Jill Cataldo


Nationally-syndicated money-saving columnist
Blogger, workshop instructor & savings enthusiast
Read by more than 20 million people each week

Smart ways to save on shopping, home, travel and living well!

Jill’s shared her savings methods with:

CoupSmart “Surprise Boxes” Giveaway!

By:

UPDATE: CONTEST HAS ENDED! The winners are Casagrande, Msuboxhead, Pennyjpincher, Dhc, Dealhunter, Meralee2, J.R., Kkrieps, Scrapbooktina, BJ, Mommyof5, Beachlover, Addicted, Couponspaz and Bernard2003! Congratulations to our fifteen winners, and thank you to all who entered!

Have you heard of CoupSmart? It’s a new coupon-and-samples smartphone app that many coupon shoppers are going to love. Here’s how it works: You use your phone’s camera to scan the UPCs of any product — products you’ve already got in your home, foods you buy frequently, and items you buy regularly. Then, once a month, CoupSmart sends you a box in the mail filled with products, product samples and coupons based on the products you’ve scanned!

Each month, CoupSmart also gives out prizes to users who have scanned at least 30 items that month, including extra entries to win a monthly prize. But this week, they’re giving prizes to YOU!

CoupSmart will provide 15 “mystery” boxes of goodies to 15 readers of jillcataldo.com! If you’re selected, you’ll receive a box in the mail containing a sampling of what CoupSmart has to offer! (Each winning reader will receive a random assortment of products with a minimum value of $10.)

So how do you enter? CoupSmart says, “CoupSmart is all about improving peoples’ lives. Using our iPhone app, we match people up to samples and coupons that they actually like. In this spirit, we want to hear from you about your favorite local and regional products. Whether it’s a local restaurant that sells its sauces, your area’s favorite ice cream, a local organic company, or anything else, we want to hear about a product you love that’s not made by a billion dollar company. Share your favorites and be entered to win one of 15 boxes of goodies from CoupSmart worth at least $10 each!” (Note that you do NOT need to own a smartphone to enter the contest!)

So, simply post about your favorite non-giant-manufacturer product or products, and you’ll automatically be entered to win one of fifteen CoupSmart surprise boxes of goodies! (I’ll kick things off with one of my favorites… Popcorn Indiana’s Gourmet Kettlecorn… yum! As if coupon shoppers don’t get enough free popcorn as it is… but this stuff’s worth paying for :)

More about CoupSmart:

The CoupSmart scanning app is currently available only to iPhone users, but support is coming for Blackberry and Android phones soon. However, they’ve got another service called CoupSmart Defender that’s available to everyone. CoupSmart Defender is a free, real-time alert notification of recalled products and foods that does not require a smartphone to use. Open to everyone online, CoupSmart will send you customized alerts if any of the products in your home have been recalled.

Legalese: This giveaway is sponsored by CoupSmart. Responding to this post with a comment about a favorite product qualifies readers to enter the contest. The contest began at midnight on October 31, 2010 and will end at 11:59pm on November 6, 2010. Fifteen (15) winners will be chosen via random-number generator on November 7, 2010 and announced the same day. Winners will be contacted via the Private Messaging feature of JillCataldo.com and via email. If winners do not reply to the message within one week (7 days,) the winner(s) will forfeit the prize(s), and new winner(s) will be chosen. Each winner will receive ONE prize pack consisting of $10 worth of CoupSmart sample products. Product, program information and prize packs are being provided by CoupSmart. I did not receive additional product or compensation for this promotion. Good luck to everyone!

Comments

  3. Ollie’s Frozen Custard at 2290 Oakland Drive in Sycamore, IL has the best custard I have ever had.

  4. Wildwood Apiaries of North Aurora. Their honey is so yummy!!
    Im also very partial to Eddie’s Pizza!! Simply the best!!
    WeeDee’s in North Aurora is awesome for their GYRO’s!!! They sell party packs perfect for Sunday Football partys!!
    And of course for dessert, Grahams Chocolates in Geneva!! YUM YUM YUM!!!
    Or The Latest Crave in Geneva!! Cupcakes!!! Frosting shots!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!! The lemon drop shots!!

  7. Door County coolers are a southern Wisconsin local item – I try to nab some everytime I an in the Lake Geneva area during the summer they are non alocoholic and VERY tastey!!

    Edward’s Apple orchard near Sharon, IL is a yearly tradition in our family – it is the ONLY place I have ever found apple flower honey and that is WONDERFUL local honey :o) worth the price every time!

  8. Pasta Fresh sells amazing fresh pasta–you can actually watch them making it through the giant windows that separate the store from the kitchen. The pasta melts in your mouth. They also sell balls of pizza dough…and…OMG…suddenly I’m REALLY hungry!

