One Cheap Chick

On the move

2009-05-15T14:47:00.004-06:00

This blog has moved to a new platform. The URL is the same - http://blogs.sltrib.com/cheap - but make sure your bookmarks don't have /index.htm at the end, or you won't get the new site.

Also, our RSS feed IS changing! If you subscribe via an RSS feed, go to the new site and click the RSS link at the bottom right to subscribe to the new feed!

Coldplay freebie

2009-05-13T05:05:00.003-06:00

Starting on May 15, you can download a copy of British band Coldplay's live nine-track album LeftRightLeftRightLeft. Read about the band's free offer here.,

More Free Ice Cream

2009-05-12T17:01:00.003-06:00

OK, so this offer is not quite as good as free ice cream at Haagen-Dazs. But there will be plenty of free ice cream at Wal-Mart on May 30 for Free Ice Cream Day. Check out the offer here.

Free scoop at Haagen-Dazs today

2009-05-12T10:00:00.001-06:00

Check out the details of this offer good today (May 12)

Your Monday Redbox code

2009-05-11T09:57:00.005-06:00

This Monday's code is 6A43JK. Use it any Redbox location to get a free rental, TODAY only.
Note: This is the last weekly code you're going to see for a while. Starting in June, Redbox will issue free-rental codes on a monthly basis only. Say it isn't so!
If you're new to Redbox codes, you can use one code per credit card account. To use the code at a Redbox kiosk: Select “Rent With Promo," then enter the code, select your movie and swipe your debit or credit card.
Even though the company is doing away with its weekly free rental codes, you can still rent movies from Redbox for free periodically. Want to know more? Read this. Also, if you rent from a Redbox location that's in or near a Walgreens store, read this.

Prizes, pizza, free bicycle helmets

2009-05-11T05:00:00.003-06:00

The Utah Transit Authority's Bike Bonanza will be held in downtown Salt Lake City's Gallivan Plaza on Friday, May 15 from 4-8 p.m. Free bicycle helmets will be given to the first 75 kids. For information about Cycle Salt Lake Week and other Bike Month events and activities, go to www.utahbikemonth.com. For more information on the UTA event, go here.

Free Smoothie at Orange Julius

2009-05-10T21:40:00.003-06:00

Orange Julius is giving away free "light" smoothies on June 19. You'll need to print out a coupon that's on their web site to get one, though. To find a location near you, go here. This is a nationwide chain. In Utah, there are locations in The Gateway shopping center and Valley Fair, Fashion Place, South Towne and Layton Hills malls.

Mother's Day freebie at TCBY

2009-05-10T04:00:00.006-06:00

Don't forget, moms get a free cup or cone today at TCBY today (May 10).
Want more deals for mom? Go here.
Or, if you want another upcoming frozen treat: A free scoop of any "Bee-built ice cream flavor" at Haagen-Dazs on May 12 from 4-8 p.m.

Watch those extra-bag fees

2009-05-09T08:00:00.002-06:00

It may be worth a call to your airline before your next trip to see how many bags and how much weight you may bring on board without paying extra and what you would have to pay if you exceed any limits.
Many flyers are being caught off guard by charges for extra bags or excess weight.
Read one flyer's experience on Delta, when the cost of several extra bags added up.

Community money-management expo

2009-05-09T07:00:00.001-06:00

Don't forget, there's a great free event on Friday, May 15 for anyone trying to improve their finances. The Credit and Savings Help Expo (CASH Expo) will run from 12 p.m to 9:30 p.m. at the South Towne Expo Center, 9575 South State St. in Sandy. Get details and register here.

Free strand of pearls

2009-05-08T18:07:00.004-06:00

Goldsmith Co. Jewelers in Provo is giving away free strands of
freshwater pearls ($99 value, they say) through Saturday. (May 9) Go here to print the coupon. One per person. As always, it's a good idea to call before you go.

Live Green Festival

2009-05-08T17:44:00.003-06:00

The 6th annual "Live Green" eco-festival in downtown Salt Lake City is Saturday (May 9) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Library Square. Learn how to be more "green." Includes activities for children. Get details about this free event here.

The Kids Bowl Free Program

2009-05-08T14:14:00.003-06:00

A Salt Lake City bowling alley has signed up to be part of the national Kids Bowl Free Program. The program allows children to bowl for free all summer long. Adults can purchase a discounted pass good all summer as well.

A list of centers nationwide that are participating in the program is here. The Utah bowling center that is part of the program is AMF Ritz Classic Lanes, 2265 South State St. in Salt Lake City. For more information about the center, go here.

Free Sonic breakfast sandwich

2009-05-08T14:00:00.003-06:00

Sonic Drive-in restaurants would like you to try their new CroisSonic breakfast sandwich. You have to purchase a large drink. Go here for the coupon.

A fun class

2009-05-08T11:01:00.001-06:00

The average adult watches 16 hours of prescription medication advertisements each year. Many children and teen-agers view 40,000 ads per year on TV. Children as young as age 3 recognize brand logos.
Here's a free one-hour workshop (lunch included) on May 12 that helps you learn more about how advertisers get us to spend.
Check out the details of this fun class and others listed on the Utah Saves web site.

