Today’s edition of The Monroe Evening News is on the streets and in the vending machines. I have a copy at my desk with the holiday ads. There are Thanksgiving Day specials, Black Friday specials, lots of deals.

You’ll pay $1.50 for a single-copy MEN today. It’s as big as a Sunday paper, so the Sunday newsstand price is in effect.

But you do want a copy of that paper if you are looking for bargains. While I can blog about some of the deals, there are really too many to mention. Besides there are coupons in some of those fliers that make it well worth your trouble to pay the newsstand price.

Here are some of the deals you can look up:

• Best Buy opens at 5 a.m. on Friday. You can get tickets for the doorbuster specials up to two hours before the opening – those detals include a 32-inch LCD HDTV for $399 and the Wii Game Party game $9.99. Get a three-pack of $10 iTunes gift cards for $25 during the Friday and Saturday sale.
• Lowe’s opens at 6 a.m. Friday. There is a four-day sale Friday through Monday that includes a Shop Vac for $29. Special on-line offers start Thanksgiving Day. Yellow clearance labels indicate 25 percent off holiday decorations.
• Target has a two-day sale Friday and Saturday that includes Iron Man and the new Indiana Jones DVDs for $13 each. Guitar Hero World Tour guitar bundle will be $59. Free $20 Target gift card with selected video game bundles. Hamilton Beach six-speed stand mixer on sale for $25.
• Wal-Mart has its doorbuster specials in effect from 5 to 11 a.m. Friday that include a 19-inch LCD HDTV for $178, a two-quart slow cooker for $4, the Hannah Montana doll for $5 and more than 50 DVD titles at $2 each.
• Big Lots has its early bird specials from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day; 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday that include two adult fleece hoodies for $5; the Roomba vacuum for $199; and ladies’ plush robes at $8 each.
• Sears has more than 450 doorbuster specials in effect from 5 a.m. to noon Friday that include Canyon River Blues jeans for $9.99, a Craftsman seven-piece wrench set for $9.99 and 60 percent off women’s fashion boots. There is also a coupon in the flier for $10 off purchase $50 or more during the Friday doorbuster hours. You will find Thursday-only specials on line.
• Kmart has doorbusters from 6 to 11 a.m. Friday that include Jaclyn Smith cashmere sweaters for $29.99 and an Easy-Bake oven for $14.99. The two-day specials Friday and Saturday include a sale on pre-lit pine trees, and all women’s, juniors and plus-sized fashions. There will also be 100s of one-day specials on Thanksgiving Day only that include women’s slippers – and yes, I’ve found some really great deals at a Thanksgiving Day Kmart sale.
• Elder-Beerman has doorbusters from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday that include twin flannel sheet sets at $13.97 each; digital frames in a variety of sizes; 60 percent off all seasonal dinnerware; 60 percent off LivingQuarters Trim-a-Home. You will find a coupon in the flier for $10 off Friday morning – see restrictions. Look for additional coupons good all weekend. There is also a furniture flier to look at.
• Meijer has doorbusters from 5 a.m. to noon Friday that include a combo deal on Nintendo Wii game; half off Lincoln Logs or Tinker Toys classic sets; $14.99 for a 12-inch jumbo fry pan; and $5.99 for a selection of recent DVD releases. Coupon in flier for 15 percent off a general merchanise item – see restrictions. Then see the next flier for Saturday-only specials (I’ve been telling you that Black Friday is NOT the only game in town!) and you can get 30 percent off all trading card sets and At Home with Meijer twin flannel sheets for $9.99. And also make sure you see the Thursday-only flier that features select video games at 50 percent off.
• Menards has its doorbusters from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday that include Build-a-Bear Workshop Make-and-Play Kit for $6 each, limit 2 per customer, and 50 percent off fleece blankets. The two-day Friday and Saturday specials include kids snow shovels at two for $5. The three-day home improvement sale includes a sale on Lucite flat wall paint.
• Kohl’s has more than 300 early bird specials from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday that include 50 percent off all in-stock toys and a large selection of jewelry and watches and 60 percent off all Trim-a-Tree from St. Nicholas Square. Every $50 spent in store and online through Saturday will give you a $10 Kohl’s coupon back.
