MARTIN SLOANE | Supermarket Shopper Offers will help with holidays
Early in the fall I remind my regular readers and tell new readers how they can fill their holiday gift list without crying the bank-account blues in January. The secret to this money-saving strategy is to send for low cost or no-cost manufacturer grocery product premium offers.
Manufacturers offer a wide variety of premium offer merchandise, and you should be able to find the right gift for just about everyone on your list. A recent walk through the supermarket aisles produced these offers:
UUsing the mail-in forms you will find on specially marked packages of Cheerios, you can receive two different computer CD-ROM car racing games. Each CD provides a choice of getting behind the virtual steering wheel of 18 vehicles at 30 different racetracks. The CDs are free in return for two UPCs and $1.25 for postage and handling. The cost of similar racing CD games is about $20, considerably more than the cost of the Cheerios.
UIs there a child or an adult in your family who would enjoy receiving a Bart Simpson Action Watch? You will find the free watch offer is on specially marked packages of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Mini-Wheats, Crispix, Corn Pops and Raisin Bran Crunch. Specially marked packages of Brach's fruit snacks have an offer for free Hot Wheels Collector Cars. There are two different cars, and each is available for two UPCs and $1.50 for postage and handling.
UIf you check the grocery shelves for merchandise offers, you will occasionally find the gift merchandise right inside the package. In many supermarkets you can now find specially marked packages of Kellogg's Mickey Magic cereal with "Mickey's Music" CD inside. Inside packages of Kellogg's Disney Honey B's cereal is a "Pooh Music" CD. Specially marked packages of Cheerios and five other General Mills cereals contain three different family DVDs from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment: "The Muppets Take Manhattan," "Buddy Bear in the Big Blue House" and "Jackie Chan Adventures." You will appreciate these in-package premiums because there is nothing to send for, and this becomes more important as the holidays approach.
UTo prove that worthwhile cereal premiums are not just for children, General Mills is now offering supermarkets a promotional 2-pack of Oatmeal Crisp Raisin and Basic 4 bound together in a plastic wrapping. Inside you will find a free audiobook CD, Stephen Covey's bestseller "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." But, the offer is not limited to this promotional package. Starting this month specially marked packages of these cereals as well as Chex cereals, other Oatmeal Crisp varieties and Raisin Nut Bran, will contain a free mail-in offer for other audiobook CDs published by Simon & amp; Schuster. They include: "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson; "A Beautiful Mind" by Sylvia Nasar; "The Millionaire Next Door" by Thomas Stanley and William Danko; "First Things First" by Stephen Covey; and finally, an audiobook I intend to send for, "Cronkite Remembers" by Walter Cronkite. The mail-in offer requires two qualifying UPC codes and $1.35 for shipping and handling. The selected audiobook CDs have a suggested retail value of up to $30 and are the same full versions you can find at retailers.
UYou can also find premium offers to use for holiday gifts on the Internet at manufacturer and brand Web sites. Dole has been offering a closeout on the cute Bobby Banana plush doll combined with a music CD with the Banana Shuffle dance. Quite a deal for just $4.99 including shipping and handling. While supplies last you can find this offer in the promotion section of www.dole.com.
Please note that if you intend to use premium offer merchandise for holiday gifts, you should start sending for these merchandise offers, now! If you consider that it will probably take six to eight weeks to receive them, they will likely be delivered in early in December! Don't cut it too close. Start right now and save a bundle on your holiday gifts!
United Feature Syndicate