From newsobserver.com

Taking Stock is Business reporter Sue Stock's online discussion of local retail news, 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/

IT'S A WEBKINZ WORLD

Up until yesterday, I'd never even heard of Webkinz. I suppose that's because I don't have kids. But then I was assigned a story about the interactive toys, and I suddenly had to give myself a crash course.

For those of you who are also clueless, Webkinz are stuffed animals. They retail for about $12, and each Webkinz comes with a special code that you can use to register the animal on a Web site. From there, you get to name the animal, get an adoption certificate and become responsible for caring online for the virtual pet. More than that, you can chat with friends and play games online to earn "Kinzcash," which you can trade in for items for your pets.

I was truly amazed at how crazy kids have gone over these cute plush toys. I interviewed kids who now have five, 10 or 15 Webkinz. There are also smaller versions called Lil'Kinz, with 66 different animals in all.

I'm curious about the phenomenon of Webkinz, since this is all new to me. ... Let's hear from all you parents out there about how your kids interact with their Webkinz and how that affects your life. If you're comfortable, include your kids' first names and ages. And, if you've found any Webkinz in the Triangle lately, feel free to post that information, too. I'm sure other parents will appreciate knowing where to find them!

KIDS EAT FREE

There was an interesting list posted by one of the members of the Yahoo NC Smart Spending group.

Member Rhonda either found or compiled a list of all the restaurants where kids eat free (thanks, Rhonda!).

For example, on Tuesdays, kids eat free all day at Lone Star Steakhouse. At Buffalo Wild Wings, it's Thursdays.

Go to my blog to see the list. Feel free to post others.

THE WAITING IS OVER AT CVS

Some exciting news: CVS is getting rid of that annoying 48-hour waiting period before you can claim your ExtraCare Bucks.

If you're not familiar with the CVS ExtraCare Bucks program, it's basically a rewards program that gives you ExtraCare Bucks when you buy certain products each week. It's free. All you need is an ExtraCare card, which you should have anyway to get the sale prices at CVS. (If you don't have one, you can sign up at www.cvs.com.)

During a recent week, three-packs of Brita filters were on sale for $14.99. There was also a $5 ExtraCare Bucks rebate. So you would go to the store, buy the filters for $14.99 and then two days later, you would be able to claim your $5 in ExtraCare Bucks. Those bucks can be used like a $5 bill on your next purchase.

It's a pretty awesome system that can save you a lot of money, but that two-day waiting period has always been a bit of a nuisance. I am delighted it is finally going to disappear.

And this also has implications for you as a shopper. Now, you will be able to go into a store, buy some items that qualify for ExtraCare Bucks and then turn right around and use those bucks on other purchases that maybe didn't have any ExtraCare Bucks rewards with them. In the long run, it should save you on the amount of actual cash that you have to lay out, and that is always a good thing!

I was told the change was going to take place mid-month, but I've been hearing through the grapevine that some of our area stores have already changed over to the new system. I hope you take advantage of the program and this awesome change.