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In This Section
High-tech company expands downtown
Folgers coffee perks up Smucker earnings
Region's stocking full of ideas for those on the prowl for holiday gifts
Ohio sues credit-rating companies
Study tracks newspaper, online readership
Michelin chief says revenue won't increase
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Man allegedly paid teens to spit in his face
Angel Food Ministries helps stretch grocery dollars
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
For your Saturday entertainment …
Akron Zips:
Hitchens leads Zips in second-half comeback
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Holmgren expresses interest in Browns position
Kent State Sports:
Kent State blown out in second half, loses to Temple 13-47
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Indiana Pacers – Here’s to LBJ and Free Throws
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Bowling season starts today
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Federal Judge Declares DOMA Unconstitutional
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
By Paula Schleis
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 05:48 p.m. EST, Mar 06, 2009
I know better than most how registering an e-mail address at a Web site can lead to lots of unwelcome correspondence.
Years ago, I wrote a column about free Internet downloads, and I'm convinced much of the spam I get at work can be attributed to the way I had to throw my e-mail address all over cyberspace.
Still, I knew if I wanted to make the most of couponing, I was going to have to give it up again. Lots of manufacturers and retailers distribute coupons or announce special deals by e-mails, but they need to know how to find you.
I recommend signing up for a free Internet-based service like Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail and using that address for all of your coupon activity.
This week, I thought I'd let you peek at the kind of e-mail I've been getting:
• If you love Dove, join Dove Dimensions (http://www.dove.us.) Membership promises samples, free gifts, insider tips, etc. This week, they e-mailed me some coupons and a link to even more coupons on their Web site.
• I get my Acme Fresh Markets circular in Saturday's Akron Beacon Journal, but one recent week they sent me an e-mail about a one-day-only sale with a couple of products that I was happy to take advantage of. Sign up at http://www.acmestores.com.
• Every once in a while, I see a sale that I really want to get greedy on. That's when I turn to Coupons and Forms (http://www.couponsandforms.com), just one of many coupon clipping services. This week, I got an e-mail inviting me to a Frugal Friday discount of 20 percent.
• I've scored some great deals on SC Johnson products (Ziploc, Oust, Scrubbing Bubbles) after I signed up for Right@Home (http://www.rightathome.com.) This week they sent me an e-mail linked to $20 worth of Glade products.
• L'Oreal sent me a $3 coupon for hair coloring this week. They've e-mailed me coupons for skin care in the past. I registered for their mailing list at http://www.lorealparisusa.com.
• I frequently print coupons from Coupons.com (http://www.coupons.com), which features lots of manufacturers, but a weekly e-mail from the site reminds me when new offers are added. I also get alerted to new coupons from Shortcuts.com (http://www.shortcuts.com.)
• Scott products (paper towels, toilet paper) e-mails me coupons at least once a month since I joined their community (http://www.scottcommonsense.com.)
• There is a $2 coupon for Advil Cold and Sinus in my in-box. Wyeth frequently sends me links to coupons for Robitussin, Dimetapp and Centrum, too — and I've managed to score some free cold and pain medication in the past.
• I can always count on Betty Crocker to keep me rolling in coupons for everything from cereal to boxed potatoes to yogurt. Join the mailing list at http://www.bettycrocker.com.
• I got some free canned veggies after Giant Eagle doubled coupons e-mailed to me in the Del Monte Dish e-Newsletter. Sign up at http://www.delmonte.com/solutions.
• CVS and Walgreens have both sent me e-mails with coupons for discounts on purchases (i.e., $5 off $25.) I can often put together some kind of deal to make these coupons very appealing. Sign up at http://www.walgreens.com and http://www.cvs.com — and make sure you attach your CVS Extra Care Bucks card to your online account.
Buehler's correction
Last week, I said you could earn points toward free groceries at Buehler's through purchases at Marathon and BellStores.
Not true. A store representative called to say the purchases must be made at Buehler's, but shoppers could opt to spend their reward at Marathon and BellStores.
I pointed out some confusing copy on their Web site, but stand corrected.
See http://www.buehlers.com/cnt/rewards.html for more on this program.
