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November 2009
New month, new printable coupons to save
Andrea Deckard of Mommy Snacks has mentioned the benefits of employing printable coupons before, but she noted today that online sites have new coupons available at the beginning of each month.
Since Tuesday is Dec. 1, and it is a good month to save some cash, she recommends that checking out what the sites offer and seeing how much you can save.
“Whenever good ones are available, I always share!” Deckard said. “You can always print coupons any time at Mommy Snacks, too. Visit my Printable Coupons page to see all that are available.”
Deckard also has a list of good coupon sites to hit on her Printable Coupons page.
As for where to use those coupons, here are some of the best deals available in stores this week, Nov. 29-Dec. 5:
Great Extra Care Bucks deal on Febreze and Swiffer this week
FREE Accu Check Aviva
$.25 Oral B Indicator
$2 for 2 Quaker Granola Bars after Register Rewards deal
FREE Glade Sense & Spray
FREE Oral B and Crest Products
$.14 Knorr Rice or Pasta Sides with Printable Coupon
$.88 Kellogg’s Cereals
A few good toy deals, too!
FREE Healthy Choice Meals with printable coupon
FREE Tennessee Pride Sausage Gravy
$.50 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Great promotion to save on gift cards, too. Read my strategy to make this an ultimate savings plan.
FREE Steaz Iced Team with printable coupons
$.49 Kellogg’s Crackers
$.14 Command 3M Wall Hooks
FREE Wet Ones Wipes with printable coupon
$.38 Riceland Rice
$.50 Coffee-Mate Creamer
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TweetClothing tops items bought on Black Friday
According to a story on CNBC on Sunday citing figures from the National Retail Federation, a reported 195 million people shopped in stores and online from Black Friday through the weekend. That is up more than 13 percent from last year.
But, since the shoppers were taking advantage of the bigger sales, they actually ended up spending less.
Locally, shoppers talked about seeking bigger deals for the gifts they buy this season, especially in this economy.
The NRF reported that most people shopped at department stores, with nearly half (49 percent) of holiday shoppers visiting at least one — that is almost 13 percent increase from last year.
According to the group’s data, discount retailers took an uncharacteristic back seat, drawing 43 percent of holiday shoppers. Another nearly 8 percent headed to outlet stores.
Electronics stores got 29 percent of the business; clothing stores, 23 percent; and grocery stores, 20 percent.
Most shoppers hit the stores Friday (62 percent) and Saturday (55 percent).
But, what did they buy? According to the NRF, shoppers bought clothing and clothing accessories (50 percent); books, CDs, DVDs, videos and video games (40 percent); electronics or computer-related items (37 percent); toys (32 percent); food and candy (23 percent); personal care and beauty items (22 percent); and so on.
What about you? Was clothing tops on your list? Or did that big-screen TV call your name?
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TweetAmazon has up to 100% off; Walmart makes it Cyber Week
The Cyber Monday deals have arrived.
Here are some of the better deals to be found during this online shopping fiesta:
Amazon has huge discounts across their varied inventory, with savings of up to the limit — a wild 100 percent off (like on the LG Xenon GR500 Phone, that is usually $299.99). You do have to buy it with a service plan to get the deal.
Toys R Us has 60 percent off many toys, busting through the 50 percent off they have been largely offering in stores, and up to 75 percent off on others today.
Walmart, not surprisingly, is taking the event one step further and offering Cyber Week deals. Throughout the week, Walmart will have big discounts online, and shipping for pennies.
Best Buy also has noted it will continue some of its Cyber sales throughout the week.
Shop Justice has 40 percent off the entire site today only. Just enter code “772” at checkout.
JCPenney is having its “biggest Cyber Monday sale ever,” with up to 70 percent off and free shipping for orders of more than $25.
TechBargains highlighted several deals for today, including some good ones at Ienovo.
Dell has 10.1-inch laptops for as low as $279, and MacMall has a 13-inch MacBook notebook computer for $919.99, among other savings.
Also, HP has up to 60 percent off, with its “best deals of the season.” Wallet Pop noted that HP had a $369 laptop with 15.6-inch screen, a $299 laptop with 15.6-inch screen, up to 50 percent off printers, up to 60 percent off accessories and savings on additional laptops and desktops.
Game Stop has up to $30 off select games and other sales.
Target has what it is calling its lowest prices of the season online today, and free shipping when you spend $50 on select items.
Old Navy, The Gap and Banana Republic all have 20 percent off any purchase, plus free shipping today.
Borders has marked down all items for buy one, get one for 60 percent off, 50 percent off priority shipping and free standard shipping for orders of $10 or more. That sale continues through Tuesday, as well.
Alice.com, a new site that sells necessities like toilet paper, detergent and diapers by mail, is offering its gift cards at 15 percent to 30 percent off today. The innovative bargains site always has free shipping.
The bargains site Wise Bread also noted other ways Alice can save you cash.
Kohl’s has extra discounts on already marked down items, and ways to earn free shipping.
The Disney Store has up to 25 percent off online today.
The Discovery Store has its “Planet Earth” DVD set for $19.99 (regularly $79.95) amid other sales.
And even Harry & David, of the classic, festive food baskets, is having a Cyber Monday sale.
Also check out the sites for Sears and Kmart.
CyberMonday.com, CyberMonday.net and Sale.com also have information on the many sales out there today.
There also was a guide in Sunday’s paper to help with Cyber Monday shopping, and some rumblings that there may be more than one Cyber Monday this season.
And, finally, for 17 more helpful tips for having a safe and happy Cyber Monday, check out Coupon Sherpa’s handy list.
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TweetWill this Cyber Monday be the first of many this season?
Happy Cyber Monday! Have you been shopping online today? If so, you are likely among friends.
A survey conducted by BIGresearch by the National Retail Federation noted that 53.5 percent of workers with Internet access, or 68.8 million people, will shop for holiday gifts from work today.
If you don’t have time today, how about next Monday? Wallet Pop noted on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, that there likely will be several Cyber Mondays in the coming weeks.
“By working with retailers and observing the online shopping trends, which show that online shopping jumps significantly on the Mondays leading up to Christmas, Christian Gordun, the Coupon Craze CEO, has come up with a list of additional Cyber Mondays and a Shipping Monday to keep in mind.”
The site outlines how it expects the Cyber Mondays to operate.
Whether you are shopping on this Cyber Monday or any yet to come, here is a video of some additional tricks and tips from Daniel Sieberg from the CBS Early Show.
For some guidance on Cyber Monday as a whole, visit CyberMonday.com.
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TweetHere’s the Deal on Cyber Monday
If you haven’t already, now is a good time to make a list of what you want to buy for the holidays.
The best way to save money is to know what you want, compare prices and buy the items when they are at an optimum price.
This will help you set a realistic budget for your holiday spending as well, and help prevent a credit hangover into the new year.
Also, having a list in hand will help you avoid extraneous purchases in your many shopping travels.
Cyber Monday
Speaking of shopping, this Monday, Nov. 30, is Cyber Monday, which has become is expected to be the biggest single online shopping day of the year.
Last year alone, $846 million was floated through cyberspace on that day.
This year, that figure is supposed to rise, as it has done each year since it started in 2004.
If the early-season online rumblings and subsequent price wars are any indication, toys, books and electronics will be products to watch. Walmart, Amazon, Toys R Us and Target have been big players in the extreme lowering of prices.
For a preview of the deals that will be offered, and just like there were for Black Friday, Web sites are devoted to finding out what the Cyber Monday deals will be ahead of time.
Here are a few of the sites to check:
www.dealio.com/cyber-monday.html
CyberMonday.com will feature a new online deal each hour on Monday and will distribute $250 in gift cards from the bigger retailers each day through Dec. 25 to its fans on Facebook and followers on Twitter.
Signing up with various retailers online is another way to find out about upcoming sales at any time of the year, as well as any promotions that can earn you prizes.
For instance, this Cyber Monday is Stride Rite Fan Celebration Day. Fans can log on to Facebook.com/striderite from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. to take part in contests each hour.
There are also sites like www.PromotionalCodes.com and CouponWinner.com that will feature pages dedicated to Cyber Monday, and have coupons and codes to add to the deals being offered.
Comparison shop
One of the best parts about shopping online is that it is very easy to comparison shop.
On Cyber Monday, if you see a price on an item that you want to check, open a new tab and type in the product name on comparison sites like PriceGrabber.com.
That will tell you the running price on that product and can help you know how much you are saving — or not.
Shopping can help our furry friends
On Monday, if you log onto more than 140 retail sites through www.BringPetsHome.org, a portion of the purchase (which varies by retailer) will be donated to shelters nationally or used to provide immediate assistance to a shelter in their community.
In addition, one shopper will be selected and have $5,000 donated to the shelter of their choice and the winner will receive a $5,000 online shopping spree.
Be careful out there
Wherever your cursor finds itself Monday, it pays to be careful.
John North, president of the Dayton-area Better Business Bureau, advised shoppers to adhere to some safety tips when shopping on Cyber Monday or online in general:
— Do your research on prices; make sure you are getting a deal.
— If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
— Look for spelling and grammatical errors on the site. That can be a sign of spammers.
— All of your purchases need to be secured. “A secure site will have the ‘https’ in the Web address,” he said. “And the little lock shows you that you are on a secure site.”
This week’s deals all about 50 percent off
For those of you still hoping to shop the old-fashioned way, here are a few of the better deals in stores this week:
Dick’s Sporting Goods has a great sale this week, with many items for 50 percent off, including cold weather apparel and accessories for the family, select drivers and golf bags, the ESPN Action Sports Games and a 54-inch Goaliath Glass System basketball hoop.
Toys R Us has many items up to 50 percent off, including the Star Wars Millennium Falcon.
The toy store also is giving away a free remote control Corvette, valued at $44.99, with the purchase of any Barbie doll or playset costing $100 or more.
JCPenney has many gifts for the home for up to 50 percent off, and a host of gift ideas for less than $30 — those include team gifts, such as hoodies, blankets and slippers supporting Ohio State, the Steelers, etc.
Kmart is having good one-day specials. Today’s is half off Trim a Home Holiday decor. Monday’s is half off Trim a Home light sets.
Kohl’s is having a two-day sale today and Monday, with 50 percent off women’s sweaters, turtlenecks and outerwear. Men’s shirts, sweaters and outerwear are up to 50 percent off.
Walgreens has LED lights, from 25 count to 300 count of varying sizes, for $9.99 and you can buy one and get one free.
And, veering just a bit from the half-off concept, Best Buy is continuing the big TV sales of late with savings of hundreds of dollars off many LED HDTVs.
For example, a 46-inch Samsung LED HDTV is marked down $770 to $1,929.99.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Savings, Sunday columns, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Tweet10 financial holiday pitfalls to avoid
This little Saturday, Nov. 28, between Black Friday and Cyber Monday seems like a good time to pause and make sure we are spending our holiday dollars wisely.
Along those lines, MSN Money has put together a good list of 10 holiday money mistakes.
Their reasons include overgiving, not budgeting for extras, not keeping receipts and being blinded by bargains.
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TweetFree pumpkin pie at Bob Evans
According to the kind and savvy folks at the It’s Hip 2 Save blog, Bob Evans is one of many restaurants serving up deals this holiday weekend.
At Bob Evans, customers can get a free slice of pumpkin pie, no purchase necessary, today through Sunday, Nov. 27-29. Just print out the coupon from the site.
Other restaurants with deals and freebies on the It’s Hip 2 Save list are P.F. Chang’s, Denny’s, Caribou Coffee and Baja Fresh.
See the site for more info on those deals.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant deals, Savings, Thanksgiving and Christmas
TweetShoppers seeking bargains on Black Friday
The time has come, the deals are out there — all that is left is the hunt.
According to Reuters and reported by CNBC, up to 134 million U.S. consumers will be out shopping this weekend, starting with today’s Black Friday sales.
In the Dayton area, there are big sales at most stores.
Chief among them is Walmart, Best Buy, Sears, Meijer, JCPenney, Toys R Us, Target, Stein Mart, Old Navy and more.
Some early morning shoppers today weren’t impressed by the deals offered.
“There don’t seem to be as good of bargains this year,” said Dayton resident Sandra Mants, who was shopping at the Centerville Target.
Mants was with her two daughters, Mary Haller of Xenia and Lora Blaylock of Evansville, Ind.
“There also are very limited quantities this year,” Haller said.
Janet Hicks, who was shopping at the Sugarcreek Twp. Walmart echoed that sentiment.
“There was stuff gone before we got to it,” the Dayton resident said.
“And we were here when they announced the sale,” added her husband, Ronald Hicks.
But the Hickses, who had already been in line inside the store for nearly an hour, said they were happy with the deal they got on their microwave.
Others thought there were good deals available, especially if you were shopping for kids.
“If you have little ones, the deals are better, but that’s how it always is,” said Connie Shomper, who was shopping with her mother at the Sugarcreek Kohl’s store. “There are a lot of toys on sale.”
Shomper, who was standing in line carrying multiple pillows that cost $3.99 each, said she thought the prices were about the same as last year.
Laura and Mike Roberts, who also were shopping at the Sugarcreek Walmart, got a 42-inch TV and Desk Jet printer.
“We came for the toys,” said Laura Roberts, whose cart just contained the electronics. “But they looked different in the book. We got a good deal (on the TV).”
If you are still in the hunt and want to view the ads for various stores, visit www.Black-Friday.net (click on the store from the list at right) or BFads.com (that site’s store list is on the left.) For Stein Mart, click on this store name.
