ALDIS
Celery – 69 cents
Russet Potatoes – $1.99/10 lb bag
Navel Oranges – $1.49/4 lb bag
Onions – 69 cents/ 3 lb bag
CVS
Combos – 7 oz – free after extrabucks
Norelco razor – $19.99 after $10 coupon and $10 extrabucks
Hormel Compleats – 15/$5 after 15 $1/2 coupons and $10 gift card reward
DISCOUNT DRUG MART
Deals through Tuesday, Dec 13th:
Mama Lucia Meatballs 11.2 to 12 oz – $1
Fresh Express Garden Salad – 88 cents
Nestea 12 pack – 2/$1.99 with coupon at register – as supplies last
DVD rentals – 79 cents
Wine – many rebate deals on all kinds of wine – as low as $3.40 per bottle after rebate (Lindemans)
ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS
Now buy yourself a 2012 Entertainment Book at only $19.99 and any additional books that you want to buy as gifts for just $15, all with our everyday free shipping!! Make great stocking stuffers and bedtime reading. Get one to put in each car! Great to use when travelling – buy one for the city you are travelling to!
Click here to order:
http://tinyurl.com/4xk9bet
JC PENNEY
Check your mail for a mailer from JC Penny that contained a coupon for $10 off a $10 purchase or more. Good through Dec 24th. No exclusions on the coupon!
KMART
Tyson boneless chicken breasts – $1.99/lb
Fresh Express Salad – $1
Westfield Farms cheese – 3/$5
Gordon Ramsey small kitchen appliances – $14.99 after $10 rebate -includes 5 qt slow cooker, 12 cup coffeemaker, cuban sandwich maker, blenders, and deep fryer
MARCS
Grapefruit – $2.49/5 lb bag
Blackberries – 99 cents
Dole Greener or Romaine lettuce – $1.29
RESTAURANT.COM
Get 70% off already discounted restaurant gift certificates! Good through 12/4/11! Get a $25 gift certificate for only $2 (normally $10). Rare for this deal to be out at the beginning of the month when all the gift certificates are replenished. No expiration date on certificates. They make great stocking stuffers!!
Note: Some restaurants may not allow the code.
Over 18,000 restaurants across the U.S. on Restaurant.com.
Use code: SHOP
Click here to order:
http://tinyurl.com/yjutc54
RITE AID
I found a good many items 75% around the store.
Revlon beauty tools – 40% off plus get $1 in rebate and plus use $1 coupon
Centrum Pro Nurtients – buy 3 get $10 in UP rewards plus use $7 coupon on each (lowest priced one I found was $11.99) – 3/$5
Arm & Hammer Detergent – .75 each after 2/.50 coupon and $3 UP reward
SUN PLUM MARKET
Located next to Gales in Willoughby Hills.
Bananas – 29 cents/lb
Raspberries – 1/2 pint – 99 cents – spectacular deal for raspberries at this time of the year
SEARS
Look for $5 off a $25 purchase coupon and many others in their ad. The coupons are a bit hidden as they are on pages 2 and 3.
WALGREENS
Salonpas Pain Relief Patch – free after register rewards
Maalox – BOGO – around $1 after using two $1.50 coupons found at Coupons.com.
