Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
As requested by readers I’ve expanded this list to include grocery deals at Ralphs, Safeway/Vons, Albertsons, Whole Foods, Publix, ShopRite, Fresh N Easy, and Food 4 Less. I’m still looking for coupon matchups for Henry’s and Smart N Final. What other grocery stores do you want to see featured?
Ralphs - Cathy at Chief Family Officer shared four great grocery deals at Ralph’s this week. Highlights include Hostess Snack Cakes for $1.09 after coupon, Better Oats Revolution! Oatmeal for $.50 each with coupon, Country Crock Spread for $.20 after coupon, and Palmolive Liquid Dish Detergent for $.50 after coupon. The Ralphs prices assume coupon doubling up to $1. Get Ralphs coupon match ups and more deals.
Safeway/Vons - Highlights include (more…)
This weeks CSA haul: lettuce, cherry tomatoes, green beans, beets, tomatoes, corn, peppers, garlic, eggs and goat cheese.
Earlier in the summer I joined a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, paying $525 for 20 weeks of vegetables, eggs, and cheese. I’m considering re-upping my membership for winter, but first want to re-consider my hefty investment. The program costs me about $11 more per week compared to buying groceries at my local chains. Does joining a CSA make financial sense?
Cost is the first thing I considered. For the 20-week summer program, I paid $365 for good-sized portions of about seven vegetables, including lettuce, tomatoes, corn, beets, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, and garlic. I paid another $100 to receive freshly made goat cheese (chevre or feta) and $60 for a half dozen free-range organic chicken eggs that are free of hormones and antibiotics.
That amounts to $26 a week! Before joining this CSA I spent roughly $15.50 for vegetables, one dozen eggs, and a block of cheese each week. So I am spending $10.75 more (more…)
Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
I am impressed how many readers are committed to eating organic and natural foods! Dozens of readers (there were 64 comments) shared their strategies to save, including many who grow edible gardens as part of a contest to win the eBook “Real Food on a Real Budget.” The majority struggle with the cost of organic food, which is certainly a big reason why I have not fully embraced organic.
EllieD and Jana had a thoughtful conversation, spurred in part by a plea for help by Shane. A snippet of their exchange:
@EllieD, I think we do agree on a lot!
I like the Whole Foods in-store organic brand, it is dollars cheaper than other brands. The only problem I have is with canned goods. Most, if not all–except for Eden Organic brand–canned goods are contaminated with BPA. This is cause for concern. This is why I don’t often buy canned tomatoes at all, since Eden brand is quite expensive. I guess the best way is to can your own, in glass jars. (more…)
deb roby/Flickr
Here is an update on what produce is currently in season and a resource for what to plant in your late summer/fall garden. The below list of in-season produce is a good indicator of what fruit and vegetables will have the best prices. Greater supply…lower prices. Plus, in-season produce is often grown closer to home than out-of-season produce, which we import from Chile, Mexico, and other countries. Expect prices for early summer fruits and vegetables to rise.
The following list of fall fruits and vegetables comes from FruitsAndVeggiesMoreMatters.org. The list includes many hardy lettuces and squashes. If you can’t remember what is in season, price is a good indication.
Acorn Squash
Belgian Endive
Broccoli (more…)
Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
Cathy at Chief Family Officer shared four great grocery deals at Ralph’s this week. These prices assume coupon doubling up to $1. New to coupons? Check out my post on coupon clipping basics. If you want to take advantage of these deals, make sure to save the coupon inserts you receive in the mail or with your Sunday newspaper. Here’s a great suggestion for how to handle coupon organization.
Yoplait Yogurt Cups on sale for $0.50
Buy 6 and use $0.40 off 6 from 7/11 or 7/25 Smart Source coupon insert
or use $0.40 off 6 printable coupon
Pay: $0.37 each
Dannon Yogurt Cups on sale for $0.50
Buy 6 and use $0.40 off 6 Dannon Yogurt from 7/25 Red Plum coupon insert
or use $0.40 off 6 Dannon Single Serve Yogurt Cups from 6/13 Smart Source (exp 8/8)
Pay: $0.37 each
Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage on sale for $1.97
Use $0.55 off 1 Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage Links from 7/11 Red Plum coupon insert
Pay: $0.97
Vitaminwater on sale for $1
Buy 2 and use $1 off 2 VitaminWater Zero 20 ounce from August All You magazine
Pay: $0.50 each
Keep reading Cathy’s Ralphs grocery deals.
Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
Cathy at Chief Family Officer shared four great grocery deals at Ralph’s this week. These prices assume coupon doubling up to $1. New to coupons? Check out my post on coupon clipping basics. If you want to take advantage of these deals, make sure to save the coupon inserts you receive in the mail or with your Sunday newspaper. Here’s a great suggestion for how to handle coupon organization.
And a few highlights:
Buy 2 and use $0.75 off 2 Ball Park Products coupon from 6/27 Red Plum coupon insert or printable coupon
Final price: $0.50 each
Buy 2 and use B1G1 printable coupon
Final price: $0.50 each
Use $0.75 off 1 Smart Taste printable coupon here or here
Final price: FREE
Use $0.75 cents off 1 Crest Toothpaste 4 oz or larger from 7/4 Proctor & Gamble coupon insert (exp 7/31)
Or use $0.50 off 1 Crest Toothpaste 4 oz or larger from 6/27 Red Plum or 6/6 Proctor & Gamble (exp 7/31)
Final price: FREE
Keep reading Cathy’s grocery deals at Ralphs.
avlxyz/Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Farmer’s markets are a good source for fresh produce and quality homemade goods but can be pretty expensive if you don’t know how to score a deal. Before I started to frequent them, I imagined farmer’s market were expensive because the produce is organic, but with a couple tricks I have been able to save money and so can you. Here’s what to do.
Meet the farmers. It has been my experience that this is the single best thing you can do at the farmer’s market if you want to save money. Instead of rushing through the market, take your time to do a meet and greet. Talk to the farmers and those selling their produce. Many times the farmer’s themselves will not be selling the produce so talking to whomever is in charge is best. One of the best ways to strike up a conversation is to ask questions about their produce and where they grown it. Becoming friends with them may provide you with discounts but it also allows you to learn where your food is coming from. This is also good if you want to know what the farmers will be selling in the weeks ahead. By becoming friends, they know you’ll become a loyal customer and will buy from them as much as possible.
Early bird doesn’t always get the worm. If you are looking for quality and a plentiful selection, you must hit the farmer’s market early in the day, but be warned that quality comes with a price. If bargains are what you want, then the best time to head to the market is later in the day. The selection will be limited but you’ll find the lowest prices during this time as farmers are trying to sell all of their merchandise so they can head home. If you are looking for something in particular, get there early and shop around.
Know what’s in season. When I first started going to farmer’s markets I made a big mistake that cost me greatly. I was paying $10 for out of season strawberries. They were delicious, but not worth all that money. Once I figured out I was overpaying, I vowed to learn in season fruits and vegetables to reduce my costs. I now pay $5 at most for strawberries when they are in season.
Haggle. Many vendors are open to negotiation, but you have to be respectful if you are going to take that approach. Not only is this their livelihood and they have to make a living, but it’s also up to their discretion if they want to give you a deal. I once asked for a deal when purchasing fruit from a farmer and I got it. Another customer overheard and demanded the same deal. She was only buying three apples while I bought an array of fruits for a salad from the farmer. He explained to her that he couldn’t give her a discount when she was buying so little and told her that if she bought more he would gladly extend the offer to her. She refused, left the apples and stormed off. In short, if you want a deal, politeness will get you further.
Do you have more tips on saving money at the farmer’s market?
Cathy from Chief Family Officer shared four grocery deals at Ralphs this week. These prices assume coupon doubling up to $1. New to coupons? Check out my post on coupon clipping basics. If you want to take advantage of these deals, make sure to save the coupon inserts you receive in the mail or with your Sunday newspaper. Here’s a great suggestion for how to handle coupon organization.
Buy 2 and use $0.75 off 2 Yoplait Go Gurt or Trix Multipack yogurt from 5/30 General Mills (GM) coupon insert or 6/13 Smart Source (SS) coupon insert or use this printable coupon
Final cost: $1.50 each
Buy 3 and use $0.75 off 3 Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper or Chicken Helper from 6/20 SS coupon insert
Final cost: $0.67 each
Use $0.20 off 1 Hunts Tomato ketchup from 6/20 SS coupon insert
Final cost: $0.60
StarKist Solid White Tuna Can or Pouch on sale for $1
Buy 2 and use $1 off 2 Starkist Pouch from May All You magazine
Or buy 3 and use B2G1 Starkist Pouch Products or Creations Pouch from July All You
Final cost: as low as $0.50 each when you buy 2
Read the rest of Cathy’s Ralphs deals.
