June 2009 Archives

If you've been putting off that vacation hoping for a better deal, maybe you shouldn't. An article in the USA Today found airfare for travel next month is "as much as 63 percent lower than last summer".

"At USA TODAY's request, FareCompare analyzed all domestic fares for flights between the hub cities of legacy airlines United, American, Continental, Delta and US Airways. The fares were valid Friday for travel in mid-July with a 14-day advance purchase. The analysis found that the cheapest round-trip coach fares were less expensive this summer for 115 of 136 pairs of cities. In 54 city pairs, the cheapest tickets were at least 25% lower than a year ago."

Unfortunately FareCompare didn't look at fares from Austin, but it did look at airfare from Dallas and Houston. It found the cheapest ticket from Houston to Washington, D.C. last July cost $238, this July the cheapest airfare was $158 or 34 percent less.

You can check the changes it found on airfare to 136 different destinations here.

Remember each Wednesday I post the best deals available that week--including travel-- right here on my blog.

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For years people have relied on sites like Trip Advisor to find hotels. However, there has been criticism over what is written and the pictures that end up on sites like this.

That's why Oyster.com was created. On this site 10 full-time journalists and photographers secretly stay and visit hotels, snap pictures and write reviews. (Wouldn't you love to have that job?)

The site just went up last week and currently rates hotels in Aruba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Miami. In July the site will have reviews for hotels in Las Vegas and New York.

It even has a place just for family friendly hotel rankings and prices.

Although the selection is limited because the site is just getting stared, this could be a valuable tool for travelers.

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Best Buy is launching a new effort to give consumers credit for their old video games.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the new kiosk machines will debut in stores in Dallas and Austin stores this week.

The kiosks scan used games and then immediately pop out a voucher for a Best Buy gift card that you can use to buy anything in the store.

The Best Buy program is similar to those launched by Amazon.com and Wal-Mart earlier this year. Although with the Wal-Mart kiosks and Amazon.com programs you have to wait a few days to get the credit for your games.

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How many trips do you make to the grocery store each week?

I always try to go just once to load up for the week. However, I do a lot of cooking and baking so inevitably I forget something and have to make another run.

According to Kiplinger, "almost half of all shoppers go to the store three or four times per week."

But here's what I found so interesting, "shoppers making a quick trip to the store usually purchase 54 percent more than they planned."

Guess there is something about making a grocery list. In case you need help making that list, check out this site.

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This week you'll find a terrific site filled with free fun things to do all across the country, a fundraiser that can help cancer patients enjoy free yoga classes and more amazing food and travel deals. Enjoy!

Freebies
• Family Fun-- I just came across this terrific site that will help you find all kinds of free things to do no matter where you live or where you plan to vacation this summer. It's called free attractions.com. All you have to do is click on your state and up pops the list. You can sort it by city from there. Click on each link and find the deals. This gives you no excuse to enjoy the summer on a budget.

• Yoga--Cancer survivors get to experience yoga classes and mini-workshops for free this Saturday. It's all part of a fundraiser for YogaBear. The non-profit pairs cancer patients with yoga studios and helps pay for classes to help them heal. This is also a terrific opportunity for healthy folks to give back and help someone else in need. Pay $25 and you can attend the Yogapalooza event this Saturday as well. It takes place at Lifetime Fitness South from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can learn more by watching my story Thursday at 6 p.m.

Minor League Baseball Deal
Through September 1st Kraft is offering a buy one ticket get one free minor league baseball deal. All you have to do is bring a Kraft singles wrapper to the box office and you get a buy one get one free ticket for games on Tuesdays all summer long. There are dozens of Minor League teams involved, including the Round Rock Express.

Food Deals

• Ben & Jerry's is offering a buy one get one free sundae deal on Monday's through August 31st. All you have to do is mention the deal when you order. You can go here to find a store near you. There is only one Ben & Jerry's shop left in Austin. It's located in West Lake Hills.

• Sign up to be a "Do Something" member at Baskin Robbins and get a coupon for a free soft serve ice cream cone. You'll have a short four day window to use the coupon (July 14th through the 17th) and you do have to sign up to receive e-mails so they can send you the coupon.

