JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT AUCTION
Help out Junior Achievement by bidding on all kinds of items for their annual auction! You can also bid on a class or shopping session with me! Let me show you how to save tons with some one-on-one help. We can go to stores where I can show you how to save 70% and more consistently. Bidding starts out at $50. You can also set up a class at an agreed upon location (please don’t ask me to come to Pluto or some other far-away planet – greater Cleveland area is good).
Junior Achievement teaches kids business and life skills that many schools don’t teach. Workers from various companies volunteer their time to teach kids. I’ve been teaching at a variety of schools across the Cleveland area for many years. Typically I teach the Personal Economics or Personal Finance class to 7th graders. It really makes a difference for the kids. I’ve received thank you letters from the kids that are heartfelt. Sometimes you think you have very little impact on the students, but when I read the messages I saw how spending a handful of sessions can really make an impact. Think about volunteering your time with them. Sometimes it’s challenging, but very rewarding.
You can bid on plenty of other items and not just on the class/session I’m offering. JA appreciates it! Good luck!
Click here to bid on the items:
http://www.jacleveland.org/auction/default.asp
Click here to bid on class/session:
http://www.jacleveland.org/auction/jaauctiondetail.asp?Item=185
BLACK FRIDAY
There are a ton of deals on Black Friday and now what I call Gray Thursday since many stores are offering deals on Thanksgiving now. To find the ads and breakdown of deals try these sites:
To find the deals the day after Thanksgiving, called Black Friday, go to: http://www.iblackfriday.com, http://www.offers.com, http://www.blackfridayads.com/, http://www.blackfriday.info/, http://www.blackfriday.info/sales/, http://www.theblackfriday.com, http://www.dealtaker.com/blackfriday.html, http://www.bargainist.com, http://www.bfads.net, http://www.blackfriday2012.com, http://www.ultimatecoupons.com/coupons/black_friday_coupons.htm, http://www.retailmenot.com/blackfriday/, or http://www.blackfriday.gottadeal.com/.
Plot your route from store to store to decrease wasted time which will improve your chances to find the items you want in stock. Most stores have a very minimal stock of their best deals, sometimes as little as 2 items in stock per store. Try to find the minimally stocked items online on their web-site. Be sure to bring the sales ads in case a store will price match another one that day.
ALDIS
Sweet Potatoes – 3 lb bag – $1.49
Celery – 69 cents
Russet Potatoes – 10 lb bag – 99 cents
Cranberries – 12 oz bag – 99 cents
Onions – 3 lb bag – 79 cents
Pineapple – $1.29
Butternut Squash – 99 cents each – I found a huge one that was the size of a giraffes head.
Happy Farms cheese blocks – 8 oz – $1.49
Incredible amount of freebies available from 11/18 – 11/21. Some items sold out quick.
Glade Plugins Scented Oil Warmer – Profit after $1.25 Extrabucks Reward and $1 coupon
Command Hook Sample Pack – Profit after .99 Extrabucks Reward and .50 coupon
Advil Childrens 1 oz – Profit after $2.37 Extra Bucks Reward and $1 coupon
Carmex Lip Balm – Profit after $1 Extrabucks Reward and .30 coupon
Charmin Basic Single Roll – Profit after .99 Extrabucks Reward and .25 coupon
FREE after Extrabuck rewards:
Advil 10 ct
Air Wick Scented Oil Warmer
Bayer Contour Next EZ Meter
Betty Crocker Scooby Doo Fruit Snacks 8 oz
Cepacol Sensations 4ct
Coke 1.25 liters
EasyFeet
Haviland Thin Mints or Nips 3.5-4 oz
Hot Wheels Die Cast Car
Kleenex Slim Pack Facial Tissue 3 pack
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese 5.5-7.25 oz
Nasal Ease Allergy Reliever 0.18 oz
Philips Universal Remote
Play Doh Soft Pack 8 oz Resealable Bag
Powerade 32 oz
Pur Absorb Liquid Iron Supplement 28ct packets
Somnapure 4ct
South Beach Diet Meal or Snack Bar 5ct
Sparkle Paper Towels Single Roll
Starbucks Double Shot 6.5 oz Single Can
Starbucks Refreshers 12 oz
Street King Energy Shot 2 pack
ThermaCare Lower Back & Hip Heat Wrap 1ct
Youtheory Collagen 120ct
Right Guard Total Defense 5 Deodorant – Free after $4 Extrabucks and two $2 coupons – limit 2 offers
Listerine Cool Mint, Fresh Burst, Zero 500ml or PocketPaks 72ct – .49 after $2 Extrabucks Reward and .50 coupon – limit 2 offers
Depend Silhoutte or Real Fit 3ct – .99 after $2 Extrabucks Reward and $1 coupon
Schick Hydra Shave Gel 6-10oz – .94 after $2 Extrabucks Reward and .75 coupon
Kotex U Barely There Liners 18ct – .49 after $1 Extrabucks Reward
Nature Valley Protein Chewy Bars 5ct – .99 after $2 Extrabucks Reward
Color Theory Get The Look Eye/Lip Color Palette – .99 after $2 Extrabucks Reward
LA Looks or La Bella Styling Gel 20-22oz – .99 after $1.50 Extrabucks Reward – limit 4
Lipton Natural Tea 64 oz – $1 after $2 Extra Bucks Reward with purchase of 2
DAVES SUPERMARKET
Honeysuckle Turkey – 16 lbs or more – 69 cents/lb with $50 purchase
BOGO Deals:
Stove Top
Heinz gravy
Lays
BC Potatoes or Helpers
Kraft Cheese
Philly Cream Cheese
Chex Mix
Bugles
Cool Whip – 99 cents
Gia Russa noodles – $1
Free $10 Dave’s gift card with every $100 retailer gift card purchase
DISCOUNT DRUG MART
Snuggle fabric softener – $1.50
Arm & Hammer deodorant – 99 cents
Baby carrots – 59 cents
Fresh Express salad bag – 99 cents
A&H carpet & room deodorizer – 99 cents
Baking soda – 2/$1
Fresh-n-Soft fabric softener – 99 cents
EZ start packing tape – BOGO plus use $1 coupon
GIANT EAGLE
Giant Eagle now accepts competitors coupons. Use even the $5 off $25 coupons and the like from other stores!
