Freebies Saturday: July 30, 2011

It is time once again for this weeks Freebie Saturday. I make every effort to make sure that the freebies I list are real free offers. If you have to answer a survey and then go through 50 pages of ads to get the so called free item, I consider that spam. That is why I make every effort to make sure that those websites are never included in my list.

1. Armani is giving away free samples of their new Armani Code Sport. This cologne has various seductive scents that every woman is sure to love. Armani Code Sport features mint which gives its explosive flavor to a surprising and unusual top note. Spearmint, peppermint and wild mint create an unexpected bouquet that exudes freshness. Then it is topped off with hints of citrus. Try yours today by allowing their Facebook application access.
   
   
2. Bath and Body Works is giving away free samples of their Paris Amour body lotion. Simply print this coupon and bring it into your local Bath and Body Works to get your free samples. This lotions has scents of a dreamy blend of French tulips & pink champagne. No purchase necessary, but is only valid until July 31st so you need to get yours this weekend.
   
   
   
3. STAKK’D is giving away free samples of their energy boosting drink mixer. STAKK’D is a natural, flavorless and colorless beverage mixer made with pure caffeine and a Vitamin B Complex that can be added to any drink. Unlike other liquid caffeinated products and energy drinks/shots STAKK’D is not bitter, has no terrible taste or aftertaste. Give it a try to see if it works for you.
   
   
4. Kashi has two free samples available to those who are interested. You can choose from Kashi Cinnamon Harvest Cereal or Kashi TLC Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bar. Personally I requested the granola bar, but both sound amazing so good luck choosing.
   
   
5. September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. For Men of 40 (like me) two free tests could be a life saving experience. That is why if you live in the Austin, TX area you should check out these FREE Prostate Cancer Screenings. Which include both the PSA blood test and rectal exam. Appointments are appreciated but walk-ins are welcome.
   

September 10, 2011 St. David's North Austin Medical Center 12221 N. Mopac Expressway

September 17, 2011 St. David's Round Rock Medical Center 2400 Round Rock Ave.

September 17, 2011 St. David's South Austin Medical Center 901 W. Ben White Blvd.

September 24, 2011 St. David's Medical Center 919 E. 32nd Street

September 24, 2011 St. David's Georgetown Hospital 2000 Scenic Drive

All screenings will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Call 888-868-2104 or 512-478-3627 to make an appointment


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Speed Things Up With a Swipe

By: Jason Collazo

Life just got a little bit easier for merchants and small businesses using Credit Card Terminal. Up until now, this leading point-of-sale app could only perform keyed transactions. But with the introduction of Credit Card Reader, merchants can perform swiped transactions as well. Just plug the reader into your iPad’s dock and speed up your transactions, while at the same time lowering your chance for errors. Credit Card Terminal is available for your iPhone too.

Arguably the biggest boon to those running a small business, since the advent of ecommerce, Credit Card Terminal has turned your iPhone, or iPad, into a virtual cash register. Setting up your business to accept credit cards can be both complex and costly, especially for the small business owner. There are accounts to be applied for and arranged, fees to open accounts, monthly fees, and transaction fees.

Many merchant accounts can also have a Minimum Processing Fee or Minimum Discount Fee, which requires the merchant to pay a penalty if a certain quota is not met for the month. Credit Card Reader has very little, if any, set up. Most small businesses using iPad for credit card billing will already have Terminal on their iPads, simply plug Credit Card Reader into the iPad’s dock, perform the one time set up, and you are ready to start swiping. Less error-prone than entering the information by hand, it is the speed at which transactions can now be performed that is the big seller: 2-3 seconds on a fast Wi-Fi connection and 10-15 seconds on slower connections. In most cases, you can continue to use your phone for business calls while you are processing a credit card swipe. Your billing is typically deposited into your account within two business days.

You can also collect signatures with the reader, as customers can either sign using their finger or a Pogo Stylus can be purchased for a more familiar feel. Many retailers no longer require a customer’s signature, especially on lower priced charges. However, a signature can come in handy, especially in cases in which customer disputes occur. Reader can process MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American

Express cards from practically anywhere; although it would be wise to check with your phone provider about area service and out-of-area charges.

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Thank You Very Much

We would like to give a big shout out to the newest Sponsor of this blog. A site that offers a free course in technical analysis of stocks.





