I’ve seen some comments lately wondering about different stores and restaurants supposedly locating to Roanoke, like Kohl’s. Jenny Boone has been following these stories on her blog, The Storefront, so take a look and join the conversation here.

Is there a better word in the Shoptimist’s vocabulary than “free”? I can’t think of one. Here are some of the buy one, get one free deals to look for today:

P&G BrandSaver:

Buy one Swiffer Dusters Extender Starter Kit, get one Swiffer refill free ($4.99 value)
Buy one Olay body wash, get one Olay Complete moisturizer free ($6 value)
Buy one Olay bar or body wash, get one Secret Original deodorant free ($3 value)
Buy one Gillette Deodorant, get one free ($4.99)
Buy one Old Spice Fresh Collection product, get one Old Spice deodorant free ($3.25 value)
Buy one Oral-B CrossAction Power Battery Toothbrush, get one free ($9)
Total value of free products: $31.23

SmartSource:

Baskin Robbins: Buy any cone, get one free
Buy one Hershey’s Milk Chocolate King Size Bar or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups King Size, get one Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Drops King Size or Reese’s Minis King Size free ($1.29 value)
Buy one Air Wick Scented Oil refill, get any warmer unit free ($2.19 value)
Total value of free products: $3.48 (plus ice cream!)

Redplum:

Buy two Suave Body Wash products, get one free ($2 value)
Buy one Cesar Canine Cuisine Entree, get one free ($1.19 value)
Buy one 13.2-oz. or smaller can of Purina ALPO, get one free ($.89 value)
Buy four Beneful Prepared Meals, get two Beneful Prepared Meals free ($4.58)
Total value of free products: $8.66

Total value of all free products: $43.37 (plus ice cream!)

Now go and shop freely!

Take a quick look at your receipt before it ends up like this. Couresy of PhotoVandal, Flickr

“Do you want your receipt in the bag?” Before you quickly shake your head, grab your bag and move on, take a second to look at that receipt next time.

I’ve noticed it’s becoming more and more common for stores to include coupons and discounts on their printed receipts, but rarely do they call your attention to them. In the past month I’ve really stocked up. One was a free $25 gift card to CVS with a new or transferred prescription. As I had already been planning to switch pharmacies, this couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m not a regular shopper at CVS but the gift card can be used on prescription refills, so CVS will be picking up my pharmacy tab for the next few months.

I also received discounts to The Gap, Express and Old Navy recently. Each had a small note on the  bottom of the receipt telling me how much the discount was for and giving the terms and conditions. In many cases these discounts can’t be used on clearance items, but an extra 10 or 15% off of a regular priced item isn’t too shabby. Sometimes there is a number listed and you have to complete a short survey in order to get the discount code. This usually takes no longer than 5 minutes and is a fairly painless process.

Grocery stores like Kroger also include great savings with their receipts. Usually the back of the receipt is loaded with coupons for local businesses and restaurants. They also print off extra coupons based on what you often use your Kroger card for. These coupons are specific to Kroger, but if you are a frequent shopper this isn’t a problem.

Some restaurants are also getting in on the trend. I’ve received free menu items from both Chic-fil-A and Sonic in the past. These may not be quite as valuable compared to a $25 gift card, but there’s nothing wrong with a free chicken sandwich every now and then!

Those are just a few examples. Do you know of any other stores that participate?

In today’s CornerShot, a feature which runs on the front page of the Extra section daily, I brought up extreme couponing and how in many cases it does more harm than good to the buyer’s bank account. The new TLC show “Extreme Couponing” features shoppers crazy about finding deals. I know this is something Hollie has posted about before, but it really blows my mind. Do you know any extreme couponers, or have any extreme tendencies yourself? While I plan on clipping coupons Sunday for the items I know I will need in the near future, I’m not sure I’ll ever reach extreme status.

Whether you’re coupon crazy or just an occassional clipper, here’s a hint of what you can expect to see Sunday:

SmartSource, Redplum and the P&G Brandsaver are all filled with a great variety of coupons. In the Brandsaver alone you have the opportunity to save up to $98 and many of the coupons apply to household basics, so stock up!

