This week’s paper comes stocked with the “Great Big Toys R Us Book” …. the first of many toy catalogs that will inundate our lives over the next several weeks.

As always, I highly recommend making a budget and a shopping list before you begin Holiday shopping this year. Once you have done that, you can start watching and shopping for deals. Without a plan it is far too easy to fall into the trap of finding a “good deal” on a toy or a gift that you don’t really need.

Take a look through the Toys R Us book and be sure to note some of their special add-on deals (for instance, get a $10 gift card when you spend $75). Make yourself informed so you are getting the best deal and remember that a deal isn’t a deal if you end up purchasing more than you would have in the first place!

This year we will also see another Target Toy Coupon Book come out… sometime in the next few weeks. This will come either through the newspaper or it will be available in the stores. The coupons usually match well with sales if you keep your eyes open. Here is a sneak peek a the Target Toy Coupon List:

– Cars Storybook Collection (Hardcover) $3/1
– Princess Bedtime Stories (Hardcover) $3/1
– Character Bike $10/1
– Folding or 3 Wheel Scooters $5/1
– 20% off Razor: BoGo Pogo Sticks, E175 Electric Scooter, eSpark Electric Scooter, Graffiti Chalk Scooter, RipStick Casterboard or Ultr Pro Lo Kick Scooter
– Schwinn Bike $10 Off
– Select Thomas & Friends Toys $5 Off
– $5 Barbie: 2011 Holiday Doll, Designable Hair Extensions Doll, Princess Doll and Horse Set, I Can Be Bride Set, Fashionistas Jet Set Doll, Glam Bike Doll and Bicycle Set, or Fashionistas Jet
– Battery Powered Ride on Vehicles ($100 or More) $20 Off
– CAT 3 in 1 Rod On Dump Truck $5 off
– Circo Wooden Play Kitchen $15 Off
– $5 Crayola: Color Expansion Glow Book, Color Expansion Glow Done, Crayon Maker, Dry Erase Zany Play Activity Center , Glow Station, Pop Art Snap Wristlets or Model Magic Jewelry Studio
– Discover Bay Games: Plink or Pop Buzzer $5 Off
– $5 Off Disney: 6pk PIxie Hollow Games Dolls Collection, 7pk Princess Dolls Collection, Ultimate Fairy Tale Kitchen, My First Princess Doll and Toddler Dress Set or Ultimate Dream Castle
– Disney Cars 6V Quad Ride on Toy $10 Off
– $5 Off Hasbro Games: Connect Four Launchers, Electronic Catch Phrase, Scrabble Alphabet Scoop, Monopoly Star Wars Edition, Monopoly Electronic Banking Edition or Operation R2 Tune Up
– $5 Hasbro Bop It! XT Game
– $5 Hasbro Flash Games: Yahtzee, Simon or Scrabble
– Fijit Friends Interactive Friends $5 Off
– Fisher Price Rock Star Mickey $5 Off
– First Act Drum Set $20 Off
– Fisher Price Smart Cycle 3D Racer $10 Off
– FurReal Friends: Cookie My Playful Pup $5 Off
– Lalaloopsy Purchase $19.99 or More Get $5 Off
– $10 Off Leap Frog: 32MB Tag Reading System or Leapster Explorer
– $5 Off LEGO Building Sets: Alien Conquest Jet Copter Encounter, City Advent Calendar, City Police Bank & Money Transfer, Disney Cars 2 Spy Jet Escape, Harry Potter The Knight Bus Ninjago Battle Arena or Star Wars Naboo Starfighter
– $5 Off LEGO Games: Heroica Castle Fortaan, Heroica Caverns of Nathuz, Heroica Waldurk Forest or Ninjago
– Little Mommy My Very Real Baby Doll $10 Off
-$5 Off Mega Bloks: Halo Falcon, Halo Red vs Blue Covenant Locust, Hello Kitty Dream House, Need for Speed Wheel Launcher, or Play’n Go Table
– Free My Little Pony Canterlot DVD w/ My Little Pony Canterlot Purchase $19.99
– NERF Vortex Nitron Blaster $5 Off
– One Dora the Explorer Item $5 Off ($19.99 or More)
– Free “Our Generation” Doll Outfit with Purchase of “Our Generation” Deluxe Doll Set
– $5 Off Paper Jamx Pro: Drum, Guitar, or Mic Sets
– $5 Off Play Wonder Fashion Doll $29.99 or More
– Playskool Poppin’ Park Bounce ‘N Ride $5 Off
– $10 Off Radio Flyer Wagons: Classic
– Star Wars Darth Vader Ultimate FX Light Saber $5 Off
– Sesame Street Let’s Rock Elmo $5 Off
– Step2 New Traditions Kitchen Play Set $10 Off
– Step2 Red Wago for Two $10 Off
– Tonka Chuck & Friends Race Along Chuck $5 Off
– $5 Off Toy Story Purchase $25 or More
– Transformers Ultimate Optimus Prime $5 Off
– Transformers Rescue Bots Playskook Heroes Fire Station Prime $5 Off
– Transformers KRE-O Optimus Prime and Cycle $5 Off
– Sony PlayStation 3 Dualshock 3 Wireless Controller $10 Off
– Wii Remote Plus $5 Off