Amazon: Real Simple for $10.

Amazon has a deal on Real Simple magazine this week - $10 for a one-year subscription. That's a pretty good price, although I have a feeling it's not the lowest it's ever been, because I currently subscribe to it and I'm fairly sure I did so when it was even less than that.

Remember that insane magazine-sale rampage last holiday season, when seemingly everything was $4 and $5 for a year-long subscription? I think that may just happen again, and the deals might get even better if you're patient. But if you need your Real Simple fix, this is a fairly cheap way to keep it coming.

Free Lawry's seasoning mix samples.

Sign up for a free sample of Lawry's seasoning mixes! I can't tell if you get all of them or just a random one, but they sound pretty good, especially the chicken marsala one and the sun-dried tomato and garlic chicken. Yum...

Old Navy: I scream, you scream, we all scream for 20% off.

As if being an Old Navy sales associate weren't hard enough, now customers will actually be screaming at them for the next two days - literally. Get a 20% off one item coupon when you go to an Old Navy, find their "scream station," or just shriek your head off at an associate until they wave some coupons at you frantically to get you to leave.

Good through Oct. 30 only, so don't think you'll be rewarded any old time for screaming at sales associates.

Borders: Free small coffee or tea.

Ah, fall, when a young reader's heart turns to thoughts of cozying up indoors with a novel and a hot beverage. Borders is only too happy to encourage and enable your reading/lounging habit, starting with a coupon for a free small coffee or tea, good through Nov. 11 (Borders Rewards membership is required, but it's free).

If that wasn't enough, there's also a 40% off coupon good through Nov. 1, which means if you take your coupons to Borders before then, you can enjoy quite a little spree of free. I've had my eye on this bundt cake cookbook and now might be the perfect time to indulge... because it's also baking season, of course.

Seattle: Glitter Sale jitters? Read the Glitter Sale Insider!

Seattleites will know all about the amazing Goodwill Glitter Sale that happens every November at the main Dearborn Goodwill. But did you know that the sale has its very own blog? The Glitter Sale Insider shows you extra-special vintage treasures that they're setting aside for the sale, interviews with local designers who give you thrifting tips, and more.

This year's Glitter Sale is Nov. 13-14, and people really get into it! Shoppers line up outside the doors as early as 6:00 am with coffee and donuts, and some people come from out of state JUST to shop this amazing glittertacular. I myself have found many a sequined prize there (though I tend to go in the afternoon when the madness calms down a bit). Mark your calendars and stock up on sparkles for the holidays!

Free Tom's of Maine toothpaste.

Here's another sparkling clean sample offer... this one is for a free sample of Tom's of Maine toothpaste, aka that hippie stuff that they sell at Trader Joe's.  The link is a bit weird, so you'll have to copy and paste this URL into your browser if it doesn't work for you:

startsampling.com/sm/toms101470/

I just filled out and submitted the form, and it advised me "Sorry for the incontinence, there has been a problem," and apparently ate my submission, so be patient if it's not working properly at the moment.

Free sample of Dove Go Fresh deodorant.

Costco is offering a free sample of Dove Go Fresh deodorant - and you don't have to be a Costco member to sign up! When you click on the "Get a Sample" link, the form does have a Costco Member ID field, but it's not required, so just skip on past.

These samples are usually for full travel-size deodorants, which is great - I don't think I've bought a travel deodorant in, well, a long time.  And not just because I'm smelly, either.

Free sample of Astroglide.

Well, I don't need to make any coy jokes or sly winks - Astroglide has pretty well taken care of that on the order form page for their free sample of Astroglide. At least you can rest assured that it will come in a "discreet white envelope," so your mailman will just think it's yet another free energy bar or Emergen-C sample.

Borders: 40% off any one item, again.

It's been an avalanche of Borders coupons lately!  Here's another one for 40% off one item, good today and tomorrow. I used one last week, but I'm tempted to go back and get something else... Xmas is only going to get closer from here on out. I know you don't want to hear that, and I'm not happy to see Xmas crap in stores already either, but it's true.

Facebook: Free Bag of Chocolate Flavor Chips.