Redplum and SmartSource are full of ideas and coupons for both the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day — his and hers bargains, if you will.

Each of these have coupons posted online too, so don’t forget to check that out.

The large Thirty-One Thermal Tote, courtesy of thebagreview.com.

Thirty-One Gifts has a special on thermal totes through the end of the month. This means you can get the large size thermal for $10 (savings of $4) and the small size for $8 (savings of $4.50). These items can also be embroidered in a variety of fonts and colors for just $1.50.

I have one of the large totes that I use for a lunch box and it’s great. It’s large enough to hold small tupperwear containers and a drink, and with an ice pack I don’t have to worry about stuffing everything in the fridge at work.

I’m planning on ordering a second in “Wild Zebra” as a back-up tote or gift.

These prints are all new for spring, so if you’re getting tired of winter pick one up and day-dream of spring-time picnics.

For more information, click here.

Courtesy of Mod Market on Etsy.com.

Hello everyone! Rebecca here, and I’m happy to inform you that we’re halfway through the week.  One of the dilemmas people face when it comes to shopping these days is online vs. local. You can find some awesome deals online, but then you’re not supporting your favorite local shops and boutiques.

Recently I discovered the “Shop Local” option on Etsy.com. If you’re shopping for a special, unique gift I’d be shocked if you couldn’t find it here.

For example, my sister loves accessories and decorations featuring yellow birds. That’s a pretty specific niche! When I went to buy her a necklace featuring a yellow bird for Christmas, my only problem was that I had too many choices. After scrolling through dozens of pages of original items, I finally settled on a small piece similar to the one in the photo. Not only was it great to find a unique item, but the price was right, too.

Click here to see a list of Roanoke shop owners  and creators on Etsy.

Do you know of any other websites that give an option for buying local?

CouponMom shared a promotional code today that will save you 80 percent at restaurant.com on gift certificates for several local restaurants, including Arzu and 202 Market in downtown Roanoke.

I picked up one of these for Fork in the City in November and finally redeemed it this weekend. It works this way for Fork in the City: add a $25 gift certificate to your shopping cart for $15 and use the promotional code MEAL to save 80 percent. This drops your total to $3! That is a savings of $22 bucks in the restaurant.

Now, be sure to read the fine print because this deal includes adding 18 percent gratuity when you use the certfiicate and requires your bill to be at least $35. Essentially you will have to fork out an additional 10 bucks plus tip for this deal.

When my family and I dined at Fork in the City on Sunday, our final bill was $17 after the certificate. We saved about $10. But using the promotional code today, you can more than double the savings.

And if you go to Fork in the City, I recommend trying one of the Speciality Downtown Dogs. I had two Jefferson Dogs (Half-smoke sausage hot dogs with chili and cheese, no buns for me).

I plan to purchase a couple of gift certificates from restaurant.com today.

I purchased these boots, made by Crocs, on Shoebuy.com for around $25.

Hello everyone, Rebecca here. It’s Monday and there’s a threat for wintery weather later this week. Are you prepared? Up until a few weeks ago I hadn’t invested in any snow boots, even after all the snow last year. I’ve been pleased with my purchase so far, despite the fact that no significant snow has fallen since they arrived (of course).

For those of you that haven’t gotten around to buying your boots and other winter goods yet, now is an ideal time. Stores are preparing for spring merchandise and you can get some great deals on quality boots to keep your toesies warm — remember, there’s still a lot of winter left!

Rack Room, Macy’s, JC Penny and Belk all have numerous options for a decent price. They also have certain styles of rain boots on sale, so you could pick a pair of those up and have a jump start on April and May’s spring showers.

Know of any other stores that are having a sale on seasonal items? Parents, do you stock up on boots, gloves, etc. for your kids while it’s on sale?

CouponMom taught me to maximize savings by stacking store and manufacturer coupons and earning drug store rewards. You even come out ahead sometimes.

For instance, this week CVS is giving $3.99 worth of Extra Bucks with the purchase of a 16.9-ounce bottle of Crest Pro Health or Pro Health Complete Rinse.

