"Extreme Frugality"
I just found a compelling series about a family's struggle to live within their means after years of living beyond their means. In
Gourmet magazine, of all places. It's about the struggles of a family of six to live on just $550 month - that's all that's left after the mortgage and credit card payments are made. Read it
here.
More deals aimed at the unemployed (or those who could be)
GM and Ford are the latest companies offering to make payments for customer who lose jobs.
Domino's pizza freebie mistake
On most freebie sites this morning was an offer for a free medium pizza at Domino's - no strings attached - for customers who placed their order online and used code BAILOUT.
I thought about posting the offer (it was all over the Internet by mid-morning) but ultimately decided against it because I couldn't verify it was legitimate. There was no mention of it on the Dominos pizza web site.
Well, it turns out the offer was all a big mistake.
I love freebies and other fun offers. But lately I'm finding a number of offers posted on the web that aren't the real deal: They either require some unethical maneuvering to get or somehow exploit the system. For example, I see a lot of printable coupons designed for a one-time by a specific individual getting circulated around the Internet for anyone to print out. (One word of caution: Companies like Old Navy are wising up to this and are putting tracking numbers on many of these coupons so they aren't good after one use.)
In any case, I don't post those here. But I do post offers that I've done some checking on so I know they are legit — offers that there is little chance you are going to have trouble with once you get to a store or restaurant. The good news? There are plenty of those to go around.
Even the FTC wants to help you with your finances
The Federal Trade Commission has rolled out a new
web site aimed at easing your money stress.
Free admission days in April
Enjoying the Salt Lake area's attractions on free admission days can help you stretch your entertainment budget. Here's what's coming in April:
Utah Museum of Fine Arts: April 1 (this Wednesday)
Utah Museum of Natural History: April 6
Red Butte Garden: April 24
Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's
Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day is on April 21st this year. Details
here.
Redbox code of the day
Use code 89ZQJ3 at any Redbox location to get a free rental. This code is good today only, courtesy of Redbox. I'll have another code on Wednesday, good only that day. For those who don't know about Redbox codes, the company releases them on Mondays (and Wednesdays through this week) to generate interest in its movie rental service.
Free knife sharpening at Sur La Table in April
Check the details out
here and by calling a store near you.
Week's worth of Chick-fil-A freebies starts today
Don't forget, all seven Chick-fil-A restaurants in Utah will serve free samples of their various menu items daily starting today, March 30, though April 3 from 2 – 5 p.m. The free snack will vary by day and by restaurant and the free items offered will include a frozen dairy treat, a fruit cup, lemonade, waffle potato fries and a fudge nut brownie.
The fine print: No purchase necessary, one free item per customer per day. Customers must be present to receive offer.
The Drugstore Game
There are scores of shoppers in Utah who play the "drug store" game. They use sales, manufacturer's and store coupons, rebates and/or other reward programs to get personal care items and other products sold at the major pharmacy chains for only a tiny fraction of their retail price. Read this nice
explanation about how this whole process can work for you. The woman who wrote this is obviously from a market with a lot of CVS pharmacies. But what she has to say applies to the two dominant chains in our market, Walgreens and Rite Aid. Employing her strategies, and you can free and extremely inexpensive items each week.
Discovery Gateway discount offer
OK, so it's not free admission. But it is a $5 admission offer to a museum that normally charges $8.50 per person. Check it out
here.
The fine art of haggling
I'm not good at haggling over prices, so I ask my husband to do the dirty work when we buy anything big, like a car. But one thing I've learned by going shopping with Trib reporter Dawn House is that prices on most everything, including the small stuff, is negotiable. Check out this story with
tips from some "experts" who have actually written books on the subject of negotiating the price on consumer purchases.
Free Sam's Club one day pass offer ends soon
I've posted this offer before, but back by special request here it is again: A free one-day pass to Sam's Club you can print yourself. You only have a few more days to use this offer, though, because it expires on Tuesday, March 31. Go to
Allstate's web site and click on "Sam's Club Special Offer" to print out your free pass. (You don't have to be an Allstate customer.) This is a great way to try out Sam's Club because there is no surcharge on purchases made with this pass!
Labels: free Sam's Club pass
Free Community Health Fair Saturday in Sandy
Free and low-cost health screenings, information about health and weight loss, prize drawings and an opportunity to take a look at a Life Flight helicopter, fire truck and police car.
Details are
here.
Coupons, coupons and more coupons
Chances are, your favorite grocery store has coupons on its web site that you can print out and use on your next visit. Here are some popular links where grocery store coupons can be found:
Super TargetSmith's Food & DrugAlbertsons (Click on in-store coupons)
HarmonsDon't forget, if you're looking for coupons you can print out at home and take to the grocery store, you also can go to third-party sites such as
smartsource.com,
coupons.com and
coolsavings.com.
These third-party sites can be great supplements to the coupons that are in the Sunday newspaper. Last week, I used coupons from the newspaper and from coupons.com to drive down the cost of 10 boxes of Kellogg's cereal at Albertsons from $15 to $4.93, including tax. If you think that's pretty good, a frugal Trib reader did even better. She had better coupons, and paid just under $3 for the same 10 boxes of cereal.
The secrets of frugal families
Check out the
finalists in The Arizona Republic's Thriftiest Family contest.
Read on, and you'll see some common characteristics of these and other frugal families:
— They don't feel deprived. They think being frugal is fun, especially when they're trying to drive down the cost of something they want or need.
— They put aside a set amount of cash each month for groceries, eating out, et cetera, and when the money is gone they stop spending.
— They wait until they have the cash to buy bigger things, such as a car, even if it takes years to save up with the money.
— They rarely or never go out to eat unless they have a coupon. Several mentioned buying Entertainment coupon books.)
