It's marketing m agic and just the right price for today's weary consumers ... FREE. No cost, nada, zip, zilch. Here are THREE SITES FOR finding FANTASTIC FREEBIES:

1) www.when.com

The site name refers to"when" is something happening in your area. In response to a rapid spike in interest for affordable things to do, they've added a Free Events category right on the front screen.


By zip code you'll easily find things you could spend hours searching for on the web, like:
- Apple Camp at select Apple Retail Stores: Your kids can learn to make a movie, put together a slide show, write & record a song and build show-stopper presentations that'll knock the socks off their teachers when school resumes. Each FREE workshop lasts about 3 hours. They supply the equipment or you can bring some of your own if you'd prefer. Recommended for ages 8-12. More details here: Apple - Retail - Camp

- Kids Bowl FREE: Participating bowling centers across the country are offering children two free games a day as part of the first-ever "Kids Bowl Free" program. You can register your children online in a matter of seconds and you'll instantly get printable coupons. From there, each week they'll email you more. When you register your kids, you'll immediately be offered a Family Pass for $23.95. It's a fairly aggressive upsell, but you do not have to make the purchase to take advantage of the free kids program. One is not contingent on the other. If you're bringing your kids everyday, the Family Pass (which covers four adults) could be a real steal. If you bowl every week this summer and taking your family bowling generally runs about $20-30, you could be looking at saving hundreds of dollars. More details here: kidsbowlfree.com


- Target has a list of "Sponsored Happenings" offering FREE admission to museums across the country. It's an impressive list aimed at "making the arts available to everyone." There are ongoing FREE days and times at venues across the country, including the Chicago Children's Museum, the Museum of Modern and the John F Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. You may be amazed at the culture you can take it, without spending a cent. More details here: Target : Community : Sponsored Happenings

- Regal Theaters FREE Family Film Festival includes nine weeks of movies for kids & parents. Select G & PG movies start at 10 am Tuesday & Wednesdays. They've got a list of theaters and the movies, so you can plan ahead. First come, first serve. Free Family Film Festival | Regal Theaters


2) www.walletpop.com

This site has a "Fantastic Freebies"area in the ECONOMIZER section with and play-by-play directions on how to take advantage of free offers -- everything from two-for-one & rebate deals to free product samples. The offers tend to change quickly and usually have an expiration date, so it's a smart site to check frequently.


The site's editors also do a good job of pointing out hurdles you may have to jump through before the free part kicks in. Sometimes it's just a matter of printing a FREE TRIAL coupon, or it could mean filling out an online survey or subscribing to a newsletter. It depends on the end-goal of the company or organization handing over the goods. Done correctly, it can be a win/win for the player footing the bill and the consumer who scores the freebie. More details here: Fantastic Freebies -- WalletPop


3) www.snagfilms.com

This groundbreaking site lets you watch full-length documentary films for FREE. There's a library of more than 600 films you can "snag" & watch in your own, free virtual movie theater. They're the kind of titles you might find at renowned film festivals, many of them award-winning.


The film starts playing as soon as you select it. There's almost no download time and it's easy to pause at any time and resume where you left off. You can also easily share titles with friends and family which doesn't cost you, or them, a cent. It's a great discovery and most people are pleasantly surprised when they learn of this relatively new & entirely free distribution vehicle.

We're talking about online resources for buying a car on TV & Radio stations across the country this week. Had privilege of sitting down with the folks on frontlines of the AOL Autos team. They've done some impressive work. The end-result is thoughtfully simplistic (which means the site is loaded with information, but is intuitive to use). A winning equation for successful consumer websites. Here are some background notes based on our conversation with them. Hope helpful. More to come on-air:)

• Should we really log on before we hit the lot and in these tough economic time how do we really make it work to our advantage?

• With automakers filing for bankruptcy and closing local dealers en masse, it is time take advantage of the autos market. AOL Autos, autos.aol.com, is a great place to start for free car information for new and used cars, as well as tips and news.

