Making Cents of It

Free Ream of Paper at Staples

2013-05-21T21:38:00.000-04:00

Once again, Staples is offering a easy rebate for a free ream of paper. You must print the coupon out before you go. The coupon will not give you any instant savings but it will signal the register to print the rebate for out. The coupon expires on May 25, 2013 and is a limit of one per household.

Free $10 Credit to Microsoft's Online Store

2013-05-21T21:11:00.000-04:00

The new xBox is coming soon and Microsoft wants you to be the first to know. By signing up for their alert email, you will get a free $10 credit towards any purchase at the Microsoft website.

*Limited time offer thru 11:59 PM Pacific time on 06/09/2013, or while supplies last. Valid for $10 credit off of a transaction for an item over $10.00 MSRP only at Microsoft online stores in US (including Puerto Rico) and Canada. Redeemable until June 9, 2013. Not valid on prior orders or purchases; cannot be transferred or otherwise redeemed for cash or gift cards. Not combinable with other offers. We reserve the right to change or terminate this offer at our discretion. Limit 1 per customer.

Free Subscription to Better Homes & Gardens

2013-05-21T20:56:00.002-04:00

Right now, you can get a free subscription to Better Homes & Gardens. This is for 12 issues of the magazine which is published monthly.

Interesting Advertising Campaign from Domino's

2013-05-17T18:08:00.001-04:00

If this form of advertising gains popularity, we might soon be seeing, or smelling it, at our local Redbox machines.

Source: The Consumerist

Free Pedometer and Dog Leash

2013-05-10T17:32:00.000-04:00

Jenny Craig and Purina have teamed up to help both you and your dog lose some weight. Sign up for the free Power of Two program today and they will send you a pedometer for you and a leash for your dog.

Get out this summer and walk with your dog. It will make you both healther and happier.

Free Advanced Screening of Fast and Furious 6 (Select Cities)

2013-05-09T20:38:00.000-04:00

Can you believe the Fast and Furious franchise is releasing their sixth movie? Universal pictures want to invite you to see a free advance screening of Fast and Furious 6. Remember, they allow more passes to print than seats in the theater to ensure a full house so arrive early for the movie. Enjoy!

At the time of this posting, the following cities have screenings available. Dates and times will differ based on the location.

Albuquerque, NM
Anaheim, CA
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta - Kennesaw, GA
Austin, TX
Baltimore, MD
Baltimore - Columbia, MD
Boston, MA
Boston - Revere, MA
Brooklyn, NY
Charlotte, NC
Charlotte - Concord, NC
Chicago, IL
Chicago - South Barrington, IL
Cincinnati - West Chester, OH
Cleveland - Strongsville, OH
Cleveland - Westlake, OH
Columbus, OH
Dallas, TX
Dallas - Plano, TX
Denver - Lakewood, CO
Denver - Westminster, CO
Detroit - Clinton Township, MI
Detroit - Royal Oak, MI
El Paso, TX
Fresno, CA
Harlingen, TX
Harlingen - Edinburg, TX
Hartford, CT
Hartfortd - Manchester, CT
Honolulu, HI
Houston, TX
Indianapolis, IN
Jacksonville, FL
Kansas City, MO
Kansas City - Independence, MO
Las Vegas, NV
Los Angeles, CA
Memphis, TN
Miami - Aventura, FL
Miami - Davie, FL
Milwaukee - New Berlin, WI
Milwaukee - Wauwatosa, WI
Minneapolis - Roseville , MN
Minneapolis - St. Louis Park, MN
Nashville, TN
Nashville - Franklin, TN
New York, NY
Norlfolk - Chesapeake, VA
Oklahoma City, OK
Orange - Irvine, CA
Orlando, FL
Orlando - Altamonte Springs, FL
Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia - Cherry Hill, NJ
Phoenix - Chandler, AZ
Phoenix - Peoria , AZ
Pittsburgh, PA
Portland - Beaverton, OR
Portland - Vancouver, WA
Raleigh, NC
Riverside - Ontario, CA
Sacramento - Davis, CA
Sacramento - Roseville, CA
Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City - West Jordan, UT
San Antonio, TX
San Diego, CA
San Diego - San Marcos, CA
San Francisco - Emeryville, CA
San Jose, CA
Seattle - Lynnwood, WA
Seattle - Tukwila, WA
St. Louis - Des Peres, MO
St. Louis - O'Fallon , IL
Tampa, FL
W. Palm Beach - Boca Raton, FL
Washington, DC
Washington, DC - Alexandria, VA
West Palm Beach - Palm Beach Gardens, FL
White Plains, NY

