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Just for voting, you can get a free cup of coffee at Starbucks, a free scoop of ice cream at Ben & Jerry's and a free, star-shaped dougnut with red, white and blue sprinkles at Krispy Kreme.
Plus you can get free chicken tenders at Shane's Rib Shack at its two Greensboro locations.
Know of any other deals?
A North Carolina dentist is offering kids cash for Halloween candy.
Dr. Jack Winchester of Morehead City is paying $1 a pound. The candy then goes to deployed troops.
A sampling of deals at grocery stores this week:
* Porterhouse or T-bone steak on sale for $5.99 at Harris Teeter (regular $8.99).
* 2-for-1 deal on Campbell's cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup at Harris Teeter.
* 2-for-1 deal on Edy's Grand ice cream at Lowes Foods (regular $5.59 each).
* Live lobster (1.25 pounds and under) for $6.99 a pound at Lowes Foods (regular $11.99 pound).
* 2-for-1 deal on frozen Tyson boneless chicken breasts (2.5-pound bags, regular $13.99 each) at Food Lion.
* 2-for-1 deal on Marie Callender's frozen dinners (regular $3.99 each) at Food Lion.
A Web site called BillShrink.com will help you see if you're getting the best deal regarding your cell phone plan.
To celebrate its grand opening, the entire menu at Poblano’s Mexican Bar and Grill at Friendly Center in Greensboro is half off today.
Hours today are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
At $8-$9 for the average entrée, that’s a pretty good deal, Short Orders columnist Carl Wilson tells me.
As mentioned by my colleague Morgan Josey Glover at her blog Green Notes, North Carolinians who planned to upgrade to an energy efficient appliance can get a break from the state sales tax by scheduling the purchase this weekend.
State legislators last year established a sales tax holiday on the first Friday-Sunday of November for certain Energy Star appliances.
Clothes washers, freezers, refrigerators, central air conditioners, room air conditioners, air-source heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, ceiling fans, dehumidifiers and programmable thermostats will be exempt from state and local taxes during the holiday provided they carry the Energy Star label.
If you donate $5, you can get a discount on merchandise during Belk's charity sale Nov. 15.
Local charities will sell the tickets. They also get the proceeds.
The 4-hour sale begins at 6 a.m. It will feature 20 to 50 percent discounts on purchases except cosmetics and fragrances.
Customers also get $5 off their first purchase of $5 or more. Belk cardholders will receive double points for card purchases.
Reminder about the News & Record holding a community yard sale tomorrow in the building's back parking lot at Church & Washington Streets. More than 60 vendors are expected.
Takes place from 8 a.m. to noon.
Your optional entrance donation of $1 benefits the News & Record's Newspaper in Education program and United Way of Greater Greensboro.
Questions? Call Jaye Webb at 336-373-7294 or send an e-mail.
Update: Then again, maybe not. We'll see.
Co-worker Carl Wilson had passed along news The Press Wine Cafe in Greensboro is closing.
But a new owner may step in.
Don't let the name fool you because that place had one of the best beer selections in town. And on Fridays, everything was half-off.
Rite Aid is once again offering a $30 gift card in exchange for transferring your prescription to one of its pharmacies.
In its "Best of What's New 2008" regarding computing, Popular Science mentions a Microsoft Web site that uses ordinary photos to build a 3-D view you can navigate as if you're playing a video game.
"Photosynth analyzes dozens of shots to find overlapping areas and piece them together," according to the magazine.
Best part? It's free.
I gave it a whirl this afternoon. Took 41 pics of the Nathanael Greene statue in downtown Greensboro and here's the result. Before you can view it, you'll probably get a prompt to download a Web browser plug.
Very easy to use. You just upload the photos you want and the software does the rest.
The bright, mid-afternoon sun really did a number regarding the shots where I'm standing directly in front of Nathanael Greene, so I think those weren't used. But other than that, it came out pretty well. Pretty cool stuff.
Golden Corral is once again serving free meals to soldiers.
The “thank you” dinner will be available Monday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Active military personnel or veterans are eligible.
Golden Corral restaurants have provided more than 1.8 million free meals and contributed more than $2.53 million to the Disabled American Veterans organization, according to its Web site.
It's Veterans Day, so I figured I'd once again showcase Nathanael Greene using that new 3D photo software, which is free, easy to use and highly addictive.
This time, I took pics of his statue at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park.
Click here to view. If you haven't already, you'll need to download a Web browser plug-in. Only takes a minute.
* 2-for-1 deal on 12-packs of Pepsi at Harris Teeter, which is also doubling manufacturers' coupons (up to 99 cents):
* 5-packs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.99 a pound at Lowes Foods
* 2-for-1 deal on Edy's ice cream at Food Lion
* 2-for-1 deal on 9-inch Sara Lee pies at Harris Teeter
* 2 for $10 deal on Freschetta pizza at Lowes Foods
* 2-for-1 deal on Hebrew National beef franks at Harris Teeter
* 2-for-1 deal on Honey Nut Cheerios at Lowes Foods
* 2-for-1 deal on Campbell's Select Harvest soups at Food Lion (limit 2)
* Boneless chicken breast fillets or tenders for $1.99 a pound at Food Lion
Pictures I took at Lake Brandt using that new 3D software.
