By
Joe Wallace
Friday, January 30, 2009, 12:17 PM
Category:
Deal Gossip
Yesterday, I told you about Starbucks laying off more than 6,000 people and getting ready to close 300 more stores. Bad times for the coffee giant, to be sure. But things just got worse. Did you see the Cheap Today deal on McDonald's buy-one-get-one-free drink specials? From 2PM to 5PM every weekday while the promotion lasts, you can get two drinks for the price of one.
That includes that line of coffees, cappucinos and mochas Mickey D's put out to try and grab the Starbucks crowd. Talk about kicking somebody when they're down...is Starbucks getting the message? Do they need to rent a clue--by the hour?
The McDonald's campaign includes a website, Refreshment Recess, where you can play mix-n-match with different drink combos. Some of those two-for-one deals don't look that appetizing--coffee and Coke products? Only if you're buying for a friend, thanks. But the site is fun, it's flashy, and you can download a Refreshment Recess widget to tell you how long you've got to play Freecell in the office til you can escape for another two-for-one deal.
Starbucks is definitely in dire need of a ticket for the clue train. Go to the official site and you won't find any sort of competing deal, no coffee war to make this really interesting to deal hunters like you and me. Nope, instead I found a slightly stuffy "Tea Time at Starbucks" promotion instead.
Whoa there, little buddy! Let me see if I have this right. You're getting your hindquarters kicked in at every turn, McDonald's wants your customers and is taking steps to very nearly pull them right out of the line...and you're promoting TEA?
Let me just say for the record that I LOVE tea. I drink it all day long. I even drink Starbucks tea. (You can send me an endorsement check now, gents) But tea is NOT what Starbucks branded itself with and it's not the first thing on your mind when you go into one. Starbucks should be making Cheap Today happy by upping the ante and launching a counterstrike in the coffee wars. But they aren't. They're just sitting on their balance sheets, wondering whether to paint the walls "angry shareholder blue" or "bankruptcy red".
If this sorry state of affairs changes, it will be because somebody woke up with a clue at Starbucks. THEN I can happily report that we have a COFFEE PRICE WAR on our hands and the cheap deal taking can begin with a bang. Til then, and I can't believe I am saying this, but McDonald's wins this round by default. Two-for-one rocks.
How awesome would it be to get THAT deal at Starbucks?
Joe Wallace
By
Joe Wallace
Thursday, January 29, 2009, 10:41 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
Before we begin, I claim no insider knowledge. This is all IDLE SPECULATION. But it's speculation that is luring me into my neighborhood Starbucks looking for...you guessed it, cheap deals.
It all started with a report by Financial Times that Starbucks is slashing over 6000 jobs and killing off another 300 locations. To the seasoned bargain hunter, store closings mean hot deals. When it comes to Starbucks, those deals could be on anything from bags of lovely strong Italian Roast coffee to the hopelessly expensive espresso machines you longingly stare at while waiting for your skim double latte.
Do I know for certain that Starbucks will actually put that stuff on sale? Admittedly, no. This is definitely a case of extreme wishful thinking. But it bears looking into.
Bargain hunting is a way of life for so many people--especially right now--but I find it fascinating that even some of my good thrifty friends don't try to connect the dots between the grim headlines about failing retailers and the fantabulous bargains that await when those big box giants crash and burn.
I don't rejoice when another business bites the dust, but I will say that in some cases these companies bring trouble on themselves. Starbucks included. No, make that ESPECIALLY Starbucks. This was a strong company once upon a time, but a bit of digging into their recent financial history (thank you Jim Cramer and Motley Fool) shows that the company sold out their original vision in the name of growing bigger, better, stronger, faster.
Didn't work too well, did it?
So here we are, waiting for the Starbucks closure list waiting to see who'd getting boarded up and when the hot bargains hit the shelves. Too bad to be losing the corner coffee place, but when hot deals are coming, there's no time to shed a tear. Just get in there and scoop up some savings. There's always a chance that nothing will go on sale and all inventory will get shifted to a location that's not closing down, but I'm willing to bet they'll be offering at least SOME good bargains. We'll keep you posted.
--Joe Wallace
By
Joe Wallace
Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 08:39 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
We're not saying with that massive team logo pic that the whole CheapToday staff are Steelers fans, far from it. But the Pittsburgh Steelers are the team with a men's coach watch on sale at Overstock.com. Some people don't get completely wrapped up in the game, but I know one or two guys in particular who would buy this watch for the express purpose of sticking it under your nose every time the Steelers manage to pull off another TD.
