For a long time I have been a devotee of the Grocery Game. I have used its principles to amass a pretty impressive stockpile of food, cleaning items, and toiletries. In fact, my stockpile runneth over--I'm literally running out of places to store food. Now, it's time to scale back what I spend each week at the grocery store, and focus on using that stockpile, and only adding to the stockpile when there's a too-good-to-pass-up deal.
And just what is my definition of a deal that is too good to pass up? Meat that is 50% off or more, for one. This week's example: combining a store Super Coupon with a Manufacturer's Coupon to get a 24-oz box of Frosted Mini Wheats for 29 cents. I had two store coupons, and Albertson's will honor competitors' store coupons, so I got my limit (1 box, sadly) at both Alby's and Safeway. Ditto the store coupon for a free 2L bottle of 7-Up products, one at Alby's and one at Safeway. Free is always within my budget.
But, in general, today I did not stock up just for the sake of stocking up, like I normally would do. I stuck to the basics that we needed for the week--copious amounts of milk (for those darn teen/tween boys of ours!), produce, dairy, bread, tomato sauce, etc., and spent about half what I would usually spend each week.
Showing posts with label grocery game. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grocery game. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Grocery Deal of the Week, February 17
It was a good day at Safeway today. Got 5 packages of the super-lean beef (96/4), 4 of which were 5o% off, and 1 which was 2.99 (about 65% off). Right into the freezer they went.
I also got 4 18-oz boxes of Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats for 75 cents per box by combining the Safeway coupon (4 for $6) with two manufacturers' coupons ($1.50 off 2). That's a savings of 83%!
And, to cap it all off, I got 4 Hershey's Special Dark bars for the price of 1. They were on sale for buy 2, get 2 free, and I had a coupon for buy 1, get 1 free. So it worked out to buy 1, get 3 free.
These are just 3 small examples of how you can use coupons, sales, and clearance to bring down your total food bill. Overall this week, I saved 40%!
I also got 4 18-oz boxes of Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats for 75 cents per box by combining the Safeway coupon (4 for $6) with two manufacturers' coupons ($1.50 off 2). That's a savings of 83%!
And, to cap it all off, I got 4 Hershey's Special Dark bars for the price of 1. They were on sale for buy 2, get 2 free, and I had a coupon for buy 1, get 1 free. So it worked out to buy 1, get 3 free.
These are just 3 small examples of how you can use coupons, sales, and clearance to bring down your total food bill. Overall this week, I saved 40%!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Grocery Deal of the Week, December 9
So it's been a while since I posted. Busy. Trying to do the Christmas thing, with my heart just not in it (at least the shopping part). As the kids get older, the size of the packages gets smaller but the cost gets bigger. And of course very few of the things they have on their list ever go on sale.
I caught one good bargain this week, but got caught on another that wasn't such a good bargain after all.
Good: At Safeway, there was a super coupon for General Mills Cereals for 4 for $6.00. I also had two Internet coupons for 55 cents off and a coupon I got from General Mills (by writing them a letter) for $1.00 off. So, I got 4 boxes of cereal for 3.90, or 98 cents each. I wish I'd had a 4th coupon I could have used!
Not-so-good: On the Grocery Game list, they had Hormel Black Label Bacon listed at Albertson's. Alby's had it on sale for buy one, get one free. The GG list also said Fred Meyer had a coupon for 2 for $5.00 The way the GG list figured it, you could use the 2 for $5 coupon and then have them give you another $2.50 off to honor their buy one, get one free offer. However, I realized after getting home that the checker only took off 99 cents, the difference between the price for 2 on the Alby's BOGO and the Fred Meyer coupon. Still a good deal, as it was better than 50% off, but not the 79% savings the GG list had calculated. So, it pays to be alert and aware of how your particular store honors competitors' coupons.
I caught one good bargain this week, but got caught on another that wasn't such a good bargain after all.
Good: At Safeway, there was a super coupon for General Mills Cereals for 4 for $6.00. I also had two Internet coupons for 55 cents off and a coupon I got from General Mills (by writing them a letter) for $1.00 off. So, I got 4 boxes of cereal for 3.90, or 98 cents each. I wish I'd had a 4th coupon I could have used!
