JoeTheCouponGuy.com Deals Blog

How could a kid ever resist – For $1.25 you can you can a bowl full of happiness with creatures that are eager to please. I’d like to train mine to do household chores and to sing in three-part harmony to lull me to sleep at night.

RESTAURANT.COM
Sale now extended to 9:09 PM on 9/13 – Get 90% Off!!! First time ever at 90% off. If you’ve never bought one, now is the time. A $25 gift certificate will cost only $1 (originally $10)! Other amounts available. Find restaurants across the U.S.
When checking out use code: NINETY
Click here:
RESTAURANT.COM – 90% OFF

CVS
Click here for a coupon to get a $25 gift card at CVS when you transfer a prescription to their store:
http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/images/promotions/landingpages/rx/rx09027_triple_adv/coupon.html

WORLD MARKET
They are closing the Mentor, OH store. They are exiting 8 markets including Cincinnati while closing 26 stores across the U.S. Sale prices are 20% to 30% off. They used to do more coupons in the past and stopped that some time ago. Wonder if that had an effect on whether people shopped there. I know I didn’t go in there as much when they didn’t entice me with coupons. I would’ve probably gone there more if they allowed me to pop all the bubble packaging wrap too.

COUPONS.COM
New September coupons available. Some good coupons for doubling. Seems like more stores are taking internet coupons. Hope it stays.
Click here:
COUPONS.COM

SPEEDWAY
They are giving a 5 cent discount on Saturday and Sundays in September when you use your Speedy Rewards card. Also remember that you can get a gas card for Speedway at Marc’s that will get you 10 cents off per gallon. While you’re filling up, if your kids need to find a science project for school, have them test the bacteria in the gas station bathroom and the handles of the gas pumps. Might be a good chance that the bacteria culture will bloom into a spore wonderland ruled by a colony of sea monkeys. When I was in Croatia recently they had a container of disposable plastic gloves at gas stations for customers to use, so they were onto it.

VALU KING
Bananas – 33 cents
Gala Apples – 77 cents/lb
Pears – 69 cents/lb

FACEBOOK
I just coughed. Not a very productive one. Just a minor clear-my-throat kind of cough. You’re saying to yourself now, Joe we appreciate hearing about your latest cough, but it doesn’t rate very high on my things-I-need-to-know-right-this-very-minute scale. Well, the reason I’m posting this is because it would rate very high on Facebook and Twitter. On Facebook or Twitter people want to know when you did your laundry, what’s for dinner, or your latest dilemmas. …and when you coughed.

I just took a sip of my coffee. It was slightly tepid. I know you would have liked to know that too. So when people read things about you it’s like reading your diary. Or sort of like your mind diary. What has got your brain preoccupied. It’s like your 411 to the world and you have something important to tell the world whether it be trivial, meaningful, or all surfacy.

Pictures are good too because it tells me what you want people to think about you. Once I get a chance to put a picture up of myself on my Facebook page, it will be of me smoking a corncob pipe looking very smart with a fedora on my noggin tilted to the right and I will be letting out a hearty laugh. Next to me will be a Cape Buffalo and my cats playing Go Fish while wearing ZZ Top beards. The mystery behind it is what am I laughing so hard about. I think I’m gonna make pasta for dinner. Oh, and I just coughed again.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK
Get your money’s worth out of the Entertainment book and buy the 2010 book now. Book expires in Nov. 2011 – some coupons expire 12/31/2011. Free shipping.
Always remember to keep coupons and coupons books in your car – how many of you walk to the store? Yes, most of us take our ride to the store. And how many leave your coupons on the kitchen counter? If you keep them in the car, you can always step out of the store and into your car to get your coupons. Make it a habit to keep them in your car. You have to do it 26 times in order for it to be a habit though.
To order a book click here:
2010 ENTERTAINMENT BOOK

OUR TOWN BOOK
The new Our Town and All Around coupon books are now available. Get your money’s worth out of the book and buy the 2010 book now. Book expires in Dec. 1, 2011. If you go to a couple restaurants a year you should get your money’s worth back. Check out what’s new in the book at http://www.ourtownandallaround.com. Check out the larger winery section and golf section. Lotsa great restaurant coupons. You’ll probably pay for the book in two restaurant visits. The book now costs $28 plus $2 shipping and handling for a total of $30.
Click here to order:
http://www.joethecouponguy.com/merchandise/index.htm

SAVVY SHOPPER BOOKLET
Order my new Savvy Shopper booklet. Over 150 pages long. Find thousands of new ways to save money. Costs $13 (includes shipping & handling)
Click here to order:
http://www.joethecouponguy.com/merchandise/index.htm

CLASS SCHEDULE
NO EXPIRATION DATE TOUR
All the library classes are free. Most will request that you register for the class. Check the tab labeled SCHEDULE on my site to see the latest schedule.

If you’d like to book Joe for a speaking engagement, please contact him at joe@joethecouponguy.com

2009

Sept 17, 2009 – Thursday – 7:00 to 8:30 PM – Parma Snow Library
Sept 21, 2009 – Monday – 7:00 to 8:30 PM – Richmond Heights Recreation – Kiwanis Lodge
Sept 28, 2009 – Monday – 7:00 to 8:30 PM – North Olmsted Library
Oct 5, 2009 – Monday – 7:00 to 8:30 PM – Parma Hospital
Oct 8, 2009 – Thursday – 7:15 to 9:15 PM – Lakeland Community College – $29 fee – Call 440-525-7116 to register
Oct 12, 2009 – Monday – 6:30 to 8:00 PM – Wadsworth Library
Oct 14, 2009 – Wednesday – 7:00 to 8:30 PM – North Coast International Association of Administrative Professionals
Oct 22, 2009 – Thursday – 7:00 to 8:30 PM – Orville Library
Nov 5, 2009 – Thursday – 7:00 to 8:30 PM – Painesville Morley Library
Nov 9, 2009 – Monday – 7:30 to 8:30 PM – North Olmsted Early Childhood PTA
Nov 17, 2009 – Tuesday – 7:00 to 8:30 PM – Strongsville Early Childhood PTA
Dec 3, 2009 – Thursday – 7:00 to 8:30 PM – North Royalton Library