• Restaurant.com ups the ante again this week by offering 80 percent off gift certificates. All you have to do is use the code word DISH and instead of paying $10 for the $25 gift certificates, you pay just $2. Hurry though, the savings are only good through Thursday, June 25th.

• Texas Land & Cattle restaurant has started offering deals using Twitter. Thanks to Andrew who told me about this. Recently the restaurant announced that "between 4 and 6 one day you tell the bartender "ride 'em cowboy" and you could get a free appetizer." Here's the twitter page link: www.twitter.com/txlcmopac.

Travel Deals
• United Airlines is offering to double your miles all summer long. You've got to be a mileage plus member to take advantage of the deals.

• Southwest Airlines is having a click and save sale. It's a three day sale, which means you have until June 25th to book your flight, but you can travel through August 15th. Tickets are as cheap as $49 one way. A flight from Austin to Las Vegas is $114 one way.

• And if you want to go to Vegas check out the deal the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino is offering. Book at least 30 days in advance and you can save up to 20 percent on a room--in some cases that makes the rooms as little as $42 a night. Give yourself even more time than that and you can get two free spa admissions and a $20 spa credit.

• Continental Airlines is also offering airfare to the Caribbean for as little as $105 one way and $79 one way to Las Vegas. Unfortunately most of the deals leaving Houston are for destinations in Texas and Louisiana.

• AirTran is also having a pretty good sale. You've got to book by June 30th and obviously the flights are out of San Antonio.

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Black & Decker is recalling more than a half million coffee makers today because they may pose a burn hazard.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the brew basket on the Black & Decker brand Spacemaker Coffeemakers can shift out of alignment causing the hot water to overflow. There have been 235 reports of this happening.

Ten people have suffered second degree burns.

Look for these model numbers on the back of the coffee maker:
ODC440, ODC440B, ODC450 and ODC460.

Major retailers like K-Mart, Kohl's, Target, Wal-Mart, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Amazon.com all sold the coffeemakers from March 2006 through March 2009.

You should stop using the coffeemakers and call 1-866-668-4442 to get a free replacement brew basket or visit the company's website.

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The federal government had hoped offering new home buyers an $8,000 tax credit would encourage first time home buyers to jump into the housing market. Now some lawmakers want to extend those benefits.

The credit has already gone through a series of changes. First time home buyers can now use the $8,000 as a down payment and not just as a credit on their taxes. The deal is good through December 1st.

Two Texas Representatives Kenny Marchant (R) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D) have proposed extending the $8,000 credit to all home buyers through 2010. Marchant also wants to provide a $3,000 credit to homeowners that refinance.

There's another proposal that would raise the credit to $15,000 for anyone who buys a home.

You can learn more about the current rules for the home purchase tax credit here.

Some lawmakers say extended these benefits may be the only way to stimulate the housing market, which is essential to boosting the economy. What do you think?

Does it concern you to see all of these incentives for cars and houses?

Share your thoughts.

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If a hotel were to randomly give you a free massage at their spa or offer to give you free room service, would it make you more likely to book another stay at that chain? The Hyatt is hoping so.

According to an article in the New York Times, the CEO has begun a program he calls "random acts of generosity". The idea is to leave customers happy, but more importantly grateful by randomly choosing customers to surprise with freebies.

Think it won't work? Consider this study done years ago.

"Participants waiting for an experiment to begin were treated in one of two ways: Some were unexpectedly given a soft drink by an assistant posing as another participant, and others were not," according to the New York Times. "This seemed like an act of pure generosity on the part of a fellow participant, but it was actually part of the experiment. When the same assistant later asked subjects to buy raffle tickets, those who had been given a soda were far more likely to do so -- and on average bought twice as many tickets as those who didn't get a soda."

Studies show we feel pleasure when reciprocating out of gratitude and even guilt when we don't.

So now that you know about Hyatt's new program, what happens if you don't get offered any freebies? Does it make you less likely to want to stay there?

Add your comments below.

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There may be some good news for people looking to buy a new car. Yesterday the Senate passed a watered down version of the cash for clunkers program that will give rebates to new car buyers who turn in older, less fuel efficient cars.

It's tucked into a military spending bill and since the House already passed a version it now awaits the President's signature.