Get 20 cents in Fuelperks with a flu shot.
Birdseye vegetables – .50 after .50/2 coupon
Green Giant vegetables – .60 after .60/3 coupon
Hefty Bowls, plates, or cups – $1 after .50/2 coupon
Kraft cheese – $1.50 after $1/2 coupon found at http://tinyurl.com/couponguycoupons
Heluva cheese or dips – $1.50 after $1/2 coupon
Dole Tropical fruit can -.50 after .50/2 coupon
Diamond Nut Thins – $1.25 after .75/2 coupon
Carrs crackers or cookies – $1.50 after .75 coupon
Nestle Crunch candy bars – Free after .75/2 coupon found at http://tinyurl.com/couponguycoupons
GREAT CLIPS
Get haircuts for $9.99 with the Great Clips $9.99 Great Card. This promotion is available for a limited time only and only available at your local Great Clips salon, and cannot be purchased online. Minimum/Maximum purchase may apply. Only at participating salons. Promotion ends December 8, 2012.
HALLMARK
Look for a $5 off $10 purchase coupon in Redbook magazine.
HARBOR FREIGHT
Coupons in ad insert. Freebie item coupon with purchase in ad. Get tools up to 80% off and more.
Click here:
http://tinyurl.com/3tuj6d3
JOANN FABRICS
Look for 60% and 70% off items leading up to Black Friday – new deals each day. Get free shipping with code HPG323.
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/7tm3lvd
KMART
Get 20% off certain items for transferring a prescription to K-Mart or $25 gift card. Coupon in ad.
Earn reward discounts at Speedway with grocery, drug, and/or apparel purchase at K-Mart.
Spend $50 – $99.99 – get a coupon for 10 cents off per gallon – up to 15 gallons
Spend $100 – $149.99 – get a coupon for 20 cents off per gallon – up to 15 gallons
Spend $150 or more – get a coupon for 30 cents off per gallon – up to 15 gallons
Jennie-O Turkey – 69 cents/lb
Free Smart Sense canola or corn oil with $20 purchase coupon in ad.
MARCS
Dairymans milk – 1 gallon – $2.38
Nickles split top wheat bread – 99 cents
Turkeys – 79 cents/lb
Dole Greener Selection or Romaine salad bags – 99 cents
Del Monte pineapple – $1.99
RITE AID
Get the Rite Aid Video Values coupons at http://riteaid.adperk.com/. Watch short videos and get coupons!
Sucrets Sore Throat Lozenges 18ct – Free after $2 UP reward and $1 coupon
Mentos UP2U gum 14ct or Mentos Gum 15ct – .17 after $3 UP reward with purchase of 6 and two $1/3 coupons
Nips – 2/$1 after $1 UP rewards
Gillette Fusion , Frusion ProGlide, Mach3 or Venus Razor – $1.99 after $4 UP Reward and $4 coupon – limit 2 offers
Softsoap Body Wash 15 oz – .99 after $2 coupon in ad and November All You Magazine .50 coupon
Trident Gum 10-18ct – .32 after BOGO sale and two $1/3 coupons
Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce 14 oz – .50 after $4 UP reward with purchase of 8 – limit 3 offers
SEARS OUTLET
Black Friday deals:
BOGO clothing and accessories
Craftsman 5 piece screwdriver set – $2.99
Click here to shop online: http://tinyurl.com/6rrzcw4
SUN PLUM MARKET
Bananas – 35 cents/lb
Baby carrots, celery, Fresh Express garden salad – 5/$5
VALU KING
Get these items free with coupons in ad and $10 or more purchase:
Sweet Sue Broth & Valu Time White Bread
Birds Eye vegetables – 88 cents
Honeysuckle Turkey – 79 cents/lb
Mrs Smith pies – $1.18 after $1.50 coupon
Mushrooms – 8 oz – 99 cents
WALGREENS
NEW PROGRAM! Join Balance Rewards to earn points on thousands of items, including every prescription and immunization. Purchase items in-store or online to earn points. Redeem points for dollar rewards that you can get instantly at the checkout.
Click here to get enrolled:
Walgreens Reward Program
• Save on sale items with card
• Get 500 points for every prescription and immunization
• Earn points on thousands of items each week
• Get 10 points for every mile when you Walk with Walgreens
• Redeem instantly with as few as 5,000 points
Points System
5,000 – earn $5
10,000 – earn $10
18,000 – earn $20
30,000 – earn $35
40,000 – earn $50
Ring up Balance Rewards and Register Rewards items separately since manufacturer coupons get taken off with Balance Rewards point items.
