May 2009 Archives

Shrinking packages are nothing new. Chances are you've noticed it in your food. It's hard not to when you see ice cream packages that have noticeably gotten smaller sitting side by side in the store with the exact same prices on them.

Apparently for the last year, that has been happening in a place that's tougher to notice--those propane tank refills for your grill.

According to one Associated Press story, "Until last year, Blue Rhino and Amerigas, two major suppliers, put 17 to 18 pounds of propane in each 20-pound tank. Tanks should not be filled completely for safety reasons. About a year ago, that amount was cut to 15 pounds to save consumers a price hike, Blue Rhino spokesman Chris Hartley said."

According to this same article, "Retailers who offer propane say they have not increased the volume of fuel in each tank because propane companies have not reduced prices."

Most companies say it's easier to shrink the packaging then to increase prices. Critics call it a form of inflation.

What do you think? Should companies be required to tell you when they make a change like this? Share your thoughts by adding your comments below.

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Food Deals
• Randalls Grocery has a new coupon savings deal. You can now download your coupons from the website and load them up on your remarkable card, which eliminates the need to print or cut out any coupons. Don't have a remarkable savings card? Load them onto your cell phone. The coupons constantly change. You can find them here.

• You'll find the best savings on Restaurant.com this week. Through May 31st you can save 80 percent on all gift certificates by typing in the word SPECIAL into the discount code box. That means the $25 gift certificates that typically cost $10 can be purchased for just $2 through Sunday.

• Amazon.com started selling groceries last year, through May 31st you can save $20 when you spend $49 on certain Kellogg brand foods. Use the code ALLKELLG when you check out.

• Wendy's offering a buy one get one free frosty for a limited time.

Clothing Deal
Capra & Cavelli's is having a men's pant sale. Through May 31st if you buy one pair of pants at regular price, you'll get the second pair of equal or lesser value for half price. The clothing can be fairly expensive, but this is a significant sale. They also have some really terrific women's fashions. There are two locations in Austin--one at 509 E. Fifth Street, the other at 3500 Jefferson Street.

Furniture Deal
Provencal Home is at it again. Buy any furniture between now and Sunday here and you'll get the tax back in the form of a gift card to your favorite locally owned business. They call it their "Austin Stimulus Package".

Father's Day Deals
• Shutterfly is offering a free personalized Father's Day card. All you have to do is use the coupon code CARD4U

• Save $10 off your $30 purchase on Snapfish through May 31st. Use the coupon SAVETODAY when you checkout.

• Borders is offering 25 percent off through May 31st with this coupon. You've got to use it in the store.

Travel Deals
• Southwest Airlines is having a 3-day sale that started yesterday so you have only two more days to get deals like $114 one way to Las Vegas from Austin. Don't live in Austin?
Check out some of the other amazing airfares some as low as $57 one way at airports across the country.

• Air Tran is also having a sale with airfare as low as $39 one way. You've got to book by June 4th.

• Continental Airlines is also offering deals to New York and Las Vegas. Some airfare is as little as $64 one way.

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Netflix has certainly changed the way we watch movies, by allowing us to rent movies without ever leaving home. It's also prompted a slew of other companies that allow you to rent items instead of buying them. Some people swear this allows them to save money, I think you've got to be buying a lot of clothes, purses or toys to make this worthwhile, but judge for yourself.

Rent Designer Children's Clothing
Wow Clothing Club lets you rent two to six designer children outfits each month for a fee of between $40 and $68. You'll find clothing for little girls in sizes between 12 months and 6X. You keep the clothes for 30 days then send them back in the postage paid box. If there's enough demand the company may add boys clothing.

Rent Designer Dresses and Jackets
Wear Today Gone Tomorrow does the same for women. This site allows you to borrow designer dresses, jackets, skirts and tops. My big complaint about this site is that you have to become a member before they will show you the pricing. The dresses seemed pretty expensive to me, but I'm not a big designer label buyer (typically several hundred dollars a week, plus a cleaning fee). The jackets seemed a bit more reasonable. I saw some renting for around $40 a week. My other issue--sizes were limited.