Cathy from Chief Family Officer shared these four deals this week at Ralphs, which are part of a buy 10 save $3 promotion.
Use $1 off 1 Trop 50 from 6/6 Red Plum coupon insert
$1.99 after coupon and discount
Use $0.40 off 1 Country Crock product online printable coupon (Fire Fox or Internet Explorer)
$1.69 after coupon and discount
Totino’s Pizza or Pizza Rolls on sale for $0.89
Use $0.35 off 1 Totinos Pizza Roll Snacks coupon from 4/18 Smart Source coupon insert
Or buy 2 and use $0.50 off 2 Totinos Crisp Crust Party Pizza from 4/18 Smart Source
As low as $0.19 after coupon and discount
Wayne National Forest/Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Green trends are everywhere these days – in the news, politics, fashion and even technology. Everyone is trying to be environmentally conscious and that’s great – but I am trying to be money conscious.
My family and I have been recycling since before it was the “in” thing to do. Recycling is one of the green changes that makes sense and cents. But when I think about changing my lifestyle to be more eco-friendly, the money adds up. Is being green actually frugal?
Organic Food
There are many benefits to organic food, like the fresh taste and lack of hormones and pesticides. With the high prices, however, not every one can afford it. Thankfully I have a garden that provides me some organic fruits and vegetables. I’ve learned to cut corners by using Organic.com’s Dirty Dozen list, which shares the 12 most and least contaminated produce items. The list helps me decide when it’s best to buy organic. Organic milk and meat are often twice as much as non-organic. Overall eating organic food, which is greener than non-organic, is not frugal.
Organic Beauty
Like organic food, the down side to organic beauty products is added expense. Organic shampoos and lotions can run anywhere from $10 to $20 a bottle and there aren’t a lot of coupons. Similar non-organic beauty products cost about $1-5. Unless prices drop, organic beauty products remain decidedly not frugal.
Alternative Energy
Solar panels are another green change that is too expensive for me to afford. Residential solar panels can cost tens of thousands of dollars and they generally pay for themselves in 10-20 years, but I just simply do not have the money to invest in them today. A cheaper alternative is changing incandescent light bulbs to florescent light bulbs around the home. Florescent light bulbs are a few dollars more than regular bulbs but will reduce your energy costs. A couple years ago, we changed out our bulbs for florescent bulbs and saw a major dip in our utilities bill, from $54 every two months to $33. Energy is one area that can be frugal.
How do you reduce the cost of being green?
Cathy from Chief Family Officer shared four grocery deals at Ralphs this week that are part of a mix and match deal where you get $3 off when you buy 10 qualifying products. These prices assume coupon doubling up to $1. New to coupons? Check out my post on coupon clipping basics. If you want to take advantage of these deals, make sure to save the coupon inserts you receive in the mail or with your Sunday newspaper. Here’s a great suggestion for how to handle coupon organization.
Betty Crocker Cookie Mix on sale for $1.99
Use $0.50/1 Betty Crocker Cookie Mix from 5/30 GM coupon insert in your Sunday newspaper
$0.99 after coupon and Mix & Match discount
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks on sale for $1.99
Buy 2 and use $0.50 off 2 printable coupon
$0.99 after coupon and Mix & Match discount
Tropicana Pure Premium or Trop50 on sale for $2.99
Use $1 off 1 Tropicana Trop50 from 6/6 Red Plum coupon insert
Or use $1/1 Tropicana Trop50 printable coupon
$1.99 after coupon and Mix & Match discount
Orville Redenbacher’s Popcorn on sale for $1.69
$0.40 off 1 Orville Redenbachers Gourmet Popping Corn from 5/16 Smart Source coupon insert
$0.89 after coupon and Mix & Match discount
Read the rest of Cathy’s Ralphs deals.
Cathy of Chief Family Officer shared four great grocery deals at Ralphs this week. These prices assume coupon doubling up to $1. New to coupons? Check out my post on coupon clipping basics. If you want to take advantage of these deals, make sure to save the coupon inserts you receive in the mail or with your Sunday newspaper. Here’s a great suggestion for how to handle coupon organization.
