Japanese Seafood Buffet – Parma
CLOSING
BC Roosters – Brooklyn
Sportsman – Cleveland
VF Outlet – Parma & Willoughby Hills – now 40% to 60% off.
Big Lots – Brookpark – at 20% off now (thanks for the tip Terrence!)
AJ WRIGHT
TJX Cos, the company that also owns T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods is closing 71 of their A.J. Wright discount stores. Ninety-one will be converted into T.J. Maxx, Marshalls or HomeGoods stores. Discounts are starting out at 25% off.
The following stores are closing permanently:
California
Bakersfield
San Bernadino/Colton
El Monte
Inglewood
La Puente
Connecticut
Bridgeport
Hamden
West Haven
Wethersfield
Florida
Jacksonville (St. John’s Square)
Georgia
Decatur
Stone Mountain
Illinois
Calumet Park
Chicago (Six Corners)
Chicago (Bricktown Square)
Cicero (Cicero Marketplace)
Forest Park
Chicago (Washington Square)
River Grove
Evanston
Markham
Loves Park
Matteson
Indiana
Highland
Massachusetts
Fitchburg
Malden
Medford
Methuen
New Bedford
Quincy
Somerville
Springfield (Lowe’s Plaza)
Waltham
Worcester (Perkins Farms Plaza
Maryland
Baltimore (Meadows Park Shopping Center)
Michigan
Grand Rapids
Oak Park
Redford
Southgate
New Hampshire
Nashua
New Jersey
North Brunswick
North Bergen
New York
Albany
Amherst
Buffalo (Delaware Consumer Square)
West Seneca
Cheektowaga
Irondequoit
Long Island City
Newburgh
Schenectady
Syracuse (Shop City Plaza)
Syracuse (Western Lights Plaza)
Utica
Ohio
Willoughby Hills
Columbus (Great Western Shopping Center)
Columbus (Great Southern Shopping Center)
Columbus (Town & Country Plaza)
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh (Edgewood Towne Center)
Pittsburgh (Crafton-Ingram Shopping Center)
Philadelphia (Park West Shopping Center)
Wyncote
Rhode Island
East Providence
SCAMS
During the holiday season avoid getting scammed. Beware of scams that will drain your finances. If someone approaches you about a get-rich deal, it is probably a scam. If they pressure you to make a decision fast then it is even more likely a scam. Always check out references, licenses, the BBB, the Internet, etc. to see if the person or organization is legitimate.
Some people fall victim to scams because they have fallen into hard times or are greedy. Do your homework first, otherwise you will find yourself with less money instead of more and without any recourse. Fraudsters tend to target those entering retirement age because they tend to have money.
Check the background of a company at http://www.AngiesList.com, http://www.BBB.org, http://www.servicemagic.com, http://www.improvenet.com, http://www.complaints.com, http://www.pissedconsumer.com, http://www.sitejabber (checks web-sites), http://www.cleveland.com/scamfinder, http://www.scambusters.org, or http://www.ripoffreport.com.
Avoid fraudulent companies by asking them questions that might indicate whether they are fraudulent. When getting called ask what their web-site is, the manager’s phone number, what their phone number is, their address, and references. Fraudulent companies don’t want to tell you those things because it allows you to check on their background.
Another red flag is misspellings on their web-site. Check Google Streetview at http://www.maps.google.com/help/streetview to check what their building looks like if there even is one, to make sure it has a sign for the business, and if it isn’t a totally different business itself like a bait shop.
If you have the 800 number of the person that called you, check http://www.800notes.com to find the number in their directory of unknown callers. People report number of suspicious companies on the site.
I get calls from scammers at work at times. I just love messing with them. They usually start off the call right away with needing a model number of a printer we have or they will ask how it is doing. They are very easy to identify. They talk to you as if they know you. So without answering them, I quickly follow it up with asking how their wife and kids are. I ask them in succession all the items above about their phone number, the company’s web-site, etc. They usually say they don’t have a direct phone number for themselves. I then say, how am I supposed to get a hold of you then?
I ask them what is the name of their business and where they are located. It usually is something generic like Business Products. While I’m beating them down I look up the company name online. They almost never can be found online. It doesn’t take long before they hang up on me. But sure enough, they call back within so many weeks or months since I’m on some kind of call list they have.