Renu – $1.99 after $5 register reward
Photo Deals:
$10 Off Photo Orders of $25 or More
Coupon Code: ORDER10
End Date: 12/31/2011
25% Off Photo Orders
Coupon Code: ORDER25
End Date: 12/31/2011
$15 Off Photo Orders of $30 or More
Coupon Code: ORDER15
End Date: 12/31/2011
BOGO on Photo Calendars
Coupon Code: CALBOGO
End Date: 12/31/2011
37% Off Photo Orders of $20 or More
Coupon Code: 37OFF20
End Date: 12/31/2011
Buy 1 8.5×11 Custom Photo Book Get 2 Free
Coupon Code: BUY1GET2
End Date: 12/31/2011
50% Off All Photo Cards, Posters, and Calendars
Coupon Code: SAVE50SAT
End Date: 12/11/2011
Buy One 11oz Classic Mug Get One Free
Coupon Code: BOGOMUG
End Date: 12/12/2011
25% Off Gifts
Coupon Code: STAR25
End Date: 12/17/2011
25% Off Photo Cards of $25+
End Date: 12/17/2011
50% Off Prints
End Date: 12/17/2011
25% Off Greeting Cards
Coupon Code: CHEER25
End Date: 12/24/2011
25% Off Photo Posters and Banners
Coupon Code: HOLLY25
End Date: 12/24/2011
Click here to order online:
http://tinyurl.com/c2adlmx
BEST DEAL MAGAZINES
USE COUPON CODE: SANTACLAUS
to receive your 18% discount
Offer valid now through December 12, 2011
This week’s deals for annual subscriptions:
FAMILY FUN
Additional 20% Off
$3.76 for 1 year
Coupon Code: WKLYSPEC
TASTE OF HOME
Additional 70% Off
$5.40 for 1 year
Coupon Code: TASTEOFHOME
SHAPE
Additional 20% Off
$3.76 for 1 year
Coupon Code: WKLYSPEC
Daily Sale on annual subscriptions:
12/12 American Cheerleader 1 Year $5.29
12/13 Men’s Journal 1 Year $4.29
12/14 Rider 1 Year $5.29
12/15 Yoga Journal 1 Year $4.29
12/16 Whole Living 1 Year $4.29
12/17 Oxygen 1 Year $5.29
12/18 Car & Driver 1 Year $4.29
Deal of the Day valid only on date specified through Midnight EST
Take An Extra 15% Off Most Titles
Code: PXCJ1218 Offer Expires December 18, 2011
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
Code: MNDCJ1218 Offer Expires December 18, 2011
TAKE AN EXTRA $7.50 OFF $40 ORDER COUPON
Code: MQQCJ1218 Offer Expires December 18, 2011
TAKE AN EXTRA $10 OFF $50 ORDER COUPON
Code: MQPCJ1218 Offer Expires December 18, 2011
TAKE AN EXTRA $15 OFF $70 ORDER COUPON
Code: MTKCJ1218 Offer Expires December 18, 2011
Click here:
http://tinyurl.com/yegw9yq
OPENING
Jimmy Johns – Cedar Center
Five Guys Burgers – Cedar Center
Chipotle – Cedar Center
Bob Evans – Cedar Center
El Meson de Fuentos – Mentor – (next to Cabanas)
NATURAL GAS RATES
Are you paying almost $2 more per mcf for you natural gas? The fixed rate with NOPEC is $6.27 and the variable rate is $4.52. I switched to a variable rate some years ago when rates starting dropping. Also find out how much you are paying to see if you can get a better rate at htpp://www.pickocc.com.
STAT
Half of all tax returns filed in Ohio in 2009 reported incomes of $35,000 or less. A total of 57,820 or 1.2% earned $250,000 or more.
CALIFORNIA
Back a couple months ago I came across a great deal flying with Continental. Either 16,000 rewards miles or 20,000 miles for a round-trip flight. It’s usually at least twice that to redeem miles. I found a round-trip to San Francisco for 20,000 miles. Those flights are usually $400 or more, especially if the flight is booked in less than a month or two. Reward miles usually equate to one mile for each flight dollar. Aside from having to pay a $35 since I was short less than 1,000 miles, we both paid nothing else since we had the miles.
We’ve been wanting to do a trip to Yosemite National Park and some wine regions outside of Napa in California. So we booked a trip taking us to all those locations.
I booked a rental car using AutoSlash.com for the first time. The site looks for a better deal even after you book your rental. I found the cheapest one week rentals for around $250. After a few rate drops AutoSlash helped reduce the rates down to $100 for the week! Yes, a one week rental out of San Fran for $100 and that included the taxes and fees! The site e-mails you when they find a better rate and once you accept it they continue to look for better deals. Almost too good to be true so I wanted to make sure it worked before I posted anything about it.
The car rental through AutoSlash was with Dollar Car Rental. The guy tried to get me to upgrade to a Mustang Convertible for $15 more a day. I told him I’d do it for $1.50. He dropped it to $7. I said no. That would almost double the cost of the rental. Didn’t make sense as it was December and not July. Our heads would turn into popsicles. The car was a four-door Chevy Aveo. Great on gas mileage and big enough to fit our luggage and wine.
First stop was San Francisco. I got a room through Hotels.com. But first we needed to find the right hotel. I’m not only looking for the best rate I’m also looking for a great hotel in a great location. I’m all about getting the best deal, but I also don’t want to be ducking gunfire and trying to decipher gang signals.
Someone we know that had lived in San Fran recommended Cow Hollow Manor. She made a great recommendation. It was located close to Fisherman’s Wharf in a cool neighborhood with plenty of places to eat. Best of all the parking was free. Parking is normally $25 to $30 PER NIGHT! We paid $90 for the room. We kept checking to see if the rates went down and when they did we rebooked.
