My last deal of deals: drugstore.com and beauty.com

They are the same store, but different. I'm always surprised at the range of things they carry. Amazon.com uses them as a preferred vendor for household supplies and OTC, but go direct and get the discounts.

First, eBates gives 5% back if you go through drugstore.com, and 6% back if you go through Beauty.com. In October, eBates had 10% at drugstore.com.

Drugstore/beauty.com also saves up credit of 5% on all purchases, which you can cash in quarterly for purchases, so my October purchases are usually free.

First time visitors to drugstore get special discounts. They also regularly have other discounts. Right now free shipping with $25 order, instead of the usual $50.

Since my husband had cancer, there are quite a few things he needs that I can't buy locally, like Biotene mouthwash ($7.50 a bottle, 3 bottles a week), Biotene toothpaste, GNC protein drinks, etc.

Drugstore.com also is a partner with GNC, so the first week of every month, GNC gold card members get 20% off, in addition to whatever sales are going on.

Existing members also get "diamond deals", which are freebies or cheapies. Usually a free dental floss, or 19cent hand wipes, or discounts.

They have EXCELLENT free with purchases. Log on, and on the home page, check "deals and steals", but these are only a few. You have to hunt. On the home page, under EVERY category, check out their deals, there are always many more. Also, Beauty.com has their own set of free with purchases. All are full size. As I posted before, I ordered my mother's favorite Philosophy product for her Christmas gift and got a $45 gift set I wanted for my own gift for FREE. I've gotten full size tubes of Philosophy skin care, bath gels, etc. with purchases I would have made anyway. Buy 3 get one 1 GNC protein drinks, plus 20% off gold card, plus 5% back, plus 10% from eBates, plus FREE SHIPPING (those are heavy!!!).

ALSO, if you use a DIVIDEND cc (not Rewards, get the cash back!), drugstore.com counts as drugstore for 5% back on citibank dividend cards.

AND, for those of you with FSA accounts that you never spend, they qualify for OTC items, and drugstore.com will indicate if it is an FSA qualifier, so you can pull it out of that account instead of losing the money at the end of the year.

If you don't mind getting drugs over the internet, their prescription prices are ALMOST as good as Costco, better than any local store we have.

So, let's see...5% back quarterly, 5-10% cash back eBates, 20% GNC, 5% cash back credit card, diamond deal, free full size gifts with purchase, FSA, and often great sales.

One thing I don't like, you do have to watch the prices. Sales are good, but they do make it up other places. Potentially great savings, but you do have to be conscious of what you are paying, and not make impulse purchases.