The hope is offering $3,500 or $4,500 dollar cash vouchers will help spur the car sales.

How will it work?
If this passes here's how it will work:
• You must trade in your old car. You must have had your car for at least a year, and that car must get 18 or fewer miles per gallon.
• You'll have to buy a new car priced at $45,000 or less. It must be rated at least 4 miles per gallon better than the old one (gets a $3,500 voucher). If the new car gets 10 miles to the gallon or better you'll get the full $4,500.

(You can find the mileage ratings for cars dating back to 1985 here.

You can find all kinds of information on this on this website.

The hope is that it will trigger the sale of 250,000 cars and trucks. It could take effect as early as August and is scheduled to expire in October.

Concerns
If what happened in Europe is any indication this incentive will work. According to the New York Times, Germany's car sales have increased 40 percent since it started a similar incentive program.

However, now the concern there is what happens when the incentive disappears? Car dealers worry they won't be able to lure buyers after the incentives end later this year.

Some say that's partly what happened when car dealers here offered zero percent financing and then stopped. People really slowed down on buying cars.

How does the European plan compare
The European plan is less restrictive than the one that could take effect here. "Under Berlin's rules, eligible cars just have to be at least nine years old. Drivers get 2,500 euros ($3,462) for a new car, regardless of its size or fuel efficiency," the New York Times said.

When it was introduced Berlin had budgeted 1.5 billion euros in hopes of getting 600,000 older cars off the roads. The budget has since increased to 5 billion euros and two million cars and the deadline was extended.

What do you think? Would this get you to consider buying a new car?

Add your thoughts below.

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After our story the other night at ten about local companies looking to hire I received an e-mail from Travis County. It turns out the Travis County Sheriff's Office and the Travis County Human Resources Management Department are co-hosting a community Job Fair at the Travis County Expo Center next Wednesday, June 24th.

Here's the best news. According to organizers there are more than 60 employers with current job openings that will be there. The list includes places like FedEx, Scott & White, the Texas School for the Deaf, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the University of Texas at Austin Police Department.

The job fair runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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This week you'll find deals to help spoil dad, a cheap family vacation and some freebies. Remember I'm always looking for deals, so if you've got a deal you'd like to share send me an e-mail.

Father's Day Deals
• Restaurant.com is offering a special Father's Day discount. Use the code "DAD" and save 60 percent on all gift certificates. They usually sell $25 gift certificates for $10 but with this savings you'll pay just $4. The deal is valid through Father's Day, June 21st. Remember restaurants may require you to spend a certain amount and may not let you use the gift certificates on drinks or appetizers--so read the fine print.

• The National Park Service is offering free weekends to 100 different parks that normally charge a fee and the savings start this weekend. You can also find some great deals with the places that are partnering up with the park service--everything from free houseboat rides to food and beverage deals.

• Live Nation is once again dropping service fees on hundreds of concert tickets again today. If you missed this deal the past two weeks, the company has been doing this to try to boost ticket sales.

Food Deals
• Texas Land & Cattle Steakhouse is offering a special Father's Day deal. Bring dad into the restaurant anytime this weekend from June 19th through the 21st and all dad's will receive a certificate for a free entrée to use on another visit between June 22nd and July 26th.

• Borders is offering a free cup of Seattle's Best Coffee free. You've got to click on the link above and print out a coupon and use it by this Thursday, June 18th.

Free iPod Touch
School may have just let out for summer, but Apple is already sporting a pretty great back to school deal. Students and teachers can get a free iPod Touch when they buy any Mac computer. You have until September 8th to secure the deal and you have to buy both items at the same time. The store then gives you a $229 rebate which makes the iPod Touch free. You can submit the rebate on Apple's website.

Free Music Downloads
Nylon Magazine is offering 22 free music downloads for artists featured in the magazine. They call it their free summer playlist. You have until August 21st to download the music.

Travel Deals
• Southwest Airlines is having a sale through June 18th. You'll find fares from Austin as low as $89 one way to places like Tampa Bay.

• Find more great airfare deals on Airfare Watchdog.com. Lots of deals here this week for travel for less than $200 round trip from Austin to places across the country.

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Today the Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to stop using three popular over-the-counter cold remedies. The problem is that the government has more than 130 reports from people who have reportedly lost their sense of smell.