• People are conducting extensive car research online before they buy. This puts them in the driver seat by giving them the information they need to make smart car buying decisions.

• Those looking at buying a new car can compare the features, prices, incentives and total ownership costs to find the best deals before heading out the door. The site has car buying guides focused on:

• Alternative fuel vehicles

• Crossovers

• Best family cars

• Luxury vehicles

• Sedans

• SUVs

• You can also use their car compare feature http://autos.aol.com/cars-compare
  • Choose between two and five cars to see how they compare on price, features, and performance

  • The differences between the cars you are comparing are highlighted

  • Compare cost to own a selected car with other similar vehicles

• Many consumers are considering used cars due to the current economy, so you can go online and compare cars in your area to make informed choices. AOL Autos Used Cars: Car buying maps and graphs :
  • Search for used cars by zip code: Search results give you location of the car, the cost and it's mileage. See: http://autos.aol.com/used-list/make1-Acura/location-20148/map

  • You can input your address and get driving directions to the car(s) you selected to go see

  • Shows you car prices in your area graphed by price vs. mileage so you can find the best deals. See: http://autos.aol.com/used-list/make1-Acura/location-20148/prices

• Work and even - GRAPH - the used car market - all 3 million of them!

• Don't overlook new - promos highly incentive; very dynamic Run the numbers - look at MSRB vs invoice. Aim to come in on or under.

• E-Haggle - Talk it "type" them down in advance. Win/win - you negotiate anonymously in advance/dealer gets qualified lead.

• Think ahead - use cost of ownership calculator to level-set on "real" 3 year + cost including depreciation (hello! First year will make u cringe), estimated maintenance (not all vehicles historically hold up well).

RELATED POSTS ****** CLICK HERE

AOL's Shopping site (shopping.aol.com) has relaunched with a focus on recession-friendly deals, online coupons and merchandise offered at deep discounts. The site's main page features a "monthly specials" slideshow, along with regularly updated sales and special online coupon codes. For the month of April, some of the best deals seem to be on televisions, handheld electronics and home appliances. For more ways to save, check out the site's 5 Daily Deals, as well as what's on clearance.

CELL PHONE SAVINGS: How Your Cellphone Can Put PHONE SAVINGS: How Your Cellphone Can Put

Money Back in Your Pocket

While some consumers are downgrading their cellphone plans, or even ditching their cell phones altogether to save money, there are ways to save and save big with your cell phone. We've got five sure-fire ways to cut everyday costs thanks to your cellphone. So don't toss your phone just yet!

Get Grocery Coupons on the Go: Grocery shoppers want to trim their food bills any way they can. You can now download coupons straight to their store loyalty cards right from their cell phones. Breaking News: Shortcuts.com now offering coupons via cell phone

Comparison Shop Right from Your Phone: It's easy to comparison shop on-the-fly on a mobile shopping site by entering product names or model numbers. In an instant you'll see if the price you see in the store is the best price around. Your Phone Knows Best Price -

Scan Bar Codes with Your Phone to Save: Another way to make sure you're getting the best prices is by scanning product bar codes with the built-in camera on select cell phones to compare prices at various stores. Watch for this nascent, but legit trend to continue. Big in Japan - Developers of ShopSavvy or Shop Savvy

How Your iPhone Saves You Money: This is clever iPhone application, with adorable logo ... it will help you quickly find local restaurants where kids eat free. It's a .99 cent download. Just did it!:) Apple - Web apps - Where Do Kids Eat Free Today?

