12/17: Reminder, Free Shipping Day at a Lot of Internet Stores Today

Just saw a reminder in my e-mail box that FTD is having free shipping on their website today, which reminded me that it's the 17th, a mega free shipping day on the internet. A slew of vendors are participating, so you can get some bonus savings by combining great deals with free shipping. Those savings could really add up, particularly if you have a batch of items to buy to send to gift recipients around the country.

At this point, over 700 vendors are participating, and show delivery by Christmas Eve. To see the list of who's doing it, click here.

Free Museum Admission This Weekend for Bank of America Cardholders

I posted about this a long time ago, but many newer readers may not have heard of this free offer for Bank of America cardholders. They have a program entitling ATM card, credit card and check card holders to get free access to over 100 museums around the country the first weekend of every month.

There are spots in cities all around the country, and with lots of people out and about in the cities, it might be fun to combine some moments taking in the sights of a museum. Maybe one parent can take the kids in while the other parent finishes some shopping. Lots of ways to use this program. To check out all the museums which participate, click this link.

11/30 Cyber Monday- Amazon ($10 off $50 w/ Discover Card), Target ($7 off $70), Buy.com ($25 off on $100 w/ ebillme), Toys R Us($30 off $150 w/ Amex)

Tomorrow is Cyber Monday, supposedly the Internet's answer to Black Friday. Many retailers will have special prices on all sorts of items, with deals starting often right at 6:00 a.m. Eastern (varies per retailer). In addition to some great prices on individual items, some of the big retailers are also adding extra savings depending on the size of purchase and how you pay. Some of the highlights include:

- Amazon.com: $10.00 off $50.00 using Discover Card
- Targetcom: $7.00 off $70.00
- Buy.com: $25.00 off $100.00 with ebillme
- Toysrus.com: $30.00 off $150.00 using American Express

To read an article about some of the details, click this link. For the Toys 'R' Us deal, click this link.

Reminder Today, Nov. 16th -- Let Veterans Know: Free Dinner at Golden Corral®

I've posted this a couple of times, but so many specials for Veterans and Military personnel were done on November 11th that maybe people have missed this one. So if you have any friends serving now or who are veterans of the armed services, let them know. Tonight from 5:00 till 9:00 at Golden Corral® restaurants around the country, Miltary and Veterans are being offered a free "Thank You" Dinner. For details, click the link at the top of the Hot Deals column at the right.

Spread the word.

Reminder -- Tomorrow, Nov. 16th 5:00-9:00 -- Free "Thank You" Dinner at Golden Corral® for Military and Veterans

As a reminder for anyone who is serving in the military now or is a veteran, Golden Corral® restaurants are holding a special "Thank You" dinner tomorrow, November 16th from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Gary Sinise and Bo Derek have even recorded YouTube videos about it.

The free dinner meal is a special "thank you tribute" to any person who has ever served in the United States Military. If you are a veteran, retired, currently serving, in the National Guard or Reserves, you are invited to join them for Golden Corral®'s Military Appreciation Monday dinner.

Family and friends are welcome to come join the celebration for our military heroes; however, the free ‘thank you’ dinner is for the person who served, other guests will pay the regular dinner menu pricing.

To date, Golden Corral® restaurants have provided over 2.2 million free meals and contributed over $3.3 million to the Disabled American Veterans organization.

To read all the details and fild a Golden Corral® near you, click this link.

Veterans Day, Nov. 11th -- Military and Veterans Get Free Entrée at Applebee's®

Tomorrow is Veterans Day and there are a bunch of businesses offering a small thank you both to current military service people as well as to veterans (I already posted a couple of days back about a free Krispy Kreme offer). Applebee's if offering a free entrée to veterans and current military personnel.

They have a selection of entrées available with this offer, and you can get one free with one of the following proofs of service:
- U.S. Uniform Services Identification Card
- U.S. Uniform Services Retired Identification Card
- Current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES)
- Veterans Organization Card (i.e., American Legion and VFW)
- Photograph in uniform
- Wearing uniform
- DD214
- Citation or Commendation

The offer is available during business hours on November 11, 2009, at participating Applebee’s only. Dine-in from limited menu only. Beverages and gratuity not included.

To read more details and see the selections, click this link.

Free Krispy Kreme® Doughnut for Active Military and Veterans Wednesday, November 11th

If you're serving the country in the military or are a veteran (first off, thanks for your service), Wednesday can be a bit sweeter for you. That's because participating U.S. Krispy Kreme® locations will be offering a free doughnut to active personnel and veterans, comemmorating Veteran's Day.

