Coupon Mom: Thanksgiving dinner deals
Stock up on Thanksgiving staples
Turkey: This is the time of year to save on seasonal grocery items like baking ingredients, canned items and Thanksgiving dinner standards. Kmart stores have a promotion that gives you a certificate for a free 10-12 pound turkey for Thanksgiving when you spend $250 or more in qualifying purchases in grocery, drugstore and apparel before Nov. 19. See your store for details.
Pack up a potato deal
The trimmings: Selected Kmart stores have 10-pound bags of russet potatoes on sale for 99 cents per bag, a savings of $3. Baking ingredient bargains at Kmart include Argo corn starch (16-ounce box) on sale for $1.50. Use the 30-cent coupon from the Oct, 2 SmartSource circular to pay $1.20. Crisco shortening sticks (20 ounce packages) are on sale for $3. Use the 50-cent coupon from the Nov. 6 RedPlum circular to pay $2.50 each. Use Kmart’s in-ad coupon to pay $2 for Nestle chocolate morsels (11- to 12.5-ounce bags) a savings of $ 1.19, or use an in-ad …
Book a hotel, get $100 off a flight
Who doesn’t want $100 back on travel?
Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) is offering its Gotta Get 100 offer this month, which rewards you with a $100 flight credit when you book a two-night weekend stay.
Here’s what to do:
- Follow @IHG_Deals on Twitter
- Look for tweets that direct you to a limited-time link with the “Gotta Get 100” deal
- Register for the promotion before it ends Nov. 28.
- Once registered, book two weekend nights (Friday, Saturday or Sunday) between now and April 29, 2012 at any InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites or Candlewood Suites in the U.S.
- Stay between now and April 29, 2012.
- Get $100 off your next flight on any airline, to any destination.
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter
Going shopping on Black Friday? Use #BlackFridayATL to join the Twitter conversation on deals, parking and traffic.
BOGO at Starbucks this week
‘Tis the season of free coffee.
Today through Sunday, buy any Starbucks holiday drink (peppermint mocha, gingerbread latte or caramel brulee latte) and get a second one for free from 2 to 5 p.m.
Looking for a different promotion? Free peppermint mochas from McDonald’s today.
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter
Going shopping on Black Friday? Use #BlackFridayATL to join the Twitter conversation on deals, parking and traffic.
Clark Howard: This Christmas, laptops are so last season
Consumer expert Clark Howard’s column appears here each Thursday in conjunction with Deal Spotter, a weekly print section in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
As we get closer to Christmas, one perennially hot electronics item is losing its mojo among shoppers. Fortunately, that means good news for deal hunters looking for bargains on what’s becoming an increasingly overlooked gadget: the laptop.
The story of the laptop’s emerging “has-been” status is really the story of the rise of the iPad and other tablets.
Consider this: Year after year, during the back-to-school season, I would get so many calls on my radio show from parents trying to figure out strategies to get the best price on a laptop for their student. This season, however, it was crickets with the calls about laptops because of all the excitement about tablets.
The traditional computer category as a whole is becoming kind of an “also ran” for retailers. But to me, tablets are not the “be all, end all” marketers …
Continue reading Clark Howard: This Christmas, laptops are so last season »
Free peppermint mochas Thursday
It’s that time of year when you want something a little more…festive out of your coffee.
This Thursday, the McDonald’s peppermint mocha coffee break tour visits Atlanta, with stops at Colony Square on 14th and Peachtree from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and at Clark Atlanta University from 1-3 p.m.
Show up for a free Peppermint mocha coffee and free McDonald’s vouchers. Plus, check in on FourSquare using #McCafeCHEER to get a week of free McCafes.
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter
Going shopping on Black Friday? Use #BlackFridayATL to join the Twitter conversation on deals, parking and traffic.
Free bootcamp workout
Looking for a way to combat the holiday heft this year?
Operation Boot Camp is letting you try out its workout — for free — this Saturday. Session begins at 8:30 a.m. in Piedmont Park. Meet just inside the 12th Street park entrance (12th Street and Piedmont Road).
Even if you already have a workout routine, here’s a good chance to change things up. There is no obligation to sign up after the workouts. Arrive dressed to sweat.
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter
Going shopping on Black Friday? Use #BlackFridayATL to join the Twitter conversation on deals, parking and traffic.
Jessica Shops: Save on holiday gifts
Very merry gifts for friends, hosts
Mud-Pie.com: One website at the top of my holiday shopping list this season is Atlanta’s own Mud-Pie.com. It specializes in unique monogrammed items and special-occasion gifts. This is a great place for elegant items that don’t cost a lot and are perfect for teachers, bosses and gift exchanges. Some of my favorite items include the Initial Metal Note Holder & Pen Set ($15), Very Merry JingleBelly ornaments ($15-$17), the Blue Leopard Lagoon Jewelry Case ($22.50), Knit Ear Bands that come in multiple colors ($21.25), Santa Bottle Toppers ($17.50), an oversized doggie stocking ($15) and the Triple Dip set (above, $22.50). I scored a great discount just for Atlanta Bargain Hunter readers: save 10 percent on all orders with code “jessicashops” through the month of November.
Stock up for entertaining
Omaha Steaks: It’s time to stock up for parties and entertaining. Shop Omaha Steaks this month and check out the daily deal, which often is a …
Free Ben & Jerry’s with gift card purchase
You know your friends are dying to try “Schweddy Balls,” and that’s exactly why you’re buying them all Ben & Jerry’s gift cards this holiday.
With this season’s sweet deal, when you buy at least $10 worth of gift cards at a Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop, you’ll get a free scoop of ice cream.
It’s perfect for a “Late Night Snack.”
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter
Going shopping on Black Friday? Use #BlackFridayATL to join the Twitter conversation on deals, parking and traffic.
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Continue reading Free Ben & Jerry’s with gift card purchase »
Don’t overspend on Thanksgiving meal
The pressure to create the perfect Thanksgiving meal can escalate quickly. Lots of guests, housework and cooking an unfamiliar main dish can overwhelm many, causing us to overspend to make things “just right.”
Here are some expert tips on creating a budget dinner that would impress even Martha Stewart.
Kitchen tools
If you don’t have a proper carving set, an electric knife can cost you less money, says Davida Hogan, home editor at ConsumerSearch.com. “We discovered that you’re actually able to slice closer to the bird, so you actually get more meat off your bird with an electric knife.”
You also don’t need a fancy pie pan, she says. “Sure, there are really pretty things that come in great colors, but actually glass is the best conductor of heat.”
Instead, Hogan recommends a “plain, old basic Pyrex, and that only costs $10.”
Decorations
Your table doesn’t need to look like Six Flags over Turkey. Keep adornments, if any, simple and stress-free.
“In terms of doing a centerpiece,” …
Nordstrom delays holiday festivities
At least one department store is trying to curb the holiday rush, so to speak.
This month an image circulating on Facebook and other websites depicted a Nordstrom sign reading:
“We won’t be decking our halls until Friday, Nov. 27. Why? Well, we just like the idea of celebrating one holiday at a time. From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.”
Savvy readers will recognize that this year the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, is Nov. 25. According to this article from mlive.com, the sign is indeed from a previous year; However, the store plans to post a similar announcement this month.
How do you feel about holiday sales and decorations beginning before Thanksgiving — or even Halloween? Is there an ideal time to begin the retail rush without feeling, well, rushed?
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter
Going shopping on Black Friday? Use #BlackFridayATL to join the Twitter conversation on deals, parking and traffic.
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