Here’s what you should keep an eye out for in today’s paper:

Redplum , SmartSource and P&G all have inserts this week.
Look for Red Lobster and Chuck E. Cheese’s coupons in SmartSource.

The O’Charley’s flier is offering $5 off of a food purchase of $20 or more, and there are multiple Sonic coupons available.

Target has a great deal on its Tees and tanks this week at only $5 each. Select dresses and sweaters are $19.99 and under, and solid color flats are only $12. Graphic Tees for girls and boys are only $7, and men’s graphic Tees are only $7 as well.
If you’re packing for college, check out the 66-qt. and 41-qt. storage containers for only $5.99.

Office Max and Staples are still offering tons of back to school deals for under $1.
At Office Max you’ll find crayons and wooden rulers for $.01, composition books and glue stick packs for $.50 and #2 pencils for $.10.
Staples has mechanical pencils for free (with rebate), plastic rulers and paper clips for $.25, and scissors, notebooks, dividers and photo paper for $.50.

Family Dollar is celebrating 7,000 stores with a big sale plus  in-store coupons (check the back of the ad). Go online and you’ll also find a printable coupon good for $5 off of a $25 purchase valid today.

Belk is offering an extra 15% off of home purchases, regular priced and sale, July 31 through Aug. 2. Now would be a great time to invest in some new towels, sheets or kitchen gadgets!

The JC Penney Salon has some killer coupons for cut, color and perms for new clients. There are also hair products and tools on sale, with a coupon good for an additional $15 off purchases of $75 or more, or $5 off a purchase of $35 or more.

CVS is continuing the free gas card promotion this week with a new batch of goodies — spend $30, get $10 in gas.
You can also get $3 in ExtraBucks by simply scanning your ExtraCare card at one of the in-store kiosks (no purchase necessary!).
Try out one of the new prepaid Visa cards, and you could earn a free $5 credit. Purchase a card for $4.95 and make a CVS purchase with it by Sept. 3 to earn the credit.

Kroger is jumping on the daily deal bandwagon by providing special offers online everyday Aug. 3-31. These deals can be downloaded onto your Kroger card.

This Sunday we’ll have the biggest batch of ads and coupons I’ve seen in a while. Back to school sales are in full swing and summer clothing can be found on sale everywhere.

Here are some hints on what you should look out for:

There are four (yes, four!) coupon booklets headed your way. Redplum has two, and SmartSource and P&G both have one.

Numerous restaurants will have coupons available — some on their own fliers and some within the coupon booklets.

Prep to stock up on summer and fall wardrobe basics for the whole family at Target.

Office Max and Staples are still battling for the best back to school savings.

Family Dollar is celebrating 7,000 stores, and you get to reap the rewards.

July 31 through Aug. 2 will be the time to make home purchases at Belk.

The JC Penney Salon has a new batch of coupons for hair products and services coming up.

The free gas card promotion will continue at CVS into next week, and there are numerous other ways to earn ExtraBucks — and one just required scanning your card.

Kroger is jumping on the daily deal bandwagon next week, and they’re giving you the opportunity to earn free tickets to a Sprint Cup race.

Enjoy your weekend!

To celebrate newcomer and waxing specialist Meredith, Polished by Claire V. is offering customers a free express pedicure (a $20 value) when they book a bikini or brazilian wax now through August 20.

Sounds like a good time to pamper yourself a little!

Stop by a participating McAlister’s Deli today and get yourself a free iced tea to celebrate Free Tea Day.

The Roanoke location can be found at 2063 Colonial Avenue.

Enjoy!

Downtown Live! is tonight from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Roanoke City Market Square. Admission is free and the Fat Daddy Band will be providing the entertainment.

Beer, wine and soft drinks will be available for purchase, but make sure you use the coupon below that will get you $2 off of adult beverages.

Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the evening!

It’s time for a round up  of the latest coupon and shopping news:

Target changes its coupon policy
June brought a new coupon policy for Target  shoppers. The retailer will no longer accept Internet coupons for free items with no purchase requirements; buy one, get one coupons can’t be combined; and a coupon’s amount may be reduced if it exceeds the value of the item.

Donate expired coupons to military families
It always feels like such a waste dumping all of those expired coupons. Luckily, there are folks out there who can benefit from the unused extras.
Members of the military and their families are able to use manufacturer coupons up to six months after their expiration date at their c ommissaries . By using the Overseas Coupon Program (www.ocpnet.org), you can adopt a base and find tips for mailing your coupons.
Hint: Use flat-rate shipping envelopes to save on overseas shipping costs.