The Cardinals don't get the same love from Overstock. Too bad, Phoenix fans, but both teams get much better representation with a buy one, get one half-price deal at the famous Fatheads.com.
Yes, this is the one you've seen on network television, and Fathead is back with this great deal on their REAL BIG series. You can find all sorts of NFL fun here, not just the Phoenix Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. For sheer size and scale, this is one of the most impressive NFL deals we've seen. Love the Pittsburgh watch, but this really bowls you over.
Pun intended.
There are loads more Super Bowl deals--did you see the Omaha Steaks hamburger blowout? 16 gourmet burgers for $25.99 sounds good if you're firing up the grill on game day. Sure, it's bone-freezingly cold in some parts of the country, but when has that ever stopped a hardcore griller? As long as there's no wind to send the ash flying in every direction, I know plenty of guys who would brave the elements for a game day grill-fest. Just pour an early beverage to brace against the chill and hit it.
The only problem with the Omaha Steaks deal is by now you may have to order and pick up in-store unless you want to have 'em rush-delivered. No worries for us hard-core carnivores. The next item on the list goes hand in hand with the Omaha Steaks thing...every good burger deserves to be paired with an absolutely freezing cold drink. Oriental Trading has game day covered with this goofy-in-the-best-way inflatable beverage cooler in the shape of a goal post. Some scoffed at this when we first pulled it out of the magic deal hat, but look closer. This holds a whopping 72 bottles and cans.
72 ice-cold bevvies right next to the couch and no fridge runs? That sounds like a party even if it's just you and Mom.
One fun deal we found on pizza got our hopes up until we realized that you couldn't actually EAT the pizza on game day. After we got over our disappointment it seems clear that Papa John's 25-cent pizza deal is a great way to have some fun at the start of the game without getting into that whole betting-among-friends thing. How does it work? You go register at Papa John's for the big event. On the opening kickoff, if that kick is returned for a touchdown, Papa John's will give everyone who signed up a coupon for one of their famous pizzas...the coupon gets you a pizza for only a quarter!
Is this football betting? Sort of. We don't care. It's fun, you could get free post-game eats out of it, and you don't part with any of your hard eared Andrew Jacksons. (That's $20 bills, m-kay?)
Super Bowl Sunday...plenty of savings on game day stuff, and no matter who you cheer for, this stuff all makes for great game-day enhancement. Party responsibly, and be sure to catch The Boss at halftime. We're glad the NFL's put Springsteen in... somebody who can crank out the tunes with no bother about wardrobes or fancy dance moves. This is FOOTBALL, folks, not the Ice Capades.
--Joe Wallace
By
Joe Wallace
Tuesday, January 27, 2009, 10:21 AM
Category:
Deal Gossip
It's that time of year again. People are getting ready for Super Bowl 43 in as grand a style as possible given the state of our lovely economy at the moment. (Aren't you tired of reading that phrase "the state of our economy"?) We'd be remiss in our duties if we didn't try to dig up some deals related to Super Bowl Sunday, and we've got a nice little collection waiting for you.
At press time, we managed to dig up a fun inflatable beverage cooler shaped like a goal post, a few food-related deals including sale prices on this Haier compact fridge, but the all time best Super Bowl-related cheap deal find so far is the Pittsburg Steelers watch on sale from Overstock.com. It's a real shame there isn't one currently on sale for the Cardinals as well, but you take what you can get, right?
On the food and beverage front, Papa John's has a fun little competition going--register to get a 25-cent pizza IF the openeing kick results in a touchdown. For my money, Papa John's missed out on a golden opportunity to tie this Super Bowl promotion into the music industry. Imagine what this deal would have been like if they had included Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson in the promos and offered the pizzas for...you guessed it...50 cents.
One of my fellow writers informs me that this is a totally cheesy idea (pun not intended) and that there's a good reason I'm a writer and not an advertising guy.
The CheapToday Weekly Wow newsletter goes out today as it does every Tuesday, but today it's special because we have lots of Super Bowl deals AND Barack Obama deals listed. Just in case you can't get enough of the new President, we found an Obama necktie on sale, some campaign memorabilia and plenty of other Obama goodness for you collectors and fans. If you're missing out on our newsletter, why not hop over and sign up? You'll get a weekly e-mail blast of our hottest deals to date right to you inbox.
--Joe Wallace
CheapToday Managing Editor
By
Lulu Thrift
Monday, January 26, 2009, 02:53 PM
Category:
Deal Gossip
First off let me introduce myself by saying there is nothing Lulu loves more than a bargain. At night I dream about saving money on a deal and I never pay full price for anything. Think I'm joking? Think again.
