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Sunday, March 23, 2014

Check the Ads

another good deal
Before I went to Walmart one day last week to get another prescription, I checked 8 local grocery ads. Lucky me. Kraft Cheese was on sale for $1.50 for the 8 oz. chunk or shredded. I bought four Medium Cheddar. There was no more energy left for shopping. Once I saw the cheese ad, I left for meds.

I came home and was searching for something in the refrigerator meat drawer, aka "Cheese Drawer." There in the back was an unopened 8 oz. package of Kraft Cheese, Medium. You may think I don't keep track of my food very well, but let me assure this was so far in the back of the drawer that I have trouble bending far enough to see what all is in there. My food is a casualty of disability!

The use-by date is Sept 2013. Yes, I am eating it instead of one of the newer ones I just bought. If it had been opened, it would have been all mold.

Maybe I can rummage around and find chocolate! Actually, I have found stashed chocolate in the past!

While I still had a bit of cheese besides what I found, I still bought more at this great price. I try to always check the ads before going to the store for anything. It pays off most of the time.

That day, I bought $2.98 cheese for $1.50, a savings of 50%.  You do realize I don't get all my food for 50% off? Sometimes, it is more like 96% saved. However, there are things that I pay 100% to bring home. I can only buy these goodies at full price because I shop sales, reduced for quick sale, clearance, and with coupons. I think my savings are more like 30% to 40% overall since very few full-price items come into the house.

No proofing once again. I still feel ill and tired.

Your turn
Would you eat unopened cheese that was six months past the use-by date? Don't you love finding food you did not know you had? Do you go to the trouble to figure what percentage you saved after a grocery trip? Have you ever found a stash you forgot?

16 comments:

  1. Yes, to all your questions - though I am not as successful at bargain shopping as you are.

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    Replies
    1. PS: That cheese would have been more like $5 per block at full price here. And sometimes more.

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    2. That was only and 8 oz. block, one-half pound! WOW! I can buy cheese at that price in the deli if I want to spend lots of money. That is just outrageous. I would like to spend two months in AU and see what food shopping is like there. I believe you, but people in this same city say they cannot find food cheap as I. Maybe it is what they eat and what methods they use to shop. I have heard your complaint from lots of people in AU, so like I said, I do believe you. I just want the experience of food shopping in AU.

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  2. The coupons I find are always "50% off one if you buy 20". And it's never what I regularly buy.

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    1. lotta,
      Amazing that we are so close and the bargains are so few and far between! I should have let the cheese slide, but I am weak.

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  3. Cheese in refrigerator? I think Judy said something about food in the frig, but I only know it is used to keep my beer and diet coke's cold. Now that I think about it I bet it would be a cool (no pun intended) place to store food. I bet Judy knows about this already, but I'll suggest it anyway. She thinks I'm real smart and this will prove it. Thanks!

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    1. Coffeypot,
      It is surprising what might be in your drink cooler. ACK You always send me into a coughing fit. Sneak a look beyond the cans and see what might be hiding in there.

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  4. I ALWAYS shop the ads and am so thankful that Walmart does the ad matching. It is rather cumbersome to have to take the print ads with us but for the savings I'll do it.
    Cheese can be frozen. Block cheese may get a little crumbly, or maybe it's because I never wait until it's completely defrosted. Shredded cheese is the same frozen, just bang it on the counter a couple of times to loosen it up, or defrosted.
    We always buy meat that is on clearance and have never had any be spoiled, of course I repackage and freeze within a couple of days.
    I've given up eating beef, hubby still does but only a couple of times a week. When beef was priced with $.25 of $4 per pound on clearance I decided that was just way too expensive. For myself it's turkey, chicken or black beans.
    Been watching my food budget really carefully. Prices are going up so i can't figure out how the economy is getting better.
    Coupons.com is a great site for name brand coupons but since we usually use store brand we don't find many. Also, I read my local paper on line so don't have the coupon inserts. We also use Amazon's Subscribe and Save to get some of the more expensive items we use at a good price. Takes time to compare prices but I'm retired and have the time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bellen,
      I do understand. And, I wonder how the economy is improving, too. Clearance meat is always good for me, too. I eat mostly chicken and turkey and don't feel like I am missing anything. I quit buying the newspaper since two people are giving me inserts every week. I, too, have time. I need to check out the Amazon thing.

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  5. You take it easy and you will feel better soon! Your in my prayers.
    Tana

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  6. I'd have tossed the cheese that expired in sept - I'll eat yogurt a week past the date but at 2 weeks I tread carefully - just not sure with dairy. I also have to watch the sales and check myself that I don't overstock - I don't do well overstocking and so far the grocery store right near me is still open so I can always grab something if I need it - but shredded cheese is something I DO tend to keep on-hand. never tried freezing it though I've heard it does fine when used for baking - just heard it wasn't too good texture-wise for snacking as-is. I can't even find the shredded store-brand for that price any more- $2 is a bargain but even that I haven't seen in a while

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    Replies
    1. Suzy,
      Soured milk will be dosed with chocolate for drinking. The only time I would throw out yogurt would be if it had yellow or red mold. I only stock up because cheese is on sale. I only lost it because I cannot bend that far without pain and fear of falling down. Freezing does make the cheese crumbly, even when thawed. When I find this for $1.50, it is stock up time. Otherwise, cheese is bought one block at a time.

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  7. Replies
    1. kylie,
      When I go back and read things I have proofread, it appears I don't know what it is, either...lol.

      Delete

Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.