Veterans and active military personnel will be able to select from more than a dozen varieties - including Original Glazed®, Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled, Chocolate Cake, Pumpkin Spice and Glazed Raspberry Filled - that are available at most Krispy Kreme® locations.

To check out locations near you, click here. For the press release about this offer, click here.

Jack in the Box® Gift Card -- Buy One for $20 Using AmEx Card, Get Another Free

This post is for fans of Jack in the Box®. If you've got an American Express® card, you can double your value when you buy a $20 Jack CA$H® Card. There's no reason it has to be a gift for someone else; you can use it yourself for going out to eat.

All you have to do is call and buy one $20 Jack CA$H® Card with any American Express® Card and you'll get another $20 Jack CA$H® Card free.

The number to call is 800-955-5225, Option 3, Option 2. The site says these will go fast but doesn;t say when the deal expires. To check it out, click here.

Today, Columbus Day: Free Spaghetti or Lasagna at Spaghetti Warehouse for People Named Chris (or Some Variation) or Columbus

Today, October 12th, Spaghetti Warehouse celebrates Columbus Day with a pasta giveaway to people who share the name of our nation's discoverer (at least by most accounts). To get the free meal, your name has to be Chris, Columbus, or have the letters c-h-r-i-s, c-r-i-s, or k-r-i-s in that order in your name.

You'll get an Original Recipe Spaghetti or an Incredible 15-Layer Lasagna. You have to show ID and present the coupon. There's a limit of two per table so you can't just gather all the Chris's you know and all go together, but you can pair up and have a ball.

The coupon also entitles anyone (not just Chris's) to get half-off on their new Columbus Cosmos.

To print out the coupon, click this link.

November 16th: Free "Thank You" Dinner at Golden Corral® for Military and Veterans

If you're near a Golden Corral® restaurant and have ever served in the military (now or in the past), you may want to circle Monday, November 16th on your calendar. That's when Golden Corral will be holding their 9th annual "Thank You" dinner from 5:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m.

The free dinner meal is a special "thank you tribute" to any person who has ever served in the United States Military. If you are a veteran, retired, currently serving, in the National Guard or Reserves, you are invited to join them for Golden Corral®'s Military Appreciation Monday dinner.

Family and friends are welcome to come join the celebration for our military heroes; however, the free ‘thank you’ dinner is for the person who served, other guests will pay the regular dinner menu pricing.

To date, Golden Corral® restaurants have provided over 2.2 million free meals and contributed over $3.3 million to the Disabled American Veterans organization.

To read all the details and fild a Golden Corral® near you, click this link.

Free $8 Entrée at Ted’s Montana Grill -- Up to Eight the Next Four Weeks

Here's a way to get some great meals without spending much. Ted's Montana Grill is having a promotion where they are giving clues to special places they've discovered around the country, and asking you to name the place from a multiple choice of three. For every clue you answer correctly, you get a certificate e-mailed you for a free $8 entrée.

There is a clue posted each Tuesday and Friday, for four weeks, and the first one is up right now -- the answer to the first clue is the International hamburger Hall of Fame (which is in Daytona, Florida).

If you get all of them right throughout the month, you'll be able to pick up eight certificates -- not bad at all!

To go to the contest, click this link.

Free Drink for Your Birthday at Starbucks®

If you enjoy any of the beverages at Starbucks®, you can give yourself an extra birthday treat with a complimentary drink for your birthday.

They have added this as a Rewards Card member benefit. It's for any drink you like. To get a coupon you can redeem on your birthday, update your Rewards Card member profile with your mailing address and date of birth, and opt in to receive mail. They'll send you a coupon to bring into a Starbucks® store on your special day.

If you're not already a member, you can join and get this benefit too. To update/register, click this link.

National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands: Senior Pass (62+) - $10.00 -- Good for the Rest of Your Life!

Here's one for anybody who's a bit older in age but still loves to get out into the National Parks to enjoy the splendor of the great outdoors. Seniors 62 years or older are eligible to buy and entrance pass good for all National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands for $10.00. That's a one-time cost for a pass that's good for all your life. That's right, it's not $10.00 for an annual pass (which would still be a good deal), it's 10.00 for a lifetime pass.

If I read the details right, people accompanying the Senior may also get savings when they travel together to some parks (that's how I read it, judge for yourself). But even if not, the savings just on the Seniors in your group would make this a no-brainer for families on a vacation.

