Posts Tagged ‘Produce’

Do you know a good price on produce when you see it?  Maybe this list will help. 

NOTE: These prices are the lowest prices I have found when shopping for produce along the northern Gulf Coast.  Best prices may vary by region.  To print this list, click HERE.

You can find advertisements for local produce stands in Thursday’s newspaper.

See a lower price?  Have a best price for an item not listed?  Please leave us a comment.

I really, really want to get the price list finished to have it available for you to download but time is a delicate matter.  There.  I admitted it.  I cannot get everything done in a day. Yikes.  The truth is getting a little tough to swallow.

So, I have been thinking about taking the time I would spend each week on writing up the produce deals and use that time to update the price list.  But, I wonder if you guys are depending on the produce deals?  Would you rather have a permanent price list and then get the Thursday paper yourself (which you would need anyway if you are matching prices store-to-store)?  Would you want the price list as I work on it or just the completed version?

See… I have questions.  Would you please give me your answers? You can leave any additional comments below.

While our local media did not see this as very important (it took them a month to pick up the story and run it!), I think this is very important. For more information on this link, click HERE. If you are reading this through and email digest and want to view the video, click HERE.

This is the last week that I need to leave you with my price list. I love Vacation Bible School but I am exhausted. Next week, everything will be back to normal. I promise. God willing.

To print it, just click on the heading to go to the post page and then select the printer icon at the bottom of the post.

If you missed yesterday’s lesson, you can find it HERE.

Day Seven: Basic Savings Strategies

Yesterday, we investigated the pitfalls of the inner aisles of your grocery store. Are you ready to take a stroll around the perimeter of the grocery store and save some money? Let’s go!

First stop, produce! I must say that the best buys on produce will come from your local farmers market or produce stand. However, there are weeks when the grocery stores will highlight in-season produce on sale. Unfortunately, everything else is over-priced. The good news about some supercenters (like Walmart) is that they will match the prices (also known as “comping” or “comparison pricing”) on any produce that appears in a sales advertisement, even from the local produce stand. For more information on comping prices, go HERE.

Now, if you want the best deals on produce, stick with what is in season. The following list is borrowed from Family Feasts for $75 a Week by Mary Ostyn (I keep telling you to buy that book! You can find it in my Amazon toolbar on the left side.):

January & February ~ broccoli, cauliflower, citrus (lemons, oranges, grapefruit), leeks
March ~ broccoli, lettuce, mangoes, pineapple
April & May ~ asparagus, broccoli, lettuce, mangoes, pineapple
June ~ apricots, cantaloupe, cherries, corn, lettuce, peaches, strawberries, watermelon, zucchini
July ~ apricots, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, green beans, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon
August ~ apricots, cantaloupe, corn, peaches, plums, raspberries, strawberries, summer squash, tomatoes, watermelon
September ~ apples, grapes, lettuce, pumpkins, spinach, tomatoes
October ~ apples, broccoli, cranberries, grapes, lettuce, pumpkins, spinach, sweet potatoes, winter squash
November & December ~ apples, broccoli, cranberries, mushrooms, oranges, pears, pumpkins, spinach, sweet potatoes, tangerines, winter squash

Trying to choose organic? The prices will be higher but do occasionally go on sale. Use your price book to track prices.

Some tips that Mary Ostyn shares in her book can be very helpful in stretching your dollars in the produce section even further:

• Make salads with cabbage since it is always cheaper and it lasts longer in the refrigerator than other lettuce. (She recommends cutting it into thin shreds, grating a carrot, and tossing it with an Asian dressing. I can testify that this is YUMMY!)
• Bagged lettuce is more expensive than a head of lettuce and iceberg lettuce is cheaper than its fancier (and greener) friends. However, the greener the green, the more nutrition. So, she suggests mixing chopped iceberg lettuce with some bagged baby spinach. The bags of baby spinach are often included in the BOGO sales at local grocery stores and you can even find a coupon online for these salads occasionally.