Not-so-good: On the Grocery Game list, they had Hormel Black Label Bacon listed at Albertson's. Alby's had it on sale for buy one, get one free. The GG list also said Fred Meyer had a coupon for 2 for $5.00 The way the GG list figured it, you could use the 2 for $5 coupon and then have them give you another $2.50 off to honor their buy one, get one free offer. However, I realized after getting home that the checker only took off 99 cents, the difference between the price for 2 on the Alby's BOGO and the Fred Meyer coupon. Still a good deal, as it was better than 50% off, but not the 79% savings the GG list had calculated. So, it pays to be alert and aware of how your particular store honors competitors' coupons.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Grocery Deal of the Week, November 4
Today, there was nothing really exciting on my grocery list, so I was planning to write about how sometimes even if something is not 50% off or more, it is a good deal. Case in point: Milk at Safeway is 2 gallons for $5.75. This week, Fred Meyer had a coupon (which Albertson's would honor) for 10 1/2 gallons of milk for $10. Albertson's regular price for milk (I thought) was $1.89, which would have made this not a good enough deal for me to get at Albertson's had I stuck to my "more than 50% off" rule for shopping there. But, since it made the milk $2.00/gallon, I got it anyway, because that was cheaper than the price per gallon at Safeway. When I actually got to Albertson's, I found that the regular price was $2.09/half gallon, so it conformed to my rule anyway.
The real deal today was at Safeway. I went shopping a little later in the morning than I have been with the boys back in school, and I hit their clearance meat section just in time. I got 6 packages of 96% lean ground beef for 50% off, a package of thin-sliced round steak for 50% off, and five packages of ground bison for 56% off ($2.69 marked down from $6.19). You all know how expensive even hamburger is these days, so I was happy to snatch up all I could get. And, if you haven't tried bison before, you are missing out. It is so flavorful! We love it, but because it is usually so expensive, we have to wait until I can score some on clearance.
The real deal today was at Safeway. I went shopping a little later in the morning than I have been with the boys back in school, and I hit their clearance meat section just in time. I got 6 packages of 96% lean ground beef for 50% off, a package of thin-sliced round steak for 50% off, and five packages of ground bison for 56% off ($2.69 marked down from $6.19). You all know how expensive even hamburger is these days, so I was happy to snatch up all I could get. And, if you haven't tried bison before, you are missing out. It is so flavorful! We love it, but because it is usually so expensive, we have to wait until I can score some on clearance.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
When Is It a Good Deal?
A fellow Frugalite (is that a word?--it is now, I guess) posted a question on one of my other posts, asking:
Okay, so the advice I want from a more experiences frugal shopper than myself is: what do you consider to be good prices? I mean, obviously 4 cents or 9 cents or something I could pay with in pennies is a good deal, but is shampoo only a good deal if it's under a dollar? How about canned vegetables? Ground beef / chicken? Socks?
I know this is a seemingly impossible task, but I wish I knew what all the "normal" prices of things were so that I could know when I was beating them.I think 2 lb blocks of medium cheddar cheese at $3.99 each at QFC is good though. I'm less sure about good prices for soup, vegetables, chili, yogurt, and lots of other things.
I don't know if I have "the answer" for this question, but that won't stop me from weighing in. It is very hard to keep track of what all the normal prices are for things. That is one of the reasons I use The Grocery Game for planning my shopping. That said, I know that not everyone can shop at the stores for which the Grocery Game publishes shopping lists. There's also a book sold on the website that teaches people how to do the calculating for themselves. This is not a plug for the book. I've not read it. I'm just saying it is there if anyone wants to try it out.
I think for everything, a "good" price is relative. The more you shop, the more you get a feel for what's "normal," and when a sale is really good. Also, you have to recognize what a true bargain is for you. If you swear by a shampoo that you can only get at a salon for $10/ bottle, then no matter how cheap a grocery store shampoo is, it won't be a deal for you.
