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/.

Pharmacy deals

A while back, a reader asked me about getting good deals at pharmacies. I wrote then that it's tough, because coverage varies so much depending on your specific insurance. I still say that a good way to try to maximize your savings is to use those pharmacy coupons to receive a gift card (usually $10 or $20) when you fill a new or transferred prescription.

But an item on AOL this morning caught my eye. The story was about the top five ways to save at a warehouse club, and No. 1 was prescriptions. The story says that federal law stipulates that you do not have to be a club member to access the pharmacy -- and the pharmacy prices. So, if you haven't checked out this option because you didn't want to fork over the annual membership fee, it seems you don't have to. Representatives for Costco and Sam's Club confirmed it's true. If you'd like to read the AOL story, you can find it at http://money.aol.com/top5/general /best-warehouse-club-buys.

Comparison shopping

As regular readers of this blog already know, I am a big fan of the Web site www.couponcabin.com, which aggregates lists of coupon codes to help you save when you shop online. Now those same folks have launched a second site, www.cheapuncle.com. Cheap Uncle is a comparison shopping site that tells you not only what different online retailers are charging for an item but also whether there are any coupon codes you could use on your order. It's a pretty slick system that could help you save a lot if you are shopping online for the holidays. Check it out. (And in the interest of being an equal-opportunity promoter, feel free to say so if you like a different comparison shopping site better than Cheap Uncle.)

Gift cards galore

Last year, American consumers spent almost $25 billion on gift cards, and that figure is only expected to grow this year. So it should be no surprise that we're seeing a lot of local merchants jump into the gift card fray this holiday. The latest example to hit my inbox is Cafe Carolina, which has rolled out its own gift card program.

And in an effort to make an impersonal gift personal again, Borders is now offering you the opportunity to customize your gift cards with your own photos (giftcards.borders.com). The service costs $4.95 per card, and you need to order by Dec. 10 to qualify for free shipping and by Dec. 13 to avoid paying for expedited shipping. The last day to order with overnight delivery is Dec. 21.

Watch your 'in' box

Well, in case you haven't noticed, it's holiday time. The promotions and discounts will only get more ferocious from here. But keep an eye on your 'in' box. You might be getting more e-mail than usual from retailers, and some of it may contain special coupons or unadvertised discounts. You don't need to spend a lot of time with all this e-mail. We all have plenty of things to worry about. But do keep an eye out for extra savings arriving at your house electronically.

That $5 iron

I was all excited about a $5 Black & Decker iron on sale at Rite Aid. The sale price advertised in Sunday's flier was $5, and there was a $5 Single Check Rebate offer that would make it FREE! Unfortunately, when I got to the store this morning, there was a sign apologizing for the misprint and informing me that the iron was really $5 off and not $5 total. I know some of you got this deal at the $5 price, so count yourselves as lucky. If you happen to need an iron, this would still be an OK deal, $13.99 on sale, minus the $5 rebate. Personally, I kind of feel like retailers ought to take the loss on an item if they misprint the price. It's so disappointing, especially if you've made a special trip, to find an item is not as good a deal as you thought it would be. But that's just me.