With a name like Food Should Taste Good, it seems like this snack company really has it figured out... but then they go and name their product "Chocolate Flavor Chips," which makes me think of a guy in a warehouse somewhere chiseling little shavings off a big Chocolate Flavor Log.  Or am I putting too much thought into this?

"Like" FSTG on Facebook and sign up for a coupon for a free bag of chocolate flavor. You'll receive a postcard coupon by mail... if you dare.

Amazon: $7 magazine subscriptions.

Finally, a deal! Amazon has a bunch of magazine subscriptions for $7 this week, including:

• Cosmopolitan
• House Beautiful
• Marie Claire
• Popular Mechanics
• Esquire
• Country Living
• and more that I'm too lazy to type.

Please note that these are designated as auto-renewals, meaning that when your one year is up, they'll automatically renew your subscription and bill you without notifying you. You can cancel your subscription anytime through Amazon's Subscription Manager (which tracks them all on one page), but you'll just have to set a reminder for yourself or keep an eye on it.

50% off outerwear at Old Navy.

I am here today, I promise... there's just not a lot going on in the freebieverse this morning. The best thing I could scrounge up was this Old Navy coupon for 50% off one item of outerwear, good Oct. 26—28. Use promo code OUTER50 online or scroll down to the comments for the printable PDF coupon.

I like the look of this double-breasted moleskin jacket, so I might have to go and check that out tomorrow...

Restaurant.com gift certificates 80% off.

Dining-deals coupon website Restaurant.com is back with another sale this week for 80% off their "gift certificates." Use promo code PUMPKIN to get a $10 gift certificate for $0.80 or a $25-35 one for $2-3.

I've talked about these coupons before and am grudgingly tolerant of them, since I've used them several times now and the restaurants have all accepted them more or less gracefully. Just make sure you read the terms carefully, since there is often a minimum required purchase and alcohol usually doesn't count toward the qualifying total.

Tanga: Reader's Digest subscription for $4.99.

I grew up seeing the Reader's Digest, along with National Geographic, at my grandma's house, and inevitably I read quite a few of them out of boredom. Oh, it's all coming back to me now: the corny jokes and anecdotes in "Life in These United States," the "Build Your Word Power" vocab quizzes, the heartwarming tales of triumph over cancer or kidnapping or adoption or what have you. It's a treasure trove of feel-good reading!

Now you can get a subscription to Reader's Digest (yes, it's still out there) for just $4.99 through Tanga, using promo code DIGEST. I recently leafed through a copy at my grandma's and I can assure you it hasn't changed at all in 20 years. Actually, she's a bit of a hoarder, so I might have actually been reading an issue from 20 years ago...

40% off at Borders.

Seriously, Borders, are you trying to make me crazy? Why would you offer a 33% coupon and a 40% coupon at the same time, plus a bunch of other dollars-off ones?  Who would pick anything except the 40% off coupon if they had a choice?

Sheesh. 

33% off and more from Borders.

Borders has several coupons out right now, which you may be interested in:

• 33% off one item
• $5 off a Blu-Ray disc, DVD or CD box set
• $2 off one fiction book, one kids’ book, one kids’ toy or game, or one calendar

Depending on the math, the 33% one is probably still the best deal of the three, but anyway, you have options.

Free Garnier Ultra Lift Anti Wrinkle Firming Moisturizer sample.

Garnier has been making the rounds lately with their free samples, and here's yet another one for Ultra Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Moisturizer. I am a fan of all those things, so I guess I'd better ask for my free sample right away... especially since I got "ma'amed" this morning on the street by a guy in his twenties. Ouch.

Free Halloween music sampler.

Whether you're building a haunted house in your garage to terrify trick-or-treaters, having a costume party, or just sitting in the dark eating Fun Size candy bars and ignoring the doorbell, you'll definitely need some spoooky tunes this Halloween. Check out this free MP3 sampler download from Amazon (you'll need their free downloader, which automatically imports to iTunes).

I have to admit, I don't have a lot of Halloween music in my collection, not even "Monster Mash," so a free sampler album is a good place to start.

Free Mini Pinkberry with toppings on 10/22, 4 to 7 pm.