Click here to view. (You'll first need to download a plug-in to see it.)
Page 32 of Go Triad magazine (insert in today's News & Record) features 2-for-1 lunch and dinner entree coupons at Buffalo's Bar & Grill.
The restaurant chain has two locations in Greensboro and one in High Point.
We used to regularly chow down on a whole bunch of wings at its Battleground Avenue location after some challenging rounds on the golf course.
Nothing gets the bitter taste out of remembering a triple bogey than a stack of spicy wings and a cold one.
Cheers.
More people hoping to pinch pennies in tough times are boosting profits for Wal-Mart and McDonald's.
So what about your household? Are you giving them your hard-earned dollar more often these days or do you have a different shopping strategy?
A diamond-studded gold gorilla pendant for only $3,800? Get out of town. But it's true.
That pendant, appraised for $21,600, was among hundreds of pieces of jewelry that authorities seized from drug dealers and sold in a public auction in North Carolina today, The Associated Press reports.
Other steals: A diamond-encrusted men's Breitling 1884 chronometre watch worth $38,000 sold for only $8,000. A heavy gold curb link chain appraised at more than $32,000 went for $10,500.
If you like to shop at Friendly Center and the Shops at Friendly Center, you're going to need to get your hands on a new, 84-page coupon book.
It's loaded with discounts and 2-for-1 deals toward merchandise, services and food. Examples include a 2-for-1 deal on 22-ounce iced coffees at McDonalds, $15 off Liz Claiborne Shoes (with $75 purchase), and 20 percent off your bill at Cafe Carolina and Bakery.
You can pick them up at the Friendly Center's marketing office beginning tomorrow near the Macaroni Grill. (Same place the Halloween seasonal store was located.)
Retailers nervous about the economy are trying to entice people to shop by unveiling those prized Black Friday deals early this year.
In today's News & Record, for example, there's an insert from Sears with the headline "Black Friday prices now!" on merchandise including a Sharp Aquos Blu-ray disc player for $179.99.
Kmart's insert features a "Black Friday price available now!" on a 26-inch flat-screen TV for $299.99, regular $399.99.
So will this strategy pay off for retailers?
By the way, I've posted some Black Friday sales Web sites on the right-hand side of this blog.
Target will "aggressively" cut prices to give consumers bargains during the holiday season, The Associated Press reports.
During the holidays, Target will remain "keenly focused" on offering low prices on national brands and its own products and will match Wal-Mart prices on identical items in local markets, Kathryn Tesija, Target's executive vice president of merchandise, told the AP.
So what about your shopping habits? Do you normally shop at Wal-Mart and may now decide to shop at Target more often due to the price cuts? Or are you a die hard Target shopper and the news is just icing on the cake?
Get $10 gift vouchers to Green Valley Grill, Lucky 32 and Print Works Bistro for a total of $30 in exchange for signing up for the owner's e-newsletter.
Go to Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants & Hotels' Web site, scroll to the bottom and click the part about signing up for e-mail updates.
Complete the form to get the vouchers mailed to you.
The Team Connection Outlet Store in High Point, which sells athletic and fitness apparel, footwear and accessories to high school and college teams, is having a big sale in December.
Prices will range from 50 to 80-percent off retail. Specials will include $20 bargain shoes and buy three, get one deals on crews and polos.
The event will be held Thursday through Saturday during the first three weeks of December (Dec. 4-6, 11-13, 18-20). Hours on Thursdays and Fridays are noon to 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
* Angus boneless New York strip steak for $5.99 a pound (5-packs) at Lowes Foods.
* Cases of Budweiser and Miller beers for $12.44 at Food Lion (limit 2).
* Barefoot wine (all varietals) for $4.97 at Wal-Mart.
* Asparagus for $1.49 a pound at Harris Teeter.
* 2-for-1 deals on 12-packs of Coke at Harris Teeter.
* Dunkin Donuts or Folgers coffee for $5.99 (27.8-34.5 ounces) at Lowes Foods and Food Lion.
* Buy 1, get 1 free on Breyers Ice Cream at Food Lion.
Black Friday specials posted online this week include deals from Staples, Bass Pro Shops, Home Depot, Burlington Coat Factory and Dicks & Meijer, according to BFAds.net.
More links to Black Friday ads listed at the top right section of this blog.
Another major Triad shopping center is fighting for your hard-earned buck by offering a holiday coupon book.
