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Coinstar: Can't Afford to Get Away? Travel and Lifestyle Expert Stephanie Oswald Offers Ways to "Vacation on a Dime"

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  Published in House and Home on Tuesday, June 23rd 2009 at 9:22 GMT, Last Modified on 2009-06-23 09:23:23 by Market Wire
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BELLEVUE, WA--(Marketwire - June 23, 2009) - For the many Americans forgoing a vacation this summer as they look to save money, there are plenty of inexpensive ways to have fun while staying at home. To help families create an unforgettable start to the summer, Coinstar and redbox are partnering with travelgirl magazine editor-in-chief Stephanie Oswald, giving families tips on how to get creative with their stay-at-home vacations.

"As a mother, taking a summer staycation can be the best of both worlds," said Oswald. "You get to have fun spending time with family away from work and don't have to break the bank to do it."

According to Coinstar, there's approximately $90 of loose change hiding in the average U.S. household. Before starting a staycation, Oswald recommends asking each family member to empty out their piggy bank, coin jar or change drawer. Then, take all of the coins to the nearest Coinstar Center and use the cash to help pay for some of those staycation expenses. Visit [ www.coinstar.com ] for a list of locations.

With this "found" money, Oswald offers the following ideas for making the most of a summer staycation, regardless of your location, interest or budget:

• Become a Tourist -- Check-out those local sites and landmarks that you've often thought about but never explored. Whether it's a historic museum, city tour or an amusement park, have a family meeting and allow each member to pick at least one special event. If you're on your own, the sky is the limit but remember to bring a camera to capture those memories.
  
  
• Host a Film Festival -- Escape to the movies by watching back-to-back films throughout the day. Visit your local grocery store to pick-up the family's favorite snacks and movies from redbox. For added fun, play a movie trivia game to determine who gets to choose the next movie and make the popcorn. Visit [ www.redbox.com ] for a list of redbox locations and available titles near you.
  
  
• Invite the Neighbors -- Now is a good time to get to know your neighbors. Organize a neighborhood cook-out and invite each family to bring a dish. Set up games to make it fun for the kids and try to meet as many new people as possible. It might be fun to accept nominations for hosting the next neighborhood party.
  
  
• Stage a Backyard Campout -- Enjoy the great outdoors just steps away from home. The key to any backyard campout is to make it as realistic as possible. Gather your gear and pack everything you need beforehand. Work together to pitch a tent, and build a campfire for cooking. Finish off the night with a few stories by the fire and a game of flashlight tag for a fun night under the stars.

Coinstar and redbox are offering customers the chance to win a variety of fun prizes through the "Vacation on a Dime" sweepstakes from June 23-July 13, 2009. The first 100 people to enter the sweepstakes will receive a redbox code for one free night's movie rental. Additional prizes will include $90 gift packages from Coinstar and a grand prize of one year's worth of rentals from redbox. Consumers can enter the sweepstakes and share their favorite movies or top staycation ideas by visiting the [ Official Coinstar Page ] at [ www.facebook.com ].

About Redbox

Redbox Automated Retail, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coinstar, Inc., offers new release DVD rentals for $1 per night through its network of conveniently located, self-service kiosks. Redbox is available at more than 15,000 locations nationwide, including select McDonald's restaurants, leading grocery and convenience stores, and Wal-Mart and Walgreens locations in select markets. For more information, visit [ www.redbox.com ].

About Coinstar, Inc.

Coinstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ CSTR ]) is a multi-national company offering a range of 4th Wall® solutions for the retailers' front of store consisting of self-service coin counting, DVD rental, money transfer, electronic payment solutions, and entertainment services. The Company's products and services can be found at more than 90,000 points of presence including supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchants, financial institutions, convenience stores, restaurants and money transfer agent locations. For more information, visit [ www.coinstar.com ].