Rent Toys
A Houston mom was getting tired of all the toy clutter in her home and a few years ago created a website that allows parents to rent toys. Her site is called Baby Plays.com. The idea is that kids get tired of their toys so easily anyway so why not pay a monthly fee and rent them. The plans start at $27 a month and you can keep the toys for 30 days or more then send them back in the prepaid box.

Rent Designer Purses, Jewelry and Sunglasses
Got a purse hound in your family? Have them check out Bag, Borrow or Steal. This site is really for those women who buy a lot of designer handbags. For as little as $40 a month you can rent name brand handbags. And if you like the bag enough you can even buy it. They've also added jewelry and sunglasses to the mix. There's also a section for the latest trends. If you are just looking for a little something special for an event and you don't want to fork over all the cash to buy it, this could be a good place to start.

Rent Books
Chegg.com allows you to rent books, particularly textbooks. This is a terrific service for college students. The one warning I've heard from students who use the site for college textbooks is to begin your search early.

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Dreamers and bargain hunters will love this new promotion. American Express has launched a Daily Wish program that has some incredible deals.

For example, it will give away 3 Honda Insight Hybrids which normally cost $24,320 for half price. Yep we're talking $12,160. You'll find everything from travel deals, to video game machines to bicycles. You have to register to get access to the deals.

Here's how it works:
• Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, a new collection of offers goes on sale.
• On the sale day, the sale time is revealed and a countdown begins, letting you know the exact second the sale starts.
• Click on the "I Want It" button as soon as a sale starts -- if you're one of the first, you'll get the opportunity to buy. When you confirm you want to go ahead with the purchase, we'll connect you to the partner, and you're all set!

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This weekend the first ever 5-Star Green Parade of Homes will take place in Austin's Mueller neighborhood. You can get a sneak peak here.

Tickets for the tour cost $15 (cash only), $12 for seniors and kids ages 5 to 17, kids under five get in free. The tour benefits the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, Austin Children's Shelter and Austin Children's Museum. It runs through June 7th every day except Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Here are a few of the artist renderings of the featured homes:
• 4225 Camacho Street
• 4229 Camacho Street
• 4221 Camacho Street
• 4217 Camacho Street
• 4213 Camacho Street

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There's a new way to check some of those charitable telephone solicitations, particularly the ones that claim to be collecting money for peace officers. The Texas Attorney General's office created a new online resource that shows you some of their financial information. This tool will allow you to see how much money goes to officers when the calls relate to police fundraisers.

You can get to the website here. This site will allow you to search to see which organizations have registered with the Texas Attorney General's Office, which is required. It will also tell you if your donation is tax deductible.

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How safe is the drywall in your home? That's the focus of a hearing today on Capitol Hill after nearly 200 homeowners across the country complained the drywall in their home is making them sick or corroding the wiring in their homes.

Most of the problem drywall appears to have been imported from China after Hurricane Katrina. It is estimated to now be in 60,000 to 100,000 homes. Lawsuits suggest the Chinese drywall releases sulfuric gases that corrode metal, particularly air conditioning components along with speculation about potential health risks.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has launched an investigation after receiving 180 complaints from 13 states. (Those include Louisiana, Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, California, Washington, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, Arizona, and Tennessee.)

And the EPA issued a report saying it found "sulfur and other materials in a small sampling of Chinese-made drywall." It did not find those same chemicals in drywall made here in the U.S.

How can you tell if you have a problem?
Most people who've experienced problems had their homes built or put in new drywall between 2004 and 2006. And most reports are coming from the south where warm, humid air seems to trigger the drywall's emissions.

According to the CPSC people have experienced these common factors:
• Consumers have reported a "rotten egg" smell within their homes.
• Consumers have reported health concerns such as irritated and itchy eyes and skin, difficulty in breathing, persistent cough, bloody noses, runny noses,
recurrent headaches, sinus infection, and asthma attacks.
• Consumers have reported blackened and corroded metal components in their homes and the frequent replacement of components in air conditioning units.

The CPSC says "Currently we are not aware of any definitive test to determine if a home
has problem drywall. Nevertheless, you might consider contacting your
homebuilder to ask about the materials used in construction." Particularly where did the materials come from.

Last night Nightline did a really great story to show you how homeowners have discovered this in their own homes.