You can make money here by redeeming a $2 coupon for the mouthwash from the December 26 inserts.

The way it works is this: the mouthwash costs $3.99 less the $2 coupon; you pay $1.99 for the product. You can earn $3.99 in Extra Bucks this week by using the ExtraCare  rewards card. That puts you ahead by $2.

Now, take a few minutes to watch the CouponMom tutorial videos and start saving.

Hello fellow coupon clippers! This is Courtney Cutright, filling in for Hollie.

You can expect a hearty insert from SmartSource in the Sunday newspaper, as well as one from RedPlum, with savings of more than $85 all together.

This week’s SmartSource edition features several Superbowl snack ideas. (The big game is Feb. 7) If you are planning to host a game day party or take a dish to a gathering somewhere else, cut coupons for snack foods before heading to the grocery store.

Remember to check out the electronic coupons at RedPlum and SmartSource, as well.

Happy shopping!

Hi shoppers! This is Kathy Lu, features editor at The Roanoke Times.

I know you’ve been missing Hollie this week, and we apologize for the lapse. Hollie is taking a leave, which started this week.

Courtney Cutright

Courtney Cutright covers K-12 education out of our Roanoke newsroom. But she’s also an aspiring coupon queen who recently discovered online coupons (couponmom.com is her favorite). Here’s one of her success stories:

“On my first shopping trip, I spent about $10 on four cans of chicken broth, contact lens solution, shampoo, conditioner, dental floss, dish soap and two bottles of multivitamins. The contact solution and floss were FREE after coupons! I love to see how much I can save, the hardest part is trying only to buy what I need.”

Rebecca Holland

Rebecca Holland is the calendars editor and an editorial assistant in the Roanoke newsroom. She calls herself a “reformed tomboy” who learned her bargain-hunting skills from her mom. She says she’s a fan of etsy.com and ebay.com, where she can find unusual — and sometimes local — items at good prices. “Shoes are my Kryptonite,” Rebecca says, “but I can happily say I’ve never paid full price for any of my beauties.”

Courtney and Rebecca will continue to promo our Sunday circulars as Hollie has done. They might also share lessons learned and other good deals along the way.

Please continue to comment and ask questions. I know Courtney and Rebecca are ready to help.

Most major retailers are having the obligatory weekend sales extended through the holiday Monday.  Keep a lookout for coupons that are in the sale papers inserted this week.

SmartSource has a coupon insert including a mail in rebate and restaurant coupons.  P&G Brandsaver also has a coupon insert this week with over $47 in savings.  I also received an email today from P&G about new ecoupons. Happy Friday all!

I mentioned yesterday that this list can change at any time, I’m including restaurants that have closed, taking the list directly from the website.  Restaurants are for Roanoke and the surrounding area and may not include every location.  Ready?  Deep Breath.

Arzu, Ragazzi’s, Mountain Lake Conservancy and Hotel, Nawab, Blue 5, The Regency Room, Mountain View Italian Kitchen, Taipei, The Bluebird Grill Restaurant, Blues BBQ, 202 Market, Tuscan Tavern, Cornerstone Bar and Grill, The Library, El Rodeo, Passport Restaurant and Lounge, Wildflour Cafe, Preston’s, Chaba, El Toreo, Elephant Walk, Crab Creek, Goodfellaz, Punto Latino, Henry’s Memphis BBQ, Honeybaked Ham, Orange Dog, The Rhein River Inn, Cafe on Franklin, The Cellar, The Little Chef, Legends Sport’s Bar and Grill, The Barbecue Grill, Old Mule Hotdog Co., AJ’s, Joe’s Deli, El Torito, Baja Bistro, Joe’s Pizza, Zeppoli’s, Chip and Joe’s, Hotshots, El Establo, Sir Pete’s Pub and Grill, Watusy’s, Pizza Barn, Blue Collar Joe’s, Roanoke Bagel Co., La Finca, Mulligan’s Bar and Grill, Viva La Cupcake, Salem Pizza and Subs, Thelma’s Chicken-n-Waffles, Norah’s Cafe, Double Dragon Buffet, Hilltop Restaurant, LouAngela’s, India Garden, Paradise Grill, Pizza Den, Champs, Quizno’s, The Bluebird Bakery, Sonic, Zaxby’s, Maggie Moo’s, IHOP, Dunkin Donuts, Pizza Hut, Chick-fil-A,  Baskin Robbins, Domino’s, Zero’s Subs, Oasis, Wonju, Bar 24, Country Store Deli, Taaza, Cancun, Royal She-Sha Lounge, Latitudes, Cinco de Mayo, River City Grill, Chu Cho’s, Little Jamaica, The Great American Grill, Penny’s Village Family Restaurant, Subway, Shenandoah Restaurant, El Cubanito.