Tums Ultra Strength 1000 12 ct 3 pk – .50 after $3 Register Rewards and $1/2 coupon
Accu Chek Nano or Aviva Monitor – Free after rebate on package
Mitchum Deodorant 1.5-2.7 oz – .25 after $4 Register Reward with purchase of 2 and $1.50/2 coupon
Centrum ProNutrients 50-120 ct – .91 after $5 off coupon and get 5000 Points with purchase of 3
Infusium 23 Hair Care or Pert – .99 after $3 Register Rewards and $1 coupon
Cover Girl Eye Shadow – .65 after BOGO50% off sale and get 3000 Points with purchase of 8 and four $3/2 coupons
Alka Seltzer Plus 20-24 – $1.25 after BOGO50% off sale and get 2000 points with purchase of 2 and two $2 coupons
Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy – $1.50 after $1 coupon and 4000 points with purchase of 2
Pert Plus Hair Care 25.4 oz – $1.24 after $3 Register Rewards and $1.50/2 coupon
on is for 2, final price of 2nd item $4.24. 2 $4.99 – $1.50 – = $4.24 – $3.00 with 1 = $1.24 79%
Hefty OneZip Bags 13-22 ct – $1 after BOGO sale and $1.50/2 coupon
Purex Laundry Detergent 24-33 – .99 after October All You magazine $1 coupon
Buy 3 Card Sets, Get a Free 8.5×11 Calendar
Coupon Code: 3GETFREE
End Date: 12/1/2012
Buy 25 4×6 Prints Get 25 FREE
Coupon Code: SHAREALL
End Date: 11/24/2012
$25 off FoldedWords.com Orders of $50+
Coupon Code: 25THANKS
End Date: 11/24/2012
26% off Photo Books and Calendars + FREE Shipping
Coupon Code: BKCAL2SHIP
End Date: 12/1/2012
$30 off Photo Orders $60+
Coupon Code: THIRTYOFF60
End Date: 12/1/2012
$25 off FoldedWords.com Orders of $50+
Coupon Code: TWENTYFIVE
End Date: 11/24/2012
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/cpu4c24
WHEELY CLEAN
Buy 3 car washes get 3 free. Located at 6447 Wilson Mills Rd in Mayfield.
WHOLE FOODS
Click here for new coupons good at Whole Foods:
https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/coupons?
COUPONS.COM
Get these coupons and over 200 more on Coupons.com. Most all stores take internet coupons. They will double at stores as per their rules – Giant Eagle, Dave’s Supermarket, and Buehlers doubles coupons of 99 cents and less. Get them before they disappear!
Click here to print the coupons:
http://tinyurl.com/couponguycoupons
SAVING STAR
Get these electronic coupons and more on Saving Star:
Save $5 when you spend $15 on any I.D. coffee creamer by 12/31/12.
Buy any 1 Marie’s® Salad Dressing, Save $1.00. Expires 1/2/2013.
Buy (1) McCain® Sweet Potato Fries, Save $1.00
Buy 1 Gold ‘n Soft®, Save 60¢. Expires 12/31/2012.
Buy 1 LouAna® Oil, Save 60¢. Expires 12/31/2012.
Buy 2 cans of Lucky Leaf® Pie Filling, Save $1.00. Expires 12/5/2012.
Buy any (2) 5 lb bags of King Arthur Flour, Save $1.50. Expires 12/5/2012.
Save $1.00 on any 2 Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzel Pieces (10 oz or larger). Expires 12/5/2012.
Save 40¢ when you buy THREE CANS (3) any size/variety Pillsbury® Refrigerated Grands!® or Grands! Jr® Biscuits . Expires 11/30/2012.
Save $1.00 when you buy any TWO (2) BOXES Chex® cereals listed in the more info button below.. Expires 11/30/2012.
Save 50¢ when you buy ONE POUCH (1) any flavor 14 OZ. OR LARGER Betty Crocker® Cookie Mix. Expires 11/30/2012.
Save 40¢ when you buy any TWO (2) Pillsbury® Sweet Rolls OR Grands!® Sweet Rolls. Expires 11/30/2012.
Save $1.00 when you buy TWO PACKAGES (2) any variety Pillsbury® Refrigerated Cookie Dough . Expires 11/30/2012.
Save 50¢ when you buy ONE BOX (1) Cinnamon Toast Crunch® cereal.. Expires 11/30/2012.
Save $3.00 when you spend $12.00 on any Wisk® Deep Clean™ products by November 30, 2012.. Expires 11/30/2012.
Save 50¢ when you buy any (1) flavor Yoplait® Fruplait™ Yogurt Multipacks.. Expires 11/30/2012.
Save 50¢ when you buy ONE BOX (1) Original Cheerios® cereal (the one in the yellow box). Expires 11/30/2012.
Save 50¢ when you buy any TWO (2) Pillsbury® Crescent Dinner Rolls. Expires 11/30/2012.
Save 50¢ when you buy ONE (1) Bisquick® Mix listed in the more info button below.. Expires 11/30/2012.
Save 75¢ when you buy ONE (1) any flavor Yoplait® Frozen Smoothie. Expires 11/30/2012.
Save 75¢ when you buy TWO (2) packages of Pillsbury® Rolled Refrigerated Pie Crusts. Expires 11/30/2012.
Save 40¢ when you buy SIX CUPS (6) any variety Yoplait® Yogurt listed in the info button. Expires 11/30/2012.
Buy 1 GUM® Eez-Thru Flosser®, Save 75¢. Expires 11/28/2012.
Buy 1 GUM® Canker-X®, Save $1.00. Expires 11/28/2012. (Only at CVS, Rite Aid)
Buy 1 GUM® Crayola Kids® or Star Wars Kids Toothbrush, Save 75¢. Expires 11/28/2012.
Buy 1 GUM® Go-Betweens®, Save 75¢. Expires 11/28/2012.
Buy 2 Wasa Crispbread Crackers, Save $1.50. Expires 11/28/2012.