The warning includes the following products:
• Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel
• Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs
• Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size (a discontinued product)

Some people say they lose their sense of smell after the first dose, others report it after multiple uses.

"Loss of sense of smell is a serious risk for people who use these products for relief from cold symptoms," said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). "We are concerned that consumers may unknowingly use a product that could cause serious harm, and therefore we are advising them not to use these products for any reason."

Why no Recall?
So after seeing this earlier in the day I decided to ask the FDA why the agency doesn't recall the product? According to a spokesperson there the FDA does not have the authority to mandate a recall of any product "except in limited cases with medical devices." Recalls are voluntary actions performed by companies individually.

The FDA has issued Matrixx Initiatives, maker of these Zicam products, a warning letter telling it that these products cannot be marketed without FDA approval.

"Companies have an obligation to the public to demonstrate to the FDA that their products are safe, particularly when there is evidence they may be causing serious adverse events, and they are marketed for minor, self-limiting conditions like the common cold," said Deborah M. Autor, director of CDER's Office of Compliance.

Matrixx said today on the company's website that it believes these products are safe. However, "based on the FDA's action, the company has suspended shipments of these products and will reimburse any customer desiring a refund," the company said.

Back in 2006, Matrixx settled a class action with hundreds of people who complained of similar symptoms when they took the Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Spray.

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Just last week Forbes rated Austin the Best City for Recession Recovery.

Grasshopper is a company that helps entrepreneurs start and grow their small businesses. It's a way for a small company to sound big because they provide the phone service so you can get calls sent to your cell or get calls answered by someone professionally.

The company works with hundreds of entrepreneurs here in Austin and Jonathan Kay recently sent me a few of the companies here in Austin looking to hire people right now. So here's the list:

• Green Footprint Solutions started last year as a way to help people make their homes more energy efficient. Little did they know a new Austin city ordinance which took effect at the beginning of the month would require all home sellers to get a home energy audit. According to Kay, "The company recently hired a BPI Energy Auditor - Straight out of school. They also hired a general laborer and are currently recruiting for sales and solar panel installers."

• The Limit Order is an investment web site based in Austin. The company has a partner company called Juno Trade which is a new iPhone App that allows iPhone users to have stock market access and capabilities. According to Kay, "The owner/CEO hired a Software Developer three months ago and is currently in search of two more."

• Cool Hut is another Austin based company that developed a really cool all-in-one backpack that contains your cooler, your shade, your lounge chairs, your ground cloth and your music. Kay said, "The owner/CEO recently hired a Commissioned Sales person for his Austin Office and is looking to hire more Commissioned Sales Reps for select national locations as well as another one for Austin."

If you know of a company looking to hire let us know.

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Part of the President's stimulus plan is having the opposite effect for some families eligible for unemployment.

According to the Associated Press some families are finding that the $25 bump in their unemployment check, means they no longer qualify for hundreds of dollars a month in food stamps.

The problem? The recovery plan raised the unemployment benefits but did not raise the income cap for food stamp eligibility. As a result, the extra money is pushing some people over the limit and they can't avoid it.

Government officials believe only a small fraction of the 6.8 million people on unemployment are affected. Many more people will benefit from a stimulus law that expanded unemployment and food stamp benefits.

"We've gotten some questions about this. Not tons and tons, but we have been getting questions about this," said Jean Daniel, a spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture, which oversees the food stamp program now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

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This is one of the most unusual recalls I've seen. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is re-announcing the recall of 162,000 Blair women's full length Chenille Robes because six people have died due to their robes catching fire.

Five of the six victims were women who were cooking at the time. Three of the victims were in their 80s.

These robes were originally recalled in April after Blair learned of three robes catching on fire, including one report of second-degree burns.

Look for these numbers on the label inside the robe's neckline: 3093111, 3093112, 3093113, 3093114, 3093115, and 3093116. The robe is a one-piece garment made of plush sculpted chenille, a shaped stand collar, and horizontal chenille front and back yolks and cuffs. The robe has a full-button front with seven matching button closures, long sleeves with self cuffs, a straight bottom with self hem, and two side seam pockets. The robe's sewn in label states: "100% Cotton, RN 81700, Made in Pakistan".