Free full-size shampoo offer
Several weeks ago, Suave was giving away full-size shampoo samples, now Pantene wants you to try their new shampoo too, with a full-size sample offer. Sign up
here. There are limited quantities.
New Old Navy coupons
Apparel retailer Old Navy has restocked its coupon site,
OldNavyWeekly.com. One word of warning: the coupons are a bit trickier to find this week. The $50 off a $100 purchase and $75 off a $100 purchase coupons also are missing. Watch for them to return next month. There are, however, plenty of 20 percent off and 30 percent off coupons. (For those who don't know what the heck I'm talking about, Old Navy hides coupons each week on this site. Coupons can be printed out at home and redeemed in the store. But you have to find them first.)
H&R Block Freebie
Taxpayers can try out H&R Block's "Second Look" program, which normally costs $29, for free today through Sunday. (March 27-29) I called the corporate office of H&R Block, and they said most, if not all Utah locations should be participating in this promotion. (Participation varies among states.) The program provides a second look at a tax return prepared by a person, software program or even another preparer. The goal is to find any overlooked deductions that can save you money. If you're interested in this freebie, call an H&R Block office near you and ask them about the promotion.
Redwood Rec Center freebie
Admission to the Redwood Rec Center's fitness room and racquetball area is free this Saturday (March 28) in celebration of the West Valley City facility's grand re-opening. Details are
here.
Can mortgage rates get any lower?
I have been describing mortgage rates as "historically low" but now we all can officially call them "the lowest ever." Or at least since mortgage giant
Freddie Mac has been keeping records in 1971.
The company says that the average rate for a 30-year mortgage nationally was 4.85 percent this week, down from 4.98 last week. One year ago, rates averaged 5.85 percent.
According to the company, 15-year loans averaged averaged 4.58 percent this week, down from 4.61 percent last week. Last year, 15-year mortgages averaged 5.34 percent.
Pretty much every economist on Earth is saying that this is just about the lowest mortgage rates are going to go, unless the federal government takes even more extraordinary action that could push them even lower.
Sitting on the fence waiting for home prices to finish falling before you buy? You may not get any better of a deal by waiting if you end up paying a higher mortgage rate. That's because even a 10 percent to 20 percent drop in selling prices may not give you a lower monthly mortgage payment if interest rates go up by any significant amount.
Use this calculator from
Bankrate.com to help you with the buy now vs. buy later decision. You can enter different interest rates and loan amounts and see what your mortgage payment would be.
Don't forget to factor in any homebuying incentives you may qualify for into the decision-making process. There is the $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time home buyers or those who haven't owned a home in the last three years. A
state incentive of $6,000 is for Utahns who buy a newly constructed home. (A number of state are offering their own incentives now.) The
federal income tax credit is good only for those who buy before Dec. 1 and Utah's incentive runs out after about 1,600 people taken it.
Haircuts on the cheap
Men's haircuts for $2? Women's haircuts for $3? A frugal reader wanted me to know that she got a wonderful haircut for less at Salt Lake Community College's beauty school. Check it out
here. There are many more possibilities for cheap haircuts performed by supervised beauty school students. Check out the "beauty school" section in the Yellow Pages or google the phrase to find a location near you. One tip: Ask about other services, such as manicures and pedicures. Many schools offer those as well.
Another tool for finding low-priced gas
Most of us already know about the gas-price comparison web sites
utahgasprices.com and
saltlakegasprices.com.
Here's another one: Travel-services agency AAA has launched a
Gas Price Finder. (Enter your Zip Code at the "Gas Price Finder: Find the Best Deals Near You" prompt.
The main difference among the sites is that
utahgasprices.com and
saltlakegasprices.com, which are run by the same company, rely on data from volunteer "spotters" who provide gas-price data in their area. AAA, which monitors gas prices nationwide, gets real time data from 85,000 gas stations nationwide. All three sites are good sources of information about gas prices.
By the way, Utah still has the second-lowest gasoline prices in the country, according to AAA.
The average cost of a gallon of unleaded in the state is $1.84 per gallon. The only state with a lower unleaded average is Wyoming, which has a per-gallon average of $1.81. (The national average has finally surpassed the $2 level and is now at $2.03)
Gas prices in Utah and the rest of the country are on their way up. One month ago, Utah's unleaded average was only $1.72 - more than 10 cents below its current level.
Listing of free stuff to do in Utah
I really like the Nowplayingutah.com web site. Even better than its extensive listing of events and activities is the section on
free stuff to do. Check it out!
A week of Chick-fil-A freebies
It's one thing to give out free stuff for one day. But how about a whole week's worth of freebies? All seven Chick-fil-A restaurants in Utah will serve free samples of their various menu items daily from March 30 to April 3 from 2 – 5 p.m. The free snack will vary by day and by restaurant and the free items offered will include a frozen dairy treat, a fruit cup, lemonade, waffle potato fries and a fudge nut brownie.
The fine print: No purchase necessary, one free item per customer per day. Customers must be present to receive offer.
List of top coupon web sites
This is one of the best compilations of coupon-oriented sites on the web that I've seen.
Restaurants frantically rolling out "value" menus
Even high-end steakhouse Morton's has unveiled a "value" menu. But it's one I can't relate to: A $99 dinner for two. Apparently this is a deal because the chain says the average check per person is nearly $100. In any case, the company is joining several other restaurant chains in rolling out
value-oriented deals to lure customers amid the nation's economic downturn.
