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Home > Blogs > Here's the Deal: Bargains in Hamilton and Middletown > Archives > 2010 > February
February 2010
Delivering free movie savings from Blockbuster to your mailbox
Blockbuster is plotting a movie remake that could mean big savings coming soon.
After reporting a staggering net loss of $435 million in the fourth quarter and announcing it will close 545 more stores this year due to slowing sales, Blockbuster is trying to make changes to compete against online and mail DVD distributors like Netflix. The company is reportedly in talks with Hollywood Video chain owner Movie Gallery Inc. —which filed for bankruptcy protection — about acquiring some of its assets.
Blockbuster just launched a new promotion for its Total Access program, which allows customers to rent movies or video games online, receive them by mail and then exchange them either via mail or in-store.
Right now you can get a free four week trial of Total AccessTotal Access. This trial allows for up to three mailed media rentals at a time and five in-store exchanges.
To take advantage of the trial, visit the Total Access section at blockbuster.com and enter one of the following codes at checkout: MOREJOBS, FACE1M, FREETRIAL0618M. These trials are usually have participation limits, so act now.
After the four week trial, you will be charged $19.99 a month for the service, so if you aren’t satisfied with Total Access make sure you cancel it before the last trial date.
This trial is not the same as the two week free trial advertised on the Web site, so don’t be fooled. Get your four-week trial free with the codes above.
Free granola bars, Febreze, hamburgers, shower gel and magazines
There are a ton of freebies up for grabs, so check them out below. Remember, all freebies are while they last.
Click here for a free Bora Bora organic granola bar. This sample also gets you entered for a free trip for two to the island of Bora Bora. Good luck!
Join Red Robin’s eClub and receive a free hamburger on your birthday.
Get a South Beach Living granola bar sample here.
Get a free Fringe Gear poster from Fringe Clothing Company here.
Download the Dave Matthews Band song, Seven, from the Europe 2009 box set free here.
Enter here for a free pair of Hanes socks and a chance to win a five-night Disney Cruise Line vacation in the beautiful Bahamas. First 100 entries will get the socks each week, and there is no way to tell if they are out of socks or when this started, so good luck!
Register with PG Pro and get free Febreze and Swiffer samples here. You must register your business to receive this and the sample will ship in 6-8 weeks to that address.
Moms, get a free copy of Moms Magazine when you sign up here.
Kettering Health Network is giving out free first aid kits to Ohio residents. Kettering Health Network is mostly a Dayton-area chain of hospitals, but recently added Fort Hamilton Hospital in Hamilton to its ranks. This kit is valued at $15, according to the site.
Get a free copy of Sports Illustrated Magazine: In the Paint here. You have to qualify to receive the freebie. According to the site, “This Sports Illustrated book presents spectacular photographs of gorgeous models in swimsuits that consist of nothing more than paint artistically and painstakingly applied to their bodies.”
Request your free sample of Axe shower gel here.
Get a free Pampers diaper sample from Sam’s Club here.
Get coupons to save on the Leap Frog Tag Reader, books
It can be frustrating trying to get your kids to enjoy reading, but there are a ton of products out there to help teach them and make them enjoy the experience.
Leap Frog currently has some new coupons available to help you save on their Leap Frog Tag Reader products so you can get your kids learning for less.
Get $3 off a Leap Frog Tag Reader Book coupon. These books are regularly on sale at Walmart, so look there to score a deal with this coupon. If you want to use the discount online at Leapfrog or Amazon.com, enter the code FEBTAG3 at checkout.
If you don’t have a Leap Frog Tag Reader but want one, here’s a $5 off coupon. Use the one above to get your first book at a discount, too.
Free Purex laundry detergent sample
Get your laundry clean for free.
Click here for a free sample of Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets. These samples will go quickly so get them while they last!
Some friends have told me they really like these laundry sheets, which you use in both the washer and the dryer to clean and soften your clothes. Seems like an interesting concept. I figure I will give them a try since I can do it for free. If you get this sample, do share your opinion!