What to do if you suspect a problem?
Right now there appear to be no cases in Texas, but if you think you have bad drywall send me an e-mail. You should also file a report with the CPSC here.

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Sales
• Adelante is one of my new favorite finds. This is a dress shop that has really cute dresses, tops, pants, skirts, purses and other accessories. May 22, 23 and the 25th they are having a huge sale with spring merchandise marked down 30 to 50 percent off.

• Looking for a list of some of the best Memorial Day Sales? The bargainist compiles a list of coupons each and every week and this week they've got an entire selection of Memorial Day Deals.

• This weekend is Energy Star Sales Tax Weekend in Texas. That means shoppers get a break from state and local sales taxes when they buy certain energy efficient products Saturday through Monday. Each product must display the Energy Star logo.

Below is a list of the products that qualify:
• air conditioners priced under $6,000 (room and central units)
• clothes washers (but not clothes dryers*)
• ceiling fans
• dehumidifiers
• dishwashers
• light bulbs (incandescent and fluorescent)
• programmable thermostats
• refrigerators priced under $2,000.
* Because most dryers use similar amounts of energy, Energy Star does not label clothes dryers.

There is no limit on the number of qualifying items you can buy and the exemption is also good for delivery even layaway plans as long as you make the initial purchase this weekend. You can read more about the Energy Star Sales tax free holiday here.

Food Deals
• Nonna's Mediterranean Fusion restaurant in Georgetown has some great deals. Including if you pay in cash you get an automatic 5 percent discount. (The way the owner sees it--"Why not give the discount to the guest instead of paying Credit Card fees to the Credit Card Companies?") They also offer "Take and Bake" meals as low as $4.75 a person. Bulk stand alone entrée's will feed two to three people for $10. You can join Nonna's Club Sandwich and buy any 5 and get the 6th sandwich free.

• Restaurant.com is back at it again. Through tomorrow, May 21st you can save an additional 60 percent off gift certificates by using the code TABLE. I've mentioned this site here a few times, but if you're not familiar with it, restaurants sell $25 gift certificates for as little as $10 here. The codes allow you to save on top of that. So a $25 gift certificate will only cost you $4 through Thursday.

Freebies
• Coldplay is allowing people to download their album free. All you have to do is give up your e-mail address. The nine-track album features live recordings of some of Coldplay biggest hits. It's the second time the band has done a promotion like this.

• The Austin Chord Rangers are putting on a free concert Monday, May 25th, in the Capitol Rotunda from noon to 1:00 p.m. The Tejanos-In-Action Veterans Color Guard will post the colors. The concert will include performances by the chorus and quartets. The audience will join the chorus on several songs.

Travel Deals
• Travel Zoo has posted a slew of vacation deals to Mexico. Some of the deals are as cheap as $247 if you fly from Houston or San Antonio and this includes a three night stay at some of these Mexican resorts. You've got to book your travel by May 28th. You can also call 800-347-7006.

• Southwest Airlines has some last minute airfare deals for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The airline is also selling some airfare for as little as $49 one way but you have to buy the seats by May 21st for travel through October 28th.

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You've got a new place to find local deals. Thirty new businesses opened up in the latest Marketplace Austin in South Austin. I mentioned this place in my blog a few months ago when they were looking for people interested in renting space.

The cool thing about these marketplaces is they are filling abandoned warehouse space and giving local business owners an alternative way to get started. The new location is at the corner of West Gate Blvd. and William Cannon Drive in the former Albertsons building. The original location is in the old Sam's Club at 10601 N. Lamar Blvd.

The Marketplace subdivides the large space and allows local business owners to rent and operate individual retail spaces. There are more than 30 new stores in the newest location. You'll find everything from cell phones to hand-made French wood work.

At the Lamar location there's a food court, jewelry, toy stores and more.

"Just walk in and you will know immediately that this is not a flea market but actually more along the lines of a business incubator. However, we still offer the same types of novelties and bargains," said president and company founder Andrew Perkel. "Many of the businesses are serious well organized business models. For others, some have lost their jobs, looking for extra income or simply want the opportunity to take their shot at "The American Dream". Marketplace Austin provides the opportunity for innovative businesses a launching point with the ability to grow or at least try with minimal risk. This is a safe, fun family activity with plenty of bargains to be found."

