Good Monday morning, shoppers! Today is my birthday so I’m out of the office, but it seemed like the perfect opportunity to remind everyone of all the freebies they can earn on their special day.

Click here to see the big list of goodies I rounded-up a while back. Know of any others? Leave them in the comments section below and I’ll add them to the list.

I may not get your comments approved as quickly as usual, but I’ll be checking throughout the day.

On June 12 the Salem Red Sox will host Military Appreciation Night. During this event, all active, retired and veteran service members and their families can receive complimentary tickets to the game and a free meal of a hotdog, chips and soda.

Those who qualify should call the Military Family Support Center at 400-8301 or email info@milfamily.org and leave their name, number of tickets needed and branch of the service.

The deadline to reserve your free tickets is Friday, June 7.

Will you be one of the first customers on Wednesday? Photo by Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

In honor of Belk’s 125th anniversary the retailer is giving a free gift card to the first 100 shoppers at each Belk store on Wednesday (May 29). The fun starts at 9 a.m.

The gift cards will be valued anywhere between $5 and $1,000, and there will also be free refreshments available.

Other giveaways will be available daily through July 12. Read more details here.

To find your closest Belk location, click here.

It’s that time again — I have a new list of restaurant freebies and deals. Know of any others? Share them in the comments section below!

Now through Friday (May 17) you can use this printable coupon to get a $5 bottomless lunch bowl at O’Charley’s until 3 p.m. daily. This offer is valid on dine-in purchases only.

Outback Steakhouse also has a new printable coupon offering $8 off the purchase of two entrees or $4 off the purchase of one. This offer is valid on both dine-in and Curbside Take-Away purchases through May 21.

You can also get $5 off the purchase of two lunch entrees from Outback Steakhouse with this printable coupon. This offer is valid on both dine-in and Curbside Take-Away purchases through May 19.

Today and tomorrow you can use this printable coupon to get a free flavored waffle from Waffle House. You can choose from chocolate chip, peanut butter, blueberry or strawberry. This coupon is valid on dine-in visits only.

According to the Smokey Bones Facebook page, when you pick up a $25 gift card you’ll get an additional $5 credit for free.

As many of you know, Steak n Shake opens in Roanoke on Thursday. Here are a couple promotions to keep in mind:
*With the purchase of every $8 spent, kids can eat free on Saturday and Sunday. Kid plates exclude drinks and shakes.
*From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. customers can get drinks and shakes for half-price during happy hour. 
No coupon is necessary for either of these promotions.

Ruby Tuesday is offering a free $15 bonus coupon when you purchase a $50 gift card now through June 16. Gift card purchases can be digital or plastic.

Also, don’t forget about these gift card promotions that I posted about last week:

Outback Steakhouse : From now through June 16 with every purchase of a $50 gift card you’ll get a free $10 bonus card that’s valid May 13 through July 15. Give the free bonus card with the gift card or keep it as a special treat for yourself.

Applebee’s : With each $50 gift card purchase — digital or hard copy — you’ll receive a free $10 Applebee’s bonus card now through July 1.

How will you be celebrating mom on Sunday? Here are a few freebies and deals I’ve found to help you save a few dollars:

O’Charley’s is offering moms a free slice of pie on Sunday. Brunch starts at 9 a.m., so you have all day to take advantage of this deal.

Shoney’s is catering to those with a sweet tooth, too, by offering a free slice of strawberry pie to moms on Sunday with the purchase of a meal or entree.

If Mom is a fan of Outback Steakhouse they have a great gift card deal. From now through June 16 with every purchase of a $50 gift card you’ll get a free $10 bonus card that’s valid May 13 through July 15. Give the free bonus card with the gift card or keep it as a special treat for yourself.

Applebee’s has a similar promotion going on now. With each $50 gift card purchase — digital or hard copy — you’ll receive a free $10 Applebee’s bonus card now through July 1.

Walgreens is offering shoppers a free 8X10 print now through May 11 when you order online and use the code COLLAGE4U and choose in-store pickup.

Know of any other great deals? Share them below!

Green Ridge is also home to the water park Splash Valley. Kids will appreciate swimming lessons once they realize a water slide could be in their future. Photo by Eric Brady | The Roanoke Times.

If you’re considering enrolling the kids in swimming lessons this summer check out this event at Green Ridge Recreation Center on Saturday (May 11).

Red Cross Certified instructors will be on site and offering free 30-minute swimming lessons beginning at 9 a.m. Pre-registration for this event is required, so call 777-6303 to get your child’s name on the list. This is a great opportunity to test the water, if you will, before making a commitment to pay for lessons.

Green Ridge Recreation Center is located at 7415 Wood Haven Road, Roanoke. For more information, click here.

Attention teachers! Chipotle will have a nice treat for you tomorrow. Here’s the message I got from the company:

“Chipotle is putting teachers at the head of the class this Teacher Appreciation Day with a special “buy-one-get-one-free” promotion. On Tuesday, May 7, 2013, teachers and educators who show a valid school ID identifying them as staff will receive a free burrito, salad, burrito bowl or order of tacos when they purchase another menu item at Chipotle Mexican Grill. This promotion is available from 4:00 p.m. to close in all U.S. Chipotle restaurants.