UPDATE: I got a note from reader Terri Kroh, who has been mailing coupons overseas for years, this morning suggesting that people check with their local VFWs and American Legion offices. Some of these locations already send batches of coupons overseas, so you can add to their stock and save even more on shipping.

Some coupon sites will mail to you
Websites such as Coupons.com, which allow shoppers to choose which coupons they would like to print and use, have become very popular in the past year. However, online couponing presents a problem for those without easy access to a printer.
Now many websites have the option to have the coupons mailed, but you may have to do some hunting to utilize this option. For example, the mail option is hidden in the “help” section of Coupons.com.
Note: One of my favorite coupon blogs has good step-by-step instructions here.

Google service allows multisite shopping
Keeping up with all of those usernames and passwords required for online shopping can be a problem. Now more and more online retailers are subscribing to Google Checkout  — a free service of Google that allows shoppers to shop at multiple retailers through one account.
The service also helps customers track all of their orders, cut down on the spam received from signing up at multiple sites and receive special promotions and discounts through Google Checkout.

Know of any other juicy shopping news? Share it!

These adorable tracing papers are available to print for free at the link below.

Not only is it Monday, but I’m battling the post-vacation blues. It’s always tough to go back to your desk after a few days at a sandy beach.

Luckily, I’ve got a big bundle of freebies and coupons to share, and that always makes things better.

Want a free Ruby Tuesday’s burger? Check out their Facebook page and you can get a printable coupon that will earn you a free burger with the purchase of two non-alcoholic drinks.

Free diapers are always welcome, right? Walmart.com is currently offering a free sample of Huggies Snug & Dry in sizes 3, 4 or 5. This freebie is easy to get, too. Fill out your name and address, and answer a couple easy questions, and your diapers will be on the way!

Bath & Body Works has had some great printable coupons lately, and now there’s a new one. Print this coupon or use the code FREESC10 online and you’ll receive a free Signature Collection Body Care item (a $12.50 value) with any $10 purchase.

“Like” Pier One Imports on Facebook today and you can get their “Daily Dealy,” which is a printable coupon for $10 off of any $10 purchase. There will be a new deal every day through July 31, so remember to check back!

Parents who liked the free Cars coloring pages  (which are still available) will be interested in this freebie, too. Click here and you can get free printable alphabet tracing pages. There are 26 cute pages for each letter of the alphabet. I like the website’s suggestion of laminating the pages and using dry erase markers.

JC Penney has two valuable printable coupons available. Click here for a coupon good for $10 off of a $25 purchase (good Friday and Saturday only), or click here for a coupon good for $10 off of a $50 purchase (good now through August 10).

As you may have seen on the Storefront blog, Kirkland’s is planning to return to the Roanoke Valley on August 1. You can prep for the store’s opening with these two printable coupons – this one is good for $5 off of a purchase of $25 or more (good now through August 14), and this one is good for $25 off of a purchase of $75 or more (good now through August 14).

“Like” Old Navy on Facebook and you can get a coupon good for $10 off of an in-store purchase of $50 or more. The deal is only valid this week, so get on it!

Know of any other deals out there? Share them!

This is Courtney Cutright again, filling in for Rebecca.

New to this weekend’s ads is the signature black-and-white insert from Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, which opens this week in Salem. The ad touts everything from beef jerky and bedding to windshield wiper blades.And  Nascar driver Kasey Kahne will be signing autographs at the store’s grand opening on  Wednesday.

Courtesy of fashionblogstrend.com

School supply sales continue this week with deals for penny pocket folders at Staples and a ream of multipurpose paper for one cent after rebate at Office Max. And both Target and Walgreens have Crayola colored pencils (12-packs) for 99 cents. CVS has buy-one-get-one free offers on Mead index cards, Paper Mate pencils (30 count), Crayola crayons (24 count) and more.

Some of JCPenney‘s Arizona jeans for juniors are marked down from $42 to $24.99. Kmart has Basic Editions boys’ and girls’ jeans on sale for $7.99 a pair.

Select General Mills cereals are on sale for $1.49 each at Kroger when you buy four. That’s a savings of more than 50 percent per box — and a good excuse to stock your pantry for school day breakfasts. Stack a manufacturer’s coupon on this deal for even greater savings.

There are more than $35 worth of coupons in both the Redplum and SmartSource inserts, plus extra restaurant, mail and Internet order savings. Happy clipping!

Read all about it here on Mike Allen’s Arts & Extras blog.

Courtesy of banksact.com

Hi, this is Courtney Cutright filling in while Rebecca is out of the office.

I enjoyed an early peek at Sunday’s ads – something I haven’t done in awhile.