Here are some other deals, updated by the More With Less Today site earlier this week.
For more about Black Friday shopping in the area, general tips to success and more sites to view sale prices, see my Black Friday guide from Sunday.
And, for fun, check out Mr. Free Stuff’s guide to the top 10 Black Friday freebies.
Enjoy, remember to tell us what you are seeing out there, and happy shopping!
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TweetBlack Friday shopping starts out with a little bump
The official start of the holiday shopping season began pretty smooth with only one minor glitch. Photos of Black Friday shoppers.
As early as midnight thousands of people were lined up at area stores like Best Buy, Target and Toys “R” Us hoping to take advantage of the good deals. We talked to shoppers willing to brave the cold.
Shoppers lined up inside of the Dayton Mall expecting to start their shopping at the Old Navy store at 3 a.m. However, around 2:45 a.m. approximately 100 waiting shoppers were told the store would not open until 5 a.m.
Old Navy representatives were not available to comment.
A mall security official told those waiting the store would open at 4 a.m., but at 4:20 a.m. the line — which grew to over 200 people — still had not moved.
— Ken-Yon Hardy, Staff Writer
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TweetKnow rights, terms before hitting stores Friday
Happy Thanksgiving!
To help make you even more thankful for any purchases you may make on Black Friday, Nov. 27, Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray recommends consumers shop wisely, especially after a year of many consumer complaints.
“For some Ohioans, shopping the day after Thanksgiving is as much of a tradition as turkey and mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, we also know that it is also a holiday when aggressive retailers ramp up their marketing ploys,” Cordray said.
“It is absolutely imperative that shoppers look to protect themselves from deals that are too good to be true.”
Cordray’s office reports that, since January, it has received 27,297 consumer complaints, which already surpasses the totals filed in 2008 (25,247) and 2007 (24,585).
To combat that, the office suggested knowing certain shopping terms and your rights as a consumer before heading out to the stores Friday.
Here are some of the terms to know:
Doorbusters: The majority of stores are putting their best deals out early Friday, under the heading of “doorbusters.”
Cordray’s office said these doorbusters are are only for a designated time and a designated number of consumers. Many who wait in line for that specific deal can go home empty-handed and disappointed.
Gift Cards vs. Prepaid Debit Cards: The most significant difference between the two (besides the stores they apply to) is that gift cards cannot carry fees or expiration dates, but debit cards almost always do have fees and expiration dates.
Layaway: Some retailers allow you to pay in increments until you’ve paid the price in full. These plans can be risky — if you don’t keep up with the payments you may risk losing the money.
Here are some rights to remember:
Limitations must be part of the advertisement: All exclusions and limitations to an offer must be listed in the ad or the coupon. It is illegal to advertise a sale without listing specific limitations.
Rain checks: If an advertisement doesn’t mention limited quantities, consumers have a right to buy the advertised good for the sale price even if the store has run out. See if it is advertised (especially on Black Friday) that rain checks will not be honored.
Rain checks must be honored within 60 days of issuance.
If the retailer cannot fulfill the rain check within this time period, consumers have the choice to either purchase a similar or comparable in-stock item or consent to a specific time extension.
Ask for a rain check to reserve the sale price for when the item is restocked.
Cancellation/return policies: Businesses are required to make cancellation policies available to consumers and clearly post return policies. Before making a purchase, consumers need to read the cancellation policies for that store or product.
Gift cards: Under Ohio law, most gift cards cannot expire or be assessed fees within two years of the issue date. Also, if a gift card has no expiration date, it is valid until redeemed or replaced.
Credit card vs. debit card: Consumers who pay with credit cards have added protection if something goes wrong. The law allows consumers to dispute unauthorized credit card charges and other billing errors within 60 days after the first bill containing the error was mailed.
Consumers should carefully review their statements for errors. Debit cards may not offer that same protection.
If you feel that your rights have been violated this shopping season, file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office through www.SpeakOutOhio.gov or by calling (800) 282-0515.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Scams to watch out for, Thanksgiving and Christmas
TweetHours stores will open on Friday
This was at the end of a recent post but, just in case you missed it, here is a slightly expanded list of when area stores will be opening on Black Friday.
Most have their best deals between opening at 1 p.m.
Happy holidays and happy shopping!
Best Buy: 5 a.m.
Big Lots: 6 a.m.
Burlington Coat Factory: 5 a.m.
Christmas Tree Shops: 6 a.m.
Cincinnati Premium Outlets: Midnight
Dayton Mall: 7 a.m.
Dick’s Sporting Goods: 5 a.m.
Elder-Beerman: 4 a.m.
Elder-Beerman Furniture: 7 a.m.
Fashion Bug: 7 a.m.
Game Crazy: 5 a.m.
GameStop: 6 a.m.
HHgregg: 4 a.m.
Home Depot: 6 a.m.
JCPenney: 4 a.m.
Kmart: 6 a.m.
Kohl’s: 4 a.m.
Lowe’s: 6 a.m.
Macy’s: 5 a.m.
Mall at Fairfield Commons: 7 a.m.
Meijer’s doorbusters start at 5 a.m.
Menard’s: 6 a.m.
Michaels: 6 a.m.
Morris Home Furnishings: 9 a.m.
Office Depot: 6 a.m.
Office Max: 7 a.m.
Old Navy: 3 a.m.
Prime Outlets in Jeffersonville: Midnight
Radio Shack: 5:30 a.m.
Sam’s Club: 5 a.m.
Sears: 4 a.m.
Staples: 6 a.m.
Target: 5 a.m.
Toys R Us: Midnight
Value City furniture:
Walmart: Will be open overnight, but Black Friday deals start at 5 a.m.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Consumer interest, Thanksgiving and Christmas
TweetStores working up an appetite with pre-Thanksgiving sales today
With a couple of them calling the sales “after-Thanksgiving prices before Thanksgiving,” area stores are offering some big discounts today, Nov. 25.
Among them:
JCPenney has marked down clothes, gifts, toys, jewelry and holiday items from 40 percent to 60 percent off — and more.
Many items, such as sweaters, suit separates and men’s outerwear, are 50 percent off plus 10 percent off.
And women’s coats are 60 percent off, plus 10 percent. That’s the best price on coats I’ve seen from a major department store.
Kohl’s also has 40 percent to 60 percent off many items, including kitchen electronics, clothes, luggage and calendars.
Kohl’s also is offering its $10 in Kohl’s Cash for every $50 spent. That offer is good through Sunday.
The store also has an extra 15 percent off for senior citizens today only.
Elder-Beerman’s sale prices are more in the 30 percent to 50 percent range, and applies to clothes, china, appliances, kitchen knives and even a cordless sweeper.
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TweetKroger discounting gift cards at stores
Starting Friday, Nov. 27, area Kroger stores will offer a deal on select gift cards purchased from the “Gift Card Mall” within their stores.
If customers purchase $100 worth of participating gift cards, they will receive $10 off their purchase when they use their Kroger Plus Card at checkout.
The retailers whose gift cards are part of this deal include Applebee’s, Bass Pro Shops, Bath & Body Works, Best Buy, iTunes, Pottery Barn, Sears and Spa Finder.
Customers can mix and match gift cards in various denominations to reach the required $100.
The promotion runs until Dec. 13.
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Tweet2nd Street Market sets Stock-Up Wednesday
The National City 2nd Street Market, 600 E. Second St. in Dayton is usually not open on Wednesdays, but they are opening this Wednesday, Nov. 25, for your holiday shopping pleasure.
The Miami Valley producers are holding Stock-Up Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be homemade breads, fresh turkey, ham, pies, flowers and more available.
Then, on Friday, the market will have its Holiday Shopping Kickoff, with live music and drawings every hour for a chance to win door prizes.
Also, starting Friday and lasting through Dec. 23, if you bring nonperishable food items to the market it will be put toward the market’s goal of collecting 1,000 meals for Miami Valley families in need.
Collection bins are located by the market’s entrances. All food will be donated to the Foodbank.
For more information on the market, visit www.metroparks.org/holidays or call (937) 228-2088.
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TweetGrocery guru talks turkey prices
Are you still in the market for a turkey for Thanksgiving? If so, Andrea Deckard of Mommy Snacks has you covered.
The local grocery shopping ad/coupon expert has compiled a list of the deals offered in stores this week on the coveted holiday bird.
There some stores noted that are more south of Dayton, but the site also lists current turkey prices for Aldi, Kroger, Meijer and Cub Foods.
The sales are worth a gander.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Andrea's best deals, Thanksgiving and Christmas
TweetLargest crib recall announced
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Monday, Nov. 23, the voluntary recall of more than 2.1 million Stork Craft drop-side cribs, including about 147,000 Stork Craft drop-side cribs with the Fisher-Price logo.
The cribs have been blamed for four deaths and 20 injuries.
The recall involves more than 2 million cribs in the U.S. and Canada. It is reportedly the biggest crib recall in U.S. history.
Following the recall, the head of the CPSC conceded today that the agency “hasn’t been acting as quickly as it should” on crib safety problems.
The CPSC urges parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the recalled cribs, wait for the free repair kit, and do not attempt to fix the cribs without the kit.
Visit the CPSC site for more details about the recall.
For more information from Stork Craft, call (877) 274-0277 or visit www.storkcraft.com.
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TweetMall answers Black Friday with Greene Saturday
The Greene shopping center in Beavercreek is taking a new approach to the whole Black Friday idea with a program called “Greene Saturday.”
How Greene Saturday will work is anyone who shops at The Greene this Saturday, Nov. 28, and has a minimum of $50 in receipts can visit the new Reward Center that same day to receive about 10 percent of their total receipt in free gift cards to The Greene.
The Reward Center will be at 102 Plum St., across from J. Jill.
According to a representative at The Greene:
“The rewards come in brackets, so if you purchase $50 to $100, you get a $10 gift card. If you spend between $101 and $200, you get a $20 gift card. The maximum reward will be a $125 gift card for at least $1,000 spent at The Greene. Receipts must be dated for Nov. 28 and be from The Greene.”
Also on Saturday, The Greene will have free carriage rides, free Santa photos, free valet parking, live reindeer, live music, no activation fees, and other festivities.
For more information, visit the The Greene site.
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TweetGems have tickets for $5, beer for $1; Hara has discounts on craft show admission
In honor of Thanksgiving and to thank the community for its support, Hara Arena and the Dayton Gems hockey team are offering deals on events this week.
First off, fans who bring in a canned good, other nonperishible food item or toiletry to Dayton Gems games on Wednesday and Friday, Nov. 25 and 27, can get tickets for $5 and enjoy free parking.
Tickets are usually $10 to $14 for adults and $5 to $7 for kids 12 and younger.
Also, it is $1 beer night on Wednesday, when the Gems play Bloomington at 7 p.m. Beer is usually $4 at the games.
On Friday, the Gems face Flint at 7:30 p.m.
The Gems, who play at Hara Arena, support The Foodbank, St. Vincent de Paul, and St. Paul Methodist food pantries.
For more information about the Dayton Gems, call Jill Sanders at (937) 275-7777 or visit the Gems’ site.
Also, the annual National Holiday Gift Show will be at Hara Arena from Friday through Sunday. If guests bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Toys For Tots program, they can receive a $1 off admission. (Regular admission is $5.)
You can also get $1 off by printing a coupon at the Hara site.
The National Holiday Gift Show reportedly is one of Ohio’s largest indoor handmade crafts shows, with more than 370 booths selling arts, crafts, collectibles, toys, holiday and home decor, floral wreaths, arrangements and more.
Show hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults and is free for children 12 and younger.
Parking is free for this event as well.
Hara Arena is at 1001 Shiloh Springs Road, Dayton. For more information, visit the site or call (937) 278-4776.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Local consumer events, Savings, Thanksgiving and Christmas
TweetSave $1,000 on a TV Friday at Best Buy
If you are wondering what Best Buy will have on sale this Black Friday, you are in luck. The electronics superstore recently released its ad so you can plan ahead as needed.
Some of the best deals are the Doorbusters, which the store reportedly will pass out tickets for up to two hours before opening at 5 a.m.
Those Doorbusters include a 46-inch Samsung LED HDTV (1.2-inch ultraslim) for $1,599.99, which is regularly $2,599.99, for a savings of $1,000.
There are plenty of deals besides the Doorbusters, though. There are other big TVs on sale — including a 50-inch Samsung Plasma HDTV for $897.99 — an Xbox 360 plus six games for $299.99 and 20 percent to 50 percent off all advertised appliances.
Check out the ad for complete details.
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TweetWhere to get GPS deals on Black Friday
Are you looking for a GPS for yourself or someone else this holiday season? If so, you might be able to score one for a great price this Black Friday, Nov. 27.
Consumer Reports put together a good list of where to get a variety of GPS deals.
The site noted that availability and pricing may change, so it’s a good idea to confirm all the details with the individual retailers. (This is always a good practice.)
Consumer Reports also noted some advice about buying a GPS, and has a good amount of information even for those who aren’t subscribers.
For the full comparison chart, however, they do want you to subscribe.
CR also had a look at another hot item for the holidays — big TVs.
If you are in the market for one, check out the consumer site’s free comparative buying guide.
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TweetThis week’s grocery deals include stuffing, veggies and more for holiday
Mommy Snacks blogger Andrea Deckard noted today that there are just four and a half weeks left until Christmas.
