My photo
Got a tip for your fellow cheapskates? Send it to hardtimesnewsletter@gmail.com!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Target: Free $10 gift card with $50 purchase.

Here's a deal that I won't have any trouble qualifying for... it is not hard at all to rack up $50 at Target on things I simply must have (especially since they have surprisingly good prices on baking supplies).

Get a $10 gift card with this coupon when you spend $50 at Target, now through Dec. 12. Even if you're way more organized than me and already have your holiday shopping done, stock up on toiletries or groceries and you'll be there in no time!

Einstein Bros.: Free Holiday Poppers with beverage purchase.

Now this one really mystifies me (even more than the gelatinous crystal air freshener chunks). At Einstein Bros., you can get something called "Holiday Bagel Poppers" free with any beverage purchase. They look like donut holes, in that they're covered in frosting and sprinkles, but I assume they must be bagels under there because they're called "bagel poppers."

If you dip a bagel bite in frosting and sprinkles, does that make it a donut hole? I guess there's only one way to find out. Somebody try it and tell us!

Renuzit Crystal Elements, free after mail-in rebate.

I have to confess I'm not really on board with plasticky air fresheners, which are not very environmentally friendly. But if you simply MUST have some smelly Jello bits in a glass bowl in your home, at least get them for free with this mail-in rebate offer.

"Try For Free! Renuzit Crystal Elements Air Freshening Crystals (Up to $2.99 on the 9 oz refill and Up to $5.60 on 18 oz refill). Purchase at your favorite retailer between 11/14/11 and 2/28/12 and postmark your rebate form by March 31, 2012."

Download the form and prepare to surround yourself with fragranced crystal chunks.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Seattle: Free ice skating Dec. 9 at Capitol Hill ice rink.

What's this? I leave town for a couple of weeks and they build an ice rink in the middle of Capitol Hill? If you're as curious as I am, try it out free tomorrow, Dec. 9, from 11 am to 3 pm. (Admission is normally $12, so that's a pretty sweet deal if you're free during the day.)

Apparently the rink is using "synthetic ice," whatever that is, which some people have griped just isn't the same. There's only one way to know...

Wonder if they'll be hosting Occupy Seattle Icecapades?

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Barnes & Noble: 20% off one item, 50% off cookbooks.

This isn't THAT great of a deal, but maybe I'm just posting it because I'm nostalgic for the glory days of Borders coupons. Now through Dec. 8, you can get 20% off one item at Barnes & Noble's online store using promo code T3N9N3L.

Of course, that doesn't really make up for having to pay shipping unless you hit the $25 free shipping mark, so it's probably best used on a bigger-ticket item. Sadly, the Nook e-reader is excluded from this deal, but it looks like just about everything else is fair game.



Oh, and all cookbooks are 50% off at B&N.com today, too!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Free holiday song-a-day from Amazon.

Ready for nonstop holiday music between now and the 25th? If you need more holly jolly in your life, check out the free-song-a-day offer on Amazon.com. Every day, another new holiday song is available for free download, so there are already five free songs waiting for you!

This offer is how I originally heard the Lady Gaga "Christmas Tree" song, which has become one of my favorites, so I'm looking forward to seeing what they have this year...

Restaurant.com: 80% off dining certificates + buy 5, get 1 free.

Restaurant.com giving 80% discounts off their dining certificates isn't really new (use promo code GIFT through Dec. 7), but they're also running a buy-five-get-one-free special. It's a little vague on how it works, but it sounds like when you put five certificates into your cart, the sixth one won't appear to be in your cart, but will magically be delivered to you along with the rest.

Worth a try if you're already ordering a bunch as stocking stuffers, I guess!

Swidget 1.0 3