Sunday’s newspaper will be stuffed with ad inserts this weekend, including Redplum and SmartSource coupon sections.

Back-to-school sales continue with lots of penny and quarter (and even free!) deals, so stock up now on supply list staples and dorm room goodies.

The gas card promotion continues next week at CVS, and Walgreens has several buy one, get one free sale items.

Several of the department stores’ ads feature sales on jeans, in time to stock the drawers for school.

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet opens Wednesday in Salem. You can read about the grand opening events on Amanda Codispoti’s Storefront blog.  Sunday’s paper will include a “good stuff cheap” ad from the closeout, salvage and surplus merchandiser.

Take a break from the heat and go shopping. Enjoy the weekend!

Feel like all of your money is going directly into your gas tank? These tips might help. Photo by Nathan E Photography, Flickr.

Spending on gasoline is inevitable, but luckily there are a few promotions going on to help us save at the pump.
Learn to work the system and your wallet will thank you.

CVS
CVS stores are rewarding ExtraCare members with a $10 gas gift card when they purchase $30 worth of participating products.
Upon reaching the $30 goal, a $10 coupon for a free $10 gas card will print with your receipt. There is a limit to one gift card per week, per household. This promotion runs through Aug. 28.

Kellogg’s
Collect 10 UPCs from your Kellogg’s cereal boxes and they’ll reward you with a $10 prepaid gas card.
Participating brands include All-Bran, Corn Flakes, Raisin Bran, Cracklin’ Oat Bran, Rice Krispies and more, and they can be mix-and-matched.
Download the official order form here and send it in with only 10 UPCs at a time (no credit will be received for additional UPCs). Each household can redeem this deal up to five times between now and Dec. 31.

Kroger and Shell
Kroger has been offering discounted gas to Kroger Plus cardholders for years. The discounts are based on a points system, allowing shoppers to receive up to $1 off per gallon on gas.
Kroger shoppers earn one point for every dollar spent (excluding certain items such as alcohol), and for every 100 points accumulated, customers get 10 cents off per gallon at Kroger pumps. The points accumulate monthly and customers can earn up to 1,000 points each month, meaning $1 off each gallon of gas.
Now the grocer has teamed up with Shell stations. Participating Shell gas stations will honor the 10 cent discount when a Kroger Plus Card with 100 points or more is scanned.

Sheetz
Sheetz has joined the trend of store loyalty cards. One perk of the My Sheetz Card is that customers will receive three cents off per gallon upon scanning the card.
The program is free to join, and also sends shoppers eRewards. A plus to this system is that there are no points involved — the savings are immediate.

Stop In Food Stores
Stop In Food Stores are rewarding customers for paying cash.
Customers who go inside and prepay with cash will receive six cents off per gallon. On Tuesdays, customers purchasing premium fuel will receive an additional six cents off.
Shoppers can also visit a Stop In offering Shell gasoline and take advantage of the partnership between Shell and Kroger. The Kroger/Shell discount can be combined with Stop In’s, meaning on Tuesdays customers purchasing premium gas with cash can earn at least 22 cents off (12 cents off from Stop In and 10 cents with 100 Kroger points) and customers purchasing all other grades of gasoline can earn at least 16 cents off any day of the week.

Walmart
Now through Sept. 30, Walmart is offering 10 cents off per gallon of gas at participating stores.
The discount applies to gas purchases made when using a reloadable Walmart gift card, reloadable Walmart MoneyCard or Walmart credit card. The Valley View, Lebanon and Harrisonburg locations are participating in the region.

Do you know of any other money saving promotions? Share them!

The Salem Red Sox take on the Frederick Keys tonight at 7 p.m. Take this coupon, or the one printed on page 3 of your Sports section, and you can get in on the action for $1.

Once you’re in the game there will be hotdogs and beverages also available for only $1, and a free cornhole tournament.

SmartSource  is the only coupon booklet you’ll find in your paper today. Don’t be disappointed, though, it’s stuffed with great coupons. On the first inside page you’ll find some rare Starbucks and Tazo tea coupons, and then there are multiple high dollar coupons for everything from dog food to medications.

Office Max and Staples are battling over the best back to school deals. Other retailers have sales this week, but it will be hard to beat the Staples that includes highlighters, pencils and index cards for 1 cent; dividers, notebooks and pens for 50 cents; or dry erase boards, copy paper, binders, mecanical pencils and packs of pens for only $1. Office Max is offering filler paper for 1 cent, crayons for 25 cents, pens for 50 cents, composition books for 75 cents and copy paper for $1.

