More Free Eats on Election Day

Here's a supplement to my previous post on free food offered by national food chains on election day. All the info is from The Orange County Register (see full article here). Seems like more eateries are really trying to encourage people to get out there and vote! Also be sure to check out your local restaurants for any freebies or promotions on Nov. 4.

Starbucks: Voters will receive a free tall coffee on Nov. 4. For more details, see the ad at http://www.youtube.com/starbucks.

Pizza Hut: Pizza Hut will give a 20 percent discount to all online orders scheduled for delivery or pick-up on Nov. 4. NOTE: Valid for new online customers only.

Daily Grill: Enjoy a free appetizer rom 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. For locations, check here.

Pat & Oscar’s: Dine in after casting you vote and receive 20% off on Nov. 4. Pat & Oscar’s locations listed here.

Vote & Get Free Food!

Given the rumors that the lines at the poll will be longer than previous elections, you'll probably miss a meal just to get your vote in. So thanks to The Bargainist for this great post on select restaurants that are rewarding your civic duty (and patience) with free eats on election day. Here is the post from the website:

"A few restaurant chains are doing their patriotic duty by giving away free food on Election Day this November 4th. Start the day with a free star shaped doughnut with patriotic sprinkles from Krispy Kreme. Each customer that shows up with an "I Voted" sticker will receive one. Then head over to Shane's Rib Shack where they'll be giving away a free "Vote America Meal" that consists of three hand-breaded chicken tenders, fries and a 20 oz. drink. Here again you must show your "I Voted Today" sticker. Chick-fil-a is also fulfilling their patriot duty with a free Chicken Sandwich for all voters. Finish up the day at your local Ben & Jerry's between the hours of 5-8pm, and you'll get a free scoop of ice cream. All offers valid on 11/04/2008 only. [Thanks, Everyone!]"

Hot Weekend Deals

Here's a few deals from around the blogosphere:

6pm.com: All RSVP shoes for women are marked down to $9.99. Just type in RSVP in search box. I found lots of sandals, pumps, dressy heels and even kids shoes for $9.99. Check out these awesome floral adorned shoes that are on sale! If you purchase through CashBaq (similar to Ebates and FYI Ebates did not have a cash back option for 6pm.com), you'll receive 5% back of your purchase (plus you'll get $5 for signing up). (thanks to My Bargain Buddy)

Bev Mo: Buy one bottle of wine, get the second for a nickel! Some 150 wines are eligible for the discount which ends December 7, 2008. (thanks to The Bargain Hunter!)

Fashion Bug: Save 50% sitewide on women's apparel through Nov. 3. Check out this plaid babydoll jacket now reduced to $15.98!

MAC Cosmetics: Free shipping on any purchase this weekend with promo code 3DAY. (thanks again to The Bargain Hunter!)

$10 off $10 or more online purchase at JCPenney's - TODAY ONLY!

It's one-day sales galore! Here's another from JCPenney that cuts $10 off a purchase of $10 or more online with promo code DOOR39. Valid today only! You still have to pay for tax and shipping, but it's still a pretty good deal. To make this deal even better, use the coupon on merchandise you can find in the $9.99 clearance section or their Wednesday deals (can be found under Clearance section, then scroll all the way down on left). Thanks to the Bargainist for alerting us of this fantastic find!

E.L.F. Mineral Makeup is 50% off - ONE DAY ONLY!

If you're interested in hopping on the mineral makeup train, check out the 50% off sale (on purchases over $25) on all minerals at E.L.F. (acronym for Eyes, Lips & Face) with promotional code EGMINERALC. I added lipsticks, kabuki brushes, blushes, and oil-stopping mineral sheer all slashed to $2.50 each to my shopping cart. For mineral makeup virgins, the starter kits, which include foundation, concealer, blush, two brushes and makeup case are a steal for $10. This is my first time testing out E.L.F.'s mineral line, so I'm crossing my fingers that the products are good. Most of the products received 4 out of 5 stars which is a positive sign. Also, if you spend more than $25 (after discount), you'll receive a free subscription to Glamour Magazine (note: there's also a refund of $9.99 if you don't want the magazine - see website for details). According to my e-mail alert, this is a 24-hour sale - I received the e-mail this A.M. (10/28) so order fast!

Shop Early and Save Big

When I was younger (i.e. before kids), I used to love shopping the day after Thanksgiving. I had enough energy to wake up at 4 a.m., enough patience to brave the frenetic holiday shoppers, and enough time to wait in line to get that deeply discounted sales item.

With child in tow and a busy schedule full of school activities, playdates, errands and birthday parties, I have neither the energy, patience or time to entertain Black Friday. But that doesn't mean that good deals can't be had beforehand. In fact, better deals are sprouting way ahead of the highly anticipated post-Thanksgiving sales. Just shop early and you'll probably save more money! Here are a few deals to kickstart your holiday shopping - I'll keep posting more holiday deals under the heading "Shop Early and Save Big" so be on the lookout!

