Kroger Loss Leaders and Highlights Week of December 14

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.

Slim bargain hunting week as the stores focus primarily on holiday items. This is a good time to stock up on ham. The prices for the Smithfield Ham Portions are .50 less per pound than they were at Thanksgiving. I cook, shread, and freeze it for soups and quiches that I will make over the next few months.

Holiday Meats

Honeysuckle Frozen Turkey .99/lb

Smithfield Ham Shank Portion .99/lb

Smithfield Ham Butt Portion $1.09/lb

Butterball Frozen Turkey $1.19/lb

Honeysuckle Fresh Turkey $1.39 lb

Private Selection Bone-In Turkey Breasts $1.79
$3.00 Shortcuts coupon here.

Kroger Spiral Sliced Ham $1.69/lb

Private Selection Spiral Sliced Ham $1.99/lb
$3.00 Shortcuts coupon here. Look for the smaller hams for a better deal!

The Best of the Loss Leaders

Red Delicious, Braeburn, Gala or Jonagold Apples $1.00/lb

Anjou Pears $1.00/lb

Kroger Mini Carrots $1.00/lb

Kroger Cheese 8 oz $1.66

Ground Chuck $1.99/lb (5 lb package)

Florida Navel Oranges 4 lb bag $2.50

Tyson Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast BOGO (No Price Given, but I think that the regular price is $4.50/lb which is not as good of a deal as when it is $1.99/lb)

The Best of the Sales With Coupons

Campbell's Cream Soups .75
.63 after .25/1 doubled (11/9 S)

Tennessee Pride Sausage BOGO (No Price Given, but I think the regular price is $2.99)
Use .55/1 (11/16 RP)

Kroger Egg Nog or Boiled Custard $2.99
$1.99/1 after $1/1 Cellfire coupon here.
Not really a great deal, but I thought that some of my readers may be buying this. If they were planning to buy it anyway, I didn't want them to miss this coupon.

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.

Publix Highlights for the Week of December 10

Please remember that my ad week begins on Wednesday; however, some areas begin on Thursday. Please check your local ad here 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 and 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 newspaper inserts visit Coupon Mom starting on Thursday.

A fairly light week for deals at Publix, but there are a few FREE and cheap items. If the Dark Knight DVD is on your Christmas list you will want to take note of that deal.

The Best of the Sales With Coupons

Shedd's Spead Country Crock $1.89 BOGO
FREE after $1/1 FLIP here.

Daisy SC 25% off 8 to 24 oz - No Price Given
Based on previous experience, the 8 oz size should be FREE after .50/1 (11/16 S)
Printable coupon for .50/1 16 oz or larger here.

Progresso Soup $1.25
.15/1 after $1.10/1 printable coupon no longer available

Holiday Toys 50% this would make the
Publix Truck $1.25
.25/1 after $1/1 Toy under $29.99 (Winter Family Savings Book)

Betty Crocker Muffin Mix $2.59 BOGO
.40/1 after .45/1 printable coupon (doubled) found here AND here.

Hot Pockets $1.66
.66/1 after .50/1 (9/28 RP) doubled

Pomegranates $1.50
$1/1 after $1/2 (Greenwise Magazine or December All You Magazine)

Dark Knight $12.99
Price will vary depending if your Publix will accept both coupons
$5 Publix Coupon for any DVD within price range (Publix Holiday Savings Green Advantage Buys Ad - back page on the bottom. These fliers were still available at my store on Tuesday.)
$3 Manufacturer's coupon from Papa John's Pizza

FREE Non Sale Items

I found some solid color taper candles in the holiday section for .75 each.
FREE after $1/1 Holiday Candle (Winter Family Savings Book).
The other candles I saw were $1.99 each/set.

Hot Wheels .98
FREE after $1/1 Toy under $29.99 (Winter Family Savings Book)

Revlon Beauty Tools Prices Vary
FREE items under $2.00 after $2.00/1 (Publix Holiday Savings Green Advantage Buys Ad)

Ingles Loss Leaders Week of December 7

If you haven't already done your shopping, there are a few good loss leaders this week. These prices and coupons are based in the Metro Atlanta area. You can see the entire ad for your area by clicking here. If you only want to purchase one item that is on sale BOGO you will receive it for 1/2 price.

Rayovac Alkaline Batteries .98
FREE after $1/1 printable here OR (some areas 10/12 S)
Note: Several sources are reporting that Rayovac Batteries are $.94 at Wal-Mart; however, the batteries that are .94 at Wal-Mart are NOT Alkaline batteries. The Alkaline batteries at my local Wal-Mart were $3.00 per package. The Rayovac Batteries on sale at Ingles ARE Alkaline batteries. If you are a Wal-Mart shopper you can always price match the ad, but please purchase the correct type if using a coupon.

