Happy New Year

I wish all my readers a happy and healthy new year. Stick with Making Cents of It through 2012 to continue saving money while enjoying life.

Free Office Supplies After Rewards at Office Depot

Office Depot is running a few really good deals this week (January 1-7, 2012). Starting tomorrow, the following items are free after 100% back in your Office Depot reward account. Remember that you must lay the money out, but you will get it back to spend again at Office Depot in your reward account. The limit is two of each per day during the sale.

Office Depot brand file totes - $12.49-$12.99
PaperPro compact desktop stapler - $11.99
AA & AAA Energizer max alkaline batteries 8/pack - $7.49
Uni-Ball rollerball pens 12/pack - $10.49
3M file folder labels 750/pack - $25.99
Bankers box stor/file basic strength storage boxes 10/pack - $18.99
Office Depot brand manila file folders 100/pack - $6.79
Office Depot brand standard green hanging folders 25/pack - $6.79

If you don't need to recycle your empty ink cartridges, Office Depot has a great deal this week for just buying HP ink. Get a free $10 Office Depot gift card when you spend $49 on HP ink. You'll still get the 10% reward as well.

Free Office Supplies After Rewards at Staples

Staples is running a few really good deals this week (January 1-7, 2012). Starting tomorrow, the following items are free after 100% back in your Staples Rewards account. Remember that you must lay the money out, but you will get it back to spend again at Staples in your reward account.

• Avery heavey-duty view binders - $6.99-32.99 (Limit 4)
• Staples letter/legal plastic storage tote - $12.99-13.49 (Limit 2)
• Staples economy storage box, 10/pack - $16.79 (Limit 2)

Staples is also offering triple recycling on HP ink cartridges this week. Spend at least $50 in HP ink and you'll get $6 for each empty cartridge you recycle (limit 5). When you use your reward card you already get 10% back on ink purchases which is $5. So if you recycle five cartridges you'll get a total of $35 back on a $50 ink purchase.

Benny is a AKC Canine Good Citizen

I am extremely proud to let my readers know that Benny took the American Kennel Club's (AKC) Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test tonight and passed. This test is ten skills to prove that a dog can behave around people.

Free Paper Shredding at Office Depot

If you have tons of old papers lying around, now is a great time to shred them. Office Depot is offering five pounds of free paper shredding. Just bring your papers and your coupon to Office Depot's copy center and they'll shred your papers and protect your privacy. This coupon expires on January 28, 2012.

$10 Off Amazon Textbooks for Kindle

Right now, you can save $10 on Kindle e-Textbooks. Just use the promotional code ETXTBOOK and you'll be able to gain a $10 credit good towards any e-textbook.

Click the "Buy" button (or the "Rent" button if available), and the dollar amount of your code will be automatically applied to your or rental of an eligible Kindle e-textbook. If you have not used the full $10 value of the promotional code on your purchase or rental, we will automatically apply the remaining balance of your code on each of your additional eligible Kindle textbook purchases or rentals until you have used its full value or until the code expires, whichever occurs first.

4. After your purchase or rental, you can confirm that your code was applied by checking your order confirmation, which will be sent to you by e-mail.

5. Promotional offer is valid from December 30, 2011, through January 9, 2012, and subject to change. You must redeem the credit by 11:59 p.m. PST on January 9, 2012. Limit one credit per customer.

Tipsy Tow Offers Drunk Drivers a Free Ride Home

From 6pm on December 31, 2011 until 6am January 1, 2012, AAA will provide you and your car a free tow home. In a promotion called Tipsy Tow, AAA wants to keep drunk drivers off the road this New Years. Just call 1-800-222-4357 (800-AAA-HELP) and they will give you a free tow up to 10 miles.

To make this program work, AAA is offering the free tow to any drunk car owner so you do not need to be a AAA member. I can't find a direct link on AAA's website, but after seeing a friend post it on Facebook I did a Google search of "AAA Tipsy Tow" and there are tons of links.

I will try to contact AAA tomorrow to confirm this program and I will get back to you before New Year's Eve.

Update: After continued searches I found the following press release about Tipsy Tow from AAA. It is individual areas that are organizing this life saving program.

