Don't Forget Clearanced Dairy

Yes, it sounds a bit icky -- yogurt on clearance.  But, I really would never buy a small container for $1.29.  I love the Price Chopper on West Mountain Street in Worcester, MA.  There is a small frig occasionally devoted to these rejects.  On my last visit, Dannon Oikos Fruit on the Bottom Greek yogurt was $1 off via orange peel by the cashier only sticker.  The expiration date was approaching, but not for another 5 days.  The deal was great for 29 cents a container -- 12 grams of protein, 170 mg potassium, 15% calcium and vitamin D.  It got even better with my collection of 75 cents off three container coupons I had from various blinky machines.  Total cost for three containers regularly priced $3.87 - $3 clearance coupon - 75 cents = 12 cents or 4 cents each! 

Stock up on your yogurt coupons and look out for reduced prices due to approaching expiration dates at your grocery store.

On the Bright Side at Wegman's

My toddler has now switched allegiances from loving CVS to Wegman's best.  CVS used to be his favorite because of the rack of sporty cars they sell.  I did buy a few, my most recent one (a white New York luxury bus) I used a 25% off store coupon on, making the $4.99 pricey price tag somewhat easier to pay (the rest was paid with rewards bucks). 

That rack of cars cannot compare with what they have at Wegman's, however.  How can you beat a Thomas the Tank engine fan's love for an actual, moving, sounding choo-choo train above the dairy section?  They also have a small track set with one freight car in the seating/dining section by the prepared foods/ take-out section. All of that, combined with the spacious room to roam, great children's book section, and the occasional rooster popping out above the mocha and latte area, and we've got a winning store. 

Of course I love what my children love.  With my husband very sick all week and needing two prescriptions filled, where then did I turn?  Wegman's of course.  And the deal was fantastic!  A household's first 5 new or transferred prescriptions come with a $20 store merchandise coupon.  With the meds coming out to only $11, we made out with $29 in free groceries.  Well, not everything was food -- I succumbed and bought a Wegman's truck (which is actually a PEZ candy dispenser) with the same sunny side egg picture one of the freight cars features. So, despite the somewhat depressing tempo of having a loved one ill, Wegman's once again brought out the bright side to shopping.

Everything Organic Festival at Wegman's

I am thoroughly enjoying the little coupon booklet sent out by Wegman's a couple weeks ago.  For only a minimum purchase of $10, I was able to redeem a coupon for a free 11.5 ounce bag of potato chips and a bag of frozen vegetables.  Also, by the pharmacy, $1 coupons for frozen organic vegetable bags were available, making these nutritious veggies only a dollar.

According to their free January issue of "Nature's Marketplace" (found in the organic food section), which includes a couple of great coupons, there is an upcoming Everything Organic Festival on January 21st and 28th from 11am-3pm where one can "sample Wegmans organic products," "learn more about organics," and "spin the Wheel of Fun for a chance to win a basket of organic products."

Sounds like a great time to plan a Saturday grocery shopping trip!

Heads Up on Free School Supplies

After perusing the http://www.howtoshopforfree.net/, I am looking forward to some early morning shopping tomorrow.  Avery heavy duty binders, banker's boxes, and portable file boxes can be bought and credited 100% in Staples Rewards.

This website is wonderful in finding all the free little items at Walmart and all of the various pharmacies.  If you get a chance, check it out.

A Quick Run to the Stores

Because of an afternoon nap and two free teenagers on hand, I was able to make some quick stops at some stores today without lugging around a toddler.  At Aldi's I picked up six 3 pound onion bags for only 99 cents each, four 10 pound golden potato bags for only $2.99 each, and 3 dozen eggs for only $1.09 each.

At the Dollar Tree I grabbed some Brillo boxes, brooms, and sponges.  At Walgreens I picked up a 24 Dasani water bottle pack on sale for $3.99.  I then swung by Taco Bell to buy a $20 gift card and get a free soda and chicken flatbread meal.  That promotion is over now, but the manager took my order and allowed the free incentives to ring through anyway.

And finally, my stop at Target was 'excite'ing -- five holiday boxes of Axe Excite, Dark Temptation, and the Shower pack originally $9.99 reduced to $6.98.  I used five $3 coupons, bringing down each gift pack to only four dollars, the regular price of a deodorant stick.  My boys will love this, making it worth the babysitting today, perhaps?

Sunday

Dear Readers,

It is 7 am on a beautiful Sunday morning and I am trying to hurry up the pancake process so that I can go outside and pick up the morning paper from our driveway.  I don't know if it is the exhilaration of sprinting into the crisp outside dressed in a bathrobe or the thrill to see what is on sale this week, but I love these mornings.  How delightful it is to sit with my cup of tea and inserts, while everyone eats pancakes.

Last week I held out on buying eggs as long as I could.  My husband's omlets dwindled in size from three to one (with lots of vegetables) as our stock of eggs went down.  Target's dozens were around $2.83 and Price Chopper's $2.89.  I had used my last $1 off eggs coupons at Stop and Shop, where it came out to $1.12 with a coupon.  So, I succumbed to shopping at Aldi's, my least favorite store.  Buying 6 dozen there at $1.09 saved me at least ten dollars.  But just watch them be on sale somewhere else this week...

Hope you have fun pre-shopping and menu planning on this beautiful Sunday morning!

Yours truly,
Dilara

On My Way to Wegman's

For a couple months, I have been wondering what all the hoopla has been over Wegman's.  I have a friend who is willing to drive 30 minutes just to shop there, and another who raves about their bakery items, especially the cinnamon bread.

I agree that the store is more spacious and that the prepared foods look marvelous with the variety of international dishes (not that I would ever buy expensive prepared food).  I bought a bag of store brand unbleached flour for only 99 cents and their Lifeway lowfat Kefir cultured milk smoothie probiotic is almost one dollar cheaper than other places, but then again, the store does not double coupons.

This negativity stopped this morning when I realized I was out of garlic.  I learned by shopping around the vegetable aisles, nearby the amazing fresh orange juice stand, that Wegman's sells garlic that has been grown right here in the USA!  Do you know how difficult it is to find this?  And, even their store brand "Food You Feel Good About" offers apple juice that contains juice from the USA or Canada, not China, which even my toddler's Juicy Juice boxes can't beat!

So I guess I am on my way to Wegman's sometime this week, and proud of it.