The Chronic Consumer

I hate to admit it, but my family wastes a lot of food. We always seem to have leftovers, and because no one really likes to eat the same thing two or three days in a row, the leftovers get shoved to the back of the refrigerator, where they’re promptly forgotten until the rot. Yeah, not a great situation.

So I’m thinking of buying this FoodSaver vacuum system that seals food in vacuum-locked bags to help preserve freshness. The food can then be stored in the freezer, where it’ll keep a lot longer than in the fridge. I don’t know if this will actually help us reduce the amount of food we waste (it could just end up cluttering our freezer), it can’t hurt to give it a try. The machine costs about $100, and bags are extra. Maybe I’ll buy this the next time I go shopping!

I love IHOP pancakes, so I’m definitely planning on taking advantage of this offer! Tuesday February 23 is National Pancake Day, and to celebrate, IHOP is giving away a free short stack of pancakes (that’s three for those of you who have never been there) to customers from 7am to 10pm. No purchase is required, but IHOP does ask that you donate to the Children’s Miracle Network or a similar charity (although again, this is NOT required). Limit 1 short stack per customer, and you can’t get the free pancakes in conjunction with other specials or coupons.

Can’t wait for this one!

I absolutely LOVE soft pretzels and cannot go to the mall or a baseball game without getting at least a couple. Hmm, maybe I just figured out why I also have to buy cellulite gel on a regular basis!! At any rate, there’s an Auntie Anne’s at the mall right down the street from my house, so the delicious, warm goodness is never too far away.

The only thing better than an Auntie Anne’s soft pretzel is a FREE Auntie Anne’s soft pretzel — which everyone can enjoy this coming Saturday, Feb. 20. That’s right, on Feb. 20 from 10am to 3pm, you can get a free regular or cinnamon pretzel at participating locations. You don’t need a coupon or anything, and it says limit one per person. You can even sign up for a text message reminder on the 20th — which I’ve already done. See you at the mall!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a good coupon code for you, so I thought I’d take a break from writing reviews today and share a freebie instead. Do you have any Redbox movie rental kiosks in your area? If so, then you can use the following Redbox code to get a free rental: SPNSV9.

If you’ve never used one of these kiosks before, you might want to visit the Redbox website to learn more.

Don’t forget to pick up some popcorn too!

I love the fine stationery products offered by Alden Grace, so I’m pleased to pass this offer along to you. For two weeks only, you can get 50 free personalized note cards with any purchase of $100 or more. You’ll also get 50 unprinted envelopes to go with the note cards. The personalization consists of your name in a standard font with black or navy ink. It kinda sucks that they’re limiting your choices like that, but I think this is still a good deal.

Anyway, if you need to order Christmas cards, invitations, birth announcements, or any other kind of stationery, now is a good time. Be sure to enter the Alden Grace coupon code “NOTECARDS” in the coupon/gift card box during checkout in order to receive your free gift!

As you probably know, Chicago has submitted a bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games. The IOC is currently evaluating all the candidates, and will release the name of the winner in the next few days. To celebrate the event, Chicago-area Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants will be giving patrons FREE 14-oz. coffees all day long — regardless of the Olympic outcome. No purchase or coupon is necessary; limit one per customer.

Dunkin’ Donuts Field Marketing manager Kathy Nowicki said:

“Of course, we all hope to be celebrating the 2016 Summer Games coming to our city, but win or lose, the free 14-ounce coffee is Dunkin’ Donuts’ way of saying thank you to Chicago for all the support and hard work in showcasing our city.”

I am not that big a coffee drinker, but I think the brew at DD is pretty good. I just have to convince myself to use it to wash down my weight loss pills instead of a couple of donuts! I’m actually making a tiny bit of progress in the diet department, and am creeping down to my weight goal. The last thing I need is to be derailed by a free cup of coffee that turns into 1000 calories because of some accompanying donuts!

If you want to get in on the government’s Cash for Clunkers program, you better move fast. The $4,500 rebates for trading in your “clunker” will not be issued after 8pm on Monday, August 24.

The program has been a big hit with consumers, but has been a major headache for auto dealers and the government. The government severely underestimated how many people would participate, so they ran out of their initial $1 billion allotment in just the first week. The government then added another $2 billion to the plan.

But dealers have been complaining of not getting reimbursed for the rebates. There’s lots of complicated paperwork meant to discourage fraud, and apparently many of the dealers aren’t filling out the papers properly, causing the holdups.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering which cars are the best sellers as the result of the trade-in program, here are the top 5:

1. Toyota Corolla
2. Ford Focus
3. Hyundai Elantra
4. Chevrolet Cobalt
5. Honda Fit

I’m not a coffee/cappuccino/latte/espresso/mocha drinker at all, but judging from all the damn gourmet coffee places around, most of you are! Anyway, I wouldn’t know the quality of McDonald’s coffee from anything else, but if you enjoy free stuff, then you’ll definitely want to stop at your closest branch every Monday from now until August 3. That’s because McDonald’s is giving away FREE samples of its new iced or hot mocha drinks between 7am and 7pm on those days!

No other purchase or coupon is necessary for Free Mocha Mondays, though the fine print says “while supplies last”, so maybe that means they’re just giving away a limited number each time?

Anyway, you’ve got four chances to make this happen: 7/13, 7/20, 7/27, and 8/3.