Click here to get the coupons: http://SavingStar.ojrq.net/c/20559/46425/758
ALL YOU MAGAZINE
New Deal! Buy one All You magazine subscription get one Free! Get two subscriptions for $19.95! Each issue normally costs $2.99 each (sold at Wal-Mart). All You magazine has a bunch of coupons in it every month. The most in any magazine I’ve ever seen. The magazine has money-savings tips, lifestyle articles, recipes, and other stuff.
Click here for the BOGO deal: http://tinyurl.com/allyoujoe
BEST DEAL MAGAZINES
Find these limited time deals below and tons of other magazine subscription deals on their site.
Weekly deals for annual subscriptions:
Take an Additional 20% Off Popstar! Magazine. Enter coupon WKLYSPEC During Checkout.
Take an Additional 20% Off Outdoor Photographer Magazine. Enter coupon WKLYSPEC. During Checkout.
Daily Deals for annual subscriptions:
Dog Fancy Magazine Just $6.39 for 1 Year at Best Deal Magazines, November 19th Only (Find coupons and save even more!)
Natural Health Magazine Just $4.29 1 Year at Best Deal Magazines, November 20th (Find coupons and save even more!)
Men’s Fitness Magazine Just $4.29 for 1 Year at Best Deal Magazines, November 21st Only (Find coupons and save even more!)
Cabela’s Outfitter Journal Magazine Just $4.29 for 1 Year at Best Deal Magazines, November 22nd Only (Find coupons and save even more!)
Family Fun Magazine Just $3.99 for 1 Year at Best Deal Magazines, November 23rd Only (Find coupons and save even more!)
Autoweek Magazine Just $4.29 for 1 Year at Best Deal Magazines, November 24th Only (Find coupons and save even more!)
Parents Magazine Just $4.29 for 1 Year at Best Deal Magazines, November 25th Only (Find coupons and save even more!)
Digital Photo Magazine Just $5.29 for 1 Year at Best Deal Magazines, November 26th Only (Find coupons and save even more!)
Consumer Reports Magazine Just $23.95 for 1 Year at Best Deal Magazines, November 27th Only (Find coupons and save even more!)
Videomaker Magazine Just $6.39 for 1 Year at Best Deal Magazines, November 28th Only (Find coupons and save even more!)
Bicycling Magazine Just $4.29 for 1 Year at Best Deal Magazines, November 29th Only (Find coupons and save even more!)
Muscle & Fitness Magazine Just $4.29 for 1 Year at Best Deal Magazines, November 30th Only (Find coupons and save even more!)
Horse Illustrated Magazine Just $4.29 for 1 Year at Best Deal Magazines, December 1st Only (Find coupons and save even more!)
Young Rider Magazine Just $5.29 for 1 Year at Best Deal Magazines, December 2nd Only (Find coupons and save even more!)
Deal of the Day valid only on date specified through Midnight EST.
Take An Additional 15% Off at Best Deal Magazines. Enter Coupon Code PXCJ1202 During Checkout. Offer expires December 2, 2012.
250+ Magazines under $10 with this coupon! 70+ 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. Take an Extra $5 off $30 at Best Deal Magazines. Enter Coupon Code MNDCJ1202 During Checkout. Offer expires December 2, 2012.
TAKE AN EXTRA $7.50 OFF $40 ORDER COUPON. Take an Extra $7.50 off $40 at Best Deal Magazines.
Enter Coupon Code MQQCJ1202 During Checkout. Offer expires December 2, 2012.
TAKE AN EXTRA $10 OFF $50 ORDER COUPON. Take an Extra $10 off $50 at Best Deal Magazine.
Enter Coupon Code MQPCJ1202 During Checkout. Offer expires December 2, 2012.
TAKE AN EXTRA $15 OFF $70 ORDER COUPON. Take an Extra $15 off $70 at Best Deal Magazines. Enter Coupon Code MTKCJ1202 During Checkout. Offer expires December 2, 2012.
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/yegw9yq
DISCOUNT MAGAZINES
Get these deals and more on their site for annual subscriptions.
Daily Deals for annual subscriptions:
Thu, Nov 15, Subscribe to Nylon Magazine, just $3.50/year (64% off) from DiscountMags.com! Use Promo Code: 2370
Fri, Nov 16, Subscribe to Rolling Stone Magazine, just $3.99/year (80% off) from DiscountMags.com! Use Promo Code: 2627
Sat, Nov 17, Subscribe to Discover Magazine, just $4.99/year (80% off) from DiscountMags.com! Use Promo Code: 2795
Sun, Nov 18, Subscribe to Wired Magazine, just $4.99/year (75% off) from DiscountMags.com! Use Promo Code: 7413
Mon, Nov 19, Subscribe to Taste of Home Magazine, just $3.99/year (76% off) from DiscountMags.com! Use Promo Code: 5216
Tue, Nov 20, Subscribe to Reader’s Digest Magazine, just $3.99/year (73% off) from DiscountMags.com! Use Promo Code: 8569
Wed, Nov 21, Subscribe to Outdoor Photographer Magazine, just $4.99/year (54% off) from DiscountMags.com! Use Promo Code: 5200
Save 10% on Magazine Subscriptions at DiscountMags.com! Use code: HOLIDAY10
Get Free Shipping on Any Order (No Minimum) at DiscountMags.com!
Amazing Magazine Subscriptions with No Sales Tax at DiscountMags.com!
Save $10 OFF your order of $50+ from DiscountMags.com! Use code: 10OFF50
Subscriptions are NOT subject to automatic renewal.