“We are changing the way people think about and eat fast food,” said Chris Arnold, communications director at Chipotle. “This means going beyond our commitment to better food from more sustainable ingredients and working hard to engrain our restaurants in the communities that they serve. Connecting with educators and other key community groups is part of who we are, and we’re always happy when our work makes an impact upon the communities where we operate.”

 Chipotle is celebrating teachers and educators and the work they do as part of the National Education Association’s Teacher Appreciation Day. This promotion is only open to teachers and educators who show a valid school ID identifying them as staff. This deal will only be honored for dine in or take out and excludes online orders, fax orders, mobile orders, “Burritos by the Box” and catering.

 For more information, please go to any Chipotle restaurant or visit Chipotle.com.”

Is it just me or do these look even more delicious knowing they’ll be free? Photo courtesy of Outback Steakhouse.

Today and May 9 you can get a free small order of cheese fries with any purchase at Outback Steakhouse. There’s no coupon necessary for this deal, just mention “Thursday FriesDay” to your server.

Enjoy! It’s almost the weekend.

Considering a membership to Sam’s Club? This weekend you can check out what the retailer has to offer during it’s open house Friday through Sunday.

I received this notice from a store representative:

“From Friday, April 26 to Sunday, April 28, Sam’s Club is opening its doors to the public for a three-day spring Open House weekend. Members and non-members across the country will be able to access extraordinary savings on the newest items for spring and summer entertaining including dozens of complimentary warm weather food and beverage items, luxurious patio sets, hybrid grills and accessories for outdoor living from gazebos and pop-up gardens to pool floats and play sets.

During the Open House, Sam’s Club will present a festival of summer-inspired food and beverage samples from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, including but not limited to:

• Patriotic Pound Cake with assorted fresh berries
• Assorted gourmet cheeses including smoked gouda, gruyere and Jarlsburg
• Fresh Enchilada Bake with Brisket and Salsa
• Grilled Steak Salad with Wish-bone® Dressing
• Applewood Smoked Pork Chops
• Garlic and Herb Chicken with Just Add Juice™ Seasoning
• Artichoke Spinach Dip with Pita Chips
• Italian Deli Pasta Salad with Daily Chef Rotini and Castle Wood® Sliced Salami
• Honey BBQ Pork Tenderloin
• Olive Garden Steak with Olive Garden® Italian Dressing
• Fruity Lemonade Cooler with Country Time® Lemonade and fresh watermelon

Several food pairings are sourced from recipes in Fresh, Fast & Fabulous (Version Three), an exclusive Sam’s Club cookbook provided to Open House guests while supplies last. You and your readers can download a digital version of the cookbook with inspiring recipes, cooking tips and brilliant photography at SamsClub.com/meals. “

Here are some new printable deals for local restaurants and retailers. Be sure to check the expiration dates — some expire soon.

Retail
*Old Navy: $15 off a $75 purchase (Expires April 24)
*JC Penney: 20% off purchases in store or online or 10% off furniture (Expires April 17)
*JoAnn Fabric: 50% off any regular priced item (Expires April 20)
*Michaels: 40% off any regular priced item, 50% off regular priced purchase of Jolee’s embellishments, or 50% off + 30% off custom framing (Expires April 20)
*AC Moore: 50% off any regular priced item and 60% off custom framing (Expires April 20)
*Kohl’s: 20% off everything in stores and online (Expires April 17)
*Belk: $20 off a purchase of $100 or more of Karen Kane products (Expires April 19)
*Belk: 20% off fine jewelry (Expires April 20)
*Ulta: $3.50 off a purchase of $10 or more (Expires April 20)

Dining
*Sbarro: Free skinny slice with the purchase of any pizza slice or stromboli at (Expires April 30)
*Bruster’s : 75 cents off a waffle cone and 99 cents for a kid’s dino or dirt sundae (Expires April 17)
*Olive Garden: $3 off two adult lunch entrees (Expires April 25)

Other dining promotions to remember:

Now through May 5 Olive Garden has brought back the “Buy One, Take One” offer. With this deal you can get one entree with unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks in restaurants, plus you get a second entree to take home all for $12.95.  For more information, click here.

Remember that all month long at Subway you can get 6″ subs buy one, get one free before 9 a.m. Mix and match breakfast sandwiches and deli sandwiches at participating locations.

On April 26 Pretzelmaker will be celebrating National Pretzel Day by giving away free salted or unsalted pretzels. There’s no coupon necessary to get this deal, just mention National Pretzel Day when you visit.

The sun sets behind storm clouds prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond in September 2012. AP Photo|Jason Hirschfeld

Today through Saturday (April 13) you can earn two free tickets to the Toyota Owners 400 when you make a $200 purchase at Kroger. The $200 must be spent in a single transaction and excludes fuel, pharmacy, gift cards, alcohol and tobacco purchases.

Once you reach $200, the ticket voucher will print on your receipt. To redeem the offer, call 866-455-RACE and mention “Kroger offer.” You’ll then be prompted to enter the nine-digit voucher number on your receipt.

Households are limited to two tickets and there is a limited supply — so call as soon as possible.

The race is being held on April 27 at the Richmond International Raceway.

For more information, call 1-800-576-4377.

Here are some new dining deals that don’t require a coupon:

First, don’t forget about Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s — which is happening today.

Also, today you can get a free order of coconut shrimp at Outback Steakhouse. Just mention TourneyTizer to your server to get the deal.

