Cartwheel by Target

I very rarely write about apps. This is one that is fairly new and the wonderful folks at Target got this app right. You start off with space for 10 special coupons. All areas of the store have coupons.  You can  earn more coupon slots by getting your friends to join and earning badges. I currently have earned the following badges: Shopping Buddy because a friend started using Cartwheel. Star Collector, I added an offer to the card. Super Scanner, I used my Cartwheel for the first time. Smart Saver, I have saved over $10.00  (actually $14.73 of of this writing) using the Cartwheel app. I can now use 15 special coupons at a time.

It is very easy to down load to your wifi enabled iPod, iPad or iPhone. The Target stores near me have free wifi so I can use this app on my iPod to add more offers while in the store. You can get extra savings from 5 to 30% for things you already buy. You can combine one manufacturer coupon, one Target coupon and one Cartwheel offer can be combined on 1 item. You will not get cash back if the total of the coupons exceed the sale price, but an occasional free item is a good thing in my book. This app does not work in Canada as of this writing.

I have used this app for savings on housewares and grocery's so far, but I still have all the other departments to explore. Maybe clothes shopping is next.

This is the app description from the app store:
  

Welcome to the early release of Cartwheel by Target – a whole new spin on saving! It’s the first of its kind, and it’s super-simple. Just sign-up using your Facebook profile and instantly save on things you already buy in Target stores by adding offers to your Cartwheel. Select from hundreds of exclusive discounts (starting at 5% and up to 30%), all available on your iOS device. Best part? These aren’t one-and-done discounts. Use them as many times as you want before they expire. You can even use Cartwheel on top of the 5% you save everyday with Target REDcard.

The app keeps your discounts neatly organized, all ready for your next Target run. Your discounts are all attached to one barcode that you can pull up on your iPhone or iPad, or print from cartwheel.com on your desktop. Just scan your barcode at any U.S. Target store and see your savings add up! Here’s another cool part – invite friends to join, or share deals with them, and you save even more.

• First-of-its-kind savings app
• Discounts from 5%-30% on hundreds of products
• Save on top of other coupons and offers, like Target REDcard
• Share discounts with your friends on Facebook for inspiration
• Fully-customizable privacy settings, including Facebook posting
• Personalized offers, tailored to help save more on what you buy most
• Average discounts are valid for 60 days – longer than our Weekly Ad
• Check out cartwheelsupport.target.com for feedback or questions
• For Facebook app users, requires Facebook version 6.0 and above

What's New in Version 1.2

- Updated tutorial
- Improved experience for adding an offer when your Cartwheel is full
- Added the Cartwheel barcode number to offline barcode screen for easier redemption with no connectivity
- Allowed for deep-linking from Facebook for smoother navigation between the apps
- Added the menu icon for easier access to the nav menu in iPad portrait
- Fixed bugs for "offer list full" and miscellaneous crash issues

Just to be perfectly clear. I found out about this app on facebook ( which you must have to use this app) The app can be downloaded for free. Here is the link to the Cartwheel by Target App. Target has not paid for this review and ALL the views are my own. I did not make any purchases that I was not going to make in the first place, the app savings were just the icing on the cake.

Tucson Wool Festival

It's that time of year again, Unique Designs by Kathy is hosting the 5th annual Tucson Wool Festival. The big day is Saturday, October 17, 2009, from 9 am to 3 pm. It is a great event for the entire family. The event is stroller and wheelchair friendly if you don't mind a bit of rough terrain and four wheeling it, I know because I have pushed 80 pounds of boy along with 180 pounds of wheelchair at past events.

Did I mention that the Tucson Wool Festival is FREE. This would be a good group outing for your group or school. Your can tour a real working ranch, Kathy gives a great tour and her animals are friendly. Kathy will have a prize drawing and I can not wait for the sheep to shawl event.

Kathy does a wonderful job of spinning yarn too. The yarn Kathy spun up and I knit into a shawl is still in use 4 1/2 years later. So be sure to check out Kathy's shop on the ranch for hand spun yarn, fibre to spin and very nice hand work done by Kathy too.

Kathy wrote out an elegant description, so in the interest of doing the event justice I will plagiarize her description of the event.

"Tour a working fiber farm and meet our llamas, angora goats, Shetland, Jacob, Border Leicester and Rambouillet sheep and angora rabbits. Their luxurious fibres are used in spinning, felting, weaving and knitting to create lovely and natural apparel and decorative work. Try your hand at a workshop or visit a selection of unique fiber artists from across the southwest. Of course, knitters and crocheters are welcome to lend a hand to the "Freeform Community sheep to shawl" event."

As of today there is still time to volunteer, call Kathy. Kathy also has some space left for vendors, to set up a vending spot for hand crafted items only, so if you spin, raise your own fibre animals or create your own hand made crafting supplies give Kathy a call at (520) 572-3758. or e-mail her at jmarckathy@aol.com or check out her web site at http://www.uniquedesignsbykathy.com

It is fairly easy to get to Kathy's ranch. From the I-10, Exit Cortaro Farms & travel east to Thornydale, north past Linda Vista to Palo Seco. This is a small dirt road just past some apartments. Turn left and the Ranch is first on the right. From Tucson if you are not taking the freeway take Ina to Thornydale and go north past Linda Vista to Palo Seco. Turn left and the ranch is on the right hand side. There is plenty of street parking, just be sure to pull all the way off the road.

This is a must go to event for fibre people and a good outing for children, there are not many working ranches left in Tucson. I hope to see you there.