Caribou tries out a promotion that just might be the perfect cure for a case of the Mondays, while some fake Starbucks coupons are getting one city a little steamed.

In the mid ’90s, a band called the Bodeans sang, “Everybody wants to be closer to free”, and today it seems that couldn’t be more true. With the economy still in a seemingly endless slump, everyone from Wall Street to Main Street is looking for ways to save money and get the essentials “closer to free”.

Coffee is no exception. In fact, it’s often been the barometer lately for how money in America is doing. As Starbucks gets set to close yet another round of stores, Caribou is taking steps to keep their coffee pots on by offering discounts and freebie deals starting this week.

On Mondays, Caribou will offer medium coffees for just $1. The chain’s website says “too bad Mondays only come around once a week.” Well, I don’t know about that, but cheap coffee is always a good deal, especially when it’s as good as Caribou’s.

The cheap coffee offer will be limited to just Caribou Blend, but as they say, never look a gift caribou in the mouth…or something like that. The blend is said to be “sweet and spicy with berry notes delivering a smooth, balanced, down-to-earth taste.”

Examiner.com is also saying that customers can save $2 on a pound of Caribou coffee when they bring in the empty bag from their last coffee purchase. This promotion seems to only be happening at certain locations, though, so be sure and check with your barista next time you stop in.

Can you get fake coffee with that fake coupon?

Certain Chinese coffee drinkers are no doubt feeling shanghaied right about now over some fictitious Starbucks vouchers. (Yeah, that was pretty bad, I know.)

According to Shanghaiist.com, someone has been passing out fake vouchers for free Starbucks coffee via a local website. One Starbucks in Metro City, XuJiaHui, posted a flyer saying, “Our company has neither sold coffee coupon[s] through any channel other than our company (and stores), nor sold merchandise or coffee coupons via any website or agent.”

This isn’t the first time vouchers like these have caught Shanghai residents off guard. Another website recently sold fake iTunes gift cards at an unbelievable discount. A $200 (US) gift card was selling for just 18 RMB, or about $2.63. Just imagine the line outside of the Apple store.

But getting back to the coffee, I think it’s unwise to mess with the Chinese and their Starbucks. The country is the one place in the world right now where the brand is actually growing instead of shutting stores left and right. Starbucks has opened 300 stores in China in its 10 years there and plans to open an additional 300 over the next few years.

All of which has prompted the Shanghaiist.com to ask, “Can we just rename our city Starbucks?”

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