And exhale!

Not to be confused with Discover card’s Diner’s Club International, International Diner’s Club (IDC) is local and is not a credit card.  A co-worker asked me if I had used IDC and I had never even heard of it!  He loves it for his family of 5 and has used it for years to rack up savings while eating out and I am wasting no time in signing up!

The basic concept is that you pay a $40 membership fee, get mailed a card or cards that you have to take with you when you dine and get two for one dining (of equal or lesser value of course).  All restaurants are valid for dinner, most for lunch and some for breakfast.

With close to 50 restaurants participating in Roanoke, Salem, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Radford and Moneta and multiple visits available per restaurant, $40 seems like a nominal fee for half off dining.  The return policy is 15 days for a full refund (could be a little longer in my opinion, but not too shabby). The big disclaimer is that the list can change as restaurants decide to participate or go out of business, so call to check if one restaurant sis a deal breaker for you before signing up.  Check back here tomorrow for a full list of restaurants by city.

Contact number is 800.849.4432 and find IDC online at http://www.idc241dining.com/index.htm

 New Target mobile coupons have been released this week for beauty, home, health and baby products.  You can sign up for Target mobile coupons here, get text alerts when new coupons are available, show your phone to the cashier and get them scanned without carrying any paper coupons around (just remember what you’ve downloaded!).  And keep in mind that normal texting rates apply.

I mentioned on Friday that new loadable and printable coupons were showing up on the web.  In addition to your insert this week, Redplum has released new printable coupons this weekend that included BOGO coupons and good value coupons on products like Gatorade, Maybelline and Hefty trash bags.  And, SmartSource is playing as well with several new printables including a Johnson & Johnson $1.50/2 coupon on travel size first aid kits that are often sold at big box stores for $1 (that means you pay $0.25!).  Other coupons on SmartSource include necessities like toothbrushes, rinse and baby wash.

Is anyone else in denial that it’s actually 2011?  I can’t seem to get my head around the idea of a new year, and soon a new baby, yikes!

SmartSource and RedPlum both have coupon inserts in this Sunday’s paper so get your scissors ready to clip.  In addition, shortcuts.com, cellfire.com, Kroger and Food Lion have all released new loadable coupons for the month.

Have you seen the new TLC show Extreme Couponing yet? Since I usually catch up on my DVR and onDemand viewing on the weekends I haven’t had a chance to watch it, but have seen clips from other news sources and read some about the show.  As with anything “extreme”, it’s probably not for everyone and can be consuming.  Using common sense and moderation, plus knowing how valuable time really can be is key when couponing (not to mention just living life in general). I’m interested to see if there’s a negative reaction to couponing due to a handful of extreme individuals.

Most reward programs aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.  Spend $5,000, get 5 rewards points that can be redeemed for a pencil eraser!!!  Or airline miles that can only be redeemed on certain flights, dates, destinations, etc.  Aren’t those convenient?  Here are my criteria for what make a rewards program worth the time.

- Don’t spend to participate.  If rewards only start after a certain spending level has been reached, it’s not worth it.  If you have to buy things you normally wouldn’t to get rewarded, it’s not worth it either.

- Don’t pay fees.  The point of participating in a rewards program is to be rewarded.  If there are service fees or fees to redeem points, it ends up being not rewarding at all.