All these new "value" menus have started me thinking about restaurant meals. I'm not against restaurants — I love eating out, nearly always with a coupon of course. But I do so in moderation because restaurants are real budget-busters. If you can afford to eat out a lot and still save money, great. But many people can't. Of the half dozen or so people who have asked me review their finances over the past few months to see why they are spending more than they earn, all were spending several hundred dollars a month on restaurant meals. (Most were shocked when I added it all up for them.) These are folks who aren't contributing to their 401ks, or are contributing too little and/or who don't have much, if any, cash set aside for emergencies. Just for grins, add up what you spent on eating out last month — include all trips to fast-food joints as well as sit-down meals. Then compare that amount with what you saved toward short-term and long-term goals over the same time period. Did you spend more on eating out? All that eating out is sure nice, but if it means you'll have to work until you're 80 or eat peanut butter for lunch every day in retirement, it's probably not worth it.
Some scary recalls
If you have a Fisher Price high chair, of if your children use pacifiers or wear hooded sweat shirts, check out this
government recall.
Beer rebates, everywhere
After a month or so of finding no beer rebates in the grocery stores, I'm now finding a plethora of them. For those who haven't read my blog entries about beer rebates, these are rebates offered by beer companies that don't require the purchase of any beer. These rebates, usually worth $10 or more, are great ways to stretch your grocery budget. The rebate forms are usually on the beer aisle, although I have seen them all around the grocery store, including in the deli area. Sometimes you have to hunt for them, even when they are on the beer aisle. Here are the latest ones several of us at the Trib have spotted:
—$15 off a purchase of at least $30 of racing themed coolers, grills, folding chairs, pop-up tables, table clothes (the list goes on and on.) Good until November 30. From Budweiser.
— $10 off a purchase of a Hormel Cure 81 Ham. Minimum purchase: $10. Good until April 12. From Anheuser -Busch.
—$10 off any grocery purchase of at least $100. From Miller Lite.
— $15 off the purchase of any deli items, pizza or chicken. From Budweiser. Purchase price must exceed $15. This last one is my personal favorite. My freezer is absolutely jammed with frozen pizzas that were effectively free or cost only pennies after a beer rebate. I don't generally buy frozen pizzas, but if they are free with a beer rebate, I do, because they are good for a quick kid-friendly dinner (with tossed salad and steamed broccoli) or for use as snacks or lunch when the kids have friends over to play.
Today's Redbox code
Your Redbox code of the day is MMM325. Use it to get a free rental, courtesy of Redbox, which is giving away free codes each Wednesday in March. It's good today (3/25) only.
Labels: Free Redbox, free rental
"Free Tax Day" on March 27
On Friday, March 27, Liberty Tax Service will offer free tax return preparation for those who donate $50 or more to the March of Dimes. For more information about this offer, go
here.
Blogger troubles
I have been unable to post any blog entries for the past three days due to problems with our blogger program. Sorry for the lack of updates and lack of advance warning for the free program at Tracy Aviary today!
Last-minute ski deals here
Don't forget, industry trade group Ski Utah has a listing of discounted ski deals, with and without lodging, on its web site
here.
Free program/admission to Tracy Aviary on Tuesday
Check out the details of this fun
event Tuesday (March 24) at the Salt Lake City bird sanctuary.
Are you a Dominos pizza customer?
Dominos has added a substantial coupon section to its
web site.
Other pizza outfits, such as
Papa John's and
Pizza Hut, have substantially added to their web specials/coupons as well. Some of these offers are better than what you see in print.
And don't forget the
free crazy bread at Little Caesars (Utah and Colorado only)!
A $1,000 shopping spree sounds pretty good to me
To celebrate the opening of its new Rack store on April 2, Nordstrom is giving away one $1,000 shopping spree. Check out how you can win
here.
Web sites that help with foreclosure stress
Sometimes it can be helpful to talk it out with other people who have the same type of problem as you do. If you are facing foreclosure, here are some
web sites that can offer some comfort.
Recession got you down?
The University of Phoenix has a Community Counseling Center in Murray where Utahns can receive free counseling from supervised graduate students. Counselors can help people cope with family/work problems, which for many can be made worse by the deteriorating economy. For more information, call Dr. Penny Dahlen, who oversees the counseling effort. (801) 905-4386.
Arby's REALLY wants you to try their sandwich
How many more times is Arby's going to try to get us to try their new sandwich? The fast-food chain has been sampling these new sandwiches for weeks now. And they are still at it. Want to try one? Click on "try one free" on their
web site.
Old Navy's coupon site has been reset, but where are the really good coupons?
Oldnavyweekly.com, the site that contains limited numbers of printable Old Navy coupons each week in different hiding places, has just been reset with fresh coupons. But don't go hunting for coupons good for $50 off a $100 purchase or even $75 off a $100 purchase. There aren't any this week. There are only coupons good for $10 off a $50 purchase and $5 off a $25 purchase, among others.
Here's why: bargain shoppers who wanted the "premium" $50 off and $75 off coupons overwhelmed the web site over the past couple of weeks, even shutting it down a few times.
For the next few weeks, the oldnavyweekly.com site won't have any of those really good coupons while company regroups. But in April, the company said it plans to bring back those "premium" coupons, hidden even more creatively than before. Stay tuned!
The White House garden
Even Michelle Obama is planting a garden. Read what the Obama family planted
here. Amid the nation's economic crisis, there's a definite gardening boom. Seed sales are up, and many people are planning their first gardens or thinking of expanding their gardens from last year. Not sure how to start or how to expand beyond tomatoes and peppers? Read about what's in the White House garden. The varieties listed are great for home gardens and for getting the whole family interesting in growing and eating fresh food.
First Hyundai, now JetBlue
What a sign of the times: JetBlue is offering to refund a fare or vacation package for those who lose their job. Read about the airline's new policy
here.
It's a bit like the
Hyundai offer which ultimately gives people the opportunity to bring their car back if they lose their job.
Even a
cruise company has joined in with a similar offer. Stay tuned for more such offers as the economy continues to struggle and Americans cope with more job losses.
