The best buys for March

All eyes are smiling this March, as the Irish saint spreads a little leprechaun luck to all looking to save on St Patrick's Day.

Sonic shakes, IHOP Pancakes and Stewart's Shoppes all reward those in festive green with Freebies. Even Einstein's offered dollar off bagel coupons last year so mark your calendars for March 17 to see if your favorite eatery is participating.

Speaking of green, how about stocking up on frozen peas? March is National Frozen Food Month., so check out Green Giant. Ben Glaser of Dealnews.com says many brands will be slashing prices for publicity and stock-up.

It's also time to stock up and save on next year's winter apparel. 7 on your Side saw kids' coats at Kmart as low as $12, buy a size up and store it for next winter now.

"Right here we've got winter jackets down to $30 from $90, sweatshirts $25 to $9. These are great examples of the deals you're going to see," Glaser said.

Glaser says for some March mystery, they are also seeing major deals on gift cards, on everything from coffee to clothes. So check gifts cards for purchasing power before pulling out cash.

Last March there Lowes gift cards for $100 that were selling for $75.

Other March best bets are ski and snowboarding equipment, and the luggage to carry it all in to the slopes. Suitcases of all sizes are on sale because it is in between holiday travel and summer vacation.

Also in a lull between Valentine's Day and Easter - chocolate! Now is the time to indulge your sweet tooth - and not on the cheap stuff.

High-end clothing will also be reduced. Dealnews found $34 dresses from Charlotte Russe on sale for $8.

Another day to watch out for discounts is "PI day." The repeating number celebrating the ratio of a circles circumference to its diameter, 3.14, will have everything from pizza pie to apple pie offering promotions. So get your pie on on March 14!