Delicious meal deal for a cheap Chinese lunch
Had some issues with the computer that put me out of commission for a few days but I am back now to share some new deals I’ve spotted. This one is for Middletown residents.
I am normally a brown-bagger for lunch but decided to go out with some co-workers for a bite on Thursday. I stumbled across a delicious deal that will fill up your tummy while not emptying your wallet at the China Garden on 616 N. University Blvd. in Middletown.
For just $4.50 you can order a plate of your favorite Chinese (mine was Sesame Chicken) with fried or white rice. It’s a very large order of food, more than I could eat myself. Add an egg roll for just $1 more. I had a water, which is free. They have more than 30 different meals to choose from, making for many possibilities for a tasty and inexpensive lunch. This special is only available for lunch, which ends at 3 p.m.
For more information, call the China Garden at (513) 422-6845.
If you know of any good meal deals, please share them here or send me an e-mail at jheffner@coxohio.com.
Free pancakes today at IHOP
Hop on over to the IHOP in West Chester Twp. today, Feb. 23, for your free stack of pancakes in celebration of National Pancake Day.
IHOP is offering each customer a free short stack of three buttermilk pancakes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
While the pancakes are free, the restaurant is asking customers to make a donation to support the Children’s Miracle Network. The goal this year is to bring the total money raised for local charities to $5 million in five years, according to a news release.
There are IHOP locations in Mason and West Chester Twp. To get the address for the nearest location to you, click here.
Get Olay products on the cheap with $15
Here’s another good Procter & Gamble product rebate on top of the $100 in coupons you can get I blogged about earlier.
Click here to get a mail-in rebate form for Olay products. You can receive a $15 rebate when you purchase any three Olay Facial Moisturizers, Facial Treatments, Facial Cleansers, Hand & Body Lotions, Body Washes or 6+ Bar Soap Packs. The form does not say you can’t reduce how much you pay out of pocket for these items with coupons, so if you have some you can save even more. Several of these items are on sale at Target and Kroger, making your personal cost before the rebate low.
All purchases must be made between Feb. 12 and March 12, 2010. Rebate submissions must be postmarked by March 26, 2010.
Readers have been reporting that after the rebate they’ve paid less than $3 out of pocket, so this is a great way to stock up.
Get a coupon for a free DiGiorno pizza
It may not be delivery, but your free DiGiorno pizza will be coming in your mailbox.
The printable coupon site coupons.com has a form you can fill out to request a coupon for a free DiGiorno pizza, up to $3.30 in value. The coupon will be mailed to you in 6-8 weeks and is limited to one per household.
This will go fast, so sign up to receive your free pizza coupon in the mail while you can!
Free 3-year subscription to CBS Watch magazine
I love free magazine subscriptions. It’s great getting news and entertainment in the mail without paying a penny. This new magazine subscription is almost unheard of in the freebie world: free for three years!
The first 50,000 who sign up here will get a free 3-year subscription to CBS Watch magazine. This mostly centers on the shows they produce. No purchase necessary, but hurry and sign-up while they last.
You have to pick your favorite show to sign up. I love “How I Met Your Mother.” It’s just mindless fun.
Round-up of free items available now
Save more and spend less with this updated list of freebies.
Get a sweet freebie with this free sample of Tropical Chewy Lemonhead & Friends candies here.
Get a free Hallmark Kids greeting card at any Hallmark store now through March 14. This is a freebie valued at $1.99.
If your kids have a bed-wetting issue, try out UnderJams Night Wear for free through Walmart here. Check out the other free items the store is offering now while you’re there.
The American Lung Association is offering free keychains here.
Try Breathe Right nasal strips for free when you sign up here.
Get a free MP3 song download by Radiohead here.
Buy $50 in P&G products, get $100 in coupons
Procter & Gamble is again offering its rebate program where when you spend $50 on P&G brand products you can get $100 in P&G coupons free.
This program was great last year because it coordinated along with the P&G sale at Kroger. Unfortunately, that is not the case this year. But if you stocked up on some discounted P&G products over the past few sales this month, you may be in luck.