Here are some details: This lifetime pass may be purchased by U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 or over. The pass provides access to, and use of, Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity Fee. The pass admits the pass holder and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per-vehicle fee areas and pass holder + 3 adults, not to exceed 4 adults, at per person fee areas (children under 16 are admitted free).

The pass can only be obtained in person at a park. The Senior Pass also provides a 50% discount on some Expanded Amenity Fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launch etc. In some cases where Expanded Amenity Fees are charged, only the pass holder will be given the 50% reduction.

The pass is non-transferable and generally does not cover or reduce special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessionaires.

The Senior Pass cannot be bought on-line. It can be bought in person at entrances to locations served by:
- National Park Service
- USDA Forest Service
- Fish & Wildlife Service
- Bureau of Land Management
- Bureau of Reclamation

Just think -- a one-time fee of $10.00 that waives all those entrance fees for the rest of your life. To read all the FAQs and details about the senior pass, click this link.

Free Flowers Wednesday, September 9th, at FTD® Good Neighbor Day®

Is there someone to whom you'd like to give some flowers? On Wednesday, September 9th, participating FTD® florists will make it lighter on your wallet by offering free flowers.

Hundreds of FTD® florists across the U.S. are planning local events, gathering sponsors, making philanthropic relationships and helping to spread friendship and kindness to their neighbors through the distribution of free floral bouquets. FTD® florists have celebrated FTD® Good Neighbor Day® since 1994, encouraging all neighbors to help create a friendlier, more caring and compassionate world through the gift of flowers. That's why customers are encouraged to keep one flower for themselves and give the others away — brightening the day of many other people.

To see if there's a participating FTD® florist near you, click this link. Here's the website link with details.

Today (8/30): Free Entrée at Famous Dave's for Anyone Named Dave

Sorry I didn't find this earlier to give some advance notice. For anyone named Dave (or anyone you know named Dave) who lives near a Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que restaurant, today is a day to go and get a great deal on a meal.

Famous Dave’s is celebrating 15 years of delicious, lip smackin’ Bar-B-Que and in honor of the Founder, “Famous Dave” Anderson, participating Famous Dave’s are offering a free entrée to individuals with the first name of Dave, David or Davy (maximum value of $15) today, Sunday the 30th. Anyone with one of these as a middle name can also join the fun and receive one entrée for half price (maximum value of $7.50). This one-day-only special offer is available for those dining in and those taking food to go.

To check out the details, click this link. And forward it to anyone you know with the name Dave. (Click the "e-mail this" link below the post.)

Reminder -- Great Deal for Travelers: Free Silver Preferred Status at US Airways -- Register by August 31st

A while back I posted about an offer that seemed a no-brainer for any traveler. US Airways is offering free Silver Preferred Status in its frequent flyer plan for 90 days. It's available to people who already are part of their Dividend Miles program as well as those who would join it for this. Even if you don't have any firm travel plans yet over the last part of the year, it's free to join -- and if you do end up traveling even once on US Airways, you could save big as well as having a more comfortable flight.

Here's the link to my previous post with all the details, benefits and link to join. The sign-up period expires August 31st.

Twelve Bottles of Wine and a Six-Bottle Wine Chiller $99.99 Plus $19.99 Shipping

If you like wine and want to pick up a nice variety along with a small chiller cabinet to keep the whites cool (or the reds temperature-controlled), you may want to check out the offer at WSJ Wines right now -- yes, WSJ means this offer is from the Wall Street Journal. They are offering an introductory offer for their Discovery Club, which includes twelve bottles of wine (you can choose all reds, all whites, or a mixed selection), tasting notes for each bottle, as well as a wine chiller with space for six bottles. The introductory offer is available for $99.99, plus $19.99 shipping (and tax if applicable).

The chiller alone would be worth about that much (they say it retails for $149 but I think you can find these for $100 if you shop around).

They will enroll you in their Discovery Club, which offers future purchases of wines, but there's no obligation that you have to buy any more in the future (unlike those music or DVD clubs where you get 12 CDs for 1¢ but have to buy four or six at regular club prices to fulfill you membership obligation).

They say the club gives access to small production wines hand-selected by expert buyers from quality producers in the US and elsewhere. Many of these wines will be exclusive. They say this will produce outstanding value at all times. Selecting on your behalf gives their wine buyers terrific leverage. And they have a satisfaction guarantee. If ever you don’t enjoy a wine, just tell them and they say they'll give you your money back.