I also recommend knowing what fresh produce should look like. Recently, I sent my husband to the store for a bulb of garlic. He came back with a shriveled, rotten mess because not all stores keep an eye on their produce as closely as they should. Some stores, like Walmart, have a description of what you should look for when picking produce next to the price. For another reference, I suggest the website HERE. Also, some research into how to store your produce will also help it last longer. I highly recommend the book, The New Food Lover’s Tiptionary because it contains amazing tips that I never knew. For instance, did you know that: tomatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator; potatoes and onions should be kept away from each other; and that carrots and apples make bad bin partners? Now you know… cha~ching! You just learned to save more money!

Also, while in the produce section, keep your eye out for a cart of “Manager’s Specials,” produce that has been drastically reduced for a quick sale. These are still edible items so find the produce without a high water content and freeze it. Bananas can be peeled and frozen for smoothies or baking. Bell peppers and onions can be sliced or chopped and used in cooking. Broccoli and cauliflower florets can be used in stir-fry or casseroles. Just wash before cutting and allow it to dry before freezing.

Okay, now let’s take a look at the meat section.

When it comes to ground beef, I buy it in chubs, or large logs. Often, you can find these at Walmart for $1.25 a pound. No kidding! If you favor the leaner beef, you may have a little more work in the preparation but the regular ground beef will still work for you. After you brown it and allow it to drain, pour boiling water over it and allow it to drain again. This makes it leaner than extra-lean beef. For meatballs or meatloaf, mix the ground beef with half ground turkey. We actually use ground turkey a lot in our home because it is often cheaper and the taste is similar to ground beef when used in pasta, casseroles and burgers.

Other cuts of beef can often be found on Manager’s Special. Just ask the store’s butcher when they typically do markdowns and plan to be there!

Chicken is a little harder to get a deal with but keep your price book on your favorite cuts and load up when you find a deal. Recently, I took Mary Ostyn’s advice and purchased a 10-pound bag of leg quarters which I found for $0.50 a pound. I pulled out enough for one meal of roasted chicken and then boiled the rest with enough salt to float an ocean liner. After I removed the meat from the bones and froze it into individual bags for casseroles, I placed the bones into a fresh pot of water, added carrots, onions, celery, salt and pepper, and boiled it down to make stock. When it was reduced by about half, I allowed it to cool, skimmed off the fat and froze it into 2-cup portions. Fresh chicken stock, ready to go! (For more ideas about chicken leg quarters, click HERE.

If you are a seafood lover, stock up on frozen seafood when the items go on a BOGO sale. There is a quick rotation of seafood on BOGO at Winn Dixie.

UGH, the next stop is the dairy section and for me, this is the hardest place in the store to save money because milk is so expensive. However, milk can be frozen and if you have the freezer space, stock up when it goes on sale, use a little off the top (to allow room for expansion) and place it in the bottom or back of your freezer where the temperature fluxes less.

Personally, I purchase my cheese when it goes on sale with a coupon just like everything else, but if it has been a while since I have seen a good deal on cheese, I will buy a huge bag at Sam’s Club and freeze it into smaller portions. I often pick up my butter at Sam’s too and throw the extra quarters in the freezer. As for yogurt and margarine, these often go on sale and always have coupons available.

Did you know that eggs can be frozen too? Just crack one open into each compartment of an ice cube tray and freeze them. Pop the blocks out when frozen and place into a freezer bag. When you need eggs, pull them out and allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight in a sealed container. Then, use as needed. Need boiled eggs? Just boil, peel and then freeze.

So, this has been a whole lot of information coming very fast but I never said that saving money would be easy. It truly is a new way of life. If you feel overwhelmed, start with just a few changes and add more when you are ready. If you have any questions, suggestions or have more savings tips, please let me know!
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For the next lesson, click HERE.

