Believe it or not (and like it or not), circulars from a number of retailers, especially Staples and Walgreens, are already hawking “Back to School” specials. I know the economy is hurting, but can’t we hold off the BTS ads at least till Aug. 1 – for the sake of the children!

That said, there are some good deals being offered this week by several drug store chains.

CVS is selling 12-packs of Pepsi products at four for $8 after ExtraBucks, when you buy four. Sun care products still come in handy, and you can get a free container (up to a $10.49 value) if you buy $10 of participating PepsiCo products. You can also get a variety of Kotex tampons, pads and liners at two packs for $8 after ExtraBucks, and there are manufacturers coupons you can apply.

Walgreens has a coupon in its weekly circular for its brand of zipper sandwich (50-pack) and storage (20- or 25-pack) plastic bags for $1. Preschool shoppers can celebrate: a variety of Crayola markers and two-packs of Pilot ink pens are free after $2 or $1 mail-in rebates. A five-pack of Bic Brite Liner highlighters is 40 cents with coupon, and 22- by 28-inch white posterboard (limit five) is just 10 cents with coupon. Finally, Bic Comfort 3 disposable shavers (four-packs) are $3 with coupon, with manufacturers coupons available, and Edge and Skintimate shave gel cans are $2 with store coupon and before manufacturers coupons.

There aren’t many hot bargains among the supermarket fliers, but Market Basket has a couple of good specials. Krakus Polish ham is $4 a pound. Haddock filets are $5 a pound. And store brand 22-ounce loaves of Canadian bread are $1.50.

Shaw’s has 3-pound or bigger packages of 80 percent ground beef at $2 a pound.

And Stop & Shop has a variety of drink containers, including 2-liter Pepsi products, quarts of Gatorade, 20-ounce containers of Propel and SoBe water, and 1.5-liter Lipton iced tea at five for $4, but you must buy five and there’s a limit of one purchase per transaction.

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