Farmer John Sliced Bacon on sale for $3.99
Use $1 off 1 Farmer John Bacon printable coupon
$2.99 after coupon
Green Giant Boxed Vegetables on sale for $1
Buy 2 and use $.50 off2 Green Giant Boxed Vegetables printable coupon
$.50 cents each after coupon
Pillsbury Sweet Moments Brownies on sale for $2.50
Use $1/1 Pillsbury Sweet Moments printable coupon
$1.50 after coupon
Ronzoni Pasta on sale for $1
Use $.75 off 1 Ronzoni Smart Taste printable coupon here and here
FREE after coupon
Read the rest of Cathy’s Ralph’s grocery deals.
Cathy from Chief Family Officer shared four deals and freebies at Ralphs this week. Cathy makes it easy to save at the grocery store! The final prices assume coupon doubling up to $1. New to coupons? Check out my post on coupon clipping basics. If you want to take advantage of these deals, make sure to save the coupon inserts you receive in the mail or with your Sunday newspaper. Here’s a great suggestion for how to handle coupon organization.
Use $1 off 1 coupon for Kens salad dressing 16 oz. or Lite Accents any from 5/9 Smart Source coupon insert in your local newspaper
Final price: $0.67
Jell-O Gelatin or Pudding on sale for $1
Use $0.50 off 1 Kraft Jello Brand Gelatin box coupon from 6/6 Smart Source coupon insert
Final price: FREE
Buy 10 and use $0.50 off 8 Yoplait Yogurt Cups from 4/25 or 5/16 Smart Source insert or 5/30 General Mills insert
Final price: $0.30 each
Use $0.50 off 1 Knudsen Sour Cream or Cottage Cheese 16 oz or larger from 5/23 Smart Source insert
Final price: $0.99
Cathy from Chief Family Officer shared four grocery deals at Ralphs this week. Her prices assume coupons are doubled up to $1 off. New to coupons? Check out my post on coupon clipping basics. If you want to take advantage of these deals, make sure to save the coupon inserts you receive in the mail or with your Sunday newspaper. Here’s a great suggestion for how to handle coupon organization.
Nabisco Snack Crackers on sale for $1.88
Buy 2 and use $1 off 2 Nabisco Crackers from 5/16 SmartSource newspaper coupon insert
$1.38 each after coupon
Wish-Bone Salad Dressing on sale for $1.50
Buy 2 and use $1.25 off 2 Wish Bone Dressing from 5/23 RedPlum insert
Or use $0.75 off 1 printable coupon
Final price: as low as $0.50 after coupon
Sobe Lifewater on sale for $0.88
Buy 2 and use Buy One, Get One Free printable coupon
Final price: $0.44 each after coupon
All or Surf Laundry Detergent or Snuggle Fabric Softener on sale for $2.99
Use $2 off 1 Surf Laundry Detergent from 5/16 RedPlum insert
Or use $2 off 1 All Oxi Liquid Laundry Detergent from 5/16 RedPlum insert
Or buy 2 and use $1 off 2 All Liquid Laundry Detergent 28 ld or larger from 5/16 RedPlum insert
Or use or $1 off 1 All Oxi printable coupon
Or use $0.75 off 1 Snuggle Liquid or Sheets from 5/16 Red Plum insert
Final price: as low as $0.99 after coupon
Read the rest of Cathy’s grocery deals at Ralphs.
Bruce Tuten/Flickr
Time again for a list of in-season fruits and vegetables to help you save money on groceries. Buying in-season produce is almost always cheaper than buying out-of-season produce. Greater supply…lower prices. Plus, in-season produce is often grown closer to home than out-of-season produce, which we import from Chile, Mexico, and other countries. Expect prices for spring fruits and vegetables to rise.
The following list of summer fruits and vegetables comes from FruitsAndVeggiesMoreMatters.org. The list includes some of my favorite foods, like beets, cantaloupe, corn, eggplant, grapes, limes, peaches, and watermelon. If you can’t remember what is in season, prices are a good indication.
Apricots
Beets
Bell Peppers
Blackberries
Blueberries
Boysenberries
Butter Lettuce
Cantaloupe
Casaba Melon
Chayote Squash
Cherries
Cherries, Sour
Corn
Crenshaw Melon
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Figs
Garlic
Grapefruit
Grapes
Green Beans
Honeydew Melons
Jalapeno Peppers
Lima Beans
Limes
Loganberries
Lychee
Nectarines
Olallieberries
Okra
Passion Fruit
Peaches
Peas
Persian Melons
Plums
Radishes
Raspberries
Strawberries
Summer Squash
Tomatillo
Tomatoes
Watermelon
Zucchini
