From newsobserver.com

Taking Stock is Business reporter Sue Stock's online discussion of local retail events, deals, coupons and more. We run edited excerpts from that blog in Work & Money on the first Sunday of each month.

To read her full report, ask Sue a question or give her a tip, visit blogs.newsobserver.com/takingstock/.

HOW DO YOU TAKE YOUR COFFEE?

So here's a random thought for today: I drove by a billboard for McDonald's that showed a cup of coffee and said "Let us add the cream and sugar." Sure enough, when I went through the drive-through and ordered a cup with cream, the cream had already been added when I received my coffee a few minutes later.

For the record, my coffee was fine. But I'm not sure I like this policy. I understand it might be convenient for people headed through the drive-through, but I'm not sure I want someone else's hands adding anything to my coffee. Maybe that's paranoid, but that's how I feel. Plus, for a more practical point, how do they know how much cream I take? To me this seems like a good idea in theory, but maybe not so much in practice.

THREE LOVELY LETTERS: FAR

For couponers, the acronym FAR stands for "free after rebate." Each week, there are items out there that you can get totally free if you'll just go buy them and send in the rebate forms. Walgreens, Eckerd and Staples are particularly good about offering FAR items, and they're usually even marked as "free after rebate" in the flyers. It doesn't get much easier than that.

Be on the lookout for FAR items. Of course, you do have to make sure to send the rebate in a timely manner. But if you can do that, it can be a great way to get a little extra each month.

COMPETITION IS GOOD

I heard from savvy shopper William, who accidentally took the OfficeMax coupon I wrote about last weekend to Office Depot instead. When he got there, the clerk told him Office Depot would honor the coupon anyway, and William got a great deal on color copies.

Though he ended up with a bargain at Office Depot by accident, I thought his story brought up an interesting point. There are lots of retailers out there who will take competitors' coupons because they want your business.

For instance, I've heard that A.C. Moore will take Michael's coupons, and I know from my own experience that Linens-N-Things and Bed Bath & Beyond coupons are pretty much interchangeable. And Harris Teeter will accept competitors' coupons up to 99 cents. So that means you can take a store coupon from another store and use it at Harris Teeter, where it will also double if it's under 99 cents. (That's not an advertised policy, but most stores do it. It will still be at the manager's discretion.)

You can get some awesome deals if you know which retailers will take coupons from other stores. Those are the examples I can think of. Are there any others out there?

THOSE PRIZES THAT STORES GIVE AWAY

Both Harris Teeter and Lowe's Foods recently started their new loyalty reward giveaways. At Harris Teeter, you can get two sports chairs if you spend $40 or more in a single shopping trip for 16 of the next 18 weeks. At Lowe's, you can earn a $50 gift card if you spend $75 or more in a single trip for each of the next eight weeks. Or you can get a $25 Lowe's gift card if you spend $75 for seven of the next eight weeks.

If you regularly shop one store and generally exceed the $40 or $75 threshold anyway, these promotions are great. They're a way to get something for nothing and in Lowe's case, to get some money back. But do not fall for all the hoopla and spend extra money each week just to get a couple of free chairs! That's not good, frugal shopping.

CHECK THOSE CLEARANCE RACKS

I know I've said this before, but the clearance rack is your friend! I ran by Pet Supplies Plus on Wake Forest Road this morning to grab a bag of dog food, and I noticed a flat of Pedigree dog food cans on the clearance table. They were marked down to 37 cents each. I couldn't help but think of that coupon in Sunday's paper to save 75 cents on 10 cans or pouches. So, 37 cents times 10 cans is $3.70. Take off the 75-cent coupon, and your total cost is $2.95 for 10 cans. That's better than half-price, I think.

I often find really good deals like that on the bargain shelf or rack in stores I shop. If you don't know where the bargain racks are located in stores you regularly shop, you ought to take the time to find them. Even if an item has been marked down for clearance, you can still pair it up with a coupon, which is a great way to save a lot.