Free coffee at Seattle's Best
Seattle's Best coffee is giving away free small cups of coffee April 6 in celebration of its 39th anniversary. It also is offering up a number of other anniversary specials. The chain has locations nationwide, including three Utah locations inside Borders stores in Murray, Provo and Logan. For information about the promotion, and for a location nearest you, go
here. I called the company's corporate office, and they say that all three Utah locations are participating in this promotion.
Let the stampede begin
The American Chemical Society is sponsoring a family event at the
Discovery Gateway children's museum in downtown Salt Lake City Saturday (March 21) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The first 1,000 people get free admission to the museum, which will host a family science event about chocolate and chemistry. As if it can't get any better than that, there will be free chocolate samples. Read all about it at
http://www.downtownslc.org/email/newsletter.htm#5
Free rice bowls at Rumbi today!
I love Rumbi Island Grill. It's one of my favorite places to eat. So I'm pretty excited about the grand opening of its 13th Utah store today (March 20) at 675 E. 2100 South, in Salt Lake City. To celebrate, the store will give away free rice bowls from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fellow Tribune reporter Kathy Stephenson told me about this great deal. Check out her blog, Bite by Bite,
here.
Free day planners Saturday for those who have lost jobs
Don't forget, FranklinCovey is providing free day planners for those who recently have lost their jobs Saturday (March 21) in all of the company's 64 stores in 29 states. To get a free 2009 Franklin Planner, though, you must provide the name of your last employer and supervisor, and the date you were laid off. The giveaway is "while supplies last." Find a store
here.
Here are the company's four Utah locations:
Layton Hills Plaza / Layton / Phone: (801) 546-4884 / Sat 10am-7pm
Fashion Place Plaza / Murray / Phone: (801) 269-1695 / Sat 10am-6pm
University Mall / Orem / Phone: (801) 221-1776 / Sat 10am-8pm
The Gateway / Salt Lake City / Phone: (801) 521-1776 / Sat 10am-9pm
Promenade at Red Cliffs / St. George / Phone: (435) 673-1492 / Sat 10am-8pm
Haircut sale
Every Great Clips salon I passed today while I was out running errands was having a $6.99 haircut sale - no coupon required. I'm trying to find out if the sale applies to all Great Clips salons in Utah, or just select locations. In the meantime, if you're on a tight budget and need a haircut (or your kids need one) it doesn't get any cheaper than this, so it may be worth a call to the nearest Great Clips to see if they are having the same sale.
Cheap eats and some free (or low cost) fun at Sunflower Farmers Market
Check out the events calendar at Sunflower Farmers Market, which has two locations in Utah, in
Murray and
Orem.
Free Real Salt Lake Open House Saturday
Free admission to Rio Tinto Stadium and an exhibition game on March 21. Free parking and 25-cent carnival games, snacks and drinks. This is a great opportunity for soccer fans or anyone interested in checking out Sandy's new soccer stadium. Get all the details
here.
"Emergency" menus
"Emergency" menus are popping up everywhere on the web these days. They are weekly household meal schedules designed for those who have lost a job or are facing financial difficulty.
Here's an
example of such a menu posted on a frugal living web site. Take a look at it and you'll see beans, peanut butter and tuna as the sources of protein. One thing you aren't going to see: meat. A few years ago, our family decided to stop eating less meat in an effort to be more healthy, and our food bills went down. If you want to cook with less meat, though, either for financial or health reasons, try cutting back gradually to get your family adjusted to the taste. Try substituting half of the meat in sloppy joes with beans, for example, or try using half the usual amount of meat in chili. Stop always making meatballs for the spaghetti dinner or dumping in ground beef in the sauce. Cut up some vegetables and throw them in there instead. Another frugal meal: quiche. The kids love meatless quiche with broccoli and whatever else I can find around. Check out this universal quiche recipe
here.
Rubio's Grand Opening
Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill will have its grand opening in American Fork Thursday (March 19). The restaurant said it will give the first 50 customers in line free meals for a year. Grand opening is 10:30 a.m. The new restaurant is located at 598 W. Main Street. How early would you have to be there in order to have a shot at the free food? Lately, people have been waiting for hours, sometimes even camping out overnight for such offers. For more information about this grand opening, call the store at (801) 492-1940.
Your free Redbox code
Today's code is GTL456. Use it to get a free rental from Redbox as part of its March Movie Madness promotion, which runs through the first week in April. It's good today only.
Five saving strategies
If you want less debt and more savings, read these
five strategies from the folks at Utah Saves, the grassroots organization aimed at helping people get their financial house in order. This is good stuff.
Financial mistakes by celebrities
Check out this list of the
top eight financial mistakes made by celebrities. It's actually quite good reading — there are lessons in there for all of us who aren't quite so rich and famous as well.
The Fine Art of Price-Matching
A lot of people still don't know about Wal-Mart's price matching policy. It can save you lots of money and running around, if you're willing to shop at Wal-Mart of course. So here's a
primer.
Remember, price-matching applies in the grocery department. I just used it to buy my St. Patrick's Day dinner.
Christmas is coming!
Ok, so Christmas won't be here for another nine months. But if you start planning and saving now, you could make this the year that you don't spend your entire holiday season worrying about how you're going to pay for it all. Here are some thoughts:
1. Save your pennies. Put all loose change you accumulate throughout the year into a large container and in November, take it to a Coinstar coin-counting location and have the coins converted into a gift certificate to your favorite store. I've done this the last two years. If you turn coins into gift certificates, there is no coin-counting fee.
2. Open a holiday savings account and put aside each month a bit of money for gifts and entertaining. It adds up.
3. Watch for clearance sales throughout the year. One mom said she waits until closer to the holidays to buy her kids' "big" Christmas gifts, but she picks up items such as books, clothes and small gifts throughout the year so she pays less for these items and doesn't have to spend as much time shopping around the holidays for them.