Tyson Bone-in Split Chicken Breast .88/lb

Ingles Premium USDA Certified London Broil $2.28/lb

Green Giant Russet Potatoes 10 lb. bag $2.98

Having Trouble Using Competitors' Coupons at Publix?

I often read or hear about others having difficulties using competitor coupons at Publix. This is unfortunate because some of the best deals come from being able to use a competitor's coupon on an item that is on sale at Publix.

I have found a great source to show your Publix manager if you are not able to use competitor coupons at your store. The Winter 2008 issue of Publix FamlyStyle Magazine on page 19 has an article titled 7 Small Ways to Save on Food.

The third way the article listed to save money is: "USE COUPONS. Score significant savings in your shopping cart each week. Christy Rooney, a mom from the Jacksonville, Florida, area, suggests using coupons for sale items, redeeming competitors' coupons (they're welcomed at all Publix stores) and watching for rebates on the products you buy."

If you are not a subscriber, copies of the FamilyStyle magazine are usually available at your local Publix. If you have difficulties using coupons at your Publix and the magazines are no longer available, you may wish to call Publix customer service and request a copy of their competitor coupon policy.

To subscribe to future issues of FamilyStyle magazine for FREE click here. Each edition of the magazine is mailed with several Publix coupons that are only available to subscribers.

Prince Caspian DVD and Scotch Packing Tape for .58 at Publix!

This deal is just too good to pass up if you have a Narnia fan on your Christmas list!

Publix has Prince Caspian DVDs on sale for $13.99 this week. Even without coupons this cheaper than Wal-Mart's price; however, you can price match the Publix price at Wal-Mart. But you know that I wouldn't be excited enough about that price to write a special post. Of course there are coupons and a rebate offer that will make this an unbeatable deal!

Buy:
Prince Caspian DVD $13.99
1 Roll of Scotch Packaging Tape BOGO this week (In my area you only have to buy one for 1/2 price) $1.59
Pre Coupon, Tax, and Rebate Total $15.58

Use the following coupons and rebate:
-$3 Printable Manufacturer's Coupon for ANY Disney DVD (The "Cent"sible Sawyer has the link here.)
-$5 Publix Coupon for any DVD within price range (Publix Holiday Savings Green Advantage Buys Ad - back page on the bottom)
-$1 Scotch Tape Coupon (11/23 S)
-$3 Rebate when you buy Prince Caspian and Scotch Tape. Printable form can be found here.
After coupon total of $3.58 + tax and stamp for DVD and roll of tape.

Use $3/$15 from CVS and get both for .58! Publix is a good way to use the $/$ CVS coupons if you have been having trouble using them with your ECBs at CVS. If you have additional shopping at Publix you may want to use the $5/$25 Family Dollar in ad coupon instead to save even more.

Don't Get Burned Out Freeze It Instead!

Last week I listed homemade freezer meals as one of my 100 Favorite Ways To Save Money. Today I am sharing some ways that it can help save you money.

I prepare my make ahead meals differently than most once a month cookbooks suggest. I will prepare and cook a large recipe then freeze the leftovers into individual serving containers. Other people freeze the uncooked meals then thaw and cook it the day they plan to serve it. Also, instead of doing all of my cooking for the month in one day I will cook when the ingredients are on sale.

Freezing the meals in individual servings allows Tim to get a meal to take to work for lunch out of the freezer and heat it in the microwave there. When I have a variety of different meals prepared he has a choice in what he wants to take that day which cuts down on the potential boredom of leftovers from the night before. The "kits" that I make are very convenient for him to pick up out of the freezer in the garage when he leaves for work in the morning.

A Few Advantages to Preparing Meals in Advance:

• Ability to choose recipes that have ingredients that are on sale or have on hand.
• Being able to fully take advantage of sales by stocking up on the great deals.
• Homemade meals are usually more nutritious than going out which will probably save on medical bills in the future.
• Less expensive than eating out.
• More efficient use of our time preparing meals allowing us to do other things.
• Saves gas by not going out to eat or having to run to the store at the last minute.
• Store bought frozen dinners often have less food and cost more than a similar homemade meal.
• The opportunity to have a cooking day with friends. I was surprised at how much more fun it is to cook with other people!
• Especially for a smaller family or lunches, preparing individual meals saves on electricity by not having to use the oven every day. This not only saves money from the electricity used on the stove, but also when trying to cool the house on a warm day.

If you want to try your hand at making meals in advance this is a good time to try some chicken dishes since the chicken is on sale at Ingles through next week. The Unsinkable Molly has a few examples of what she, Emily from Random Ramblings, and I made with some of the chicken on Thursday afternoon.

For more frugal ideas and tips be sure to check out Frugal Friday at Biblical Womanhood.