Low-country store deals

There are some great deals on turkey, baking goods and other Thanksgiving meal foods this week--like Publix young turkey for only .59/lb (limit 2 though).  If you prefer ham, it is more expensive per pound right now--but still under $2 depending on the type.

Sales items I will try to post here:  

--items that are good for 72 hour kits (like water and crackers)  

--home storage items (canned goods, shelf-stable items)

--Grocery/regular items (meats under $3/lb, produce under $2/lb, breads under $1.75, cereals under $2.50/box), 

--other good or great deals to stock up on.  

If/when shopping at Sams, compare price per unit/item of sale items to get the best deal--I go to Sams after I’ve already made note of the sales at other stores so I can be sure to get the best deal--sometimes Sams is still cheaper than the sale price, other times the sale price or generic brand prices at other stores are cheaper.  If however, I know I can’t use or have space in my fridge/freezer for a 117 oz jar of pickles or something, I will buy the smaller jars at regular stores when they are on sale--even if the price per unit is a few cents more.

See below for more grocery shopping tips and tricks!

Kroger:  sales started on Sunday, runs till Saturday, customer card needed for deals.  Kroger’s sales on certain items often run for weeks at a time, look at the tag for sales dates listed to determine when a sale will end.  Kroger also often has many items on sale that are not listed in the sales ad.

B10/S5= Buy  of these 10 items save $5--price listed is when buy 10.

Meat	Produce	Shelf-stable
Kroger turkey .69/lb	broccoli, green beans 10 lb/10	Dole pineapple 10/10
sliced ham 1.99/lb		Kroger yams 40 oz 1.99
shank ham 1.49/lb		Kroger broth 2/1
boneless pork loin 1.99/lb		Stove Top 10/10
whole roaster chicken .99/lb	Frozen	Kroger cranberry sauce 10/10	Dairy
turkey breast 1.79/lb	Kroger veggies 10/10	French’s fried onions 2.99	Kroger heavy whipping cream 2/4
Gwaltney hot dogs 10/10	Kroger icecream 2/5	Domino sugar 4 lb 2/5	Pillsbury pie crusts 2/5
Kroger sausage 2/5	cool whip 10/10	White Lily flour 5 lb 2/5	Kroger eggs 2/3
Hygeine/Other		Kroger 5 lb flour 1.88	Kroger butter 2.29
EL kitchen gadgets 50% off	Breads/crackers	GM cereal 4/10 (buy 4 get free milk)	Kroger cheese 1.88
	Kroger bread/buns 10/10	Ritz crackers 1.99	Kroger sour cream/dip 10/10
			Kroger cream cheese 10/10
			Phil cream cheese 4/5

other turkeys:  K Private selection 1.09/lb; Butterball 1.29/lb; Honeysuckle 1.49/lb; bakery items:  pumpkin pie 3.99

Publix:  sales run Thursday to Wednesday.  No customer card needed.  Price in () is price shown as regular price.  Publix often has the “Publix Brand challenge” where when you buy a name brand product, you get the Publix brand free-so kind of like a buy one get one free deal.

Meat	Produce	Shelf-stable	Shelf Stable cont
P young turkey .59/lb	green beans .99/lb	Campbells cream soup B1G1 (1.33)	Mueller’s pasta B1G1 (1.59; 2.19)
semi boneless ham 1.79/lb	cranberries 12 oz B1G1 (2.99)	Del Monte veggies B1G1 (1.43)	Ragu pasta sauce B1G1 (2.69)
Jimmy Dean sausage 2/5	granny smith, fuji 1.49/lb	French fried onions 2.99	Gm cereal B1G1 (3.69)
chicken leg quarters .99/lb	oranges 4 lb 2/5	Del Monte fruit B1G1 (1.99)	DH brownie mix B1G1 (2.79)
	pears .99/lb	Del Monte tomatoes B1G1 (1.65)	BC cake mix B1G1 (1.95)
Hygeine/Other	avocado 10/10	Dole Pineapple B1G1 (1.79)	Idahoan Mashed Pot B1G1 (1.33)
colgate B1G1 (2.89)	pineapple 2.99	Carnation evap milk B1G1 (1.35)	Uncle Ben’s rice B1g1 (2.09)
	sweet onions .99/lb	Mt Olive pickles B1G1 (3.02)
Frozen	collard greens B1G1 (2.99)	A.1 steak sauce B1G1 (4.45)
Cool whip B1G1 (1.99)	sweet potatoes .49/lb	Hellmans mayo B1G1 (5.37)	Dairy
Birds Eye veggies 50% off	baby carrots .99	Wesson veg oil B1G1 (4.49)	Kraft cheese B1G1 (3.99)
		PAM spray B1G1 (3.29)	Phil cream cheese 4/5
	Breads/snacks	Ritz crackers B1G1 (3.89)	Breakstones sour cream B1G1 (2.49)
	Nature’s Own B1G1 (2.99)	Wheat thins B1G1 (3.69)	P butter 2/4
	Planters peanuts B1G1 (5.39)	Ocean Spray craisins B1G1 (2.35)	I can’t beleive..not butter B1G1 (3.49)