- Know the program.  Signing up for UPromise or Ebates is great, if you know how to use it to your advantage.  Read all the information you can find on the rewards programs that interest you, then set rules for how you’ll use it and manage your rewards, don’t just sign up and forget about it expecting the program to work for you.

- Work it!  If you shop strictly at Food Lion, having a Kroger Plus card with the mindset of, “But I get fuel points” is not a good fit.  While the fuel points are great, if you’re an infrequent Kroger shopper your points may take a long time to build or expire before use.  Make sure the rewards programs you participate in fit your needs, not the other way around.

Which rewards programs are working for you and which ones need to be ditched?

It appears that the ad in Sunday’s Walmart circular stating that the megastore would accept competitor’s coupons was a misprint.

On its Facebook page, Walmart states: “Unfortunately, there was an error in the printing of our latest ad, which stated that we will honor competitor coupons in addition to printed ads. We are not honoring competitors’ coupons at this time, and we regret the error, however we will honor competitors’ printed ads.”

See Walmart’s official coupon policy.

Did anyone else notice the below onyour Wal-Mart insert this week?

You can read Wal-Mart’s official coupon policy here.  Although competitor coupons are not mentioned as being accepted, they also aren’t explicitly excluded.  Has anyone had experience using competitor coupons at Wal-Mart (or any other retailer)?

ShopStyle.com is a website I found (and since I’m slowly turning into my mother, I can’t remember how I found it).  Users can add their looks Polyvore style, great trend tips, shopping  and my favorite, sale alerts on your favorite brands.   Women, men, kids and home are all covered with brands like Tom Ford, Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, Converse, Lush, L.A.M.B., Jeffrey Campbell, Coach, Conair, TopShop, J. Crew, True Religion and SO MANY MORE.  Let me know what you think!

The first Sunday of the new year is bringing a double dose of coupons.  There will be two SmartSource and 2 Red Plum inserts in your paper today (as always, keep in mind that not all zip codes get all inserts).  Here is a sampling from SmartSource:

Aleve -D product $1.00/1

Alka-Seltzer or Alka-Seltzer Plus product 10ct or larger Save $2.00/1

Bayer AM or any Extra Strength product 24ct or larger Save $1.00/1

Bayer Aspirin Low Dose or 325mg 32ct or larger Save $1.00/1

Breakstone’s Cottage Cheese 4-packs Save $1.50/2

Campbell’s Condensed soups (excluding Chicken Noodle, Tomato and Great for Cooking soups)  Save .40/3

Campbell’s Select Harvest can or bowl varitey Save .50/3

Flintstones product $1.00/1

And from RedPlum:

Aquafresh Premium Toothpastes 5.6oz or larger Save $.75/1

Aquafresh iso-active Foaming gel Save $1.00/1

Beano product 30ct or larger save $1.00/1

Disney vitamins Save $1.00/1

Emerald 100 Calorie Pack Save $.50/1

Emerald Cocoa Roast or Cinnamon roast canister Save $1.00/1

Jimmy Dean d-lights bowls Save $1.00/1

Jimmy Dean d-light sandwich Save $1.00/1

L’Oreal Skincare product Save $2.00/1

Nature’s Bounty vitamins Save $1.00/1

Nature’s Bounty Your life Multi Save $2.00/1

Nivea Body wash for women 8.4 -16.9oz Save $1.00/1

Nivea Good-bye Cellulite smoothing cellulite gel-cream & serum Save $2.00/1

Buy one Nivea lip care Get one Nivea Lip Care product FREE value to Save $3.99

Nivea for men body wash 16.9oz Save $1.00/1

Get 1 Pasta Roni Free up to Save $2.00 value when you buy any 3 Rice-A-Roni (4/30/11)

Pop Secret Products Save $.50/2 DND #5 (2/13/11)

Quaker Instant Oatmeal, Quick or Old Fashioned Oats Save $1.00/1 (4/30/11)

Sundown & Marvel vitamins any Save $1.00/1

Wisk Laundry detergent any Save $2.00/1