4. Talk to your extended family now. If this is the year you want to draw names among extended family members instead of buying for everyone, make only homemade gifts or "opt out" of gift-giving altogether, talk to your family now. The earlier in the year the better; wait until closer to the holidays and you could be setting yourself for a family argument.
5. Have a meeting with the members of your household. As with any money-saving endeavor, enlist the help of your family. Tell them this is the year you aren't going to use credit cards to finance Christmas. Ask them about how the whole family can make this happen. You'd be surprised what money-saving ideas your spouse and/or kids can come up with!
Free admission to Discovery Gateway today
Don't forget, the
Discovery Gateway children's museum in downtown Salt Lake City is offering free admission today (March 17). If you have kids, you may want to consider taking advantage of this deal — the museum doesn't do this often. And regular admission is generally $8.50 per person.
Chipotle freebie
In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, Chipotle said its Salt Lake City area locations will give away a free order of chips and guacamole or chips and green tomatillo salsa to anyone wearing green today - no strings attached. For a list of locations, go
here. As always, it's a good idea to call ahead to check if a location is participating in a particular promotion before you go.
Free breakfast at IKEA - It's baaaaaack
This Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Details are
here.
Today's Redbox code
Get your free Redbox rental tonight (March 16) only, using code 2GR4N8. I'll post another code on Wednesday!
Planning affordable and healthy meals
I hear from plenty of readers who are trying to save money, and one of the biggest challenges by far is keeping food costs manageable. The Utah State University Extension Service is offering a free, informative class on this issue Wednesday (March 18) at the Salt Lake County Government Center, 2001 S. State St. in Salt Lake City. The class is offered twice that day, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. For information, go
here.
Ben & Jerry's $1 cone day coming soon
Donate a can of food and you can buy a Ben & Jerry's cone for $1 on March 24. Details
here.
Insurance company freebies
Who would have thought that insurance companies would be a good source of freebies? Apparently they are.
First, Allstate offers a free one-day pass to Sam's Club, the best kind of pass that has no upcharge. (Print out yours
here.)
Now,
Liberty Mutual is offering 500 free Delta SkyMiles for those willing to get an auto insurance quote. UPDATE: This offer, while good in many states, is not good in Utah. Thanks to the reader who read the fine print more carefully than I did!
Think you know a lot about saving money?
Bankrate.com is staging a Frugal Sense contest. Check it out
here. Even if you don't enter, you'll find a plethora of money-saving tips. While you're at it, check out the entire
Bankrate.com site. You'll find a lot of good stuff about saving and finding the best rates on consumer loans.
More incentives to buy a home
The Utah legislature has passed a measure that provides people who buy newly constructed homes $6,000 grants. For details about these grants, contact
Utah Housing Corp., the agency that will be in charge of administering them.
The new grant is in addition to a federal income tax credit of as much as $8,000 to those who haven't owned a home in the last three years and who buy a new or existing home before the end of the year. Information on that tax credit is available
here.
Another great museum freebie
If you and your family enjoy the popular I Spy series of children's books, you'll want to check out this
upcoming exhibit at the Brigham Young University Museum of Art celebrating the works of Walter Wick, photographer and author of the popular children's book series I Spy (with Jean Marzollo). The exhibit includes not only large photographs from his books, but models that he used to create his images and a multi-media presentation that shows how Wick creates the images in his books. Visitors also can search for gizmos and toys hidden in various photographs in the gallery. And best of all, it's free!
What would you do for a year's worth of free meals?
Most restaurants opening new locations in the Salt Lake area over the past year have given away a year's worth of free meals to the first 50-100 or so customers. It seems as if interest in these free meals has picked up with the bad economic times. Check out this
story by the
Washington Post, which sent a reporter out to cover the opening of a Chick-
fil-A and interview the people who camped out for the free food.
Free admission to Discovery Gateway!
It's really true, folks, the
Discovery Gateway children's museum in downtown Salt Lake City is offering free admission on Tuesday, March 17 — St. Patrick's Day. If you have kids, you may want to consider taking advantage of this deal — the museum doesn't do this often. And regular admission is generally $8.50 per person.
Another freebie for those who are unemployed
First,
FedEx provided free resume printing for the unemployed. Now FranklinCovey is providing free day planners for those who recently have lost their jobs. The giveaway is March 21 in all of the company's 64 stores in 29 states. To get a free 2009 Franklin Planner, though, you must provide the name of your last employer and supervisor, and the date you were laid off. The giveaway is "while supplies last." Find a
store here.
Here are the company's four Utah locations:
Layton Hills Plaza / Layton / Phone: (801) 546-4884 / Sat 10am-7pm
Fashion Place Plaza / Murray / Phone: (801) 269-1695 / Sat 10am-6pm
University Mall / Orem / Phone: (801) 221-1776 / Sat 10am-8pm
The Gateway / Salt Lake City / Phone: (801) 521-1776 / Sat 10am-9pm
Promenade at Red Cliffs / St. George / Phone: (435) 673-1492 / Sat 10am-8pm
Labels: free day planner, freebie
New Old Navy coupons sometime today
Don't forget,
oldnavyweekly.com supposedly resets sometime today with new coupons, such as $75 off a minimum $100 purchase, $50 off a $100 purchase and 20 percent and 15 percent off coupons.
UPDATE: The site is being updated right now, expect the new coupons to be posted at any time!
Even celebrities are feeling the pinch
Apparently the recession is affecting even the
rich and famous in ways most of us can't even fathom. But no worries, many can create their own
freebies!
The freebies keep on coming
Pretzelmaker and Pretzel Time, which recently consolidated, will be celebrating
National Pretzel Day on Sunday, April 26, with free original soft pretzels from open to close at participating locations nationwide (limit one per customer). To find a location near you, go
here. Remember, the deal is good at "participating" locations only, so it's always a good idea to call first.