Sometimes I will even open up a conversation with the caller about how they aren’t a legit company and that they may want to get a new job. Knowing that they are doing so, they have told me that there aren’t any jobs out there. Some even take it to heart since they are probably wondering themselves and they ask me more questions about what I know since they have their suspicions about the company. Ya gotta figure they sense that it’s a scam, but if they are hard up for a job they just put up with what seems like a scheme. And that’s another trick. Type in the name of the company on Google and the word ‘problems’ or ‘scam’ and you may find lots of results.
Politics is also built on getting others to believe the other party is the boogeyman so they make false statements to help their cause or incite fear. Many throw out distortions to fake out their followers to make the other side look bad. So it’s important to keep an open mind and check the facts yourself. Look for scams and these kind of distortions on http://www.snopes.com and you will find tons of these falsehoods reported there. Just like those e-mails you get about someone in Nigeria bequething millions to you there are many bogus political e-mails chains that are false.
Keep an open mind of what is printed in the paper too. It was first reported that the train line from Cincy to Cleveland would go 39 mph for the average speed, but with new data it was found to be 50 mph with speeds of 79 mph for 70% of the distance and 90 mph being workable. Make it faster if ya didn’t like it! Fix the problem I say! Make it beneficial and useful and keep it within costs. Now the $400 million given to Ohio is going to other states. Article on it: http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/12/ohios_outgoing_governor_defend.html
So don’t get taken. Ask questions. In the words of Flavor Flav, “Don’t believe the hype!”
RESTAURANT.COM
There are a few different options for getting restaurant gift certificates/cards via Restaurant.com.
RESTAURANT.COM eGIFT CARDS
Print or Email Instantly – Even on Christmas Day! Choose your design. Customize with gift messages.
RESTAURANT.COM PHYSICAL GIFT CARDS
Free Standard Shipping – guaranteed before Christmas when ordered by 12/16. Free Expedited Shipping on orders over $40 – guaranteed before Christmas when ordered by 12/21. Customize with gift messages.
DINNER OF THE MONTH CLUB
$25 Restaurant.com eGift Card is sent out monthly via email. FREE bonus eGift Card with every Dinner of the Month Club purchase. Print or Email instantly 3, 6, or 12-month options.
Redeem online at over 15,000 restaurants nationwide. There are no expiration dates or fees! Current Deal:
Get 80% off Restaurant.com $25 Gift Certificates! Pay only $2 for $25 restaurant gift certificates! Use code JOY at checkout now through 12/12/10.
Look for new restaurants! Great to use when travelling or as gifts!
Click here to order:
RESTAURANT.COM DEAL
WENDYS Get a free order of natural cut french fries with sea salt at Wendys when you friend them on Facebook. I had them and they are good! Free made them taste so much better. Click here:
http://www.facebook.com/wendys
ENTERTAINMENT BOOK
All Entertainment Books are $19.99 with free shipping plus additional books are only $15! Offer valid through 12/20/10. Great stocking stuffer! Get some for cities you’ll travel to in the next year.
Click here to order:
ENTERTAINMENT BOOK DEAL
GROUPON DEALS
Cleveland area deals (limited time deals):
$10 for an 8×8 Soft Cover Photobook up to 40 pages from A&I Books! ($30 value).
Online Deal $25 for $50 Worth of Customizable Gifts from Zazzle.com.
Online Deal $40 for $100 Worth of Memory Preservation from ScanDigital Photo and Video Digitization.
$10 for $20 Worth of Health-Conscious Fare at Treehugger’s Café.
$20 for a Signature Herbal Body Wrap and Facial at Herbal Therapy Wraps (Up To $110 Value).
They are now in Youngstown! Here is their newest deals:
$30 for Four Kickboxing Classes, One 40-Minute Personal-Training Session, and a Free Pair of Boxing Gloves from iLoveKickboxing.com ($105 Value)
Groupon is in over 150 cities so check out the deals in your town.
Click here to order:
GROUPON DEALS
OUR TOWN AND ALL AROUND COUPON BOOK
Need a gift for someone that has everything? Get them a practical gift – the Our Town coupon book. The book can pay for itself by using just one or two coupons! The new book has around 1,000 coupons.
Keep the Our Town book in your car and check it before you go shopping or eat at a restaurant, golfing, going to the movies, shopping, wineries, etc..
The best coupon book available in Northeast Ohio! Don’t leave home without it!
Free shipping!
Click here to order:
http://www.joethecouponguy.com/merchandise/index.htm
And with each Our Town book ordered get a 2 for 1 discount coupon for Atlas Cinemas – pass expires 1/15/11. Plus get a coupon for a free movie ticket when 5 popcorns are purchased with one stamp already applied – limited offer while supplies last!
