“Free,” after rebates and coupons, still sounds like a good deal to me, though I’m less eager – or likely – to go to all the trouble associated with mail-in rebates these days.

Still, if you’re shopping for “free,” there are a couple of decent possibilities in the Rite Aid flier this week.

First are containers of Crest toothpaste, including Multi-Care and Pro-Health. Do the mail-in rebate and turn in the manufacturer’s coupon from Sunday’s paper and you’ll score freely. Also in the Rite Aid flier is a freebie offer on Herbal Essence shampoo after mail-in rebate and coupon. In addition, there’s a $5 mail-in rebate to use with a $3 manufacturer’s coupon that reduces the cost of an Oral B Vitality power toothbrush to $12.

This week, CVS has a “buy 1, get 1 free” offer on 32-ounce containers of Powerade that I’ll pass along, only because the drug store chain has listed the price you must pay ($1.49) for the first in order to get the second one free. I refuse to get “suckered” in for retail ads that wave the “buy one, get one” banner without listing the price. I find that misleading and deceptive, especially for high-price items like ice cream. By the way, have you noticed that this summertime favorite, which Edy’s formerly sold in half-gallon and later 56-ounce sizes, is now being downsized to 48 ounces? Watch other ice cream makers follow the trend.

CVS also has 16- to 18-count packages of Playtex tampons for $1.99, after $3 in ExtraBucks. The chain also has its brand of pantiliners in 22-count packages free after an ExtraBuck.

Market Basket’s circular lists 64-ounce containers of Florida Natural orange juice at $2.50. The supermarket chain also stem cluster tomatoes for $1 a pound (fine on the vine) and romaine lettuce heads for 79 cents. Beer and ale drinkers can find bargains on a variety of brands, including 18-packs of Bud Light and Coors Light cans for $10 and 24-bottle cases of Heineken and Samuel Adams for $20.

Gotta have something to counter those high temps and humidity, eh?

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.