More options for online grocery shopping, 12 Veterans Day freebies

I was in Cracker Barrel the other night, and seeing the old fashion candy display brought me back to the five and dime store where my mother did her shopping.

My special treat was getting a small paper bag and filling it with all different candies for about $1. When I went to check out, the cashier would greet me, sometimes by name. They would have a little bit of everything on the shelves, from fresh local produce to every nut and bolt you would ever need.

So what happened to those stores?

As the population grew in our little town, so did the grocery store and drug stores. Next thing we knew, the mall appeared, and it changed the dynamic of shopping forever. This also changed the way we couponed. My mother had her little envelope full of coupons, and many of them never expired. Now, most coupons have an expiration date of two weeks. It also seems that many stores are getting away from the paper coupons and going toward digital and online sources. This means having that smartphone will get you extra bonuses.

Right now, if you download Fresh Thyme’s app, you get a free product coupon. Download the CVS app, then link your Extracare card and you will receive a $5 extrabuck reward.

The next new trend is curbside shopping, allowing you to pick up your groceries without even leaving your car. Kroger’s service is called ClickList. All you do is place your order online, pick a timeframe when you are going to be arriving, pull into designated pickup area then use the call box to tell them you have arrived. There is a fee of $4.95 for the service but the first three orders are free.

CVS is now getting on board. They have a service called Express Curbside Pickup. Just place an order online, they will text you when your order is ready, then drive over, the app will let the store know when you are nearby, and just park in curbside pickup spot for delivery. In October, CVS had a promotional code, CVSCURBNOW, to receive $10 off a $20 purchase. So register your card and wait for a new promotional code.

Walmart Grocery is Walmart’s pickup service, which is free (with a couple of exceptions). Just go online, order your food, pick a delivery time, put in payment and call the store 10 minutes before you arrive for faster service. Every Walmart has a different amount that you need to purchase to use this service — so a pack of gum isn’t going to cut it. When you place your order, it will tell you what amount you need, because different times are different amounts.

All of these services do have you put in a credit card, but when you pick up, you can use your coupons and Extracare bucks which will adjust the total. Walmart already has stopped price matching in 500 of their stores, so price matching will not be an issue at checkout.

Fru-gal deals

▪  Right now, you can send a friend a free Noosa Yoghurt coupon. To send one, you’ll need to enter your friend’s email address and send an e-card. Your friend will get an e-mail with a link included to request their free product coupon. Be sure to tell your friend to send you one back. Keep in mind that this will subscribe you to their newsletter, but you can unsubscribe at any time. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. noosayoghurt.com/best-mates/send-a-noosa.

▪  Purchase $30 of participating P&G products and receive a $10 Visa Prepaid Card by mail. It looks like the only participating stores are Kens Market in Paris or Cynthiana. pgturkeypocalypse.com/stores/11359/promotions

▪  Get a movie ticket from Fandango when you buy $25 or more of Gillette Shave Products in one purchase at Kroger. Expires December 20, 2016. tickets.fandango.com/promo/gillettekroger.

▪  Text MOBILE to 23705 on your cell phone to receive a coupon good for $10 off your purchase (no minimum) at Lane Bryant. It’s a limited time offer.

▪  The Mini Maker Faire is at Barnes and Noble at 11 a.m. Saturday. Experience the latest in virtual reality, augmented reality, 3D printing, robotics, coding and programming with demonstrations from Air Hogs Connect, Bloxels and more. The session will last one hour. stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2953.

▪  Sign the kids up to build a Veterans Day Toy Helicopter at Home Depot from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Thd.co/2eY31xl.

▪  Children from ages 8-13 can learn how to help in the kitchen on Thanksgiving at Williams-Sonoma. At 10 a.m. Saturday, young chefs can learn how to cook yummy side dishes and how to roast their Thanksgiving turkey. Bit.ly/1nYlSKE.

▪  In observance of National Sandwich Day at Subway, Thursday, buy any sub and drink and you will get a free sub, plus Subway will donate a meal to Feeding America.

Veterans Day freebies

There are numerous freebies for the Veterans on Nov. 11. Always check your local business to confirm participation plus call for what ID’s they are requiring you to have for deal.

▪  Applebee’s is giving free meal to Veterans.

▪  IHOP will be honoring veterans and active military men and women with a free stack of Red, White, and Blue pancakes. Individuals must show proof of their service before receiving this offer, such as coming in their uniform, showing a photo of them in their uniform, or showing a military ID card.

▪  From 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 14, Golden Corral will be giving out free meals and a beverage to any person who has ever served in the U.S. military or is on active duty. This includes retirees, veterans, National Guard or Reserves.

▪  Active duty military, reserve, and military veterans can stop by Red Lobster and get a free appetizer or dessert on Nov. 10 and 11.

▪  Stop into any Outback Steakhouse on Nov. 11 to get a free Bloomin’ Onion and beverage. This offer is for all military personnel that have military ID.

▪  Veterans and active duty military can stop into any participating Red Robin location on Nov. 11 to get a free Red’s Tavern Double burger and Bottomless Fries.

▪  Olive Garden is having a Veterans Day free meal for all active-duty military and military veterans on Nov. 11.

▪  On Veterans Day, Cracker Barrel is giving veterans a Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake dessert free. Also, through Nov. 11, Cracker Barrel is donating 10 percent of rocking chair sales to Operation Homefront, which offers financial and material support to families of service members and wounded veterans.

▪  Veterans and active military personnel can stop into any Bob Evans location and receive free breakfast on Nov. 11.

▪  Bar Louie is giving away free Veterans Day meals on Nov. 11, to veterans and active duty military members.

▪  All day on Nov. 11, MOD Pizza is giving out free pizza or salad to veterans and active military members.

▪  Any eligible customer who comes into Texas Roadhouse on Nov. 11, will get a free lunch in honor of Veterans Day.

▪  On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, help the homemakers at the Fayette County Extension Office at 1140 Red Mile Place in Lexington by bringing donations for packages sent to the soldiers from Military Mission. Items needed include puzzles, coffee, tea bags, hot cocoa mix, crystal light packets, hard candy, chewing gun, baby wipes, foot powder and more. Check out Military-missions.org for a list.

This story was originally published November 2, 2016 at 2:27 PM with the headline "More options for online grocery shopping, 12 Veterans Day freebies."