Free Month Trial of Redbox Instant

2013-05-07T21:26:00.000-04:00

Redbox has teamed with Verizon to create their new streaming movie subscription service. Right now you can get a one month free trial of Redbox Instant by Verizon. Besides the streaming the movies you will also get credits to redeem four DVDs at your local Redbox machine.

We start you off with the only free trial that includes a full month of unlimited streaming movies + 4 DVDs at the box! And if you decide to stay after that, it's only $8 a month.

Movie Review: Iron Man 3

2013-05-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

The long awaited third entry in the Iron Man franchise has arrived. Iron Man 3 takes place after the events in New York during The Avengers. Being a sequel, you might want to see Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and The Avengers prior to seeing Iron Man 3. Of the three previous films, events from The Avengers are the only ones that is actually referenced though out the movie.

Gwyneth Paltrow stepped up her stunt skills during Iron Man 3 and plays a much larger role now that her character Pepper Potts is living with Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). The young boy, played by an adorable Ty Simpkins, helped to show a more human side to the playboy inventor.

The 3D effects of Iron Man 3 were not worth the extra few dollars. In IMAX it might be better, but I saw the regular 3D version. There were action scenes that you expected things to pop off the screen, but it was minimal at best.

As with all Marvel movies, Stan Lee made a quick cameo. As usual with Marvel, there is a short scene after the credits but the credits lasted forever. There had to be at least a hundred names, if not more listed for working on the film. There was also a nice homage to Douglas Adams with the current suit being mach 42.

My personal opinion of this film is that any fan of superhero films will enjoy Iron Man 3. I enjoyed it much better than Iron Man 2 however I feel it tied with The Avengers. It was well paced and had a little of everything.

Iron Man 3 will be released nation wide on May 3, 2013. Check out my weekly post, Making Cents with Cori, on Cinemit for weekly specials on tickets and concessions.

Movie Rating for Iron Man 3

The passes for this pre-screening were won through 43Kix. Follow their Facebook page to attend free screenings near you. Check out my information post for more information about free movie screenings.

40 Free Photos at Target

2013-04-29T19:40:00.000-04:00

This week at Target, you can get 40 free 4x6 prints at the photo department of Target. If you don't already, sign up for Target's mobile coupons either on Target's website or by texting OFFERS to 827438. In the current set of coupons, you can get $4 off 40 prints. With the current sale of $0.10 per picture, that makes 40 photos free.

Free Alcohol Wipes at CVS

2013-04-27T14:15:00.000-04:00

Rubbing alcohol is great to have around the house for lots of reasons. Right now, CVS has a coupon available for a free box of pre-moistened alcohol wipes. I personally use this type of wipe to disinfect my earbuds, phone, and more. The coupon is valid for a box of 100 individually wrapped pads and expires on April 30, 2013.

Free Babe Ruth Bar at Sunoco A Plus Stores

2013-04-26T20:03:00.001-04:00

If your local Sunoco has an A Plus store attached, you can get a free Babe Ruth candy bar Saturday, April 27, 2013 (one day only). Just head over to Facebook and get the offer for the bar. Facebook will then email you a coupon from Sunoco to redeem.

Change Your LivingSocial Password

2013-04-26T19:34:00.000-04:00

Did you get an email today from LivingSocial? It seems that they were hacked recently and while their credit card database was not reached, they are recommending that all users change their passwords as a precaution.