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com.
I know better than most how registering an e-mail address at a Web site can lead to lots of unwelcome correspondence.
Years ago, I wrote a column about free Internet downloads, and I'm convinced much of the spam I get at work can be attributed to the way I had to throw my e-mail address all over cyberspace.
Still, I knew if I wanted to make the most of couponing, I was going to have to give it up again. Lots of manufacturers and retailers distribute coupons or announce special deals by e-mails, but they need to know how to find you.
I recommend signing up for a free Internet-based service like Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail and using that address for all of your coupon activity.
This week, I thought I'd let you peek at the kind of e-mail I've been getting:
• If you love Dove, join Dove Dimensions (http://www.dove.us.) Membership promises samples, free gifts, insider tips, etc. This week, they e-mailed me some coupons and a link to even more coupons on their Web site.
• I get my Acme Fresh Markets circular in Saturday's Akron Beacon Journal, but one recent week they sent me an e-mail about a one-day-only sale with a couple of products that I was happy to take advantage of. Sign up at http://www.acmestores.com.
• Every once in a while, I see a sale that I really want to get greedy on. That's when I turn to Coupons and Forms (http://www.couponsandforms.com), just one of many coupon clipping services. This week, I got an e-mail inviting me to a Frugal Friday discount of 20 percent.
• I've scored some great deals on SC Johnson products (Ziploc, Oust, Scrubbing Bubbles) after I signed up for Right@Home (http://www.rightathome.com.) This week they sent me an e-mail linked to $20 worth of Glade products.
• L'Oreal sent me a $3 coupon for hair coloring this week. They've e-mailed me coupons for skin care in the past. I registered for their mailing list at http://www.lorealparisusa.com.
• I frequently print coupons from Coupons.com (http://www.coupons.com), which features lots of manufacturers, but a weekly e-mail from the site reminds me when new offers are added. I also get alerted to new coupons from Shortcuts.com (http://www.shortcuts.com.)
• Scott products (paper towels, toilet paper) e-mails me coupons at least once a month since I joined their community (http://www.scottcommonsense.com.)
• There is a $2 coupon for Advil Cold and Sinus in my in-box. Wyeth frequently sends me links to coupons for Robitussin, Dimetapp and Centrum, too — and I've managed to score some free cold and pain medication in the past.
• I can always count on Betty Crocker to keep me rolling in coupons for everything from cereal to boxed potatoes to yogurt. Join the mailing list at http://www.bettycrocker.com.
• I got some free canned veggies after Giant Eagle doubled coupons e-mailed to me in the Del Monte Dish e-Newsletter. Sign up at http://www.delmonte.com/solutions.
• CVS and Walgreens have both sent me e-mails with coupons for discounts on purchases (i.e., $5 off $25.) I can often put together some kind of deal to make these coupons very appealing. Sign up at http://www.walgreens.com and http://www.cvs.com — and make sure you attach your CVS Extra Care Bucks card to your online account.
Buehler's correction
Last week, I said you could earn points toward free groceries at Buehler's through purchases at Marathon and BellStores.
Not true. A store representative called to say the purchases must be made at Buehler's, but shoppers could opt to spend their reward at Marathon and BellStores.
I pointed out some confusing copy on their Web site, but stand corrected.
See http://www.buehlers.com/cnt/rewards.html for more on this program.
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com.
Paula,
I wish all coupons and sales were eliminated!
Do we not understand that there is a lot more mark-up to match the advertisements? Where I work some mark-up on some things is 90%, which would only be half of that if we did not have to pay the labor and advertising cost to go through it. Yes, it make customers buy a lot of junk they have no need for. It is totally stupid!
Any advertisement I see will cause me to buy from a local place that I never see any advertisements from. I am glad to pay twice the price just to stay away from them. Buying things cheap, especially made by slaves in China,
will always cost more. (The explanation is too long to add here.)
Marvin
How can there be markup if you are getting something for free, or at a fraction of the cost Marvin? It's all about being a smart shopper.
Any deals in the ABJ paper? You seem to be sending them elsewhere. Any offers on Beacon Deals?
