In celebration of Earth Day, Target will be giving away free reusable shopping bags to customers on April 22.

But in the meantime, the big box store has issued a set of coupons on natural, organic and earth-friendly products. There are 38 coupons with a combined total of more than $50. The coupons are valid through May 5.

If you're an old pro at couponing but have steered clear of digital coupons, now is a great time to try them out on SavingStar.com.

The national e-coupon site just added several new offers that I've never seen on SavingStar before, including two coupons for Cheerios and one for Pillsbury rolls.

I like SavingStar for several reasons:

As a cheapskate, I'm tempted to tell you the best way to save money on the 2011 N.C. State Fair is to STAY HOME.

But I know I'd pretty much be run out of town, if not the state, for uttering such a thought. So I'm going to give you my best tips for holding on to as much of your hard-earned cash as possible while still enjoying/enduring your time at the fair.

Buying trick-or-treat candy can be, well, tricky.

If you're like me, you want to be generous to the kids who ring your bell. But you don't want your generosity to cost you a quarter of your weekly grocery budget either.

This Sunday's News & Observer will contain two coupon inserts worth approximately $96 in savings.

That's before you factor in double coupons, of course.

I'll have all the coupons entered into our handy coupon database early Sunday morning, about the same time your paper hits the driveway.

You can view it online or download it, print it out and take it with you to the grocery store.

I'll also have all the Sunday deals posted bright and early so you can make an early morning dash to the drugstores, Kroger or Target, if you're so inclined.

Here's a great deal for the summer grilling season: A coupon and a rebate for the purchase or exchange of a propane cylinder. All together you'll save $8.

In his 13 years working for the Town of Cary, Interim Town Manager Ben Shivar says he can't recall a year in which the Town Council has held its annual retreat at home. But in a slow economy, money talks.

"The main thing for this year is that, given the current economic situation, the council felt it was important to hold the cost as low as possible," Shivar said.

In keeping with that idea, Cary's council and staff have indeed traded what might be viewed by some as the luxuries of the past -- in recent years, the council has stayed at swanky hotels in Southern Pines and Wilmington -- for the comforts of home. This year's retreat is being held at the Embassy Suites Raleigh-Durham on Harrison Oaks Boulevard.

A cost analysis provided by the town shows that Cary has trimmed its costs for the retreat by about $5,000 when compared to 2008. The total estimated costs this year are $12,900.61. Last year, the town spent $17,954.24.

The biggest savings this year came in the area of hotel costs, which have been estimated at $3,921.65. That's less than half of the $8,622.08 Cary spent on its 2008 retreat at the Mid-Pines Hotel in Southern Pines.

Valiria Willis, Cary's human resources manager, said the difference could be attributed to the fact that no council members or town employees are staying at the hotel. The bill this year primarily includes the costs of food and reservations, she said.

Another break from tradition: Council and staff held only one dinner social this year. On Friday, the Town Council and town employees dined at Maximilian's on Chapel Hill Road at an approximate cost of $978.96.

Also factored into this year's retreat costs are $7,000 to pay for a facilitator and $1,000 in miscellaneous expenses, including travel costs for two guest speakers.