Mother's Day Deal Roundup

2009-05-08T10:35:00.003-06:00

It must be a recession if high-end eatery Fleming's Steakhouse is not only touting a discounted Mother's Day special, but the restaurant also is giving mom a $25 "dining card" good on a future visit. Read the details of that offer here.
Mexican-food restaurant Z' Tejas has a buy one get one free offer on Mother's Day. (Salt Lake City only) Check it out here. Note: The ad says to call for reservations.
Other Mother's Day deals:
-Free breakfast for mom at IKEA.
-Free cup or cone for mom at TCBY
-Special offer from T.G.I. Friday's
-Another offer from Outback Steakhouse.
-If you have a coupon for a free meal at KFC, El Pollo Loco will honor it on Mother's Day.
Want to read more about Mother's Day specials? Go here. Wherever you plan on dining with mom, it's worth calling the restaurant and asking if they have any Mother's Day specials or discounts.

Sign up for e-mails about recalls

2009-05-08T09:04:00.000-06:00

If you have children, you may want to sign up for e-mail alerts from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. You can specifically request that only information about products for children be sent to you.
With so many recalls, it's hard to keep up. This service makes sure you don't miss any recalls of products you have in your own home.

It's Free Mocha Friday

2009-05-08T04:00:00.002-06:00

Don't forget, McDonald’s restaurants in Utah have a freebie for you today. Most of the company's locations now have the equipment to make lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, iced lattes, iced mochas, hot chocolates and flavored steamers. To celebrate the enhanced beverage line, restaurants throughout the state will offer a free small hot or iced mocha from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays in May beginning today. "Free Mocha Fridays" will continue in Utah on May 15, 22 and 29.

Kids can make a gift for mom

2009-05-08T03:00:00.000-06:00

Lowe's has a free clinic for kids Saturday (May 9). Kids can make a gift for mom for Mother's Day. I'm hearing that stores are running out of kits fairly quickly these days, so it's always a good idea to register online and get there around the time the clinic starts or even few minutes beforehand. Some stores are now even requiring advance registration.
Kids can also make a gift for mom tonight and Saturday at Michaels.

Free Candy Bar Fridays

2009-05-07T17:07:00.004-06:00

Candy bar maker Mars Inc. is launching the "Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act," by giving away 250,000 coupons good for a free candy bar every Friday beginning tomorrow (May 8) through Sept. 25. The coupon is good for one individual-sized M&M's, Milky Way, Snickers, 3 Muskateers, Twix or Dove branded product. Check it out here. The promotion begins each Friday at 7 a.m. Utah time. My guess is that the coupons, which will be mailed to consumers, will go quickly!
*UPDATE: Site is overwhelmed by chocolate lovers, and it's hard to load.

Cheap summer movies for kids

2009-05-07T11:14:00.008-06:00

I neglected to mention AMC's summer movie program for kids in yesterday's blog item on this topic. AMC's program features movies for $1.

Check it out here. It appears as if the only participating theater in Utah is in Layton.

Other summer movie programs:

CineMark theaters is offering 10 movies for $1 each this summer (or 50 cents each if tickets to all 10 are purchased in advance) Theaters in West Jordan, American Fork, Ogden, Layton and Provo are participating in this program. Check it out here.

For all you Utah County folks: Check out the summer movie program at Towne Cinema in American Fork.

Red Carpet Cinemas has offered free movies in the past. This year's schedule is not yet available. When it is, it will be posted here.

Lastly, Regal Theaters (no Utah locations, though) has a free summer movie program. I'm including it because you never know where you may end up this summer!

If you're interested in even more summer movie programs nationwide, go here.

If Denny's can pull off a free offer, why can't KFC?

2009-05-07T10:12:00.004-06:00

UPDATE: KFC has stopped the free meal promotion. Read the press release here explaining its offer of "rainchecks."

In early February, Denny’s scored a big public relations coup by touting free Grand Slam breakfast entrees in a Super Bowl ad, no strings attached. At many locations, lines were long, but most locations kept cheerfully doling out the free meals, an event chronicled in newspapers and on TV stations nationwide.
So how did KFC manage to screw up its free chicken meal promotion? Announced on Oprah, the offer required people to print out a coupon that was available on the the show's web site Tuesday and Wednesday only.
Many people immediately reported difficulty printing the coupon. But the real problem came when people began showing up in large numbers at KFC restaurants to redeem the coupon, which is good for the next week or so. Some locations were overwhelmed and turned people away. Customers got angry.
Sampling is a great strategy to get people to try a new product, but only if the company doing it is prepared and has all its locations and employees committed to making the effort a success.
You would think that KFC would have learned from the Quiznos sub sandwich debacle just a few weeks ago, when the chain distributed coupons for a million free subs but many individual locations didn't want to redeem those coupons.
KFC not only ran out of chicken at some locations, but customers at a number of stores say they were treated badly when they came in with the coupons. In one case, customers who requested the free meal were put in separate lines and made to wait longer than paying customers. In another case, a customer said a KFC employee was screaming at them. Ouch.
I can only imagine how many customers they lost yesterday — and the challenge they now face getting them back.

Free book from Barnes & Noble

2009-05-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

Keep your kids reading this summer! Barnes & Noble has a summer reading program that allows children in grades 1-6 to earn a free book starting May 26. Details are here.

Free or cheap summer movies for kids

2009-05-06T11:46:00.004-06:00

Red Carpet Cinemas has offered free movies in the past. This year's schedule is not yet available. When it is, it will be posted here.

Free Cinnabon treat for nurses

2009-05-06T10:53:00.003-06:00

Here's a sweet freebie for you during National Nurses Week, May 6-12. Bring your ID.