Welcome to the first of my new Savvy Shopper blogs, which will offer buying advice early in the week about a handful of good-looking deals.

I’ll be looking for specials in the week’s circulars, including those from supermarkets as well as electronics, retail, drug and auto-parts stores, that are delivered with The Telegraph or weekly papers Thursday or Friday or with The Sunday Telegraph.I’ll try to look through most of the circulars, but here’s a confession: Like all of us, I’m biased. Because of my age, family situation, beliefs, income, where I live, product preferences, taste, etc., I’ll probably be more inclined to recommend certain products than others. For example, my family drinks 2 percent milk and I prefer ales, especially IPAs, so in my scanning of the fliers, I may miss a bargain on skim milk or cases of Budweiser.
 
Here’s where you can help: if you see a deal that’s better than mine or which I’ve missed, please add a comment to this blog. Then, other readers will be able to learn of it and possibly be able to buy that sale item, too. Let’s hope we don’t create a rush on these items at the stores, markets and chains or use up all the rain check forms.

Since this is my first blog entry, and I got a bit wordy in the introduction, I’ll list just three items today:

This deal appears on page 17 of the CVS circular for May 11-17. The ad reads “buy $20 of select Crest or Oral-B products and get $10 extra bucks (limit 2 per household with card).” Included among the items is the Oral-B Vitality rechargeable electric toothbrush, regularly $20 and on sale for $18 (I’m rounding up all those nuisance .99 prices). Anyone who’s always wanted an electric toothbrush or needs a replacement for a child going to college should jump at this ad. Buy a tube of Crest toothpaste for $4 and you’ve satisfied the offer. Furthermore, a P&G manufacturer’s coupon insert from last week includes ones for $3 off the Vitality and $1 off Crest, which CVS allows you to apply to the purchase. You will need a CVS ExtraCare card to get the savings.

On the cover of the Walgreens ad for May 11-17, we see 12-packs of Pepsi or Mountain Dew on special for five for $11. That same price on Pepsi is offered through Thursday at Shaw’s supermarkets, with the Shaw’s loyalty card. For Coke drinkers, a buy four for $11 and get one free (which, of course, is equivalent to five for $11) is available at CVS.

Finally, since we all use toilet paper in varying amounts, I was drawn to an offer in the Market Basket circular for May 11-17. Store-brand 16-packs of bath tissue or the equivalent eight-pack of the double roll are priced at just three for $10. That a better savings than the Scott 12-pack for $6.50 listed in the CVS ad. But, whoa, wait a minute. If you clip coupons, you might save a bit at Walgreens, by buying Angel Soft bathroom tissue in the double roll at two for $10 and using both a store and a manufacturer’s coupon. Without a manufacturer’s coupon, the double rolls at Walgreens and Market Basket price out at 42 cents each. It’s a wash, or a flush, you could say.

And don’t forget to catch the print version of The Savvy Shopper, which appears on the first and third Wednesday of each month on the Telegraph’s Business pages.

The Savvy Shopper appears on the first and third Wednesday of each month. Sherman Smith, Telegraph copy editor, can be reached at 594-6420 or ssmith@nashuatelegraph.com.