Walgreens has some back to school deals of its own with notebooks for 39 cents, pens and pencils for 19 cents, glue for 49 cents and folders and highlighters for only 9 cents. You’ll also find lunch boxes and thermoses 25% off!

The kids might be disappointed about this, but Toys R Us is in on the back to school action too. All Crayola crayons, markers and paper are buy 1, get 2 free. Thermoses and USB drives are all 25% off. Also, you can still get a free lunch kit with the purchase of a backpack at $12.99 or more.
If you’re shopping for some fun, select board games are only $11.99, and all Fisher-Price Sing-A-Ma-Jigs are buy 1, get 1 free.

CVS has a new batch of products that can help earn you a free $10 gas card this week, and M&M’s, Nature Valley and General Mills products, Tide, Gain, Kleenex, Cottonelle, Scott and summer toys, accessories and more are all included.
Remember to scan your ExtraCare Card at the kiosk in the store and you can get a few mystery beauty coupons.

The 10 Item Mega Event at Kroger includes Pepsi drinks, Kleenex tissues, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Keebler cookies, Lean Cuisine and Stouffer’s entrees, Tropicana juice, Tostitos, Pepperidge Farm breads, Birds Eye vegetables and more. Buy any 10 of these items and you’ll save $5.
There’s also a big produce sale this week. Blueberries are 3/$10, strawberries are 2/$4, cherry tomatoes are 2/$3 and clementines $4.99 for a 3 lb. bag.

Target is offering up to $50 when you trade in your old graphing calculator this week. Meanwhile, TI-84 Plus graphing calculators are also on sale for $99. Anyone prepping for college should check out the sale on dorm items, especially the XL twin bedding for only $20, and mattress pads for only $6. Tons of other items like lamps, towels, desk materials and more are also on sale.

Kmart has back to school specials, too. Rulers, erasers and wooden pencils are all 50 cents, Crayola markers and colored pencils are only $1, and Crayola crayons and Elmer’s glue are both only 25 cents.

UPDATE: Congrats, Amy! I had our summer intern, Becky, help me pick a winner at random (it’s hard to chose based on the best answer when different tips are useful for different people).

Amy said: “If we go to the beach, we usually rent a house with other couples and split it that way. If it’s going to Disney World, we put everything on our Disney card and rack up points to use for the trip and we get the dinning plan. Also Disney card gives you 6 months to pay for it. We also try to book cheap trips overseas through a website that sells last minute packages that are dirt cheap. There was one that we couldn’t make it but I so wanted to go. It was a 7 day trip to Italy, staying at a castle suite, rentle car, flights from DC, breakfast every morning for only $800/ person!”

Sounds like I need Amy to plan my vacations for me from now on…

Thanks to everyone who participated, there were a lot of good tips shared. Keep an eye out, I’ve got some more goodies to give away soon!

END UPDATE

I’m prepping for a vacation to Folly Beach next week, so can anyone guess where my mind is? Not only that, but I’ve got these awesome, and summery, MAC Surf, Baby! cosmetics that are just begging to be used. The limited edition line is made up of bronzers and cool summer colors — sounds good, right?

So, instead of fighting it, let’s talk vacation. How do you save on vacation? Do you go in the off season? Have a special website you use for booking?

Let me know your tips and tricks, and you could win a MAC lip gloss ($14.50 value), eye pencil ($15.50 value) and bronzer stick ($29.50 value), all from the Surf, Baby! line. A winner will be chosen Monday at noon.

Some of my money saving tips include:
*Stay in a place with a kitchen, or even just a kitchenette. By not visiting a restaurant for every meal you can save a bundle. It’s also nice to run up from the beach and be able to make a quick sandwich or salad.
*Consider visiting in the off season. The beach is still warm and sunny in late September and October, and you can pay a fraction of the cost by visiting in the off season.
*Plan in advance. Watch out for emails from your favorite vacation spots and hotels that you frequent. They’ll often reach out to regular customers with special deals, but many of these require planning pretty far in advance.

How do you save? Remember to tell me by noon on Monday!

It’s been a long, hot week. Take it easy this weekend, and start planning your shopping trips next week.

This weekend we’ve got a SmartSource coupon booklet. It’s the only pack of coupons coming this weekend, but it’s stuffed.

Office Max and Staples will be continuing the deals on back to school itmes, so don’t worry if you haven’t gotten a chance to shop this week. Walgreens will be joining the back to school trend, too, so look out for that.

Toys R Us will also continue its Christmas in July sale with tons of BOGO deals. A lot of the new deals this coming week are back to school related.

CVS will be continuing the gas card promotion into next week. There will also be some good sales in the photo department.