Cut Costs with VoIP on Your Cell Phone: Slash your cell phone bill by using this mobile Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application that routes international calls through the web to save you money. Calls between Nokia, iPhone and iPod Touch users are always free. Get VoIP on your Mobile and Make Cheap Calls with Truphone

classifieds.aol.com
Around the country, many newspapers are running into tough times. So, where does that leave traditional newspaper classifieds? The Internet is filling the void, by posting classifieds online and traffic is spiking. In part, because you can now list things for FREE. That frees up anyone looking to unload something or offer a service to spread the word without running up a tab. You'll fine everything from horses to tractors and jobs to personals. Another sign of consumers tightening the purse-strings ... On Classifieds.AOL.com alone, you can access more than 40 million listings, aggregated from more than 80,000 different sources. Listings are searchable by every Zip Code in the U.S. Maybe it's time you took out an ad ... the price is right .... zero.

A sign of the times: Online searches for coupons have shot up over 160% since the recession began. We recently talked coupons on the CBS Early Show ... Retail 101 means I want to offer you the best possible price, but no better. That's why – and this is little known secret – the sooner you start acting like a bargain bee, the better the deals targeted to you will get. It's called dynamic pricing. Here are some of the sites featured on-air + MORE. Turns out, you have more control over the total tab at grocery stores, restaurants and local establishments than you may think ... It pays to be proactive.

CLIP COUPONS VIRTUALLY – SITES FOR SAVING ON GROCERIES:

www.Coupons.com

www.CouponMom.com

Because consumers are also facing high grocery prices, restaurants are really trying to keep their value propositions strong without eating into already strained margins. If consumers play their coupon cards right, it could actually be cheaper to eat out!

With money extra tight these days, instead of hiring a handyman, homeowners are increasingly turning to web sites like DIYlife.com for tips on tackling common household repairs on their own. From minor plumbing and electrical fixes to trouble-shooting doors, windows, appliances and even home computers ... Whatever problem you're having, chances are, someone else has had the same issue. Online searches can also turn up message boards where other online do-it-your-selfers have your back & can save you a buck.

WEB SURFERS SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF SPRING ONLINE:
Spring Break Travel Deals, Bathing Suit Season Shape-up, Tips for "Going Green," Fixing-up the House & Managing March Madness Bracketology.

Regina has pinpointed some of spring's most searched for topics to help consumers shake off the cold of winter and put them in the know for shaping-up, fixing-up, saving money and being ahead of the curve for the season's latest and hottest fads and interests.

SPRING BREAK TRAVEL: How can you really be sure you're getting the best price? What happens if the price drops AFTER you click to buy? Good news ... You could be eligible for the new lower fare. We'll show you how to get the credit you deserve and new cyber-savvy ways to use airline miles. Plus, this year, over 250,000 college students will go on Spring Break, and an unprecedented number of webcams will follow the action (for better or worse!). Expect to see the unexpected. We'll show you why & where your teen might think twice about striking the wrong – or even incriminating - pose in this tell-all, social networking age. www.Gadling.com

DIET DIARY: Start a Diet Diary: The multi-billion dollar diet industry isn't exactly known for FREE resources, but one of the most effective things you can do just launched online at ZERO cost. It's a diet diary to plan and track your food & nutrition in-take, plot and record your exercise regime and track your progress. According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, a recently study indicated people who keep a food diary realize TWICE the weight loss of those who rely solely on dieting and exercise. The newly available tool generates printable graphs & spreadsheets, so you can really see how your diet stacks up against recommended guidelines for the goals you're trying to reach. If you're off-course, it shows up in the reports before it shows up on your waistline! http://www.aolhealth.com/food-diary

MARCH MADNESS: Online bracket challenges are in full force. Regina has tips and sites to help make sure you're Final Four picks are a slam dunk. This year there'll also be hours & hours of basketball coverage online and it may look better than ever with improved video streams comparable to high-def TV. It's one of the first big sports event to take advantage of it & the potentially career-saving "Boss Button" will also be back (not that you need it;). If you're looking to attend the Final Four in person, "sold out" doesn't' meant you can't get tickets online. We'll point you in the right ticket re-sale direction and fill you in on the going rate. www.Fanhouse.com