2010

Feb 9, 2010 – Tuesday – 7:00 to 8:30 PM – Rocky River Early Childhood PTA
Feb 10, 2010 – Wednesday – 7:00 to 8:30 PM – Brecksville-Broadview Heights Preschool Mothers Club
Mar 1, 2010 – Monday – 8:00 to 9:30 PM – North Royalton Early Childhood PTA
Mar 10, 2010 – Wednesday – 7:30 to 8:30 PM – Fairview Park Early Childhood PTA
May 5, 2010 – Tuesday – 10:30 AM – Brookpark Seniors

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

RESTAURANT.COM
90% off for 99 hours!!! Ends 3:01 AM on 9/13. First time ever at 90% off. If you’ve never bought one, now is the time. A $25 gift certificate will cost only $1 (originally $10)! Find restaurants across the US.
Use code: NINETY
Click here:
90% OFF

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

WALGREENS
Get $5 in extra bucks when you purchase $15 in Starbucks ice cream, coffee, or drinks. Use the recent $2 ice cream coupons and internet $1 COUPONS.COM coupon to get them for around $1 apiece. Be careful though. The price wasn’t ringing up correctly for the ice cream. The ice cream was supposed to be $3 and they were ringing up full price. The $5 register reward also didn’t trigger even though I bought $16 worth of Starbucks products.

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

RESTAURANT.COM
Get a $25 restaurant gift certificate for 50% off! Now $5. Buy them for restaurants that sell out quick. Use code: MENU. Ends 9/8.
Click here:
50% OFF

VALU KING
In Ravenna and Eastlake
Watermelon – $2.49
Grapes – 89 cents a pound
Bananas – 33 cents

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

DILLARDS – EUCLID SQUARE MALL
All clothes is 50% to 70% off – PLUS another 50% off (40% off for juiniors apparel & home). They’ve reopened the second floor. And from the door windows you can see the old Orange Julius and Radio Shack sitting empty and devoid except for a tumbleweed rolling by.

DAMONS
Pick up a full rack of ribs for $11 or baby backs for $13. At Giant Eagle this week they advertised a full rack for $16.99 and you gotta cookem.

KMART
Doubling coupons $2 and less until 9/8.

CELLPHONESHOP
Get cell phone accessories up to 80% off. Use code LABORD10 to get 10% off or use code LABORD20 to get $10 of a purchase of $40 or more. Ends 11/15. Click here:
CELLPHONESHOP DEALS

STAPLES
This week – 1 cent for a compass, protractor, or box of crayons. Free after rebate calculator.

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

LOTTERY
Did you play the $300+ Mega Millions Lottery recently? Do you play the lottery every week? Every day? Every time there is a big pot? How do you pick your numbers? I get them by asking the age of people in line behind me. And the bonus ball number would be the age of the one that has the worst breath. I’m always sure to let that person know that their age is my bonus ball number because they have the worst breath and I thank them.

Or I write down the first 2 numbers of the license number of the first 6 cars that are in front of me when I first drive in the morning. There have been times I had to drive wherever they were driving because I couldn’t see the numbers quick enough. I follow them around town and tailgated until I got it. So if you see someone tailgating you, it’s probably me and I just need to get my lottery numbers. So slow waaay down so I can get the number.

Or using hand signals, like so many other people have, signal to me the first two numbers of your license plate. Many of you have and for some reason I get a lot of ones or elevens. When people do that I always flash my brights at them to thank them. So if you see me behind you and I have my brights on for a long time, it also means that I am giving you a long thank you. I do that when I’m feeling good about myself and the world. I sometimes have people flash their brights at me too, and it feels good to know they are thanking me too. People are so nice.

Getting back to the lottery. Do you know of anyone that has won it big? Do you treat them the same? I’d knock on the door and tell them I’m collecting what they owe me for their Grit Magazine subscription. On days they were drunk (tip – people who win the lottery like to kick it up a notch in the drinking department) I would deliver a pizza (another tip – drunk people don’t remember if they ordered a pizza, but are happy to get one) and I’d tell them that it cost $241 for the pizza (leave room for them to round up on the tip).

So what are the real odds to win? They are astronomical – about 1 in 10,000,000 for most lotteries. You have a better chance of seeing Leon Bibb at the Improv, or training your cat to say “Momma”, or finding a Cheetos that looks like Abe Lincoln, hat and all. I guess what I’m trying to say is don’t get too caught up thinking you will win.

And realize that life might get annoying if you win it all. Divorce, strained relationships with others, depression, unwanted publicity, and isolation may follow. Most people blow all their money in a few years too, so you’ll be back to square one once it goes. If you win, just be ready for the craziness and also be sure to pay your Grit Magazine subscription.
Calculate the odds of winning the lottery here:
http://www.webmath.com/lottery.html
http://www.lottogenie.com/html/odds.html

SWITCHING LINES
Speaking of odds, what are the odds of switching lines at a store because you think that line will be shorter and it acutally is? I did that recently at Aldi’s. This tends to work there. I have a few items and the person in front of me has a ton. They look at you and realize that they would be a heal for not asking you to move ahead of them in line. And sure enough, the guy did. I think part of it is that I don’t have a cart. I just have a handful of items. Some professor figured out that people are less apt to switch lines if there are a lot of people behind you. Reason being, you wouldn’t want to switch back into a line that is now even longer. If you do end up getting through the line quicker, play the lottery.

WALGREENS
Free after register rewards:
Colgate Actiflex 360 toothbrush – use recent coupon too
Rembrandt toothpaste
Theraflu – free after $2 coupon
6 blade razor
Carefree – plus use recent $1 coupon

Remember that register rewards also count as a manufacturers coupon.

RITE AID
There are two $25 gift card coupons when you transfer a prescription there in the ad this week. Take them to CVS too – they accept competitors coupons.

ORGANIC FOOD
Some people don’t like to coupon because they buy healthy and organic food of which there aren’t a lot of coupons. The number of health food companies that offer coupons has increased though. Cascadian Farms, Kashi, and many of the soy or organic milk companies are just some that offer coupons. Now here is a site that offers coupons:
http://www.organicfoodcoupons.com/
http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/organic-food-coupons.html
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/foodsavings/tp/Organic_Coupons.htm http://www.couponcraze.com/categories/Green/

KMART
K-Mart is doubling coupons this week (until 9/3). Word is they won’t be doubling for the rest of the year, so get your fill this week. Call to make sure your store is doubling as not all K-Marts are participating.
Here are some sites with a breakdown on the deals:
Living Within Limits:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dctcjr24_3f4582rgx
My Frugal Adventure
http://myfrugaladventures.blogspot.com/2009/08/kmart-doubles-830-91.html
K-Mart Coupons:
http://print.coupons.com/couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=14544&zid=jj40&nid=10&bid=alk0831030812ba92cd0cb7611
Also be sure to use the $5/$50 coupon in the K-Mart ad from this Sundays paper.
Get most of the coupon deals at:
Coupons.com
Good deal on cheese too – $1 for an 8 ounce bag or block.