Click here to order:
http://tinyurl.com/73w5gtx
GRAVEYARD MALL
Hannah Montana 2 Meet Miley Cyrus 2 CD Set $8.99
Howard Jones The Peaceful Tour Concert Collection CD $4.99
John Popper Project CD $4.99
Justin Guarini American Idol CD $5.99
Justin Timberlake FutureSex / LoveSounds CD $7.99
Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks CD+G 8 Tracks $4.99
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/6lr3ouz
DEAL CHICKEN
87% off 4-day/3-night Vegas vacation for 2 from Fun Time Travel Shop. $384 value for $48!
60% off 3-day/ 2-night stay for 2 at La Quinta Inn- Over 25 cities! Rooms for $89.
Getaway for two at Surfside Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach for $60.
$395 for a 7-night vacation at one of more than 500 resorts worldwide.
50% off wings, burgers, steak and more at Quaker Steak & Lube.
50% off great food at Ari’s Family Restaurant in North Olmsted
Click here:
http://tinyurl.com/8owtruf
PLAIN DEALER
The company that owns the Plain Dealer has changed some of the newspapers they owned to electronic editions – no paper newspapers. The fear is that the PD will also be relegated to electronic versions, whether just certain days or the whole week. I love reading a paper newspaper. It’s not the same as seeing it on a computer or iPad. I wouldn’t pay for an electronic version of the paper. I don’t even have a smart phone. The data plan alone costs a ton more than a newspaper subscription. Computers always seem to slow up and hiccup here and there making reading numerous articles a hassle. I can read my paper anywhere and I mean anywhere. So please help keep the PD in paper form and available daily by signing this petition:
http://www.change.org/petitions/save-the-plain-dealer
Also like the movement on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joe-The-Coupon-Guy/197073886914#!/SaveThePlainDealer?fref=ts
TOP TEN THINGS I’M THANKFUL FOR
10) Bathroom hand dryers that almost blow the skin off my hands.
9) Productive coughs and sneezes.
8) Rope.
7) Neighborhood gas stations that always have the cheapest gas when I need to fill up.
6) Not getting that mysterious watery liquid before you get the actual substance you want that comes out of squeeze containers like ketchup.
5) Waiters and waitresses that can read your mind.
4) Double coupons and no expiration date coupons.
3) Polite fruit flies.
2) The Louisiana Purchase.
1) My Facebook fans and other fans, yes, I know…awwww.
TRAVEL DEALS/DENVER VACATION
Back a few months ago Southwest ran a half off deal on all their flights to celebrate their 30 millionth Facebook fan. I found some great roundtrip deals. We booked a flight to Denver for $160 roundtrip. Plus I got a $150 voucher from Southwest because they screwed up their billing! I got charged around 60 times for the same flight.
We stayed in Denver, Breckenridge, Aspen and Vail. I’ve been to Denver, but never to the ski towns.
We found it was a great time for deals as it was the off-season before all the ski resorts opened up. The rooms cost less than $90 per night. I could find cheaper rooms, but we wanted to stay in hotels rated 4 or higher on Tripadvisor and also rated highly in Hotels.com. The hotel we stayed at in Vail, Cascade Resorts, was even rated 4 diamond by AAA. I got that room for $89 on Groupon.
I trolled around for deals on Groupon, Living Social, and Hotels.com for hotels. I found a deal on Marriott’s site for one of the stays. Pre-paids are the way to go if you know for sure you will be on your vacation as they have great rates. I usually wait until the last minute to get them though just to be safe.
Total cost of the 7 day trip for car rental, two flights, and hotels was around $900.
I rushed through my travel checklist and forgot to bring tennis shoes. Or is it sneakers. I’ve never played tennis so maybe I should call them sneakers. I don’t like shopping there, but we stopped at Wal-Mart since that was the only discount store we could find. I found sneakers for $10! They were as light as a pencil, but they would do.
Our first stop was in Breckenridge. Nice little town with a local flair to the restaurants and shops. It was Halloween and we stopped at a place for burritos that were on special – $6 total for a burrito and margarita. We were enjoying our meal when 4 Presidents (Nixon, Carter, Reagan, and Clinton) burst in with guns drawn telling everyone to get down ala the movie that had them burst into a bank. Can’t remember the name of that movie. Then a guy with a mullet and vest with a bare fat belly hanging out bust out ‘Careless Whisper’ by George Michael on his saxophone. We paid nothing for that entertainment.
I found most all the towns we went to didn’t have handicap ramps. You had to walk up or down steps to get to them. I’m sure there a plenty of people that get broken legs skiing so I’m surprised the walkways weren’t made to accommodate wheelchairs.
I perused for coupons through the free local magazines, newspapers, or travel guides that you can find in newspaper boxes or at bars and restaurants or at the hotel. One of the magazines even had a listing of the happy hour deals.
Another great place to find food and drink deals is at happy hour sites like http://www.gotime.com. The deals are ranked so you can find what is popular in town.
Because it was off-season, many restaurants were doing 2 for 1 deal, sometimes without a coupon. I got some Restaurant.com coupons to just in case I wasn’t able to find any deals while I was in town. On the site they sell $25 restaurant gift certificates for $10, but at times they offer codes that mark them down 40% – 70% off (used to be 80% off during the month, but not anymore). Not many were available for the ski towns though. Tons in Denver though.
I did use some Restaurant.com gift certificates. I also was able to use it along with getting a discount through http://www.idine.com. They offer 5% to 20% off my entire bill, including tax, tip, alcohol, and meal in the form of a gift card once I earn $25 or more. All you have to do is sign up and tie in your credit cards with them. It works automatically. Easy.