LivingSocial recently experienced a cyber-attack on our computer systems that resulted in unauthorized access to some customer data from our servers. We are actively working with law enforcement to investigate this issue.

The database that stores customer credit card information was not affected or accessed.

Although your LivingSocial password would be difficult to decode, we want to take every precaution to ensure that your account is secure, so we are expiring your old password and requesting that you create a new one.

$12 for $25 to Blue Dolphin Magazines

2013-04-24T20:51:00.000-04:00

Tippr is currently offering a promotion. For $12 you will get a $25 voucher to Blue Dolphin Magazines. This voucher can be used towards any magazine subscriptions.

Expires 6 months from purchase date.
Limit 1 per customer. Limit 1 per household; limit 1 per order. All transactions subject to approval. Voucher is non-transferable. Magazines shown are for illustrative purposes only. Shipping included. Online redemption required. Participating magazines are subject to change. Offer valid for U.S. customers only. Cannot be combined with other offers or coupon codes. Promotional value of voucher may be used over multiple transactions. Valid only for print subscriptions. Please allow 6-10 weeks for first issue from date of redemption. Vouchers have the cash value of their face value until the expiration date.

Free Starbucks With Your Own Tumbler

2013-04-21T19:00:00.000-04:00

This is a pre-scheduled post. Please check with your local store to see if this promotion is valid.

Many Starbucks locations will be celebrating Earth Day, April 22, 2013, by filling your tumbler for free with regular coffee or tea. This refers to any variety but only the drip beverages, not the espresso or specialties. So bring your own cup for some free coffee on Earth Day.

Possible Free Tickets to Star Trek Into Darkness

2013-04-21T12:29:00.002-04:00

Head over to Esurance's Facebook page for your chance to win a pair of tickets for the upcoming Star Trek Into Darkness. I'm not sure how many passes they will be giving out but I won on the first try. Good luck.

The Fandango code is good for two (2) movie tickets, up to $15.50 in value per ticket ($31 total value), to see Star Trek Into Darkness (excludes IMAX). Code expires on 6/9/2013, or sooner if the Picture is no longer in theaters. Good for single time use only.

Reminder: Free Admission to National Parks

2013-04-19T08:30:00.000-04:00

This is a pre-scheduled reminder post of information originally posted in December 2012. Please check with the National Park Service to make sure the program hasn't changed.

The U.S. National Park Service has announced the dates for 2013's free entrance days in the national parks. This deal is only for national parks and will not be valid at state parks.

January 21 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
April 22-26 - National Park Week
August 25 - National Park Service Birthday
September 28 - National Public Lands Day
November 9-11 - Veterans Day weekend

*Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.

Once again, I will create pre-scheduled reminders for each free day so you don't forget.

Free Screening of Monsters University for College Students (Select Locations)

2013-04-17T21:48:00.003-04:00

The prequel to Monsters, Inc. is coming soon and Monsters University is beginning some screenings nationwide.

Pixar wants to invite college students to a free advanced screening of Monsters University. You must RSVP on the Facebook event page and bring your student ID with you to the screening. As with all free screenings, these will be first come and no guaranteed seating so get their early.

Screenings are currently available for the following cities.

Cincinnati, Ohio
Washington, District of Columbia
Ann Arbor, Michigan
South Miami, Florida
Houston, Texas
Boulder, Colorado
Boston, Massachusetts
Richmond Heights, Missouri
Austin, Texas
Salt Lake City, Utah
Seattle, Washington
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tempe, Arizona
Dallas, Texas
San Diego, California
Roseville, Minnesota
Piscataway, New Jersey
New York, New York
Chicago, Illinois

Goldstar Offers Comp Tickets to Local Events

2013-04-16T22:30:00.002-04:00

Goldstar is a deal site that offers discount tickets to all types of entertainment including concerts, plays, comedy clubs, sporting events, and more. Even when a ticket is advertised as "free" you will have to pay a small service fee but you will still save tons of money over buying the tickets the traditional way.