You’re under absolutely no obligation to take any further cases. It’s always entirely up to you. And there are no membership fees. Every three months, Discovery Club will reserve another 12-bottle case for you. All will be premium wines from top quality producers in the US and elsewhere. They tell you in advance about the wines. If you’re happy with the selection, do nothing and they're delivered at a cost of $139.99 (plus shipping & tax) saving at least 20% on normal prices. If you prefer to miss a case, no problem, you simply let them know. You can ‘skip’ as many cases as you wish and are free to cancel at any time.

The offer is open to people 21 years or older and may be affected by local state regulations on wine sales. But to check it out, click this link.

Enterprise Weekend Car Rental Special Starting at $9.99 per Day

If you need a car rental for a weekend sometime over the next month, you should take a look at Enterprise. They've announced a promotion with car rentals for weekends starting at $9.99 a day at participating neighborhood locations (not at airports).

This offer applies only for rentals reserved in advance, ending on or before September 21, 2009. The $9.99 rate is for an Economy car rented on Friday or Saturday and ending the following Monday. 100 miles per day is included (so this isn't for that long weekend drive but maybe a short getaway).

Taxes and surcharges are additional, as well as any insurance fees (unless your credit card benefits allow you to waive them), and other optional expenses (added driver, excess miles at up to 20¢ per mile etc.).

Some blackout dates apply (I presume Labor Day weekend may be one).

To check the promotion and availability of cars at a nearby location some weekend, click this link.

Earn $895 Just for Doing Your Normal Driving in Several Cities: Albuquerque, Chicago, Miami, Wichita, Billings, or Portland (Maine)

If you happen to live in one of several designated cities, you can apply to participate in a Road User Study. You don't have to change your driving habits, you just let them evaluate your driving use and they pay you a total of $895.00 for completed participation.

If you can earn extra money just performing your regular tasks, that seems like making your driving dollars go further. You have to apply to participate and the site doesn't show how many people will be selected and how they'll be chosen. The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether a road-use fee is needed to supplement or replace the current gas tax (your participation doesn't mean you agree about that).

Participation basically includes some up-front training/orientation, having an on-board computer installed in your car, do your normal driving for eight months and answer six questionnaires, and have the computer removed at the end.

The cities involved are:
- Chicago, IL (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, and Will Counties)
- Billings, MT (Carbon and Yellowstone Counties)
- Albuquerque, NM (Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia Counties)
- Wichita, KS (Butler, Harvey, Sedgwick, and Sumner Counties)
- Portland, ME (Cumberland, Sagadahoe, and York Counties)
- Miami, FL (Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties)

The requirements for the car and the driver are:
- Have a valid driver’s license
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible for employment in the U.S.
- Own a personal automobile (year 2000 or newer)
- Provide proof of vehicle registration
- Provide proof of current insurance
- Live in one of the selected field test sites:
- Plan to reside in the area for at least the next 10 months
- Attend a 1.5 hour training session

The following vehicles are excluded from the study in year 2 because they may not be compatible with the on-board computer or because of warranty:
- All Mini Coopers
- All Ford Focus
- All Toyota Prius
- All 2007 and older Mitsubishi
- All 2007 and older VW
- All Acura RL
- All ¾ ton or larger pickups/vans, which would include for example Chevy/GMC 2500 series or higher, Ford E/F-250 or higher, and Dodge Ram 2500 or higher

If you live in one of these cities (or want to pass this on to someone who does) and want to check out the details click this link.

Free Plane Rides for Kids 8-17 from EAA™ Young Eagles

Here's a great treat for kids and teens. If you are between 8 and 17 years old, the EAA™ Young Eagles Program wants to offer you the chance of a lifetime. Turn dreams into reality on a free Young Eagles flight and become one of over 1 Million Young Eagles.

Beforehand, the pilot will explain what will happen during the flight, i.e. info about the airplane, completing a walk-around, reviewing an aeronautical chart or map and identifying reference points. In the plane, the pilot will help buckle the seat belt and describe the interior of the airplane, including the instrument panel.

Once in the air, you’ll see the earth and sky in a new and exciting way, experiencing the freedom of flight that many people dream about. Most Young Eagle flights last between 15 and 20 minutes.

Once back on the ground, there will be additional time to ask questions about the flight. Plus there's a commemorative Young Eagles certificate, which is signed, by your personal pilot and EAA™ Chairman Harrison Ford.

This looks like a great experience for anyone who's young and interested in flying (I'm a little jealous). To check out more and find nearby chapters of EAA™, click this link.

Wouldn't this make it a summer to remember?