Other turkeys:  P fresh turkey 1.79/lb; Butterball young 1.09/lb; Butterball fresh 1.89/lb; Bakery items:  pumpkin pie/apple pie 3.99, potato rolls/100% whole wheat rolls 12 ct 1.99

Piggly Wiggly:  sales run Wednesday to Tuesday, customer card needed for deals.

Meat	Produce	Shelf-stable	Dairy
ham 1.69/lb	sweet potatoes .39/lb	Dixie crystals sugar 4 lb 2/5	Phil cream cheese 4/5
carolina pride sausage 2/4	squash .79/lb	Southern biscuit 5 lb flour 2/4	Frozen
jimmy dean sausage 2/5	celery 4/5	PW cranberry sauce .99
	cranberries 1.99	french fried oinons 2.99	Breads
Other	red delicious 5 lb 4.99	PW fruit .99
Clorox 2/4		stove top .99

bakery items:  6 ct butter&egg/9 ct homestyle rolls .99; sweet potatoe, pumpkin, apple pie 3.99

Bi-Lo:  sales run Wednesday to Tuesday, customer card needed for deals.  Bi-Lo gives bag credit when you use your own bags--so you eventually pay off those fabric bags if using them at Bi-Lo--be sure to ask for bag credit if it isn’t automatically added--if using self-checkout it has to be added by the cashier before you begin scanning items.

Meat	Produce	Shelf-stable	shelf stable
turkey .59/lb with $35 purchase	celery .99	Dixie crystals 4 lb sugar 1.99	Bruce’s yams 2/4
butterball turkey .99/lb	pineapple 2.99	Del Monte veggies B1G1 (1.45)	Ghirardelli brownie mix B1G1
drumsticks/thighs .99/lb	sweet potaoes .49/lb	SH corn syrup 1.99	HV  Dry dressing mix B1G1
ham 1.99/lb	cranberries 1.99	Jell-O 4/3
tennessee pride sausage B1G1 (4.79)	Dairy	Bertolli olive oil B1G1 (7.39)	Frozen
			cool whip 2/2
Breads	Phil cream cheese .99	Del Monte fruit 10/10
			Hygeine/Other
Nature’s Own B1G1 (3.29)	Kraft cheese 2/4	McCormick seasonings B1G1
			*Scott TP 8 roll 4.99

Bakery items:  pumpkin/apple pie B1G1 (6.99); Note:  *means Wed-Sat deal only.

Food Lion:  sales run Wednesday to Tuesday, customer card needed for deals

Meat	Produce	Shelf-stable	Shelf-stable
Jennie O turkey .69/lb with $35 purchase	sweet potatoes .39/lb	Wesson veg oil B1G1	Rice Roni 10/10
	granny smith, rome 3 lb 2.79	Swanson broth B1G1	McCormick spices B1G1
butterball turkey .99/lb	clementines 5 lb 4.99	green giant veggies .69	Dairy
ham 1.99/lb, 1.59/lb	pineapple 2.59	Del Monte pineapple B1G1	Phil cream cheese 4/5
jimmy dean sausage 2/5	oranges 4 lb 3.59	Bruce;s yams 40 oz 2/5	Pillsbury pie crust 2/5
93% lean ground beef 2.99/lb		Del Monte fruit 10/10	Hygeine/Other
turkey breast 1.59/lb	Shelf-stable	Stove top .99
	Libby’s pumpkin 1.50	FL graham crust 5/5	Breads
Frozen	Jell-O 10/10	Bush’s 5/5
cool whip 10/10	Hellman’s may B1G1	Pillsbury flour 2/5

Bakery items:  8” pies 2/7; other deals:  buy 6 green giant veggies (.69) & get 1 each of French’s fried onions (6 oz), My Essentials cream of mushroom soup for free.

Grocery Shopping Tips:

--Go with a list.  I prefer to organize my list by category since most stores arrange  items by category.  See a post on grocery lists here.  Below is a blank example of a simple category list:

Meat	Produce	Shelf-stable	Dairy
			Hygeine/Other
Breads	Frozen

Possible categories:  meat, dairy, produce, frozen, breads, cereals, hygiene, paper products, canned goods, baking/seasonings, condiments, deli/bakery, non-food, snacks.  Use whatever works best for you.