- Here’s how the deal works:
- Buy $50 in P&G products between Feb. 1 - April 15. These can be on multiple receipts, not just one transaction. This total also does not include coupons, meaning if you buy $50 in products but spent $30 because of coupons, you still qualify for the rebate.
- Circle the P&G products and prices on your receipts
- Print this P&G rebate form
- Mail the rebate form and your receipts to:
- P&G Year of Savings, Dept. T, PO Box 460643, El Paso, TX 88546-0643
To get the coupon book, requests must be postmarked by April 30, 2010.
Freebies you can get now
Lots of good freebies available. Get them while they last!
Click here for a free sample of Fekkai shampoo and conditioner here.
LifeScript is offering a free Snuggle fabric softener sample here.
There will be a bunch of other offers you have to opt out of if you don’t want them to get this sample.Design a dress for Venus Williams and then get an offer for a free sample of Tide with Febreze. This site takes awhile to load but once you submit your dress and contest entry, you will get the offer and also be able to select other free samples and coupons from Procter & Gamble.
Get a free sample of Playtex tampons here.
Get a free Poise sample here.
Puppy pet owners can get a free sample of Joint Oats for Dogs supplements here. They are saying it will take 6-8 weeks to get your sample due to high demand.
Get a free Christina Wu bridal tote with code CW here.
CitraClear Softener is offering a free sample of their dishwasher softener here.
Join the Kraft First Taste newsletter and get coupons to try free products. This time you can get a free coupon for Oreo Cakesters.
Free movie rentals brought to you by Redbox
Redbox is really catching on as a new way to easily rent movies at just $1 a day. Well, now you can get these movies for free!
There are a couple of new codes you can use when you head over to your nearest Redbox location to get a free movie rental.
- Here are the codes to use:
- 2DGTAL22
- BREAKROOM
- DVDONME
- DVDONME (Walgreens locations only)
Codes are only good once per credit/debit card you use. A $1 hold is placed on your card until the movie is returned the next night by 9 p.m. If you return the movie on time, then the rental is free, so don’t forget to turn it in!
Want to know when there are new Redbox codes? Join their free email newsletter here. You will get a unique code sent to your inbox when you sign up as well giving you another free rental!
Get a free 6-foot HDMI cable
Now here is a hot freebie!
If you need an HDMI cable (a handy tool to have around when you buy a new computer or TV and want to see things in true HD) then hop on over to Frys.com right now and get this 6-foot cable for $5 with free shipping. Send in the mail in rebate (under the product description) and the cable ends up being free.
This deal is limited to one per household while they last. Looks like you have until Feb. 19 to cash in on this rebate deal, meaning you have to buy the cable before then.
Take advantage of cheap groceries at Kroger sale Round 2
Here’s your chance to enjoy Round 2 of the Kroger Mega Sale. There are some good items to stock up on. Check out the list below.
Kroger recently mailed a booklet with coupons that match very nicely with this sale, including a valuable coupon for Bounty paper towels and Purex detergent. And also there is a $2 off 12-packs of Coke when you buy 4. This is also part of the sale.
When you buy any 10 participating items, get $3 off instantly at check out. Mix and match to get the items you need. Below are some good deals available with coupons.
- $2.49 Purex Laundry Detergent 50 oz
- 35 cents in the 1/10 RP
- 50 cents in the Kroger mailer
- 35 cents on Natural (included in sale) printable here
- Price: $1.49 after instant reward
- Note: Buy two bottles in one transaction, get a $4 coupon off your next order. Use these coupons to stock up on more detergent for free! Get a $4 coupon each time you purchase 2 bottles in one transaction!
