The Grinch Who Stole the Christmas Candy

Its hard to say that a company who paid me to take candy off of the shelf at CVS this week is a Grinch, but if you are planning to buy holiday candy you may want to take a second look at the package. While at CVS I discovered that a package of Holiday Hershey Kisses are only 8.5 oz while the regular package is 12 oz. Both packages are on sale for $2 each before the buy $20 get $10 ECB deal. You may prefer the holiday packaging if you are planning a special project using Chirstmas colors, but if you are looking for the least expensive candy buy the normal packaging instead.

Due to our current economic state, more companies are reducing the contents of the packages without lowering the price. Some companies are redesigning their packaging while other packages are staying the same but are not as full as they previously were. Most reductions will be 10% or less to prevent most consumers from noticing the decrease in size. Lisa recently sent me this Newsweek article discussing decreases in the package contents.

The long term reduction in the amount is a form of inflation if the cost of the product stays the same. In the case of the holiday candy, I would say Hershey's is taking advantage of the sentimental consumer and possibly trying to make up for the additional costs associated with the promotional packaging. However, I wouldn't be too surprised if there is a reduction in the size of their regular packages in the near future.

Remember to stay alert for price and size changes when purchasing products. Even a seemingly small difference adds up over time.

Kroger Loss Leaders Week of November 9

Prices based on the Metro Atlanta sales circular. Our sales week runs from Sunday-Saturday. To find the ad for your store click here. Manufacturer's coupons .50 and under will double. You can purchase one item that is on sale BOGO for half price. Items that are priced 10/$10 can be purchased for $1 each/pound (Mega Event excluded).

As the $5/10 Mega Event is continuing this week I am once again only listing the loss leaders for the week. My other posts for Kroger including the $5 off 10 sale matchups can be found here.

Best of the Loss Leaders

Tyson Bone-In Chicken Breasts .99/lb

Gala Apples $1/lb

Anjou Pears $1/lb

Kroger Mini Carrots $1/lb

Pork Loin $1.99/lb

Milk $3.28/lb

Mega Event Update

Deerfield Water $1
.50/1 after $1/2 (8/24 RP)
FREE after $5/10

Holiday Meats

I'm not sure if we have hit the bottom of the prices for the holiday meats yet or not. Generally they are cheaper a week or two before Thanksgiving then go back up in price Thanksgiving week, unless you find them on Manager's Special. In the past prices have been lower than they are this week, but overall food costs are higher this year. Personally, I think I will wait until Saturday to see the ad for next week before I decide to buy the ham.

Private Selection Frozen Turkey 14 lbs+ .79/lb

Honeysuckle Frozen Turkey 14 lbs+ .99/lb

Butterball Frozen Turkey 14 lbs+ $1.09/lb

Private Selection Bone-In Turkey Breasts $1.79

Smithfield Shank Portion Ham $1.49/lb

Smithfield Butt Portion Ham $1.59/lb

Kroger Spiral Sliced Ham $1.99/lb

Honeysuckle Turkey Tenderloins BOGO

Update to KMart Super Doubles October 26

Wednesday was the first day that I had an opportunity to go to KMart for Super Doubles this week. While I was there I found a few other deals to tell you about.

I hope to have sale matchups with next week's coupons in the next couple of days for those of you who have access to early editions of the Sunday paper. There are also a few other potential deals that I want to confirm before I post them so be sure to check back later this week.

Prices and coupons are from the Metro Atlanta area and may vary depending on your location.

Sale Items

TBonz Dog Snacks $2.50
FREE after $1.50/1 10/19S

Glade Candle Holder (Without Candle) $2.99
FREE after $2/1 (November All You Magazine)

Blueberry Frosted Mini Wheats $2.67
.67/1 after $1/1 (August All You magazine - expires 10/31)
My store didn't carry blueberry but they did have the strawberry. The $1/1 coupon from the November All You magazine can be used on the strawberry.

Ace Products 10% off
Shelf Prices Started at $2.99 (Sports Tape)
.69/1 after discount and $1/1 (November All You Magazine)

Non Sale Items

Kotex Lightdays $1.29
FREE after .75/1 (10/12 S)

Ziploc Vacuum Starter Kit $3.99
FREE after $2/1 (October All You Magazine)

Zest 3 bar bundle $2.19
.19 after $1/1 (10/12 P&G)

Ziploc Vacuum Bags $2.79
.79/1 after $1/1 (October All You Magazine)

There were a few shelf price increases that I noticed for items that I previously posted. These increases have happened just within the past couple of weeks. I encourage you to always check the shelf price and confirm how the item rings up at the register.

Pert $3.49
Still FREE with $1/1

Hershey Candy Bars $2.49
Now .49/1 after $1/1

Resolve Cleaner $4.99
Now .99/1 after $2/1

You may want to check out the toy clearance while you are there. I was able to get a toy truck for The Little Man for 75% off.

Remember that any previous information or future updates for Super Doubles will be found here.

