Iams is offering to send you a $5 coupon on its new Healthy Naturals pet food. Click here to go to the Web site... fill out the form and click the button at the bottom of the page.

Through today only, Walgreens is offering 33 percent off all photo calendar orders when you use the code EARLYBIRD during the online checkout process. Could make a nice gift, for those of you who plan ahead for the holidays... 

I was fascinated by this Cheapskate column by Wall Street Journal writer Neal Templin. In it, he discusses "The Costco effect," when people consume more of product X simply because they bought a four-pound bag of it. Or, perhaps worse, they buy the four-pound bag, get tired of eating X half-way through and wind up throwing the rest of it away.

Templin asks whether warehouse stores really save us money if we end up throwing away items we buy. My own personal theory on the topic is that warehouse clubs DO save money if you are a careful shopper. There are things I do not buy at Costco because I don't want a two-pound tub of sour cream. But there are things I always buy there because I believe buying there saves me money (Cape Cod potato chips, half and half and Kashi granola bars, for instance). The trick is being careful with all those impulse buys. If you really aren't sure whether you can eat a three-pound tub of crab dip, perhaps it would be best to wait until you have company over to try it...

I know you all have thoughts on this topic! Go on and share them... 

Well, this morning we had a wonderful four coupon inserts, and there were also a few coupons in the Parade Magazine today. In all, it was 155 new coupons!

They have all been added to the coupon database. As always, if you'd like to have the database in an Excel spreadsheet, you can download it below.

Remember also that on weeks when there is more than one Smart Source insert like this week, there's a second page in the database called "Insert key" that tells you which inserts I've deemed SS1, SS2 and SS3. You can look at that page by clicking the link that says "Inser Key" at the top of the database.

Happy clipping, everyone!

I heard  read this week that KFC and Taco Bell are going to start posting the calorie counts for items on the menu boards in their restaurants. The initiative will start this year and take through 2011 to complete. But I'm still not sure about it. I applaud the effort, but I'm still not sure I really want to know that my Original Recipe Chicken Sandwich has 450 calories and 27 grams of fat...

Believe it or not, the hood of the truck in this picture is not open. It is closed.

But the entire truck has been covered in life-size decals that show off the inner workings and interior features of this Toyota Tundra truck. It's the latest marketing gimmick from the guys at Fred Anderson Toyota, and it may drive by you one day soon. Just think of it as a very mobile billboard...

If you'd like to see more photos, check out the Web site of See Through Concepts, the company that did the decals.

Coming soon to a vending machine near you... caffeine! But unlike a can of Coke or a cup of coffee, this caffeine is chewable.

A company called Vroom Foods is placing its Buzz Bites Chocolate Energy Chews and Foosh Energy Mints in vending machines nationwide, including a few dozen spots in the Triangle. Each chew or mint contains 100 mg of caffeine, about 1.25 times the amount of caffeine found in the typical energy drink. Keep an eye out for them if you need a boost...

Here's another compelling reason to leave everything but your debit card at home when you head to the grocery store. The new issue of Shop Smart magazine reports that people who play with credit spend $10.53 on average more than people who pay cash.

$10.53 x 52 weeks is $547.56.

Sorry for the late notice on this one, but I just found out...

Today, if you bring a gently used clothing item to any SteinMart store, you will receive a coupon for 20 percent of any one item. Bring as many items as you want, but the limit on the coupons is four per customer. The donated clothes will go to the Salvation Army, and you get an extra discount. Seems like a good deal to me! 

The merchants of Cary's Stone Creek Village shopping center are planning Village Family Day tomorrow, Oct. 4, from noon until 6 p.m. The center is located at High House Road and Davis Drive. The event will feature live music, art demonstrations, performances by the Cary High School Chorus, the Green Hope High School Orchestra and the Green Hope High School Percussion Band.

There will be free hot dogs, ice cream and popcorn, and Z Pizza will give away free pizza with a donation for the leukemia society. With a donation toward breast cancer research, The Chop House Grille will give away lemonade (pink, f course.)  There will be other activities for kids, including magic by Captain Jim the Pirate, crafts, Guitar Hero, and a soccer kick. Stop on by if you're in the neighborhood...

It's Friday, so here are some freebies!

*There's a sample of Lactaid from Sam's Club here (note that the membership number field is optional).

*Sam's also has a Theraflu sample here...

*A company called PixStudio is offering a free picture frame here.

*If you attend a Home Depot energy saving workshop, you can qualify for a 10 percent off your $100 purchase coupon. Details here...

*There's a new Ziploc gift pack available from Right At Home. The first 20,000 responders get it... Click here.

*And there's a Splenda for Coffee sample here.

For those of you with small children, you might be interested in a local company called Green Pea Nursery. Originally started as an online business by Apex resident Krista Cathey, the company makes and sells baby items that are organic and environmentally safe. And now, Green Pea is now branching out a little bit. The company's items are now available at Sunflowers (1515 NC 751, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday). Pictured here is the Belle Baby Carrier, which retails for $99.95.

OK, I'm giving you all a heads up here...

Rumor has it that Lowes Foods will be doing triple coupons next week, Oct. 8 through Oct. 10. It's being reported in multiple places now, which is why I wanted to pass it on to all of you. But for now I'd still say it's a rumor. It has been a LOOONG time since Lowes did triples. And as far as I know, no one has actually seen the sales flier yet, which is usually my litmus test. So just keep it in mind for now. I'll offer more details as I get them...

I got an e-mail the other day from Jim Broutman, proprietor of the Yakety Yak Wireless store in Falls River Town Center in North Raleigh (off Durant Road).

The merchants in the center have all been asked to create Halloween scarecrows and display them in front of their stores. Throughout the month, customers will be able to vote for their favorite one. This is Yakety Yak's... I know it's hard to see in a picture this small, but it's supposed to resemble "Chad the Alltel Guy" from the Alltel TV commercials. And he has slain the "Wizard" character... Depending on how you feel about Alltel, that could be pretty funny...