Spring Deals Arrive Early on Toys, Plus Save a Little on Gas

We're all watching our family budgets these days. Whether shopping with coupons or looking for two-for-one deals, we're taking advantage of all sorts of offers and savings that help us stretch our dollars.

This column is dedicated to giving you five great local deals each week that will help your family's bottom line, and since we do the scouting for you, you can save time as well as money.

You are a big part of this column. Let us hear about the deals you've seen. Just add them to our comment box. Then come back each week and see what we've uncovered together.

This week, Frugal Family scoured our local sources to come up with deals on toys, Easter baskets, ice cream and filling up the gas tank.

at The Avenue West Cobb have 2 deals worth mentioning:

 1. The Bunny Buffet is being offered from now until Easter. Fill up the bucket with $25 worth of toys and get the bucket personalized and FREE. At first, I didn’t think this was such a deal. Then I see all the extra sugary candy and cheap toys —that break the same day—being prepackaged into Easter baskets and being sold everywhere else right now. For the same money, there is a really interesting variety of items to choose from on the Bunny Buffet and many of them will actually be appreciated after the holiday!

2. The Birthday Box is a win-win situation for everyone:  The child goes through the entire store and “shops” for everything he/she would like to have. All items are put into a large box with the child’s name on it and kept in the store—like a visual registry. Children love being able to “shop” to their hearts content, and the Birthday Box makes getting the right thing a sure thing for parents, grandparents and friends.

Learning Express Toys, 3625 Dallas Highway 770-522-2228 

The Dairy Queens on and on are giving away  free sundae cards for each combo meal purchased. Save them up from one visit and have another night to go out just for ice cream—it’s more fun that way. 

And last, but certainly not least my dear Frugal Family, let's look at a few ways to combat these rising gas prices. Stores like Kroger are introducing new gas incentives into their loyalty programs . Since some of these are new, make sure first that the Kroger closest to you  is a participating location.

1. Kroger offers 3 cents off per gallon with a Kroger Plus Card.

2. For every $100 you spend in groceries within a month using your Kroger Plus Card, save 10¢ per gallon off any grade fuel on your next fill up at the Kroger Fuel Center.

3. Earn fuel discounts on select gift cards purchased in Kroger stores.

4. Earn fuel discounts when you have prescriptions filled in Kroger pharmacies.

 There are Kroger Fuel Centers at both the and locations.