Now through May 5 Olive Garden has brought back the “Buy One, Take One” offer. With this deal you can get one entree with unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks in restaurants, plus you get a second entree to take home all for $12.95.  For more information, click here.

Remember that all month long at Subway you can get 6″ subs buy one, get one free before 9 a.m. Mix and match breakfast sandwiches and deli sandwiches at participating locations.

Now for some coupons:

*$5 off a $15 purchase at Smokey Bones (Expires April 14)
*Free skinny slice with the purchase of any pizza slice or stromboli at Sbarro (Expires April 30)
*Half-price Lobsterfest entree when you buy a full-price entree at Red Lobster (Expires April 14)
*$1 pretzel from Aunti Anne’s (Expires April 9)
*75 cents off a waffle cone and 99 cents for a kid’s dino or dirt sundae from Bruster’s (Expires April 17)
*Free curly fries or potato cakes in honor of Tax Day from Arby’s (April 15 only)
*Free 16 oz. shake with the purchase of a regular priced sandwich from Arby’s (Expires April 9) 
*$1 off any regular or large sub from Quiznos (Expires April 16)

Know of any other great foodie deals? Share them!

What flavor will you choose? Graphic courtesy of Ben & Jerry’s.

It’s that time of year again — Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s is back!

Stop by the Ben & Jerry’s locations at Valley View or New River Valley Mall tomorrow during regular business hours (9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for Valley View or 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. for NRV) and you can get a free scoop in the flavor of your choice.

My sister and I have made this a little tradition each year. It’s a great way to perk up a weekday, and this warm, spring weather (finally) makes ice cream even better.

What flavor will you choose? It’s a three-way tie between Chunky Monkey, Strawberry Cheesecake and Oatmeal Cookie for me. I’ll have to make a game time decision.

For more information, click here.

How will you dress your subs? Photo by Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times

All month long you can get 6″ Subway sandwiches buy one, get one free when you stop in before 9 a.m.

This deal is good on all subs, so you can mix and match breakfast sandwiches with deli sandwiches.

For more information or to find the Subway closest to you, click here.

Note: This deal is valid only at participating locations. Ask your preferred restaurant if it’s participating before you order.

It’s easy to lose sight of your spending and debt when so many payments are automatically drafted and carrying cash is nearly obsolete.

With most banks moving away from paper statements, you could go for months without seeing what’s going into and coming out of your bank account each day. That makes it tough to stick to a budget.

With the help of some online tools, though, you can sort out your cents without the help of a pricey financial guru.

Here are some of the best free personal finance tools out there:

Credit Sesame

I downloaded this free app when I was about to buy my first car.

Enter some basic financial information and the program will calculate your credit score as well as your total debt and home value, if you want. I like the charts that show my debt-to-income ratio and how my payments have changed over time. For young adults this program provides an easy entry into personal finance, while seasoned money-crunchers will appreciate the facts and figures this app provides.

You can also visit the website for a detailed view of your accounts and more tips on how you can save.

Devices: PC, Apple and Android
Sign up: www.creditsesame.com

Mint

This is a popular free online service that can open your eyes to how much you’re spending. When you create an account you can link your bank account, retirement account, loans, property, investments and credit cards and Mint will go to work.

Set up budgets for yourself, like a monthly allowance on groceries and entertainment, and Mint tells you how much you’re already spending on each category. If you have over- or underspent, the program tells you by how much and where you can start saving.

Take some time to really utilize all aspects of this service. Check your finance trends to see what’s going on with your money. Set goals for things like paying off loans, saving for college or saving for retirement. The site will calculate a time frame and your total savings for each goal.

Devices: PC, Apple and Android
Sign up: www.mint.com

Ready For Zero

If your goal is to pay off debt, this is a valuable service.

Link your financial accounts to the program and it will help you make a customized payment plan. The basic free tools on Ready For Zero allow you to experiment and see how much you can save by entering various monthly payments. Once you find an amount that fits your budget, the service can take over your payments to ensure they’re done on time.

Your progress will also be tracked, and you can sign up for notifications when there are changes to any of your financial accounts (like large deposits or bank charges).

Devices: PC, Apple
Sign up: www.readyforzero.com

LearnVest

LearnVest is a budgeting program similar to Mint, where you can link and track accounts. The basic service is free, but if you need more assistance you can pay to unlock features of the site, such as one-on-one contact with a financial planner.

I think the best part of this service is the variety of articles available. There are some great tips that clarify a lot of the financial blunders we all encounter from time to time.

Devices: PC, Apple
Sign up: www.learnvest.com

Student Loan Hero

Whether you’re preparing for college or are about to bust into the post-graduate real world, Student Loan Hero is a great free service for understanding student loan payments.

The financial directory can answer most questions students and recent graduates have and familiarize them with terms associated with loans. You can also send an email with specific questions and get personalized advice from the site.

Like the services above, you can link your loan accounts and it tracks and charts your payments. There are some practical tips for saving on monthly payments as well.

Devices: PC, Apple (no mobile apps are available at this time)
Sign up: www.studentloanhero.com

Before signing up for these services and linking your financial accounts to them, I recommend carefully reading their privacy policies. Each of these services is known to be safe and accurate, but there are plenty of scams out there too.

What’s your favorite personal finance service? How do you keep tabs on your money?

If you need a daily chocolate boost, check out this offer from 7-Eleven.