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Last week's bad news for car dealerships may be good news for those of you looking to buy a car.

The 789 Chrysler dealerships have an estimated 44,000 cars and trucks on their lots. The GM dealers will have more time because the company is not in bankruptcy and is allowing dealerships to write letters about why they should stay open.

According to one AP article, "They've told us that the inventory is our problem," said Keith Hollern, one of the owners of a Dodge dealer in Windber, Pa. "Want to buy one? We're having a fire sale."

The dealers literally have weeks to sell the Chryslers, Dodges and Jeeps or risk losing thousands of dollars. So if you've been waiting to buy and hoping to get a good deal now may be the best time to bargain.

The Wall Street Journal has put together some helpful information if you're in the market for a car.

Edmunds.com also has some helpful information for car buyers including a terrific guide on some of the new incentives being offered by dealerships right now and what you should know about them.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has found as many as 80 percent of car seats are not installed properly.

This Saturday, May 16th you have the chance to have your car seat inspected free at the Burlington Coat Factory/ Baby Depot at 6715 I-35 (I-35 at William Cannon) from 10am to 2pm. State Farm Insurance and non-profit Texans in Motion are putting on the clinic this weekend.

If you miss this one there's another free car seat check June 3rd from 10am to 2pm at St. James Baptist Church at 3414 E. MLK Blvd.

It's also a good reminder that the Texas legislature passed a bill that will require children ages four through eight to be in booster seats.

The NHTSA has tons of helpful information like which car seat is best for your child depending on his or her age.

My favorite part of the site is this section on tutorials that help ensure your car seat is installed properly. This is one of the biggest complaints I hear from parents. A hospital in Philadelphia even put together some video to help you visualize how to do it properly.

There is even a list of the most common errors people make.

More helpful sites
You can find more helpful car seat information at the links below:
• List of all Recalled Car Seats.
• Find car seat safety checks across the country here.
• Car Seat Safety.org

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Child Safety Seat Use Chart
• Safe Kids Car Seat Basics
• Child Safety Seat Recalls
• Car Seat Rating System
• Academy of Pediatrics guide to car seats.

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Not that we needed it, but there's yet another reason to be grateful to live here. According to Forbes Austin is America's Best Bargain City in the country. It's the second time Forbes has found Austin to be a good value. In October the magazine ranked Austin as the best bang for your buck city.

And there's good news for the rest of Texas too. Not a single city in Texas ended up on the list of most overpriced places and all five of Texas' biggest cities Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Fort Worth were among the top 10 best bargains.

Phoenix was second, but the housing bust may have boosted that city's ranking, followed by Washington, D.C., Fort Worth and Cincinnati tied with Indianapolis. You can see where your city ranked here.

It's probably no surprise that Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami topped the list of most overpriced cities.

Forbes looked at the 50 largest U.S. cities then measured the average salaries for workers with a bachelor's degree or higher, annual unemployment statistics, the cost of living and the housing opportunity index which measures the amount of homes sold in a given area that would be affordable to a family earning the local median income.

Here's a look at the rankings for the top five:

1. Austin, Texas
(Austin-Round Rock, Texas)
Cost of Living: 3 of 50
Housing Opportunity: 24 of 50
Unemployment Rate: 1 of 50
Average Salary: 20 of 50

2. Phoenix, Ariz.
(Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.)
Cost of Living: 13 of 50
Housing Opportunity: 14 of 50
Unemployment Rate: 6 of 50
Average Salary: 21 of 50

3. Washington, D.C.
(Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va.)
Cost of Living: 38 of 50
Housing Opportunity: 21 of 50
Unemployment Rate: 2 of 50
Average Salary: 4 of 50

4. Fort Worth, Texas
(Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas)
Cost of Living: 16 of 50
Housing Opportunity: 10 of 50
Unemployment Rate: 8 of 50
Average Salary: 34 of 50

5. Cincinnati, Ohio (tie)
(Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.)
Cost of Living: 9 of 50
Housing Opportunity: 7 of 50
Unemployment Rate: 23 of 50
Average Salary: 33 of 50

5. Indianapolis, Ind. (tie)
(Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind.)
Cost of Living: 13 of 50
Housing Opportunity: 1 of 50
Unemployment Rate: 17 of 50
Average Salary: 41 of 50

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Pfizer just announced today that some people who lose their jobs may qualify to get free prescriptions.