AAA goes on to link to the DUI Justice Link which lists different programs by state. Check it out before you head out to see what programs are available for you.

Remember: The safest choice is to have a designated driver selected prior to going out but these programs are there to help if you need it. Please do not drive drunk.

$15 Off at Staples.com When You Spend $15.01 Or More

Use the coupon code [removed] on a Staples.com purchase of $15.01 or more and they'll take off $15. Make sure you select ship to store for free shipping. This is a great deal and is good for anything they sell. I just bought some k-cups and creamer. My total was $0.83 after the $15 coupon was applied.

You can go through Shop at Home (4% back) or eBates (2% back) but I'm not sure you'll actually get anything back after the coupon codes.

Source: Spend Less and Save More

Update: A few sites are claiming this coupon code is suppose to be only for Avery labels but is somehow working with all purchases. I'm not sure what Staples will do regarding the coupon but be advised that it might be a computer error.

Update 2: Staples sent out emails to anyone that made a purchase using the coupon code. It stated that orders were being canceled and they apologized for the error.

Two Months of Netflix and $10 Papa Johns Giftcard for $7.99

If you're not already a member of Netflix, now is a great time to try it out.

You can get a free one month trial with no obligation to continue. Once you become a paying member, you'll get a free $10 card to Papa Johns. Memberships start as low as $7.99 which means that for $7.99 you can get two months of Netflix and $10 to Papa Johns. After the two months, it's up to you if you want to continue the membership. Just make sure that if you don't like it that you cancel before your card is charged for the third month.

Just a warning though, most people never cancel because the service is really good. I know some people that have gotten rid of cable and just watch the shows a day or two later on Netflix or Amazon.

$28 for $20 Starbucks Card And 2 Fandango Passes

You'll really enjoy this latest promotion from Plum District. They are offering a $20 Starbucks card and 2 Fandango passes (up to $24 value) for only $28.

Remember to register the Starbucks card to join the reward program so that you can earn free drinks and more.

Introduction: Amazon Warehouse Deals

Did you know that Amazon has their own outlet store? I was trying to find an inexpensive camera for my friend Victor (he's in Afghanistan right now) and I knew that Amazon ships to APO addresses. While looking at the gold deals for today, I found the Amazon Warehouse Deals site which sells items that have either been overstocked or returned. All items are tested to ensure that they work and they seem to be lower than

Have you shopped the warehouse before?  Thoughts? Opinions?  Feel free to leave a comment.

Four Pack of Fandango Passes for $24

KGB Deals is currently offering a great national deal for Fandango. For $24, you'll get four passes to use on Fandango.

Fine print:

• Fandango codes will not be available until promotion end date on January 3rd, 2012
• You will be provided with two codes each good for two tickets (maximum value of $12 per ticket and maximum total value $48). Each set of two tickets must be purchased together in the same transaction for the same movie and showtime. Codes can be stacked to purchase all four tickets at once if desired.
• This offer may be applied to IMAX or 3D tickets, up to maximum per-ticket code value. Promo Code is valid only for Internet purchases made at www.fandango.com for Fandango partner theaters located in the U.S.

Doggyloot Offers Great Deals for Pet Owners

So ever since Benny entered my life, I have really been trying to find deals for him.  My local shelter posted about a new site, Doggyloot.  Doggyloot is a social shopping site dedicated to pets.  Each day, you will find a new deal for your furry friend.  Additionally, you can make donations to your local shelters which is why they posted about the site.

I will be keeping an eye out for deals you might be interested in, but I wanted to let you know the site exists so you can look yourself as well.

Movie Review: We Bought a Zoo

We Bought a Zoo is the new Matt Damon. This film is based on a true story but it was changed for Hollywood. The real story takes place in England while the movie is based in California. Additionally, the movie makes Matt Damon a widower while the real family had both parents.

Zoos are becoming less popular in this country and many have closed their doors recently. As Matt Damon's character says to his son at one point, "whatever is the laziest word" which truly represents too many kids these days (wow I feel old saying that). In this film, Damon's character buys a rundown zoo and starts to realize how big of a job it is to open it back up. Between a power happy inspector, a zany set of employees, and his son's rebellion, he really has to keep his head above water.