Publix Highlights for the Week of October 8

Please remember that my ad week begins on Wednesday; however, some areas begin on Thursday. Please check your local ad to verify your ad schedule. These sales and prices are in the Metro Atlanta area where manufacturer coupons with a face value of .50 or less are doubled. For items that are on sale Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) you only have to buy one to get the item 50% off. Be sure to take full advantage of the sales by pairing them with competitor's coupons including $/$ purchase when applicable. I try to find the best deals to post here, but for a complete match up of this week's sale items with coupons from the inserts visit Coupon Mom starting on Thursday.

The Best of the Loss Leaders Without Coupons:

California Bartlett Pears .69/lb

Lettuce .79 - Limit 4

Bosc Pears .99/lb

Publix Classic Salad Mix 16 oz. $1.99 BOGO

Eggplant $1.29/lb - Check back later this week for a couple of my favorite eggplant recipes

Eggs $1.29/dozen - Limit 4

Publix Butter 1 pound $2.00 - Consider stocking up. Recently saw that Wal-Mart had their brand for ~$2.50/lb

Apples 3 pound bag - $2.99

Milk $3.39/gallon - Limit 4
Note: Aldi still has milk advertised for $2.49/gallon - which is a terrific deal currently.

Sales With Competitor Coupon:

California Seedless Grapes $1.69
$.69 for the first pound after $1/1 lb or more Target Printable Coupon

Nestle Coffee-mate Non-Dairy Creamer 16 oz. $1.66
.66 after $1/1 FLIP

Best of the Sales With Coupons:

Lysol Trigger Spray Cleaners $2.69 BOGO
.35/1 after .50/1 doubled (9/1 S1)
If you have children be sure to buy 2 different products (i.e. Kitchen Cleaner and All Purpose Cleaner) to qualify for the $5 Lysol Pediatrician MIR

Lawry's Marinate $2.85 BOGO
.43/1 after .50/1 doubled (8/17 RP)
- Sometimes we can get these for free at Kroger. At Publix they used to run .25/1 after coupons. Apparently they have raised their price.

Progresso Bread Crumbs $1.93 BOGO
.47/1 after $1/2 printable coupon

Wishbone Dressing $2.69 BOGO
.60/1 after .75/1 (10/5 RP)
- Prices really are going up. These used to be .25/1 after coupons too.

Old El Paso Salsa $16 oz $2.39 BOGO
.70/1 after $1/2 (GM Dollar Days Book)

Barber Stuffed Chicken Breasts $4.99 BOGO
$1.50/1 after $1/1 (9/7 S1) OR $1/1 Printable Coupon
- Price Increase from $4.49 since last BOGO
- When compared to chicken breasts at $1.99/lb these are more expensive especially since some of the weight is not chicken, but they have been prepared so all you have to do is thaw and cook in the oven. You are paying for the convenience of minimal preparation, but it is cheaper than the alternative of eating out if you are busy.

Seapak $7.89 BOGO
$2.94/1 after $1/1 (Publix Fresh, Frozen, Flavorful Book)

Kroger Loss Leaders and Highlights Week of October 5

Prices and scenarios are based on the Metro Atlanta sales circular. Manufacturer coupons with a face value of .50 or less double. Our sales week runs from Sunday-Saturday. To find the ad for your store click here.

I try to only focus on the best deals each week. For a complete list of sales with coupon matchups from the Sunday coupon inserts visit Coupon Mom's website next week.

The Best of the Loss Leaders Without Coupons:

Milk - $3.19/gallon (Cheaper than Publix. Will Aldi still have milk at $2.49?)

Eggs - $1.33/dozen (More expensive than Publix.)

Gala Apples $1/lb - Bags of apples may be cheaper per pound so be sure to look if you plan to buy any kind of quantity

Bartlett Pears $1/lb

Tangerines 3 pound bag $2.50 - Typically anything less than $1/lb for tangerines is a very good deal.

Gwaltney Brown Sugar Bacon BOGO - no price listed
Think this should make it about $2 for a 1 lb package

Carolina Pride Full Line Sale BOGO - no prices listed
Unfortunately, there are no coupons currently to match up with these this time. However, if you use these now is the time to buy.

Tyson Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts BOGO - no price listed
If I recall correctly their normal price is somewhere between $4.50 and $5.00/lb. However, the BOGO price is definitely higher than the normal $1.99/lb sale price.

Note: The BOGO price may be indicative of a increase in the sale price in the future. Kroger tends to put meat on sale BOGO instead of their typical $1.99/lb sale price before they increase the sale price. Probably at a minimum we will see the $1.99/lb sale price less often.

The Best of the Sales with Coupons:

Grands Biscuts $1/1
See my scenarios here.
.50/2 Printable coupon here AND here.
Current .30/2 Cellfire coupon expires Monday. Be sure check if there is a new one available if you go later in the week.
.50/1 Shortcuts coupon.