“I’m sure you are getting busy with checking your list and trying to save,” Deckard said. “This week’s grocery picks will at least help you save in your grocery budget. It’s great to save the money and use it on what you want!”
Here are Deckard’s best ad/coupon deals for this festive week, Nov. 22-28, including many items that might make the final touches on the Thanksgiving meal cheaper.
Click on the store name for an expanded list from that store.
Great Huggies Diaper/Wipes Extra Care Bucks. Check out the details on the ECB this week.
$1 Money-Maker after ECB on Complete Multipurpose Solution
$12.99 Photo Books B1G1 FREE; just $6.50 each
$1 Money-Maker on Theraflu. Check out the details on the Register Rewards Deal.
$1.99 after RR Schick Razors
$.90 Vanity Fair Paper Plates
FREE Pillsbury Grands Biscuits with printable coupon
$.50 Birds Eye Vegetables
$.69 Daisy Sour Cream
$.98 Blueberries or Raspberries, with printable coupon
$2 Pepperidge Farm Stuffing
$1.50 Pillsbury Cookies
$.20 Del Monte Vegetables, with printable coupons
$.79 Ritz Crackers
FREE Rayovac Batteries — you may want to get additional coupons and stock up
$1 Green Giant Steamers, with printable coupon
$.92 Kikkoman Soy Sauce
$.72 NYC Liquid Lip Shine (think stocking stuffer!)
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TweetHere’s the Deal: Guide to Black Friday 2009
This Black Friday, which will be this Friday, Nov. 27, might be one for the record books. It not only is taking place near the end of a long year of price cuts, but it also is the unofficial kickoff to an already highly competitive holiday shopping season.
With all the price wars, extreme discounts and blockbuster sales we have seen in the last two months, it will be interesting to see just how low the stores go to get our business.
Top 10 tips to Black Friday success
Since Black Friday is a day unlike any other in our shopping year, here are some tips to help you get the most out of your efforts:
Plan ahead. Check out Web sites (listed below) that offer leaked information about the upcoming sales. It already has been reported on these sites that Walmart is supposed to have a 50-inch TV for $598, and a Vivitar digital camera for $59.99 at Kohl’s. Also, some stores and malls already have released their Black Friday circulars and they are included there as well.
Check the ads. Although many of these sites and news agencies have gone to great lengths to get the scoop on these deals, you won’t know for sure about some of them until you see the store’s ads. On Thanksgiving, the Dayton Daily News will publish its biggest newspaper of the year, which contains an enormous volume of ads. There will be more ads in the paper Friday, as well.
Know what you are looking for. Between the sites and the ads, get a good idea of what you want and go after it. This is not a good day to meander if there is a specific deal you want.
Compare prices. Either using the ads or online with sites such as PriceGrabber.com, find out how good a deal you are getting.
Bring the ads with you. If you are shopping at a store that offers lowest price guarantees (like Walmart and Lowe’s), show them the ad and take advantage of the store’s offer.
Have a game plan. Map out the stores you want to hit and when depending on sales you don’t want to miss and when the discounts are being offered. Also, either pack a meal or figure out where you may want to eat. Wear comfortable shoes and don’t carry a heavy purse (or any purse, if you can help it.)
Shop early. Most stores offer their best discounts between 5 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Black Friday. Target is one of the few that is offering the same level of discounts all day.
Shop online. You can avoid the crowds and get most of the same deals by staying home and shop at the stores online. Many offer their Black Friday discounts starting after midnight. Check the specific store online for complete details.
Shop with your receipt. If you want to make sure you get an item at the Black Friday sales price, buy it early in the week and come back on Black Friday for a price adjustment. Most stores will refund you the difference within a certain time frame. Check with your chosen store before you do this, however, to verify the specific rules of that store.
Keep your identity safe. It might be chaotic out there, so take only what credit cards or checks you need. Clean out your wallet and don’t carry anything with your Social Security on it.
Web sites “leak” Black Friday ads
Retailers historically have kept their plans for Black Friday sales under wraps until Thanksgiving.
But, with this worldwide web of information at everyone’s fingertips, it is much easier to find out information about everything — including embargoed advertisements.
Now, some of that information (like much on the Internet) is speculatory, but there is plenty of legitimate information as well.
Here are some of the better Web sites devoted to Black Friday. They all have multiple listings, but I have noted some of the reported deals you can find on those sites.
www.GottaDeal.com: Was quoted by CNN when the site noted Target would have $3 toasters and coffeemakers, deep deals on high-definition televisions, and discounts of 50 percent on clothes and toys.
www.BlackFriday.info: Notes 14-foot trampoline with safety enclosure for $170 (usually $298) at Walmart will be on sale.
www.iBlackFriday.com: Lists Dynex 7-inch digital photo frame at Best Buy for $29.99 (regularly $89.99) on Friday.
www.Black-Friday.net: Has Macy’s ad offering all Holiday Lane and Martha Stewart Collection ornaments and decor for 50 percent off that day.
BFads.net: Notes deal at GameStop offering three free games in bundles with sale of Xbox 360 Elite and PS3 120GB holiday bundles on Black Friday. Those systems are each $299.99.
Deals this week
As noted earlier in this article, this season has been an excellent one for getting great deals and should continue to be before and after Black Friday.
This week, in fact, there are several discounts of note:
Best Buy has multiple DVDs on sale, including a great deal on many TV shows on DVD for $12.99 (regularly $34.99 to $39.99). In its four-day sale, Best Buy also has Garmin GPS systems marked down by $70 to $230.
Toys R Us has all Nintendo DS and PSP games on sale for buy one, get one half off. Stein Mart has up to 60 percent off through Wednesday.
Kohl’s is having some “Sunday-only” specials today, offering up to 50 percent and 60 percent off clothes and home items.
JCPenney has a “final days” sale today and Monday, with clothes for up 55 percent off and coats up to 60 percent off.
Sears has 50 percent off Disney clothes and toys.
Target has 50 percent off select games and toys, including a guitar that is regularly $149 marked down to $74.99.
Walgreens has Christmas lights, wrapping paper and cards for buy one, get one free this week.
Big Lots has 20-inch wreaths and poinsettias for $4.
Michaels has Christmas trees on sale for up to 50 percent off.
Kroger Marketplace has 50 percent off its mix and match dinnerware.
And starting Tuesday and lasting through Saturday, Macy’s is marking down items storewide 25 percent to 50 percent, with an extra 15 percent off with a “Wow!” pass that can be found either in this newspaper or online.
Magical Night of Giving reminder
The Magical Night of Giving will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today, Nov. 22, at The Mall at Fairfield Commons.
The event includes exclusive savings throughout the mall, family-oriented activities, holiday entertainment, and prize giveaways. The mall will be closed to other shoppers during that time.
Tickets cost $5, and will be available at the door.
Black Friday hours
Here is when stores will be open Friday
Best Buy: 5 a.m.
Big Lots: 6 a.m.
Christmas Tree Shops: 6 a.m.
Cincinnati Premium Outlets: Midnight
Dayton Mall: 7 a.m.
Dick’s Sporting Goods: 5 a.m.
Elder-Beerman: 4 a.m.
Elder-Beerman Furniture: 7 a.m.
Fashion Bug: 7 a.m.
GameStop: 6 a.m.
HHgregg: 4 a.m.
Home Depot: 6 a.m.
JCPenney: 4 a.m.
Kmart: 6 a.m.
Kohl’s: 4 a.m.
Lowe’s: 6 a.m.
Macy’s: 5 a.m.
Mall at Fairfield Commons: 7 a.m.
Menard’s: 6 a.m.
Michaels: 6 a.m.
Office Depot: 6 a.m.
Office Max: 7 a.m.
Old Navy: 3 a.m.
Prime Outlets in Jeffersonville: Midnight
Radio Shack: 5:30 a.m.
Sam’s Club: 5 a.m.
Sears: 4 a.m.
Staples: 6 a.m.
Target: 5 a.m.
Toys R Us: Midnight
Walmart: Will be open overnight, but Black Friday deals start at 5 a.m.
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TweetHuge sale today at JCPenney
In a sale that started Friday but has its best deals today, Nov. 21, JCPenney has marked down much of its inventory 50 percent to 60 percent off — and more.
JCPenney’s doorbuster deals take place from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, and include 70 percent off all gold jewelry, 60 percent off holiday trim and decor, 60 percent off guys’ hoodies, and 50 percent off dresses, women’s sleepwear, women’s robes, juniors’ sweaters and more.
Also, as is often the case with JCPenney, there are coupons for “instant money” that get you cash back — $10 for purchases of $50 or more, and $15 for purchases of $75 or more.
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TweetToys R Us in midst of “super sale”
According to the advertisements, Toys R Us has some of its “lowest prices ever!” for the sale taking place today, Nov. 20, and Saturday.
The biggest discounts — the “doorbusters” — start at 3 p.m. today and last through midnight, and are from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Many items are 50 percent off, including:
Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head (sale price $3.99)
Impecca 2GB MP3/Video Player (sale price $22.49)
Sakar 3-in-1 digital camera (sale price $9.99)
LeapFrog and Leapster games (sale price $12.49 each)
There also is a VTech Touch Tablet Advance (like an educational computer recommended for ages 8-11), which is originally $99.99 marked down to $29.99.
Other sales throughout the store are between 25 percent and 40 percent off as well.
It is definitely worth a look.
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TweetMeijer having “why wait” sale Saturday
With the theory that there is no reason to wait for Black Friday for big sales due to these discounts, Meijer is having a one-day, “why wait” sale Saturday, Nov. 21.
The deals are on food, clothes, electronics and more.
Among those deals are a Tom Tom ONE 130 GPS for $99.99 (regularly $129.99) and Vivitar digital cameras for $39.99 (regularly $49.99).
However, if you are in the market for electronics in general and don’t mind the crowds, I would suggest waiting a week. Electronics are one of the main focuses of this year’s Black Friday sales.
In fact, note the many electronics featured in U.S. News & World Report’s Ultimate Insider Black Friday Guide posted this week.
Saturday’s Meijer sale could net you some great deals on food, clothes and dog toys (which are buy one, get one free).
Sears also suggests you not wait and have “Black Friday now!” and guarantees its best prices until Christmas.
Sears’ sale is from 7 a.m. to noon Saturday and has clothes and tools up to 60 percent off, and other discounts throughout the store.
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TweetBig 2-day sales kick off today at Kohl’s, E-B
Today, Nov. 20, and Saturday, “It’s all on sale” at Kohl’s.
As the store notes, “absolutely, positively everything door-to-door, wall-to-wall, every aisle, every rack” is on sale during these two days.
Most prices appear to hover around the 55 percent to 60 percent off mark, and in their clearance racks the savings reach 80 percent.
There also are power hours for this Kohl’s sale, from 3 p.m. to midnight today and 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Less creatively, but equally effectively, Elder-Beerman is having its own two-day sale today and Saturday.
E-B’s savings are 20 percent to 60 percent many items storewide.
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TweetMorris offering free computer or TV with purchase
I love the creative ads the most.
Morris Home Furnishings started a sale today, Nov. 19, that will last through Wednesday. It is offering a free Netbook, 19-inch LCD HDTV or portable digital TV with purchases of $1,999, $1,299 or $699, respectively.
The store also has other discounts, as well as no interest for 12 months with no deposit for qualified buyers.
If you are in the market for some furniture or a new mattress, this could be a good deal.
There are Morris locations at 2121 Harshman Road in Dayton and at 5695 Wilmington Pike in Centerville.
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TweetBlack Friday reportedly best day to buy a car
According to the Web site TrueCar.com and reported by CNN Money, Black Friday is the best day to buy a car.
CNN noted that analysts looked at day-by-day car pricing for the last several years and that the data revealed that discounts on Black Friday are, on average, the biggest of the year.
Supposedly, the average new car discount on Nov. 27 is projected to be 7.5 percent. On a typical day throughout the year, car shoppers usually pay about 4.7 percent less than sticker price.
Truecar.com also noted that certain models could get better discounts.
“For instance, consumers should be able to pay about 28 percent off sticker price for a 2009 Suzuki SX4 compact car, 26 percent off for a 2009 Nissan Titan or Ford F-150 pickup, or 20 percent off a 2009 Hyundai Sonata sedan.”
Edmonds.com, a well-known resource for car buyers, doesn’t necessarily single out Black Friday, but has a list of times during the year that are best to buy a new car that don’t rule it out.
Edmonds lists both holidays and at the end of the month as good times to buy, and Black Friday certainly fits that bill.
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TweetSports-themed Crocs for $9
As noted by the Deal Seeking Mom on Wednesday, Crocs is having an awesome sale on sports-themed beach and cayman-style shoes this week.
The Crocs, which are usually $29.99 for kids and $34.99 for adults, are $9.99 this week.
Also, customers can get an additional 10 percent off plus free shipping with the code “secondchance” making each pair only $9, including shipping.
The only problem is the supply is running out. Check out the site to see if your team and size is still available.
There are other sales on the site as well.
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Tweet2007-08 Jeep Wranglers recalled
Consumer Reports noted today, Nov. 19, that Chrysler is recalling more than 161,000 Jeep Wranglers equipped with automatic transmissions manufactured between June 2006 and July 2007.
The reason for the recall is that these vehicles were not equipped with a transmission fluid temperature warning system, and a fire could result if the fluid boils over and comes in contact with the engine or exhaust component.
For more information, owners can call Chrysler at (800) 835-1403.
