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There's nothing quite like watching your good friend explode into pieces from a rocket you just fired or cutting him down with a sword during a game of Halo 2 .

But a close second is buying a video game for one-third the price.
It's easy, too.

You suddenly have this urge drive to Thomasville because, let's face it, you've always wanted climb on the city's giant chair.

Makes you feel like a kid again.

But here's something else that will make you giddy.

I've got the mother of all coupon books for Triad residents.

The 304-page "Attractions Dining & Value Guide" has $5,000 worth of coupons for restaurants, green fees, pet supplies, video game rentals, auto repair and lots of other stuff.

Nonprofits including churches and the Special Olympics use the $25 books for fundraisers.

Find out how you can get one at www.diningandvalueguide.com.

So you recently read about robocat and are wondering if it's for you.

Catfish and salmon and shrimp, oh my.

Those are some of the yummy seafood eats you'll find on sale at Triad grocery stores this week.

Some of the highlights:

Food Lion has salmon fillets for $3.99 a pound.

Winn Dixie has catfish fillets for $3.99 a pound when you buy at least three pounds.

Bags of cooked and peeled large shrimp (41-50 pieces) are on sale at Lowes Foods for $5.99.

Bi-Lo has 4-ounce warm water lobster tails for $6.99 each.

Sales end Tuesday. And bonus cards are required, so bring 'em.

TGIF.

It will soon be time to kick back, pop open a cold one and announce to your significant other that, ah, dinner won't make itself so get busy.

"Golf appeals to the idiot in us and the child. Just how childlike golf players become is proven by their frequent inability to count past five."
- John Updike

Hey, I resem...I mean I resent that remark.

Creative scorekeeping aside, you also shouldn't be counting too high to pay for a round of golf in the Triad.

It's Mother's Day, and you're going over your list.
Flowers. Check. Card. Check.
Hey, you left off cake. What kind of son or daughter are you to forget cake? Don't worry, I won't tell her.
Anyway, here are some bargains on cake:
Lowes Foods has heart-shape strawberry shortcake for $6.99 and heart-shape cake for $4.99.
Your kids can also decorate a cake at Lowes today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Food Lion is selling a variety of 8-inch cakes for $4.99.
Winn-Dixie has strawberry shortcake for $5.99.

It's Monday, and you're still alive.

Congratulations.

It's time to celebrate over a good, stress-free meal for under $3.

Here's a deal that will really leave you verklempt.
Bi-Lo and Kmart have those big red plastic tubs of Folgers ground coffee for $4.99 (34-39 oz.).
Kmart limits its sale to the special roast blend.
Go ahead and grab one because you can refill them with those cheaper, vacuum sealed brick-size coffee packages.
Kmart's sale ends Saturday. Bi-Lo's sale ends today.
Talk amongst yourselves.

Wendy's restaurants are giving away free Frostys frozen desserts (junior size) this weekend after a woman allegedly planted a severed finger in a bowl of chili.
"We're thanking our loyal customers for their support following the incident in San Jose," Tom Mueller, Wendy's president and chief operating officer, said in a press release.

Colleague Herb Everett passed along a pretty cool Web site devoted to finding great deals.

It's called Skimper.

It lists links to other Web sites devoted to finding bargains on pretty much everything under the sun, including a 19-foot inflatable water slide at Wal-Mart.

Now, two questions: where will I put the thing and should I ask my wife if we need it first?

Nah. I'm sure she'll love it and thank me for spending $300 on something that has fun written all over it.

Draft beer including Yuengling and Bud Light are $1 on Thursdays at First Horizon Park, home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

Tickets start at $6.

Cheers.

One deal I took full advantage of was the Subway sandwich Sub Club stamps.

So I was pretty annoyed to hear from co-worker Eric Townsend the fast-food franchise is stopping the program.

Break out the marinade and fire up the grill.

Chicken breasts are on sale this week.

Food Lion has boneless chicken breasts for $1.79 a pound.

Winn Dixie has them for $1.97 a pound.

Lowes Foods has them for $1.99 a pound.

It's buy a package, get one free at Bi-Lo (prices vary).

Sales end Tuesday.

And bring your bonus card. Hey, all your friends are doing it.

The Idiot Box comedy club in downtown Greensboro is getting serious about beer on the cheap.

Beer for a buck all night.

That's beerific.

Seriously, ladies and germs, here's some icing on the cake to go along with that cheap beer: a coupon!

Check out page 12 of Thursday's Go Triad for a $2 off coupon toward any show at The Idiot Box.

Mail-order movie rentals, writes business reporter Marta Hummel , are giving video stores a run for their money.
So what's the best deal?
Depends on how often you rent movies.
Mail-order movie memberships are $13 to $18 a month.
Movies-on-demand offered by companies including Time Warner Cable are charging $1.95 to $3.95.
And video stores charge $3 to $4.

Goodwill has set up a Web site that lets you bid on lots of donated items including a Ralph Lauren bag, wedding gown, and Old Navy jeans.

For the guys, there's lots of stuff including a Midway leather bomber jacket, Ping putter, and Claiborne dress shirts.

Revenues from auction sales fund Goodwill's education, job training and job placement programs for people including those with disabilities.

My wife and I will be staying at the Holiday Inn in Hilton Head, S.C., Sunday through Tuesday, so I'm sure it comes as no surprise that we'll be beating higher prices and bigger crowds by heading to the beach before Memorial Day weekend.

But it might surprise you how much you can really save.

We're paying $123 a night for two nights compared with $229 a night the following weekend.

Last time I checked, there were still rooms available, so come on down.

I'll save you a seat at the Tiki Hut.

You're sick and tired of fast-food but are pressed for time and money.

Say no more.

I recently mentioned a story comparing the cheapest way to rent movies.

But an article that ran in our business section Wednesday also points out libraries are joining the movie rental business, sometimes for free.

Holy petrol Batman!

Gas prices are heading in the right direction, at least for now.

The cheapest gas price in town as of this morning was $1.91 per gallon at the Gate on West Market Street in Greensboro, according to gasbuddies.com.

I'm not exactly the expert regarding deals in women's footware, so I randomly asked three female co-workers whether what I came across sounded like a value or, yep, I am clueless.

A Mexican restaurant in downtown Greensboro is helping us reach our dreams - getting the most barley for our buck.

Blue Diamond almonds and chocolate-covered Mauna Loa Macadamias are on sale (6-oz.) at Walgreens for $1.99.

For those just starting out in golf, here's a pretty good deal on clubs.

Ball Park Franks has a buy one, get one free deal on Friday to kick off Memorial Day weekend.

You have to mail in the proof of purchase and a special rebate form.

So now you're asking yourself, well, is it worth the trouble? How do they taste?

According to a sales savvy co-worker, Rugged Warehouse on Bridford Parkway in Greensboro (near Wendover Avenue and Interstate 40) on Wednesday night had a storefront rack of Speedo and Izod bathing suits in women's sizes from $16.99 to about $20.

Gas prices continue to decline, just in time for the Memorial Day weekend.

Are you sitting down?

What I'm about to describe is the best deal I've seen, bar none, on a case of Bud Light, Miller Light or Coors Light.

Treat your family and friends to some good ice cream this holiday weekend.

Lowes Foods has a buy one, get one free deal on Breyers ice cream.

Circuit City has all CDs on sale for $9.99 or less on those normally priced $10.99 to $13.99 (limit three).

Sale ends today. Stores are open until 9 p.m.

Target has a portable camping table and four folding chairs on sale for $22. Comes with a carrying bag.

Sale ends Saturday.