The Pfizer deal applies to people who've lost their jobs since January 1st and who've been on Pfizer medications for at least three months. There are 70 medications that people can get free for one year.

The reality is most pharmaceutical companies have programs designed to help people facing hardships. They are called prescription assistance programs.

So I thought I'd make it easy for you and put them all in one place so you can see if you qualify. Remember taking care of a parent or loved one may also help you qualify for assistance.

Pharmaceutical Company Patient Assistance Programs
The Partnership for Prescription is another great place to start. Here you'll type in your medication and find out if the companies that make the product offer prescription assistance. This is a great resource for patients or caregivers.

Another website worth trying is called Get Meds 4 Free. This is a helpful site for people who've recently been laid off or people who are on Part D and in the donut hole.

To look up pharmaceutical company programs for your specific medicine go here. Plug in the name of the company that manufacturers your medicine then search for prescription help. Below you will find a few of the more known pharmaceutical company prescription assistance programs.

AstraZeneca has several different prescription help programs. If you make less than $30,000 a year or have a family of four making $60,000 or less you may qualify.

The GSK access program provides prescription medications at no cost to Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan enrollees who meet the eligibility requirements. Eligibility is based on annual household income and proof that the applicant has spent $600 or more for prescription medicines for the year.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals offers patient assistance programs for certain drugs.

Johnson & Johnson has a program called Access 2 Wellness. It offers more than 1,000 prescription medications, for free or at a discount, to those who qualify. This helps not just patients but even caregivers save money.

Novartis has a program for people who have no third party insurance coverage for their medicines.

Merck says even people who don't meet their income or insurance requirements may qualify for help with their program. The company even has a vaccine assistance program.

Roche Pharmaceuticals has offered a prescription assistance program since 2000.

Consumer Reports has also put together a terrific guide to help you make better decisions about which medicines you choose to take. It will help you talk to your doctor about your prescriptions, and find the most effective, safest medicines as well as those that give you the best value for your health care dollar.

You can find a few more ways to save by checking out this article from the Pharmacy Checker site.

Check for Coupons
It's always a good idea to do a quick search for coupons for anything online. You'll be amazed how many pharmaceutical companies offer coupons for prescriptions. Below are a few a pharmacist shared with me. Remember you will need a prescription before you can collect these coupons.

Zomig -migraine treatment.
Maxalt -migraine treatment.
Actos- blood sugar control medicine for people with Type 2 diabetes.
Avandia -blood sugar control for people with Type 2 diabetes.
Humalog-insulin pen.
Levemir -blood sugar control.
NovoLog -blood sugar control.
Travantanz-eye drops taken for glaucoma.
Restasis"-chronic dry eye treatment.
Tekturna- high blood pressure medicine.
Diovan-high blood pressure medicine.
Advair" asthma medicine.
Proventil HFA- inhaler.
Nexium -acid reflux disease medicine.
AcipHex-acid reflux medicine.
Vyvanse- ADHD treatment.
Crestor-cholesterol lowering drug.
Boniva-osteoporosis treatment.
Ambien CR-extended release sleep medicine.
Lunesta -sleep aid.
7 nights of Lunesta free
Cymbalta-depression.
Pristiq -depression treatment.
Enablex - is for an overactive bladder.
Detrol LA-overactive bladder.
Frova-menstral migraines.
Femara -this is a tablet postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer often take.
Birth Control Pills
Nuva Ring -birth control.
Yaz -birth control pill
Levitra - Erectile dysfunction medicine.
Cialis -Erectile dysfunction medicine.
Avodart-enlarged prostate treatment.
Valtrex-genital herpes.

Several pharmacists I've spoken with say the first thing you should do is ask your doctor or pharmacist if they have any coupons or vouchers. More often in these days instead of giving samples, drug reps provide doctors and pharmacists with coupons or vouchers. So if you need help, ask.