Just click here to download the store’s app, and then you can access an exclusive coupon offering a free Snickers bar today only.

Some other goodies 7-Eleven is offering include $1 coffee on Wednesdays and a free 16-oz. Pepsi with the purchase of any fresh sandwich (both of these offers are good for the remainder of March).

Customers can also score a free MiO Liquid Water Enhancer in stores on April 23.

Spring is off to a chilly start, but don’t let it get you down if you’re not a snow lover (this girl). Here are some hot new printable coupons to get your week started off right.

Know of any others out there? Share them with me!

The Limited is offering $15 off original ticket prices with this printable Facebook coupon. You can also show the coupon on your smart phone at the register to receive this discount. No minimum purchase amount is required, so it’s very possible you could leave the store with a free — or nearly free — item. This coupon expires March 27 and can be used in stores only.

Old Navy has a new printable Facebook coupon offering $10 off of a $50 purchase in stores. You can also show the coupon on your smart phone at the register to receive this discount. This deal excludes clearance merchandise and cannot be combined with any other discounts. The coupon expires March 27.

Yankee Candle is offering all large jar candles, tumbler candles and Pure Radiance vase candles buy two, get one free with this printable coupon. You can take advantage of this coupon at any Yankee Candle store or participating Yankee Candle retailer (excludes Kohl’s and Target). This coupon expires April 14.

You still have time to use this printable Kohl’s coupon offering 20% off a purchase of at least $100 or 15% off all other purchases. You can also show the coupon on your smart phone at the register to receive this discount. This coupon expires on March 30.

Visit Express soon and you can use this printable coupon to earn $25 off every $100 spent in stores or online. The coupon is not valid on clearance merchandise and expires March 26.

Shoe Carnival had a coupon in yesterday’s paper, but if you missed it you can still print out this coupon offering $5 off a purchase of at least $39.98 or $15 off a purchase of at least $74.98 in stores or online. These coupons expire on March 30. 

It’s been a while since we’ve seen any Waffle House coupons, but here’s a new printable offering a free bowl of oatmeal. This offer is good Monday through Friday for dine-in only, but no other purchase is necessary. This coupon expires April 2.

Sbarro has a new printable Facebook offer for $1 off a slice of pizza. This coupon expires on April 7.

After a great discussion on the Shoptimist blog a few weeks ago about the popularity of e-books, I realized that there are ways to save on other reading material too, like magazines.

Whether you prefer to read your magazines on an e-reader or the old-fashioned paper form, there are tons of ways to get subscriptions for free or cheap. Personally, I subscribe to four different magazines, none of which I’ve had to pay for. It’s great to have so many freebies show up in my mailbox monthly.

Survey panels

One way I’ve gotten free subscriptions is through e-Rewards, an opinion panel I was invited to participate in.

I take surveys on a variety of topics for the website and earn digital e-Rewards dollars in return. There’s a full list of magazine subscriptions (as well as other rewards) I can cash in my survey money for, and many of them are popular titles.

Unfortunately this website is only available by invitation, but it works with many different retailers. I got my invitation on a receipt from the retailer Express. What’s great about the e-Rewards system is that I don’t have to enter any credit card information when I sign up for a magazine, so there won’t be any tricky charges.

Not all survey panels are invitation only. MySurvey, Pinecone Research, Inbox Dollars, Vindale Research, Opinion Place and Ipsos are all legitimate survey sites that pay cash or offer rewards, like magazine subscriptions. Each site opens up for new survey takers at various times throughout the year.

Websites

I’ve also signed up for free magazine subscriptions through Mercury Magazines. The best way to get notifications about deals from this website is to sign up for email alerts, which you can do at www.mercurymagazines.com.

About twice each week I get notifications about free magazine deals. Some of the offers are for digital subscriptions while others are hard-copy subscriptions. Also, the number of issues you receive can vary; some deals are as few as two months while others can be a full year. You don’t have to enter any payment information on this site either.

Other websites where you can find free or deeply discounted subscriptions are Amazon, ValueMags (www.valuemags.com), Discount Magazines (www.discountmagazines.com) and Rewards Gold (www.rewardsgold.com). Prices fluctuate daily, so check back often if you don’t see what you’re looking for.

Go digital

If you are a subscriber to a magazine already, chances are you also have a digital subscription that can be viewed on youre-reader. If that’s not the case, there are still some outlets for you.

Amazon Prime members can access many magazines for free and at special promotional prices through the Kindle Store. The Nook app, Zinio and Next Issue also offer discounted digital-only subscriptions for various eReaders, tablets and smartphones.

Split a deal

Magazines often advertise buy one, get one free or buy one, get one half-off deals. If you have a friend or relative who’s also interested in getting a subscription, these can save money or make great gifts. Just watch out for the fine print. Important details to verify include how many months are included and whether the deal is on auto-renewal.

Auto-renewal, promotional prices

If you do find a subscription that automatically renews itself, call well in advance to cancel the next pay period if you’re not interested in continuing the deal. This option should be available to you right after subscribing, so don’t wait until it’s too late.

On the other hand, auto-renewal magazines are often some of the best bargains, so if it’s a publication you know you want to keep receiving, they can be great in the long run.

As a subscriber, you do have some power. If you notice the subscription price of a magazine has gone up, it never hurts to call and ask the company to renew your promotional price. Even if you can’t get the exact deal, they may offer you something else that will save money. Mentioning you may not keep your subscription because of rising costs is a surefire way to get a bargain. 