We hiked into one of the mountains. On our way back to the hotel we spotted a fox. It was rummaging for food. It was definitely used to people as it came up to us just a few feet away. It looked soft and I wanted to pet it. I was advised not to even though I kept having the urge to pet it.
I wanted to ski, but most ski resorts weren’t opening for another week or two. Copper Mountain opened up with two trails open, so I was able to work in some skiing. The Entertainment book had some BOGO ski deals for Denver, but it was for a full day pass and I didn’t have time to ski all day. The problem with skiing before all the regular snow hits is that the man-made snow is more granular. With the sun hitting it and then melting and freezing it I found the skiing to be dangerous as the slopes were icy and as my sore butt can attest to. I think if anyone was filming me I would have been on a YouTube video.
Next up was Aspen. Driving there we saw how much of a drought the area was going through. Many lakes were very low with huge shorelines.
Aspen was a compact town with many high-end retailers like Gucci, Prada, and Ralph Lauren. Museums I would call them. Just look and don’t purchase, maybe sneak in a touch. I did make a beeline for any clearance sections. Any I would find I would chuckle after looking at the price, even after a discount.
We were told to watch out for bears as they would come into town for food. I was pumped. I wanted to see a bear in the wild. Apparently they didn’t have much food because of the drought and came down to the city with the warm weather. One person said one day there were a dozen on the park one day. We hiked the Rio Grande trail for miles, but no bears. I’d probably want to pet them too if I saw them. Maybe it was a good thing I didn’t see one.
Many businesses were on hiatus just before the ski season. One location that was shutting down for two weeks was offering 2 for 1 dinner deals. Another had $3 Colorado beer drafts. Happy hours were usually 3 to 6. Found some in Denver with glasses of wine for $2 to $3. I signed up for Denver’s Living Social deals and Groupons too to see if they had any entertainment or restaurant deals.
After Aspen was Vail. It has a European vibe to it. Next to it is Lionshead which is just like the town of Vail. Beautiful towns with a river running through or by them. Again lots of BOGO deals. We snagged some happy hour deals there too.
We overhead a shop owner saying how high the rent was there and he thinks that many businesses will close. They said partly because they got little business from this past winter which produced a lot less snow than usual. The year before they had over 340 inches of snow. This past year they had around 140. The shuttle driver said it was because of back to back El Ninas. Perhaps they didn’t pay Mother Nature for the snow bill.
Our next stop was in Georgetown. They were known for Bighorn Sheep. Even in these small towns I was able to find tourist magazines with coupons. Came across a winery tasting for Canyon Wind winery. They sold the first $100 Colorado wine. It was really good along with their Petit Verdot. There the gal that worked there was from Ohio. So was the person at our car rental. Everywhere we went it seemed that someone had ties back to Ohio in one way or another.
We stopped at an old mine town, Idaho Springs was a cool old town full of restaurants and shops.
I stopped at some grocery stores to check out pricing. We like to get some 2 liters of pop, some wine, and some cheese before we get started on the trip. It was pricey.
I always made a point of checking out all the stores to find the best deals on souvenirs before I get one. Most stores have the same price, but not always. Lots of half off deals for clothes. Sometimes the racks of clothes that they put outside gets faded, especially where the part that is on clothes hanger. Reminds me of some of the clothes I’ve seen at Gabriel Brothers.
I had a scare when I was filling up at the gas station. I was getting ready to fill up when my wife started yelling. A car was pulling up on the other side to fill up and he was going to hit my car. I went over and told him to stop. I’m telling you I don’t think he could’ve gotten any closer to hitting me. There was about enough room to maybe fit a mosquito’s wing between my car and his rental truck. I backed up my car to get out of the way as his was at an angle. That could’ve been real ugly. Whew!
We used http://www.Autoslash.com for our car rental. They will rebook your rental every time the rate goes lower. I started at $250 and it went down to $101 for a standard car for a 7 day rental with Dollar Rent a Car. I also had a back-up rental I got through yahootravel.com. Dollar had some annoying rules. The paperwork said I had to produce a receipt that showed I gassed up at a station with 10 miles of them. Good thing I had a GPS to make sure I did. I think that’s in all the small print, but this is the first time the person at the counter told me about it. Of course, when I dropped off the car the attendant never asked for the receipt. I think they just look to see if the gauge is at the F line or higher.
I made sure I checked http://www.gasbuddy.com before I filled up. Good thing I did. I filled up at $3.63 in Frisco just outside of Breckenridge. Otherwise, in Aspen the gas jumped to $4.15. I filled up the night before going to the airport at $3.23 a gallon. Most of the gas stations along the way were 20 to 40 cents higher.
One thing that I had to get used to was at the higher elevations there is a lack of oxygen. Just going up steps made you feel like you were going to pass out. They even have oxygen bars. And happy hours are even happier with the thin air.
Denver airport was one of the worst airports I’ve been to. The car rental lots were miles from the airport. When we got dropped off the shuttle driver dropped us off at the wrong end of the drop-off. Instead of walking across to the ticket counters you have to go up all kinds of escalators. After getting patted down by the TSA we had to take a shuttle to our gate. If you’re running late the poorly set up system is sure to make you late. Cleveland and most other airports are easy where you get off the plane and straight to the car rental agencies either by foot or short shuttle drive. Denver is a new airport so I’m surprised they didn’t make it more customer-friendly.
One odd thing about out trips is that there always seems to be some kind of natural disaster that strikes around the time we travel. This time it was hurricane Sandy. We were worried our flight would get cancelled, but luckily it wasn’t. Denver got hit with lots of snow after we left too. When we were there the temps were in the 70’s.