  10. Lamb’s Farm in Libertyville makes the BEST jelly, especially their tomato jelly. I know, tomato jelly might sound gross to some people, but it’s actually delicious. Lamb’s Farm makes it just like Grandma used to make!

  11. I’ve fallen in love with Trader Joes products…and of course, their wine. I’ve found a white table wine made from organic grapes called Green Fin that I love. And just 3.99. =)

  12. Vans Frozen Custard in Carpentersville is so yummy. If you like custard you will love this place. It is located at 300 W Main Street in Carpentersville. It is just around the corner from Spring Hill Mall. Definitely worth the trip!!

  18. Saluto’s house salad dressing is out of this world:) It is located on Grand Avenue in Gurnee. Yummy!!!!

  19. Cream of Whatever the Soup of the Day is – I worked at this restaurant as a teenager – and their cream soups are THE BOMB. Darn. Now I want some. They market and sell their BBQ sauce, but I’d love to find their soup at Jewel!

  21. Gus’ Drive-In East Troy, WI. Grilled Chicken Pita and Gyros with hand dipped Frosen Custard Milk shakes mmmmmmmmmmm Like eating at home with out the clean-up.

  22. Love Trader Joe’s vege chips. They taste great and are good for our little ones too!

  23. I love this app! Darigold makes the best ice cream ever. They are located in Oregon and the ingredients are local, including the dairy and peppermint. This farmer owned company is why we love to use products that are “all” local!

  27. Love the ribs at Brandy’s in Des Plaines. It is a small restaurant right by Maine West HS.

  28. I love the yogurt from Traders’ Point Creamery in Zionsville, Indiana. Their creamline milk is a lot of fun, too!

  30. has the best apple pies… especially when you can bring it home while it’s still warm from the oven!

  31. Was going to rave about Saluto’s house dressing, but noticed that Luv2save2 also posted! I drive across two counties to have it!! =) Yum!

  33. Viccino’s Libertyville has the BEST pan pizza in all of Lake County! We have to hold back so we don’t order it too much :) Is it wrong???

  34. There is no pizza like Angelo’s pizza from Sterling IL!!! My Mom still brings me pizza and sauce when she visits.

  35. Nellie and Joe’s key lime juice. The best for making key lime pies (unless your arms are strong enough to squeeze enough of those little gems). I remember years ago that the only place to buy it was Marshall Fields. Now you can find it at some Jewels.

  37. It’s a turkey farm down the street. Great for a fresh Thanksgiving treat. I cant resist their bacon either.

  39. Buddyz Pizza is great pizza. Our family has a hard time deciding which hand tossed pizza to choose. but when we do, we always get buy a 16- 18 inch and bring the leftovers home to heat up on our electric Pizza Pizazz because it’s that mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm goood!!!!

  40. Bien Trucha in Geneva has the most amazing cream of poblano soup, guacamole and margaritas ever. Delicious food made with fresh, high quality ingredients.

  41. Love the home made caramels sold by the cash registers at Toms Market in Huntley and also their apple cider mulling spices!

  44. with the made fresh daily breads, pies, jams, sauces, and special treats at Long Grove Apple Haus in long grove connected to the good ol’ irish boutique in downtown Long Grove, IL. The 45 drive there is certainely worth it everytime. Our Favorite, the oh so oohhyy gooooeeey homemade Apple Caramel Pies! YUMMY!!

  45. They now sell these by the bottle. The citrus dressing that they use at Wildfire on their delicious chopped salad sells for $6 a bottle at Wildfire and you can make your own version of the salad at home! Portillo’s? Same thing….they sell their chopped salad dressing (creamy house italian) for only $3 a jar! This is how I got my kids to like salad :)

  46. Happy Jacks in McHenry, IL has the best food, ice cream and atmosphere for kids and adults. Kings BBQ in Kinston, NC has the best vinegar based BBQ around and also sells the sauce so you can make it at home. Yummy!!

  47. We lived in Texas several times… didn’t care for Texas, but that ice cream is out of this world. Nothing else can compare! They now sell it in a few other states, but not here in Chicagoland :(

  48. I’ve only found it at Berkot’s. It’s cheap and we swear they add a drug, cause we can’t get enough.

  49. I would have to say that I love Burt’s Bees products. They are all natural and I don’t have to think twice when my children use any of the products on their skin or face. In fact, I feel like I am doing a great service to them by not adding any extra chemicals or phosphates or JUNK to their bodies or environment. I love using their makeup for myself for the very same reasons. How about their baby stuff?! I can slather it all over my baby’s body and not flinch. YEA Burt’s Bees! Thanks Coupsmart and Jill for this great giveaway!