I will wheedle, deal, strive and thrive on spotting cheap bargains and saving money. Always have, always will. In fact those bargain-monkeys over at CheapToday were so impressed by my thrifty ways, they positively begged me to come and join their gang. Begged, I tell you. And it wasn't pretty.
I'll be honest: it took some persuading. I mean Lulu doesn't share her time proven secrets with just anyone. But she prides herself on having the instincts of a killer cat on the African Savannah, and those instincts screamed YES! The time is right, the site is right and the People Need Lulu Thrift.
So here I am: Your CheapToday Mistress of the Bargain. Here to hold your hand on the adventuresome journey that is SAVING YOUR HARD EARNED CASH - whilst still savoring the thrill of the virtual cha-ching of on line shopping.
Think of me as that friend you always take along to the mall: the one who not only tells you if your bum really does looks bigger in that dress, but will always reliably split the bar bill with you afterward. Only I'm on line and I can't see you. Not yet anyway. I'm not shy and I don't want you to be: so go on, drop me a line and say hello back. I'll be waiting!
Thriftily Yours,
By
Joe Wallace
Monday, January 26, 2009, 02:16 PM
Category:
Deal Gossip
There are plenty of great deals online. There are also plenty of not-so great ones, plus scams and ripoffs waiting to snag the unsuspecting net-shopper. What's a bargain hunter to do? Not to worry, you can avoid falling prey to the non-bargain. Want to know how? We came up with three simple "Golden Rules" for bargain hunting on the Internet that can help you get the most out of your money.
I decided to share this with the excellent pro-consumer blog, The Smarter Wallet. The Cheap Today guest blog post ran late last week and we're passing the link on to you now just in case you missed it. We're very happy to be published on The Smarter Wallet--we pro-consumer types have to stick together, you know!
In the meantime, I'm rubbing my brain cells together for another post for them soon, and with Super Bowl Sunday looming near it seems appropriate to hunt for some Super Bowl related deals this week and pass 'em along. Interesting thing about Super Bowl Sunday. The Pittsburg Business Times reports air travel to Tampa for the big game is NOT a hot commodity this year. Strangely enough though, Super Bowl tix are hard to come by, and one travel agent strongly recommends getting refundable plane tickets if you don't already have seats. Otherwise, chances are you could find yourself standing outside the stadium listening to the roar of the crowd instead of sitting in front of the gridiron.
Just what we heard. Keep your eyes peeled for those Super Sunday deals. We're on it.
By
Joe Wallace
Friday, January 23, 2009, 01:55 PM
Category:
Deal Gossip
Cheap Today takes deal hunting to the next level with our brand new blog, Cheap Today Deal Gossip. We're dedicated to bringing the latest in bargain hunting news, whisperings of pending deals, store closings, anything at all that affects how we shop and how much money you can save. Our team of expert deal hunters and bloggers is on the case! Watch this space--things only get more exciting from here.
We get things started right with a mixture of gossip and truth. In late '08 an e-mail started making the rounds announcing a massive collection of store closings. With the economy the way it is, it didn't seem shocking that so many retailers would cut back on their operations or close altogether.
To be honest, some of us (OK, just me) weren't thinking about the implications of all those stores shutting down, just the huge store closing sales that would result. A bit single-minded? Maybe. But in our relentless quest to save a buck, find cheap deals, and live up to our motto "Don't Miss Out!" I started planning on those shops closing.
But legendary urban legend debunkers Snopes.com also got wind of the newsletter and got to work right away putting rumors to bed and giving us the straight story. Turns out that the "store closing" e-mail was full of outdated, inaccurate or just plain wrong information. So while we're going to miss out on some lovely cheap deals in some cases, the good news is, some of your favorite retailers are still in business. They just needed a bit of restructuriing and yes, some store closings.
But not all. Ann Taylor Loft, for example--not going out of business. 117 stores WILL close, but that's out of over 900 locations. Breathe easy, Ann Taylor fans. Circuit City IS closing the doors for good, but that Eddie Bauer rumor you might have heard? Not entirely true. Out of over 300 locations, just under 30 were closed or are scheduled to close.
We'll keep our eyes peeled for great sales and hot deals from these and every other chain we can find, rest assured.
In the meantime, welcome to the Cheap Today Deal Gossip blog, thanks for reading, and keep watching this space. There are more great deals to come!
--Joe Wallace, Editor