My rule of thumb is that for most things, especially items with long shelf lives, I try to wait until they are at least 50% off. This makes buying the things that we use all the time and I purchase weekly (milk and produce, for example), which I can't hold out until they're 50% off, a little less painful.
I think it's outrageous that I sometimes have to pay $4.49/lb for 96% lean hamburger. Not to date myself, but I can remember getting hamburger for 99 cents/lb (granted, it was probably not 96% lean, but you get the picture). So, when I can find it for around $3 or less, I am snatching it up and freezing it.
It's funny that the question asked specifically about socks. I had just bought some for my boys the day before, as all their pairs were threadbare. They are both very picky when it comes to socks. Both like the short socks, one only will wear Gold Toe brand, the other wants "whatever is comfiest." So, I just went to Fred Meyer and bought the socks, not really paying attention to what they cost. Luckily, I chose some Champion socks for my oldest, and they were buy 2 packs get 1 free, so that saved me a little. I also think socks are one of those things where it doesn't pay to buy the cheapest brands, at least not when we are talking about very active boys. I find the good brands, like Gold Toe and Champion, will last 18 months to 2 years, whereas some cheaper store brands (even Old Navy) last much less time.
I hope this answered the question, at least a little bit. Shopping and deal-hunting is definitely a game, kind of hunting and gathering for the 21st century.
Okay, so the advice I want from a more experiences frugal shopper than myself is: what do you consider to be good prices? I mean, obviously 4 cents or 9 cents or something I could pay with in pennies is a good deal, but is shampoo only a good deal if it's under a dollar? How about canned vegetables? Ground beef / chicken? Socks?
I know this is a seemingly impossible task, but I wish I knew what all the "normal" prices of things were so that I could know when I was beating them.I think 2 lb blocks of medium cheddar cheese at $3.99 each at QFC is good though. I'm less sure about good prices for soup, vegetables, chili, yogurt, and lots of other things.
I don't know if I have "the answer" for this question, but that won't stop me from weighing in. It is very hard to keep track of what all the normal prices are for things. That is one of the reasons I use The Grocery Game for planning my shopping. That said, I know that not everyone can shop at the stores for which the Grocery Game publishes shopping lists. There's also a book sold on the website that teaches people how to do the calculating for themselves. This is not a plug for the book. I've not read it. I'm just saying it is there if anyone wants to try it out.
I think for everything, a "good" price is relative. The more you shop, the more you get a feel for what's "normal," and when a sale is really good. Also, you have to recognize what a true bargain is for you. If you swear by a shampoo that you can only get at a salon for $10/ bottle, then no matter how cheap a grocery store shampoo is, it won't be a deal for you.
My rule of thumb is that for most things, especially items with long shelf lives, I try to wait until they are at least 50% off. This makes buying the things that we use all the time and I purchase weekly (milk and produce, for example), which I can't hold out until they're 50% off, a little less painful.
I think it's outrageous that I sometimes have to pay $4.49/lb for 96% lean hamburger. Not to date myself, but I can remember getting hamburger for 99 cents/lb (granted, it was probably not 96% lean, but you get the picture). So, when I can find it for around $3 or less, I am snatching it up and freezing it.
It's funny that the question asked specifically about socks. I had just bought some for my boys the day before, as all their pairs were threadbare. They are both very picky when it comes to socks. Both like the short socks, one only will wear Gold Toe brand, the other wants "whatever is comfiest." So, I just went to Fred Meyer and bought the socks, not really paying attention to what they cost. Luckily, I chose some Champion socks for my oldest, and they were buy 2 packs get 1 free, so that saved me a little. I also think socks are one of those things where it doesn't pay to buy the cheapest brands, at least not when we are talking about very active boys. I find the good brands, like Gold Toe and Champion, will last 18 months to 2 years, whereas some cheaper store brands (even Old Navy) last much less time.
I hope this answered the question, at least a little bit. Shopping and deal-hunting is definitely a game, kind of hunting and gathering for the 21st century.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Grocery Deal of the Week, September 16
Coupons, coupons, coupons! How I LOVE coupons!