Hot, Lean, or Croissant Pockets $1.66
.60/1 after .50/1 doubled (9/28 RP)

Free Yogurt Through Monday Only:
The shelf price of Yo Plus Yogurt is $2.49 at Kroger.
FREE after $1.50/1 (10/5) AND $1/1 Cellfire coupon

Publix Highlights for the Week of September 24

Please remember that my ad week begins on Wednesday; however, some areas begin on Thursday. Please check your local ad to verify your ad schedule. These sales and prices are in the Metro Atlanta area where coupons with a face value of .50 or less are doubled. For items that are on sale Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) you only have to buy one to get the item 50% off. Be sure to take full advantage of the sales by pairing them with competitor's coupons including $/$ purchase when applicable. I try to find the best deals to post here, but for a complete match up of this week's sale items with coupons from the inserts visit Coupon Mom starting on Thursday.

Publix is running a "Get Something for Nothing" special sale with lots of BOGO deals this week. There are a lot of good deals including several items that really cost nothing after coupons living up to the sale name, but I did notice that prices on some of the products have been raised for the BOGO sale. I occasionally catch this in their sales so be careful to look at the prices before you buy.

Best of the Loss Leaders Without Coupons:

The Essentials sale is continuing (Milk, Bread, Orange Juice). I'm not sure when ice cream became an essential, but its there at a not so great price.

Baby Carrots BOGO 1, 2, 3 lb bags
Last time the 1 pound bags were $1/1 and the 3 pound bags were $2/1 or .66 pound (cheaper than regular carrots).
Buying in volume will pay off if you can use them, but your savings will be wasted if you buy more than you can use then end up throwing them away.

Bartlett Pears .99/lb.

Asparagus $1.99/lb - Good Timing! The Little Man just finished what I had frozen from a previous sale.

Lay's Potato Chips $3.89 BOGO - Good for Salty Snacks Rebates


The Best of the Deals With Coupons:

Green Giant Boxed Vegetables $1
FREE after .50/2 doubled (9/7 GM) AND $1/2 Target Printable
Publix has really wanted us to eat our vegetables lately!
Be sure to check the labels on these. If I recall correctly, some of these have additives.

Chex Mix $2.55 BOGO
FREE after .50/1 doubled (9/7 GM) AND $1/2 Target Printable

Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta $1.79 BOGO
FREE after $1/1 (8/24 S)

Suave Shampoo $1
22 oz. Family Size - Better Value as most stores have the 16 oz. bottle for this price.
FREE after .50/1 doubled (7/13 RP) OR
.44/1 after $2/3 (7/13 RP) OR
.50/1 after $1/2 (9/21 RP)

Pillsbury Supreme Cake Mix $1.69 BOGO
.05/1 after .40/1 doubled (9/7 RP) - IF Reduced Sugar is Included

Toaster Strudel/Scrambles $1.99 BOGO
.30/1 after .35/1 doubled (9/7 GM) OR
.50/1 after various $1/2 coupons
Not free like in the past, but not a bad deal.

Pillsbury Grands Biscuits (Canned NOT Frozen) $1
.70/1 after .30/2 doubled (8/10 GM)

Quaker Instant Grits $2.49 BOGO
.75/1 after $1/2 (9/7 RP)

Quaker Instant Oatmeal $3.79 BOGO
.90/1 after .50/1 doubled (9/7 RP)

Sara Lee Pound Cake 50% Off - No Price Listed
I am estimating this will be $1 or less after $1/1 (9/21 RP)

GE Energy Smart Bulb $4.79 BOGO
$1.40/1 after $1/1 (8/10 S2) OR $1/1 printable coupon

Birds Eye Voila! $4.99 BOGO (This price has gone up since the last BOGO sale.)
$1.50/1 after $1/1 printable coupon It appears this coupon has not been reset since the last BOGO deal.
OR
$1.25/1 after $1.25/1 blinkie (Coupon found in the coupon dispenser with the red blinking light next to the product) Have not found these at my store.

Publix Baby Wipes - 140 Count Refill 3/$7
May be a good time to use the BOGO Coupon from the Publix Baby Club Home Mailer
$1.16/1 after coupon or .008/wipe
It has been a while since I have used these, but I believe they are similar to Huggies Wipes, which are my favorite.

The Results are In

Even though I managed to leave my scenario at home I still managed to stick with my plan with a few minor changes.

I added bananas, salad mix which were both manager's specials. I also added 2 cans of Starkist Tuna after I realized that I could get it for .19/can after the Catalina coupon that I had. I didn't get the tomatoes because they looked like pink rocks and I forgot my Cattlemen's coupon at home so I picked up an extra package of Kiwi shoelaces to be on the safe side.

The biggest change of note was the shelf price of Huggies. They have gone up from $9.99 to $10.69! However, next week's SALE price is the the OLD SHELF PRICE of $9.99.

Click below to see the comparison of my plan and my actual trip. The differences are highlighed in yellow.