Grandparents Day Sales & Free Items

September 13, 2026

Sunday, September 13th is National Grandparents Day. Be sure to honor your grandmother and grandfather on their special day. Treat them to lunch or dinner at their favorite restaurant, send them flowers (ProFlowers.com is a great source), take them shopping, or just show you care by spending this Sunday with them.

Many stores and restaurants have special Grandparents Day sales, deals, and freebies on this day. Several shopping malls and centers have Grandparents Day promotions as well. Sometimes, these promotional offers extend the entire weekend or for several days preceding the holiday.

Shopping hours on Grandparents Day are usually the same as they would be on any other Sunday. Be sure to call your favorite restaurants and stores for their specific hours as well as information on particular Grandparents Day sales and free items they may be offering.

Be sure to show your respect by doing something nice for Grandma and Grandpa on their special day. Grandparents Day only comes once per year. For 2026, it happens on Sunday, September 13.

Menards 11% Credit Check Rebate Sale

September 13, 2026

Menards 11 percent rebate sale has returned for 2026! Are you familiar with this promotion? Menards will frequently offer an 11% Merchandise Credit Check against the entire cost of your purchase. It’s a mail-in rebate that gives you 11 percent back on merchandise purchased that day. Both regular-priced and sale items are eligible.

In 2026, there have been 31 weeks of 11% savings so far:

– February 15-21, February 22-28
– March 1-7, March 8-14, March 15-21, March 22-28, March 29-April 4
– April 5-11, April 12-18, April 19-25, April 26-May 2
– May 3-9, May 10-16, May 17-23, May 24-30, May 31-June 6
– June 7-13, June 14-20, June 21-27, June 28-July 4
– July 5-11, July 12-18, July 19-25, July 26-August 1
– August 2-8, August 9-15, August 16-22, August 23-29, August 30-September 5
– September 6-12, September 13-19

In 2025, there were 38 weeks of 11% savings:

– February 16-22, February 23-March 1
– March 2-8, March 9-15, March 16-22, March 23-29, March 30-April 5
– April 6-12, April 13-19, April 20-26, April 27-May 3
– May 28-31 (short week due to Memorial Day weekend)
– June 1-7, June 8-14, June 15-21, June 22-28, June 29-July 5
– July 6-12, July 13-19, July 20-26, July 27-August 2
– August 3-9, August 10-16, August 17-23, August 24-30, August 31-September 6
– September 7-13, September 14-20, September 21-27, September 28-October 4
– October 5-11, October 12-18, October 19-25, October 26-November 1
– November 2-8, November 9-15, November 16-22, November 23-26

In 2024, there were 40 weeks of 11% savings:

– February 22-March 2
– March 3-9, March 10-16, March 17-23, March 24-30, March 31-April 6
– April 7-13, April 14-20, April 21-27, April 28-May 4
– May 5-11, May 12-18, May 19-25, May 26-June 1
– June 2-8, June 9-15, June 16-22, June 23-29, June 30-July 6,
– July 7-13, July 14-20, July 21-27, July 28-August 3
– August 4-10, August 11-17, August 18-24, August 25-31
– September 1-7, September 8-14, September 15-21, September 22-28, September 29-October 5,
– October 6-12, October 13-19, October 20-26, October 27-November 2
– November 3-9, November 10-16, November 17-23, November 24-28

Menards 11% off Everything includes major appliances: refrigerators, dishwashers, ovens, ranges, microwave hoods, cooktops, washers & dryers. Does not include freezers and range hoods. Save 11% just for mailing in some paperwork. Under Menards current promotional schedule, this event occurs several times per year. Pretty cool, huh?

Here’s the best news: Menards is holding their 11% rebate sale THIS WEEK! Dates are Sunday, September 13 through Sunday, September 20, 2026. Don’t miss this chance to save 11% on the things you buy every day. See store for complete details and restrictions on this special offer. Most Menards home improvement stores will be open regular hours on Columbus Day (Monday, October 12.)

Best Halloween Candy Price? Check Package Weight!

