Shortcuts.com Introduces “Meal Deals” to Help Consumers Save More Money on Family Meals

New York, NY – October 9, 2008 – Between soaring energy costs, the credit crunch and high food prices, consumers are feeling the pinch in their pocketbook. To help families maximize their food budgets, Shortcuts.com, a free, paperless online coupon service that links coupons directly to grocery store loyalty cards, today introduced a new “Meal Deals” feature to offer savings on complete family meals with just one click of the mouse. 

Shortcuts.com is now offering two “Meal Deals,” in partnership with The Kroger Co. and General Mills, including a Pasta Night Meal Deal and Betty’s Birthday Deal. The Pasta Night Meal Deal, for example, includes valuable cents-off coupons for a Macaroni Grill dinner kit, Kroger frozen chicken, Pillsbury crescent rolls and Green Giant frozen vegetables. On November 9, Shortcuts.com will start offering a Taco Night Meal Deal.

“Consumers are spending less time eating out and more time planning meals at home. They seek out simple ways to save with coupons in order to make the most of their grocery budgets,” said Kimberley Partoll, Executive Vice President, New Ventures, AOL. “With Meal Deals, we’re offering a convenient way to take advantage of coupon savings while taking the legwork out of meal planning. It’s a win-win for consumers and a welcome help in this difficult economy.”

The “Meal Deals” available to Shortcuts.com users include:

Pasta Night Meal Deal (Oct. 9 – Nov. 8): $2.75 Savings

Save $1.00 on Macaroni Grill Dinner Kit
Save $.75 on Kroger Frozen Chicken
Save $.50 on Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Save $.50 on Green Giant Frozen Boxed Vegetables

Betty’s Birthday Deal (Oct. 9 - Dec. 8): $2.25 Savings

Save $.50 on Betty Crocker Cake Mix
Save $.50 on Betty Crocker Frosting
Save $.75 on Private Selection Ice Cream
Save $.50 on Kroger Designer Plates & Cups

Taco Night Meal Deal (Nov. 9 – Dec. 8): $2.70 Savings

Save $.50 on Old El Paso Taco Dinner Kit
Save $.75 on Kroger Flavor Seal Ground Beef
Save $.45 on Kroger Shredded Cheese
Save $.50 on Kroger Salsa
Save $.50 on Pillsbury Ready to Bake Cookies

According to an ICOM Information and Communications poll, 67 percent of consumers increase coupon usage during a weakened economy. Meanwhile, 58 percent of consumers surveyed say they favor electronic coupons delivered directly to their store loyalty cards online.

About Shortcuts.com
Shortcuts.com, a free service of AOL, is a completely paperless online coupon program linked to store loyalty cards. Shortcuts.com makes it easy for consumers to save on the products they buy every week without the hassle of paper coupons.  For more on Shortcuts.com, visit http://www.shortcuts.com.