Some hospitals and doctor's offices utilize pharmacist medication therapy management programs. These programs give patients one-on-one access to a trained pharmacist who can look at all of the prescriptions they are taking and then they consult with their doctors to find out what may be interacting and what medicines you may be able to eliminate. If you are interested in a service like this ask your doctor or pharmacist. Insurance does not always cover the cost of these programs. Many patients pay $150 an hour to take part. However some patients swear they save them much more.

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Each year Google asks children across the country to create their own doodle, you know the graphic picture we always see on the Google homepage. The idea is to give kids scholarship money.

Well Google has selected this year's finalists and they are incredible. You should check them out. Also you can vote for the winner. You have until May 18th.

The overall winner gets their doodle on Google for one day and a $15,000 college scholarship. Their school gets a $25,000 technology grant to improve their computer lab.

This year Jadin Mann of Georgetown is a finalist in the grades 7 through 9 category--just click on region 8. And be sure to vote! Here's what Jadin's doodle looks like.

And just in case you've ever wondered the back story on those doodles, check this out. It's pretty interesting how they started.

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This week you'll find lots of food deals and some of my favorite online shopping bargain sites. Remember if you ever have any deals you think are worth sharing drop me an e-mail.

Food Deals
• Dream Dinners is another one of those meal assembly companies. They have locations across the country including several here in Austin.

Starting May 15th the company is launching a new program called Taste of Dream Dinners. If you are the hostess and invite friends to an event you can earn up to $10 in referral credit toward future purchases as well as 50 percent off additional menu items. All new customers also get 5 percent off their first order.

The menus look pretty good. Three serving meals cost between $11 and $15 and 6 servings will cost you $20 and $33. This place also offers special deals for particular holidays like a Father's Day feast for 12.

• Texas Land & Cattle is dropping prices on lots of appetizers to between $2 and $4.

• Restaurant.com is back at it again. Through Saturday, May 16th you can save an additional 70 percent off gift certificates by using the code TASTY. I've mentioned this site here a few times, but if you're not familiar with it, restaurants sell $25 gift certificates for as little as $10 here. The codes allow you to save on top of that. So a $25 gift certificate will only cost you $3 through Saturday.

More Local Deals
The Austin Visitors and Convention Bureau always offers great deals for visitors, but people who live here can take advantage of them too. My favorite section is the discounts and deals page. They've just added a bunch that are worth checking out. For example, you can play pool for free at Buffalo Billiards on Sixth Street using this coupon or use this coupon and get a free extras at one of my favorite Austin eateries The County Line.

Great ways to save online
I do quite a bit of online shopping so I've come to rely on some of these sites to help me spot bargains. Here are a few of my favorites.

• Retail Me Not.com is one of my all time favorites. I almost never pay for shipping by checking this site first.

• Promotion Code.org is a great site that shows you the promotion codes for all kinds of online retailers. You can also rate them so other people know if the codes failed.

• Want to save on your newspaper? Check out this site. It shows you the discounts being offered in your area. Just plug in your zip code and see what discounts are provided for readers in your area. The Wall Street Journal is offered for 50 percent off on this site.

• Deal Hack is another great site. You'll find everything from car rental savings to coupons.

• Then check out Deal News. This site claims it's like Black Friday every day of the week. The new raw deal section lets consumers post deals they find and then allows others to rate them.

• Buxr.com lists all kinds of deals and allows consumers to post deals they find too. Be sure to check out the expiring section. You can find some of the biggest last minute savings here.

Deals worth noting
• Linens 'n Things is having its grand re-opening sale. Through May 19th you can save an additional 10 percent of any order worth $50 or more.

• Through July 31st True Value is offering to give people $5 off any $25 purchase.

Travel Deals
• The summer sale for Southwest Airlines expires Thursday, May 14th. Some airfare is as cheap as $49 one way.

• Continental Airlines is selling European fares for as low as $149 one way.

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This may be hard to swallow, but the cereal so many kids and adults love may need to be relabeled or get special government approval. The FDA says Cheerios may be considered a drug because of the way it's labeled.

Here's the deal--the company touts Cheerios as "clinically proven to lower cholesterol." That labeling alone is apparently in "serious violation" of federal rules.

The FDA sent this letter to General Mills saying, "Based on claims made on your product's label, we have determined that your Cheerios® Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug because the product is intended for use in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease.