TOYS, TOYS, TOYS
Toys R Us: Get free shipping up to $15 by signing up for their free rewards program here. The code is valid 10/28/08 through 11/11/08.

Amazon.com: Currently, Amazon is offering a free 2-year subscription to Cookie Magazine with any toy purchase of $25 or more (see details here). You can opt to get a refund for the subscription, thereby recouping $15 (the value of the subscription). Also, check Amazon's Monday markdowns, where several random toys are discounted. Sign-up for their e-mail newsletter to stay on top of the sales.

LeapFrog.com: Save up to 70% selected toys, plus get free shipping on orders over $50 through 10/31/08.

RESTAURANTS
Restaurants.com: This website is slashing 80% off $25 gift certificates, bringing the cost down to a mere $2. These make great Christmas gifts for family or friends who enjoy dining out! Enter code TREATS. If you check out through Ebates, you'll get 15% cash back to boot.

I've Been Tagged!

Denise from "The Centsible Sawyer" tagged me this week to share 7 random things. So here they are:

7 Random Things About Me

1. If you saw me, you’d never guess that I was born and raised in the South. (I’m Filipino-American!)

2. I LOVE shopping at flea markets and thrift stores for clothes and shoes better than going to the mall. It’s like finding hidden treasures, and you can be sure that what you’ve bought is unique.

3. I wanted to be an actress when I was little girl. I used to rehearse my Oscar speech in the bathroom over and over again!

4. I enjoy all kinds of music, but I have a penchant for rap and hip hop.

5. I am a big foodie! I just love to eat! When I have time, I like to cook for my family and friends. I also enjoy going out to eat to try different restaurants.

6. I love watching corny, funny movies that make you laugh so hard, you can hardly breathe! My favorites are The Nutty Professor (with Eddie Murphy) and Anchorman.

7. I would love to own a boutique one day, filled with lots of beautiful clothes, shoes, purses, jewelry and other accessories every woman would want!

So, let's tag the following bloggers to learn some interesting things about them (I don't know many...) :

Afrohemian Eclectic
Crazy Coupon Mom

Free Sample of Dunkin Donuts Coffee

Extra 50% Clearance Items at Wilson's Leather

Leather is much more affordable with this sale at Wilson's Leather, offering an additional 50% off clearance items. I found this leather shopper (pictured left) for $29.94* and this chic briefcase for $39.94*. Men's leathers coats were as low as $79.94* and wallets were down to $17.44*. There's a couple of non-leather items such as this all black trench coat by Guess for $99.99* and this belted trench coat by Nine West for $59.94*. (*All prices include 50% off discount). I don't know when the sale ends, but if you're a leather lover, check it out now.

Food Savings

First of all, I want to apologize for not keeping up with my blog lately. I thought life would be easier once my daughter started preschool, but it only has seemed to have become busier! At any rate, I'm back and hopefully will be better at posting deals!

I know saving money, especially on food, has become a priority for many given the current state of the economy. Here's some money saving coupons and deals from around the blogosphere that should help you stay afloat.

FOOD DEALS
- Get 14 hamburgers and a cutting board for $1.98 (includes shipping) from Omaha Steaks, thanks to this post by My Good Cents. If you prefer to get all meat (no cutting board), you can get 20 hamburgers for $1.98 by tweaking her directions slightly as follows:

1) Go here and click on “Register and Save with Omaha Steaks”. This is for Geico Privileges and it is FREE to join and you do not have to be a member. You will receive a code in your email for $25 off at Omaha Steaks – I waited overnight for mine to show up in my mailbox, but some people say that it will take about two hours.

2) Once you get your gift certificate, click on this link http://www.shareomahasteaks.com/k/NzcsMgUYGikBFoYKBCkDCQoFBgs=/143747/trtmnt/11860/. This link will get you 12 hamburgers for FREE, but only when you click through it. (PLEASE NOTE: this link offers me a bonus when people order; if you'd prefer not to do this, use this link instead www.shareomahasteaks.com)

3) Go to the “Burgers” section and add the eight (8) 5 oz Omaha Steak Burgers for $12.99 in your cart.

4) Go to “Checkout” and you should see the 8 burgers you ordered, plus the 12 for free.

5) Enter the $25 gift certificate code from Geico.

6) Your grand total, including shipping, will be $1.98! That’s about 10 cents per burger!

FREE/ALMOST FREE COFFEE
- Get a free sample of Folgers coffee via WalMart
- Get a free cappucino from Barnes & Noble with this coupon
- Check out this post from The Bargain Hunter about getting a 5 cent cup of coffee for the entire month of October at your local Walgreens

COUPONS
- Whole Foods: Save $5 off a purchase of $25 or more with this coupon.