ELECTRONICS

Best Buy. Price proof your electronic investments. Get up to 50 percent back when you upgrade your equipment with Best Buy’s buyback program. Buy a mobile phone, laptop, netbook or TV (on sale, of course via the store’s weekly circular) and purchase a buyback option at the time of the sale. When you are ready to upgrade, you’ll get a discount that varies based on the product and length of time you’ve owned the product. Trade in a mobile phone within six months and you’ll get a 50 percent break on a new one. For TVs, you get 10 percent off within two to four years of the initial purchase.

food

Pizza Hut, 1404 Merritt Blvd. 410-282-3669. Tuscani Tuesdays. For $10 get two pastas and five breadsticks. Anytime: $10 pan pizza and $5 for breadsticks and two-liter Pepsi.

Safeway. $3 coupon when you buy 10 ConAgra Foods (Hunt's tomato paste, Manwich—already 10 for $10; Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn—sale 2 for $4)

home & garden

Pier 1 Imports.  Coupon in circular offers $10 purchases of $30+. If you can’t find a coupon, check the store for circulars or tell the sales clerk you are aware of the sale and don’t have the coupon. In most stores, cashiers have coupons readily available, but they don’t offer them to customers unless they’re asked.  

pets

PetSmart,  1404 Merritt Blvd.410-285-6302. Hill’s Science Diet 35 lb/$30. Hill’s Science Diet 10 cans/$15. Fresh Step cat litter 42 lb/$14.99. Thru March 27.

tax time

Office Depot. Buy an H&R Tax Preparation product by March 19 to get a $15 rebate in the form of an Office Depot gift card.

GOOD NEWS FOR COUPONERS

WalMart has always matched advertised competitor prices, so you know you’ll get as good as, if not better, prices on an item. Now, the discounter is starting to accept cents-off coupons from other stores as well as a way to lure in shoppers. According to WalMart’s new policy: “We gladly accept the following coupons:

Competitors’ coupons that feature a specific item for a specified price, for example, $2.99 (photo shows a store coupon for Rice Krispies with another store's logo on it)

Checkout coupons (aka Catalinas) that are printed at our competitors’ registers, have “Manufacturer Coupon” with specific requirements printed on them, a valid remit address for the manufacturer, valid expiration date and a scannable bar code.”

Bottom line, you won’t have to run all over town to get 10 cents off here and $1 off there.