One of my favorite things about fall is that it pumpkinizes everything! Pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin bread, chocolate chip pumpkin cookies, you name it. Now Pinkberry is joining the trend with pumpkin-flavored frozen yogurt, and you can get a FREE Mini Pumpkin Pinkberry with toppings - graham crackers, whipped cream, and cinnamon sprinkles - tomorrow, October 22, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.

Find a location near you and get ready for a pumpkin party! (Alas, Seattle, still no Pinkberry here.)

Tanga: Budget Travel subscription for $4.

Tanga has another fine magazine deal today... get a one-year subscription to Budget Travel magazine for only $4 with promo code TRAVEL. If there's one thing I don't need, it's yet another magazine stuffed into my mailbox each month, but $4 is pretty hard to resist. Especially if it will save me money on travel! That way, it's practically an investment.

Borders: 33% off AND 40% off any one item.

Borders always has one coupon or another floating around out there, but right now it seems they have two. Take your pick of 33% off any one item or 40% off any one item. Both are good through Oct. 21.

Bath & Body Works: Free lip item w/any purchase.

Well, maybe the phrase "lip item" is a little unfortunate, but the offer is pretty good: print the coupon, and get a free, er, lip gloss or lipstick of your choice with any purchase. The coupon is good now through Oct. 21, and their lip stuff is usually around $8 a pop, so it's a nice deal if you're in need of smelly stuff!

I always liked their tingly mint lip balm, but the mango mimosa and lemon ones sound pretty great too...

Swagbucks: Bonus 20 Swagbucks if you join today!

I've talked about Swagbucks before, so scroll on if you already know about it, but today they're offering a special bonus, so I thought I'd tell you about it. Swagbucks is a search-and-win website that awards you points for searching online and completing surveys and offers, which you can use to buy merchandise and (more importantly) gift cards from Amazon, Paypal, Starbucks, and more. You can sign up here (full disclosure: that's my referral link and when you sign up and earn points, it awards me points, too). Read my online review of it if you want to learn all the details. I earn enough points for about $25 worth of Amazon gift cards a month, enough for a little personal shopping spree or some holiday gift shopping.


If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you'll see the Swagbucks widget. This little gadget tracks SB promo codes that are available on the SB blog, Twitter, Facebook, and more, so it's a handy thing to check throughout the day. Today only, if you non-Swaggers use the widget to check for a code, you should see a special promo code worth 20 bonus Swagbucks. Enter this code in the "SwagCode" field when you're signing up, and you'll get the bonus!

Old Navy: $10 sweaters on Oct. 16, 7-10 am.

Old Navy is celebrating their sweet sixteen with a bunch of specials, and this latest one will appeal to you early birds: $10 on selected sweaters from 7:00 to 10:00 am on Oct. 16 (that's tomorrow).

It says there are sweaters for the whole family but doesn't specify which styles, so you'll just have to go and find out. I got a cashmere cardigan there last year that I really like, though somehow I suspect cashmere won't be in the $10 pile.

Borders: 33% off any one item.

The Borders coupons are fast and furious this week! Here's another one for 33% off any item. It's already mid-October, so I should really be starting to think about holiday shopping. Slow and steady and 33% off wins the race...

Borders Friends and Family: 25% off (almost) everything.

Borders is offering a "friends and family" pass this weekend, Oct. 15-18, where you can save 25% on your total purchase! Not as good as 40% coupons, but then again, this applies to your whole purchase if you're buying multiple items.

Let the savings begin, friend!

Free pack of Extra Dessert Delights gum.

First, let me just say that I don't believe a gum can really taste like dessert. But Extra wants to prove me wrong with a free sample pack. Click on the "Dessert" tab and "like" Extra, and you'll be on your way to getting yours. Choose from strawberry shortcake, key lime pie, or mint chocolate chip.

I picked strawberry shortcake because that seemed to have the best chance of tasting OK, if not actually dessert-like, but if you're a brave soul, go for mint chocolate chip!  (Actually, I did buy a pack of mint chocolate gum last year in Mexico. It was...odd.)