The 10 Item Mega Event continues at Kroger next week, and there will also be a big produce sale.

Target has an interesting deal on graphing calculators coming up, and there are also tons of dorm room items about to go on sale.

Kmart will feature a lot of back to school items on sale next week, as well as a toy clearance event.

I’ve heard of Christmas in July, but Black Friday in July? This is new.

At 3 a.m. Friday morning, Target.com will unveil special Black Friday deals. Just by looking at the preview, it looks like some pretty popular items will be included.

Target.com

Select Kodak cameras, KitchenAid mixers, outdoor furniture, toys, health and beauty items (hair tools, makeup, etc.), car seats, TVs and more are all going to be atleast 20% off.

It’s hard to say just how impressive the deals will be since the preview doesn’t offer much information on prices, but it’s possible you could find some major savings here.

Do you plan to shop the Black Friday in July sale? Tell me about your bargains!

It’s that time again! Another J.Crew warehouse sale is this Saturday and Sunday. Shop Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at the Lynchburg location (25 Millrace Drive). For more information, call the store at 434-316-6324.

I’ve had a lot of success at these sales in the past. Check out some of my deals, and some from readers, here.

For more information aboutwarehouse/sample sales, take a look at this post.

UPDATE: A reader called this morning to let me know that the Tanglewood Auto Wash on Rt. 419 in Roanoke will give you a free car wash on your birthday. Riding around in a clean car is always nice! END UPDATE

It’s hard to beat a birthday. Cake, presents and parties are all good things, but how about adding a few freebies to make the day even sweeter?

Here are some local restaurants and retailers who want to reward you for being born. Many of these rewards require pre-registration online in advance. You can find more details by clicking the links below. Be sure to check with your favorite location about whether they honor these promotions.

Restaurants
* Applebee’s: Free dessert and song
* Arby’s: Free birthday surprise, plus a free roast beef sandwich just for signing up.
* Auntie Anne’s: Free pretzel
* Baskin Robbins: Free 2.5-ounce scoop of ice cream
* Ben & Jerry’s: Free scoop of ice cream 
* Bojangles’: Free birthday biscuit (closest participating locations are Moneta and Rocky Mount)
* Carrabba’s  Italian Grill: Rewards on your birthday (in the past this has been a buy one, get one free entree coupon)
* Cold Stone Creamery: Buy one, get one free ice cream coupon
* Dairy Queen: Buy one, get one free Blizzard coupon
* Denny’s: Free Grand Slam (click the “Rewards” icon in the bottom, right corner)
* Dunkin Donuts: Free medium coffee
* Firehouse Subs: Free medium sub
* IHOP: Free meal
* Maggie Moo’s: Free birthday surprise (in the past this has been free ice cream)
* Moe’s Southwestern Grill: Free entree (excludes fajitas)
* O’Charley’s: Special offer (in the past this has been a $5 coupon)
* Red Lobster: Coupons during your birthday week
* Red Robin: Free burger
* Ruby Tuesday: Free burger
* Sonic: Free birthday surprise
* Starbucks: Free drink with a registered Starbucks Card
* TGI Fridays: Free dessert, plus a free appetizer upon signing up
* Waffle House: Free birthday surprise (in the past this has been a coupon for a free waffle during the month of your birthday)
* Wendy’s: Free special gift (in the past this has been coupons during the week of your birthday)
* Zaxby’s: Free Nibbler

Retail
* AMF Bowling: Special deal on your birthday (in the past this has been free bowling)
* The Children’s Place: Free coupons during your birthday week and your child’s
* Columbia Sportswear (online): 20 percent off coupon
* Old Navy: Free gift
* Walmart PictureMe Studio: Free birthday portrait collage

Just for Kids
* Barnes & Noble: Free cupcake or cookie, plus a free digital book on www.Tickatok.com
* Burger King: Free special surprise (in the past this has been a free kids’ meal)
* Chuck E. Cheese’s: Free tokens
* Old Navy: Free birthday surprise 
* Shoney’s : Free kids’ meal
* Sonic: Free Wacky Pack Kids’ Meal
* Toys R Us: Birthday card and call from Geoffrey, an in-store announcement, crown and balloon, plus a free birthday surprise (usually a $3 gift card)
* Zaxby’s: Free kids’ meal

What are some of your favorite birthday bonuses? Tell me!

Parents, if your kids love “Cars” and the recent “Cars 2,” or they just love coloring, check this out.

Crayola is offering free coloring pages here. Also, Disney Family has a printable activity book called “Racers Road Manual” available here.

With the steamy temperatures today, this might be just the way to occupy the kids inside.