SEASONAL
Most stores have 50% off on their summer items – some Lowes, K-Mart, and CVS stores are 70% or 75% off.

PLAIN DEALER
Classified ad – 3 lines – 7 days – 99 cents per item valued under $500. Call 216-999-5555 or go to http://www.cleveland.com/placead

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

KMART
K-Mart is doubling coupons this week (until 9/3). Word is they won’t be doubling for the rest of the year, so get your fill this week.
Here are some sites with a breakdown on the deals:
Living Within Limits:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dctcjr24_3f4582rgx
My Frugal Adventure
http://myfrugaladventures.blogspot.com/2009/08/kmart-doubles-830-91.html
K-Mart Coupons:
http://print.coupons.com/couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=14544&zid=jj40&nid=10&bid=alk0831030812ba92cd0cb7611

Also be sure to use the $5/$50 coupon in the K-Mart ad from this Sundays paper.

Get most of the coupon deals at:
Coupons.com

Good deal on cheese too – $1 for an 8 ounce bag or block.

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

OUR TOWN BOOK
The new Our Town and All Around coupon books are now available. Get your money’s worth out of the book and buy the 2010 book now. Book expires in Dec. 1, 2011. If you go to a couple restaurants a year you should get your money’s worth back. Check out what’s new in the book at http://www.ourtownandallaround.com. Check out the larger winery section and golf section. The book now costs $28 plus $2 shipping and handling for a total of $30.
Click here:
http://www.joethecouponguy.com/merchandise/index.htm

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK
The new 2010 books are available now. Get your money’s worth out of the Entertainment book and buy the 2010 book now. Book expires in Nov. 1, 2011 – some coupons expire 12/31/2011. Hopefully this year’s book will be better. The book costs $35.
Free shipping. To order a book click here:
2010 ENTERTAINMENT BOOK

SAVVY SHOPPER BOOKLET
Order the new Savvy Shopper booklet. Over 150 pages long. Find out new ways to save money on over 5 dozen topics. Costs $13 (includes shipping & handling)
Click here to order:
http://www.joethecouponguy.com/merchandise/index.htm

RESTAURANT.COM
Get a $25 restaurant gift certificate for $2. Normally it’s $10 – now 80% off! Gift certificates expire in one year. New restaurants listed during the month. If the restaurant closes, call restaurant.com and they will give you a mega-certificate good to purchase for another restaurant. Be sure to call before going to the restaurant to make sure they still accept the gift certificate. I find a lot of restaurants on the site that normally don’t issue coupons.
Use coupon code TASTE at checkout to get the 80% off. Ends 8/31.
Click here:
Restaurant.com

RITE AID
They have been sending out a 20% off coupon good for Friday to Sunday. Sign up at riteaid.com to have the coupon e-mailed to you.
Click here for their $5 off a $25 purchase coupon:
http://content.riteaid.com/rabrand/email_coupon_4G.pdf
This week free after rebate:
Colgate Total
Tylenol – make money after $2 coupon

WALGREENS
Click here for a $5 off a $25 purchase coupon good until Saturday, 8/29:
http://www.walgreens.com/dmi/instorespecials/5off25.html?ec=hn6510s_trouble
Free 8×10 collage print coupon in ad – good on Wednesday, 8/26.

GIANT EAGLE
Get 20 cents off gas at GetGo when you buy a $50 gift card at Giant Eagle. Ends 8/26. Great for when you need to buy a ton at Home Depot for a project. Good for up to 30 gallons so be sure to get up to 30 gallons worth of gas when you redeem your rewards. And be sure to use the gift cards quickly since too many stores are going bankrupt or closing. I hope you don’t have any old Woolworth’s gift cards…

STAPLES
Get a free PC Tune-up from Staples – $29.99 value. Click here for details:
http://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/tech_09/repair.html

KMART
They will be doubling coupons again from 8/30 to 9/5 at select stores.
Get up to 70% off on their patio furniture. Click here:
http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/c_10151_10104_Outdoor+Living_Patio+Furniture?sid=iex20090824xk01315&vName=Outdoor+Living&catalogId=10104&eml=%5fNULL%5f&rioptype=KC&lid=shop%5fpatio&adref=iex20090824xk01315&cName=Patio+Furniture&storeId=10151

VACATION
I visited family in England and Croatia recently. Lotsa planes, trains, and automobiles on the trip. No lost passports like the last trip, so all was good.

I had a free ticket with my US Air miles. We booked the other flights via Kayak.com. We used Kayak.com for hotels too, but mostly used Hotels.com via their site to book rooms. I like checking Tripadvisor.com to get a read on how good the hotel is too. Always interesting to see what people find in their rooms.

One thing that was odd about hotel rooms in Europe is that there were no alarm clocks. It’s a European thing. Plus air conditioning isn’t always in each room. Maybe they figure you’ll be awake sweating your arse off so you won’t need an alarm clock. Clever and it saves them money.

We went to a cousin’s wedding in England. They live in Carlisle which is near Scotland. At the end of the ceremony they have the couple and the best man and maid of honor sign a book to register the union. Nothing like getting the paperwork done right away.

I think we introduced a new tradition there. We started clanging our glasses, expecting the bride and groom to know they were supposed to kiss. Not so. They didn’t know anything about that tradition, so we told them to kiss and they did. Eventually the people there started to do it on their own.

After the wedding was a lunch reception for close friends and family. At night we went to a different location where they had a band play while they served finger food. No toss of the wedding garter.

And even though they spoke English, I had a very hard time understanding some of them. Really thick British accents. In Croatia I knew the language some, but most people spoke English there. A great site to translate other languages is http://www.nicetranslator.com.

We took trains, planes, boats, and cars to get to where we needed to go. If you go to England, get your train tickets in advance at trainline.com. Much cheaper that way.

We ate a variety of food. I found out I really like to eat Bounty. No silly, not the paper towel, but a chocolate-coated coconut candy bar like Mounds. The coconut was thicker than Mounds.