I was going to write about the 3 more (!) boxes of Electrasol dishwasher powerball tablets that I got at Albertson's for approximately 83 cents per box, but then at Safeway today I came upon an even better deal. Safeway had Nature Valley Granola Bars (all varieties, even the trail mix and nut crunch varieties, which we love) on for 2 for $5.00, and I had 6 manufacturers' coupons for 50 cents off. So, I bought 6 boxes. Right there, I had already saved 50%. Then, because I had bought 5 or more participating items, I got an instant $5 off at checkout. Getting better! Then after I get home, I found that the Catalina machine had spit out a coupon good for $3.50 off my next shopping trip, courtesy of General Mills (who make Nature Valley Granola Bars). Even though I can't use the $3.50 until next time, it essentially made it so my 6 boxes of granola bars will cost about 58 cents each, or a savings of 85%. I love it when coupons and promotions work together!
I was going to write about the 3 more (!) boxes of Electrasol dishwasher powerball tablets that I got at Albertson's for approximately 83 cents per box, but then at Safeway today I came upon an even better deal. Safeway had Nature Valley Granola Bars (all varieties, even the trail mix and nut crunch varieties, which we love) on for 2 for $5.00, and I had 6 manufacturers' coupons for 50 cents off. So, I bought 6 boxes. Right there, I had already saved 50%. Then, because I had bought 5 or more participating items, I got an instant $5 off at checkout. Getting better! Then after I get home, I found that the Catalina machine had spit out a coupon good for $3.50 off my next shopping trip, courtesy of General Mills (who make Nature Valley Granola Bars). Even though I can't use the $3.50 until next time, it essentially made it so my 6 boxes of granola bars will cost about 58 cents each, or a savings of 85%. I love it when coupons and promotions work together!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Grocery Deal of the Week, September 8
This week's grocery deal was definitely Electrasol dishwasher gel pacs and tablets. They were on sale for 3 for $10, and I had five coupons for $2.25 off a package, bringing them down to $1.08 each. That's just over 5 cents per individual gel pac and just over 4 cents per individual tablet. Definitely an affordable way to wash my dishes.
My hubby gives me a hard time about all the dishwashing detergent we have, but, hey, it's not like the stuff ever expires. And, we definitely have more than a year's supply on hand!
I have to also acknowledge the deal that got away. On the Albertson's Grocery Game list, they had Zone Perfect Nutrition bars for free after the sale and the $1.00 off coupon in yesterday's paper. Even though those aren't normally something I'd buy, for free, I was willing to give them a try and I made a mental note to cut those coupons out. Well, of course, they didn't get cut out and got recycled instead. Oh well! Next time.
My hubby gives me a hard time about all the dishwashing detergent we have, but, hey, it's not like the stuff ever expires. And, we definitely have more than a year's supply on hand!
I have to also acknowledge the deal that got away. On the Albertson's Grocery Game list, they had Zone Perfect Nutrition bars for free after the sale and the $1.00 off coupon in yesterday's paper. Even though those aren't normally something I'd buy, for free, I was willing to give them a try and I made a mental note to cut those coupons out. Well, of course, they didn't get cut out and got recycled instead. Oh well! Next time.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Keeping Track of Your Stockpiles
For a long time, I've been keeping track of what meat is in my freezer so I have the information at hand while planning menus and grocery lists. See above for a picture of my grocery planner/inventory lists. Just recently (this week) I decided to make an inventory of everything in my pantry, garage storage, both freezers, and toiletries.
I have one page for each category: roasts/steaks, prepared meats (like hot dogs, hamburger buns), ground meat (hamburger, turkey, vegetarian crumbles), fish/poultry. I list each item individually. For example, on the ground meat page, if I have 8 packages of hamburger in the freezer, I write “hamburger” 8 times, and then cross off one instance of “hamburger” every time I use a package. When I buy more hamburger, I add to the bottom of the list.
I've now added some new pages: toiletries, pantry/garge (nonfood), pantry /garage (food), cereal (has its own page), extra freezer, etc. I find that as I am stockpiling and having to store my stocks in a variety of places in the house and the garage, that I am losing track of what I have, and consequently, what I might need when things go on sale.