The robes were sold in Blair catalogs and Web site, and Blair stores in Warren, Pa., Grove City, Pa., and Wilmington, Del., from January 2003 through March 2009 from about $20 to $40.

You can get a refund or $50 gift card when you return the robe. To do that call the company at (877) 392-7095 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, visit the firm's Web site or contact the firm by e-mail at blairproductrecall@blair.com.

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Seven of the country's largest, most financially troubled companies will now have the government overseeing their executive pay.

Wednesday, the Treasury Department appointed Washington lawyer Kenneth Feinberg to oversee the compensation for American International Group, Citigroup, Bank of America, General Motors, Chrysler and the financing arms of the two automakers. He will oversee the compensation of the five most senior executives and the 20 most highly paid employees.

The ten banks that received government approval to pay back the TARP money earlier this week are off the hook.

So some argue this move doesn't go far enough to limit executive compensation. What do you think?

Should the government be limiting executive pay? Or should it still be up to companies, even if they run into financial trouble?

Share your thoughts below.

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This week we're going to continue to help you have fun for less this summer. Remember I'm always looking for suggestions and ideas, so if you know of local businesses offering deals worth mentioning send me an e-mail.

Free Family Fun
• This summer AMF is offering free bowling for your kids all summer long. There is a bit of a catch. You have to register your e-mail so they can e-mail you the coupons. Once you register you will also have an opportunity to buy a family pass for $23.95.

There are bowling centers across the country offering this deal. To find one near you go here.

• Apple is offering free summer camps for kids at their Apple Stores. The Apple Camp happens across the country. Unfortunately most of the Texas locations, including the two in Austin, are booked. However several others across the country still have openings (when I wrote this there were several openings in Charlotte). The offerings are really amazing. Your child can learn how to make movies, music or do fun things with their photos. You must sign up before June 20th.

Concert Deals
Live Nation tried this last week and it was so successful (ticket sales rose 500 percent) they've decided to continue it. So here's the deal--again today Live Nation is offering "No Service Fee" Wednesday. That means you pay no service fees when you purchase concert tickets today. Here's a list of all the venues where you will not pay service fees for 24 hours. It includes artists like Coldplay, Brad Paisley, Jason Mraz and Nickelback. But hurry the deal ends at the end of the day Wednesday.

Food Deals
Restaurant.com is once again offering 80 percent off its gift certificates. All you have to do is use the code "PRESENT" and instead of paying $10 for the $25 gift certificates, you'll pay just $2. This is a great way to try to some new restaurants or to save some money while you're on vacation. There are restaurants listed for cities across the country. Just remember you may not be able to include drinks in your total, sometimes weekends are excluded and you may be required to spend a certain amount of money in order to use the gift certificate--so read the fine print.

Father's Day Deals
Shutterfly is offering up to 50 percent off picture gifts for dad. You can save 20 percent on the popular photobooks. The sale ends today.

Freebie
Burt's Bees is celebrating 25 years of being in business by giving away a thousand lip balms everyday through June 20th. All you have to do is go the web site. The catch is the company varies the time of the give away. It can start each day any time between 9 a.m. and noon, so you have to check back often.

Travel Deals
• Southwest Airlines is pushing a summer vacation promotion with some fares as low as $49 one way.

The company is also offering a pretty good deal on Disney World Vacations. You can save up to 39 percent on a Disney Resort Hotel and check out the Southwest Friends Fly free Promotion. You've got to book by June 21st.

• Airfare watchdog.com has some amazing airfare deals right now. You can fly roundtrip to New York from San Antonio for as little as $158 round trip. If you don't have this site bookmarked-- you should. Especially if you have plans to take any last minute trips. You'll always find some amazing last minute deals.

• AirTran is also offering some fares for as low as $39 one way. You've got to book by June 11th.

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I know how passionate people are about helping out local businesses. Our website has a great new way for you to get involved.

It's called Link Town. You'll find it on the left hand side of most of the pages on KVUE.com.

Visit this site and leave comments about a restaurant, mechanic, jewelry store, doctor, pet groomer-- pretty much any business you can imagine. There are 45 different categories listed.

It's the same kind of concept behind sites like Angie's List or Service Magic. The feedback is what makes sites like these so valuable.

