We will be opening up a new forum for trading inside unknown deals for those who buy food, beverage, supplies every week or two for their home or home office.

In this tough economy, prices have gone up, and many manufacturers have started down-sizing their weights from 16 oz to 12 oz packages to think we are not smart enough to see the downsize has raised our cost by 25%. (I think that is one of the biggest s-c-a-m-s there is)

TIPS:
  1. Have a Freezer. Whatever you pay for the freezer will pay back to you in $1000 thousands of dollars in savings. You can freeze bread, milk, juices, meats, cereal, cheese, you name it. And the cost per year for electricity is $42, or about $3.50/mo.

  2. Have an extra Refrigerator. Another great way to store items that you cannot freeze, such as eggs and other items you have to buy in bulk at 50% off, yet need the extra refrigerator space.


To start out today, I wanted to share with you something that has appeared in many grocery ads this week in anticipation of the coming Memorial Weekend Holiday (last weekend in May of each year).


$1.00 per 6-pack
(Have not seen this low price in 5 years)

Check ALL of your local grocery store ads. This one is offered by Smiths Food and Drug Stores (whose ad says Buy 4 12-packs for $10 and get a 5th 12-pack for FREE, which works out to $1/per 6-pack). But because the soda companies are in fierce competition... they will want to pass along deals to other local food chains in your area too.


Top Sirloin Steak - $2.99 to $3.99 lb
If your family is a meat lover, the Top-Sirloin is an all-time favorite because of taste and tenderness. This is another example to have a CHEST FREEZER, to store and save products that are on sale from 25% to 50% OFF during certain times of the year.

A good price to look out for during the year is $2.98 lb, which I saw last Fall and again a few months later. Usually a GOOD price of $3.99/lb comes around every few weeks.

SELECT or CHOICE Grade?
Only one of my local stores sells CHOICE all the time (which is the best, just below Prime Beef). The other stores either sell SELECT (which is below CHOICE) or they mix SELECT with a few CHOICE. Some stores, like Safeway, have their own Brand (like Rangers Premium) which is misleading, because it is SELECT. You have to ask your stores. Once you know what they sell, you will not forget.


MILK - $1.85 to $2.50/gal
Costco (and probably Sams Club) averages $1.85 a gallon. Other local stores have been averaging sale prices every week for $2.50 gallon. (If you are using Food Stamps [which is now a credit card type plastic card called SNAP], then consider Sams Club! They just started accepting the SNAP card. Otherwise, you have to buy the $2.50/gallon at the store, which is still better than paying the regular price of $3.50 to $4.00/gallon)


100% ORANGE JUICE - $1.99 to $2.99/Gallon
Frozen Orange Juice is costing more money than buying the full gallon from certain local stores who have their own brand. I have found SMITH's to offer this every week for $2.99/gallon, and drops to $1.99 to $2.50


JIMMY DEAN SAUSAGE - $2.50/lb
At .15 cents per ounce, this is consistently on sale every few weeks, and beats paying $3.50+ or more per lb. Like BACON, sausage is a favorite item in the morning with eggs. And the per pound price is important to keep down between $1.99 and $2.50 per pound. You may want to rotate between BACON and SAUSAGE.


BACON - $1.99 to 2.50/lb
One of the hardest bargains to find these days. Most "sales" are averaging .20 cents per ounce, which equals $3.20/lb, and that is higher than the .15 cents per ounce for Jimmy Dean Sausage at $2.50/lb.

Then you have to choose what BRAND of bacon to buy on sale. Some brands are cut with too much side fat and little bacon. Other brands you have to experiment with to see which ones you can trust.

TIP: I bought "Daily Bacon" on sale for $1.99/lb, got home and cooked it. It was nearly 90% fat. I took the open package and all of the unopened packages back the follow week with my receipt and asked for a refund (which they gave). They asked "why", and I said the packaging was misleading and I ended up with nearly all fat. (I had frozen the returned packages for the week so they were in decent shape).


EGGS - .99 cents dozen
Where else can you invest $1.00 and get back save a dollar and get back $1.70?? That is 42% "interest" per MONTH, or 500% per YEAR.

Eggs bought today have a "Sell by" Date that is usually good for another 3-4 weeks. If you keep you eggs in an extra refrigerator, the total shelf-life of eggs bought today is nearly 2 MONTHS, far enough to wait until the next .99 cent sale. I usually buy 10 dozen at time, which lasts for my household of 4 eggs per day about one month. If you go through 6 eggs a day, then buy 15 dozen at .99 cents, which will cost $14.85. Or to be safe for the sale, buy for 2 MONTHS.