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Austin Mayor pushing to ban plastic bags at Austin stores

Austin retailers and grocery stores could no longer offer plastic bags at checkout counters under a ban Mayor Lee Leffingwell and two other City Council members will propose today.
- Austin American-Statesman

Austin isn't the first city to consider such legislation. In California, the ban started in San Francisco in select stores; if pending legislation goes through, it could soon expand to all stores not only in the city, but in the entire state. A similar ban exists in coastal Brownsville, TX as well as North Carolina and was recently passed in Portland, OR.

According to the article the Mayor says that the ban would be phased in gradually, but doesn't mention when it would start.

Leffingwell said he thinks paper bags should still be an option at checkout counters because they're included in Austin's curbside collection program for recyclables and they don't gum up recycling machinery as plastic bags do.

But he said retailers may want or need to charge a fee of a few cents per paper bag to compel customers to get in the habit of bringing canvas or reusable bags.
- Austin American-Statesman

Austin attempted to ban the bags in 2008 but stopped short after large retailers complained.

Austin city leaders, led by then-Council Member Leffingwell, nearly enacted a plastic bag ban in 2008 and then held off when six big retailers — H-E-B, Randalls, Walmart, Target, Walgreens and Whole Foods — agreed to try to reduce by 50 percent the amount of plastic bags they send to landfills. (Whole Foods later stopped offering plastic bags at checkout.)
- Austin American-Statesman

So will the council pass it this time? After this last election the only conservative council person lost a run off election to a more liberal candidate. We eill have to wait and see what actually transpires in the next few weeks.

the author is employed by Randall's (a Safeway Company) and owns stock in both Safeway and Austin based Whole Foods
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7 Ways to Save On Summer Travel with Your Credit Card

By: Jason Collazo

Summer - The sun, the sand, hopefully in some far-away vacationland. We save all year long just to ensure a few weeks of fun frolicking along some sublime shoreline, or seeing some ancient ruin through the lens of our digital camera. There is also a sort of tacit agreement with ourselves that it is fine to spend the money now on a vacation; this is what we’ve been saving it for. So yes, we loosen the purses strings a little in the name of well-deserved enjoyment, but still there are ways to save a little money even when traveling the globe and your credit card can help.

1: Frequent Flyer Miles: The most obvious way in which your credit card can save you money on vacation is using the frequent flyer miles program. Big credit card spenders and those who travel for business probably have no problem racking up those flyer miles. But even those who may not have a lot of miles in the bank can benefit now from the solicitations of many credit card companies featuring signup bonuses which offer frequent flyer miles.

2: Cash-Back Rewards Cards for Gas: While no one likes another rise in gasoline prices, using your credit card that gives you 5 percent back on gas can be a real money saver. Make sure to sign up for this perk if your card requires it. It would make sense to have this benefit in hand before you plan a road trip this summer.

3: Hotel Cards: Hotel programs can be a better value than frequent flyer miles. These programs can be offered with no capacity restrictions or blackouts, so do check out these great money saving programs.

4. Currency Conversion: Many credit cards will charge a foreign transactions fee for purchases made outside the U.S. Using a card which doesn’t charge this fee will not only save you the 1-3% fee, but you could also walk away with a very competitive exchange rate on goods purchased.

5: Avoid Gas Altogether: Not everyone flies across the pond on vacation. City dwellers often are content simply to drive a couple of towns over; their main concern being simply to escape the cacophony of the city. Gas prices being what they are, this can sometimes be as expensive as a short plane jaunt. Look for public transit options. Most cities and states offer some intrastate, as well as interstate transportation, and the pricing can be quite a big savings over gassing up your car.

6. Opt for Off-season: Another way to lower the cost of your vacation is to avoid traveling during peak times. Being a little flexible with your scheduling can lead to great savings. You don’t have to put off your summer vacation until the dead of winter, but avoiding peak holiday weekends and nudging your plans a little closer to May or September may put some extra money in your pocket to spend once you arrive. And booking your expenses with your reward card will earn you points for the next vacation.

7. Staycation: A new term to join the lexicon in these financially insecure times, a Staycation is pretty much what it sounds like: stay at home and enjoy. Save money on airline fees, hotel fees, just about everything by staying at home and planning all those things you always mean to do, but never seem to get around to doing. Treat yourself and your family to a nice dinner out in a place fancier than you normally would dine. See a show, go play tennis. Just be sure to avoid the temptation to fall into your daily routine, remember: you are on vacation, who cares if the carpets are vacuumed or the dishes are done?
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Freebies Saturday 7/23/11

It is time once again for this weeks Freebie Saturday. I make every effort to make sure that the freebies I list are real free offers. If you have to answer a survey and then go through 50 pages of ads to get the so called free item, I consider that spam. That is why I make every effort to make sure that those websites are never included in my list.