- $6.99 Bounty Paper Towels 6-8 rolls
- $1 in the Kroger mailer on 8-roll packs
- 25 cents in the 2/7 P&G
- Price: $5.69 after instant reward
- $1 Banquet Brown ‘N Serve rolls
- 75 cents on 3 in the 1/10 SS
- Price: 37 cents after instant reward
- $1.99 Hot, Lean or Croissant Pockets
- $1 on 2 in the 1/31 RP
- Price: $1.19 after instant reward
- $3.27 Edy’s Ice Cream
- $1 in the 1/31 SS
- Price: $1.97 after instant reward
- $2.78 Klondike bars
- $1 printable here
- Price: $1.48 after instant reward
- $1.99 Betty Crocker Supreme Brownie mix
- 75 cents on 2 printable here, here and here
- Price: $1.19 after instant reward
- $1.99 Betty Crocker assorted fruit snacks
- 75 cents on 2 printable here, here and here
- Price: $1.19 after instant reward
- $1.29 Pillsbury Grands
- 30 cents on 2 in the 1/3 GM
- 30 cents on 2 printable here, here and here
- Price 69 cents after instant reward
- $2.69 General Mills cereals
- $1 on 3 in the 1/3 GM
- $1 on 3 in the 2/7 SS
- $1 on 2 printable here
- 75 cents on Fiber One printable here
- 75 cents on Cheerios printable here
- 55 cents on Trix printable here
- Price: $1.39 - $1.89 after instant reward
- $1.69 Ragu sauce
- 75 cents on 2 in the 1/31 RP
- Price: 89 cents after instant reward
- $1.59 Campbell’s Chunky Soup
- 50 cents on 2 in the 1/3 SS
- 50 cents on 2 in the 1/24 SS
- $1 on 4 in the 1/24 SS
- $1.50 on 3 printable here
- Price: 79 cents after instant reward
- $1 Chef Boyardee cans or cups
- 40 cents in the 1/10 SS
- 35 cents on 3 in the 1/10 SS
- Price: Free - 47 cents after instant reward
- 99 cents Gatorade
- 50 cents in the 1/3 RP
- Price: 30 cent money-maker after instant reward (get an extra 30 cents taken off your total order)
Free cookies with the purchase of milk
There’s nothing quite like dipping a chocolate chip cookie in a nice, full glass of milk. A new coupon will make that even more satisfactory by making those cookies free.
If you are on Facebook, head over this the Nabisco page March 1 and find out how to get a coupon for a free package of their cookies when you buy two gallons of milk.
These Facebook freebies are becoming more and more popular. It seems to be a new medium for companies to get their info out to the masses.
Get free full-sized Purex laundry detergent
Andrea Deckard over at mommysnacks.net has laid out a pretty sweet scenario that will land you free full-sized bottles of Purex laundry detergent this week at Kroger:
Purex is part of the Kroger Buy 10 get $3 off Promotion this week (it’s unadvertised). There is also a Kroger Catalina Deals going on as well that makes this a fab time to stock up on detergent!
Valid thru 1/11/10 - 3/7/10 | Purex Laundry Detergent 50 oz: Buy any 2 and receive a $4 Catalina; Buy any 3 and receive a $5 Catalina.
- $2.49 Purex Laundry Detergent 50 oz
- $.35 in the 1/10 RP Insert (exp 2/20/10)
- Price $1.79 each | $1.49 each after Instant Reward when you buy 10!
Scenario
$3.58: 2 Bottles Purex
MINUS $.60 Instant Savings for each (assuming you purchase 10 total items in the transaction)
MINUS $4 Catalina
Grand Total: $1.02 Money-Maker
Get more from Andrea here and find out more about this week’s sale savings at Kroger here. Thanks, Andrea!
Craving a beefy holiday romance? Head to White Castle
Craving a beefy romance this Valentine’s Day? Then reserve a steamy date at your local White Castle.
On Sunday, Feb. 14, you and your valentine can enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner complete with special menus, tableside service and themed decorations at your local White Castle. There are six restaurant locations in Butler County participating in the event, according to spokeswoman Denise Achberger.
- Participating locations include:
- Participating White Castle locations
- 4780 Roosevelt Blvd., Middletown
- 851 High St., Hamilton
- 1987 S. Erie Hwy., Hamilton
- 5590 Dixie Hwy., Fairfield
- 8111 Highland Point Drive, West Chester Twp.