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TweetPoll: 66% of Black Friday shoppers buying for selves
The Consumer Reports Holiday Shopping Poll was released this morning, Nov. 19, and it revealed a few notable nuggets about what most folks might be shopping for on Black Friday and how many of us (mostly wives) started shopping weeks ago.
Here are some of the highlights regarding Black Friday:
— Adults are as likely to shop in stores on Black Friday as they are the weekend after; 28 percent plan to shop Black Friday, 29 percent on the Saturday or Sunday.
— Of the half of Americans who plan on shopping in stores or online over the Black Friday weekend, 66 percent say they’ll be shopping for themselves.
— 71 percent are looking for clothing and 70 percent want electronics, with video games and accessories (46 percent) being the most popular electronic items.
— More than half of shoppers (56 percent) are planning to purchase toys and a little less than half (48 percent) are planning to purchase gift cards.
— The items shoppers most want to buy for themselves are food or wine, electronics and clothing.
Here are some other notes on holiday shopping in general this year:
— Over the past four holiday seasons, about three-quarters of married women reported they do at least 75 percent of their household’s gift shopping, with about 4 in 10 married women doing all of it.
— As of Nov. 8, it was noted that 36 percent of consumers have started their holiday gift shopping.
— Very few (3 percent) have finished their gift shopping.
— Almost two-thirds (64 percent) had not started shopping.
What about you? And will you be shopping for yourself next week?
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TweetMidnight Madness Pajama Party set for Black Friday
Our closest area outlet malls appear to have agreed on a theme: Midnight Madness.
And the Prime Outlets mall in Jeffersonville has gone that theme one better.
Starting at midnight Nov. 27, the mall will have sales on top of its usual 65 percent off retail prices from midnight to 8 a.m. during its Midnight Madness Pajama Party.
Customers are encouraged to shop in their PJs throughout the event, and the first 500 shoppers to visit Guest Services wearing pajamas will receive a free goodie bag filled with coupons and great giveaways, including Jockey pajamas (while supplies last).
The mall is at 8000 Factory Shops Blvd. in Jeffersonville, which is east of Dayton on U.S. 35. For directions, visit the site.
Our other nearby outlet mall, Cincinnati Premium Outlets in Monroe, also will have a Midnight Madness sale on Black Friday, with most stores opening at midnight, and some opening at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
The Monroe mall reports there will be discounts on top of the already 25 percent to 65 percent off savings.
It is also recommended that shoppers sign up for the VIP Shopper Club online. It is free and it gains customers access to exclusive online coupons, a voucher for a free coupon book, insider news, shopping tips, etc.
The Cincinnati Premium Outlets mall is about halfway between Dayton and Cincinnati down Interstate 75, at 400 Premium Outlets Drive.
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TweetWalmart to focus on electronics for Black Friday
According to CNNMoney, the world’s largest retailer will focus its savings on electronics for this year’s mega shopping day that is Black Friday.
A copy of Walmart’s Black Friday ad circular, was obtained by CNN.
Since there have been many “rumored” ads released in these weeks leading up to the big shopping day, CNN talked to a Walmart rep about the validity of the ad.
While not confirming all the deal, the rep did sign off on some. They will be available between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. Nov. 27. (The store will be open all day Thanksgiving, but the deals won’t start until 5 a.m.)
That deals that have been confirmed are “a Sanyo 50-inch plasma 720p HDTV for $598, a Magnavox Blu-ray player for $78, a Tom Tom GPS for $59, select children’s clothing for as low as $3, a $7 reversible fleece jacket for kids and adults, and the Barbie Power Wheels Ride-On, a toy Jeep, for $88.”
Also, the store will reportedly have an eMachine laptop with a 15.6-inch LCD display, 2GB memory and 160GB hard drive for $198 and an Xbox 360 console with three games for $199.
And there are supposed to be $4 home appliances (competing with Target’s that will reportedly be $3), $2 DVDs and select toys for $5 and $9.
It was noted that Walmart will also match the price of any local competitor’s printed ad for an identical product.
It isn’t surprising that Walmart’s ad might have been leaked early since the retailer has been holding numerous Black Friday-like sales in the last couple months.
And, supposedly, this weekend the retailer said it is cutting prices up to 40 percent to 50 percent on other gadgets and toys.
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TweetBookstores battle it out for big savings
It is a good season to be a consumer, due to the rampant price wars dancing before our eyes.
The battling retailers brought to my attention today are Borders and Barnes & Noble. These venerable book sellers, not as known for their discounts, have cut the price of many of their best-selling hardback books from 30 percent to 40 percent.
Of course, their price war does not exist in a vacuum. It follows a similar “literary” battle by Walmart and Amazon, which started last month.
So, to see which of these stores are offering the best prices on hardcover books this season (since hardcover books make better gifts and are the most pricey), let’s take a look at this week’s top five hardcover fiction and nonfiction books on the New York Times’ best-seller list and compare the prices per store:
Hardcover fiction
FORD COUNTY, by John Grisham (list price, $24):
Barnes & Noble, $14.40; Borders, $14.40; Walmart, $11.98; Amazon, $11.99
THE LOST SYMBOL, by Dan Brown (list price, $29.95):
B&N, $17.97; Borders, $17.97; Walmart, $13; Amazon, $13
KINDRED IN DEATH, by J. D. Robb (list price, $26.95):
B&N, $16.17; Borders, $18.86; Walmart, $13.48; Amazon, $13.49
THE GATHERING STORM, by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (list price, $29.99):
B&N, $17.99; Borders, $17.99; Walmart, $12.50; Amazon, $12.50
THE LACUNA, by Barbara Kingsolver (list price, $26.99):
B&N, $16.19; Borders, $16.19; Walmart, $13.48; Amazon, $13.49
Hardcover nonfiction
HAVE A LITTLE FAITH, by Mitch Albom (list price, $23.99): B&N, $14.39; Borders, $14.39; Walmart, $10; Amazon, $10 SUPERFREAKONOMICS, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (list price, $29.99): B&N, $17.99; Borders, $20.99; Walmart, $13; Amazon, $13 WHAT THE DOG SAW, by Malcolm Gladwell (list price, $27.99): B&N, $16.79; Borders, $19.59; Walmart, $12; Amazon, $12 ARGUING WITH IDIOTS, written and edited by Glenn Beck, Kevin Balfe and others (list price, $29.99): B&N, $17.99; Borders, $20.99; Walmart, $13; Amazon, $13 THE BOOK OF BASKETBALL, by Bill Simmons (list price, $30): B&N, $17.55; Borders, $21; Walmart, $13.50; Amazon, $13.50 So, the overall cheapest is Walmart, beating Amazon by a few pennies. The most expensive of this group is Borders. Where Barnes & Noble made up ground over Borders was in the nonfiction group; it kept discounts steady at the 40 percent off of the fiction books, while Borders went to 30 percent off for most of its nonfiction hardbacks. Books & Co., which has its own best-seller list that a representative said follows pretty close to the New York Times’, also notes its hardback best-sellers are all 40 percent off, putting it in line with the prices of Barnes & Noble.
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Savings, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Both Kohl’s and Elder-Beerman are having huge two-day sales that start today, Nov. 17. Both offer 50 percent off — Kohl’s notes there are dozens of 50 percent off specials, and E-B advertises there are 50 percent off thousands of items throughout the store. Some of the items Kohl’s has for half off include all sweaters and fleece tops, cold-weather gear, boots, select kids’ clothes and blankets, candles and more. At E-B, men’s and women’s outerwear, and select sweaters, dress shirts, kids’ playwear, handbags and wallets, and casual dinnerware are in the 50 percent off club. Pillows and mattress pads are buy one get one free. There also are coupons to print on the store’s Web site. Also at E-B, seniors age 50 or older get an extra 20 percent off most items when using their E-B card. The Macy’s sale is a of the one-day variety and doesn’t start until Wednesday. Although if you want to preview the items, you can do that today. Calling it its “biggest one-day sale of the year,” and seeming to live up to that billing, Macy’s has women’s sweaters, blouses and tops for up to 60 percent off, 50 percent off select coats and boots, 40 percent to 65 percent off kids’ clothes, and 50 percent to 75 percent off select dress shirts, ties and pants for men. Macy’s also has a $10 off any purchase of $25 or more coupon in today’s Dayton Daily News insert that can be used today or Wednesday until 1 p.m.
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Savings
Barbie’s Bistro, a Kettering restaurant at 1122 E. Dorothy Lane, has a special offer for readers of this blog. If you print out this blog post and bring it in to the restaurant through Dec. 15, it will get you $10 off two dinner entrees. See the site for a list of dinner options. For more information on this deal or the restaurant, call (937) 262-7300 or visit the restaurant’s site.
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Restaurant deals, Savings
As noted on the More With Less Today money-saving blog this morning, Nov. 16, Amazon is offering a Shop Early and Save toy event through Thursday. During this event, shoppers will get free shipping and 10 percent off the total purchase when you buy $50 or more from a participating toy seller at Amazon.com. If you are able, planning ahead this season will help you at more than just Amazon. With all the information about Black Friday sales and other deals coming out daily, getting a comprehensive list together early of what you want to buy will help you best navigate the many discounts. Also today at Amazon are various deals on clothes, video games, music and more, as spotlighted in The Consumerist’s daily deals roundup.
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Thanksgiving and Christmas
Thanksgiving is next week already and the turkey sales are here. Andrea Deckard of Mommy Snacks noted today, Nov. 16, that Meijer and Kroger are offering discounts on turkeys if you purchase a minimum in other grocery purchases. Just click on the store name for those discounts. Deckard added: “While I don’t normally highlight GFS Marketplace, you can get a turkey there for just 39 cents a pound with a $15 minimum purchase.” Here are Deckard’s best ad/coupon deals for the week of Nov. 15-21. For a list of more from each store, click on the store name. Get 4 jars of Skippy and 2 jars of Ragu for just $4 after Extra Care Bucks. Check out the details. FREE Sense & Spray Kits after ECB $2 Thermacare Wraps after ECB Get FREE Body Wash and Deodorant after Register Rewards. Click here for details. FREE Aussie Hair Care after RR $.50 Welch’s Sparkling Grape Juice $1.49 Ore Ida Steam ‘n Mash Potatoes, with printable coupon $.33 Campbell’s Cream Soups $.82 Nestle Toll House Morsels FREE Dole Fruit, with printable coupon FREE McCormick Grinders $.99 Nabisco Crackers $.39 Betty Crocker Potatoes, with printable coupons $.46 Heinz Gravy $.59 Baby Wipes $.38 Bird’s Eye Vegetables $1.20 Keebler Pie Shell $.50 Duncan Hines Brownie Mix
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Andrea's best deals, Savings, Thanksgiving and Christmas
According to CNBC, Thanksgiving will be cheaper this year for many folks due to the prices of the traditional fixins being less than in previous years. But if you want to see how inexpensive you can make it, the Go Frugal blog by Free Shipping has a great list of tips for a cheap and easy Thanksgiving dinner. One of Go Frugal’s suggestions is to not worry about decorations. But, if you still want to decorate but just not spend much, the Living a Better Life blog has some suggestions about ways to decorate for less. As far as turkey prices at area stores, Meijer has taken aim at Walmart. Whereas Walmart says you can feed a family of eight for less than $20 (with a meal that includes a 12-pound turkey), Meijer’s ad says you can feed 10 for less than $20 (with an 18-pound turkey). These prices are good through Saturday, Nov. 21.
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Thanksgiving and Christmas
How this day got this distinction is still a mystery, but the fact that today, Nov. 15, is known as America Recycles Day is enough reason for FreeShipping.org to put together a nice summary on recycling do’s and don’ts. And, just to flesh out the theme, here also are the National Recycling Coalition’s top 10 reasons for recycling. Note that No. 1 is that it is good for our economy. Also, Waste Management has some interesting info about recycling as well on its Think Green site.
