http://www.startribune.com/blogs/deal_spotter.html. Reports of my slacking off (or dismissal) have been greatly exaggerated.

Dealspotter Kiera Sosinski turned in a great back-to-school deal for kids’ eyeglasses. Eye 35 Eyecare in Lakeville is offers free eyeglass frames and lenses for kids ages 12 and under with the purchase of an eye exam ($95). You can use insurance to pay for the exam and still get the free complete set of glasses. Eye 35 has more than 80 frames choices for kids. Transitions or non-glare lenses are extra. Ask for Dr. Fontana or Dr. Bell.

In Albertville Premium Outlets yesterday, I went to my usual favorites and uncovered a few unadvertised deals. At the Bose store (763-497-6990), the prices on reconditioned Wave radios and CD changers are lower than I’ve seen ever them. A Wave radio/CD player is $500 new. The reconditioned models normally sell for $450, but they’re currently priced at $420. The Acoustic Wave with the changer is normally $1,200 reconditioned ($1,400 new) and it’s now marked down to $1,000. Ipod users should consider the Wave radio for $300 ($350 new) and then get the iPod connect kit for $100 instead of the CD changer. A salesperson expected the prices to last into mid-August.

The Le Creuset outlet moved from the Promenade to main Plaza. As I was walking out the door empty-handed, I was told about getting 40 percent off any one item. The offer is good for several weeks. Just ask for the discount in the store but call (763-497-0664) to verify it’s still available. The deal is being offered while customers discover the new location, according to one employee. It’s a unprecedented deal if you like the Le Creuset brand.

Villeroy & Boch (763-494-9008) is closing its doors Sept. 26. Everything including clearance is discounted 25 percent. I asked if the flatware would take additional markdowns and was told that it would not, since it will be shipped back to the factory. Some of the dinnerware patterns seem a bit frou frou, but the quality of everything in the V&B line is very high. �

Answer: Try Wal-Mart, Michael’s Arts & Crafts, Joanne’s or Target. Also check the Yellow Pages under “Flags & Flagpoles” for specialty retailers.

Global Surroundings is offering deals on high-end furniture and decorative accessories in St. Cloud starting today through Saturday. Included in the sale: leather sets (club chairs, sofas, love seats and ottomans) at 50% off retail; reclaimed teak dining room sets and desks; baskets, candle holders, vases and lamps (ranging from $5 to $129); original oil paintings starting at $200; plus pillows, wooden floor mats and bedspreads.

The sale is being held at 1209 West St. Germain Street, St. Cloud. 320-259-1868. Hours of the sale are 4 to 8 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

From Tuesday’s Dollar Duo video: the green Simmons mattresses will be available at Slumberland on July 19. Although prices were not confirmed, Slumberland will have the beds on sale during the launch. Prices start at $1,000, which is considerably cheaper than green beds have been in the past. For more choices in green mattresses, try www.twincitiesgreen.com and its store near Uptown.Go here for the video.

Molly Snyder of St. Paul has saved nearly $2,400 in cash with the paperless coupon site Upromise. The company encourages savers to put the savings toward a college fund for their kids, but as Snyder said in the interview, it’s not a requirement. If you’re a frequent shopper at Rainbow and CVS and online stores, it might be worth it to you.

Coupons are downloaded online and then automatically stored on your electronically swiped frequent shopper card. Snyder saves more by getting a 1 percent rebate with a Citi Upromise credit card. (No fee).

Click to see the Dollar Duo video with Molly.

I need your help. I’m writing a consumer quiz and trying to come up with a list of questions to stump, er, educate readers. Send me your questions and I’ll try to put them in a multiple choice format. Try to keep them somewhat specific such as “My dehumidifier never seems to last more than a season or two. What retailer can I buy from that will stand behind it for longer than 90 days?” A question such as “Why is Whole Foods so expensive?” is too broad and a bit snarky. Feel free to send several questions and if you want to answer your own questions too, so much the better. I’ll check them out and answer the the ones that don’t require too much research time. The quiz will run in my column and online June 30. If you’d rather send them to my personal email, send to jewoldt@startribune.com. Thanks!

Many readers often get wistful remembering the Rivertown Trading sales that sold clearance merchandise from catalogs such as Wireless and Signals. The sales are long gone, but through today, June 10, shoppers can shop nostalgically at Wireless and get 20 percent off everything on the site, including clearance, if you use the discount code 24HRSL.

One of the legitimate complaints about the green movement is that it so often focuses on buying more stuff. The living simply message of making things last longer, using what you have, and making do with less often gets lost. At the Living Green expo this weekend, it will be a mixture of commercialism and restraint. Here is a list of eight freebies at the expo.

Get there free on metro transit. Download the coupon at the site.

The first 150 attendees in the door Saturday and Sunday receive a free copy of the Blue Sky Guide.

 Bring your burned out CFL bulbs to the Green River Recycling tent outside and recycle them free.

Ride a Segway free in the Alternative Vehicles area.

 Sample free bites of Organic Valley cheeses and milk and get coupons for future purchases.

Sign up for the Living Green newsletter and get a free burrito from Chipotle.

Get a free copy of “Solar Today” magazine in the Renewable Energy Demo area.

Check out any of the free workshops during the weekend, including home canning, saving money, starting a seed garden, energy savings, and composting.