- 1201 Hamilton-Lebanon Road, Monroe
Reservations must be made in advance to participate. Valentine’s Day service will run from 4 to 8 p.m. To reserve a table, call the Cincinnati district office at (513) 559-0575, ext. 10.
The event, which was first offered in 1991, has become a tradition for some couples, said Jamie Richardson, vice president of corporate relations.
“It’s been a huge hit because a lot of our loyal customers — fondly known as ‘cravers’ — either met in a White Castle Restaurant or have other enjoyable memories they like to celebrate here,” he said.
White Castle officials said they expect the demand for reservations to be even greater this year as residents seek low-cost Valentine’s Day options. Richardson noted that a No. 3 Sack Meal for two at White Castle includes 10 hamburgers, two 21-ounce drinks and two regular fries for $10.49.
“It’s just one example of the value we’ve offered customers since we began selling our famous steam-grilled hamburgers for a nickel in 1921,” he said.
For more information on the event, click hereGet a free package of pepperoni or bacon with your recipe
Now your recipes can help serve up some savings at Sugardale.
Submit a bacon or pepperoni recipe to Sugardale and you’ll get a free pack of Ready Made Bacon or Pepperoni. It’s your choice after you submit a recipe. You do have to register to participate, and will also be entered in a chance to win a free personal chef for a year when you sign-up.
You must know the ingredients, prep instructions, servings, prep time and bake time to submit your recipe. They have to approve it before they will send you the freebie.
Play the grocery game for big savings
Monroe resident Andrea Deckard is a champion at playing the grocery game. This is not some board game, but a real-life way to save big money.
Over at Mommysnacks, Andrea will teach you how to play the game to save big bucks each week. Check out some of the deals she has below and click on the store links to find even more savings available now.
- CVS
- Great Gillette Body Wash ECB Deal!
- FREE Nabisco Crackers
- Check out the scenarios in my post to purchase $33 in products for just $7 if you followed the deals from last week! Plus, you will also have $12 in ECB’s to use next time too!
- Walgreens
- $1.25 Money-Maker after RR on Dove Men+ Care
- Great Kotex RR Deal this week too! Personal hygiene items are always so expensive, and this is a great deal!
- $1 Theraflu after RR
- Aldi
- $.99 Cantaloupe
- $.99 Apples 3 lb Bag
- $.99 Pears
- Meijer
- FREE Johnsonville Sausage with Printable Coupon and Catalina
- $.88/pound Grapes
- $.75 Barilla Pasta
- Target
- Great Quaker Products Gift Card Deal
- $1.20 Fiber One Toaster Pastries
- $1 Orbit Gum
- Walmart
- $1.97 All Laundry Detergent
- $.98 Speed Stick Deodorant
- $1.26 Bayer Aspirin with Printable Coupon
New Mega Sale offerings more mega savings at Kroger
I hope you were one of the smart shoppers who took advantage of the $5 off Mega Sale at Kroger the last two weeks. If you missed out, there is a new Mega Sale going on this week at your local grocer.
When you buy any 10 participating items, get $3 off instantly at check out. Mix and match to get the items you need. Below are some good deals available with coupons.