The prices for everything in Croatia were good. Recently the US dollar weakened so the exchange rate wasn’t as good. I still had some Euros left from a trip to England and Paris earlier this year and the rate was better at that time, so I used them to get some deals at the Duty Free Shop. Speaking of duty free, I had to pay for the bathroom in Split, Croatia. It was 1 Kuna to use the urinal and 4 Kuna for #2. There was a lady in-between the men’s and lady’s room and she would let you in and out after you did your thing. If I were her I’d make sure everyone washed their hands before handing over any coins.

A Kuna, the currency in Croatia, was exchanging at around 5 Kunas per dollar. In the early 2000’s you could exchange 9 Kuna for a dollar. In England, I was getting around 60 cents per dollar. A Euro was going for 70 cents per dollar.

I got a Capital One credit card through CreditCards.com because they don’t charge a foreign currency conversion fee. Most credit cards charge 2% to 3%.

In Croatia we did a lot of travelling. We went to Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik, and Rab. We stayed in Lun on the island of Otok Pag. It’s like an old village from the turn of the century. You’d almost expect to see Fred Flintstone ride by in his stone-wheeled car. I was last there in 1986. More houses and there is a paved road to town now. They have city water instead of well water too. More tourists now.

I rented a car through Kollandar Travel. They do a lot of European travel bookings. Most of the car rental sites forced you into renting a stick shift and I wanted an automatic. I didn’t want to run into any issues too. Sometimes it pays to go through a service that knows what to do, especially in a foreign country. Otherwise the issues you may incur will cost you more than in the end.

We got a large 3 topping pizza for $10 in Lun. The funny thing is restaurant workers don’t really expect much of a tip. Even 10% was too much. We had a pizza delivered to us at the airport in Zagreb and it was $13 for a 4 topping humongous pizza. It was bigger than the size of a tire. The front desk ordered the pizza and it was delivered. They called and we wanted to give the driver a tip but she already paid for it and the driver was gone.

The biggest rip-off on all of Europe is the price for Pepsi or Coke at a restaurant. You get one of those tiny bottles (.25 liter) for around $2.50 or $3.00. And no refills! Beer was cheaper. And they don’t call it Diet Coke. They call it Coke Light. Water wasn’t free either. You had to buy bottled water and it was about the same price as Coke. Best bet was to go to a local grocery store and get a 2 liter for around $2.50.

Many people in Croatia make the minimum wage which is around $400 a month which explains the low prices.

As I’m typing this on the plane it’s apparent that the guy next to me needs to go to the bathroom. I have my shirt over my nose to mute the stink. And behind me wide-opened-mouth Mr. Snores-a-lot apparently needs a mint too.

Lun is known for its 1,000 to 1,500 year old olive trees. Also its Paski Sir cheese. It’s sheep cheese, but has a distinct flavor from the grazing habits of the sheep. They eat the rosemary plants and salt-coated vegetation there. Add some of the olive oil made there and it has a great taste and texture. Pricey. Many fig trees grow there along with pomegranates, lemons, limes, and grapes. No Pop-Tarts for me in the morning. Just good whole food.

There was no fast food joints in Croatia that I saw. A good many roasting spits with lamb, pork, and chickens getting a circle ride around the fire.

We made friends with some waitresses that spoke English real well. They said that only about 10 Americans visit Lun each year. I was surprised. Lots of Germans and Italians there.

We made a stop in Medjugorja, Bosnia-Hercogovina, a site where the Virgin Mary apparently appeared to some children from the town many years ago.

The War was bad in Bosnia, but I didn’t see much that showed remnants from it. Dubrovnik was shelled and they showed a video of the destruction there at a Memorial. You could see where some areas were fixed. We went to Buz-A-Bar which outside the walls of the city overlooking the Adriatic. Beautiful view.

I ate too much the whole trip. My appetite was quelled on the plane though. I was asked if I wanted a pizza with fish. The other choice was vegetarian so I went with the pizza. The guy sitting next to me asked me if she said pizza with fish. I quizzically said yes, that is what I thought she said too. What I got was a sandwich pocket stuffed with a tuna mishmash. She might was well have told me it was a baked vomit bag from the last flight because that is what it tasted like. The neat thing on an international flight was that drinks were on the house. I got all the wine and beer I wanted. So I washed down the vomit bag with the fine spirits.

I got a nice George Hamilton tan. Snorkeled a lot. I think I grew some gills. Maybe I can visit Aquaman and Sponge Bob at some reef for some chicken wings or something. Saw some scorpions.

It was hot. Only rain we got was on one morning. It was too hot to wear a shirt. And so much for no shirt, no shoes, no service. Most people shopped dressed like they are at the beach. And most of the beaches were “European”. Let’s just say you could save a few bucks buying just bottoms there. I do remember last time I was there in ‘86 there were more people au naturale. Not always a good thing because Grandmas sometimes like to go to the beach.

A lady gave me a coupon for 10% off at a wine bar. I must have had a “I’m suffering from not having a coupon withdrawal” look. They had a 50% off when you take out a bottle deal. Outside of that there wasn’t much as far as coupons. I did see a lot of sales – 70% off and less usually. Stores do advertise sale prices. But they don’t have a Sunday paper full of ads.

Seeing family also brought to attention the many issues families have. Every family has issues, but when it comes to family, remember to keep family first.

Communication is a major family issue. Too many people don’t talk things out with the person they’re having issues with or the person with issues doesn’t know how to communicate them out. The issues festers, assumptions are made, and then bad decisions ensue. All I can say is be honest and appreciate honesty. For instance, if your sister has a big nasty looking hairy mole on her chin that has been bothering you your whole life, lovingly tell her what’s her pet’s name that is sleeping on her chin. The conversation will flourish from there and break down barriers. Harmony will ensue like an Alvin and the Chipmunks tune. Ok, well I was joshing. Just be cool with each other.

I’ve heard of too many people expect inheritances too. AARP reported in 2004 that only 20% of Americans reported receiving an inheritance. The median inheritance was $29,000 according to Moody’s Economy.com web-site. Today’s numbers are probably much worse with the dire economy.

A co-worker told me recently how some family members were already in line expecting some inheritance from him. They were inferring that he not spend all his money. I told him that he should spend all his money now that he is retiring. I know times are tough, but he earned his money working hard and deserved to spend it all. Nobody should expect a penny from a family member after they pass. If anything, more people are in debt when they leave this earth, so again expect nothing and if you do get something, it’s a blessing.

One thing I want to mention is to try your best to see family while they are still here. Some people expect to travel when they retire, however they don’t because of poor health, money issues, or family is gone. It was a tough moment watching my Mom and her brother say their goodbyes. Neither are in the best of health and they knew it.