  51. Trader Joe sells this one kind of trail mix that I absolutely LOVE it has cherry ,dark chocolate ,white chocolate ,almonds, walnut and when combined together it is mmmmm good

  53. The Plush Horse in Palos Park has awesome homemade ice cream! I used to go there all the time when I was younger & think about it often!

  57. My son and I love this stuff. He is six years old and already knows where in the supermarket to look for it and even found a person that was taste testing it recently in the store! Great stuff!

  58. Ok I have this on hand 365/year.. I use it in everything, tacos, chili, casadeas,ect ect ect and of coarse chips and nachos. working on adding it to desert.our fav

  60. Are we allowed to enter more than once? If so then I want to mention that I love Ritter sport chocolate! Yum,yum!

  61. Rick & Maria make awesome wine. They have a 20%off case discount. If you can’t make the trek to Genoa, Caputo’s in South Elgin carries a couple of their wines.

  62. Their ice cream is the best!! My mom used to take me there as a child and now I take my kids there too!

  64. Lovin Oven Bakery in Round Lake is the best!!! They have the best almond crescents and cakes. YUM! YUM!

  67. I also love Happy Baby organic puffs. It is great finger food for babies and it is organic. They are the only organic puffs I have found and my son loves them!

  69. I fell in love with these when my husband was in Culinary school out in Portland Oregon – FRESH pints of these flavor blasted strawberries are a meal on their own! They are locally grown and so popular you can’t get them out of region unless they are canned and that is just NOT the same :o(

    I wish I had a hookup that would overnight me some Oregon strawberries In June and July when they ARE in season. They might be half the size of driscoll’s from CA (which can be found EVERYWHERE) but they are a million times more flavorful!

  74. Jessica’s Natural Foods Gluten Free Vanilla Maple Granola is awesome! It’s so good I buy it even though I don’t need to eat gluten free!

  76. Love Oberweis Eggnog and Lemonade.

    I know the Eggnog is the worst healthwise but Oberweis makes the best. And I love their lemonade. It’s crisp and tart.

  77. Home to many great products!!

    *Angelo’s Pizza -hands down the best pizza I have ever had!!! Beats New York pizza, Chicago pizza, and pizza that I had while traveling through Italy!! They also sell their famous Sauce by the jar in the restaurant.

    *Roma Villa Pizza – good if you can’t get to Angelo’s. Would much rather have Angelo’s, but good in a pinch!

    *The Little Chocalatier- famous for their turtles!! MIlk chocolate that melts in your mouth…caramel that oozes out…..and pecans that are firm- not hard or chewy. Delicious!

    Gee, I am not thinking about food, am I?!!! LOL

  78. This is the best chocolate milk by far. It is very smooth, rich, and thick. It almost takes like a milk shake. It is so good!

  79. I would have to triple the oberweis chocolate milk posts!!! Yum, yum! Just picked up some more bogo’s of those at Jewel yesterday. Also, I love getting a coffee shake at Oberweis on a date with my hubby and yesterday the Oberweis chocolate milk at Jewel had q’s for shakes on them! Yea!

  80. I love the fresh dough that Trader Joe’s sells. Great for making pizzas. For going out I choose Nick & Vito’s THIN crust pizza. Super tasting, can’t beat them! YUM!

  82. Texan BBQ hot spicy BBQ sauce. Their BBQ is the best anywhere – better than we found in Texas!

  83. Evangers Organic Turkey and Butternut squash is great for my cats. Evangers has dry and moist cat food and I know they carry dowg food as well. The best part is they are local here in ILlinois AND organic.

  84. We LOVE Garrett’s Popcorn! It’s a bit pricey but tastes absolutely amazing! I think you can order it online but we usually pick up a few bags when going into Chicago…

  85. SuperDog! The best dog in the Midwest! All Beef Hot dog with all the trimmings no Ketchup ofcourse! Topped with a Pickled Green Tomato Wedge! The Best! mmmm, mmmm, GOOOOOD!

  86. We absolutely love Danny’s Pizza in Brookfield, IL. It has the best cheese and sauce! Yummy! I wish I lived closer so I could enjoy it more often.

  87. The best deep dish around. It is a little pricy but so worth it! Fortunately we have on in Island Lake!!

jillcataldoheadshotI'm Jill Cataldo, founder of Super-Couponing® workshops and author of the nationally-syndicated newspaper column and video series "Super-Couponing Tips" enjoyed by over 20 million people each week.

Want to live well on less? Read full bio

Blogger Badges

JillCataldo.com contains affiliate marketing links and promotional offers. Read full Privacy and Disclosure Statement for details, blogger network affiliations and advertising/PR information.