Tanga: GQ magazine subscription for $4.

Tanga has a deal on GQ magazine today - just $4 for a one-year subscription. Use the ever-so-sneaky promo code "GQ" to get the discount.

I've used Tanga before and had no problems with my subscription, and this is the best price I've seen on this publication, so if you know any gentlemen who need reading material, now's the time.

Free Sample of Vaseline Intensive Rescue.

This claims to be a special offer "just for me," but since they're prepared to give away up to 1 million samples, somehow I kind of doubt that. Still, it improves my chances of getting a sample, so I can forgive their lies.

Get YOUR free sample of Vaseline Intensive Rescue lotion and get an early start on battling the dry winter season.

Free Emergen-C samples.

Over my lifetime, I think I've probably received more free product from Emergen-C than I've paid for, which makes me wonder how their business model works, exactly. Somewhere along the line, all those free samples they shoot out of their sample cannon must pay off, right?  Well, all you need to worry about is that Emergen-C is once again giving out free samples on their website.

This being "useless pink crap for the cure" month, you'll notice that one of the free samples has the dastardly pink ribbon on it, but don't let that keep you from getting your vitamins.

Borders: 33% off any one item.

Q: What's almost as good as 40% off at Borders?

A: 33% off at Borders!

Good through October 14, for your autumnal cookbook-buying pleasure.

Free sample 4-pack of Starbucks VIA flavors.

Starbucks just launched four new flavors of their wildly popular instant VIA coffee packets, and I'm pretty stoked to sample them! Get a free 4-pack (one of each flavor) when you play the game at their website, while supplies last.

Their site is running pretty slow at the moment, so hang in there and you'll get through eventually. 

Free music festival MP3 samplers.

Couldn't make it to Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, or Austin City Limits this year? Well, at least you can download the free music samplers for some listening pleasure - minus the huge crowds and $8 beers. Hmm, suddenly this doesn't sound so bad...

• Lollapalooza
• Bonnaroo
• Austin City Limits

(right-click each track and choose "Save As" to download.)

(Thanks, Hey It's Free!)

Target: Free Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel Cream.

Target is getting into the sample game with a free sample offer for Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel Cream. This stuff is somewhat pricey in stores, so trying a free sample first couldn't hurt.

I got quite a few samples in the mail while I was on vacation, which was a fun bonus to come back to, so between using up body wash and lotion samples and eating snacks, my day is fully booked.

40% off everything at the Gap today.

Here's a pretty nice coupon for 40% off everything at the Gap, even sale items. I've been looking for some fall work wardrobe staples, so maybe it's even worth suffering the horror of the fitting room for such steep discounts... maybe.

Free romance e-books from Borders.com.

This dreary weather doesn't show any signs of lifting, so you might as well give in and make it a full day of couchbound, novel-reading, napping coziness.  Borders.com will get you started with a selection of free romance e-books for your downloading pleasure. (If you don't have Borders' e-reader device, you'll need to download the Borders e-books app, but it's free.)

Now the only question is which to read first, Distracting the Duchess or To Tempt a Knight? 

Borders: 40% off one item.

Nothing says "welcome back" like a 40% off coupon from Borders!  Just because I've been hemorrhaging cash for a couple of weeks doesn't mean I don't have a wish list, after all.  My to-read stack got pretty depleted while I was gone, so maybe it's time for a little something?

Free Annie's hippie lunch bag.

Back when I was in school, this organic cotton lunch sack would totally have marked you as a social-outcast child of hippies, but I guess times have changed. Now it's cool to reuse, and Annie's does have that cute bunny-shaped mac 'n' cheese... or you could just type in the numbers 013562300983 and 013562302109 if that's how you roll. It's your karma, man.

Free bottle of Advil.

Well, readers, you may have noticed that I haven't been posting for the past couple of weeks... and that's because I took all the $$$ I've saved up and headed on vacation! But I'm back now and ready to get back on the freebie wagon. Are you?!

Getting back to regular life routines is already giving me a headache, so it's a good thing that Advil is offering 500,000 free bottles of painkillers when you sign up via online form. That should just about do it, I think (along with the contents of my duty-free bag).