Anyway, enough of that. It was amazing to see family I hadn’t seen in 23 years and some for the first time. And sadly, there may be some I won’t see again. I hope that not to be the case. But the memories I have from the trip will last for a lifetime. We had a great time. I now need a vacation from the vacation now. I feel like a zombie from the jet lag. I don’t have a penchant for walking with my arms straight forward or wanting to eat brains, so it’s just a travel zombie feeling. And that’s the way it is…

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK
Get your money’s worth out of the Entertainment book and buy the 2010 book now. Book expires in Nov. 2011 – some coupons expire 12/31/2011. Hopefully this year’s book will be better. I like to read the book while I’m eating pudding or waiting for a bus. They make for great conversation at the bus stop since many people will ask what I am doing since they’re bored waiting for the bus and because I laugh out loud when I’m reading it and perusing the pages. I also curse the book with vigor when I notice a coupon amount has gone down. Damn thee buy one get one free meal coupon I proclaim…whenst shall I need two full meals. I like to glue sparkles in the Entertainment book coupons too…that is why they call it the Entertainment book I believe…
Free shipping. To order a book click here:
2010 ENTERTAINMENT BOOK

RITE AID
They have been sending out a 20% off coupon good for Friday to Sunday. Sign up to riteaid.com to have the coupon e-mailed to you.
Click here for their $5 off a $25 purchase coupon:
http://content.riteaid.com/rabrand/email_coupon_4G.pdf

GIANT EAGLE
Get 20 cents off gas at GetGo when you buy a $50 gift card at Giant Eagle. Ends 8/26. Great for when you need to buy a ton at Home Depot for a project. Good for up to 30 gallons so be sure to get up to 30 gallons worth of gas when you redeem your rewards. And be sure to use the gift cards quickly since too many stores are going bankrupt or closing. I hope you don’t have any old Woolworth’s gift cards…

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

WALGREENS
Get a $5 register reward with a $25 purchase. Ends Saturday

RESTAURANT.COM
Get a $25 gift certificate for $3 (normally $10). 70% Off! Use coupon code PALATE when checking out. Ends 8/24.
Click here:
70% OFF

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK
All 2009 books are $9.99 from 8/1 to 8/10. Click here to place an order:
ENTERTAINMENT.COM $9.99

STAPLES
1 cent school paper

CVS
Free after extrabucks
A bunch of school supplies – limit of 2 – see ad since some items are grouped
Blink eye drops
Buy $10 get $5 in extra bucks:
Visine – $3.99 – use $3 coupon on eye cleaning pads

Pepsi – $2 for a 12 pack after extra bucks

RITE AID
Free after rebate:
Renu Contact Solution twin pack
Zantac
Natural Priobiotic
Werthers
Skin Clinic Wart Remover
Duck brand EZ Start Tape
GE Longlife 2 pack light bulbs
Crest Pro-Health toothpaste

WALGREENS
Free after register rewards
Vitamin shampoo/conditioner – looking at the flavorful types – I almost want to use it as salad dressing – nothing like a little Avocado Pomegranate Conditioner on my spinach salad
GUM toothbrush tongue and tip – 2 pack
There is also a buy 8 get $10 in register rewards deal that can be a good deal if you have the .40 coupon for Skippy and 3/$1.25 coupon for Ragu (each sale priced at $2 each)

ALDIS
Strawberries 99 cents – 1 lb.
Now’s the time to freeze some vegetables and fruits for winter eating while prices are cheap.

RESTAURANT.COM
We’re many of the restaurant gift certificates sold out with the 80% off deal? Well, the gift certificates reload at the beginning of each month. So find your favorite and get 50% off – get a $25 gift certificate for $5. Use the code SUPPER (type in in the box that asks for the coupon code when you check out). Ends 8/6.
Click here:
RESTAURANT.COM 50% OFF DEAL

EXPECTATIONS
Did you ever do something and were surprised with the outcome? For instance, when you scream at someone you don’t expect them to scream at you. And when you rob a bank you don’t expect to be caught. When you shoot someone you don’t expect to get caught too. And when you hang with a bad crowd you don’t expect to do anything bad. And when you kill someone you don’t expect to get the death sentence. Those are all extreme examples, but conclusions to actions are usually an after-thought of which apologizes may be a follow-up band-aid.

I did think when I ran real fast one day I thought I could go back in time to the day before. I saw it in a cartoon and thought it would work. My expectations were proven faulty. And once I thought about floating real hard to the point I thought I’d float. I also played the lottery figuring I would win. I prayed real hard to increase my chances, but I’ve now come to the conclusion that there isn’t a department in heaven that answers lottery prayers. I still pray though, but it’s for other things like praying that the runny ooze won’t come out of ketchup bottles before the real ketchup comes out.

SHOPPING CARTS
Lately, I’ve noticed that I always get the shopping cart with the produces a loud, ear-drum piercing screech. As I was trolling around the store with it I noticed a lady cover up her ears as I went by. I just know one of these days the high frequency noise from the cart everything in the store will crack and dogs will come streaming into the store. Ears will bleed and car alarms will go off. It’s embarrassing. I usually just leave my cart in one place and then walk around the store to get what I need. If I exchange carts I’ll just get another noisy cart – the only difference will be that the screeches will be in D minor instead of E sharp. I try tilting the cart or lifting it up to see if I can keep the cart from emitting the high-pitched decibels.

Seems like the CVS carts are the worst. I usually skip when I go through the store, so the sound is like a rhythmic pulse. With the unique beat I’ve seen people dance to the shrieks of the cart. I think some people have hooked up that way. They find a partner to dance with and a marriage proposal soon follows. So maybe I should just deal with the noise.

MARRIAGE
Speaking of marriage, the number one reason people get divorced is because of money. With the increasing unemployment rate, skyrocketing foreclosures, and other money woes, the financial stress levels in marriages are surely on the upswing. Some spouses don’t even reveal their “hidden” debt and spending. Spouses can sense it and then trust issues become evident. Honesty is the best policy and working as a team will help solve some of these issues. Screaming at each other about it and fighting will be great for a reality show, but not for the kids or neighbors or each other. Talking about it over the phone at work can be uncomfortable too. Getting calls from debt collectors ain’t fun either.