Free financial education classes
The Utah State Law Library and Salt Lake County Library Service are offering a series of classes on estate planning, foreclosure, bankruptcy and landlord/tenant law. For more information, go
here. For questions or to register for any of these classes, call (801) 238-7990.
The Money Bus is coming to Salt Lake City
Mark April 3 on your calendar. That's when the Money Bus comes to Salt Lake City. During the stop, volunteer financial advisers will be available to provide free financial advice to those with personal finance questions. I sure have plenty these days! Those giving advice are fee-only financial planners —the kind who don't accept commissions for peddling insurance and other financial products. The bus, which is touring the country, is sponsored by the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors Consumer Education Foundation, TD Ameritrade and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Financial advisers will be available for one-on-one sessions noon to 5 p.m. at the Salt Lake City public library's main branch conference center, 210 East 400 South. Go
here for more information about the stop in Salt Lake City or scores of other areas as well.
A little too frugal perhaps?
I've been told by family, friends and co-workers that I'm a bit
too frugal. Well, I do have some limits. I guarantee that I won't develop this frugal family's
hobby.
Free Redbox rental today
Use code JBG123 to get a free rental, today only, courtesy of Redbox!
Free taco on tax day
Sign up now if you would like a
free taco from Taco Del Mar on April 15.
While you're at it, sign up for their e-mail list (they e-mail coupons from the time to time) and if you have kids, for the birthday club. They'll get free meals once a year.
IKEA, the place to go for cheap food?
I just received a press release from global furniture and housewares company IKEA expounding the affordability of the food in its restaurant. Its cheapest deal at the moment: A breakfast of scrambled eggs, hash browns and bacon for 99 cents (served from 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. daily) Plus, IKEA says, coffee is free between 9:30 am & 10:00 am. Just remember, it's only a cheap deal if you don't fill a shopping cart with things you don't really need on the way out.
Have you done your taxes yet?
If you haven't done your taxes yet, you may want to check out the FreeFile program on the IRS
web site. More Utahns qualify this year for free or low-cost electronic filing programs that enable them to get refunds fast.
Tips from "The Most Frugal New Englander"
Each one of this woman's
14 frugal tips are great ways to save money.
Check your refrigerator for this recall
Maytag has recalled about 1.6 million refrigerators under its own brand as well the Jenn-Air, Amana, Admiral, Magic Chef and Crosley brands. The recall includes side by side refrigerators and those with the freezer on top. An electrical problem in the appliances can lead to overheating and pose a serious fire hazard. For more information, go
here.
Utah still has the second-lowest gas prices in U.S.
The average cost of a gallon of unleaded gasoline in Utah is $1.76 per gallon, travel services agency AAA reported today. That's the second-lowest average in the country, next to Wyoming ($1.74 per gallon). While gas prices are forecast to increase later this year across the country, Utah's average has crept up by only 5 cents over the last month. Who has the highest gas prices? Alaska, with an average of $2.52 per gallon.
Free resume printing today
Don't forget, FedEx is offering
free resume printing today for those who are looking for work.
Low-cost tests for diabetics
People with diabetes can get the A1C test, which measure blood glucose levels, for $5 at a number of Smith's Food & Drug pharmacies on Thursday, March 12 and Saturday, March 14.
The tests are being administered in partnership with the Utah Department of Health and other organizations and companies. Information: 888-222-2542.
RC Willey freebie
I signed up a few weeks ago for RC Willey's e-mail list and immediately received a coupon good for $25 off a minimum purchase of $100. Today, I received an e-mail for a free emergency flashlight, no purchase required. If you're interested in signing up for their list, go
here.
Free admission today at Tracy Aviary
Sure, it's cold outside. But today you can get in free to this fun bird sanctuary. For details, call 596-8500
Skiing on the cheap
Industry trade group Ski Utah has a listing of discounted ski deals, with and without lodging, on its web site
here.
Thoughts about emergency savings accounts
Personal finance guru Suze Orman believes that we all should have eight months of cash stashed away in an "emergency" fund. That's right - eight months. When I mention this to people who ask me how much they should have set aside for emergencies, they always say, "Who the heck has that much money?
Few people have that much money all at once, of course, but with a little sacrifice, many families really can put that much money away over time with a regular savings plan. Why have an emergency savings account at all? Can't I just use credit cards if I face an unexpected expense? Or can't I just tap my home equity line of credit? Maybe. But in a time when lenders are canceling credit cards, reducing credit limits and canceling home equity lines of credit, a stash of cash can provide an invaluable buffer against financial ruin. My husband and I found this out first hand in November, when one of our children was in a horrible accident and was life-flighted to the hospital. Even with medical insurance, the medical bills started to pile up. For the first time in my life, I could see clearly how an unexpected medical expense can engulf a family in financial crisis and even lead to bankruptcy. But that won't happen to us. We had our emergency savings account - the one we'd been paying in to for years. The one we fed consistently each payday, even if it meant not going out to eat to a restaurant or putting off the purchase of something we wanted to buy. It's the account that both my husband and I understood could never be touched until we encountered a true emergency. Well, that time came and having that money made a terrible situation more bearable. It allowed us to focus on our child's recovery, and not pay so much attention to the piles of medical bills that arrived almost daily for weeks. Even in these bad economic times, I encourage you, if you haven't already, to open an emergency savings account. Start small like we did. Put some amount in there every time you get paid. Vow to leave that money alone. Do it for you and for your family and because someday, it could make the difference between getting consumed by the bad times and getting through them.
Today's Redbox code
Use code F3T9L6 to get a free rental today only (March 9). I'll be posting another code on Wednesday, too, courtesy of Redbox.