Link Town is a new tool, so you won't find many comments yet, but this is a great way to help out your fellow Austinites. And if you get a chance, let me know what you think about the tool.

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As many of you know, my stories were the first to investigate lead in children's toys back in 2004.

Friday the Consumer Product Safety Commission levied one of the biggest fines in history against some of this countries biggest toy makers. Mattel and its wholly owned subsidiary Fisher-Price agreed to pay $2.3 million dollars for violating the federal lead paint ban.

In 1978, a federal ban was put in place which prohibited toys and other children's articles from having more than 0.06 percent lead (by weight) in paints or surface coatings. In 2007, about 95 Mattel and Fisher-Price toy models were determined to have exceeded this limit. Lead can be toxic if ingested by young children and can cause serious health problems if ingested. That can happen when children mouth toys or handle toys and then put their hands in their mouth.

The penalty is the highest for violations involving importation or distribution of a regulated product and is the third highest in CPSC history.

According to the CPSC the fine settles these allegations:
Mattel imported up to 900,000 non-compliant toys between September 2006 and August 2007, including the "Sarge" toy car and numerous Barbie accessory toys, and distributed most of them to its retail customers for sale to U.S. consumers. The "Sarge" car was recalled in August 2007 and the Barbie toys were recalled in September 2007.

Fisher-Price imported up to 1.1 million non-compliant toys between July 2006 and August 2007, including certain licensed character toys and the Bongo Band, GEOTRAX locomotive, and Go Diego Go Rescue Boat toys. Most of these toys were distributed to retail stores for sale to consumers. The licensed character toys were recalled in August 2007, the Bongo Band and GEO TRAX toys were recalled in September 2007, and the Go Diego Go Boat toys were recalled in October 2007.

"These highly publicized toy recalls helped spur Congressional action last year to strengthen CPSC and make even stricter the ban on lead paint on toys," said CPSC Acting Chairman Thomas Moore. "This penalty should serve notice to toy makers that CPSC is committed to the safety of children, to reducing their exposure to lead, and to the implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act."

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First-time homebuyers can now use the $8,000 tax credit created by the stimulus package toward the down payment of a house or closing costs. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or HUD announced the change Friday.

Some cities were complaining that the $8,000 tax credit was not getting people to buy. That's because some of those people still need help coming up with a down payment. Even with this change people will still be required to come up with the 3.5 percent down payment for an FHA loan.

We believe this is a real win for everyone," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "Today, the Obama Administration is taking another important step toward accelerating the recovery of the nation's housing market. Families will now be able to apply their anticipated tax credit toward their home purchase right away. At the same time we are putting safeguards in place to ensure that consumers will be protected from unscrupulous lenders. What we're doing today will not only help these families to purchase their first home but will present an enormous benefit for communities struggling to deal with an oversupply of housing."

Get Help
You can go here to learn more about all of the housing help programs the government has put in place.

You can find information on how to avoid foreclosure here.

And here's a site listing all the government owned properties across the country that are currently for sale.

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In the past few years there have been a series of high-profile recalls involving lettuce, spinach, peanut butter and pistachios. Congress continues to hear testimony about why it should make major changes to improve food safety.

Yesterday lawmakers heard testimony from groups that are urging Congress to pass the Food Safety Enhancement Act. Among the changes proposed more frequent inspections of food processing facilities.

I found this pretty shocking --right now the FDA inspects food factories about once every ten years. If passed this Act would require inspections for high-risk facilities every six to 18 months and all facilities, including warehouses every four years. The government would collect a $1,000 per facility fee to pay for the inspections.

"I understand that fees represent a burden on companies ... but I do think that fee is an investment in a robust and effective food safety system," Dr. Margaret Hamburg newly appointed commissioner of the agency told a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee.
"It's a very important component of any food safety plan that Congress would enact," she said.

What do you think? How often do you think plants should be inspected? What other things would you like to see included to make food safer?

Add your comments below.

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This week you'll find deals on all kinds of summer fun including free movie dates for you and your family and free doughnuts. Remember I'm always looking for deals to share, so if you see something worth taking advantage of send me an e-mail.