Alamance Crossing is giving out free, 36-page booklets featuring deals. Includes buy 1 cookie, get 1 free at Great American Cookies, free Baby Blossom with two entrees at Texas Roadhouse and free small box of popcorn with a ticket purchase at Carousel Cinemas.
Hey, every little bit helps, right?
Elsewhere, Friendly Center and the Shops at Friendly Center are distributing an 84-page coupon book.
Three other Triad area malls are handing out coupon books: Hanes Mall, Randolph Mall, and Oak Hollow Mall.
At Hanes Mall, you can pick up the 84-page booklet at the customer service desk, lower level near Belk.
At Randolph Mall, you can pick up the 36-page booklet at the management office near JC Penney and Dillard's or any of the mall's eateries.
At Oak Hollow Mall, you can pick up the 48-page booklet at the customer service desk near Regal Cinemas.
Elsewhere, Alamance Crossing is giving out 36-page coupon booklets at the management office near the movie theater. You can also pick them up at the cinema box office.
Friendly Center and the Shops at Friendly Center are distributing 84-page coupon books at the Friendly Center's marketing office near the Macaroni Grill.
Dr Pepper is delivering on its promise of free soda since Guns N' Roses is finally releasing its "Chinese Democracy" album.
The soft-drink maker said in March that it would give a free soda to everyone in America if the album was released in 2008.
"Chinese Democracy," delayed since recording began in 1994, goes on sale Sunday.
Beginning Sunday at 12:01 a.m., coupons for a free 20-ounce soda will be available for 24 hours on Dr Pepper's Web site. They'll be honored until Feb. 28.
Buy one entree, get one free T.G.I. Friday's printable coupons are available until Nov. 30.
You can also sign up for a "Give Me More Stripes" card. In exchange, you get a free appetizer coupon and a one-time "front of the line pass." You can also earn credit for each dollar spent at the restaurant.
Many people aren't buying new cars these days, opting to hang onto their used set of wheels a little while longer. That's good news for auto repair shops. But what if they're taking you for a ride?
A newspaper column offers tips on when to say no and when to say yes to recommended repairs and maintenance.
But how much should you pay if you say yes? One Web site breaks down the costs based on where you live.
Highlights of Walmart's Black Friday ad include a Samsung 50-inch plasma HDTV for $798 and an 8-inch digital photo frame for $39.
You can see other Black Friday ads here. More Black Friday ad links at the top right section of this blog.
News & Record biz writer Lanita Withers also offers some Black Friday shopping tips in today's Savvy Shopper column.
Pretty cool graphic News & Record artist Tim Rickard created last year simplifies the resolution confusion surrounding HDTVs. Definitely worth a second look if you're thinking about taking the HDTV plunge this holiday season.
Among the HDTV deals I've seen so far that are also worth a second look: Sharp 46-inch 1080p LCD for $898.99 at Best Buy (regular $1,398.99). Model # LC46SB54U. That's the best deal I've seen, by the way. Deal ends Wednesday.
But if money is no object, CNET has ranked the top HDTVs out there. But expect to pay $3,795 to $4,999.98.
* Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods have whole fresh turkeys on sale for 99 cents a pound (limit 2).
Also, if you still have Sunday's News & Record, there's a Harris Teeter double manufacturers' coupon on A9 (up to 99 cents).
* Frozen turkeys are 67 cents a pound at Food Lion with an additional $35 purchase (limit 2).
* Frozen turkeys are 59 cents a pound at Compare Foods with the purchase of at least $75 in groceries or free if you spend $120 or more.
* Lowes Foods has premium spiral sliced ham for $1.49 a pound.
* Harris Teeter has cases of Bud Light, Miller Lite and Coors Light for $11.88 (limit 2).
* Lowes Foods, Harris Teeter and Food Lion (limit 2) have 2-for-1 deals on Breyers ice cream.
* 2-for-1 deal on Mrs. Smith's pies at Food Lion (limit 2) and Lowes Foods.
* Get 10 2-liter Pepsis for $10 at Lowes Foods.
* North Carolina sweet potatoes are .29 cents a pound at Lowes Foods.
With the economic downturn and tightening credit, merchants and consumers are returning to an old staple of retail: the layaway.
Do you use layaway service at stores to hold items until they are paid in full? If so, business reporter Lanita Withers wants to talk to you for a story. Contact her at 373-7071 or by email at lanita.withers@news-record.com.
And thanks.
They bought less this time around, but many shoppers still got up extra early and stood in long lines to take advantage of yesterday's sales.
Did it pay off?
In other words, were the deals about what you expected? Better? Worse?
H. Scott Hoffmann/News & Record
Helpful consumer advice column at PC World regarding Cyber Monday. Includes useful links and deal summaries.
I've also listed some Cyber Monday links on the right-hand side of this blog. Feel free to suggest others.
Retailers coined Cyber Monday in 2005 when online merchants offer big bargains.
According to one recent survey, three out of 10 workers plan to shop on the Web while at the office.