The actors were well cast and it was easy to see the relationships form and change throughout the story. I thought the little girl that played Damon's daughter was adorable. She really stole the scenes she was in. The boy that played his son had just the right amount of teenage angst, considering he just lost his mother. The zoo's employees were crazy and eccentric with one guy always walking around with a monkey on his shoulder.

My personal opinion of this film is that this was a touching film, but not what I expected. I guess because it was about animals and rated PG I was really expecting a Dr. Dolittle type of film. Not the talking animals, but more of a family friendly theme. I'm not sure that younger kids will really get the storyline. The film had animals, but they were really in the background of the story.

We Bought a Zoo was released nation wide on December 23, 2011. Right now, you can get two passes on Fandango for $14 (up to $24 value) on TravelZoo. The Fandango passes are for any movie, not just We Bought a Zoo.

Movie Rating for We Bought a Zoo

This was not a free screening. I went to the movies with my grandmother and wanted to share my opinions with my readers. Check out my information post for more information about free movie screenings.

Free Eco Bag and 15% Off Everything That Fits Inside at Staples

Staples is once again offering a free reusable bag with 15% off everything that fits inside, but this time you don't need to print a coupon before you go. This deal is on the front page of the weekly flier. I'm glad I didn't rush out yesterday when I needed ink.

Update: The added a coupon now to print for your free eco bag and 15% off everything you can fit inside.

Season's Greetings

Whatever holiday you celebrate, I hope you have a happy and healthy new year.

Image Source: George Takei's Facebook

$10 Off $50 at Target.com (Today Only)

Target wants to help you out if you didn't get the present you want. Today only (December 25, 2011) you can get $10 off a $50 purchase using the promotional code TGTGFT2U. Remember to use your Target card for free shipping and 5% off.

Since this is an online deal, use eBates (3% back) or Shop at Home (3% back) for cash back on target.com purchases. Both sites offer new members a $5 cash incentive for signing up and making your first purchase. eBates also offers an option for new members to select a $10 gift card instead of the $5 cash.

Free Arm & Hammer Cat Litter (After Rebate)

Arm & Hammer wants you to try their new formula of cat litter and they'll give it to you free. You can get a free 20 pound package of Arm & Hammer Ultra Last Baking Soda Coated Clumping Litter (up to $8.99) after rebate.

BUY: ARM & HAMMER® Ultra Last™ Baking Soda Coated Clumping Litter 20 pound package (up to $8.99*)
SEND: 1. This original, completed offer form.
2. The original, store-identified cash register receipt dated between 12/15/11 and 3/30/12
with the purchase price circled.
3. Request must be postmarked by 4/15/12.
4. The original UPC cut from the ARM & HAMMER® Clumping Litter 20 pound box.

Free 17 Track Broadway Showtunes Sampler

The last few times I saw a deal for free Broadway music, it was the same track list. This time, we finally have new songs. You can get 17 free Broadway tracks when you use the secret code bwayfox.

Tracks include:

• The Addams Family - "Happy/Sad"
• Billy Elliot the Musical - "Shine"
• Catch Me If You Can - "Live in Living Color"
• Chicago - "All That Jazz"
• Fela! - "Water Get No Enemy"
• Follies - "Don’t Look at Me"
• Ghost the Musical - "Here Right Now"
• Hair - "Aquarius"
• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying - "Brotherhood of Man"
• Jersey Boys - "Who Loves You"
• La Cage aux Folles - "The Best of Times"
• Million Dollar Quartet - "Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On"
• The Phantom of the Opera - "The Phantom of the Opera"
• Priscilla Queen of the Desert - "It’s Raining Men"
• Sister Act - "Raise Your Voice"
• West Side Story - "Tonight"
• Wicked - "What Is This Feeling?"

We invite you to download a free collection of 17 songs from Broadway's hottest hit shows from iTunes. Download your songs today. This free offer expires March 31, 2012. Code expiration date: November 30, 2012. Valid while supplies last.