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Consumer interest
For those of you shopping in preparation for your Thanksgiving holiday or those who want to get a little jump on decorating for Christmas, there are some great deals at area stores this week in kitchenware, decorations and on artificial Christmas trees. Kitchenware If you want to update your dinnerware or flatware before you host holiday guests, this is the time. JCPenney is offering 60 percent off select flatware and dinnerware, and has a 42-piece flatware set for $29.99 (marked down from $79.99) and a 16-piece hand-painted dinnerware set for $39.99 (regularly $99.99). At Target, there is a 12-piece, gold-rimmed, holiday tableware set for $10, and a T-fal aluminum roaster that holds a 20- to 25-pound turkey for $24.99. Target also had a 3-in-1, multi-use, 30-quart turkey fryer for $49. Target had the best deal on a hot kitchen item this year — the triple buffet warming tray. The original price on the party piece is $59.99, and it is just $27 at Target. The same item is $29.99 at JCPenney and $39.99 at Kohl’s. Some of the better deals at Kohl’s are on the store’s entire stock of holiday dinnerware, which is 40 percent to 50 percent off. Also at Kohl’s, all Food Network dinnerware accessories are 30 percent off and all kitchen electronics are 10 percent to 50 percent off. Of note as well is that today, Nov. 15, is the last day of the current sale for Kohl’s card-holders to get extra discounts and for everyone to get $10 Kohl’s Cash for every $50 spent. Kohl’s and Meijer also have Keurig single-cup brewing systems on sale for as low as $129.99. Meijer also has a deal right now that gets you a $10 store gift card when you buy any coffeemaker that costs $99.99 or more. Also at Meijer, shoppers can get a 72-piece dinnerware set, with service for 12, for $59.99. Sears has all Cuisinart kitchen appliances and Kenmore cookware on sale this week, with savings of $5 to $40 on each item. Kmart has 50 percent off Essential Home 20-piece banded dinnerware, marking it down to $19.99, and a 10-piece turkey roaster set for a crazy-low $4.99 after rebate. The roaster set is originally $24.99. And, speaking of crazy-low prices, Walmart shoppers can get a four-pack set of embossed stoneware, with dinner plates, salad plates, bowls or mugs for $5. And, at Christmas Tree Shops, there are many festive holiday sets to choose from, including a set of three holiday bowls is $3.99. Also, the store’s Pfaltzgraff dinnerware is 60 percent off. Artificial trees One of best aspects of getting an artificial Christmas tree is that it can be a huge savings in the long-term, because you don’t have to worry about buying a tree for years to come. But, with some stores’ prices this year on artificial trees, you can save money this year as well. Rite Aid has 4-foot to 6-foot prelit trees from $19.99 to $39.99, and Christmas Tree Shops has 6-foot prelit trees for $39.99. Walmart has a 7-foot prelit tree for $88 and Michaels has a 7-foot prelit tree for $129.99, which is $100 off its original price. But Kmart bests that with its prelit 7-footer for $99.99. Also Kmart is having one-day specials on various holiday items. Today at Kmart, there is 50 percent off “Trim A Home” items, which includes a 6-foot prelit tree for $49.99. On Thursday, Kmart has all prelit trees for 50 percent off. You also can get trees that are prelit with LED lights, making them more energy-efficient. The LED trees will be a little more expensive at the outset but, due to the lights lasting 10 times as long as the traditional, the trees will save you money in the long run. Shoppers can get a 6-foot LED prelit tree at Walmart for $98, which is better than the deal at Sears. Sears has its 6-foot LED trees for $159.99. Decorations The crafty shops are on top of holiday decorating deals this year, with Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts offering 50 percent off all Holiday Inspirations decor, and Hancock Fabrics and Michaels marking down Christmas accents 40 percent. Also at Michaels, clear glass ornaments, holiday ribbon and wreaths are 50 percent off.
At Christmas Tree Shops, there are beaded wreaths for $1.99 to $4.99 and decorative wooden wall sleighs for $2.99. Rite Aid also had some surprisingly good decorating deals this week, with 50 percent off tabletop and wall decor, and the same discount on lighted holiday houses. The drugstore also has 50 percent off holiday food and tableware gift sets. Kmart is in the 50 percent spirit as well, thusly marking down its harvest kitchen tabletop items and decorative baskets this week. Kmart also has 25 percent off much of its Martha Stewart collection of holiday wreaths, ornaments and miscellaneous decor. At Walmart, glitter ornaments are $1 each.
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Savings, Sunday columns, Thanksgiving and Christmas
If you don’t mind a little drive south down I-75, the folks at Bass Pro Shops in is having Santa’s Wonderland and offering many free Christmas events for kids planned from this weekend through Dec. 24. From noon to 5 p.m. today and Sunday, Nov. 14-15, is the first of six weekends of free crafts for kids. This weekend, kids can make a free Chrismoose Ornament. In a few weeks, kids will be making reindeer hats, and the crafts will conclude with cookie decorating. Also, at any time during the holiday season, children can get a free photo with Santa and take part in free games and activities. The store is in northern Cincinnati, at 300 Cincinnati Mills Drive.
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Free stuff, Thanksgiving and Christmas
The illustrious Deal Seeking Mom had a couple of great printable coupons on her site today, Nov. 13, that bear repeating. First off, Smokey Bones has a coupon for $10 off a $20 purchase, good through Nov. 23. Click here for that coupon. The local Smokey Bones is at 6744 Miller Lane in Dayton. Secondly is a coupon for $15 off a $30 purchase (or $30 off a $75 purchase) at Express stores. Visit the DSM site to get that one. The Express coupon truly is express, however, and expires Monday, Nov. 16. And, if you are a huge fan of Express, you can get another coupon for 15 percent off if you sign up for e-mail from the store online. There are Express stores at the Dayton Mall and the Mall at Fairfield Commons.
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Savings
I have heard many friends mention that the Wii Fit system is on their holiday wish lists, and I had heard from others that owned the video game that it did provide a good workout. However, a new study begs to differ. It suggests that the game might not be what you need if actual fitness is your goal. A study by The American Council on Exercise, conducted in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin La Crosse Exercise and Health Program, found that Wii Fit produced “underwhelming results.” Researchers tested the most aerobically challenging activities and found that in all cases, performing an actual exercise activity rather than Wii Fit’s virtual approximation resulted in “significantly higher” caloric expenditure. And, as noted by The Consumerist, the Wii Fit’s most effective weight-loss tool may be its fattening and thinning of your Mii avatar depending on your body mass index. So, maybe the game isn’t the best use of your funds in this tighter holiday season. And at least sit-ups and running around the block are still free.
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Consumer interest, Savings, Thanksgiving and Christmas
It is two weeks until the huge bargain shopping day that is Black Friday, but many folks just don’t want to wait that long. Many retailers have been having big pre-Black Friday sales, and many Web sites have been alerting consumers to the deals that are expected on the big day, Nov. 27. One of the better sites that is continually updating its list of Black Friday and pre-Black Friday ads is Black-Friday.net. Among the deals that are slated for this weekend are: Toys R Us is having a 2-day Mega Sale today and Saturday. Kohl’s also is having its Mega Sale through Saturday. Staples has a Holiday Savings kickoff through Saturday. JCPenney is having night and day doorbusters today and Saturday. HHgregg has coupons for its Pre-Thanksgiving Doorbuster sale today and Saturday. Also, Best Buy is having a huge online-only sale, and the online price buster NewEgg is having its Early Black Friday Deals sale this weekend as well. Walmart has been having big sales all month, and some offer an interesting way to get around discounting an item that has a set price from the manufacturer. For example, as noted earlier this week, this Saturday shoppers can get a $100 gift card when they buy a Blackberry. That offer is good throughout the week. As they did with the hardcover book discounts, however, Amazon has since matched that deal. Kmart has been having a “better than Black Friday” sale, but I think that title is a bit overstated. For example, in this sale, Kmart has coats for 40 percent off, but JCPenney has been having coats for 50 percent to 60 percent off this month. Kmart also has a Countdown to Christmas, with different deals each day. Today’s Kmart deal is a 21-picture collage frame for $14.99. It is regularly $29.99 to $34.99. Consumer Reports also put together a good resource of Black Friday information about stores and sites Thursday. I will continue to update this blog with these deals as we lead up to and on Black Friday, and will have a comprehensive list of the hours for these stores on that day next week.
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Savings, Thanksgiving and Christmas
If you are planning on sending holiday cards and presents overseas, today, Nov. 13, is the parcel post deadline to guarantee delivery by Christmas. If you miss today’s deadline, though, fear not. There are other ways of getting your goods there on time. The U.S. Postal Service put together helpful charts to show options whether you are sending to the military or to anyone overseas. FedEx has its own chart as well. The UPS representative said the service doesn’t have any hard deadlines related to overseas holiday shipping, but that it can’t deliver packages to “soldiers deployed in an active theater of war,” such as Iraq or Afghanistan. Visit the UPS site for specifics about delivery times and fees to other overseas sites. The U.S. Postal Service also noted that all mail addressed to military post offices overseas is subject to certain conditions or restrictions regarding content, preparation and handling.
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Thanksgiving and Christmas
Karen Baird, a Miamisburg deal-spotter, noted the following deals that are good through Saturday, Nov. 14. Another notable aspect of her summary is how she does it, and how it can be applied to other products in the future. Baird said Lysol toilet bowl cleaner is at Kroger for 80 cents each. “Lysol household cleaners are 33 percent off at Kroger this week (with the Kroger Plus card),” she said. “This includes the toilet bowl cleaner.” She noted if you go online to www.lysol.com or www.homesolutionsnews.us/offers.shtml you can print 50 cent off coupons (there’s a print limit of two on each site). “Since Kroger doubles coupons, you can get two toilet bowl cleaners for $1.60 (regularly $4.80 for 2) or 80 cents each!” She also noted that tissue paper and cough drops were available at big discounts right now at Walgreens, but these deals require coupons from last Sunday’s newspaper. “With the coupon, you can get up to three packets of 20-sheet Hallmark tissue paper for 39 cents each (regularly 99 cents each). That’s $1.17 for three instead of $2.97 for three.” Also for those who cut out or saved the coupons from the paper, Halls cough drops (20- and 30-count bags) are on sale for 99 cents a bag, and “with the $1 for two coupon from Sunday’s paper, you can get two bags of cough drops for 98 cents.” So check the paper this Sunday, and save those coupons. And, just as a heads up, according to the marketing department, this Sunday there will be $268 in coupons available in the Dayton Daily News.
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Deals Team reports, Savings
Starting today, buying Graeter’s gift cards can get you nearly that much back in deals and discounts. At all Dayton- and Columbus-area Graeter’s ice cream shops, customers who buy at least $30 in gift cards will get an additional $5 certificate to give as a gift or use the next time they come in, and they will receive a coupon book with savings of more than $20. The coupons are for restaurants such as Donatos, Skyline and, of course, Graeter’s. Also, for larger gift card amounts that could be used for corporate gifts or organizations, customers can get 15 percent off of $10 cards or 10 percent off of $5 cards when purchasing a minimum of $250 in gift cards. These deals are good through the end of the year.
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Restaurant deals, Savings
Candles are good to have year-round, but they also add a great festive look during the holidays. So the sale going on right now at Yankee Candle is doubly sweet, offering two free large candles with the purchase of two large candles. The large candles are 22 ounces and cost $24.99 originally, so it can be as savings of nearly $50 when you buy two. The deal is good online and at independent Yankee Candle stores when you bring in this printable coupon.
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Free stuff, Savings
There was an interesting article on CNET on Wednesday, Nov. 11, that said more than half of people surveyed are expected to use social networking to help them figure out what to buy this holiday season. The survey said “53 percent of consumers plan to use social media to research gift ideas, 52 percent intend to check the wish lists of relatives and friends on social networks, and 60 percent plan to hunt for discounts and sales using social networks.” The survey also found that most also will use their mobile phones this season for more than talking and texting. I have wondered in the last few years if social networks will do away with the need for Christmas cards, but I hadn’t thought of posting or sharing wish lists on the sites. It makes sense, though, since many of us communicate this way already. And I could see trying to find out what a niece or nephew wants on Facebook. What about you? Will your holidays be different this year due to technology?
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Consumer interest, Talking point, Thanksgiving and Christmas
To thank our military servicemen and women, past and present, The Laundry House in Kettering and Fresh Express Coin Laundry in Lebanon are offering them free washing and drying — even free soap — today, Nov. 11. Proof of military service is required to participate in this event. The Laundry House is at 2286 S. Smithville Road in Kettering, across from Cadillac Jack’s. Hours are from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. today. Call (937) 254-0804 for more information. Fresh Express Coin Laundry is at 550 W. Main St. in Lebanon just a few doors down from Sweeney Chrysler Jeep Dodge. Hours today are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call (513) 228-2300 for more information.
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Free stuff, Holiday deals
Starting Saturday, Nov. 14, Walmart will give you a $100 gift card when you buy a Blackberry at one of its stores. As CNBC notes, it is the next price-slashing deal at the mega retailer. The offer starts at 8 a.m. Saturday and lasts for one week. The offer also will be good at Walmart online. BlackBerry models in the offer include the AT&T Curve 8310, Sprint Curve 8330 (Red & Titanium colors), T-Mobile 8520 (Black, White, and Frost) and Verizon Storm. In other Walmart holiday news, the stores have made the decision to be open 24 hours on Thanksgiving to prepare for Black Friday shoppers. The Black Friday deals take effect at 5 a.m. Nov. 28.
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In addition to the free food veterans and military service men and women can get all day long at area restaurants, many stores are having great sales for all of us in honor of Veterans Day today, Nov. 11. Here are some of the better sales: Macy’s is offering up to 50 percent off online and in its stores today. Online today as well, you can save an extra 25 percent on clearance and get deals on shipping. One site, Fat Wallet, also notes ways you can get 90 percent off select items at Macy’s. Speaking of online deals, NewEgg has some highly delicious deals today, including Guitar Hero Aerosmith bundles for PS3 and Xbox 360 for $39.99 (regularly $69.99). Both have free shipping. Eddie Bauer is having a Veterans Day sale, offering up to 60 percent off today. Prices start at $9.99. And online at Best Buy, customers can get $20 back when they spend at least $100 and pay with PayPal. At Old Navy, whose name seems to beg for some type of Veterans Day sale, outerwear for the entire family is up to 50 percent off through Thursday. Elder-Beerman is in the midst of its Columbia Week as well as having its Veterans Day sale. For Columbia Week, on top of the 30 percent discount on Columbia outerwear for the family, customers can get a $10 off coupon for every $50 they spend. For Veterans Day, E-B also has up to 50 percent off other items storewide and more coupons you can print out to use in the store. Sears is having some today-only sales, with coats for everybody for 60 percent off and a Toshiba 40-inch class 1080p LCD HDTV marked down $200, from $799.99 to $599.99. Sears has more items on sale through Friday.
