Buy 4 Starbucks gift cards, get 1 free

This is all over the internet, so why not jump into the fray? You can go to your local Costco and grab 5 $20 Starbucks gift cards for $80. Sure, it’s a great way to stock up on stocking stuffers. But why not just keep them for yourself? You know you’re going to be reloading that card of yours anyway, right? And just think of how much free coffee you’ll get with that $20 card! Well, maybe don’t think of that.

Actually, I have a great tip on how to get free coffee at St. Arbucks. Go in any evening and ask for brewed decaf. Many times they will have stopped brewing it for the night because – and this was a surprise to me – they rarely get orders for decaf at night. I mean, I have to go unleaded after noon if I want to get a good night’s sleep. But the rule is that if they don’t have what you want when you ask for it, it’s free.

Just a couple of nights ago this worked for me. I ordered a Venti Pike Place decaf and got a Venti decaf Americano on the house. Try it!

Harmonics flooring – Yes, it’s worth the savings

If you’re like me, you enjoy doing home improvements yourself so you can save some money and have the satisfaction of accomplishing something. If you’re a bit more like me, you’re afraid you’re going to blow a wad of cash on something that’s way over your head and end up wishing you’d hired a pro.

If you’re quite a bit more like me, you’ve invested in the Harmonics line of laminate flooring available only at Costco. You installed it yourself. And you’re happy.

Yes, as further evidence that we’ve drunk the Costco Kool-Aid in this family, we took the Harmonics plunge this past spring. I’ve admired the quality of this product ever since the store started carrying it. Then last year they introduced the wide-plank mahogany and I thought, “This might be it.” Then came the hand-scraped (looking) chestnut this year and I thought, “Now this is it.” Those beveled edges. The way the dark wood veneer throws off a subtle burgundy when the sunlight hits it. Wow, this stuff pops. It’s ours.

More advice on Harmonics flooring after the jump.

Sniff out the Chowhound for a dogpile of food advice

Don’t you love it when someone does all the hard work for you? There’s an excellent thread going on at this blog where people are sharing the best (and sometimes less than best) food they’ve found at Costco. I’m going to bookmark this discussion and keep returning to it. This is one of the reasons I love me some Inter-tubes.

I’ll take my licorice unleaded, please

If you live in Monterey county and you’ve bought licorice from Costco lately, stop! The specific product is Lucky Country Aussie Style Soft Gourmet Black Licorice. That’s a really long name. I wasn’t aware Austrailans made licorice either.

The fall shopping challenge: Dell EPP vs. Costco

I just received the big C’s fall shopping special promo mailer. There’s something about getting anything from Costco in the mail that makes that 10-yard trek to the mailbox after work worth all the effort. If for some reason you don’t get this mailer, you can see all the fall promo items on teh inter-tubes. “Fall” into savings. Get it?

For some reason my eyes fell on a particular item in this offering – a Dell XPS computer bundle, including Word and PowerPoint. Now, it’s been almost four years since I bought my Dell Dimenson 8400 system through Costco.com. I’ve been very happy with it and I haven’t really kept up with Dell’s progress in marketing newer, better computing packages. I knew that the XPS line used to be the higher-end, gamer-friendly boxes. Now it seems it has entered more of a mainstream marketing target.

My employer offers discounts on Dell systems through the Employee Purchase Program. Last time after much research I opted for Costco because they had a better deal on the three-year warranty, plus the free customer assistance by phone. So I started to wonder if my computer tanked all of a sudden, which direction would I go now? Assuming I needed another new monitor (not likely) and I was looking to invest in another long-term PC system, which avenue would lead me toward a better deal on this exact package?

It’s official: ‘Costco cheese works!’

Good post on a really funny web site. I plan to visit here often now, seeing as I’m a man and I like grub. If you’re a pizza-place owner, you might want to know that Costco’s shredded mozzarella and Belgioioso provolone make for a great pie. The per-pound price quoted here is excellent. And even if you just make an occasional pizza at home, the advice you get on this page is worth bookmarking.

Review: Annie’s Mac & Cheese

We’ve had a chance to try the Deluxe Shells & Aged Cheddar variety. Here are the results:

11-year-old: “I like the sharp taste of the cheese. But I’ve had better – like Velveeta Shells & Cheese. 4 stars out of 5.”

9-year-old: “I like it. 3 stars.”

7-year-old: “5 stars. I love it!”

Mommy: “Can’t talk. Eating. (5 stars)”

There you have it. I tasted the stuff myself and thought it was pretty good. And remember this is an organic product, so weigh that against similar items.

Extended warranties – a new alternative

Don’t you hate it when you’re pressured to sign up for an extended warranty when you buy a car or an expensive electronics item? You never know if the extra price is going to be worth it, or if you’ll even need it.

There’s a new way to protect your stuff called GreenUmbrella. Sign up as much stuff as you want for a flat annual fee. It’s up to you. Great idea!

I mention this here because there’s an interesting comment on Costco buried near the end of the article. And it says a lot about one reason I love to shop there.

Kirkland organic peanut butter

Absolutely the best I’ve ever tasted. And I’m a peanut butter fanatic. I have to have some nearly every day. A while back Kirkland stopped adding palm oil to their recipe. So now it’s just peanuts and salt. But the peanuts they use must be some quality beans because this stuff is so good!

You have to stir it and refrigerate it to keep it from separating, but it’s worth the hassle. I wish they’d make the jar a bit bigger so it wouldn’t spill when I’m stirring it. Can I get some love on that? Guys…?

Snagged: Annie’s Mac & Cheese

I’ve heard for years about how good this stuff is but never tried it. This week, for the first time, I found a 5-pack of the Deluxe Shells & Aged Cheddar for $8.59 ($1.72 per package). My kids have not been thrilled with the M&C choices at Costco in the past so I’m hoping this will be a better experience. We’ll give you the product review asap.