Opening Day: Spring Market in the Park
Thursday, May 27, 2010

Join some other smart produce shoppers at the Market on the Square!

From 7:30 AM until 11 AM, vendors will be set up each Saturday through July 31st in Cathedral Square in Mobile.

You can expect to find locally grown produce including tomatoes, sweet corn, cantaloupe, and watermelon as well as seafood, flowers, plants, baked breads, casseroles, pies, handcrafted goods and so much more.

For more information, visit HERE.

Packing for vacation and having little time for anything, I wanted to give you the produce deals for the week but decided to leave you with something a little better.  This is a page from the price list I am working on and I hope you can use it to tell which produce deals are a GREAT deal and which ones are a WAIT deal.

To print it, just click on the heading to go to the post page and then select the printer icon at the bottom of the post.

My most sincere apologies for this very late post.  We had problems with our newspaper subscription and decided to let it end until we return from vacation in a couple of weeks.  The only problem with that is Bill keeps forgetting to grab the newspaper for me.  We will try harder next week!

If you plan to “comp” these prices at Walmart, please remember that you must have the ad in hand. Also, some Mobile County Walmart stores have decided to allow price matches on Publix produce. No one matches the price at Food for Less because they add 10% to the advertised price.

If you are not local to the northern Gulf Coast, you can use these prices to judge the value of the prices in your area.

NOTE: You do not have to buy the specified quantity to get the sale price.  If an item is 10/$10, you can purchase one for $1.

Jimmy Lowes (6/3/10~6/5/10)
5830 HWY 90 W in Theodore
3251 Old Shell Road in Mobile

Grape Tomatoes $0.99/lb
Bananas $0.29/lb
Peaches $0.99/lb OR $10.99/basket
Cabbage $0.19/lb
Red Potatoes $0.39/lb
Squash or Zucchini $0.89/lb
Cucumbers 4/$1
Snap Beans $0.89/lb
Corn 3/$1 OR $14.99/sack
Cantaloupe 2/$5
Green Bell Peppers 3/$1
Seedless Watermelon $4.99

Vincent’s (6/3/10~6/5/10)
908 Dawes Road

Watermelons $5.99/ea
Vine Ripe Tomatoes $0.99/lb
Russet Potatoes (10 lb bag) 2/$3
Cantaloupe $0.99/ea
Peaches $0.89/lb
Green Bell Peppers 3/$1

Target (5/30/10~6/5/10)

Peaches, Plums or Nectarines $1.49/lb
Blueberries $1.99/pint
Baby Carrots (1 lb bag) $1.49
Whole White Mushrooms (8 oz) $1.49/ea
Russet Potaotes (5 lb bag) $2.49
Dole Hearts of Romaine (10 oz bag) $2.49
Ranier Cherries $4.99/lb
Grapes (any, 2 lb) $3.99

Greer’s Market (6/2/10~6/8/10)
22245 HWY 59 in Robertsdale
126 N Jackson Street in Grove Hill
10835 Dauphin Island Pkwy in Theodore

Strawberries 2/$5
Imported Seedless Red or Green Grapes $1.28/lb
Watermelon $5.98

Winn Dixie (6/2/10~6/8/10)

Baby Carrots (1 lb bag) $1.50
Vine Riped Tomatoes $1.69/lb
Green Bell Peppers $1.59/lb
Whole Seeded or Seedless Watermelon $5.99/ea
Dole Salad Kits or Blends BOGO at $3.99
Vidalia Onions (3 lb bag) $2.50
Seedless Green Grapes $2.49/lb
Cherries $3.49/lb
Blueberries (pint) 2/$7
Whole White Mushrooms (8 oz pkg) $1.50
Sweet Corn 6/$2

Publix (6/2/10~6/8/10)
Fairhope, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach

