Be a Smart Shopper

A few ways to be a...

Smart Shopper

1. Watch the Sale Ads - Every week your local grocers send out their sale ads for the week. Often times there will even be Coupons for EXTRA savings. Check the sales...compare the prices...plan your weekly menu based on what's on sale...you can't go wrong! Check the drug store ads as well...my local Rite Aid had cans of chopped clams on sale a few weeks back for $.99 each! I bought 4. These usually run around $3 at the grocery store...
2. Shop at the 99 Cent Stores and the Dollar Sores in your area. Many times they've got GREAT deals on canned food items. My 99 Cent Store even has produce! You've got to be real careful...but if you choose wisely you can get great deals. A while back they had a bag of fresh ginger for $.99. I took it home....peeled it...cut it into 1 inch pieces and popped it in the freezer. Now, whenever I need fresh ginger I just grab a small piece and grate it right in to my recipe. I have found many great, name brand (I'm a stickler about this at the discount stores...it's GOT to be name brand or I won't buy it) products at my local 99 Cent Store...frozen goods, Hillshire Farms kielbasa, Farmer John sausage, to name a few. A few weeks back I got a pack of 10 pitas for 99 cents. I made roasted chicken salad sandwiches with them and they were delicious! (I'll share that recipe soon...it was a keeper!)
3. Buy One Get One Free - this always makes me happy. It's generally better than the 2/$5 (or $3, or $4, etc.) deals. And I know...we don't always need TWO of everything...but if it's free...and it can be stored...why not?
4. Clearance Bin in the meat department!? Why, yes. Of course! I think this might be a new thing to my local Safeway. Either that or I haven't been paying close enough attention. Either way...there is a small section of the meat department labeled "clearance". I am able to get great deals there...and that is often how I plan my meals. OFten times, too, you'll see stickers on meat packages, "Reduced for Quick Sale" or "50% Off at Register". Take advantage of this! I got two pork roasts for $3 each a while back...and one of them was big enough that it fed us THREE MEALS! (Another recipe I'll share soon!) Three HEARTY meals. We're not skimping around my kitchen!

I hope these ideas are helpful. Many of them you already know...and I bet many of you already have these money-saving tricks up your own sleeves. I hope so! If not...I hope you find this helpful. If so...it's nice to meet a like-minded woman doing her best to be a good steward of what she's been given. Enjoy!