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Sunday are the best days for landing a cheap rate on a hotel room.

January's the best time to find low prices on linens and bedding.  

And when dining out, choose Tuesdays for quality and Sundays for price.

There are certain times of the year or the days of the week when landing a deal on a specific item is better than others.

Click here for an interesting run down of the best times to shop for 45 different items, from baby clothing and air conditioners to airline tickets and even bicycles.

Some retailers already are making plans to market energy efficient appliances to coincide with the federal government's upcoming dollars-for-dishwashers stimulus program.

This fall the federal government will offer rebates to consumers if they buy certain Energy Star home appliances. Each state can determine which appliances qualifty for a rebate.

Sears appears to be getting a head start on this program. The retailer plans to have a feature on its Web site for consumers to search which appliances qualify for the rebate at its stores in different states. Here's a story with those details.

Also,  unrelated to dollars-for-dishwashers, the state of Virginia has a sales tax holiday in October aimed at consumers who buy energy efficient appliances. It slashes the 5 percent sales tax on certain energy saving products, including Energy Star appliances.

The state hasn't yet defined the dates for this approaching holiday, according to the Virginia Department of Taxation.

Correction: There are three Big Lots stores in the Roanoke Valley.

Attention Big Lots shoppers, this discount retailer plans to roll out its first loyalty card program this fall.

According to this story, Big Lots will offer discounts when you make 10 purchases of at least $20 apiece using the card.

So, if you like to use discount cards where you shop, you may want to check out this one, called the Buzz Club card. There are two Roanoke Valley Big Lots stores.

Retailers believe that these kinds of discount cards attract loyal shoppers.

Do they work for you? Are you more likely to shop at a certain store, such as a grocery store, if you have a special discount card?

Starting this Friday, you can exchange used baby cribs, car seats, bassinets and other equipment for a discount on new products at Toys "R" Us.

The national toy retailer is launching this Great Trade-In Event in all of its stores as a way to keep potentially unsafe children's products out of the resale market. In the past several years, many pieces of baby equipment have been recalled because of safety concerns.

You'll receive a 20 percent discount on new related equipment, from select manufacturers, when you exchange these used products at Toys "R" Us. The trade-in program runs from Aug. 28 to Sept. 20.

Read this story for more details.

For a list of manufacturers included in the trade-in event and more details, click here for the Toys "R" Us news release.

A new Elderberry's planned for Salem will be a mini version of this smoothie and food shop's larger presence in Southwest Roanoke County and Blacksburg.

Last week, I posted news that Elderberry's would be opening in a retail space on Main Street in Salem. Today, I caught up with one of the owners, Diane Elder, who shared a few more details about the shop's third location.

Elder, her husband, her sister and her brother-in-law are partners in the new Salem Elderberry's, which will land in a small space near Mac and Bob's at 304 Main Street. The proximity to Roanoke College was one of the draws for this smoothie business. Elder said some Roanoke College students and other Salem residents are regulars at Elderberry's in Roanoke County, at the West Village retail center.

The Salem Elderbery's will carry a slightly smaller menu of smoothies and food, compared with its other two shops. Still, it will concoct specialized smoothies that are specific to the Salem area, such as a spartanberry smoothie for Salem High School and a maroonberry flavor for Roanoke College.

The new Elderberry's also will have a take-out window and outdoor seats.

The owners are trying to open the new shop by the weekend of Sept. 11and 12. On Sept. 12,  a crowd of vendors and shoppers will converge on Salem's Main Street for Olde Salem Days, an annual arts and crafts festival.

Elderberry's hours be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. There's a possibility of expanding the evening hours, but Elder said that's not set in stone.

On another note, please keep your comments respectful on this blog. I will delete comments that include derogatory terms and personal insults. This blog is a place for thoughtful and healthy dialogue. Please keep that in mind when you contribute to the discussion.

Also, please use a valid email address when you post a comment.

I found an interesting survey by PriceGrabber.com recently on the different ways that men and women react to the economy.

For one, more women say they are cutting back on certain kinds of spending, compared with men. The survey states that in the categories of dining out, entertainment, shopping online and shopping in stores in general, women are spending less money than men.

Also,  men and women definite necessities differently. For instance, in the same survey, men were more likely to view a certain technology, such as a computer, high speed Internet or a flat screen television, as a necessity, which means they can't live without it.

Click here for more information about the PriceGrabber.com findings. And I'm interested in your thoughts. Is this survey accurate, in your opinion?

Smoothie lovers, prepare for a new arrival in Salem.

The owners of Elderberry's, a local smoothie business, plan to open a shop at 304 Main St. in Salem.  It will open next month, according to Elderberry's Web site.

Diane and Alan Elder opened the first Elderberry's in 2001 in Southwest Roanoke County, and the business has been on an expansion roll in the past year. Late last year, the Elders, along with additional partners, opened Elderberry's in Blacksburg at the First & Main retail center.

Elderberry's also has a Southwest Roanoke County location at the West Village shopping center on Virginia 419. 

These shops sells smoothies and some food offerings, such as sandwiches and wraps.

I'll keep you updated as I find out more details about Elderberry's new Salem location.

Some of you have asked about the status of Shula's 347 Grill at a Roanoke Sheraton hotel, so here's the latest on that news.

A spokesman for the Shula's Steakhouses chain, Bill Herman, told me that this restaurant will open in Roanoke in the first quarter of next year. The opening has been delayed from late this year because of renovations going on at this hotel off Hershberger Road, which formerly was the Roanoke Plaza Hotel.

Herman did not have details to share about what specific construction issues have come up at this site. Renovations have been going on since 2008 at the hotel to change it to the Sheraton brand.

Don Shula, legendary NFL coach, founded the Florida-based Shula's chain. Herman said Shula typically makes appearances at the grand openings of the Shula's eateries, so he'll be at the Roanoke opening. I'll let you know the opening date once it is announced.

Retailers have been pushing denim sales lately with special deals and events.

To celebrate its 40th anniversary and to promote its 1969 jeans, Gap stores nationwide, including the one at Roanoke's Valley View Mall, are hosting free acoustic concerts tonight.

Small Town Gossip, a band from Winston Salem, N.C., will play at Gap's store at Valley View from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight. Also, all day today, shoppers will receive a 15 percent discount on their entire purchase at Gap, if it includes a pair of new jeans.

Already, pairs of jeans are discounted $20 at Gap.

Here are more details about this anniversary event.

Today is opening day for the new Food Lion store in Daleville, located on U.S. 220 at the Orchard Marketplace shopping center. I received some additional details about this new grocer to pass along.

The store's hours are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day. Calvin Walters of Roanoke County is the manager. He's been with Food Lion since 1986.

Most stores offer giveaways and other special contests on opening day. If you're up for a load of free groceries, you can enter a contest at this new Food Lion today to win a shopping spree.  Registration for the contest is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Food Lion.

At 7 p.m., one person's name will be drawn. The winner has 99 seconds to run through the store and grab as much food as possible. The contest, run by Q99, excludes alcohol and tobacco products. Of course, the winner keeps all of the food that ends up in the cart.

Read more information about this new Food Lion here.