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Holiday deals, Savings
Like last year’s holiday season, it is still somewhat of a gamble to buy gift cards this season just in case some businesses go belly up. Add to that the fact that many of them have fees, expiration dates and other drawbacks. But if you do plan to buy them, there are many places to get vastly discounted gift cards online. Here are some of the options: DFWBid is an auction site for gift cards, and offers the opportunity to bid on gift cards and get them at extremely reduced prices. Restaurant.com has somewhat of a limited selection, but offers the chance to get $25 or $10 gift cards to local restaurants for $10 or $4, respectively — and sometimes less. Plastic Jungle allows you to buy, sell or trade gift cards, promising a savings of up to 40 percent. Plastic Jungle was among four online gift card exchange options DealNews detailed in a post earlier this year. Check that site for the roundup. And Gift Card Granny is a comparison shopping site for discounted gift cards. As noted by the folks at Coupon Sherpa, at Gift Card Granny you can save more than 50 percent off the cards’ value.
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Looking for a place to duck into between stores to get a drink and a snack this holiday shopping season? TGIFriday’s has a deal for you. Starting today, Nov. 10, and going through Dec. 23, Wallet Pop notes that the restaurant is offering eight of its appetizers for half price after 4 p.m. each day, if you sit in the bar area. The appetizers covered in this deal are sesame jack chicken strips, Tuscan spinach dip (served with chips), fried mozzarella, pot stickers, crispy green bean fries, loaded potato skins, Friday’s tostada nachos and buffalo wings. The restaurant also has a loyalty card program called Give Me More Stripes, that offers perks that include coupons for free food.
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Restaurant deals, Savings, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Today, Nov. 10, Attorney General Richard Cordray warned Ohioans of a telephone scam in which callers pose as representatives from the attorney general’s office and demand personal information. Cordray cautioned residents that these calls are unauthorized and no personal information should be shared at any point. Some reported calls have been automated, while others were live. In both scenarios, recipients were told to provide their Social Security numbers. Cordray offered the following guidelines to help Ohioans avoid falling victim to this type of scam: — Don’t give out personal information to an unexpected caller. The attorney general’s office will never call to ask you for your Social Security number. If a call seems suspicious, it probably is. — When in doubt, ask for the name of the organization and research it on your own. Call back to a listed number. — If you think you’ve given out your Social Security number in a scam, place an alert on your credit reports and monitor your credit reports for unauthorized activity. — If you feel that you have fallen victim to a scam, file a complaint at www.SpeakOutOhio.gov.
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Scams to watch out for
In one of the scarier recall notices of late, on Monday, Nov. 9, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled about one million Maclaren Strollers due to the severe laceration hazard they present. The CPSC’s recall noted that: The stroller’s hinge mechanism poses a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is unfolding/opening the stroller. Reportedly, the firm has received 15 reports of children placing their finger in the stroller’s hinge mechanism, resulting in 12 reports of fingertip amputations in the U.S. These strollers were sold at Babies R Us, Target and other mass merchandise retailers nationwide from 1999 through November 2009 for between $100 and $360. Affected models include the Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller. The recall is for single and double strollers. Consumers should immediately stop using these recalled strollers and contact Maclaren USA at (877) 688-2326 or www.maclaren.us/recall to receive a free repair kit. In other child safety news, Consumer Reports put together a list Friday of the five most hazardous products for babies and toddlers. Strollers aren’t even on the list.
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Recalls
Kohl’s is in the midst of a buy one, get one free sale, and, since the movie “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” is coming out Nov. 20, has thrown in items that inspire the look of “Twilight” characters, for the younger shoppers among us. Here are some of the “Twilight” items on sale: Sonoma V-neck T-shirts are $5.40 (regularly $18), SO Fleece Hoodies are $30 and are now buy one get one free, Chaps straight-leg jeans were $29.75 (regularly $59.50), Hang Ten Ruffled Voile Tops for $14 (regularly $28) Chaps gray checkered silk/wool coats ($225) and Croft & Barrow Fitted End-on-End Dress Shirts ($50) are buy one get one free. Also on the “Twilight” theme, the site Coupon Snapshot has coupon codes and other deals related to “Twilight” merchandise.
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Savings
Andrea Deckard of Mommy Snacks found many ad/coupon deals this week that could help make some of your holiday baking extremely cheap. “Now is the time to stock your pantry for holiday baking,” Deckard said. “You can get inexpensive cookie dough, cookie mixes and frosting for $1 or less!” Here are those deals and many others at area stores this week, Nov. 8-14: $.99 Rimmel Mascara. Check out the details on the Extra Care Bucks. FREE EARinse Spray after ECB FREE Nova Max Blood Glucose Monitor after ECB Get 2 Almay Eye Products for $5. Check out the details on the Register Rewards Deal. $5 Money-Maker on Contour Glucose Meter after RR $.25 Jell-O Gelatin $.75 Warm Delights, with printable coupon $.50 Betty Crocker Cookie Mix $.25 Betty Crocker Frosting FREE Dole Fruit with printable coupon $1 Nestle Cookie Dough $.49 Trident Layers Gum $.99 Mr. Potato Head Spud Buds, with printable coupons $1 Dannon Yogurt $1.50 Herbal Essences Shampoo FREE Betty Crocker Potatoes, with printable coupons $.08 Campbell’s Cream Soups $.67 Pillsbury Sweet Rolls
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Andrea's best deals, Savings, Thanksgiving and Christmas
I mentioned in earlier posts in the past week about the Veterans Day specials being offered by Bar Louie, Applebees and Golden Corral, but Restaurant News and a recent e-mail also brought to light some other great restaurant deals of note. Here is a comprehensive roundup of the deals being offered to our servicemen and women this Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11: Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar is inviting veterans and active-duty members of the military in on Wednesday for a free entree among six menu favorites. At Outback Steakhouse restaurants across the country, veterans on Wednesday will receive a free Bloomin’ Onion appetizer and a beverage of choice, either a nonalcoholic drink or one draft Anheuser-Busch beer. Krispy Kreme is giving veterans and active-duty military a free doughnut of their choice on Wednesday at any U.S. location. Uno Chicago Grill is offering veterans a free entree or a pizza with the purchase of another entree or pizza Wednesday at any of its 200 locations. Showing up in uniform, or guests who show a photo of themselves in uniform, will be enough to receive the offer. Golden Corral is hosting its ninth annual Military Appreciation Day on Nov. 16, to avoid conflict with others Veterans Day events. The event will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. Anyone who has served in the U.S. military, National Guard or Reserves is invited for a free buffet dinner. Bar Louie at The Greene in Beavercreek will give all military veterans or currently employed military personnel a complimentary lunch or dinner. The requirements are some form of military ID or proof of serving. Also, starting Wednesday and going through Nov. 30, Bar Louie will collect items for troops currently serving overseas to put in care packages. As for locally owned restaurants, at Rue Dumaine, at 1061 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, the restaurant is offering 20 percent off to all veterans or active duty military members; all that is required is that you show appropriate I.D. And at Barbie’s Bistro, 1122 E. Dorothy Lane in Kettering, will have 50 percent off any dinner or lunch entree for diners with a military ID on Veterans Day. Also, as a big bonus, the restaurant will have half off appetizers and drink specials for everyone that day.
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Holiday deals, Restaurant deals, Savings
Like books and toys before them already this fall, DVDs are the latest battleground for retailers online. This price war is between the familiar players of Walmart, Amazon and Target, and is resulting in new DVDs to be sold for less than $10. CNBC detailed the course of events late last week, which had Walmart lowering the online prices of new DVDs (such as “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” and “Star Trek”) to $10, Amazon responding by reducing some of its DVD prices to $9.99, and Walmart then lowering its DVDs again to $9.98. Reuters also threw in that Target is offering 10 pre-order DVDs at $10 and offering free delivery. So, to see where we are this morning, Nov. 9, I checked the price of three popular DVDs at these three mentioned stores. Here are the prices I found online for: “Up” due out Tuesday, Nov. 10: — $15.99, with $2.99 shipping at Target — $14.86 and free shipping at Walmart — $14.99 at Amazon with free shipping if you order $25 or more (standard shipping is $1.99). “Star Trek” due out Nov. 17: — $9.99 with free shipping at Target — $9.98 and free shipping at Walmart — $10 at Amazon with free shipping if you order $25 or more (standard shipping is $1.99).
“Julie and Julia” due out Dec. 8: — $9.99 with free shipping at Target — $9.98 and free shipping at Walmart — $10 at Amazon with free shipping if you order $25 or more (standard shipping is $1.99). So Walmart is leading the pack with these selections. Another option if you don’t mind reconditioned DVDs that are “like new,” is a site I came across a site that sells reconditioned DVDs from around $2.99 to $7.99, with free shipping. It is called www.dvdsanddeals.com, and it is for a little older DVDs. It does have movies as recent as “Gran Torino” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” both for $7.99.
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Savings, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Many stores are selling items for at least half off during sales this week. Many are things for the Christmas season, items you can buy as Christmas presents or some you may want to buy for yourself. Here are some of the big holiday discounters having these sales this week (not all last the week — see each note for sale times): Toys R Us has the biggest savings I have seen on board games for preschoolers. During its “biggest game sale of the season” this week, games like Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders and the Memory Game are just $1.99 after $2 rebate. For perspective, Walmart has those same games on sale for $5. Also on the toy front, Target has 50 percent off “the most wanted toys,” as noted in its toy catalog that came out this weekend. Those toys include a Puppy in my Pocket Puppyville Manor Play Set for $9.99 (regularly $19.99) and Hot Wheels Race Aces Speed Shift Raceway for $16.49 (regularly $32.99), among others. The Target toy catalog, if you have it lying around from the mail or the newspaper, also has an extensive coupon book in the middle. Those coupon books are good through Nov. 25. You also can get Target coupons online. Walmart also released its Christmas toy guide this week, with many top toys selling for $10. And, as noted by Reuters, Walmart has targeted TVs and turkeys in this week’s price cuts (that started Wednesday). Reuters said the latest cuts include a Sharp 1080p 42-inch high definition TV cut 35 percent to $498 from $768, and selling a Sony Blu-ray player for $148, down from its current price of roughly $197. And on Wednesday, Walmart will sell select turkeys for 40 cents per pound, meaning a 12 pound turkey could be purchased for $4.80. JCPenney has what it is calling its “biggest sale of them all” through today, Nov. 9, marking down clothes for guys — hoodies, flannels or jeans — 65 percent. The store also has 40 percent to 50 percent off women’s boots and 50 percent off misses coats. And, at JCPenney, don’t forget to print out your Instant Cash in coupons before you go. This week, Sears continues to push the Craftsman products, and has 50 percent to 70 percent off luggage this week. The store also has 50 to 60 percent off fleece for the family, and misses sweaters for $14.99. It might be best to hit Sears later in the week, when the store kicks off its Veterans Day sale and has savings of 60 percent off coats for the family and 60 percent off men’s apparel. That sale is Wednesday through Friday. Elder-Beerman has 50 percent off playwear by Carter’s and OshKosh B’Gosh this week. Michaels has a sale for four days only, marking down the Christmas village collection and bead jewelry collection 50 percent. Hancock Fabrics is having a Veterans Day sale through Wednesday, Nov. 11, offering 50 percent off its entire stock of notions, cotton, batting and decorator fabrics, as well as 50 percent off Christmas ribbon and 30 percent to 50 percent off fleece. And the site notes today that Christmas fabrics are 60 percent off at Hancock. Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts has a Veterans Day sale as well, with 50 percent off holiday gift wrap and Christmas decor, as well as 50 percent off select quilting and home decor fabrics. This sale is through Veterans Day. And Morris Home Furnishings has 50 percent off all furniture, leather and mattresses. Supposedly this is a Veterans Day sale that ends at 9 p.m. Wednesday, but Morris has been having this sale often this year.
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Savings, Thanksgiving and Christmas
The holidays will be here soon, and the thing that often gets overlooked by busy families is planning some fun, festive things to do. So, in that spirit and in keeping with the theme of this column, here are some of the free or inexpensive holiday events that will take place in the Dayton area in the next few weeks: Turkey (Basketball) Shoot: Teams of one adult and one child can shoot free throws and compete for a free turkey for Thanksgiving from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 14 at Medlar View Elementary School in Miamisburg. Preregistration is required, and it costs $2 per person to enter. For more information, call (937) 866-4532. Holiday Lighting Ceremony and Santa Arrival parade: This fourth annual free event at The Greene will start around 5:45 p.m. Nov. 20. The festivities will be music and dance from Rhythm in Shoes, Santa, a holiday parade, strolling carolers and the lighting of The Greene’s 50-foot tree in the Town Square. All activities are free except pictures with Santa and carriage rides. For more information, call (937) 490-4900. Christmas in Historic Springboro: This old-fashioned Christmas Festival will be Nov. 20-22 along Main Street. There will be a candlelight walk, caroling and tree lighting starting at 6 p.m. Nov. 20, a parade at noon Nov. 21, and entertainment and shopping throughout. For more information, visit www.springboroohio.org. The Magical Night of Giving: The Mall at Fairfield Commons is holding this holiday extravaganza from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 22. The event includes exclusive savings throughout the mall, family-oriented activities, holiday entertainment, and prize giveaways. Tickets cost $5, and only ticket-holders will be admitted to the mall during the event. Local nonprofit and charitable organizations can sell tickets to the general public in the weeks leading up to the occasion, and keep 100 percent of the proceeds. For more information on how to buy or sell tickets, call the mall management office at (937) 427-9031. Hometown Holiday Walk: There will be a free Hometown Holiday Walk from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 22 in historic downtown Centerville near Main and Franklin streets. The theme for this year’s event is “Home for the Holidays.” There also will be a tree-lighting at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at Benham’s Grove. For more information, call (937) 433-7151. The Dayton Holiday Festival: This downtown Dayton event will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, at Courthouse Square. It will include the Grande Illumination and Children’s Parade Spectacular in Lights. There will be live musical entertainment, carnival rides and games, holiday crafts, horse-drawn wagon rides and a gingerbread house display. Most activities will be free. For more information, call (937) 224-1518 or visit www.downtowndayton.org. Huber Heights tree-lighting and caroling: This free event will take place at 6 p.m. Nov. 30 at Huber Centre. Cookies with Santa: Will be held at the Huber Heights Athletic Foundation, 5367 Fishburg Road, from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 3. There will be arts and crafts, cookies, treats, games and prizes given to each child — all for free. For more information, call (937) 233-8618. Mayor’s Christmas tree: The traditional Christmas tree lighting event in Kettering will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, with the lighting at 6:30 p.m. at Lincoln Park Civic Commons. The free event will have live holiday music, carriage rides, hot chocolate, sweet treats from Krispy Kreme and Edible Arrangements. For more information, call (937) 296-2587 or visit www.ketteringoh.org. Holidays at Polen Farm: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 at Polen Farm, 5099 Bigger Road, Kettering. The weekend event will include a Tike’s Shop, visits with Santa, a crafts show and free carriage rides. For more information, call (937) 296-2587 or visit www.ketteringoh.org.