FREE CLASSIFIEDS: Here's a sign of the times... In response to demand for a way to bring classified listings across the web to one place, a new classifieds service boasts listings from EVERY zip code in and allows you to post your own ad for FREE. At launch, there are more than 40 million listings aggregated from more than 80 million sites, which means less searching and surfing for what you're after and more luck trying. www.classifieds.aol.com

My friend Sara is extremely diligent in her approach to "real food" and she dug up some terrific organic food coupon sites. I'm amazed how terrific these sites are & am excited to save on some of our favorite products & brands. Here's one of my new favorites:

www.mambosprouts.com

Thanks for feedback on the CBS piece re: online coupons. It really is an interesting space & I think there's something empowering about sitting down at the computer and "making it happen." Who can afford not to? Here are some interesting stats pulled from the WSJ article "Coupons are Hot. Clipping is Not" by Timothy W. Martin.

In addition to the consumer side of things, there's some real draws for stores & manufactures. Consider these numbers (Source: WSJ)

* Coupon usage has surged about 10%
* Digital-coupon redemption rates are 13% vs 1% for newspaper circular coupons
* Speed to market is shorter -- General Mills can place a coupon online in a week vs 2 months with print media






I personally joined the P&G ESaver Club and have some free Pantene samples headed our way ... They also allow you to transmit coupons on some of their big brand names like Bounty & Crest directly to your grocery store loyalty card (the same "direct-to-card" concept we highlighted in reference to Shortcuts.com.



Hope helpful. I could really get into this .... Next Up: DOUBLING COUPONS & SAVING $ WITH YOUR CELL.

It is important to me (probably far more than it should be), that you are aware you get more bling for your buck online. Apparently, a fair amount of you are in on this. Sales of engagement rings on www.BlueNile.com have now surpassed Tiffany & Co.

Online jewelers don't have to maintain stores, so they're inherently more efficient and approachable. Instead of walking into a store and feeling intimidated/foolish about asking, "Hmmmm ... How much is that?" Online, you get a price quote. And, what's really neat is you can control the price by changing the variables. Some shapes (the ones I like) are more costly than others, clarity will cost you and size is a variable, but not the only variable. Personally, I have bad eyes and am more than willing to trade off clarity ; )

Importantly, all purchases come with a guarantee and certified letter of authenticity. So, it's safe and smart. That's why the average amount spent on an engagement ring at traditional stores is $2750. A Blue Nile executive tells me their average is 20-40% less than you would pay in-store.

Play around with this Build Your Own Ring™ if you're in the market for a ring or if you just want to pretend you are.

RELATED: Free Overnight Fed-Ex Delivery

Make the Date! There may still be time to get a V-Day gift to a loved one, particularly if you go through sites with local delivery options, overnight delivery, including Saturday delivery + in-store pick-up options. Below are ordering deadlines for some of the most popular online retailers this time of year, so you can be certain the flowers, chocolates or just-in-time jewelry is wrapped and ready for the big day.

www.1800flowers.com
There's still time to have flowers sent, but the sooner your arrange for delivery, the better. Even though 1-800-Flowers has a large selection of arrangements available for same day delivery. We talked with them and they recommend not waiting until Saturday morning to place your order. Valentine's Day is the busiest day of the year to send flowers. My personal favorite florist -- best have ever found -- is www.surroundingsflowers.com

www.bluenile.com
According to BlueNile.com, nearly a quarter million guys will pop the question on February 14, dropping $550 million on engagement rings in the process. W-O-W. They say, pinched pocketbooks, jewelry bankruptcies and liquidations, and declines in metal prices (platinum is down 56%), means this is the best time to buy jewelry in years. Even if you aren't ready to spring for the engagement ring, there's lots to choose from on the site and plenty of gifts uder $100.00 ... Many of which can be ordered as late as 6 PM EST, February 13th. Bythe way, thanks to the site for offering to send diamonds for any TV segments may be doing. Might take you up on that personally & professionally someday!;)



www.godiva.com
Godiva.com is taking orders with Overnight Delivery as late as 3pm ET on 2/12. The limited edition Chocolate Mousse Gift Box looks like a winner, starting at just $22.00. If you want to go all out, there's the Chocolate Bliss Gift Basket for $100.00.