Today, July 11, 7-Eleven stores are celebrating their birthday by giving away free Slurpees. Stop by a participating location and you’ll receive a free 7.11 oz. Slurpee. For more information, check out their Facebook page here.

There’s the possibility that we’ll reach the mid-90s outside today, so stop by, grab your free Slurpee and cool off.

SmartSource and Redplum have coupon booklets this week. Redplum features coupons for Hardees and Logan’s Roadhouse tucked inside.

Pizza Hut and Quiznos both have coupon inserts this week, so keep those handy for a quick family dinner or lunch.

 A.C. Moore and Michaels are both having Dollar Days sales this week, where tons of items are $1 or less.
At Michaels you’l find stock paper 5/$1, foam brushes 14/$1, ribbon spools 3/$1, fall silk flowers $1 each and mroe. You can also start on your holiday crafting with their Christmas in July sale, where you’ll find Christmas themed items 25 to 40% off.
A.C. Moore has daisy stems for $1 each, craft paint 2/$1, ribbon spools for $1 each, foam brushes and glue sticks 20/$1, sewing floss 4/$1, stickers $1 each and more. You’ll also find T0shirts 5/$10, and if you buy a shirt you can tie dye it for free on Saturday, July 16 from 1 to 5 p.m.

Target has tons of lunch items for only $1 this week, including Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, sandwich bread and Lunchables. Other $1 specials include Softsoap liquid hand soaps, one-subject notebooks, two-count Sharpies, plastic hangers, 10 4×6 photo prints, women’s Xhilaration low-cut socks, Gatorade and all one-pack infant and toddler socks.

Office Max and Staples will both be competing for your attention with their back to school deals under $1.
At Office Max you’ll find two-pocket folders and pencil sharpeners for only one cent, and coupons for $1 Paper Mate pencils, Office Max notebooks, Sharpie markers and poly binders. Don’t miss the coupon on the cover that will get you $5 off of a $25 purchase of supplies.
Staples has cap erasers, BIC pens and glue for one cent each. Two-pocket folders, BIC pencils, pencil cases and multipurpose paper are all only 25 cents each. There are also various items, like staplers, three-hole punches, Post-its, scissors, glue sticks and notebooks, for $1.

Toys R Us has an attractive ad for both kids an adults this week. During the Christmas in July sale, you’ll find popular toys like Legos, Disney DVDs, Transformers toys, NERF water guns, Crayola products and more buy one, get one 50% off.
Parents can also pick up some back to school products, like Crayola crayons 4/$1, markers $2 each and colored pencils, journals and 64-count crayons $3 each. You can also get a free lunch kit with any backpack purchase of $12.99 or more.

Sears  has tops for the entire family on special for only $8. Additionally, shoppers can save an extra 5 to 20$ off almost everything on Sears.com. Save on shipping by choosing the in-store pick up option.

This week at CVS you’ll find some new items participating in the free gas card promotion (spend $30 on participating items, get a $10 gift card). CVS vitamins, Colgate toothpaste, various hair color kits, candy products and more will are all participating.
The photo center is boasting 20 free prints when you by 60, so consider developing all those vacation and graduation photos.
Tons of beauty products are on sale this week, and many of them will also earn you ExtraBucks. L’oreal, Garnier and Lumene products are just a few that are offering $5 back in ExtraBucks. Don’t forget that with every $50 spent on beauty products, Beauty Club members will earn another $5 in Extra Bucks.

Kroger’s Mega Event saves shoppers $5 when they buy 10 participating products. This week, some of those products include: Deer Park water, Birds Eye Vegetables, Pringles, Kraft Singles and dressings, Lean Cuisine and Stouffer’s entrees, Welch’s juice, Clorox Bleach, various baking mixes, Totino’s Pizza Rolls, Nabisco Chips Ahoy and more. Many of the participating products are pantry and freezer staples, so stock up and get your extra discount.

Back to school sales are popping up everywhere. Are you ready?

It’s hard to believe, but it’s time to start looking for back to school sales. I suggest you get a jump start on shopping next week, because some good deals are coming up.

This weekend you’ll find SmartSource and Redplum coupon booklets, as well as a few restaurant inserts.

Both A.C. Moore and Michaels are having “Dollar Days” sales this week, so get ready to stock up on crafty products.

Target is going with the dollar theme, too, featuring items in each department for only $1. There are also numerous opportunities to earn free gift cards.

Office Max and Staples are both prepping for back to school shopping. You’ll find tons of supplies for less than a dollar (or even less than a quarter!). Office Max also has a coupon available.