Right now, Goldstar is hosting a promotion called Comp Train which is tons of deals that only require you to pay the service fee. For example, a $20 comedy show is only $6 after the service fee.

Goldstar will automatically show you local tickets, but if you are planning a trip you can look up shows for other locations. I've also seen historic tours on Goldstar so it's a good place to start for entertainment.

$12.75 for a $30 Voucher to Pet Flow on LivingSocial

2013-04-14T21:19:00.000-04:00

Right now on LivingSocial you can get a $30 voucher for Pet Flow for only $15. To make this deal even better, use the promotional code TAXDAY to get an additional 15% off. That means you can get a $30 voucher for $12.75. Shipping is not included but is a flat fee of $4.95. If your order is over $49 you will get free shipping.

PAID VALUE EXPIRES ON April 14, 2018
PROMOTIONAL VALUE EXPIRES ON July 23, 2013

the fine print
Limit 1 per transaction
Limit 1 per household
New customers only
Shipping not included
Entire value must be used in a single visit
Other conditions apply

TAXDAY can actually be used on any LivingSocial deal but I'm not sure how long it is valid.

Movie Review: 42

2013-04-12T19:35:00.001-04:00

On April 15, 1947, Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson took the field as the first African American member of a major league baseball field. A lot has changed in the past 66 years in America since that day in Brooklyn when number 42 walked out of the dugout and took his place on first base. Now, a movie fitting of the legend has finally been produced.

The cinematography of the film was wonderfully done. From wardrobes to scenery and everything else, the film really made you feel like you stepped into the 1940s. Like most movies, there were good and bad scenes. A few times I felt that they were dragging out the wrong parts of the story, but overall I enjoyed the film and history lesson.

Casting for 42 was excellent with actors and actresses that really brought their characters to life. If I wasn't aware going in that Harrison Ford was playing Branch Rickey, I don't think I would have recognized him. I also thought that T.R. Knight was great as a team executive for the Dodgers. Chadwick Boseman truly stole the show as Jackie Robinson. He had big shoes to fill and I think that if Robinson was still alive, he would have appreciated the care that went into the part.

The elephant in the room, and main theme of the film, was racism in America. While some areas had already desegregated, Jackie and Rachel leave their home in California and learn that not all cities were as excepting. When Rachel sees her first "white only" bathroom, curiosity and shock appears on her face. Fans of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh might not appreciate the realistic way their teams were shown to treat the Dodgers. There were a few other games shown, but the Pennsylvania teams were portrayed as the villains.

A secondary theme of the film was spirituality. In the film, Mr. Rickey selected Jackie Robinson from a selection of African American players because they shared a religion. I'm not sure if this is historically accurate but many times throughout the film, we were reminded of this theme as Jackie and Mr. Rickey spoke about ignoring the harassment. This theme is also used to explain why Mr. Rickey choose to stand up for what was right and take the backlash of his fellow team owners.

I feel that all baseball fans will enjoy this film. I plan to take my grandmother to a matinee of 42 because she was living in Brooklyn during the 1940s and always told me and my sister stories of the Brooklyn Dodgers growing up. My personal favorite scene actually took place during an awkward discussion in the locker room between Jackie and one of his teammates. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but most of the audience was laughing with me at the scene. There are things that could have been done better, however no movie is perfect and overall I enjoyed 42.

42 will be released nation wide on April 12, 2013. Check out my weekly post, Making Cents with Cori, on Cinemit for weekly specials on tickets and concessions.

Movie Rating for 42

The passes for this pre-screening were from Grace Hill Media. Check out my information post for more information about free movie screenings.

Free Small Popcorn at AMC Theaters

2013-04-10T18:14:00.003-04:00

Tax day is upon us and AMC wants to help you relax. This weekend (April 12-15, 2013) you can get a coupon for a free small popcorn. Make sure you print the coupon before you head out to the movies this weekend.