www.bestbuy.com
Love songs always a winner. The Pink iPod nano 8 GB on BestBuy.com goes for $149.99. Select "in-store" pickup to have it ready and waiting for you at your nearest Best Buy location. Be sure to pre-load it with sentimental tunes before you wrap it up & maybe even your own recorded message. Click HERE to find out how to pull that off.

We're talking this week with TV and Radio stations across the country about online resources to help with Valentine's Day ... Personally, I think this site could be one of the most important stops you may ever make on the Internet. It's fully loaded with info for couples. Just watched the movie & got a lot out of it. Have noticed they're selling it almost everywhere right now & displaying it in the "suggested for Valentine's Day" section.

The are tons of other resources with everything from gift ideas to suggestions for a fun (even free) night out. Here's a running list ....

**Switched, www.switched.com: Creative ways to use the tech you already own to make inexpensive gifts and technology gift guides for him and her.

**Digital City, www.digitalcity.com: Great Deals for the Last Minute Valentine.

**AOL Radio, www.radio.aol.com: Offers a music genre within the radio player called "Valentine's Day" focused on Love Songs, Love Stinks, Country Love and Romantic Jazz.

**WalletPop, www.walletpop.com: "Valentine's Day on a Budget."

**StyleList, www.stylelist.com: "Anti-Valentines."

**Asylum, www.asylum.com: Valentine's Day tips from the worlds sexiest women; plus gift guide.

**Gadling, www.gadling.com: Valentine's vacations, deals, and assorted travel tips.


**Luxist, www.luxist.com: Valentine essentials going green.

**AOL Television,www.television.aol.com: Countdown of television's most memorable love triangles of all time.

So, you could still go to the game ... Certainly -- as covering on MSNBC & FOX throughout the day -- there are still tickets available. In fact, StubHub.com is reporting record volume & lower prices than ever. Some are even predicting tickets could soon go for face value by kick-off with prices plummeting after the first punt.

Face value + use miles to fly and you're so there ....

Or, keep hope alive & imagine yourself here for SuperBowl 2010. Packages already available. No word re: pre-sales. I dare you;)

Or, NOT. None of the above is new norm, which could be why the big game is the second biggest driver of TV sales. This year, 40 seems to be the new 50. As in inches. While the discounts may be deeper on the jumbos, seems we must be coming to our collective flat-screen senses & realizing what we have or can get for under $1000 is .... big enough.

Enough said. Enjoy the game with family & friends + watch for updates re: the "other" game .... ADVERTISING + RATE ADS HERE.

We're returning to FOX's "Mike & Juliet" Show today .... Is always a pleasure & it should be fun to watch the food stylists behind-the-scenes. Juliet (Juliet AnneMarie Huddy bio) is one of the nicest hosts you'll ever meet off-camera & every time I look at Mike (Michael Eugene Joseph Jerrick bio), it reminds me of my cousin Jay. They look so much alike.

Is it really possible to eat out for less than eating at home? It really can be and the big fast food players are playing right into demand for this. Fast food has always been about convenience; in some cases they've learned the hard way (many were late by their own admission to address this) Americans - particularly women - are also trying to be more nutrition conscious; and now more than ever, we're also pinching pennies. Those three trends combined have sparked some really amazing options for consumers looking to make smart choices - for their waistline and their wallet. You're in the driver seat .... Can you walk in and run up a big tab and wolf down thousands of calories, yes (but you can do that at home too). Can you walk in get out for roughly 500 calories and $5 .... Absolutely.