I got some restaurant.com gift certificates. I looked for restaurants where we were staying using the zip code locater on the site. You can search as little as one mile or less from where you are staying. Looking out the hotel window in San Fran I saw that the restaurant was across the street from the hotel. It was the New Country Sky Chinese restaurant. Gotta do Chinese in San Fran. We were starving and the food disappeared like a candy being tossed into a sea of kids on a parade route.
I got an early edition of the Sunday paper on Saturday primarily for the coupons! IHOP BOGO coupons were in the inserts. IHOP was across the street from us. Put two and two together on that one.
The same souveniers you find in souvenier shops can be found at local drug store chains like Walgreens. I found Ghiradelli chocolate bars on sale at Walgreens for $2 while it was $5 at the Ghiradelli store. Walgreens also sold a lot of shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and many more souvenier items. And best of all, register rewards can be used for them.
Our first wine region was the Lodi area. Most wineries were charging $5 to taste, but you got the $5 back if you bought a bottle. Others didn’t charge at all.
We stopped at Borra Winery. The Merlot was great. The price was even greater. They were selling cases of it, normally $216, for $75. So I asked about how much it would cost to ship. She looked it up and it was only $26. One case of Merlot on the way to Ohio.
Michael David Winery was also very good. They make Earthquake Zin and 7 Deadly Zins. We tried to get wine that wasn’t distributed in Ohio because shipping can be expensive and I know theirs is.
I stopped at the local grocery store to see if I could find wine even cheaper than what I found at the wineries. Some were. I also came across a $2 off cheese coupon on a wine bottle (called a winetag). I used it on some Gouda I found at a store that had it reduced. So I got Gouda for $1.19 a package.
While at the store I got a 2 liter of Dr Pepper for $1. They are great to have while travelling as pop costs tons at fast food restaurants.
I brought some other fast food coupons I got in the mail or newspapers that we used on the trip. McDonalds BOGO coupons came in handy.
For the first time I purchased a Living Social Escapes gift certificate for a hotel. We used it at the hotel in Yosemite. Many of the Living Social hotel deals require a 2 day stay. Many offer free breakfast, restaurant and spa coupons, and free gifts. Groupon has the same type of thing in their Getaway deals. We got the room for more than half off and it had a Jacuzzi and fireplace. The Jacuzzi came in handy after a hike at Yosemite.
We did a quick hike by Bridalveil Falls. We came across a mule deer with huge antlers. It was getting dark so we took the road back. I spotted a coyote just ahead of us on the road heading in the same direction we were. I got some pics. I got an even better one when after losing the coyote as he went back into the woods, he reappeared…about ten feet from us back on the path to our car. He stopped and looked at us. I think he was just checking to see if we had French fries or maybe some leftover waffles from IHOP. He kept walking. We also saw a bobcat darting out from the street when we were driving at dawn. Maybe I have a little Dr Doolittle in me.
Yah, you better scamper away from me…
One of the hikes took us to Vernal and Nevada Falls. A strenuous hike. And also very dangerous. In July, some hikers decided to wade in the water near the falls. They both got swept into the river and over the falls. No way to survive the fall as there are lots of rocks and they are slippery.
The water level was low and on one of the days we were there they found one of the hikers. The found the other one a month ago. I spoke with someone about it and they said that sometimes they find body parts when the water level goes down. Horrible and sad.
The Nevada Falls made me nervous. Parts of it sloped down and was pure granite with no fence or anything to stop you. Just a sheer drop. I could see if it was a little wet you could slip and fall into the river and go over the falls. My palms are getting sweaty right now thinking about it because, of course, I had to get some good pics and stand near the edge. I gotta realize that even though I can do so in my dreams, I cannot fly.
..overlooking the Nevada Falls…
We also came across some very friendly deer in the park. One came right up to me within three feet as I took pics of Yosemite Falls. As I was taking pics of Half Dome another one walked within inches of me. I could’ve petted it, or put a baseball cap on its head or ornaments on its antlers, but I didn’t want to disturb it. The ones near the falls have obviously lost their fear of humans…or they liked my cologne.
…hello, what is your name…
We found some deals for souvenirs. Off season is a great time to go because there are always deals and you don’t run into too many visitors. I’d say about 80% of the wineries we went to didn’t have anyone else tasting. Not having to elbow our way into tastings made it much more pleasurable. When its crowded it feels like you’re a baby bird trying to get regurgitated meal from mama bird. You have to stick your head out and chirp to get any attention.
