Well, folks, I am out of town again this weekend, which means I won't be able to update the coupon database until I return home.

Watch for this week's update later tonight or tomorrow (depending on when I get back into town)...

BusinessWeek did a story about the rising popularity of coupon Web sites. It's not really surprising that more folks would be searching for coupons with the economy's current state. But I did enjoy the slideshow that accompanied the story showing the most popular types of online coupons. Again, no big surprises, but I thought it was a fun read. Check it out if you have the time...

How's this for an economic indicator?

Research firm IRI is reporting that frozen pizza sales are up 5.3 percent over this time last year, largely (experts say) due to more people eating at home rather than eating out. The companies that make those frozen pizzas aren't stupid, either. There has been a near explosion of new frozen pizza products, from California Pizza Kitchen, gourmet chefs such as Wolfgang Puck and existing pizza companies introducing new products. Just something to think about next time you pop a frozen pizza into the oven to bake...

USA Today reported this week that Taco Bell is preparing to roll out a new budget menu on Monday touting items priced at 79 cents, 89 cents and 99 cents. The "Why Pay More?" value menu is obviously aimed at budget-crunched folks who are watching their money closely, and I guess I'd say every little bit helps!

As if I need to remind you all, today is the final day of triple coupons at Harris Teeter!

Make sure you got all the deals you wanted to get before the day is through. And remember, if the item is advertised on sale in the Harris Teeter sales flier, but your store is out of stock, you can get a rain check at customer service. 

It's Friday, so let's do freebies!

*There's a Teddy Grahams sample here.

*GE is offering samples of its new caulk singles here (could come in handy, right?).

*A company called Digilake is giving away a blank DVD+R disc here.

*And Wal-Mart Supercenter stores nationwide will be hosting a free ice cream social on Sunday from 11 a.m. till 4 p.m. (while supplies last). It's more than 2,500 stores nationwide, but to make sure your store is participating, visit www.walmart.com/icecream. Take your kids... it's free ice cream!

As I will mention in tomorrow's Retailing column, Planet Beach is opening a new "Contempo Spa" in Cary this weekend, which is kind of like a cross between a tanning salon and a spa. Most of the services are ones that the customer can do themselves, using automated machines in private rooms. And, as part of the grand opening, the new store will be offering 20 percent off all retail products and 20 percent off all memberships.

If you want to stop by tomorrow (Saturday) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., there will also be free appetizers, wine tastings and giveaways (must be present to win). The store is at 1130 Green Level to Durham Rd, Suite 304.

In Chapel Hill, the eco-friendly store called Twig is hosting a big charity event on Saturday (tomorrow) fro 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Participating nonprofits include Piedmont Wildlife Center, The Audubon Society, Emerson Waldorf School, Eno River Association, NC Museum of Life and Science, ACLU, Triangle Land Conservancy, Toxic Free NC and The Abundance Foundation. During the course of the event 20 percent of the proceeds from sales will be donated to those groups. But — here's the part I think is cool — when you make a purchase, you get a say in which charity gets your donation.

Twig focuses entirely on green, fairly traded and organic clothing, gifts, home goods, safe toys and baby gear. It is located in Village Plaza, at 99 S. Elliott Road, next to the Whole Foods.

You all know that usually I wait till Friday for freebies, but Wal-Mart has a new Viva paper towel sample, and I expect it to move pretty quickly. You can find it here. 

OK, I know some of you have been to the store already!

Post your funny stories, tips, totals, brags, steals and bargains that you found right here!

This post will stay right here throughout triples so that everyone can keep reading the latest information, so check back often!

Just in case you forgot, today's the big freebie day.

McDonald's is giving away Southern Chicken Biscuits from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and Southern Chicken Sandwiches from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. To get the freebie, you have to buy a medium or large drink, but that's the only catch.

And, Dunkin Donuts is giving away free 16 oz. cups of iced coffee from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

As North Carolina couponers gear up for this week's triple coupons at Harris Teeter, I find myself again feeling the need to write about triples etiquete. First, if you are new to the game, please read my Coupons 101 post about triple coupons here. But second, and more importantly, everyone should please show a little common sense and a little common courtesy to other people.

Triple coupons are extremely stressful for store employees and managers. We all descend with our coupons looking for the same great deals, which makes it hard for them to keep items in stock and shoppers happy. Please have some patience and be polite to store employees.

As I wrote last time we had triples, I have been absolutely horrified over the past year to see people truly begin to abuse the system. I understand that it's really easy to get carried away with the emotional high of getting so much for so little. I've definitely been guilty of that myself. But please remember that triple coupons help a lot of families stock up on necessities and stretch their budgets. That's something increasingly important to many folks nowadays. If one person goes and cleans out the shelves, buying 20 or 30 of one single item, that ruins it for everyone else and could really deprive someone who just needs one or two of that item but could really use it. Please think carefully as you shop and take only what you need. Leave the rest for others. If everyone is considerate, we will all have a wonderful triples event!

I will climb down off my soapbox now...

Well it is a fantastic deals week! Not only is Harris Teeter having triple coupons this weekend on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but there are also a ton of really good deals everywhere else. If you are a cola drinker, Pepsi and Coke are on sale everywhere, including a really fantastic deal at Harris Teeter where you get three Pepsi fridge packs FREE when you buy two. That’s a good deal. There are also some good deals at the pharmacies this week, especially with their various rebate programs.

DEAL OF THE WEEK: For this week’s deal, I think I’m going to go with the Sure antiperspirant or deodorant deal at Walgreens. It’s a bit complicated, but follow along… The Suave is $1.99 and there was a $1 coupon on Feb. 24. If you have two of those, that’s like a BOGO (two for $1.98). Then you could send in the BOGO mail-in rebate from Feb. 24 to get the price of the second one back, making both of them FREE.

Click “Read more” to see the list! And remember, if the store has a loyalty card, you’ll need it to get the sale price. 

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Some of you may have noticed, but all of our Bruegger's locations have been remodeled over the past several weeks. The chain is now ready to celebrate its grand re-opening tomorrow (Thursday), and it will celebrate with a special deal.

All 17 stores in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Apex and Chapel Hill will offer a breakfast special of a bagel and cream cheese for $1.49 until 10 a.m. Then there will be a $2.99 Herby Turkey lunch special from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. In addition, the first 25 guests at each bakery that morning who make a purchase and go through the line will receive a Bruegger’s $25 gift card. That would be a nice way to start off your morning. A portion of sales from the day will go to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Wake County.

Well, there you go! It's official. I just checked the Harris Teeter Web site, and it confirms that Teeter will have triple coupons this week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. As always, a big thank you goes out to Faye Prosser and my good friends at savvydollar.org (which did indeed hit 1,000 users this week... congratulations, Dan!). Click "Read more" for the list of good deals you could pick up during triples... 

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