--Basically the more you can stock up when things are on sale, the less over-time you will be spending on groceries.  Stock up ONLY on things your family will eat and be able to use before the items go bad.

--Know what the prices of products are at your favorite stores, so when you get the ads, you can compare the price.  Compare prices with Sams club, online prices, etc.  Stock up when the sale price is less than the cheapest price elsewhere.

--Write (or type) the prices down so you have them available.  Prices of produce can change quickly, but in general expect price changes every month or two on produce items that are seasonal.  Other products, the prices do change (and sometimes by quite a bit), but usually they stay close to the same price over a period of months.  As you keep a price list--both of regular prices and of sale prices, you’ll be able to see patterns in sales and prices--when things are cheapest, how often things come on sale, etc.  You’ll also be able to get things at the best price.

--Sales ads:  some things are drastically on sale--called “loss leaders”--to get you in the store, other things aren’t necessarily marked down in price, they are simply “for sale” so just because it is in the ad does not mean it is on sale or even a good price.  Remember a bargain is only such if you can and will actually use the item, it still costs money, but less than full-price.

--Meats & produce:  set a per pound price that you are comfortable with paying and find deals that are at or below that price.  Example:  meats $2/lb or less; produce depends on the type, but in general $1.50/lb or less.  For some more examples of produce see this post.

--When produce or other perishable items are on sale for a great price, but you don’t think you’d be able to use all of it before it goes bad--try freezing, dehydrating, or otherwise preserving it; or find another family who would like to share the food and cost, or simply give it to a family or friend who could use it (even for non-perishable items like OTC meds or other things that have expiration dates).

--Cereals, breads:  set a price per unit (box, ounce, loaf) that you are willing to pay and then find the deals that are at or below that price.  Example:  cereal--$2/box or less; loaf of bread--$1.50/loaf or less.  More and more the price of cereal is increasing and so even with buy one get one free deals a box of cereal is  costing more than $2/box, but there are still some deals out there.  And if nothing else at least buying on sale isn’t paying full price.  Even with the sales, a different type of breakfast may actually be cheaper (like oatmeal, pancakes, etc.)

--Menu Shop:  In a previous post I mentioned how to save on grocery bills by making menus, see that post here.  But in general, when making a menu follow these steps:

• First:  what perishables do you have on hand that need to be used
• Second:  what sales are available
• Third:  Food Storage items to rotate into meals
• Fourth:  Special Occasions--birthdays, holidays, potlucks, etc.

--Using coupons?  For some things combining a coupon with the sale price at pharmacies and stores is a great deal.  Buy one get one free sales are a great way to use coupons!  So are stores that offer double coupons:  Kroger and some other stores offer double coupons up to 50 cents.  (ex.  if you have a 50 cent off coupon on a cereal, you get the 50 cents then Kroger takes off another 50 cents automatically--yeah!)  Not always is the product with a coupon the cheapest option, but combined with sales or with double coupon deals, often the price of the brand product is much nearer or even less than the generic brands.

--Online shopping for food storage items:  there are many online resources to buy food storage items.  When shopping around, compare both the cost of the item along with shipping costs because sometimes the product itself may not cost much, but the shipping may be a lot and cancel out any savings compared to another company/website.  Use only those companies and websites you feel safe doing so, either from recommendation or from your own research on the company.  Two companies I have used and been satisfied with both the product(s) and the service and therefore would recommend:  Emergency Essentials (www.beprepared.com) and Honeyville Grain (http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/).  They both have reasonable prices and shipping costs (in fact honeyvillegrain has a flat rate shipping fee--very nice!).  Every month, Emergency essentials has group specials that qualify for free shipping in addition to the savings on the product.  Honeyville Grain does periodical sales of 5-20% off an order (plus the flat rate shipping).  It may be worth it to sign up for the free emails/catalog to these companies or other sites so you know when sales are happening.

--non-food items:  follow some of the same rules as above--stock up when on sale, know where the best price for the items you buy is, set a price per item/ounce/lb/load/box (like for laundry detergent, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, cleaning supplies, etc.) you are willing to pay--to realistically do this you will need to know the cheapest price you already have to pay so you can find deals to decrease that amount (this is whether you prefer and use name brand or off brand products, find the cheapest normal (non-sale) price of the brand you would use)

--for fun/hobby items:  save money buy buying on sale or with coupons, or online.  Shop around for the best price.  Watch for these types of items at garage sales, thrift stores, on clearance, or online for new & used.  Be sure to only buy what you can use and will use, what you can fix up if it will need to be, and what you have a designated spot for already.