What great magazine deals have you found? Have you made the transition to digital, or do you still prefer hard copies?

Start your holiday weekend off right with these new printable coupons:

Arby’s is offering customers Reuben sandwiches buy one, get one free Friday through Sunday with this printable coupon.

If you’ve already caught spring fever and can’t wait to get out in the yard, be sure to print out this Lowe’s coupon offering $10 off a $50 purchase. The coupon doesn’t expire until May 18, but you never know when it will disappear online.

Starbucks is offering customers a free tall caramel or hazelnut macchiato with this printable coupon. You’ve got some time to use it, too — this coupon doesn’t expire until March 31.
Meanwhile, at Barnes & Noble Starbucks locations you can get espresso beverages buy one, get one free with this printable coupon from opening until noon, now through March 31. (There are also some other B&N coupons at that link.)

Olive Garden has a sweet new deal for families. Click here to print a coupon offering a free kid’s meal with the purchase of an adult entree. You can get up to two kid’s meals free with the purchase of two adult meals per coupon, and it doesn’t expire until March 21.

Kohl’s is having a Friends and Family Sale this weekend, and you can save even more with this printable coupon offering an additional 20% off your entire purchase in stores and online. This coupon is valid Friday through Sunday.

This weekend at Macy’s you can get an additional 10% to 15% off select sale and clearance purchases with this printable coupon. This coupon expires on Sunday.

Hungry? Denny’s is celebrating bacon in its restaurants right now, and you can sign up here to get a coupon for two free bacon strips next time you dine. You can also use this printable coupon to get 20% off your entire check. This coupon is good through March 23.

Craving something different? Smokey Bones is offering customers $5 off a $15 purchase with this printable coupon, which is valid through Sunday.

If you’re thinking of hitting the mall this weekend, be sure to print this coupon from Aeropostale offering $10 off any purchase of $50 or more.  This deal is good through Sunday.

Don’t forget this printable coupon from The Limited too — you can use it to get $50 off a $150 purchase, $30 off a $100 purchase or $15 off a $30 purchase. This coupon expires March 19.

This is a fun freebie from Ulta: Print this coupon and you can get a free travel size of Redken hair spray. This coupon is good through Saturday, and no other purchase is necessary.
Additionally, you can use this printable coupon at Ulta to save $3.50 off of a purchase of $10 or more now through March 30.

Also, don’t forget about the return of JC Penney coupons, which I posted about yesterday.

Know of any other great coupons I missed? Share them!

Photo courtesy of Starbucks.

Starbucks is always surprising us with fun freebies and today I’ve got two I’ll share with you.

Today through Saturday (March 9) you can get a free Tazo tea after 2 p.m. when you bring in your receipt from an earlier purchase. For more information, visit the Starbucks Facebook page.
*Note: This promotion is only available at participating Starbucks, so inquire about it on your next trip in.

And the next deal:
Today through March 14, new My Starbucks Rewards members can get a free $5 credit when they register a gift card. Registration is easy. You just go online and fill out a form with the number on your card, plus a few other details. After that the $5 credit will automatically be added to your card (though be patient, it may not happen immediately).
*Note: This deal is for new members only. For more information, click here.

It’s a good idea to keep money loaded on your card and make future purchases with it. For every purchase made with a card that’s registered with My Starbucks Rewards you’ll earn a point and those points can be redeemed for freebies.

Friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter for more updates.

Earn two free seats at Martinsville Speedway from Kroger. AP Photo/Autostock|Nigel Kinrade

(Update: I contacted Kroger to clarify that the purchase of gift cards is excluded from this promotion.)

If you purchase $200 in a single transaction at Kroger now through March 16 the grocer will give you a voucher for two free tickets to the STP Gas Booster 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 7.

Once you hit the $200 goal a ticket voucher will print on your receipt. To redeem the voucher, call 877-RACE-TIX and mention “Kroger Offer.” Make sure you have the 9-digit voucher number from the receipt handy before calling.

Fine print:
*Fuel, pharmacy, alcohol and tobacco purchases are excluded from this promotion.
*There’s a limit a two free tickets per household.
*Limited ticket quantites are available.

Though fuel isn’t an eligible purchase for this promotion, it is worth mentioning that Kroger is giving out four-times the gas points for select gift card purchases now through March 30.

Friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter for more updates.

Good news shoppers, Proctor & Gamble has a new rebate offer available.

Spend $50 on P&G products now through April 30 and you could be rewarded with a $15 rebate. The rebate will be given as a pre-paid card and sent to you within 6 to 8 weeks.

Here are the important details:
*Print and fill out this rebate form
*Include the original UPC labels from each package and the original dated sales receipt with store name and product purchase price circled
*Mail by May 31

One nice aspect of this offer is that the $50 purchase price is the subtotal before coupon redemption — so you can really save some cash by buying items that are on sale and using a coupon. Also, you can submit multiple receipts, your $50 doesn’t need to be spent in one shopping trip.

I prefer rebates that pay off in the form of a check, but if you’re an avid P&G customer you can’t argue with getting money back.

Just as we’ve seen iPods and mp3s replace CD players and CDs over the past decade, eBooks and eReaders have grown in popularity.