Make the inevitable cutbacks and that should help with getting some footing in the relationship. Making tough decisions such as selling the high priced house and then down-sizing should always be on the table as an option. First to get cut should be habits or hobbies that are costly…the nonessentials. And once you get on good financial ground don’t let up on the savings. The time to save is during good times so that when bad times hit you will have a cushion. So using a Flowbee to cut your hair, using a squeaky cart to get deals at local stores, and pan-frying roadkill don’t sound all that bad and may save a marriage!
Check this site out about reigning in your debt:
http://www.debtorsanonymous.org

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK
All 2009 books are $9.99 from 8/1 to 8/10. Click here to place an order:
ENTERTAINMENT.COM $9.99

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

ALDIS
Red or Green grapes – 69 cents per lb.
Blueberries – 89 cents – pint
Cherries – 99 cents per lb.
Bananas – 39 cents per lb.
Don’t buy produce at stores that have hardly any produce items on sale and by that I also mean a good sale price. Aldi’s always has great produce prices and the quality is good. Same with Marcs. For cheaper produce use lawn clippings for your salad along with acorns from the neighborhood.

MARCS
Carrots – 89 cents
Corn 10/$2
Mushrooms – 89 cents

OFFICEMAX
Crayons – 1 cent – while supplies last

WALGREENS
Sure enough as I posted last week that the register rewards program stinks I encountered another problem. I realized after I left the store last week that they didn’t hand me over the register rewards. I called and they said to come back and they’ll take care of it. Turns out the Manager said that since I already used a manufacturers coupon, that is why they didn’t print out. What!? I used two coupons that were on the Rembrandt toothpaste and got the free after register rewards G2 pens. I also used a $5 register reward from the previous week. He said something about since the price was altered with the manufacturers coupon I wouldn’t get the register rewards. I told him it worked before and that I had gotten them. No dice. And what a crock. I said where does it say that? He said in the ad in small print. I looked and nothing. Needless to say I wanted to take this to a higher court.

At CVS their extra bucks can be used with store coupons and manufacturers coupons on the same item. At Walgreens you can get around it by buying stuff that you don’t match up with a coupon, but that is annoying. For instance, I could’ve bought two more items with the order above and it would print the two register rewards.

I called their customer service number and spoke with a gal about it. She said someone would contact me. I also mentioned how their old rebate program was better. I have a bit of news. They said that there is a new program coming that is supposed to be better, like the rebate program. So maybe this crud register rewards program will go by the wayside. Give us our freebies here and there and don’t make all these complicated rules about what coupons you can use and what you get for them and how many can be used. It’s turned off enough people that they don’t shop there anymore. The reason they cancelled the rebate program is because a new VP wanted to do away with it. Well, he sure put is ugly pawmark on this register rewards program. Because right now it’s more like wALLGREEDs.

RESTAURANT.COM
80% off extended until 7/31! – get $25 gift certificates for $2 – use code NAPKIN. Check it out if you haven’t before.
Click here:
RESTAURANT. COM

FLUTOPHONE
I knew someone that was a maestro on the flutophone. Not that it’s me, of course. Summer is a great time for parades, so they would look for an opening in the parade procession and join in. They would try not to get behind the horses though. They stink and leave reminders of their meals on the road which make for tricky marching steps. But the moves look real cool since they look improvised. Anyway, sometimes we all feel like we want to be at the front of the parade, but end up being in the back. But the back of the parade is where you might find some candy left by the candy-throwing clowns and politicians. It makes for great candy to give away on Halloween. Just beware of any candy in the horse chocolate.

JETAMERICA
Just as they were ready to start low-fare service out of Toledo they decided to close up shop. They couldn’t get a berth at the Newark airport and that helped end the startup.

MORTGAGE MESS
Read this article from the Cleveland Fed that points some myths out about the housing mortgage mess. Also read the comments below the story. Too many people are believing the rhetoric and not the facts.
http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/07/federal_reserve_bank_of_clevel.html

CVS Free after extrabucks:
CVS tampons – 10 count
Good until Tuesday:
Caliber Composition Book – limit 2
Caliber/CVS erasers or push pins – limit 2
Caliber Index or Pencil Case – limit 2
Pilot Easytouch pen 2 pack – limit 2
Swingline Tot stapler or Claiber sticky notes – limit 2

Look for Autofill coupon booklets at the pharmacy containing dollar off purchase coupons:
Here is a list of what will be in them:
Two $4 off $20 purchase coupons
$4 off $20 Diet or Nutrition products coupon
$4 off $20 Facial Skin products coupon
$3 off $12 Eye Care products coupon
$2 off $10 Vitamin purchase coupon
$2 off $10 Allergy products coupon
$2 off $10 Oral Care products coupon

K-MART Kmart will do Super Super Doubles – doubling coupons of $2 and less – from Sunday, August 16 to Saturday, August 22nd in Ohio & PA with a purchase of $25 or more in grocery and drugstore merchandise. The rules are annoying. The $25 minimum is before tax and coupons. You may only purchase 4 of the same item using double coupons. Excludes Buy One, Get One offers, Kmart Savings coupons and Kmart Store coupons. The KMart savings coupons used to double. Limit 10 coupons per customer per day. Additional coupons will be honored, just not doubled.

NEWS-HERALD
Advertise in their classifieds for 9 lines for 9 days at $9.99. Items must total $1,000 or less. Call 1-800-947-2737 or classifieds@news-herald.com.

RED PLUM
Grab a cup of coffee and your favorite corncob pipe for this one. It’s a long and winding write-up.

Red Plum/Valassis sued Smart Source/News America for $1.5 billion on some marketing/pricing issues. The verdict came out this week and Red Plum was awarded $300 million. It was appealed, so we’ll see what happens from there. The stock for Valassis was around $1 at the beginning of the year. It was in the $7 range before the verdict and jumped to around $11 something before settling in the $8 range. Depending on how it goes it could have some ramifications on coupons. What is interesting is that I got deposed for this court case. I got involved due to another lawsuit versus those two.

Smart Source/News America sued Red Plum/Valassis for defamation of character due to some postings were tied to Valassis’ server on the site I’m involved with called http://www.BringBackTheCoupons.com. The site was a grassroots effort to get Red Plum/Valassis to change their mind about mailing coupons to households instead of putting their coupons in the newspaper. Check out the site for more info and for customer feedback. The New York Post almost printed a story about the site.

A VP from Valissis posted on the site. Soon after he contacted me because he felt I was reasonable and he wanted to chat about the issue. And then after that posts with the name Max and Jane with a slant that said our site was financed by News America and other rants which weren’t true were posted. We then found out that those posts were coming from someone sending it from a Valassis server. Hence the lawsuit by News America. News America then wanted me to be a character witness for the $1.5 billion dollar case.