Source: Free Stuff Finder

Movie Review: War Horse

Warning: Make sure you bring tissues with you to see War Horse. You will need them throughout the film.

Winner of the 2011 best play at the Tony's, War Horse has been adapted to the screen by Steven Spielberg. Spielberg is known for his films based throughout wars including Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, and Letters from Iwo Jima. War Horse adds another exciting film to his selection of films that history teachers can use in classroom when they want to reward their students while still being educational.

If you don't know anything about War Horse, it's the story of a boy and his horse during World War I. In need of cash, his father sells the horse to the British army. The boy, only a young teenager, runs off and joins the army in hopes of finding his horse. The film follows both characters as the boy hopes to reunite with his childhood pet.

The cinematography was amazing throughout the film. From the opening fly over of the British shoreline to the final scene when the credits rolled I truly felt emerged in the 1920s. I felt like there was a sepia feel to parts of it. It was in color, but the colors were muted.  It was not like Schindler's List which was black and white.

While the original story for War Horse can be traced to a young adult book, I would like to make sure my readers know that the film is set during World War I and there are a few intense war scenes. They also shoot and kill horses after working them to a breaking point. I assume that those scenes were done with CGI and no actual horses were harmed, but the scenes were very realistic and disturbing. Please keep that in mind before bringing children to see the film, or if you have a weak stomach for those type of things.

My personal opinion of this film is that it was an amazing story of survival and perseverance. I have never really been a huge fan of the war genre, but I found the story weaved nicely into the setting without becoming a history lesson. Not only did we see the relationship of a boy and his horse, but we saw a relationship form between Joey and another horse during the war. I would highly recommend this film and think that everyone can find something they like.

War Horse will be released nation wide on December 25, 2011. The screening I attended was in October and studio employees were interviewing the audience as we left, so there is a high possibility that things have changed since I originally wrote this review. The types of changes made should not effect my generalized comments, but I wanted to make you aware of the possibility.

Movie Rating for War Horse

The passes for this pre-screening were from Film Metro. Follow their Facebook page to attend free screenings near you. Check out my information post for more information about free movie screenings.

I would like to leave you with this short clip from the Tony Awards when Neal Patrick Harris rode Joey. War Horse is still playing at the Lincoln Center so if you're in NY, consider seeing the award winning production.

Free Skullcandy Jib Earbuds After Rewards at Staples

Staples has released another great coupon. You can get Skullcandy Jib Earbuds for free after 100% back in rewards. You must have the coupon scanned for your account to be credited with the reward. The coupon expires on December 24, 2011.

One Pound of Dog Treats Free at Petco

Petco has a variety of treats that you can purchase by the pound similar to a candy store or salad bar. Like Petco on Facebook and you'll get a coupon for a free pound off this bar. The coupon expires on December 24, 2011.


Source: Maven of Savin'

25 Free Points on Disney Movie Rewards

There is a new promotional code for Disney Movie Rewards.  Enter the code CHEER11 for 25 points.

Also, don't forget about ABC Family 25 Days of Christmas.  Just scroll down the website and click on the link for Disney Movie Rewards to earn your bonus points.

Mobile Coupon for Free Soda with Popcorn Purchase at Regal

There is a new coupon currently available on the Regal Cinemas Facebook page. You can get a mobile coupon for free soda when you buy any size popcorn that's good from December 19 until December 25, 2012.

If you're planning to see a movie this week, make sure you head over there first and enter your phone number. You will get a text message with your coupon.

Free Science Diet Dog Food After Rebate

If you missed the last rebate, Hill's is offering another rebate for a free bag of Science Diet's new Ideal Balance dog food (up to $12.99 value). Your purchase must be made by March 31, 2012 and postmarked by April 30, 2012.

For anyone that doesn't own a dog, consider picking up a bag for your local shelter. They can always use more food for the dogs.

90% Off Restaurant.com Gift Certificates

There is a new promotional code for restaurant.com. Use the code JOY before December 24, 2011 to save 90%.

Even better, eBates (15% back) and Shop at Home (50% back) both offer cash back on restaurant.com purchases.