- $6.99 Brawny Paper Towels 6-8 rolls
- $1 in the 1/24 RP
- Price: $5.69 after instant reward
- $1 Banquet Brown ‘N Serve rolls
- 75 cents on 3 in the 1/10 SS
- Price: 37 cents after instant reward
- $1.99 Hot, Lean or Croissant Pockets
- $1 on 2 in the 1/31 RP
- Price: $1.19 after instant reward
- $3.27 Edy’s Ice Cream
- $1 in the 1/31 SS
- Price: $1.97 after instant reward
- $2.78 Klondike bars
- $1 printable here
- Price: $1.48 after instant reward
- $1.99 Betty Crocker Supreme Brownie mix
- 75 cents on 2 printable here, here and here
- Price: $1.19 after instant reward
- $1.99 Betty Crocker assorted fruit snacks
- 75 cents on 2 printable here, here and here
- Price: $1.19 after instant reward
- $2.69 General Mills cereals
- $1 on 3 in the 1/3 GM
- $1 on 3 in the 2/7 SS
- $1 on 2 printable here
- 75 cents on Fiber One printable here
- 75 cents on Cheerios printable here
- 55 cents on Trix printable here
- Price: $1.39 - $1.89 after instant reward
- $1.69 Ragu sauce
- 75 cents on 2 in the 1/31 RP
- Price: 89 cents after instant reward
- $1.59 Campbell’s Chunky Soup
- 50 cents on 2 in the 1/3 SS
- 50 cents on 2 in the 1/24 SS
- $1 on 4 in the 1/24 SS
- $1.50 on 3 printable here
- Price: 79 cents after instant reward
- $1 Chef Boyardee cans or cups
- 40 cents in the 1/10 SS
- 35 cents on 3 in the 1/10 SS
- Price: Free - 47 cents after instant reward
- 99 cents Gatorade
- 50 cents in the 1/3 RP
- Price: 30 cent money-maker after instant reward (get an extra 30 cents taken off your total order)
Freebies available now
If the Saints come matching in on the Super Bowl this Sunday (aka they win) then you can get yourself a free bottle of Louisiana Hot Sauce by adding them to your friend’s list on Facebook here. Here’s hoping.
Get a free Snoozeberry Shot of Dream Water, meant to help you relax, here.
Starbucks has free KIND granola bars today only, Feb. 5. Find out more here.
Want to have that talk with your kids about not using drugs but just don’t know where to start? Sign up for a free Truth About Marijuana booklet and CD here.
Try the new Jovan Satisfaction fragrance by filling out this survey here.
Cat owners who want to find some friends for their feline can also get a coupon for a free tub of kitty litter. Sign up for a profile here on Catster (like Facebook for cats) and they will mail you a free coupon. If you already have an account, sign-in, verify your info and you will receive the coupon.
Get a free sample of Nick Chavez shampoo and conditioner here. These samples are great for the gym, I just leave them in my bag so if I workout and need a shower, I never have to worry about forgetting the shampoo.
Arm & Hammer is offering free toothpaste samples here.
I saved $192 on groceries this week. Find out how
It was one of my best shopping trips ever and it was thanks in large part to the Kroger Mega Sale.
Last Saturday with a list in hand, I bought $210 worth of groceries at Kroger. Once at checkout, the combination of $30 in Mega Sale Instant Savings, coupons and a $50 gift card, I only paid $18. Even if you count what I would have paid without the gift card, that is a savings of 72 percent! This is proof that if you are serious about saving, you can make a huge dent in your budget by shopping smarter.
Now, Andrea Deckard over at Mommysnacks has helped compile a pretty comprehensive list of the items available in the Mega Sale and how much they cost after coupons. Use this to help you save big this week! I just couldn’t have put together a better list! Thanks, Andrea!
Here’s how the Mega Sale works. Buy any 10 participating items and get $5 off instantly at check-out. Mix and match any of the items to get the savings. Remember, SS= Smart Source insert, RP= Red Plum, P&G= Procter & Gamble, GM= General Mills.
If you play the sale right, you can get more than just the sale items and still wind up with big savings. Saturday I bought 2 gallons of milk, 2 loaves of bread, 1 package of hamburger buns, 5 bananas, 2 packages of ground beef, a marked down pot roast, Iams cat food (with a $3 off coupon) and carpet cleaner (with a $1 off coupon) and still got my total down through the Mega Sale savings.
I also use sales like this to try new things at a low price. That is how my husband was first introduced to Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, to which he is now addicted. Last week, I ordered extra copies of the Frank’s coupon and bought 14 bottles for just 19 cents each. Now we are set with sauce for at least the next couple of months.
- Here’s a list of my favorite picks for this week’s sale after coupons and instant savings. Get all the savings here.
- 99 cents Armour Meatballs
- 99 cents New York Garlic Bread
- 49 cents Green Giant Steamers
- 19 cents Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
- FREE Hormel Chili
- FREE Rotel Tomatoes
- 50 cent MONEY MAKER Quaker Quakes Rice Snacks
- 6 cent I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter sticks