What's more, the letter says, Cheerios "may not be legally marketed with the above claims in the United States without an approved new drug application."

General Mills issued this statement today in response:
"Cheerios' soluble fiber heart health claim has been FDA-approved for 12 years, and Cheerios' "lower your cholesterol 4% in 6 weeks" message has been featured on the box for more than 2 years. The science is not in question. The scientific body of evidence supporting the heart health claim was the basis for FDA's approval of the heart health claim, and the clinical study supporting Cheerios' cholesterol-lowering benefit is very strong. The FDA is interested in how the Cheerios cholesterol-lowering information is presented on the Cheerios package and website. We look forward to discussing this with FDA and to reaching a resolution."

What do you think? Should Cheerios be relabeled? Is this a bit of overkill? Add your comments below.

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Call it a coupon fiasco. One of my colleagues tried to use her KFC coupon last night and they wouldn't let her. Apparently she's not alone.

It turns out the company has received an overwhelming response so it is no longer accepting the free coupons it is giving out rain checks instead.

The coupon was part of an Oprah promotion May 5th and I told you about it here last week as well.

KFC says it has redeemed millions of coupons but in some locations there were lines out the door. Customers in some places were told they'd have to wait two hours to get the grilled chicken.

"We would like to apologize to our customers who have been inconvenienced by the overwhelming response to our free Kentucky Grilled Chicken offer," said Roger Eaton, President of KFC U.S. "The lines of customers wanting to redeem their coupons have been out the door and around the block, so we're unable to redeem customer coupons at this time."

If you've been unable to use your coupon ask your neighborhood KFC for a rain check request. You'll have to fill that out and then send it back in. It must be postmarked by May 19, 2009. KFC says it will then send the rain check coupon to you in the mail. You'll need your original coupon and the rain check the company will send. Then you'll be able to use it for a later two week period. To help apologize for the inconvenience KFC is also giving people a free Pepsi with their two piece grilled chicken dinner.

My guess is the company is going to try to stagger some of the dates on the coupons so they don't have the same flood of people at restaurants across the country.

What do you think about this fix? Add your comments below.

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There are a couple of new plans that begin today and will help people save money on flights and cell phones.

According to USA Today starting today American Airlines will allow frequent flier users to cash in their miles for one-way tickets. That means you can use 12,500 points for a one-way fare instead of the 25,000 points for a round trip airfare. American becomes the first major airline to offer this type of reward. Some smaller airlines have been offering this type of service for a while.

"Called One-Way Flex Awards, the change lets AAdvantage members:

• Fly one way on an award ticket and return by another means, including a purchased one-way ticket.

• Book a trip to several cities on points. Previously, AAdvantage required round-trip travel between two cities.

• Book an award trip in coach in one direction and a premium-class seat in the other.

• Split an award trip between American and one of its 20 AAdvantage program partner airlines. Previously, awards trips had to be completed entirely on American or entirely on one of its partners.

• Travel in one direction on an award ticket at "off-peak" times and the other on a "peak" award ticket. Frequent fliers long have been frustrated by the difficulty of finding available seats both ways within "off-peak" periods, which require fewer mileage points."

Also starting today a new cell phone plan by AT&T for pay-as-you-go cell phone users. For the first time instead of paying for a set number of minutes, you can pay as little as $3 a day for unlimited calls.

The company says the idea is to help those people who don't want to keep track of how many minutes they've used or for people who know they will need to make a lot of calls during a family emergency or a holiday.

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Food Deals
Oprah mentioned this on her show yesterday, but in case you missed it you have until 10 p.m. to score a free two piece Kentucky Grilled Chicken meal from KFC. The coupon can be used from May 5th through May 19th, but it is not valid on Mother's Day.

Update
I had no trouble printing the coupon last night, but today ran into some issues. So I called KFC and they say there have been some issues. If you're having trouble try clicking on tools, internet options and delete cookies--that should clear it up. If you're using the Firefox web browser, go to tools, options, privacy, show cookies and remove all cookies.

Mother's Day Deals
• Mama Fu's is letting mama's eat free all week through May 9th. You do have to make a minimum purchase of $15 to get the discount, but it's a great excuse to take mom out to eat.