September 12, 2026

It’s already time to stock up on Halloween candy! But how do you know you’re getting the best deal? There’s a bewildering assortment of brands, package sizes, and prices. Those big Halloween candy bags boast about how many pieces they contain. You’ll see this information displayed prominently on the front of the package: “55 PIECES”, “200 PIECES”, “250 PIECES”, and so on. Dividing the selling price by the number of pieces will give you the cost per piece of Halloween candy. But the size of the pieces varies greatly. Some are mini-size or fun-size bars while others are only bite-sized. How do you determine the best sale price for bags of Halloween candy? Simple. CHECK THE WEIGHT!

By law, all solid food items sold in the U.S. must contain the net weight near the bottom front of the package. This is the only true measure of how much product you are receiving. Do the math. Divide the price by the weight indicated on the package. Move the decimal point 2 places to the right if you’re using a dollars and cents amount as the price ($9.88, for example.) This gives your cost in cents per ounce of Halloween candy. Now, you can compare different sized bags of the same candy and find the best value. This works whether you’re comparing bags from the same store or competing stores.

How much should you pay? For many years, my recommendation was 20 cents per ounce for the popular assortments. Due to food price inflation, I have increased this to 25 cents per ounce. This includes Hershey’s Milk Chocolate, Kit Kat, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Twix, M&Ms, Snickers, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, Almond Joy, Whoppers Malted Milk Balls, Skittles, Starburst, Heath, and Milk Duds. You’ll have to hunt around to meet the 25 cents per ounce price point, but it’s out there. Good sources of cheap Halloween candy include Target, Walmart, Walgreens, Kmart, RiteAid, CVS, Sam’s Club, Costco, Kroger, Cub Foods, King Soopers, and Osco/Jewel.

The absolute BEST Halloween candy deals are found on November 1st. That’s when the half price clearance begins at most stores! But who wants to wait that long? Remember to check the weight, do the math, and shoot for a per-ounce cost of around 25 cents. It’s not the size that counts. It’s the weight of the bag that matters.

No Free Krispy Kreme on “Pirate Day” this Year

September 12, 2026

I am REALLY hoping Krispy Kreme brings back their “Talk Like a Pirate Day” promotion for 2026. It hasn’t been active since 2016, but I still receive several questions about it every year. If this popular event is reinstated, I will post the information here ASAP. Be sure to check back often!

As recently as 2016, Krispy Kreme had offered a free Original Glazed Doughnut for talking like a pirate. If you took this concept to the next level and dressed like a pirate, you would get a DOZEN free Original Glazed Doughnuts! In 2017, the event was cancelled, much to the dismay of donut-loving pirate talkers everywhere.

All good things have to come to an end, I guess. Still, I can’t help but to feel disappointed. Krispy Kreme’s Talk Like a Pirate Day promotion was one that I always looked forward to. Not just because of the free food, but also because of the fun. Who doesn’t like to dress up like a pirate and express a heartfelt “Arrrgh!” to the world? Perhaps Krispy Kreme will bring it back for 2026. Let’s hope so!

Columbus Day Car Truck SUV Sales & Deals

September 12, 2026

If you’re in the market for a new car or truck, Columbus Day Weekend is one of the best times of the year for new auto sales. 2026 is no exception. Your local Honda, Toyota, Chevy, Buick/Cadillac/GMC, Suzuki, Ford/Lincoln, Hyundai, BMW, Volkswagen, Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep, Kia/Hyundai, Infiniti, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Subaru, Lexus, and Volvo dealers will have large inventories. They’re ready to deal on the lot and on their websites. Many independent used car dealers will also be hosting large holiday car, truck, and SUV clearance sales.

In addition to savings of several thousands of dollars on most models, look for offers of free airline tickets and gift cards. 0% financing is once again being offered on some models. Discounts on extended warranties and service/maintenance plans should be available. If you’d rather lease than buy, watch for special manufacturer-backed lease terms and offers.

Because of the “challenging” economy we currently find ourselves in, most of us have kept our cars and trucks longer than we normally do. The average used vehicle is now over 12 years old! Columbus Day will be a good time to search for a replacement. Auto dealers are rolling out the sales, discounts, and rebate incentives. Shop all holiday car, truck & SUV sale events in your local area to locate the best prices and promotions.