Toys R Us is getting in on the back to school action next week, too. To make the kids happy, there will also a Christmas in July Sale with tons of popular products buy one, get one 50% off.

Sears will be putting tops for the entire family on special starting Sunday, and there will be an even better deal for night owls on Monday.

The free gas card promotion will be continuing into next week at CVS. There will also be a surprise at the ExtraCare Coupon Center for shoppers, as well as tons of deals on beauty and hygiene products.

Kroger’s Mega Event will reward shoppers with an extra discount when they buy 10 of participating products next week.

Friday (July 8 ) is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A — know what that means? Free food! Here’s what they have to say: “Come dressed like a cow from head to hoof and we’ll reward you with a FREE meal. (If you’re a little chicken, don’t worry, a partial costume still receives a free entrée.)”
There’s even a downloadable cow costume kit on the website.
So remember these details: Come in full costume and you’ll get a free meal. Come with a partial costume and you’ll get a free entree. Will you be participating?

Now through Monday (July 11) use this printable coupon at Barnes & Noble and you’ll receive a free Starbucks Real Fruit Smoothie with the purchase of a Real Fruit Smoothie. There are also coupons there for select book titles. This offer is only valid at Barnes & Noble Starbucks locations.

“Like” Old Navy on Facebook and you can print off a coupon good for $5 off of a $25 purchase. This deal expires on Thursday (July 7).

Arby’s has just released its new Oreo Jamocha Shake, and with this printable coupon you can buy one, get one free through Saturday (July 9).

Know a kid who could use a pick-me-up this summer? Check out some of these free options. Photo by Campanero Rumbero, Flickr.

Summer boredom has probably set in for many kids, so here are a few free entertainment options.

Barnes & Noble
Kids in grades one through six can earn a free book this summer by joining the book store’s summer reading program.
Read any eight books by Sept. 6, complete your Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Imagination’s Destination Journal  (simply giving the name and author of the book, plus a description of who you would recommend it to), bring your completed journal to your local Barnes & Noble store and you can pick out a book featured on the reading list in the back of the journal.
For more information and to print out  your reading journal,  visit barnesandnoble.com/summerreading/index.asp.

Lowe’s
On Saturdays at 10 a.m., kids can visit any Lowe’s location and build a free wooden project.  The first 50 participants to register and show up will also receive a free apron, goggles, a project-themed patch and a certification of merit  upon completion of their project.
This Saturday,  kids can  build a tow truck complete with stickers and a working tow hook. Recommended age is first- through fifth-graders. Register in advance and reserve your spot in each workshop at lowesbuildandgrow.com.

Home Depot
Children ages 5 to 12 can attend “How-To Workshops”  on the first Saturday of each month at Home Depot stores.
In addition to the creation of projects such as toolboxes, mail organizers, birdhouses  and more, each child who participates receives a kid-sized orange apron and an achievement pin.
The next workshop is scheduled for  Aug. 6 from 9 a.m. to noon, and kids will have the opportunity to build their own pencil box. For more information, click here.

Michaels
Michaels craft stores hold free in-store events on various days throughout each month. Some of these workshops require attendees to purchase certain products, but others are completely free. The July schedule has not yet been released, but projects in the past have included holiday cards, frames, key chains and more.  The July calendar has just been released, and you can find it here.

A.C. Moore
A.C. Moore also has free craft workshops for kids  Wednesdays from 3 to 5 p.m. Most projects are for kids ages 4 and up.
Other workshops are also held on Saturdays, featuring free make-and-take crafts or purchase-and-decorate (i.e. buy a shirt and tie-dye  it for free) workshops. Click here for more information.

Chuck E. Cheese’s
Chuck E. Cheese’s is always a kids’ favorite , but it can be a pricey trip for mom and dad. Now parents can use the  restaurant as an incentive to encourage their kids to read, clean their room and even stop picking their noses.
Download a variety of “rewards calendars”   from the website here, sign  off  on your child achieving their challenge the required number of days in a row and then bring your completed calendar  to Chuck E. Cheese’s to receive 10 free tokens.

Local libraries
Local libraries are a great source for free entertainment for kids. They often have free crafts, speakers, puppet shows and more. Check Roanoke.com for some listings, or call your local library for a schedule of  events for children.

Do you know of any other free family-friendly entertainment? Share your ideas!

Now through September 30 Walmart is offering 10 cents off per gallon of gas at participating stores. The Valley View, Lebanon and Harrisonburg locations are all participating locally.

The discount applies to gas purchases made when using a reloadable Walmart gift card, reloadable Walmart MoneyCard® or Walmart credit card.

If you’re in the store shopping and know you need to fill up, consider purchasing a gift card on your way out so you’ll receive the discount!