I got subpoenaed. How exciting. I got a visit from the Sheriff. I wasn’t home, so he had to tape the subpoena on my front door. I then had to go to the Sheriff’s office to pick up the paperwork. I expected to be in line with some miscreants, but none were to be found. Miscreants in line with you can be fun because they have interesting stories they tell out loud.

After some annoying back and forth with the date and time of when I could be deposed we met for a deposition at a lawyer’s office downtown. The deposition took 3 hours. At times it was like two kids fighting each other with the way the lawyers attacked each other. I thought I was going to have to be a peacemaker and spray a garden hose on them to calm them down. They had a court reporter there typing every word I said. Now that I think of it I should’ve talked super fast and nonsensically just to see if she could keep up. I think I was more amused by the lawyers that I didn’t have time to think about other things to amuse myself.

I was then set to fly to Detroit for the case. Then the date kept getting pushed back. Finally News America felt that due to the jurors losing focus they decided to hold off on using character witnesses with me being one of them. We already had the flight picked out and all, so all went by the wayside.

However, the defamation case is still live and I’ll have to go to New York for that. I wonder if I should wear a The Coupon Guy uniform to the trial. I’ll attempt to use my special coupon powers for the good of mankind. Maybe I’ll get those two companies to be nice to each other and have them just get us coupons that don’t expire so soon, plenty of them, and put them in the paper so that we have easy access so that we can get extras.

Interestingly, the Valassis VP told me that manufacturers only want consumers using one coupon and we shouldn’t be getting extra sets of coupons. News to me. So in other words if I need to get 18 jars of Smuckers then they only want me using one coupon. I’m sure Jon and Kate and their 8 little ones, the OctoMom, or any other big family would not be too please with that version of couponing.

I told him that we aren’t getting the same amount of coupons that are in other markets. He said that shouldn’t be the case and he’ll look into it. If you look at some of CCherrypickers.com’s recent posts you will see that isn’t true. I’ve noticed it myself plenty of times when I travelled too. So I’m surprised he was ignorant of it.

In the posts they said that companies are going to internet coupons. Problem is they cost people money – up to around 25 cents per page – figure in the cost of paper, ink, electricity, cost of the printer, internet, PC, etc.). Plus it takes a lot of time to peruse through them to find out which ones you want and all. Plus many stores don’t take internet coupons. Some do and then decide that they won’t anymore. Aggravating as an eyelash or charcoal briquette in your eye.

We left it at they will see what the data shows to see if coupon usage goes down or not and go from there. Never did hear back from him even though I called him back. But by then I did get a call from their lawyer instead, but the lawyer said I really need to speak with the VP and not the lawyer for what I wanted.

In the meantime I met and spoke with the U.S. Deputy Postmaster a couple times and he had his people call me back regarding the problems they’ve had with mailing out the Red Plum coupons. There is an issue with the ‘do not mail list’ people getting or not getting the Red Plum coupons. It’s considered junk mail so some people may not get it when they want it.

My suggestion was that they have people opt in to get the coupons mailed to them and that the coupons get put back in the paper. So in other words, people that don’t want to or can’t afford to pay for a paper and still want the coupons will be able to get them mailed to them. Right now Red Plum had people opting in to get the coupons now as it is, so they can do it so that everyone that wants coupons will get them. That will make Red Plum happy. It would save them on postage by not sending coupons to people that don’t want them. By putting the coupons back in the paper we would get the set we want with any other coupons and ads since most couponers get the Sunday paper for the coupons and ads anyway, so we would be happy along with the newspaper companies. Red Plum wouldn’t waste money sending coupons to people that don’t want them, so that would make the Post Office happy since it gets them out of the ‘do not mail list’ dilemma. Environmentally it would be better since coupons wouldn’t get tossed in the garbage too.
One of the problems though is that I know someone that opted in back in March and they still haven’t received the Red Plum coupons. Again, partly the reason for the bringbackthecoupons.com site.

However everything is still at a stalemate yet. Hopefully in time they will see the benefits to doing so and we will all be winners.

Read more about it here:
http://industry.bnet.com/advertising/10001826/valassis-accused-of-using-false-identities-in-online-war-with-news-america-marketing/?tag=content;col1

So how was the coffee? Corncob pipe good?

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

ALDIS
Red or Green grapes – 69 cents per lb.
Blueberries – 89 cents – pint
Cherries – 99 cents per lb.
Bananas – 39 cents per lb.
Don’t buy produce at stores that have hardly any produce items on sale and by that I also mean a good sale price. Aldi’s always has great produce prices and the quality is good. Same with Marcs. For cheaper produce use lawn clipplings for your salad along with acorns from the neighborhood.

CVS
Free after extrabucks:
CVS tampons – 10 count
Good until Tuesday:
Caliber Composition Book – limit 2
Caliber/CVS erasers or push pins – limit 2
Caliber Index or Pencil Case – limit 2
Pilot Easytouch pen 2 pack – limit 2
Swingline Tot stapler or Claiber sticky notes – limit 2

OFFICEMAX
Crayons – 1 cent

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com

WALGREENS
Have you noticed that their register rewards program stinks. Yes it does, Suzie is saying. And I agree with Suzie. It does stink. Not as good as the EasySaver Rewards program that they ended. Suzie, you can put your hand down. I can’t take any questions while I’m typing up my e-mail. I know you have something you want to say, but save it for later. Right now it’s all about me. So where was I before Suzie rudely interrupted me. Oh yes, Walgreens stinks now. Those register rewards expire too soon and there are not enough deals every week to keep me going there. CVS has a similar program with the EasyBucks program, but they usually have much better deals and more of them every week. I liked the Walgreens gift cards that we were able to get with the EasySaver program and the extra 10% you got with them. Maybe they will see sales go down and decide to bring it back. I gave them a chance on the register rewards, but it doesn’t look good. Ok Suzie I’m ready for your question. Oh, you have to go to the bathroom. That’s fine. You can go.

They had some deals on school supplies this week, but nothing free. They used to do many free items, but maybe that will come in the next few weeks. If not, then one less store for me to shop at.