Whether you have a Kindle, a Nook or an iPad, it’s not necessary to spend a bundle on reading material. You also don’t necessarily need a tablet. It’s possible to download the programs associated with these eReaders on most mobile devices and computers.

I asked Shoptimist blog readers about their eBook habits and got some great responses. Even skeptics who thought they would never replace their paperbacks have enjoyed their space-saving eReaders. After doing some research and taking the advice of readers, I’ve compiled this list of the best options out there for buying or borrowing eBooks. Where possible I’ve included a short blog reader review.

Local library

Roanoke Valley libraries have an extensive collection of eBooks available for download — and it’s all free. Readers can check out up to three books at one time, though the lending period may vary from book to book.

Once the lending time is up the books will be removed from your device. Searching for books is similar to searching in a regular library, so the process is familiar and easy.

Additionally, this service works on numerous eReaders, mobile phone devices and desktop or laptop computers.
Web address: www.rvl.info
App: Overdrive
Blog reader Jbx2 says: “I will pay a few dollars for a book from Amazon but a lot of the new releases I will get electronically through the library. … You get two weeks to read them and then they will come off your Kindle. You can also return them early if you finish them early. Sometimes newer releases take a little longer for the library to get in electronic form, but to me it’s worth the wait. Overall, it’s been a great investment.” (Note: The lending period is different from book to book.)

Amazon

Amazon was mentioned the most in blog comments by Shoptimist readers. The site regularly offers a selection of free books and puts eBooks on sale often, some up to 80 percent off. There are also magazines available to read for free.

Anyone with a Kindle (Amazon’s own eReader), an Android or Apple mobile device, a desktop or laptop computer can access these titles.

With the Amazon Cloud you can store your downloads — a nice backup for anything that is accidentally deleted from a device. Anything on the Cloud can be restored.

If you’re an Amazon Prime member and have a Kindle, you can also access The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. Here you can download one book per month for free and keep it for an unlimited amount of time. When you’re ready for your next free book you must “return” the previous free download.
Web address: www.amazon.com
App: Kindle Cloud Reader
Blog reader 3rd Fred says: “I’ve had a Kindle for about two years now. Have bought virtually all the ‘books’ from Amazon. There are some great buys for 99 cents to $4.99. A few duds too. But where else can you get a good edition of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare for about $2?”

Baen

If you’re a fan of science fiction or fantasy reads this is the site for you.

There are eBooks available for purchase here, but there’s also a wide selection of free downloads. One major negative to this site is you can’t sort titles by price, aside from looking at a separate list of free books. Books available for purchase generally range from about $4 to about $15.

Books are available for download on Nook, Kindle, and Apple and Android mobile devices. There are also some downloads that can be read on laptop and desktop computers.
Web address: www.baenebooks.com
App: None needed

Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble created its own eReader called the Nook, so owners of that device tend to prefer this retailer’s selection of downloads. Some titles are available to download for under $2.99, and many other eBooks can be purchased for under $5.

Don’t have a Nook? You can still download the Nook App and read these selections on Apple and Android mobile devices, as well as desktop or laptop computers.
Web address: www.barnesandnoble.com
App: Nook
Blog reader Fincastle Mom says: “Before the library (and still do many now) I got free books from Barnes & Noble website. I love that I can delete a book (very satisfying when they aren’t any good!) and I can ‘test drive’ authors and books before I decide that I want to spend money.”

BookBoon

This site describes itself as “Books for Business Professionals,” which is pretty appropriate as it has a wide selection of textbooks, business books and travel guides. Titles range from guides to navigating Microsoft programs to college texts to world travel guides, specified by different cities, regions and countries.

One major positive of this site is that everything is available to download for free. There’s also no registration required. Any device that has Adobe Reader can open titles from BookBoon.
Web address: www.bookboon.com
App: None needed

BookBub

BookBub is a service that will email you the best book deals of the day.

In each email you’ll receive around 10 to 15 books ranging from free to about $2.99 per download. The site checks various sites for the best deals and then sends readers the link to each deal.

If you prefer Barnes & Noble over Amazon it’s no problem. If both retailers are offering the deal BookBub will supply both links for downloading. In addition to the daily emails, you can also browse the website for more deals.

The biggest positive of this service is that it sticks to one email per day — no spammy messages here.
Web address: www.bookbub.com
App: None needed
Blog reader Mary J. says: “You sign up, tell them your preferences, then they send you one (and ONLY one) email a day with selections from the categories you picked. Like other folks have experienced, some are duds, some are stellar. I’ve actually gone back and bought more of an author’s back list because I got one of their books from Bookbub and loved it.”

Books-A-Million

Like Barnes & Noble, this brick-and-mortar retailer is trying to keep up with the times by offering eBooks.

Downloads can be read on most eReaders (Books-A-Million does not have its own), as well as Apple and Android devices. Prices are a little higher on this site for new releases and popular titles, but it is possible to view a selection of special deals with downloads as low as 99 cents.
Web address: www.booksamillion.com
App: None needed

Free-eBooks.net

This site offers both free and paid memberships, but if you don’t want to pay it still has plenty to offer.

With a free membership you can access an unlimited amount of books in HTML format, which is supported by most eReaders, mobile devices, and desktop and laptop computers. Free memberships also give you access to five books each month that can be viewed in PDF formats; these downloads can be printed.