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Free stuff, Savings, Sunday columns
ShopSmart; magazine had an interesting nugget this week about a study done by Nielsen that found that the folks clipping the most coupons are relatively affluent. Initially, I was surprised by those findings, and then thought it made sense if that was the household income of a family, especially if one parent stayed home. When I looked further into the results, I found the study also found that other serious coupon users include those from large households, those households with female heads age 54 and younger. So that made more sense. Other findings of the study noted that noncoupon users were low-income, one-member households, many headed by men. For more study findings, visit the ShopSmart; post or the Retail Customer Experience site.
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Consumer interest
If you plan to order any Christmas presents online this year, it is important to find out how early you need to place your order to get the presents here in time for the big day. And, it is a money-saver to get the order in early and not have to pay for express or overnight shipping. Toward this end, the Coupon Sherpa has put together a list of holiday shipping deadlines for more than 100 popular online merchants. They include Amazon, Old Navy, Crate & Barrel, Lands’ End, SnapFish and even FedEx. Some of the stores on the list have deadlines as early as the first week of December for standard shipping. The Sherpa added that it never hurts to confirm the shipping dates with the company when you place your order, as well. The site will update the list as the holiday season progresses.
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Savings, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Dayton-area Domino’s are now offering online ordering at all locations and, to celebrate, the company is offering an online special until the end of the year. The special is for a large pizza with any four toppings for only $7.99. The customer should enter the code “799” at checkout to get this deal. The site is at www.dominos.com. The locations offering the online special are: 1450 Kuntz Road, Dayton (937) 228-3030 531 Wilmington Ave., Dayton (937) 298-3030 5391 N. Dixie Drive, Dayton (937) 275-3030 6583 Brandt Pike, Dayton (937) 236-3030 1219 E. Central Ave., Miamisburg (937) 859-3030 1240 Spinning Road, Dayton (937) 253-3030 5995 Bigger Road, Kettering (937) 433-0968
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Restaurant deals, Savings
In honor of Veterans Day next week, Bar Louie is holding an event called Louie Wants You! The purpose of this event is to show support to those who have served and are currently serving in the military. On Wednesday, Nov. 11, the restaurant at The Greene in Beavercreek will give all military veterans or currently employed military personnel a complimentary lunch or dinner. The requirements are some form of military ID or proof of serving. This deal is for dine-in only, and is up to a $30 value. Also, starting Wednesday and going through Nov. 30, Bar Louie will collect items for troops currently serving overseas to put in care packages. These care packages will be distributed to local heroes and in conjunction with Operation Gratitude. Any guest who brings in a care package donation item will receive a complimentary appetizer with any entree purchase on their next visit. For more information about these events, call the restaurant at (937) 427-3900 or e-mail beavercreek@barlouieamerica.com.
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Holiday deals, Restaurant deals, Savings
Want to literally be your family’s breadwinner? Here is your chance. In honor of November being National Bread Month, Klosterman Baking Co., a family-owned bakery headquartered in Cincinnati, is launching its inaugural Family Secret Recipe Contest. Three winners will get free bread for a year. To compete, create an original recipe using any type of Klosterman’s bread and then submit it via Klosterman’s Facebook page. Ten finalists will be chosen from recipes in three categories: — Mom’s Legendary Stuffing — Hearty & Light Breakfast Delights — Sandwiches For All Seasons The company said finalists will be judged on flavor, appeal and creativity, and the top recipe in each category will be deemed the winner. The winners will get four loaves of Klosterman bread each month for a year. Also, these grand prize winners will be featured on Klosterman’s Web site, Facebook fan page and the company’s blog, A Slice of Life. The deadline to enter is Nov. 30. For more information, visit the Klosterman site.
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Contests
This Saturday, Nov. 7, you will get more for your money if you go to see the University of Dayton football team take on Butler University at Welcome Stadium. Not only will it be a stellar battle between two teams tied for first place (with Drake University, as well) in the Pioneer Football League, under beautiful skies (per the latest forecast), but the university is offering a way to buy one ticket and get one free. Tickets regularly cost $10 per adult, and $5 per child. To get the B1G1 ticket deal, just go to the UD Web site to print out the voucher (click on “Complete Version”), or pick one up at the Milano’s, Meijer or Buffalo Wild Wings near UD. Also on the voucher is a chance for fans to win an autographed UD football jersey or helmet. Five fans will be selected at halftime. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
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Savings
Much like the scrutiny General Mills was under from the Food & Drug Administration after claiming Cheerios “was proven to lower cholesterol” back in May, Kellogg Co. recently was under fire for similar health claims on its Rice Krispies and Cocoa Krispies boxes. Apparently last year, Kellogg said it started adding antioxidants to the cereals in response to parents who wanted more positive nutrition in their kids’ cereal. And, to reflect that change, the company started noting on its boxes that it “Now Helps Support Your Child’s Immunity.” According to USA Today on Monday, the city of San Francisco’s attorney, Dennis Herrara, sent a letter to Kellogg and the FDA asking Kellogg to prove its claim last week. “I am concerned the prominent use of the immunity claims to advertise a sugar-laden chocolate cereal like Cocoa Krispies may mislead and deceive parents of young children,” Herrera said. It was implied that, especially in this time of parental worry concerning children and H1N1, that those kinds of claims were irresponsible. Then, as The Associated Press reported Wednesday, Nov. 4, Kellogg decided to pull the immunity claims amid the public’s growing concern about swine flu. You may still see these boxes on the shelf, but not for long. Market Watch noted that Kellogg said the currently labeled boxes will remain on store shelves and that it will take a few months for the change to take effect.
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Consumer interest
As noted by the Springfield News-Sun on Wednesday, Nov. 4, O’Charley’s restaurants have started a Here’s To You Frequency Guest Card program that offers free appetizers and entrees with purchases. How it works is, customers who receive five stamps — one stamp for every entree purchased — earn a free entree. When customers earn three stamps, they get a free Southwestern Twisted Chips appetizer. The restaurant’s e-CLUB members will receive a virtual frequency card that can be printed from their e-mail, and it will have two prestamped entrees on it. The program also features a sweepstakes. One grand prize winner will receive $1,000 and five second-place winners will receive $100 each. If you come in and ask for a Here’s To You Frequency card, you can enter the sweepstakes that day. Or you can enter online. O’Charley’s also is running a special that will get you two entrees (from a choice of 10) for $14.99. The restaurant also announced recently that it is offering lunch combos that start at $5.99. Dayton-area O’Charley’s are at 2260 Miamisburg-Centerville Road and 7030 Miller Lane.
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Restaurant deals, Savings
Meijer announced today, Nov. 4, that it was slashing prices on more than 400 popular toys, and offering many toys for less than $5. The price reductions fall under the Price Drop category of Meijer’s new pricing program, which was announced last week. Toys appear to be the most overt battleground for companies trying to win your business for this year’s holiday season. And the result has been an early present for parents — lower toy prices overall. Already this fall, Toys R Us, Walmart and Target have made huge price cuts on toys and games. And now it is Meijer’s turn. The Toy Price Drop program, as the store is calling it, reportedly includes virtually all toy categories, with discounts of up to 30 percent off the store’s usual prices. Some of the toys noted among the discounted include: Hot Wheels Basic Cars for 88 cents Disney Cars character with eyes for $3.58 Littlest Pet Shop Teeniest Tiniest Take-along Pets for $5 Polly Pocket Fab Fit doll packs for $5 Bakugan Starter Pack for $9.88 Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe Action Figures for $10 As this year’s toy wars have emerged, I have been watching the sales at these stores. There is not one store that has shown itself to be the single best place to shop, but all have had fantastic deals at different times. The best ways to get the best deals is to know what you are shopping for and check these store ads. I also will continue to note the best deals here and in the Sunday Here’s the Deal columns.
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Consumer interest, Savings, Thanksgiving and Christmas
William Wood, a Wright State University Raj Soin College of Business faculty member and expert in financial services, said there are several things consumers can do to cope with the maze of credit card changes now under way. “Because of the recession and other economic factors, many of the large banks that issue these credit cards are increasing their fees, reducing balances and even canceling cards that reflect infrequent use,” said Wood, who directs the financial services program at the college. He outlined these steps consumers should follow to help control debt. Some of these steps may seem obvious, but all bear emphasizing. — Always pay your bill on time because late payments can bring penalties, which will cost you more money over time, and also hurt your credit score. — Try to pay off your credit card bill each month to avoid the accumulation of interest fees on the outstanding balance. — If you are trying to pay down a balance, pay the minimum on your lower interest cards and pay as much as you can afford on your higher interest rate cards. — Pay more attention to how your card works and the rules you need to follow to avoid excess fees. — If the interest rate seems high, contact your credit card company to seek a lower rate on your outstanding balance if your payment history is good and without late fees. “The credit card companies want to keep your business, so you shouldn’t be afraid to contact them and try to negotiate a lower interest rate,” Wood said. — Use all your credit cards occasionally for small purchases that can be paid off each month. “This keeps your card current and reduces the chances of a card being terminated over lack of use,” he said. When cards are canceled by the credit issuer, that lowers your credit score and increases the ratio of credit used to available credit, which also lowers your credit score. — Work to keep the balances for all of your cards no higher than 25 percent to 35 percent of the total available balance for all the cards. “This is really important because the ratio of your credit balance to available credit is a key factor in determining your credit score,” he said. — Be selective in terminating one of those cards with a zero balance because your ratio of credit balance to available credit will increase, which can hurt your credit score. “For example, if you terminate a card with a $10,000 limit when your totals for all your open credit card accounts are $5,000 owed and $40,000 available credit, you will be left with the $5,000 balance on $30,000 available credit, which increases your ratio of debt to available credit and thus adversely affects your credit score.” Wood, whose expertise includes personal financial planning, retirement planning and estate planning, has taught at Wright State since 1996. He directs an innovative practicum in financial planning that recently was honored with a business education award from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. For more information, call Wood at (937) 775-3175 or e-mail him at william.wood@wright.edu.
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Consumer interest
Roosters restaurants will honor our country’s service men and women on Veterans Day by giving all military personnel, active and inactive, a free $10 Cluckin’ Buck for use in the restaurant. Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11. All a veteran needs to do is drop by any one of Roosters three Dayton area locations — 3501 N. Main St. in Dayton, 103 N. Springboro Pike in Miamisburg and 257 W. Central Ave. in Springboro — and show his or her military ID to get the $10 Cluckin’ Buck. Cluckin’ Bucks are only good at Roosters and are the same as cash. “Everyone at Roosters is humbled by the sacrifices all the military personnel make for our freedoms that we all take for granted,” said Dan Ponton, Roosters president. “Veterans Day is their day; please remember to go out of your way to thank them.” For more information, call Ponton at (614) 774-9573 or e-mail him at danponton@roosterswings.com. Applebees and Golden Corral are among other restaurants and businesses offering Veterans Day deals. See the post from earlier this week for more information.
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Holiday deals, Savings
As I mentioned in Sunday’s Here’s the Deal column, Target is having a great sale on Wii games in which you can buy two and get a third for free. With the high price of Wii games, that can mean a savings of around $50. But that’s not the only way to save on Wii games at Target this week. As mentioned on the Deal Seeking Mom site Tuesday, Nov. 3, Target also is offering a number of games for $14.99 each. The Mom also has links to great coupons for Target, one of which offers $10 off when you buy two Wii games. Making it possible, as she puts it and if you play your deals right, to get 6 Wii games for $30. Now that is a deal. Check out the Deal Seeking Mom site for more details. Also on the Wii front, Best Buy also has some titles for sale, as does Amazon and, of course, eBay.