Then I read that a Southwest plane skidded off the runway in Denver this past week. I wonder if they would’ve given us another voucher if that was our plane.
VACATIONS
It’s best to plan and look for vacation deals months before you leave for vacation. Wait too long and you could double or triple the cost of your vacation. Check out some of the deals below.
BED & BREAKFAST
Get a Free $50 B&B Gift Card!
Get a free $50 B&B gift card with a gift card purchase of $200 or more, or get a free $25 gift card with a purchase of $100-199 on BedandBreakfast.com. The Getaway Gift Card is the perfect gift for anyone who loves to travel. It’s welcome at over 4,000 B&Bs, never expires, and always ships for free. Use promo code GCBONUS50 by November 22 to get your free gift card.
BEST WESTERN
Best Western Special Offers & Current Promotions
BOOKIT
$59 In Disney + HALF OFF Resort Fee at Royal Plaza Hotel – Lake Buena Vista in Orlando at BookIt.com!
Up to 65% OFF Sandals Grande Riviera Beach and Villa Golf Resort in Jamaica at BookIt.com!
SAVE OVER 55% at Grand Sunset Princess All Suites Resort in Cancun at BookIt.com!
BUDGET
Enjoy $20 off weekly rentals at Budget Rent A Car!
CHEAPAIR
$100 price drop guarantee on Thanksgiving flights
$10 off flights to Colorado ski destinations – book now! Code: colorado10
CHEAPOAIR
Deals on Winter Travel! Save 40% to 65%** on Flights. Save an Extra $15* with Promo Code WINTER15. Offer expires: January 31, 2013.
CHOICE HOTELS
Best Internet Rate Guarantee with Choice Hotel! If you find a lower published rate for the same hotel and accommodations for the same dates at any other qualified online source, simply complete the Best Internet Rate Guarantee claim form within 24 hours of your booking and they’ll give you the best rate…plus an additional 10% off!
DAYS INN
20% OFF 3 nights at Days Inn!
EXPEDIA
Book ASAP! Deals with 50% Savings for 24 hours only! – Expires 12/31/12
HOTELS.COM
Thanksgiving Sale: Save up to 30%! Budget-friendly deals so you can gobble up the savings! Book by 11/22/12, Travel by 11/26/12
Save 50% on the Hotel Deal of the Day!
Hotels.com: Over 20,000 Last Minute Deals each week!
PARK PLAZA HOTELS
Book dates: November 15th till February 28th
Stay dates: December 15 till March 31
Offer: 40% off including Breakfast & 5,000 bonus Gold Points
Promo Code: WINTER
Save up to 50% this Winter at Park Plaza Hotels! Use promo code: WINTER
PAYLESS CAR RENTAL
10% OFF All Rentals. Use Promo Code:CJ82TC.
RADISSON
Special Rates Just for Seniors at Radisson. Book Now!
SANDALS AND BEACHES RESORTS
Receive An Instant Savings of $350 Towards Your Beaches Resorts Vacation!
TRAVELOCITY
Visit Atlantis and save up to 50%, plus receive $500 in free resort experiences at this awe-inspiring destination with Travelocity! Ends 11/27.
Enjoy a memorable vacation with savings up to 45% at an all-inclusive IBEROSTAR resort in Mexico or the Caribbean with Travelocity! Ends 12/14.
VACATION HOME RENTALS
Save up to 70% on last second travel deals!
RAMADA GATEWAY
Get a one-night stay from $49 at the Ramada Gateway in Orlando.
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/6ego57m
HOTEL INDIGO EAST END
$159 for a one-night stay + massage at Hotel Indigo East End near the Hamptons.
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/6ego57m
MONGOLIAN WOOL SCARF
$22 for an extra-long Mongolian wool scarf + free shipping!
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/6ego57m
CHRISTMAS TREE
At the Five Star Christmas Tree Co. get a 5′-6′ ($50), 6′-7′ ($60), or 7′-8′ ($70) Fresh-Cut Fraser Fir Christmas Tree with Free Delivery.
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/d7k6fy3
LOST LAKE LODGE
At the Lost Lake Lodge in Whistler get a Three-Night Stay for Two in a Studio Suite ($399) or a One-Bedroom Condo ($499), Wednesday through Saturday Arrivals. Or, a Three-Night Stay for Two in a Studio Suite ($299) or a One-Bedroom Condo ($389), Sunday through Tuesday Arrivals. Or, a Five-Night Stay for Two in a Studio Suite ($499) or One-Bedroom Condo ($649).
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/d7k6fy3
VILLAGE HOTEL
At the Village Hotel in Breckenridge get a Two-Night Stay for Two in a Classic Room, Sundays through Thursdays ($269) or Fridays and Saturdays ($309) Between November 9 and December 13, 2012
Or, a Two-Night Stay for Two in a Classic Room, Sundays through Thursdays ($319) or Fridays and Saturdays ($369) Between January 6 and February 13, 2013. Also get:
Amenity Pack from Olive Fusion
$20 Voucher for Use at Breckenridge Sports
Two Tickets for the Gold Runner Alpine Coaster
One Bottle of Wine
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/d7k6fy3
RIDGE TAHOE
At the Ridge Tahoe in Lake Tahoe get a Two-Night Stay for Two strating from $49! Inlcudes One Breakfast for Two and $25 Off 90-Minute Spa Treatments.
