Five Great Deals: March 3-9

 We're all watching our family budgets these days. Whether shopping with coupons or looking for two-for-one deals, we're taking advantage of all sorts of offers and savings that help us stretch our dollars.

 This column gives you five great local deals each week to help your family’s bottom line. Do you know any great deals this week that we missed? Add them in the comments!

1. Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut

Deal:  Free First Fridays.  Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut is free on Friday March 4th from 5-8pm.  A bilingual progam of stories and projects.  860-691-1111.  Meet your other friends stuck home with their kids!

2. Big Y

Deal: These items are buy-one-get-one-free from Thursday March 3rd to Wednesday the 9th: Driscoll's 1 lb. strawberrys, all natural Angus beef eye round roast or steak; Crystal Farms cheese bars, boneless skinless chicken breast and chicken tenders, Pepsi or Diet Pepsi, Gortons family fish packs, fresh ground turkey, Big Y bagels, Utz 10 oz. potato chips, Progressso Traditional soups, Betty Crocker potatoes, Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, Hormel port tenderloin and chops, Purdue chicken drumsticks, Thomas' English muffins, Drak's coffee cakesBig Y jumbo shrimp, Big Y chunk light tuna, rainbow rose or butterfly garden rose bouquet.  Buy one get TWO Free Butterball turkey bologna, Jenny O turkey franks and Big Y dryer sheets.  They also have a raffle this month for 5 family four pack to Coco Key water resort in Waterbury, CT.  Coloring forms are at Big Y or www.bigy.com.

3. Robert Cray and David Cassidy

Deal: Robert Cray ("Smoking Gun" and "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark") on Friday, March 4th at 8pm and David Cassidy ("Cherish" and "I think I love you") on Saturday, March 5th.  Located in the center of the action in the casino of the earth at the Wolf Den at the .  Full service bar and a state-of-the-art sound system--and it's all free!!

4. Sterilite Storage

Deal: 66qt. Clear Latch Sterilite Storage Box $7 at Tru Value hardware stores in and East Lyme.  We all need to start thinking about putting away our big, clunky, ugly, winter clothes.  Bye-bye big heavy blankets.  If not now then soon.

5. Free first sewing class

Deal: If you mention Patch.com at That's Sew Debbie!, you will receive a free first class, (one free class per person).  Located at 80 Plaza Court in Groton (to the left of Benny's, to the right of the Post Office). Learn how to make those pillows or curtains you've always wanted.  It can't be that hard.  Besides there are lots of nice people to help you with your fabrics, quilting, notions or lessons.  Plus Debbie!  Come to a Saturday morning stitch and bitch.  Classes start at only $10.  Give me a pillow I decorate for a day,  teach me to sew I decorate for a lifetime.