Free $10 Giftcard to Blue Mountain Magazine

2013-04-10T17:55:00.001-04:00

Mercury Magazines is currently offering a free $10 giftcard to Blue Mountain Magazine. Blue Mountain Magazine has tons of magazines under $10 so you can choose which free magazine you would like or a great discount on other titles.

Free Greek Yogurt at Pinkberry

2013-04-05T21:02:00.001-04:00

Good Morning America introduced the new Pinkberry menu item and now they want to share it with everyone. Today and tomorrow (April 5-6, 2013) you can get a free blueberry almond greek yogurt. You can either print the website or show it on your mobile phone to get your free treat.

Movie Review: Starbuck

2013-04-05T10:16:00.000-04:00

Warning: The title of this film might confuse you, but Starbuck is not about coffee.

By usually skipping over foreign films with subtitles, I would have missed Starbuck, which turned out to be a highly enjoyable and universal story. For me, reading the subtitles can be very tiring and ruin the relaxation and enjoyment when adventuring into the movie theater. While it is a foreign (Canadian) film in French, it’s a story about growing up and taking responsibility while trying to keep your life from falling apart.

In the 80s/90s, David Wozniak made some easy money by donating sperm over 500 times. Flash forward twenty years and David learns that over 100 people are suing the clinic to learn the real identity of Starbuck, their biological father. After learning about the lawsuit, David sets out to meet his children while keeping his identity a secret. He learns that his children range from famous athletes to drug addicts. His journey is complicated by his best friend, a lawyer, trying to help him hold on to his secret identity to protect his life after the press find out about Starbuck. Life for David is further complicated by his pregnant girlfriend.

I felt that Starbuck had a similar charm to that of Kevin Smith’s Clerks. It was filmed in a way that was simple, without too much flash. Although there were subtitles, after the first few minutes you don’t even really notice that you’re reading. The film flowed really well and didn’t feel rushed or too slow. There were some parts that were humorous, but I wouldn’t refer to the film as a comedy because it wasn’t constant laughing.

This Canadian import as left me with two thoughts. One, Canadians are about a decade behind Americans in fashion and technology. And two, foreign language films shouldn’t be passed over just because of subtitles. If I had stuck to my pattern of skipping movies that required reading subtitles, I would not have seen this gem.

There are rumors that Vince Vaughn is remaking the film in English. These rumors are verified by a page on imdb.com for a new film called “The Delivery Man” scheduled for an October 2013 release. Even if you want to see the Vince Vaughn version when it comes out, I recommend seeing the original.

Starbuck will be released nation wide on April 5, 2013. Check out my weekly post, Making Cents with Cori, on Cinemit for weekly specials on tickets and concessions.

Movie Rating for Starbuck

The passes for this pre-screening was received as a blogger to facilitate my review. All opinions are 100% my own. Check out my information post for more information about free movie screenings.

Movie Review: Jurassic Park 3D

2013-04-05T07:53:00.003-04:00

Twenty years ago, dinosaurs roamed a small island in Jurassic Park. Now, in honor of the films anniversary it is being re-released in digitally remastered 3D. Since the film is from 1993, I'm not going to review the movie and just stick to the 3D concept.

The 3D was well done and fans will appreciate the new aspects brought to the film through the editing process. Unlike when Beauty and the Beast was re-released, Jurassic Park looked like it could have been filmed with 3D in mind. I never felt like I could reach out and touch a dinosaur, but I was able to recognize the dimensions clearly. Having never seen the original, I can't really comment on changes.

If you've never seen the original film, or you are a huge fan, it could be worth seeing this film in theaters. I recommend waiting for a matinee though because when you can rent the movie for under $5, it's kind of silly to pay over $10. Even if it is in 3D.

Jurassic Park 3D will be released nation wide on April 5, 2013. Check out my weekly post, Making Cents with Cori, on Cinemit for weekly specials on tickets and concessions.

Movie Rating for Jurassic Park 3D

The passes for this pre-screening was received from Gofobo. All opinions are 100% my own. Check out my information post for more information about free movie screenings.