By having lists of everything I have, I can look very quickly to see that I already have 18 cans of chicken broth, and that I might want to pass on the sale that is coming up. Or that I seem to have way more Golden Grahams and Cinnamon Toast Crunch than anything else, so not to buy those flavors for a while. Equally important is I can now more easily make sure we use things before they go out of date. When I was doing the inventory on my “spare” freezer (part of my refrigerator in the garage), I had to toss FIVE packages of Van De Kamps fish portions that were more than a year past date.
I hope this makes sense and that you aren't all laughing yourself silly. What can I say, I'm definitely Type A! But, I think this will help me keep tabs on what I have on hand, so that I can shop even smarter.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Grocery Deal of the Week, July 22
Today, I got 14 six-ounce containers of Darigold yogurt for F-R-E-E. Easily my best shopping deal yet. Albertson's had them on for 20 for $10.00, and I had seven coupons good for $1.00 off 2. Another neighbor found out I like the coupons in the free Saturday newspaper, so she has started giving me hers, too. I'll probably say this a million times on this blog: the way to really maximize grocery savings is to use coupons and have multiples.
Last night, I drove 8 miles (round-trip) out of my way so I could get $10 off my grocery order. There is a brand-new Safeway downtown, and I had some coupons that were good only at that store. As I was driving, I wondered if it was really worth it to drive for the extra savings. I figured those 8 miles cost me about $2.10 in gas, so yeah, it was.
Last night, I drove 8 miles (round-trip) out of my way so I could get $10 off my grocery order. There is a brand-new Safeway downtown, and I had some coupons that were good only at that store. As I was driving, I wondered if it was really worth it to drive for the extra savings. I figured those 8 miles cost me about $2.10 in gas, so yeah, it was.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Grocery Coupons
I am a BIG user of grocery coupons. Used correctly, they can save you a ton of money. By "used correctly," I mean using them only for items that you actually will use, and ideally using them when the item is on a good sale.
I have discovered two things lately that have really contributed to my coupon savings:
I have discovered two things lately that have really contributed to my coupon savings:
Gather multiples of coupons
This is actually easy to do. Talk with your neighbors and friends who take the Sunday paper. If they don't want their coupon inserts, ask if you can have them. My mother-in-law has given me her coupons for years. In our area, we also get a free community newspaper on Saturdays which has a watered-down version of the Sunday coupon inserts (not all of the same coupons are in the Saturday freebie). My neighbors on both sides don't care for the paper, so they have agreed that I can have it. I also get my MIL's Saturday coupons. That's up to 6 sets of coupons each week!
Believe it or not you can get coupons on eBay--for cheap! Tonight as I was writing this entry, I went to eBay, typed "grocery coupons" in the search line, and got 480 results. Most are very reasonbly priced, and many are Buy It Now. I can easily get $30–$50 worth of coupons that I will actually use for $3 or $4.
Use Internet coupons with caution. Many grocery stores have stopped taking them. Safeway (where I do most of my shopping) was not accepting them for a while, but now takes one Internet coupon per type of item per transaction.
Use your coupons at the best possible time
Matching up my vast collection of coupons with rock-bottom sale prices has been where I've really seen a huge benefit. I log on to a website every Sunday morning which gives me my weekly list of the lowest-priced products at my supermarkets matched with manufacturers' coupons and weekly specials, both advertised and unadvertised. The website does all the hard work and research, and presents it in a straightforward format. Your credit card is charged $10 every 8 weeks for the first store on your list, and $5 every 4 weeks for the second store.
I shop at Albertson’s (for items that I can get for 50% off or more) and Safeway (for everything else) and it’s amazing how much I have saved! My average weekly savings at Albertson's is 57%, and my average weekly savings at Safeway is 35% (I have a spreadsheet if anyone wants to see actual numbers). I was doing OK with just using the Safeway list, but have found that I save more by going to Albertson’s, too, and my pantry and food storage areas in the garage are overflowing with the deals I’ve gotten by using as many coupons as I have when an item is a real deal.
Leave a comment or e-mail me if you would like an invitation to try out the site (the invitation will come from my Hotmail account).
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