You can search the collection by genre or keyword, and textbook titles and magazines are included, but this site is more difficult to navigate than Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

With a paid membership, which is $7.95 per month or $39.97 per year, members get unlimited downloads of all formats, plus space on the website to store their favorite titles. The website says paying members also get priority when it comes to customer service.
Web address: www.free-ebooks.net
App: Free eBooks

GoodReads

This site has been popular among avid readers for years, but now it’s not just for sharing reviews of your latest read.

GoodReads now offers a list of eBook titles. If you’re browsing with no specific book in mind it’s handy because the titles can be sorted by price. Some classics are available for free and can be downloaded via PDF (these can be read on any computer with Adobe and can also be printed) or onto eReaders. Other downloads have a fee that starts at 99 cents.
Web address: www.goodreads.com/ebooks
App:Goodreads

Project Gutenberg

Are you a fan of the classics? If so, this site has everything you’re looking for — and it’s all free. The site is easily navigated and not cluttered with ads like some of the other smaller sites.

Downloads are available in multiple formats, so you can read these titles on most eReaders, desktop and laptop computers, and mobile devices.
Web address: www.gutenberg.org
App:Top10 Project Gutenberg
Blog reader Dusty says: “Gutenberg.org is a great place to get free books if you’re down for some classics.”

What is your favorite eBook site?

On ThursdayKrispy Kreme will be giving customers who purchase one dozen Valentine doughnuts 12 cards that are good for a free doughnut of your choice.
Photo courtesy of Krispy Kreme.

Valentine’s Day is coming up on Thursday. What better way to celebrate than with some freebies?

First of all, there are tons of free printables available. Coloring pages, cards, activity sheets — you name it. With a quick Google search you can come up with endless results.

 Also, on Thursday Krispy Kreme will be offering customers who purchase a dozen Valentine doughnuts — which are  in delicious heart shapes — 12 Valentine cards, each of which are good for a free doughnut. Co-workers, friends and family members will love getting a special tasty treat and a coupon for a treat in the future.

Don’t want to wait for Thursday? Now through the 14th Starbucks is offering customers a sweet new BOGO deal. Print this coupon or show it to the barista on your phone and you can get the select featured drinks buy one, get one free after 2 p.m. The participating drinks include caffe mocha, vanilla spice latte and hot chocolate.

 Need some romantic tunes? Amazon is offering this download of “Valentine’s 2013 – A TuneCore Artist Hip-Hop / R&B Compilation” for free. If you’re interested in this deal download it soon, you never know when the price will change.
* Before downloading be sure that the price reads “FREE” in red print or else you will be charged.

Know of other holiday freebies or deals? Share them in the comments section below.

Congratulations to the winner: Eddie! He wrote:

“Ten years ago I had been working out of town. I was on my way home. My plane landed February 13th at 11:00 pm. I was traveling with my boss. His car was at the airport so he gave me a ride home. My wife was going to surprise me that night with my Valentines present since it was minutes from February 14th. I asked my boss in for a beer to wind down from the flight. When we walked in my wife was on the other side of the door wearing nothing but a red bow! I opened the door and we both walked in. She started screaming and took off running and my boss ran back down the sidewalk!”

I hope your wife enjoys this gift set. She deserves it after that embarrrassing moment!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

I think Valentine’s Day gets taken way too seriously. You hear stories about single people hating the date and couples going overboard on lavish gifts and dinners. So how about we take this moment to laugh a little bit — and possibly win a prize?

Some of the most memorable holiday moments for me have been the goofiest. Last year, my date got me a Clemson Snuggie. He had the best of intentions and thought he was buying me a nice fleece blanket — which he did, but this blanket also had sleeves. Fast forward to later in the evening, after a glass or two of wine, and we were having a blast modeling my gift. I’ve also used that gift to keep toasty during multiple evenings of online shopping — that’s something a box of chocolates can’t do for ‘ya.

So, what have some of your Valentine’s goofs been? Did a flaming dessert at a restaurant go rogue? Did your romantic date night turn into a crazy adventure?

Share some of your laughable experiences below and you could win a MAC gift set.

The new “Archie’s Girls” line just became available and I’ve got a nice sampling to share.
This gift set includes: a mirror, mascara, lip gloss, lip stick, nail polish, powder and eye shadow set.
Also, it’s all worth a grand total of over $160.

Ladies, enter for yourself, a friend, your mom — whoever you’d like to share the wealth with. Gentlemen, this is a great opportunity to impress your Valentine.

Enter between now and 10 a.m. Monday to be eligible. I’ll pick a winner at random and make the announcement by 11 a.m. Monday. If win and would like your gift set by Valentine’s Day you can come pick it up at the paper, otherwise it will be mailed to you.

In celebration of National Pancake Day IHOP will be giving diners a complimentary stack of buttermilk pancakes tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

National Pancake Day also kicks off the national fundraising campaign for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. After enjoying the freebie, diners will be encouraged to donate to the local Children’s Miracle Netowrk Hospital or other local charity. It’s a pretty sweet deal — 100% of donations will go to these charities.

Additionally, if you buy a $5 Miracle balloon to support Children’s Miracle Network you’ll receive a coupon for $5 off your next visit to IHOP.

For more information about this tasty freebie and fundraiser, click here.

Papa John’s always seems to have a free pizza deal connected to the Super Bowl and this year is no different.

This year, they’re asking you to vote on whether you think the coin toss will be heads or tails. If you guess correctly you’ll win a free large one-topping pizza.