Sponsored: Gift Card Weekend

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gift Card Weekend for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Do you want a chance to win a $20 giftcard to Sephora?  You're in luck then because Gilbert the Giftcard Machine is running a great promotion through the new year.  From December 19-23, 2011, they will be giving away over 100 gift cards to fans on Facebook.  Just go like their Gift Card Weekend on Facebook and you will be on your way to winning a fantastic prize.  Sharing the promotion with your friends will even increase your chances of winning.

 

Once you're there, keep an eye out because besides Sephora, there are a ton of partnering retailers that will be offering amazing deals on giftcards for the holiday season.  Gift Card Weekend is an annual event where you can buy giftcards to select retailers at a promotional cost to be redeemed during the promotional time period.  This means you might be able to get discounted giftcards.

 

I've never participated in this event before, but I think it might be really good.  The promotional giftcards can only be redeemed from January 6-8, 2012 so make sure you can shop on those dates before purchasing a gift.  Enjoy!

Participating stores and restaurants include:

• JcPenny
• Regal Cinema
• Subway
• Sephora
• Applebee's
• Bass Pro Shops
• Adidas
• Buca di Beppo
• Lowe's
• Spa Finder
• Marriot
• Giant Eagle

 

Three Free Michael Buble Christmas Downloads

Michael Buble has teamed up with Beringer wines to offer you three free songs off his new christmas album. Head over and fill out a short form to download three free Michael Buble Christmas songs. Just select the state of New York and you won't be required to enter a bottle number for your downloads. Enjoy.

The free songs are:

• Jingle Bells
• Silent Night
• Ave Maria

Source: Hunt4Freebies

Free Sample of 5-Hour Energy

We've all seen 5-Hour Energy in the stores, and we've seen the commercials. Have you ever tried it? Now you can request a free sample of 5-Hour Energy to see if it really works.

The site is really slow but it's a free sample, so it's worth a shot.

Source: The Brainy Buyer

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Sadly I was busy the night of the screening for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, but I won't have to wait much longer. IMAX is running a promotion where the film will be released a week early at select IMAX screens across the nation. This means that it's already showing because the national release is Friday, December 23, 2011.

From what I've heard from some friends that were able to attend the screening, it is amazing in IMAX. Additionally, the trailers for the IMAX release includes a six minute preview of the upcoming Batman movie. Reviews state those six minutes are worth the ticket price. As soon as I get a chance to see it, I'll let you know if that's true.

Make sure you like IMAX on Facebook because they are always running contests for free tickets.



Disclaimer: This post was made though a promotion on MyBlogSpark. By posting about this IMAX screening, I have been entered to win a set of IMAX movie tickets.

Information If You Purchased the McDonald's Living Social Deal

Earlier this month, I posted a deal from Living Social for McDonalds. I don't eat Big Macs so I didn't buy this deal, however today I saw a post on Time2Save Workshops regarding the deal.

It seems that some McDonalds are ringing the deal as 50% off instead of free. Others are giving you the Big Mac and fries, but charging you tax. McDonalds and Living Social are working to contact all franchise owners to correct the problem. In the meantime, you might have to ask to speak to a manager or just wait to use your vouchers.

Free 4GB Flash Drive at Staples (After Rewards)

Staples has a great coupon for 100% back on 4GB micro relay flash drive. It's really tiny so you might loose it easily, but for free it's worth the risk.

Just an FYI... Duracell batteries are also 100% back this week, no coupon required.

$10 for a $20 Overstock.com Voucher

Google Offers (beta) is currently offering a promotion for Overstock.com. Buy a $20 voucher for only $10. If you place your order through there new shortcut, o.co, you'll get free shipping.

$25 for $35 at Crocs.com Plus Free Shipping

Google Offers has a deal today for Crocs.com.  For $25, you'll get $35 and free shipping for your Crocs purchase.  I've never worn Crocs, but I do know that many people love them.

• Order must total more than $35 to apply Offer
• Fashionable & functional shoes
• Classic clogs, plus boots, flats & more
• Colorful styles for adults & children
• Beanies, socks, Jibbitz charms & more
• Use online with ground shipping included

Greenopolis is a New Motivation to Recycle

Growing up in NY, I always had to pay a $0.05 deposit on soda to promote recycling. Once a month we would bring a large garbage bag of cans and bottles to the supermarket and put them in the machine to get our money back. Actually, if I'm being perfectly honest my mother paid but I kept the refund.