We drove up through the El Dorado Hills wine region. None of the wineries there charged for tastings. The first one we stopped at was the best, Drytown Cellars. And the prices were the best too. He sells a lot of his grapes to others. His wines were full-bodied and sharp.
He sold us some shipping boxes for $3 apiece when normally they are anywhere from $11 to $18. UPS charged $18. You’re better off buying boxes from the winery. Or if you buy a case they usually are cheaper than shipping through UPS or any other shipping company. UPS wanted to charge around $75 to $80 just to ship the wine. Plus the $18 for the box. Instead we got charged $35 as a second luggage and stuffed some into our checked first bag. Plus we shipped from a Mailboxes, etc store that charged $45. Wineries charged around $25 to $50 to ship wine back to Ohio. But you had to get a whole case of their wine.
Most wineries charged over $20 for wine. One winery, Klinker Brick, had one that was cheaper than I’ve ever seen a winery charge…$2.50 a bottle! It was a rose and I don’t care much for them as they can be too sweet.
We stayed in Placerville at the Cary House. It’s an old hotel built around the time of the Gold Rush. It was supposed to be haunted. Part of the reason it’s haunted is because the town was known for hanging people. Apparently there was a lot of crime during the Gold Rush so criminals were hung back then.
We ate at a place called Old Europe. Wow. It was one of the best meals I ever had. Weiner Schnitzel with a creamy mushroom sauce with spaetzles. The chef used to cook for the President of Czec Republic. Better yet, I had a restaurant.com for the place. It’s located in Folsom. I know I’m gonna dream about that Schnitzel. I wonder if they ship to Ohio.
Gas was very pricey, but I was able to scout out the best prices using http://www.gasbuddy.com. Wherever we drove I filled up at the cheapest gas stations along the way.
We stayed at Auberge Inn B&B in Cloverdale. That B&B was supposed to be haunted too. I didn’t sense anything there, but the one in Placerville I did. I could tell you more, but I’ll save those stories for another time.
The innkeeper was a nut. She’s a livewire. Always kidding around. The room was nice and the pillows were like marshmallows. Only $99 plus a free wine pass. Look for B&Bs that may offer the pass at http://www.winecountryinns.com/.
Also check out other B&B deals at BedandBreakfast.com. They are offering a $50 gift card bonus.
The B&B had a Living Social deal, but it was for two nights. We could only stay for one, so I called to see if they could offer a deal for one night and she did! Again, with the non-peak season many places can offer better deals.
The best part of the deal was that they had a pass offered with the room for free wine tastings to around 100 wineries and also some had discounts on wine and merchandise. On the pass alone I probably saved $500. Most wineries in the Sonoma/Russian River Valley/Alexander Valley charged $5 to $10 for tastings. Most would give back the tasting fee if you bought wine. With the pass we didn’t have to worry about it.
We did come across some wineries with free tastings and no strings attached, They were Pedronocelli (great wine as we bought a case there) and Locals. Locals tasted wine from a handful of wineries that didn’t have tasting rooms. Many other cities had the same kind of place. You can find them in Napa, Geyersville, and other cities. Napa has a pass they sell for such tasting rooms at http://www.napadowntown.com/plan-your-trip/downtown-wine-tasting-card.
Some wineries are by appointment only. We were able to do tastings at some of them by calling just 5 or 10 minutes before we arrived. One we stopped at Talty as the winery was recommended by a couple people. It’s a big help to ask the people that pour as to what wineries they recommended. Saved time from going to the lame ones. There are hundreds of wineries too so you have to be selective.
The owner at Talty was very nice and even gave us a free $38 bottle because he forgot to give us a discount on the one bottle.
Another place we ate with a restaurant.com wsa Pattersons Irish Pub in Windsor. Great food that hit the spot.
We picked up another case of wine at Wilson Winery. They had a great Cabernet Sauvignon. The bottles were normally $40 each and we weren’t going to pay anywhere near that even though the wine was great. I noticed a sign that had it on sale when you buy a case. We got them for $10 a bottle! Some vintages they have to clear out in order to introduce others and that’s why this one was so cheap. He said it was only a deal for that day though! Timing can be everything.
I noticed too late that a store in Healdsburg that was having a half off wine sale. That could’ve been dangerous. Problem is they may not taste any so you could be buying on reputation only. So check through the local papers for these type of advertised deals.