Seedless Watermelon $4.99/lb
Florida Corn (4 ct pkg) $1.99
California Cherries $2.99/lb
Peaches or Nectarines $2.49/lb
Seedless Grapes $1.99/lb
Russet Potatoes (5 lb bag) $2.49
Strawberries (1 lb pkg)  2/$5  or  (2 lb pkg) $4.99
Blueberries $2.99/pint
Publix Salad Blends BOGO
Cantaloupe $1.99/ea
Mangoes 10/$10
Pears $1.29/lb
Sweet Vidalia Onions $0.99/lb
Navel Oranges $0.99/lb
Vine Ripened Tomatoes $1.29/lb

Food World (6/2/2010~6/8/2010)

Seedless Watermelons $4.99/ea
Peaches $1.49/lb
Cantaloupe $3.99/ea
Corn 6/$3
Dole Salad Blends (10-12 oz pkg) $2.99
Baby Carrots (1 lb bag) $1.50
Dole Cole Slaw Kit $2/ea
Red Potatoes (5 lb bag) $3.99
Sweet Vidalia Onions (4 lb bag) $3.88
Green Bell Pepper $1.29/lb
Whole or Sliced White Mushrooms (8 oz pkg) $1.79
Iceberg Lettuce $0.99/head
Beefsteak Tomatoes $1.49/lb

 
B&H Food Store (6/2/10~6/8/10)
2204 Halls Mill Road

Silver King Corn 3/$1
Cucumbers 3/$1
Peaches $1.49/lb
Vine Ripe Tomatoes $0.89/lb
Green Onions 2/$1
Cabbage 4 lbs/$1

Rick’s Produce (6/3/10-6/6/10)
2700 Pleasant Valley Road in Mobile

Peaches $0.79/lb
Apples (All) $0.79/lb
Bananas 3 lbs/$1
Cantaloupe $0.99/ea
Vine Ripe or Green Tomatoes $0.69/lb
Cabbage $0.19/lb
Yellow Squash $0.39
Cucumbers 5/$1
Pears 4/$1
Onions (3 lb bag) $1.69
Lettuce $0.99/ea
Pineapple $1.69/ea

Crab Apple Market (6/3/10-6/6/10)
9100 Airport Blvd. Mobile

Peaches $0.79/lb
Apples (All) $0.79/lb
Bananas 3 lbs/$1
Cantaloupe $0.99/ea
Vine Ripe or Green Tomatoes $0.69/lb
Cabbage $0.19/lb
Yellow Squash $0.39
Cucumbers 5/$1
Pears 4/$1
Onions (3 lb bag) $1.69
Lettuce $0.99/ea
Pineapple $1.69/ea

Those tiny little stickers on fruits and vegetables make me nuts.  Sometimes, they are so hard to peel off and Lord help me if one gets wet. YUCK.  But, these little stickers are so important.  The PLU number on that tiny tag is more than a code for the cashier to know how to charge you.  It is a code that will tell you the origin of that piece of produce.

Check this out:

Organic – The fruit or vegetable was grown naturally without using any chemicals. The PLU sticker will start with the number 9 and will have five digits.

Conventionally grown - “Conventional” brings to mind farmers tilling the field and produce growing nutured by the soil, sun and rain alone.  Na-uh.  Sorry to tell you that the new definition of conventional means that chemicals such as pesticides were used on the fruit while it was being grown. Conventionally grown, or chemically grown, fruit and vegetables will have a code starting with a 4 and they will be four digits long.

Genetically modified - Here is where it gets scary for me. A genetically modified fruit or vegetable has been modified by science.  (This does not even begin to include produce grown from genetically modified seeds.)  The really terrible part is that, at this time, industry is not required to disclose when the produce has been tampered with by science.  Genetically modified fruits or vegetables will begin with an 8 and have five digits in the code but they may be coded as conventionally grown since there are no regulations to force full disclosure.

So, next time you are in the store and you think you know what you are buying, make sure.  Check the tiny numbers that can make a huge difference in keeping your food chemical-free.