Winners will receive a promotional code via email on Monday. This deal can only be redeemed online, so if you prefer to order by phone this deal may not be for you.

Even if you don’t win the free pizza, you’ll get a promo code offering you a discount on your next order just for voting. Everyone wins!

Voting ends tomorrow at midnight. Click here to try your luck.

If you use the pharmacy at CVS, you could be on your way to earning even more Extra Bucks.

The new Pharmacy & Health Rewards program is offering CVS customers $5 in Extra Bucks for every 10 pharmacy credits a customer earns. Combine this with any rewards you receive with your Green Bag Tag and you can really rack up the rewards by visiting the pharmacy. 

This new program reminds me of the new Walgreens Balance Rewards program, which is also based on points.
Here’s the break down:
* New prescription = 1 credit
* Refilled prescription = 1 credit
* Fill or refill a 90-day prescription = 3 credits
* Get a flu shot or vaccine from a pharmacist = 1 credit
* Add prescription management and take care of prescriptions on CVS.com = 3 credits
* Sign up for prescription text alerts = 1 credit
* Sign up for refill reminder emails = 1 credit

So, the easiest way to get your points/Extra Bucks is to fill 10 prescriptions, and by signing up for any programs you’re intrested in on cvs.com.  You do have to enroll in this program to get your points – click here to do so.

I don’t love that this system is based on points, it makes me worry that other changes are on the way, but it seems simple enough.

Will you be taking advantage of this new offer?

You can find coupons for these products at CVS pharmacies. Photo courtesy of CVS Minute Clinic.

Visit your local CVS pharmacy now and you can find coupon books worth up to $9.

These books are full of coupons for cough and cold products — something many people are in need of during this vicious flu season.

You’ll find savings for products like Tylenol Cold, Motrin, Children’s Tylenol, Zyrtec and Sudafed in each book.

If you’re interested in this offer, I suggest you swing by your preferred location soon. Coupons tend to get scooped up pretty quickly, and there’s a limited supply. For more information, click here.

To be perfectly honest, I can’t remember the last time I bought an actual CD. Amazon and iTunes are my go-to spots for digital music these days.

That could change now, though, with the release of AutoRip from Amazon.

Now, many CDs available on Amazon will come with a free MP3 copy when you purchase them. The digital songs will automatically be uploaded to your Cloud player, and from there you can add them to your iTunes (or whatever program you prefer).

I think this is great. I actually prefer hard copy CDs because I know that if there’s a freak computer accident I still have copies of my music.

However, it started to seem silly to buy the hard copy and immediately toss it aside after uploading it to my computer. Now I have no excuse. I can keep the back-up, but still automatically download the songs to my iPod. This is also especially convenient because my car doesn’t have an iPod jack, just a CD player.

Participating CDs will be marked with the “AutoRip” icon that you see above.

For more information about this offer from Amazon, click here.

Will you be taking advantage of this offer?

P&G doesn’t offer printable coupons, so whenever there’s a new batch of goodies from the P&G Everyday site I jump on it. I’ve received some great packages from the company full of samples and coupons, and this month there are more things available than in the past.

This time around you can get samples and coupons for:
*Crest^® 3D White Arctic Fresh toothpaste
* Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo and Conditioner
* Crest^® 3D White^™ Intensive Professional Effects Whitestrips
* Tide Boost^™ Vivid White + Bright^™ Pacs
* Downy Infusions^™ Honey Flower
* Tide Pods and Downy Unstopables

There are also coupons for:
* COVERGIRL + Olay^® Tone Rehab^™ 2-in-1 Foundation
* Olay^® Smooth Finish Facial Hair Removal Duo
* Crest^® 3D White Multi-Care Whitening Arctic Fresh Icy Cool Mint Rinse
* Oral-B^® 3D White Action Rechargeable
* Charmin Freshmates
* Oral-B^® 3D White Advanced Vivid Toothbrush
* Charmin Ultra Strong^®
* Oral-B^® Glide 3D White Radiant Mint Floss Picks
* Duracell^® Ultra Power^™
* Swiffer^® WetJet^® Extra Power Pad with the scrubbing power of Mr. Clean^® Magic Eraser
* Gillette^® Venus & Olay^™ Razor
* ZzzQuil^™
 *Head & Shoulders^® Damage Rescue Shampoo or Conditioner
* Herbal Essences

If you’re interested, I suggest you sign up ASAP. These will run out!

Starbucks loves a BOGO deal. It seems like  you can always find some sort of buy one, get one offer that gives you the perfect excuse for a coffee date — and this deal is even better. It’s all free and there’s no expiration date!

The latest deal is offering a free cup of Starbucks Blonde Roast for you and a friend. Here’s how to get it:

Head over to the Starbucks Facebook page and click the green “Get Started” button.

From there, click “Go to App” on the pop-up window, which will take you to a screen where you can enter your email address (your coupon for a free cup of coffee will be emailed to you). Submit your email address, and then pick out an eCard to be sent to one of your Facebook friends offering them a free cup of coffee, too.

Pretty simple! And who wouldn’t love to open an email offering free coffee, especially on a Monday?

Here’s the fine print: Offer to be redeemed through eGift. Value of eGift equivalent to one tall cup of brewed [Starbucks ® Blonde Roast] coffee valued up to $2.60. Number of eGifts available are limited. Limited time offer.