In PA, we just throw our bottles and cans in the recycling bin next to the trashcan. However, I think I might start bring them to the store again. I saw a new machine outside Shoprite yesterday and of course my curious nature led me to explore.

Greenopolis gives you points for recycling. Each bottle or can is worth 5 points. When you reach a minimum of 100 points, you can begin redeeming for prizes. The prizes range and they will actually differ based on your location because they are from local businesses. You can also save up your points because for around 500,000 points you can get a free HP computer. I think the local deals for around 100 points are a better deal. Lastly, you can donate your points to charity. For charity donations, each point is worth $0.01.

The coolest part is that the brand of bottle doesn't matter. I've deposited both regular brand soda bottles and store brand water bottles. The machine scans the barcode to determine what material you are recycling and then points left or right depending on which door you should drop the bottle/can through.

You can register online for a free account, but make sure you take a free reward card keychain from the machine and register it to make redeeming easier.  Otherwise, you will always have to save your receipt and enter the code online when you get home.  By scanning your card's barcode first, it  automatically adds the recycling to your account. This is also beneficial because the machine seems to always be out of paper for the receipt and no paper is better for the environment anyway.

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored. I personally saw this machine and wanted to share it with all of you. If someone from Greenopolis would like to sponsor a future giveaway on Making Cents of It to promote recycling, please email Making Cents of It.

Babycakes Cake Pops Maker for Under $1.99 (Plus Tax)

Kohl's has a great rebate for $10 off the Babycakes Cake Pops Maker. This rebate is great because the cake pop maker is currently on sale for $14.99. Use the promotional code SECRETSANTA for 20% off. This makes the total $11.99 bring the after rebate price to $1.99.

For free shipping, you must spend at least $50 at Kohl's website but you can get this item in the store too. Prices might differ and you'll need a physical coupon for the discount. I recommend asking the cashier if they have any coupons. For sales like this they tend to keep an extra one behind the register.

For the rebate, your purchase must be dated today or tomorrow (December 11-12, 2011) only.

If shopping online, go through eBates (4% back) or Shop at Home (2% back) to bring the price down even farther. If you're a new member to either site, you'll get $5 just for signing up. eBates has an addition promotion where you can choose a $10 giftcard instead of the $5 cash.

Free Download of Tim McGraw's Christmas All Over the World

Head over to theBoot and you can download a free MP3 of Tim Mcgraw's Christmas All Over the World.

Get $10 Free on The Clymb

The Clymb is a great site that brings you deals on some really popular brands. Right now, you can get $10 towards your first purchase just for signing up.

While The Clymb is geared towards the extreme athletes, they have sales for the everyday person as well. I have purchased high quality travel mugs from them for about 70% off the retail price. Right now, they have a New Balance sale.

Half Price Domino's Pizza Tomorrow (December 8, 2011)

Domino's Pizza is celebrating their 51st anniversary by offering a great deal to their Facebook fans. By ordering your pizza on their Facebook page through the special tab, you will get 50% off any menu-priced pizza. This promotion is only valid tomorrow, Thursday December 8, 2011. Enjoy!

Free Bus Ticket for Megabus

Megabus is so confident that you will love their service that they are giving away 200,000 free tickets. You must travel between January 4 and March 1, 2011. To get your free ticket, use the promotional code GOFREE. It might only be a few tickets per bus, so you might have to be flexible with your travel dates and times. Good luck.

Source: Mojo Savings

Get a $5 Starbucks Giftcard When You Buy Four With Your Visa

Visa and Starbucks want to reward you for buying Starbucks eCards. Just buy four gift cards (minimum $5 each) and you'll get a $5 for free. That means you can get $25 in Starbucks e-gift cards for only $20.

Once you get them, you can transfer the cards to one card if you would like. Also, these are e-gift cards so you will either need to print the email or connect them to your smartphone.

Remember to register your gift cards for the Starbucks reward program.