Movie Deals
• Free Movies. Each summer Regal Cinemas hosts a Free Family Fun Festival. Starting this month each Tuesday and Wednesday you'll find all kinds of rated G and PG movies that you and your family can get into FREE. This happens at theaters across the country.

Here in Texas the free movies start next Tuesday, June 9th. You won't find the latest summer hits playing free, but still a good selection and they run all summer. Tickets are first come first serve and you have to pick up the tickets that morning at the box office.

• Movie Savings. AMC Theaters are also having a few summer specials. Monday through Thursday you can get unlimited coke and popcorn for just $5. You can also take advantage of special summer blockbuster values when you become a Movie Watcher member. You can receive free tickets or concessions with points you earn. They also offer special deals for people with this card. For example, right now anyone who's a member can save $3 on a number two combo.

Food Deals

• Sonic wants to help you kick off the summer with FREE rootbeer floats. You can take advantage of the deals from 8p.m. to midnight tonight. You can find a Sonic near you here. Thanks to Clara for telling me about this deal!

• Free Doughnuts. On Friday, June 5th Krispy Kreme's across the country are celebrating National Doughnut Day by giving away free doughnuts. Everyone who comes into the stores will get one free doughnut. Talk about a sweet deal! To find a store near you go here.

• Free Ice Coffee. Today, June 3rd Au Bon Pain is giving away free iced coffees. You don't need a coupon, just show up after 2pm. To find a location near you go here.

Fashion Deals
If you like designer labels but can't afford the price check out these sites:
• Wear Today Gone Tomorrow-designer clothing that you rent and return.

• The Outnet.com-designer items at 50 to 80 percent off.

• Swap Style-swap clothing with other people.

• Rehash Clothes-another place to swap clothing, purses and books. The idea here is to reuse as a way of going green.

Fitness Deal
Buy a 20 class pass and Yoga Yoga will give you August classes FREE. You'll find locations all across Austin.

Entertainment Coupon Book
If you reserve your 2010 Entertainment coupon book you can get the 2009 book FREE.

Travel Deals
• Tyler shared this one with me and it's incredible. Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is offering rooms for $99 a night, but here's the best part that price includes unlimited food at the Beach Bar and Grill.

• Once again Southwest Airlines is advertising fares as low as $49 one way depending on where you are heading. You got to purchase by June 18th but can travel through October 28th.

• Airtran is advertising fares as low as $39. The cheapest one-way fare out of San Antonio was $59 one way to West Palm Beach, Florida. You've got to book by June 4th but can travel all the way through October 20th.

• Continental Airlines is advertising specials to Mexico and Canada. Some of the Canadian fares are as low as $72 one way. Airfare to Mexico is going for as little as $200 roundtrip.

• And be sure to check out Airfare Watchdog. The latest unadvertised airfares include a roundtrip flight to San Diego from Austin for $172.

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Weather gets the blame for so many things. (We like to remind Mark of that frequently.) It turns out you may be able to blame it for your shopping behavior.

A few years ago a study found 64% of people spend more time shopping during extreme heat or cold. That extreme weather also makes 46% of shoppers spend more money.

The survey was conducted by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association--a trade association for the companies that send people in to evaluate retailers and restaurants on service and quality.

The survey of more than a thousand shoppers found people tend to prefer shopping in the heat as opposed to the cold. According to the study "27% of shoppers said sales associates seemed to be slow to greet them and more than 24% said store cleanliness was poor during cold or rainy days."

On sunny days, "Shoppers found store cleanliness to be poor only 7.8 percent of the time and sales associates were slow to greet them only 12.8 percent of the time."

What do you think? Does hot weather make you more likely to spend? Add your thoughts below.

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According to the Wall Street Journal, "About three million Americans need nursing-home care at some point each year."

My family agonized over this decision with my own grandmother. I wish we'd had this tool created by the federal government.

It turns out the federal government is working to improve the quality of nursing home care and in December created this website to help you find information about facilities across the country.

You can break down the information by city, by zip code or state. And each of the criteria is given one to five stars. The most troubled facilities will be designated as "Special Focus Facilities".

Keep in mind the information is data the nursing homes report to regulators. So it is important to check with your own state as well. For those of you living in Texas you should take a look at the Department of Aging and Disability Services or DADS.

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