• Michael’s Craft Store has coupons in its flier that are good Thursday night, Friday morning; Friday afternoon / night; Saturday morning; and Saturday afternoon/night (just bring the entire flier with you to the store). The three-day sale Thursday through Saturday includes 50 percent off baskets, 40 percent off scrapbooking paper and 25 percent off Green Art supplies.
• RexTV has doorbusters in effect from 6 a.m. to noon Friday – you can save double the ad flier’s coupon value for any eligible item during that sale.
• Game Stop has doorbusters from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday that include the a Rock Band bundle and an XBox bundle. Buy two get one free on all used games and accessories Friday through Sunday.
• Durocher’s in Monroe has a Brand Source flier featuring laundry and ktichen appliances. They include a GE built-in EnergyStar / EcoSource dishwasher for $249.
• Rite Aid has free after rebate deals Thursday (where open), Friday and Saturday on Maybelline nail enamel; and a free after rebate deal Friday on Fructis shampoo. The sales flier also features holiday wrapping paper at 77 cents a roll and a tray table set at $19.99.
• Old Navy has doorbuster starting at 5 a.m. Friday while supplies last for a free Samsung mp3 player with $20 purchase. Deals in the flier incllude men’s and women’s cotton sweaters for $10. You can also find Saturday-only doorbuster deals on graphic tees for $5 and Sunday-only doorbuster deals on sleep bottoms.
• CVS Pharmacy has a sale Thursday through Saturday that includes buy one get one free Dove chocolate minis; buy one get one free on holiday gift wrap; and buy one get one free Revlon color cosmetics (check your coupon box). The free after extra buck rebate offers Thursday through Saturday are while supplies last and include Hershey King Size candy bar, selected Sally Hansen nail color and selected Colgate toothpaste.
• Cabela’s in Dundee has hot buys in effect from 6 to 10 a.m. Friday. I got the flier in the mail the other day so I’ve blogged about it already, but you may also want to know about the Carharrt hooded ridge coat for $39.99 to $49.99.
• Pier 1 Imports has a sale Thursday through Dec. 7 that includes media stands and consoles; and assorted holiday nutcracker decor.
• Toys R Us has doorbusters from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday that include 20-piece Disney playroom set at $77.49; a Toys R Us gift card when you buy one of two selected iPods in store; buy one get one free Earth’s Best baby food variety packs; and 50 percent off Matchbox action sets. There will also be mystery deals posted on the store’s web site.
• Walgreens has its doorbusters in effect from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday that include buy one get one free a four-foot potted and lighted tree and buy one get one free Webkinz LilKinz pets. The weekend deals from Thursday through Saturday include buy one get two free on selected gift wrap, tissue, tags or bows. Coupon in flier for Russell Stover candy and coupon in flier for Crayola crayons 64 count.
• United Furniture in Monroe has a Howard Miller clock flier with coupon toward selected clocks.
• Dick’s Sporting Goods has early bird specials from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday that include free golf balls with selected golf club purchase. There are coupons in the flier for doorbuster specials on all ammunition and a variety of sports balls.
• Dunham’s Sports has early bird specials from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday that include a billard table combo for $199.99 and buy one get one free selected NCAA jackets or hoods.
• Staples has early bird specials from 6 to 10 a.m. Friday that include a Tom Tom navigation system for $99.99; deals on selected laser printers and HP 25-pack photo paper for $2.99. The Friday and Saturday deals include a selection of cameras.
• Home Depot has Friday-only specials on ponsettias for 99 cents each. Other deals in the flier include a 16-inch toolbox for $4.97; a 7 1/2 foot LED prelit tree for $49; and assorted indoor and outdoor holiday decor.

As a reminder!!! I’ve been blogging local sales announcements for more than a year on Monroe on a Budget. You WILL find that the list of inserts in your actual newspaper varies according to the zip code or delivery district. This is done on the request of the advertisers based on where their stores are located, and our newspaper circulation does border three metro areas. This list I posted came from an actual single-copy newspaper that was available in downtown Monroe.

When do these stores open on Friday? Check out a post I made earlier today and have since updated with the local store hours.