Frugal Family: Great Buys For Parents

These days, we’re all watching every dollar. From coupons to Craigslist, local families are taking advantage of a variety of deals to stretch their budgets even further.

This weekly column is dedicated to giving you five great local deals each week that will help your family save money, and, since we are doing the legwork for you, save time, too.

Your guide for this low-cost journey is a self-proclaimed coupon queen who can empty the Baby Gap’s sales racks and the cereal aisle at Safeway for mere dollars.

You, the reader, are a big part of this column. Feel free to share deals you have come across in the comments box below!

Check back each week to see what we have found to help save you money.

Remember to check with the merchant for additional conditions to deals published here.

1. Amazon.com
The deal: Save an extra $5 when you spend $20 or more on select Fisher-Price TRIO sets, including the Zany Zoo and Super Friends Batcave, both of which are already marked down. This is a good post-holidays price for these sets of easy-click bricks, sticks and panels workable for small hands. Automatic discount comes off at checkout.
Good through: Ongoing, but online prices change regularly.

2. 
The deal: Store-closing sale means everything is discounted, from magazines to the Kobo E-reader. Deals include 20 percent off CDs and DVDs and 10 percent off children’s books. Coupons cannot be combined with the closing discounts, but gift cards and Borders Bucks are redeemable. Discounts are likely to increase as the closing date nears, but merchandise is selling quickly.    
Good through: Ongoing; the store is not closing until May.

3.
The deal: Purchase 40 pounds of Pedigree dog food for the amazing net price of $10.98. Use this $3 coupon on one 20-pound bag and this $3 coupon on a second bag, both priced $10.99, for a total of $15.98, and receive a $5 Target gift card for buying two bags. That ends up being $0.27 per pound.  
Good through: Tuesday, April 5.

4. Sears
The deal: Outfit the little feet in your household with Converse shoes at a great price, including the popular Dr. Seuss collection and Chuck Taylor low-tops. Most styles are on sale and coupon code SEARSMARCH15 takes an additional 15 percent off. Shipping is free on Converse, but you can also opt to pick them up in-store.
Good through: Ongoing, but online prices change regularly.

5. Kellogg’s 
The deal: Receive a $10 a pre-paid debit card by clipping UPC labels from 10 participating cereals and mailing them with this downloadable rebate form. Brands include All-Bran, Smart Start, Corn Flakes, Raisin Brand and Crispix and must be 10 ounces or larger. Limit five rebates per household.
Good through: While supplies last, so get it in the mail quickly.