Remember the prizes that came in cereal boxes? Well, they've gotten better.

Michele Ashamalla: My husband went to the grocery store last night for some milk and came back with a couple of boxes of cereal, too. He bought them because there was a promotion going on for specially marked General Mills cereal (Cheerios, Lucky Charms, etc.) -- there were codes inside that could be redeemed for free movie tickets. Two codes (two boxes) equaled one free ticket. The ticket was a Hollywood Movie Money Ticket, which is good at most theaters and does not have to be redeemed until June 2010. He paid the regular price for the cereal, which was $4.00 a box. So for $8.00, we came out with a movie ticket and two boxes of cereal, which is really good, since movies out here cost about $12.00.

Not good enough for me, though. I checked the sale papers for the other nearby grocery chains and saw that one of them was offering the same cereal for only $2.50 a box. I'd have to see if they had the boxes with the movie codes, though.

The first store I checked did not, but I saw that they had other, double-size boxes of Cheerios that included a free softcover book, and the titles were some good ones. That cereal was the regular price of $5.00, which also was a good deal, considering what you were getting. I didn't have time to think about that, though; I was on the hunt for free movies.

At store number two, I hit the jackpot. I left the store with several cases of cereal that the manager brought out from the back. There were still at least fifty boxes on the shelves for any other bargain hunters, and I saw a few follow my lead after I explained what I was doing. We eat a lot of cereal, but probably not that much. I know some teachers that are going to be getting Cheerio (popcorn) Balls and Cheerio (Rice Krispie) treats for holiday class parties. Also, since I can get the codes and keep the cereal portion sealed, I'm sure our local food bank will be getting a big breakfast food donation.

When I got home, I unloaded the car and poured myself a big bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios -- even sweeter because of the deal.

Deal Details: Starting in November, you can receive a free movie ticket when you purchase two specially marked General Mills Cereals. Upon purchase, visit www.generalmills.com/moviecash and enter the code inside and print your free movie certificate.

A former state deputy attorney general and current stay-at-home mom, Recession Mama Michele Ashamalla has three kids and ten years of experience stretching one salary to cover the necessities and more. She's all about saving money whenever you can, so you have it to spend on whatever you want!