We made a special trip to a handful or wineries that were out of the way from where we were staying because they are the best ones around. They were Guenoc/Langtry Estates in Middletown, Their 2007 Petite Syrah was awesome and I think I picked up whatever I could find in the Cleveland area. They were sold out at the winery, however, the guy doing tasting said he thought he had some left. He had a case. He had to save 6 and the gal tasting with us was drawn to buying it since we gave it so many accolades. So we both got 3 each. Better yet the guy sold it to us for $20 even though he said it was normally $25. But get this, in Cleveland I found it for around $15.
We also stopped at Grgich Hills, Franciscan, and Darioush in Napa. It was tough passing up all the other great wineries in the area but I was on a mission to get to just them. We made it to Darioush with minutes to spare before they closed. The gal pouring tastings noticed we were amped up as we rushed to get there. The first time back about ten years ago I went there it was a small little unassuming place, but their wine was fantastic. Very, very expensive now as everyone else has noticed and now they are in this palatial building. Their one bottle of Cab was $95. Much of their wine sells out. Their tasting cost $35! If you bought 2 bottles your tasting was free so 2 bottles it was.
Darioush Winery
We only paid for one tasting the whole trip and that was because we had to buy $100 in wine to get it waived, but we did use a 2 for 1 tasting coupon there. Most wineries will let you split a tasting so there is no need to pay for two when you can split one tasting. You can find tons of the 2 for 1 coupons, freebie tastings and others at:
http://www.cheers2wine.com/free-wine-tasting-coupons.html
http://napavalley.com/special_interest/coupons/Wine.html
http://www.sonomatouristguide.com/coupons.html
http://www.viator.com/tours/Napa-and-Sonoma/Napa-Valley-Wine-Country-Explorer-Pass/d914-3958WCEP
http://www.napawinetours.net/?event=offer.type&productType=DISCOUNT&mpt=1238
http://www.napavalley.winecountry.com/about/wine/tours/2006/09/noChargeTastingRooms.html
http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/napa-free-tastings.cfm
I paid for the tasting at Franciscan and I knew I can get it in Ohio too so I didn’t need to get it there. Speaking of, one way to save on paying for shipping and all was not to buy the wine at the wineries, but instead where you live. Most of the big wineries distribute to most states. So we mostly bought wine that we could only get there or was not sold in stores even in California.
Another option is to buy the wine at a grocery store in the area. They always have a ton on sale. I found a Concannan Petite Syrah for $8.99 at Raley’s Nob Hill. I’ve never seen it sold in Ohio and it was $7 off! Finding good wine for under $10 seems like such a steal when most of the wineries charged over $25 for their wine.
We had one last meal in Santa Rosa at Khoom Lanna, a Thai restaurant. I think I ate my weight in food. And of course, we used a Restaurant.com to get $25 off our meal.
All but the Yosemite hotel had free Wifi. The ones that charge are usually the high-end hotels and it’s around $10 to $15 a day. Most had free breakfasts with varying degrees of edibility.
Our last night we stayed at Best Western in Rohnert Park because it was free with my BW points. Their pillows were like marshmallows too. I took a bite out of one to see if they tasted like marshmallows, but no, it tasted like a pillow.
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, 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.
January
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 – 7:00 PM – Amherst Library
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 – 7:00 PM – Streetsboro Parks & Recreation – fee
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 – 7:00 PM – Brecksville Library
Monday, January 23, 2012 – 7:00 PM – Cleveland Heights/University Heights Noble Road Branch Library
Monday, January 30, 2012 – 7:00 PM – Akron Odom Boulevard Branch Library
February
Thursday, February 2, 2012 – 7:00 PM – Brookpark Early Childhood PTA
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 – 7:00 PM – Lakewood Community Education
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 – 7:00 PM – Shaker Heights Library
March
Monday, March 5, 2012 – 7:00 PM – North Ridgeville Library
Tuesday, March 6, 2012 – 7:00 PM – Streetsboro Parks & Recreation – fee
April
Tuesday, April 3, 2012 – 12:00 PM – Geauga County Retired Teachers – Chardon
Tuesday, April 10, 2012 – 7:00 PM – Mayfield Library
Monday, April 16, 2012 – 7:00 PM – Burton Library
May
Tuesday, May 8, 2012 – 7:00 PM – Streetsboro Parks & Recreation – fee
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 – 7:00 PM – Middlefield Library
FACEBOOK
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