For more information, click here.

Enjoy your holiday -- and all the sales that come with it!

Are you enjoying your holiday weekend? I hope so, and I hope you get to enjoy another day off tomorrow. If so, you’ll have an opportunity to hit up some of these big two-day sales. Check it out:

Remeber to look for your P&G Brandsaver coupon booklet! I’m surprised there’s one available today (usually holiday weekends mean no coupons), but it’s there and full of goodies.

Big Lots has big tw0-day deals today and tomorrow on products like folding tables, furniture, electronics, and even select food products.

Hamrick’s has started its summer clearance sale with tons of items 70% off. You’ll also find a coupon good for 20% off of any one regular, sale or clearance item.

Target is offering a new batch of free gift cards with purchase this week. This week some of the brands participating include Tide, Charmin, Pampers, Swiffer, Schick and Apple iPod.
Additionally, Circo clothing for newborns, infants, and toddlers are only $4 a piece.

CVS has a new batch of goods that you can purchase and earn a $10 gas card. Some of the products include Tide, Dawn, Puffs, Pantene Pro-V, Pampers Cruisers and Charmin. You’ll also find a lot of ways to earn Extra Bucks by purchasing health and beauty products like artificial nail products, Gillet razor products, Coppertone sunscreen, Crest 3D whitestrips, select hair dyes and Enfamil formula.

 Toys R Us has given us the first reminder that back-to-school shopping is looming. They’ve got free lunch kits ($9.99 value) to give away with any backpack purchase of $12.00 or more. Crayola crayons and markers, Thermos products and other food storage contaners are also on special.
One thing the kids do have to be excited about is the new selection of Transformers toys. Also, you can earn a free movie ticket by purchasing any Transformers action figure, play set or accessory for $25 or more.

JC Penney has swimwear for the family 60% off today and Monday, plus a coupon good for $10 off of a $25 purchase. Other apparel is also on sale throughout the store, like juniors’ tanks for $4.99, men’s polos for $9.99 and 60% off of shorts.

KMart has a two-day sale today and tomorrow offering 60% off of swimwear for the family, plus 60% off of beach towels and summer textiles for the kitchen. Starting Tuesday, you’ll find 60% off of foil bakeware.

 Macy’s has 40 to 80% off select items storewide through tomorrow. You can also use the 15% off coupon on select sale and clearance pieces. Outside of the two-day specials, you’ll find swimwear 50% off, 30% off women’s intimates, and 60% off all pillows.

Belk is offering door buster specials today and tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring the coupon in the ad, and you’ll receive an additional 20% off sale purchases store wide (15% off home and shoes). Outside of the doorbuster deals, there’s also a 15% off coupon.

Rack Room is having its semi-annual clearance sale, and you can also you a coupon good for $10 off of a $60 purchase through July 18. Plus, every shoe in the store is buy one, get one half off.

Our local J.Crew Clearance Stores in Lynchburg will be having a 4th of July sale this weekend, offering 20% off of your entire purchase and 40% off of shoes. Check out more details below:

July 4 is a big weekend for shopping: not only are there tons of sales, but the weekend after July 4 is when summer items really start going on clearance. Here’s what you’ve got to look forward to on Sunday:

I was surprised to see a P&G Brandsaver coupon booklet lined up for Sunday (since there usually aren’t any coupons on holiday weekends), but luckily you’ve got $83 in coupons coming your way.

Big Lots is having a two-day sale featuring even bigger price cuts on its merchandise — and some of them might come in handy for your cookout on Sunday or Monday.

Hamrick’s is gearing up for a summer clearance sale, and there will be a coupon for an additional percentage off to make the sale even sweeter.

Target will have a new round of free gift cards with purchase, plus a great sale on kid’s clothing starting Sunday.

The free gas card promotion is continuing into next week at CVS, and the ad has all the details on what items will be participating. You’ll also find a lot of opportunities to earn Extra Bucks on health and beauty items.

Kids may not be so excited about the Toys R Us ad this week — it’s showing the first signs of back to school sales.

JC Penney will be celebrating the 4th with a huge sale on summery clothing. Check the ad early, because some items are only on sale for a limited time.

KMart will have hundreds of items 10/$10 this coming week, and then select specials for a limited time in honor of the holiday.

At Macy’s you’ll find certain items up to 80% off for two-days only, and there will be a coupon available.

You’ll be able to find some deep deals at Belk starting Sunday, but be prepared to shop for doorbusters.

Rack Room has an insert this week with details about the semi-annual clearance sale, plus BOGO specials, plus a coupon — think about stocking up for the family!