Dell settlement offer
Several readers have inquired about the Dell settlement over the last couple of days, so I'm reposting the information again: If you purchased computer products from Dell between April 2005 and January 29 of this year, you may be eligible for part of the $25,000 Dell paid the state to settle claims that customers had experienced problems with the company's financing promotions, rebate offers, technical support and/or repair policies. Utah is one of 49 states that settled with Dell, which ended up paying more than $3 million as part of the multi-state settlement. Find out whether you may qualify
here. Residents of other states must contact their state attorney general's office for more information about the settlement and whether they qualify.
Labels: Dell, Dell settlement, Utah
Free movie/game rental at Hollywood Video
Check out the details of this freebie
here.
The bad economy can be bad for your credit score
Here's an informative
article about how the bad economy can push your credit score lower. (As if plummeting 401k accounts weren't bad enough.)
Free museum admissions for Bank of America card holders
Bank of America card holders can get
free admission to more than 70 museums nationwide the first weekend of every month.
Arby's is giving away free stuff, too
Arby's will be giving out
free Roastburger sandwiches Sunday (March 8) with the purchase of any size soft drink. As usual, this offer is good only at "participating" Arby’s locations nationwide, so it's always a good idea to check with the location nearest you before you go.
You can also sample the new sandwich for free any day (with the purchase of a soft drink) by going to the
Arby's web site and signing up for their e-mail list.
Or, you could just go
here and print out a coupon.
Free fries and drink at Jack in the Box Tuesday
Utahns in the St. George area (the only area of the state with Jack in the Box restaurants) can get a free order of fries and a drink Tuesday using this
coupon.
Free clinic for kids at Home Depot Saturday
There are free clinics for kids at
Home Depot this Saturday. These clinics and the ones offered at
Lowe's seem to run out of kits more quickly these days, and some locations won't even allow your children to do the day's project unless you have signed up in advance. So it's probably a good idea to call ahead and inquire with the store nearest you before the clinic. The next child-oriented clinic at Lowe's is March 14. By the way, both chains offer free workshops for adults as well.
Maternity and Children's sale
Hilltop United Methodist Church is staging its twice-yearly Children and Maternity Consignment Sale in Sandy April 17 and 18. For more information on buying or selling at the event, go
here. The sale features gently used children’s clothing (size 0-16), baby items and furniture, books, games, movies, toys, sporting good equipment, outdoor play items, bicycles, and maternity clothing current to the season. It's a good way to sell and to find things you need for the kids.
Forever 21 Grand Opening
Don't forget the grand opening of Forever 21 at South Towne Center mall in Sandy this Saturday, March 7. The first several hundred people in line by 9 a.m. will get a free gift card valued between $10 and $210. Details are
here.
Free Cabela's gift card
Cabela's is giving out free $10 gift cards to the first 100 customers (ages 18 and older) through the front doors of its
Lehi store on Sunday (March 8.)
Labels: Cabela's, Free Cabela's gift card, free gift card
One of my favorite contests for kids
I've met a few readers in recent months who are serious about contests because of all the freebies they get for entering and winning them. One, Erin Renouf Mylroie, has won numerous cool things, including cash and vacations, by entering cooking contests. I don't think I've ever won a contest in my life, but I have a child who loves to enter them and has won an assortment of cool stuff over the past two years. That brings me to one of my favorite contests for children, the
Reading Rainbow Young Writers & Illustrators contest. They have a free kickoff event Saturday in Bountiful that's great for getting children excited about writing.
Old Navy coupons on the web
Sometime in the next few hours, Old Navy is supposed to reset its online coupon page,
OldNavyWeekly.com. Once they do, there will be a number of coupons available on the site, including some good for $75 off a minimum purchase of $100. Quantities are limited. I logged on too late last week and missed the best coupons— by the time I got to the site they had only 15 percent off coupons available. (Not good enough!) So I'll be checking my computer throughout the evening tonight to see if I can nab one of the best ones.
UPDATE: Not long after I posted this, the site was updated. I didn't get a $75 off coupon, but I did get a $50 off coupon. Right now, there are some 15 percent off and 20 percent off coupons left.
Still need a converter box?
You can still sign up
here for $40 coupons that help cover the cost of buying a converter box.
The boxes allow people with older televisions who do not get cable service to see new digital broadcast signals.
The federal agency that had been sending out the coupons ran out of money in January. But thanks to a $650 million from the economic stimulus package, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has begun mailing out coupons to those on a waiting list.
Sign up for the coupons if you haven't already and even if you have received a coupon in the past but it expired before you could use it.
More cheap magazines
This is the time to buy magazines, since publishers are practically giving subscriptions away. The latest magazine to offer an extremely low subscription rate is
Glamour. The rate? $1.50 for 12 issues. (The same price as in 1939, the magazine says.)
Valuable information from the IRS
Have you lost a job and had to tap your retirement account for living expenses? Have you sold your home at a loss? Has a lender forgiven some of your debts? Have bad economic times made it more difficult for you to pay your tax bill? The Internal Revenue Service has a handy guide that provides information about what any of these scenarios could mean to you at tax time. Check out the guide
here.
JetBlue fare sale
Sorry I'm posting this so late, but JetBlue is having a
fare sale today only. There are some low fares out of Salt Lake City.
Fedex freebie
FedEx is offering a freebie that is a true sign of the times we're living in. On March 10, the company will provide free resume printing for job seekers. Details are available
here.
Rent a movie tonight for free
The free Redbox code for today is 75EA16. Use this code to get a free rental today only. (Redbox is offering free rentals Wednesdays in March) For a list of Redbox locations, g
o here.
Which is worse for your credit, a foreclosure or a short sale?
