Plan now to keep cooling bills down
We’ve had a springier spring than usual in Atlanta, full of temperature roller coasters and pleasant, breezy mornings. But we know warmer weather is coming.
I asked Suzanne Holtkamp, vice president at Holtkamp Heating & Air Conditioning in Suwanee, to share some reminders on how to keep cooling bills down as things heat up across Atlanta:
Change your filters: “The No. 1 reason people will call us when it gets over 90 degrees and they’ve flipped on their air conditioning — sometimes for the first time — is their filter is completely clogged up, and they haven’t changed it. And what it does is it trips the system off,” Holtkamp says. Her company recommends people change their filter at least every three months, if not every month. If you have trouble remembering to do so, try this: Buy a 12-pack of filters, number them with a marker (one for each month) and stack them next to your HVAC system. That way you’ll know each month if you’ve changed them.
Get …
Replay of our live chat: Free and cheap kids’ activities
UPDATE:
Miss our live video chat with Sue Rodman, author of “100+ Free & Cheap Things to do in Atlanta with Kids”?
Here’s a replay:
PREVIOUSLY:
Looking for ways to entertain the kids now that school’s out?
Welcome to our live video chat with Sue Rodman, author of “100+ Free & Cheap Things to do in Atlanta with Kids.” You can also check out her website, Field Trips with Sue.
Sue will give us tips on where to take children of all ages for free and cheap this summer. To ask Sue questions on the Atlanta Bargain Hunter blog, use your Facebook login to enter the chat.
Don’t have a Facebook login to use during the chat? Leave a comment below on this blog if you’d like our moderator to post it for you.
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter
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Wes Moss: The cost of overbooking your kid’s life
Certified financial planner Wes Moss provides personal finance advice and accessible investment strategies. His guest post appears here weekly.
Wes Moss hosts 'Money Matters' Sunday mornings on AM750 and 95.5FM News/Talk WSB
Ah, just another relaxing Moss family weekend — racing to get my eldest son from T-ball to swimming while estimating how early we need to leave the pool to get to karate on time, and trying to remember the when-and-where of that upcoming birthday party. Is it today? Or is it next Saturday? Wait. It is next Saturday! Oh, no! That conflicts with the karate class graduation ceremony!
I sure don’t remember my parents running around like this when we were kids. But our friends can relate — they are on the same “enrichment” treadmill with their children. We seem to be constantly bouncing from thing to thing — computer class, ballet, martial arts, swim team, soccer, Cub Scouts, T-ball, gymnastics, art classes, tennis, basketball, youth triathlon …
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Mother’s Day: What moms want
Plum District, the deal site with moms in mind, surveyed more than 19,000 of its members to get the real scoop on what mothers want this Mother’s Day. Click on the graphic below for a more detailed look.
What does your mom really want?
More: BOGO Caribou Coffee on Sunday | Cheap gas in Stockbridge
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter
Coupon Mom: Sunblock, free chips, Arm & Hammer
Soak up the sun protection
Aveeno: Now is a good time to stock up on sale-priced sun care products. Target has Aveeno 3-ounce sunblock face lotion or 5-ounce Hydrosport spray (both SPF 30) on sale for $8.99 each. Use the $2 coupon from the April 15 SmartSource circular to pay $6.99 each. When you buy two, you will get a $5 Target gift card at the register. Use two coupons and your net cost will be $4.49 each.
Free chips Friday
Ruffles, Doritos: Shop at Kroger between 3 and 8 p.m. Friday and you can get a free bag of Ruffles or Doritos chips (2.5 ounce to 3 ounce).
Breakfast savings
Kellogg’s: Walgreens has Kellogg’s select cereals, FiberPlus bars, Pop-Tarts and NutriGrain bars on sale for $2.50 each when you buy two, or $2.79 each. You will also get a $2 Register Rewards coupon when you buy two, so your net cost per item will be $1.50 each without using coupons. There is a $1-off-two coupon for Kellogg’s NutriGrain bars in the April 15 RedPlum circular, so you would …
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Free cocktails at the Atlanta Botanical Garden
Merge your happy hour with a leisurely stroll through Atlanta’s most famous flowers.
Explore the Atlanta Botanical Garden in the cool of summer evenings during the 10th annual Cocktails in the Garden. Admission is $18.95 (regular price), but during this special event you’ll receive one free-drink coupon. Garden members are admitted for free.
Enjoy specialty cocktails, live music from local deejays and cooking demonstrations by the Garden chef every Thursday night from 6-10 p.m. Themes include:
- May: Azaleas & Aviations
- June: Hydrangeas & Honeybees
- July: Crape myrtles & Coladas
- August: Tomatoes & ‘Tinis
- September: Orchids & Old Fashioneds
Cash bars throughout the Garden will offer other cocktails as well as beer and wine, and dinner may be purchased at the MetroFresh in the Garden café. 1345 Piedmont Avenue NE, Atlanta.
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter
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Cheap gas in Stockbridge
Save a little on gas while shuttling Mom around this weekend.
Southeastern Beauty Schools is showing some customer appreciation — and Mom appreciation! — and will pay $1 toward every gallon purchased per person fueling on Saturday. Southeastern will continue to discount gas until it runs out; an open house and free food will follow. Discount hair services will also be available for customers. 9 a.m. until gas runs out. Sunoco Food Mart. 22 Highway 138 West, Stockbridge.
Click here for current gas prices.
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter
B98.5 radio deals: Golf, coffee and Disney accommodations
These deals were originally shared on B98.5 this week. For our full list of great offers, pick up a copy of Thursday’s DealSpotter section.
Your Golf Coach: Score an early Father’s Day gift until May 31. Get 50 percent off a certificate (regularly $59) for a 90-minute interactive golf workshop with Michael W. Thomas. Call Your Golf Coach at 404-444-0352 and mention this Deal Spotter special to score the savings. Payment is made through PayPal or checks. Discounted group certificates for three to five people (regularly $129) also are available for 50 percent off.
Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee House: Print a coupon for a free drink when you purchase another (the free drink must be of equal or lesser value). The coupon, which expires June 30, cannot be combined with other offers. Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee House, 352 S. Atlanta St., Roswell.
Holiday Inn Express Universal Studios: Finally take that family trip to Orlando, Fla. — and do it on a budget. Available …
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Clark Howard: Cut cable, satellite with Internet TV option
Consumer expert Clark Howard’s column appears here each Thursday in conjunction with Deal Spotter, a weekly print section in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Have you thought about cutting the cord from pay TV? I’ve got an idea for you to make it easy to watch free or cheap programming on your TV using your Internet connection.
Today, roughly four in 10 of us have an Internet-enabled TV. As a result, the number of folks who have disconnected from pay TV rose by quite a bit in the United States through the economic slump. The exact numbers differ depending on whom you ask, but as many as 12 or 15 percent of households have fired their cable or satellite provider and gone to a “rabbit ears” antenna for their local networks, along with Internet-only TV for more extensive programming options.
The earliest pioneers who cut the cord were very tech-savvy people. But it’s getting easier for dummies like me.
I’ve been testing the second-generation Roku. This device sells …
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BOGO coffee at Caribou on Mother’s Day
It’s the perfect start to a day focused on her.
Caribou Coffee will celebrate Mother’s Day with a “buy one, get one free” offer Sunday. Present the following coupon — either printed or on your phone — and purchase a beverage at participating Caribou coffeehouses to receive a free drink.
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter
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