Visit any Golfsmith Location Nationwide on Saturday July 23 from 9am and you can get a Free Sleeve of Callaway Golf Balls!
Simply mention the offer in-store or print the offer to receive your free Callaway balls while supplies last.
Limited to 40 sleeves per location, so get in early.

Walmart is now offering free samples of Huggies Snug and Dry Diapers. Huggies is a leading manufacturer of diapers and this is a quality product that you should try. Diapers are also quite costly so this is a great way to save. Hurry in though, Walmart free samples go fast.

Escada has a free sample of their Taj Sunset perfume. Click the free sample button at the top of the page then simply fill out the form.

Taj Sunset fragrance has fruity floral scents that have made this perfume popular. Taj Sunset is an alluring perfume that is sure to grab the attention of anyone around you. Request your Free Taj Sunset Perfume while it is still available.

You must have Adobe Flash to view this freebie. Click "Skip Intro" in the top left, then request an Aveda for the free samples. Aveda has a free sample of mens aftershave. Skip the intro then look at the bottom of the page to see the free sample link. Once you fill out the information you will receive confirmation and a chance to print a coupon for your free sample. This is a free sample for Aveda Men's Pure-formance Dual Action Aftershave. This is a 2 in 1 post shave moisturizer that hydrates and reduces razor burn.

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Texas - Land of Opportunity

by Kevin Surbaugh

Lured to Texas by reports of a resurging economy, law school graduate Ross Fishbein packed his belongings in his 2007 Nissan Sentra last month and headed south from his native New Hampshire to Austin.

- Austin American Statesman

After an unusually hard winter in Kansas I decided that I was tired of it and wanted to make the move to a warmer climate. My fiance at the time wanted to move to Texas to be closer to her son. So I told her what I was thinking. Add to that Texas had lower taxes it seemed like a no brainer; still I had research to do. That is when I started hearing reports of high rankings for Austin, TX in business and jobs. Now a year later Austin still ranks up there in the lists as Forbes releases the latest round of  studies.

 Next Boom Town

What cities are best positioned to grow and prosper in the coming decade? That is the question that Forbes answers in it's article "The Next Big Boom Towns In The U.S."

Texas cities did very well with Austin at No. 1, followed by San Antonio/New Braunfels in 4rth place and Houston sitting at No. 5.

This is no surprise. Austin consistently sits atop Forbes' annual list of the best cities for jobs and scores highly in other demographics rankings. It is the third-fastest-growing city in the nation, attracting large numbers of college grads, immigrants and families with young children.
- Forbes

The top 10 cities are as follows:

1. Austin, Texas
2. Raleigh, NC
3. Nashville, TN
4. San Antonio, TX
5. Houston
6. Washington, D.C.
7. Dallas, TX
8. Charlotte, NC
9. Phoenix, AZ
10. Orlando, FL

Best Places For Business

Looking for opportunity? Head west to Colorado, Texas and Utah, which all landed multiple locales near the top of Forbes 13th annual list.I know, I know Forbes as so many lists now it is hard to keep them straight. However, we are looking at two (2) of them and wanted see how they compare to each other. While Austin was number one when it came to being one of the next boom towns in the U.S. they were further down the list of Top 10 when it came to businesses relocating there.
Perhaps the reason is found in one paragraph in the Forbes article:

Our look at America’s Best Places for Business showcases the stark contrast between Texas—with its low-cost, pro-business regulatory environment (5 cities among the top 25, led by Austin at No. 7)—and overregulated and wildly expensive California (home to 8 cities that rank in the bottom 25, including No. 200 Merced). Texas was one of the last economies to succumb to the recession and one of the first to bounce back, while California is limping along with an unemployment rate of 11.7% (only Nevada’s is worse).
- Forbes

The top 10 cities are as follows:

1. Raleigh, NC
   
2. Des Moines, IA
   
3. Provo, UT
   
4. Lexington, KY
   
5. Fort Collins, CO
   
6. Nashville, TN
   
7. Austin, TX
   
8. San Antonio, TX
   
9. Denver, CO
   
10. Dallas, TX
    

So Texas is still considered one of the best places to be right now. Led by a Governor (and possible Presidential candidate) who seen jobs soar in the state even at a time when other states seen the loss of jobs. Even during a time when the press reporting doom and gloom for the economy. Texas was the last state to feel the effects of it and the first state to recover. So I continue to be happy with my choice of Texas as my home for this new chapter of my life.


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Cash Purchases Healthier All Around

By: Jason Collazo