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Savings
Wallet Pop had a great “interview” with the Coupon Sherpa today, Nov. 3, asking the site’s expert advice on what to look for on Black Friday. For those who haven’t climbed this particular mountain, the Coupon Sherpa is a coupon and bargain site, and it includes a blogger who will answer your questions. In the interview, the Sherpa suggested shoppers check prices on comparison shopping Web sites (such as BizRate, Shopping.com or PriceGrabber.com) before they head out, since stores sometimes inflate a price right before they discount it for Black Friday. There also was mention of the fact that the Black Friday deals are starting earlier each year, and that, whenever you go holiday shopping, you should have a list to follow to help you not overspend — primarily on yourself. In addition to these Black Friday tips, Wallet Pop also has a list of eight general holiday shopping tips that are useful as well. And Wallet Pop had a list of predictions in September about what Black Friday sales would look like. As far as shopping at any time of year, the Coupon Sherpa also had a great list of its top 70 brands to follow on Twitter.
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Thanksgiving and Christmas
In honor of our veterans and to thank them for their service to our country, many area establishments are offering military discounts on and around Veterans Day. Here are some of the deals available: Applebees is giving away a free entree to veterans and active duty personnel on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Stein Mart, which is located in Town & Country Shopping Center on Stroop Road in Kettering, is offering 10 percent off the entire purchase for shoppers with a valid military ID during its Military Appreciation event, Nov. 10-11. Dollar General has a coupon for 10 percent off available to all the men and women who have served our country. The coupon can be picked up at Dollar General stores and the purchases can be made on Nov. 11. Both Lowe’s and The Home Depot have a 10 percent discount for veterans at all times, according to the stores in Sugarcreek Twp. and Beavercreek. You just need to show your military ID. Newport Aquarium near Cincinnati is honoring all the men and women who have served our country by offering free admission this weekend, Nov. 7-8. Just show your military ID at the ticket window. Additional family members can receive our everyday military discount of $3 off adult tickets and $2 off child tickets for up to four additional tickets per veteran. If you are a veteran who really wants to go to Costa Rica, Costa Rican Vacations said any man or woman that has served the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom in times of war and peace is eligible to receive a flat discount of 11 percent off their vacation to Costa Rica if booked before Veterans Day this year. A little more after the fact, Golden Corral is having its annual Military Appreciation Monday, which includes a free “thank you” dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 16. For more military and veterans’ discounts year-round, visit Military.com. The site lists more than 700 companies that want to thank veterans with discounts. Know of any more great Veterans Day deals? Help out our veterans by noting them here.
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Holiday deals, Savings
Andrea Deckard of Mommy Snacks notes that this week there are several buy one, get one free sales (B1G1) at area stores. “I love buy one, get one free sales,” she said. “Many of the local stores will allow you to use a coupon on the free item, too.” Deckard said using these coupons and sales provides a great opportunity to stockpile. “Be sure to use two coupons and save big!” Here are her best coupon/sale deals for the first week of November: 2 Pantene Stylers for just $3. Check out the details on the Extra Care Bucks. FREE Listerine after ECB FREE Gillette Disposable Razors after ECB Get 3 Bounce Dryer Bars for $5. Check out the details on the Register Rewards deal. FREE Campbell’s Tomato Soup $.65 Hefty One-Zip Bags $.49 Superpretzel, with printable coupon $.49 Farm Rich Mozzarella Sticks FREE Honey Bunches of Oats The Buy 10 get $5 Promotion is still going on! The prices on these promotions cannot be beat! Visit Mommy Snacks to see the full list. Other items on sale this week include: $1.25 Smithfield Bacon $.30 Del Monte Veggies FREE Kellogg’s Cereal, with printable coupons $1.49 Pampers Baby Wipes $1.38 Rice Krispies Treats $.89 Kellogg’s Cinnamon Bars, with printable coupons $.48 RoTel Tomatoes $.50 Vlasic Relish
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Andrea's best deals, Savings
As part of its 75th anniversary sale, Weber Jewelers has marked down everything in its showroom 40 percent to 75 percent. The Kettering jeweler, located at 3109 Far Hills Ave., noted these are the lowest prices ever offered by the store. For a sample of some of the items for sale, see the ad on the store’s Web site. The store also extended the hours for the sale, and is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The sale ends Saturday, Nov. 7.
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Savings
Consumer Reports has released its survey of electronics stores and, for the second year in a row, online retailers have come out on top. The survey, which is being featured in the December issue of the magazine that came out Monday, Nov. 2, was based on more than 35,000 purchases of electronics, including flat-screen TVs made between January 2008 and June 2009. Vanns.com, a newcomer to the ratings chart, was among Consumer Reports’ Recommended retailers along with Amazon.com, Newegg.com and Beachcamera.com, which all stood out for great prices and more. As for the more traditional shopping end, Costco edged out other walk-in warehouse stores like Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale, with better marks for price and product quality. For those of us without a Costco nearby, at least Sam’s is a good option. If price is not paramount, CR said independent stores, such as Apple, Ultimate Electronics, and Ritz Camera, all offer strong service and product quality. The survey listed Target and Walmart at the bottom of the list, based on product quality and customer service. Consumer Reports also rated 448 products in the December issue and offered these six ways to save money when shopping for electronics: Check for early sales and monitor prices. Traditionally, Black Friday offers the first blowout sales of the holiday season. This year, consumers should expect to see electronic retailers cutting prices a week or more before. Don’t rule out multitasking models. For the most part, products that multitask don’t perform their secondary tasks as well as the best stand-alone models. But Consumer Reports has found that some multitaskers are worth considering. Consider online retailers. Most people still buy their gear at walk-in stores, but as noted earlier in this post, the best online retailers outscored the best walk-in stores according the Consumer Reports. Beware of store policies with gotchas. Pay attention to return policies and exclusions on certain product returns such as laptops, which is the most common exclusion. Beware of restocking fees, though they are usually only applied if a box has been opened. Most retailers will not accept returns on any item if a rebate has already been filed with the manufacturer. Skip the extended warranty. Generally they are bad investments, most electronics will not need a repair and if there is a repair needed Consumer Reports survey data shows the average repair bill is comparable with the cost of the warranty. Consider haggling. With electronics sales down, retailers are willing to negotiate, yet fewer than one in five tried. Of those customers who asked for a better price, more than half were successful. Consumer Reports also notes what are expected to be the top electronics sellers this holiday season in an Oct. 30 blog post.
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Consumer interest, Holiday deals, Savings
Fairbank Farms in New York announced Monday, Nov. 2, it is voluntarily recalling more than half a million pounds of ground beef because it may be contaminated with potentially lethal bacteria, according to reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and CNN. The outbreak is linked to beef sent to eight states: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The meat was possibly linked to E.coli O157:H7. Fortunately, the recall likely does not affect beef sold in Ohio, but the company told CNN that some customers may have sent the affected beef to other states. The outbreak reportedly has sickened 28 people and caused at least one death in New York, Reuters reported Monday. Another death is under investigation in New Hampshire. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said all but three of the 28 cases listed were in the U.S. Northeast and 18 were in the New England states. The approximately 545,699 pounds of ground beef were produced between Sept. 14 and Sept. 16, and sold at Trader Joe’s and other regional outlets. The bacterium can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and kidney failure. The products affected are listed on the USDA Web site.
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Recalls
As part of its recently announced plan to implement weekly price cuts, Walmart has announced that it is cutting its toy prices again. As CNBC reported this morning, Nov. 2, Walmart stores are cutting prices on 100 toys by roughly 20 percent to 30 percent. These cuts are in addition to the discounts noted when the retailer announced it would sell 100 toys for $10 each for the holidays. The new prices will be available through Dec. 25 or while supplies last.
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Thanksgiving and Christmas
It is November, and the holiday deals have started to flow. One deal that starts Thursday, Nov. 5, and lasts through Nov. 15, is as festive as it is earth-friendly. The Home Depot is having a Christmas Light Trade-in, and is inviting customers to bring in their old incandescent Christmas light strings to any Home Depot store for recycling, and receive a $3 off coupon for the purchase of energy-efficient LED lights. There is a limit of five discounts per customer. Also, The Home Depot will be having a deal on the LED lights as well, selling the 50-light LED Dome set for $5.97 (which is down from $6.97). And if recycling, discounts and cash back alone don’t convince you, The Home Depot has compiled some the benefits of LED lights: — They use 80 percent less energy than traditional incandescent holiday lights — They are ENERGY STAR qualified — Can last up to 10 times longer than traditional incandescent lights — They are cool to the touch, reducing the risk of fire — They do not have moving parts, filaments or glass, so they are much more durable and shock-resistant than other lights — The amount of electricity consumed by just one 7-watt incandescent bulb could power 140 LEDs; enough to light two 24-foot strings. Also at Home Depot right now, you can trade in your power drill and get 15 percent off when you trade up to lithium-ion drill. See the site for more details. This drill offer is valid through Nov. 8.
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Savings, Thanksgiving and Christmas
The recession has brought back many shopping strategies that had been largely discarded in the more free-wheeling spending days of the 1990s. More people these days are utilizing vegetable gardens, streamlining their transportation needs, cooking at home instead of going out to eat, using coupons, separating wants from needs, and so on. Another somewhat old-fashioned way of shopping that is making a comeback of late is layaway, a service which allows customers to have a store put items aside and pay in monthly increments. The benefits of using layaway include securing an item or items, avoiding the interest charges that would come along with making the same purchase on a credit card, and keeping the gift well out of reach from its eventual recipient. Sears brought back its layaway program last Christmas season, bringing it in line with the program offered by its sister company, Kmart. The stores then started offering online layaway this fall. Features of the online programs include a layaway calculator, product availability information and reminder e-mails. Also in October, Toys R Us announced that it and Babies R Us were offering a “Big Gift” layaway for its big-ticket items, including bikes, ride-on vehicles, outdoor play equipment, TVs, doll houses, car seats and cribs. Other stores in the layaway game include Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Burlington Coat Factory. All of these stores require a certain percentage down, a service charge and a specific time frame for you to pay off your purchase. Some stores incur additional cancellation fees. There also are online layaway programs, including HSN.com (Home Shopping Network), elayaway.com, LayAwayTravel.com and lay-away.com. Of note as well, on the anti-trend end, is that Walmart used to have a comprehensive layaway program, but discontinued it in 2006. They do continue to offer it for jewelry. Christmas shopping season has arrived
Take a look at the advertisements in today’s Dayton Daily News and online. With themes like “Home for the Holidays,” “Tis the Season for Unbeatable Prices” and “Gift Sale,” it appears that retailers believe the holiday shopping season has begun. And, with some of the sizable sales the stores are offering, I am willing to go along with that idea. Here are some of the best deals this week. Toys, bikes, games For many families, children benefit from the bulk of holiday spending. I know my kids receive at least four times what my husband and I do. Fortunately for us shoppers, many stores are drastically cutting their toy and game prices to get our business this season. Walmart has its most popular toys for between $10 and $49 this week, including board games and bikes, and Target’s popular toys start at $8. Target also has a deal in which you buy two Wii games and get a third for free. That can be a $50 savings. Meijer has bikes for $49.99 to $89.99, and Webkinz for $9.99 for the next two weeks. Anytime you can get a Webkinz for less than $10, that is a good deal. Tuesday Morning, which has four local stores, has toy savings of up to 83 percent off. Those sales include kids’ play tents for as low as $19.99 (regularly $45 to $50) and a Kidcraft Train Table, which is originally $149.99, for $69.95. Toys R Us has its glossy “Biggest Big Book Ever” of toys available now, with up to $5,500 in savings. Of course, Toys R Us had a little more room for that amount of savings than some others, but it does have some particularly good deals this week. Throughout the book, there are multiple free toys with the purchase of related ones — like free Nerf ammo (up to a $5.99 value) with any Nerf blaster, and a free Fisher-Price shopping cart (worth $21.99) with the purchase of a Fisher-Price Grow-with-me kitchen for $74.99. Toys R Us also has a very cool deal in which you can get a free “exclusive Family Game Night trophy” (valued at $9.99, and looks like the guy on Monopoly cards) with the purchase of one of the many family board games being sold for $12.99. The finer print adds that the games also can yield a $3 mail-in rebate. It also has 25 percent off all Schwinn bikes, trailers and helmets. All stores should have the Wii video game system for the discounted $199.99, since that is the price set by Nintendo. Electronics Best Buy has an aptly named “Hot Deal of the Week,” selling its Panasonic 50-inch Plasma HDTV for $999.99, for a savings of $400. Sears has the same TV on sale — for $50 more. Office Depot is keying in on the Windows 7 launch, offering multiple deals concerning the new PC software and more than $1,400 savings throughout the store. Office Depot adds that “nobody beats our holiday prices,” promising to honor a price-match guarantee. Home fashions JCPenney has up to 50 percent off most things for the home, including sheets, comforters, rugs and cookware. It also exceeds that half-off discount with its Cooks 18-piece Hard Anodized Cookware Set, originally $499.99, for $199.99. Sears also has home fashions on sale for 30 percent to 50 percent off this week.
And Target has bath towels for $4.50, beating Walmart’s price of $5. Clothing Children’s jeans are $7 at Target and $9 to $13 at Walmart. Where Walmart makes up some ground in this bargain battle is that it also is charging that same $9 to $13 for adults’ jeans. Target jeans for adults are closer to $20. Target also has slippers for $6, boys’ track pants for $6, infant and toddlers’ fleece hoodies and pants for $6, and bras and women’s boxers for $7. Kmart has all of its outerwear for the family marked down 40 percent, and Sears has 50 percent off all men’s apparel and women’s “hottest styles.”
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