• Carino's Italian is offering to give mom's a free three-course meal from now through May 8th. It includes unlimited soups and salads, choice of select entrée, a mini dessert and soft drink or tea. Here's a look at the menu.

• Texas Land & Cattle will give all mom's a gift certificate for a free entrée on their next visit on Mother's Day this Sunday, May 10th.

Travel Deals
• Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is offering an incredible deal right now. You can get a room for $99 a night per person, but that includes unlimited drinks and dining at the Beach Bar and Grill plus a $100 Cabana Credit. There are limited dates to take advantage of this so be sure the dates you want are included.

• Hyatt is offering to give you 30-percent off until June 30th. But you have to book by May 14th.

• Southwest Airlines is having a $49 airfare sale. You've got to book your tickets by May 14th.

• Continental Airlines is also advertising some fares for as low as $119 round trip out of Houston. You have to purchase these tickets by this Friday, May 8th.

e-mail me
Remember I'm always looking for great deals of the week. If you're a local business offering a special discount or a consumer and know of some great local deals let me know by sending me an e-mail.

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According to the Wall Street Journal, "Amazon.com on Wednesday plans to unveil a new version of its Kindle e-book reader with a larger screen and other features designed to appeal to periodical and academic textbook publishers."

In case you are not familiar with the Kindle it's a wireless electronic device that allows you to store up to 200 different reading materials-books, newspapers, etc on one device. Most books cost about $10, but you don't pay for a service plan.

The Kindle does allow you to highlight and take notes while you read--a plus for college students. I guess the one remaining question is can it help lower the cost of those expensive textbooks for college students?

Guess we'll find out tomorrow. The Wall Street Journal says already six universities have signed on to use the new Kindle: "Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Pace, Princeton, Reed, Darden School at the University of Virginia, and Arizona State."

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Growing up as a kid I loved spending time in the kitchen with my mom and little sister. It's probably why to this day I enjoy cooking. Tracey sent me an e-mail this weekend reminding me about a site I came across a while back so I thought I'd share it.

It's this cool web site that lets you make personalized recipe books. Tracey mentioned it would be a great graduation gift. I always thought it would be a terrific Mother's Day gift for your family members--a way to showcase mom's favorite recipes.

The site is called Tastebook.com. It lets you create a hardcover cookbook with your own recipes and photos. You can even download some of your favorite recipes from the Food Network. It costs between $20 and $35 depending on how many recipes you'd like to include. Standard shipping will cost you around $8.

Shutterfly offers a similar service. So if you've ever wanted to make sure your family recipes live on, this could be just what you needed to make sure they do.

Thanks Tracey for the e-mail and if you ever have something you think I should mention here, feel free to send me your thoughts.

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If you bought your child's crib at Babies 'R Us or Toys 'R Us you'll want to check to make sure it's not part of this recall. Today Jardine and the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced it was adding 96,000 cribs to the 320,000 it recalled in June, and another 59,000 it recalled in January.

The problem with all of these cribs is that the wooden slats may break and babies and infants are becoming trapped. This latest time 31 children became entrapped. In ten cases the children broke the wooden slats while they were inside the crib. You'll see pictures of some of the cribs on this page and can find all the pictures here.

You should stop using the cribs immediately and call Jardine at (800) 646-4106 to receive a full credit toward the purchase of a new crib.

Seven models are involved this time so look for the following date codes and model numbers: (You'll find the label located on the inside of the bottom rail of the headboard or footboard.)
• 0102B00 Drop-side Natural Olympia Single 9/2005-1/2007
• 0102E00 Drop-side Dark Pine Olympia Single 9/2005-1/2008
• 0302P00 Black Olympia Lifetime 11/2005-5/2008
• 0302C00 White Olympia Lifetime 6/2006-12/2006
• 0312D00 Americana Pecan 4-in-1 5/2006-11/2007
• 0308L00 Antique Walnut Capri 4-in-1 12/2005-11/2007
• 0108C00 Drop-side White Capri Single 8/2006-11/2007

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The new movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine opens in theaters today. This weekend is your chance to read the comic. The comic book industry is holding its eighth annual Free Comic Book Day.

More than 2,000 comic shops will offer free comics. You can go here to find the shops giving them away for free and to find the list of titles being given away.

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