GIANT EAGLE
Get $2 from Giant Eagle when you sign up for their e-mailed ads. Click here:
http://www.gianteagle.com/Specials/WeeklySpecials.aspx?cntid=201449&code=value2&utm_source=banner

Most Giant Eagles have an Eagles Nest, a place where you can drop off your kids while you shop. One of them by me closed up theirs, probably because with the movie theater nearby parents would drop off the kids and go to the movies. What a bonanza this free babysitting service would be for that Jon & Kate family that has 8 kids. Or is there a limit on kids you can stuff into the Eagle’s Nest? I bet there is a hidden door where a tunnel takes the kids into the back of the store where they get them to unload trucks and replenish the warehouse and do other menial tasks. One of these days I’m waiting for the kids to go through some turbo training where they are now cashiers where they will ring out their parents, much to their astonishment.

BEST WESTERN
I like to stay at Best Westerns because they are a good value. You know you are getting a decent room and usually a free breakfast. Would you believe we stayed at one in Paris and London earlier this year. Again good values for the money. Click on this link to book a room:
BESTWESTERN.COM

STARBUCKS
Free pasty from opening until 10:30 AM on 7/21 with a beverage purchase. Click here for coupon: http://www.starbucks.com/retail/print_free_pastry.html

RESTAURANT MENU PRICES
I’ve come across some restaurants that don’t list the price of their wine and sometimes their other beverages in their menu like Damon’s and Texas Roadhouse does. They just list the brands. So if I ask for a bottle of Merlot I might get a $15 bottle or a $40 bottle. Yes, yes, that is what I like. Surprises. Will I get a deal or ripped off? I get so excited not knowing what I will see on the bill. Why would I want to burden the wait staff with asking them for a price and embarrass myself by asking for it when the restaurant will surprise me. Better yet they should just not list the price of everything on their menu. After all, anyone that goes to a restaurant is loaded with money. I usually see people with dollar bills coming out of their suit pockets. And why ask them if they charge for a salad. I like seeing an extra $7 for a side salad on my bill. I especially like the way they slyly ask if you want a salad with your meal. We are all supposed to know they will charge when they do that. And don’t ask for a price since that again would be embarrassing. I want to make sure people around me know that I’m loaded with money and don’t need to know what I will pay.

As you can tell I was being sarcastic. What I actually do is I make a point of asking the price of every single bottle and glass of wine when they don’t list the price. I wear tattered clothes and meekly ask how much it will cost. I make sure I load my changepurse with moths and when they tell me how much it costs I check my changepurse to see if I have enough. The moths flutter out of my changepurse and I cough as I say I will order just one side dish and a water because I am low on funds. I ask for a lemon for my water since that will keep me from getting scurvy since I can’t afford eating fruit. Although sometimes when I go to the park I will eat berries that I find growing on a shrub or two. I think they’re berries, but they taste like poison. Eating the berries make me see vivid movies in my head before I come to. I save money on a movie that way.

FAMILY GUY
Would you believe they got an Emmy nomination. Not since 1961 when the Flinestones received one has an animated cartoon received an Emmy nomination. The acting the characters on Family Guy perform is just amazing. It’s a wonder that they all didn’t get nods for best actress and actor Emmys. I’m sure they go through a lot of rehearsals before they get it right like the “who can puke first by drinking Ipecac contest.” Splendid!

FLUTOPHONE
I knew someone that was a maestro on the flutophone. Not that it’s me, of course. Summer is a great time for parades, so they would look for an opening in the parade procession and join in. They would try not to get behind the horses though. They stink and leave reminders of their meals on the road which make for tricky marching steps. But the moves look real cool since they look improvised. Anyway, sometimes we all feel like we want to be at the front of the parade, but end up being in the back. But the back of the parade is where you might find some candy left by the candy-throwing clowns and politicians….hmmm, I just now made a coorelation. And it makes for great candy to give away on Halloween.

CVS
Free after extrabucks:
Photo CD
CVS Brand pantiliners
Until Tuesday:
Pencils
Pens
Paper
Notebooks
Binders
Find deal info at http://www.iheartcvs.com

STAPLES
Free after rebate items:
Zebra Pencils
Zebra pens
Pentel Highlighters

RITE AID
Use $5 off $25 coupon on these deals – expires 8/31: http://content.riteaid.com/rabrand/email_coupon_4G.pdf
99 cents after rebate:
Sambucol Immune System Booster
Compound W
Citre Shine
L’Oreal nail polish
Ayr Nasal Gel/Mist
Dristan
Lysine Cold Sore Treatment
Legatrin PM
Stopain
Edge/Skintimate shave gel

Get a $25 gift card when you transfer your prescription there – coupon in the ad this week.

SAVINGS RATE
Back a few years ago the U.S. savings rate was around MINUS 1%. It now stands over 6%. People are saving their money in preparation for tough times ahead. But now is the time for people to spend their money so that it spurs the economy. Had people saved in the past then we wouldn’t have people scrambling to save their money. It would’ve eased out the highs and lows of the economy. I would think that inventories have been cleared out and we might see an uptick in the economy with inventories being replenished. Gotta get companies to start hiring again too. Here’s good info on the historical savings rate:
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20090626/us-savings-rate-surges-to9-spending-too-but-government-assisted_2.htm

NATIONAL DEBT
The country first got into debt to help pay for the Revolutionary War. The debt is now $11.5 trillion. Interest payments on the debt alone cost $452 billion last year which is the largest federal spending category after Medicare-Medicaid, Social Security and defense.

The United States went into the red the first time in 1790 when it assumed $75 million in the war debts of the Continental Congress. Since then, the nation has only been free of debt once, in 1834-1835. We gotta cut spending carefully. It should especially be done when times are good. Spending for wars were thought to get the U.S. out of recessions because the government pumped so much money into the economy. Even WWII was thought to get the U.S. out of the Great Depression. Here the national debt clock: http://brillig.com/debt_clock/
Good info on the debt:
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/faq.html
More good debt info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt

WHITEOUT MAGAZINE
Get a free e-subscription to this motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile, motorbike centered magazine here: http://whiteoutmagazine.com/default.aspx

TIRE RACK
Find clearance deals on tires and tire rebates on the site. See if your local dealership will match the prices. I went to NRB and they did. Great prices. Click here:
Tirerack.com

CLASS SCHEDULE/SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
My fall schedule is starting to fill up. If you are interested in booking me to speak, please e-mail me at joe@joethecouponguy.com. I charge according to how far I have to drive, whether I have to take time off from work, and some other factors. Plus if you use the code BONUS by July 31st you’ll get a free annual membership into my gang, the Willowick Crips and a piece of toast.
Here is my latest schedule:
http://www.joethecouponguy.com/schedule/index.htm

Joe
http://www.joethecouponguy.com