Many people who are behind on their mortgages believe that a "short sale" of their property will do less damage to their credit record than a foreclosure. But a local credit expert says that a short sale, in which a lender agrees to accept less than they are owed, does the same damage as a foreclosure, in which a borrower walks away from their property. In both scenarios, a lender often loses a significant sum of money. Salt Lake City mortgage lender Al
Bingham, author of "The Road to 850," a book about improving your credit score, said both short sales and foreclosures remain on your credit record for 7 years. For at least three years after either a short sale or foreclosure, it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find a lender willing to provide you with another mortgage. After that time period, borrowers with either a short sale or foreclosure in their credit file may be able to get another mortgage, but they will face higher interest rates and will have to come up with a greater down payment than those with better credit histories.
Free admission today at arts museum
Admission to the
Utah Museum of Fine Arts is free today.
Food co-ops can save you money
Several readers say they are saving a lot of money on food after joining the Community Food Co-op of Utah. Find out more about the co-op
here.
More free Redbox codes
Redbox already offers free movie rentals on Mondays (sign up on their
web site for this promotion.) Now they are offering free rentals on Wednesdays, too. Go to the new Redbox
blog every Wednesday in March and get a code good for a free rental.
Red cars cost more to insure, right?
Nope, red cars don't cost any more to insure than any other color, according to Insure.com. But the insurance-oriented web site says that's only one of a number of misconceptions consumers have about automobile insurance.
Others:
MYTH: Thieves prefer to steal new cars.
FACT: Statistics show that thieves actually prefer to steal older cars. The most-stolen cars: The ‘95 Honda Civic, ‘91 Honda Accord, ‘89 Toyota Camry, ‘97 Ford F-150 pickup and ‘94 Chevrolet C/K 1500 pickup.
MYTH: If my car is totaled in an accident, my insurance will pay off what I owe on my loan or lease.
FACT: Your policy will not pay off what you owe if your car is totaled. It will pay you only the market value of your car, minus your deductible. This is yet another argument for buying more affordable vehicles, taking out shorter-term car loans and avoiding the cycle of trading up frequently by rolling your old car loan into your new one.
MYTH: Drivers of sports cars get more tickets and thus pay higher insurance premiums.
FACT: Not necessarily. According to a study by Quality Planning Corp., drivers of the Hummer H2 and H3 have almost five times the number of violations compared to the average.
Starbucks debuts its new "value" menu today
Starbucks unveils today its new "value" breakfast menu, which features a drink and food item combination for $3.95. The company says customers will save an average of as much as $1.20.
I don't know about you, but I'm a bit underwhelmed.
Free top at Aeropostale
Don't forget, apparel chain Aeropostale, which has a dozen stores in Utah, is giving away tank tops in its stores beginning today (March 3.) Read what you
need to do to get this freebie.
Free Redbox codes on Mondays
The free Redbox code of the day is MS72K3. Use it to get a free rental today only. (Mondays are a slow day at Redbox, apparently.) You can get codes e-mailed directly to you by signing up at redbox.com.
Consider raising your deductibles
A quick call to your insurance agent can save you hundreds of dollars per year. Ask what you would save if you raised your deductibles on your automobile and/or homeowner's policies from $250 to $500 or even $1,000. Deductibles are the out-of-pocket costs you must pay in the event of a claim before your coverage kicks in. Many people pay dearly for the low deductibles on their auto and homeowner's policies. I raised the deductibles on both of my family's policies to $1,000. The savings for our family: More than $400 per year. While $1,000 sounds like a lot of money, remember you are paying less in premiums, so you can put some of the money you save aside to pay for the higher deductible.
Half-price pizzas on Mondays
To all you pizza lovers in West Jordan and South Jordan: Mountain Mike’s Pizza said all of its pizzas are half price on Mondays all day, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Dine-in only.
Free admission today at natural history museum
Admission to the
Utah Museum of Natural History is free today.
As much as $8,000 in "free money" for home buyers
The federal government is offering a tax credit of as much as $8,000 to first-time home buyers in an effort to help boost the nation's housing crisis. Read more about the credit
here.
The good news is that the government's definition of "first-time" buyer is fairly liberal. In fact, the government considers you to be a first-time buyer if you — and your spouse if you have one — did not own any other primary residence three years prior to your purchase now. Purchases must be made between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1.
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How many more times is Arby's going to try to get us to try their new sandwich? The fast-food chain has been sampling these new sandwiches for weeks now. And they are still at it. Want to try one? Click on "try one free" on their web site.
What a sign of the times: JetBlue is offering to refund a fare or vacation package for those who lose their job. Read about the airline's new policy here.
Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill will have its grand opening in American Fork Thursday (March 19). The restaurant said it will give the first 50 customers in line free meals for a year. Grand opening is 10:30 a.m. The new restaurant is located at 598 W. Main Street. How early would you have to be there in order to have a shot at the free food? Lately, people have been waiting for hours, sometimes even camping out overnight for such offers. For more information about this grand opening, call the store at (801) 492-1940.
If you and your family enjoy the popular I Spy series of children's books, you'll want to check out this upcoming exhibit at the Brigham Young University Museum of Art celebrating the works of Walter Wick, photographer and author of the popular children's book series I Spy (with Jean Marzollo). The exhibit includes not only large photographs from his books, but models that he used to create his images and a multi-media presentation that shows how Wick creates the images in his books. Visitors also can search for gizmos and toys hidden in various photographs in the gallery. And best of all, it's free!
First, FedEx provided free resume printing for the unemployed. Now FranklinCovey is providing free day planners for those who recently have lost their jobs. The giveaway is March 21 in all of the company's 64 stores in 29 states. To get a free 2009 Franklin Planner, though, you must provide the name of your last employer and supervisor, and the date you were laid off. The giveaway is "while supplies last." Find a store here.
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