Shoppers Drug Mart are offering both a $10 Shoppers Drug Mart gift card and a $10 Tim Hortons Tim Card when you spend $75 on almost anything in the store this weekend.

This year has already seen jumps in EI and CPP and other taxes across the country, but prepare to have even less money in your pockets as food prices are set to rise this year.

A University of Guelph study predicted price increase for various foods:

• Beef: 6 to 8 per cent due to rising grain prices for cattle feed
• Pork: 8 to 10 per cent due to rising grain prices for cattle feed and higher production costs in the pork industry (remember the story last year on the bacon shortage)
• Other meats: 4.5 to 6.5 per cent
• Fish & Seafood: 1-3 per cent
• Dairy: 1-3 per cent
• Eggs: 3.5 to 5 per cent, due mostly to increases in animal welfare-based technology;
• Grain: 1.4 to 2.7 per cent; and
• Fresh vegetables, fruit and nuts, fish and seafood, and vegetables: 1 to 3 per cent.

As food prices rise, so will the demand on the foodbanks and other services – remember them in your donations this year.

McDonalds are offering a printable coupon sent to your email for buy one get one free on any size McCafe hot drinks.  Valid only on Latte, Mocha, Cappuccino, Espresso, Americano, Deluxe Hot Chocolate or Premium Roast Brewed Coffee, second drink of equal or lesser value.

Yes, many provinces offered this in their recent printable coupons, but if you don’t want to print a full pdf page of coupons.  My coupon expired January 29th.

Just a reminder that P&G Brandsaver will have new online coupons soon.  As we all know, their site is usually slow when they first go live, so keep checking and we will do our best to let you know as soon as they go live.

Click here to visit brandsaver.ca

LIVE – go get your coupons!

Many freebies, coupons and contests will require your email address.  Some are very good about using your email address only for that coupon or giveaway but others will sell your information or send you very regular emails.

If you are just starting out, it is a good idea to make an email address just for this purpose.  If you use your personal email account, it will not be long before you are dealing with more spam than emails.  I regularly delete 100+ emails a day in my spam account.

It is a good idea to have an email that is not your name to try and protect your privacy as much as possible.  Use your forum username or a pets name etc.

You also need to be aware of the privacy policy when you sign up for freebies, coupons and contests.  Click and read it – know where your information is going and how they will use it.  This is especially true on social media.  Many facebook freebies will require you to allow an app to access your account. For some, they will ask for your name and birthday and to post on your behalf (most will still show a pop up that you have to click post comment on).  However others will ask for access to your photos, friends and other personal data.

Learn how to control who can access your information on facebook.  While against Facebook’s terms, many people do have a separate account for facebook – there are so many freebies and giveaways on facebook.  An account with no friends looks suspicious for freebies though so make sure you have some friends (but be aware you are giving access to those friends with some apps).

Twitter is safer to use with your personal information, but is used more for retweeting contests than for freebies (although we did recently get a free box of Kraft Dinner for tweeting that it would be our last meal).

Be sure to follow us on facebook and twitter to keep up to date on the latest deals and coupons.

This blog is part of our New to SmartCanucks series, click here to read more blog posts in the series

Check out Marc Angelo’s facebook page to request a $1 coupon for any Marc Angelo foods excluding the 2 pack souvlaki.

Click here to get your coupon

A new coupon is available through the Kellogg’s WebSaver.ca portal. Save $2 on the purchase of 4x296ml Special K. This coupon can be printed or ordered by mail. Click here to get yours.

We heard about this yesterday but held off posting until it was confirmed it was valid in Canada.  Starbucks are offering a free tall blonde roast on facebook in the form of an eGift card.  Users are reporting that as it is sent in US dollars, you can’t transfer it onto your regular card unless using a phone app but you can print it and bring it in for a free drink up to $2.60 US (around $2.56 Cdn). It does take an hour or so for the email to come.

Sign up here (facebook)

Visit Wholly Guacamole on facebook to get a coupon for $1 off Wholly Guacamole or Wholly Salsa.  Scroll past the print coupon button for the Canadian coupon link.

Click here to get your coupon

Today is Seniors’ Day at The Bay.  Seniors aged 60 or over can save 15% off almost everything in store (excluding gift cards and some other exclusions).

Click here to find a local store

If you missed the free Werther’s coupon yesterday do not fret! A coupon for a FREE bag of 146g Werther’s Original product with the purchase of two bags of 146g Werther’s Original product or a FREE 158g Werther’s Original product with the purchase of two bags of 158 Werther’s Original product is now available. Visit the Sweet Savings tab on the Werther’s Canada Facebook page to claim your coupon. 4000 coupons are available.

Save $2 on your next purchase of Dove Beauty Bar 4, 8 or 14 packs with this printable coupon available through Facebook. There are 78,000 coupons available. Click here to get yours!

Head over to the Castello Canada Facebook page to print this coupon for $1 off the purchase of Castello Reserve Aged Havarti or Castello Reserve Herrgard Cheese. Coupon expires October 4th 2013. Click here to print yours.

Thank you to thatdarncat for providing us with a look at the coupons that will be available in this weekend’s Red Plum insert. Watch your newspapers for the newest edition containing the following coupons:

• $1 WUB any one (1) Scrunge or Scrub & Go product UPC: 30004463 exp: 31 Mar 2013

• $3 WUB any two (2) Scrunge or Scrub & Go products UPC: 30004476 exp: 31 Mar 2013

• $0.50 any flavour Good’n Natural Bar UPC: 99801050 exp: 30 June 2013

• $1.00 WUB any one (1) Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy product OR $3.00 WUB any one (1) Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy & one (1) Clear Men product UPC: 89288614 exp: 1 Mar 2013

• $2.00 any Disney Gummies product UPC: 99801049 exp: 31 Dec 2013

• $2.00 any Natures Bounty product UPC: 99801054 exp: 31 Jul 2013

• $5.00 any Natures Bounty Osteo Bi-Flex product UPC: 99801052 exp: 31 Jul 2013

Save $1 on Maybelline Volum Express The Rocket Mascara with this new WebSaver.ca coupon available through the Maybelline portal. Click here to order yours by mail.