Frugal Family: Free Food, Free Braves Tickets

We're all watching our family budgets these days. Whether shopping with coupons or looking for two-for-one deals, we're taking advantage of all sorts of offers and savings that help us stretch our dollars.

This column is dedicated to giving you five great local deals each week that will help your family’s bottom line. Since we do the scouting for you, you can save time as well as money.

You are a big part of this column. Let us hear about the deals you've seen. Just add them to our comment box. Then come back each week and see what we've uncovered together. 

Remember: You also can help military families overseas with your expired coupons through Coupon Mom's Military Coupon Program and feed your neighbors in needs with free coupon specials found at CouponMom.com and SouthernSavers.com.

1. Drive Away Hunger, Get Free Braves Tickets

Deal: Neighbors all around you are hungry. To bring awareness, this month is National Hunger Action Month. In metro Atlanta, "Drive Away Hunger" concludes Saturday. Sponsors include AutoTrader.com, Chevrolet and the Atlanta Braves—all to help the Atlanta Community Food Bank collect and distribute food.

Through Saturday, you can receive free tickets to see the Atlanta Braves play the New York Mets on Sept. 16 at 7:35 p.m., including a fireworks show. On Value Days, you also can receive discounted Braves tickets for games on Sept. 12-14 and Sept. 26-28.

For the free tickets, all you have to do is donate canned food. For every 10 cans (with dates that have not expired), you receive a ticket. The nearest drop-off location is in Dallas.

While there, if you test drive any car—for instance, one of the new Chevy Volt electric cars, you have a chance to win an Atlanta Braves VIP Experience, including a 16-seat luxury suite, on Sept. 16. Also AutoTrader.com will donate $10 to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. (That amount will feed a family of four for two days.)

When: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday; closed Sunday for Hardy Chevrolet Buick GMC.

Where: Hardy Chevrolet Buick GMC, 1249 Charles Hardy Parkway, Dallas.

Contact: 678-269-6465 (Hardy Chevrolet)

2. SouthernSavers Coupon Class

Deal: SouthernSavers.com is coming to Villa Rica on Saturday. Learn how to use coupons to save hundreds of dollars a month on all of your grocery, household and personal care items. Basic and advanced topics will include:

• Gathering and organizing coupons. 
• Using online resources to find your own deals.
• Effectively using coupons—more than just clipping and using them.
• Detailed instructions for using coupons at drugstores.

Each participant will receive a detailed guidebook to keep. You can register online here. 

When: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

Where: Midway Church, 3915 Carrollton Villa Rica Highway, Villa Rica. 

Cost: $10 per person and payable at the door by either cash or check.

3. Low-Cost Paulding Festival

Deal: About 30,000 people are expected to attend this 31st-annual Paulding Meadows Arts and Crafts Festival this weekend in Dallas. Paulding Festivals Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, is the sponsor.

No pets will be allowed. Only Paulding County nonprofit organizations will be allowed as food vendors. Festival rules for potential exhibitors may be found here.

When: Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: , 724 Paulding Meadows Drive near Ga. 61, Dallas.

Cost: $3, but parking and admission for children 12 and under are free.

Contacts: Email dee30132@yahoo.com or anitachaos2003@yahoo.com.

4. Customer Bailout Tuesdays at Movies 278

Deal: Customer Bail-Out Tuesdays are back at in Hiram. Movies are $5 for all movies and $6 for 3D movies. Also on Tuesdays, a medium drink and popcorn combo is $5.

When: Only on Tuesdays.

Where: Movies 278, 185 Metromont Road, Hiram.

5. Free Chick-fil-A Breakfast Items

Deal: You have the opportunity to sign up to receive free breakfast items from Chick-fil-A. Reservations may be made for pick up this week through Saturday, choosing your restaurant location, date, timeframe and breakfast item.

As of Tuesday afternoon, about 300 reservations remained in Dallas but none in Hiram. However, you can make reservations for any Chick-fil-A.

Local Locations: 4236 Jimmy Lee Smith Parkway near Ga. 92, Hiram, or 300 Charlie Watts Drive near intersection of U.S. 278 and Ga. 61, Dallas.

Cost: Free.