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Hey Grocery Stores – I Want Mobile Coupons!

I was just reading that H-E-B, a Texas supermarket chain, is launching mobile coupons. As it turns out, their nearly alone in the grocery store mobile coupon department. Looking online for other grocers that have a mobile strategy revealed only a handful – Schunks (mid-West), Earth Fare, Shop-Rite (east coast), Target (duh!) and Stop & Shop (east coast). Overall, less than 4% of grocery stores are using digital coupons.

So what’s the problem? After a little more digging around, I found that one big reason grocery coupons are lagging is that the stores themselves are technology “impaired.” Hey – they just figured out the bar code thing! To be fair, all those bar codes scanners and registers don’t come cheap.  So no one wants to invest in anything that isn’t proven – and obviously, no one wants to go first.

Things could be changing soon thanks to some big bucks being spent on “coupon technology.” Proctor and Gamble is leading the way by putting its weight behind technology start-up MoBeam. MoBeam converts bar code data on the phone to a beam of light that can be read by existing bar code readers. P&G just needed to convince phone manufacturers to add the technology to smart phones. It took a while, but they finally convinced Samsung who put MoBeam in their Galaxy S4.

Now let’s hope the grocery stores get on board.  Because I’m getting tired of clipping, storing and carrying around boatloads of stuff in my already too large purse.

7 Ways to Get Free Food

One thing we never seem to tire of is food, especially free food! Check out these 7 easy ways to not only save on your groceries but eat for free.

1. Sample Free Food at Wholesale Clubs.

Places like Costco, BJ’s, and Sams Club are famous for their free food samples. Lots of grocery stores offer free samples, but these places blow them out of the water. While the initial membership to shop at these places costs a small amount, the membership pays for itself quickly between all the free samples and great deals on groceries you’ll receive. There’s no shame in grabbing more than one sample either! They love seeing that people enjoy their products.

2. Give a Feedback.

Restaurants need your feedback and suggestions. Do them a favor and they will do one for you in return. Check the bottom of receipts or just offer some feedback in your dialogue and many places, fast food in particular, will reward you with some coupons for freebies.

3. Go Fishing.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” This Chinese proverb has stood the test of time for a reason: it’s true. It costs a small amount for a fishing license, but being able to have a reliable and fresh source of protein is well worth it. Be sure to check the fishing laws in your area. Then get out there and catch your dinner!

4. Go to a Place of Worship.

Ask about upcoming events at places of worship in your area. Many times they have free food and it’s a nice way to socialize with your community in a casual environment. Even if you don’t attend services regularly, you are welcomed and accepted.

5. Use MyKidsEatFree.com.

Having a family makes it even more important to stretch your dollar. This site lists all the restaurants in your area that offer free meals for children. This can be great for family vacations or even just to change up the normal weekly routine. Either way, you will be saving a few bucks.

Note: Replaced KidsEatFree.com because it was not working, thanks to Martel for the note!

6. Start a Perennial Garden.

Instead of using annual crops that are only bountiful once and then need to be replanted, use a perennial garden. These plants are great for several seasons and after the first crop, the rest will be free! Some popular perennials include garlic, onions, asparagus and broccoli. For more perennial goodies, check out this list. Put your green thumb to the test.

7. Become a Mystery Shopper.

Mystery shopping is a way for the restaurant to evaluate their services and food while you receive a free meal. You simply summarize and analyze your visit as if you were a regular customer. Your conclusions are sent back to the company and they use it to improve their services. Learn more about mystery shopping here.

Sources: sxc.hu, morguefile.com

Free Kindle Short Stories

Short stories and novellas are a great way to get a feel for an author’s work – and a great way to save money so you don’t buy a book you won’t like. Here are a few highly rated stories by famous authors to download for free on your amazon Kindle.

Ring of Flowers

A 46 page novella, Ring of Flowers is the backstory to the Will Foster character in The Calypso Directive by author Brian Adams. A tale of love, tragedy and the Plague, it’s a quick and enjoyable read.

Source: www.amazon.com

Haunted Love

A sneak peak of Cynthia Leitich Smith’s novel Diabolical. Set in a small Texas town, a young vampire buys a haunted movie theatre in hopes of restoring it to its former glory.  But, maybe the resident ghost doesn’t think that’s a good idea…

Source: www.amazon.com

If at First…

A short story by “space opera” author Peter F. Hamliton, what looks like a celebrity stalking case is anything but.  Is the suspect crazy or is his claim of being from another time true?

Source: www.amazon.com

Abandon Changes

A preview to John M. Cusick’s novel Girl Parts, this short story follows Rei, a runner who doesn’t ask questions about what she’s delivering.  But a man in her life does…

Source: www.amazon.com

Weekend Coupon Roundup

Whether you’re a shopaholic or someone who cringes every time you spend a dollar, coupons can make shopping more relaxing. While you’re enjoying a meal out or shopping for some new clothing, make sure you’re getting the best deals by using coupons!

Click on the links below to print this week’s top coupons:

Mall & Retail Coupons

Restaurant Coupons & Deals

Thanks, Southern Savers & Mojo Savings! 

Coupon Sherpa – Best Mobile Coupon App

If you could only have one coupon app on your phone (besides yoFreeSamples’, of course), make it Coupon Sherpa.  Available for iPhone and Android, you’ll have coupons from every national retailer (including restaurants) imaginable.  For many of them, all you need to do is show the coupon on your phone in the store to get the discount.  Now that’s how a coupon app should work.

But there’s more.  Coupon Sherpa collects online offers so while you’re shopping on the web, you can find discount codes to use when you check out.  They also have a mobile site so if you don’t want to or can’t download the app you have another option.  Passbook enabled coupons are clearly marked, too, so if you’ve got an iPhone you can send the coupon from the Coupon Sherpa app or their mobile website to keep them handy.

So how does the app look/work?  It’s kind of like an address book.  Choose in-store or online to see all coupons listed alphabetically.  There’s also a search function and a way to save your favorite stores.  When you use or look at a coupon, you can let Coupon Sherpa know if you decided to use the coupon or whether it worked or not.

Unlike on their website, printable coupons are not clearly marked (fix that!). So that means you’ll need to do some prep work before you shop to see if you have to print anything first.  But if you forget to print one, try showing the coupon on your phone to the retailer anyway.  Some have a “dummy” coupon they can scan or another way they can give you the discount when you check out.

A Hot Deals section is probably for promoted offers and a Submit button that lets you to upload coupons you find to Coupon Sherpa.  And just to round things out, there’s an easy Feedback section to report problems.

My biggest complaint isn’t the little ad at the bottom on the screen (a small price to pay for all this convenience).  It’s that many coupons are not really coupons but notices about store sales or promotions or sign-ups for something before you can get the coupon. Unfortunately there are a lot of those.  It would be great if they would section those out under a “Sales” and a “Sign up to Save” menu item.

Some users have asked for a location tool so Coupon Sherpa can notify you of nearby or local deals.  Not sure if they’re going to go there but as a treasure trove of national coupons in your pocket, Coupon Sherpa is the way to go.