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/d7k6fy3
STERLES
Choose from Four Options for great ethnic food at Sterles on East 55th:
$40 for a family-style Slovenian dinner for four (an $80 value)
$74 for a family-style Slovenian dinner for eight (a $160 value)
Includes:
•Salad, choice of dumplings or mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables
•A selection of dishes such as wiener schnitzel, pierogi, chicken paprikash, sausage, and roast pork
•Dessert
•Coffee, tea, or soft drinks
$9 for a schnitzel-basket lunch for two (a $19.50 value)
$16 for a schnitzel-basket lunch for four (a $39 value)
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/4bqn6dt
PANINIS
$10 for $20 Worth of Sandwiches, Wings, and Pizza at Panini’s Bar and Grill in Twinsburg.
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/4bqn6dt
EXECUTIVE SUITE AND RESORT
At the Executive Suite and Resort in Squamish in greater Vancouver pay $79 for a studio suite (up to a $162 value).
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/4bqn6dt
TABLE MOUNTAIN INN
At the Table Mountain Inn in Golden, Colorado get this deal:
•Option 1: $95 for one night (up to a $199 value)
•Option 2: $179 for two nights (up to a $398 value)
•Option 3: $265 for three nights (up to a $597 value)
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/4bqn6dt
HOLIDAY INN SALT LAKE CITY
At the Holiday Inn in Salt Lake City get this deal:
Option 1: $69 for a one-night stay, valid for check-in Friday–Saturday (up to a $119 value)
Option 2: $125 for a two-night stay, valid for check-in Friday–Saturday (up to a $228 value)
Option 3: $169 for a two-night stay, valid for check-in Sunday–Thursday (up to a $300 value)
Click here: http://tinyurl.com/4bqn6dt
BLUE STAR TAVERN
Located at 28020 Miles Road in Solon.
Mondays – Burger and beer – $5.55, Martinis – $6
Tuesdays – 1/2 slab ribs – $9.75, 6 oz filet – $17.50, $5 off bottle of wine
Wednesdays – 50 cent wing night
Sundays – bucket of beer and wings – $18.95
BOB EVANS
Click here for a BOGO breakfast coupon:
http://www.bobevans.com/Downloads/breakfastbogo201211.pdf
MAIN STREET GRILLE AND BREWING CO
Located at 8148 Main St in Garretsville – neat little town
Tuesdays – half price growlers
Thursdays – $2 pints – 5-9 PM
Fridays – Kids eat free (18% gratuity applied before discount)
OLDE WINE CELLAR
On Wednesday November 21st , stop in anytime between 11am and 8pm for our All Day Happy Hour!
They will be discounting all “by the glass” drinks. All Wines by the glass, Smoothies and Margaritas will be $3.00. Molson Golden just $1.00 a bottle, and Commodore Perry only $2.00 a bottle.
RUSTY BUCKET
Rusty Bucket located on 6025 Kruse Drive in Solon Ohio has just began its Bonus Rewards. For every $50 you purchase in Rusty Bucket gift cards, receive $10 Bonus Rewards. You can purchase gift cards online or in stores and the promo will run through December 30th!
Here is the link to the gift card page on the website: http://www.myrustybucket.com/giftcards.aspx
STAMPERS
Located at 21750 Lorain Blvd in Cleveland
Happy Hour 3-7 PM – 50% off appetizers
Mondays – Cheeseburger & Select craft pints – $3
Tuesdays – Wings -39 cents
Thursdays – $2 domestic beers, $3 martinis
Fridays – special prices on Guiness and Jameson
Saturdays – Half off bottles of red wine
Sundays – Half off bottles of wine
OPENING
Rug Art – 8566 E Washington in Bainbridge
The Pit 1 – Located at 691 Richmond Road in Richmond Heights
Happy Hour – M-F 2:30-6:30 PM – Burgers – $5, Martinis – $4
CLOSING
Hostess – they went bankrupt a couple times and as recently in January even though the year prior nearly a dozen of their executives received raises up to 80%. They wanted to cut workers wages by around 30% (and a 17% health benefit cut) putting them in near-poverty wages. So no surprise that workers went on strike and that the company decided to shut down. I expect there will be plenty of companies that will purchase parts, if not all, of the business. Besides Ding Dongs and Twinkies, Hostess also made Home Pride, Beefsteak, and Nature’s Pride bread. Twinkies and Ho Hos and all are on sale for BOGO at Giant Eagle while they last!
GOOD MORNING CLEVELAND
Find how to get a great deal on turkeys. Also learn about travel deals. Get ready for that vacation to get away from winter! Watch it on a segment I was on with Jenn Strathman on Good Morning Cleveland.
Click here: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/money/consumer/consumer_specialist/joe-the-coupon-guy-shows-you-how-to-save-on-turkey-and-travel
WELW
Listen at 7:18 AM on Wednesdays to WELW 1330 AM as I go over the deals of the week on the Wake Up Lake County Show. Go to http://www.WELW.com to listen to old podcasts or to listen live.
CLASS SCHEDULE
Learn how to save a ton of money at one of my classes! Learn how to save 70% and more grocery shopping and over 90% toiletry shopping. Also find out how to save money on restaurants, utility bills, cell phones, travel, gas, prescriptions, and tons more! To view my upcoming class schedule please go to: http://www.joethecouponguy.com/schedule/index.htm
If you’re interested in booking a class for your organization, please contact me at joe@joethecouponguy.com.
Be sure to register for libraries that require registration as many have waiting lists. I hope to see you there!
January
Wednesday, January 16, 2013 – 7:00 PM – Lake County News-Herald – Willoughby
Wednesday, January 23, 2013 – 7:00 PM – Strongsville Library
FACEBOOK
Like The Coupon Guy and get other deals during the week on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joe-The-Coupon-Guy/197073886914