One of the things the web has done is really upped-the-ante on full disclosure. Carb counts, fat grams, sodium levels .... You name it. It'll all there. I have three kids and we take a lot of road trips. Our rule is we can eat fast food when we're on the road, but I challenge them to figure out all this stuff before we stop and they make their pick (and I make mine). My daughter uses my iphone to look it up or reads of the info on a napkin invariably in car from previous weekend;). It makes for a fun little car trivia game (eg. Guess how many calories there are in one small shake?"). There are some real surprises, including some pleasant surprises, which think you'll see when you check out some of the suggested meals on the show and in this blog entry ....


Best ways to really get the prices down?

** Keep an eye out for the latest deals – even if you miss them advertised on TV, you'll find most deals also posted online by logging on to to the web site of your favorite fast food restaurant, i.e., KFC's Unbeatable Feast TV Ad - KFC.com – Dinner for 5 for $3.00 each – 10 pieces of chicken, 3 large sides and 5 biscuits.

**Addl. examples of current value items/deals at top chains:
- Taco Bell - Why Pay More "Why Pay More Value Menu" - 79, 89, 99 cent items on the "Why Pay More" value menu, incl. crispy tacos, soft tacos, beef burritos and more.

- www.Subway.com - getting a lot of mileage out of their $5 FOOTLONG promotion - all day, everyday - how many kids can you feed with a foot long sub - at least 2 little ones. How much would it cost you to buy the deli meet at the store, the bread, the toppings, etc.?

- McDonald's - Dollar Menu News - Due to rising food costs, the McDouble has replaced the Double Cheeseburger on the Dollar Menu. It's almost the same as the Double Cheeseburger but with one less slice of cheese. It has two all-beef patties, mustard, ketchup, onions, pickles and a slice of American cheese on a toasted bun. Via www.WalletPop.com – McDonald's coupon book for $1.00 gets you 12 freebies

- www.Wendys.com - "3Conomics" promotion - choose from three different sandwiches, all offered for just .99 cents each.

**Sign-up for "special offers" online: Most of the fast food sites also encourage you to sign up for "special offers" and printable coupons to be emailed to you, i.e. SUBWAY FRESHBUZZ™ & Sign up for WENDYMAIL & Online Coupons - KFC.com

**Ordering Pizza? Look for online coupon codes: www.papajohns.com - PapaJohns Online Coupon Codes are easy to find online (and you can order your pizza online) – examples: Papa Johns Coupons handpicked by BradsDeals.com and Domino's posts their latest offers right on their site - Our Menu: Coupons. Pizzeria UNO has an Insider's Club. You should never order pizza without a coupon!

So there are some good food deals out there, a lot of this food is not exactly heart-healthy ... maybe it's a better for your bottomline, but what about peoples' waistlines?

**Fast Food Nutrition Info. on the Go:
A lot of fast food chains have continued to roll out healthier options. One great way to find out the nutrition information on the fly is with a mobile applications you can download for free online – here's one for the iPhone - http://www.appsafari.com/food/5704/restaurant-nutrition/ You can look up what your best bet is while you wait in the drive thru line.

**Do you want fries with that Text Message? (Mobile Coupons):
Getting back to cost-savings for a second... some fast-food chains are beginning to experiment with text message special offers/coupon codes which are sent to customers who have opted in to receive them.

- It's cheaper for the fast food restaurants to send out promotions this way (vs. mailing them) and they have the opportunity to go viral, as people fwd. the deals to friends.

- Money Mailer is now moving into "mobile couponing," in which consumers agree to receive coupons via cellphone text messages. In a recent promotion for a fast-food chain, 13 percent of the text message coupons were redeemed, said Steven Gray, chief operating officer of Money Mailer, who said that "5 percent is a good return."

Fast food chain Arby's deploys mobile coupons - Mobile Marketer - Commerce

It's a worldwide phenomen .... SMS Text Serves Up Tasty Results for Fast Food Outlets

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Eating well on a tight budget | SCNow + News Video