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Thursday, March 26, 2015

What are you hoping will go on sale the week before Easter?

I look forward to grocery shopping the week just before a major holiday, as I find some of the best prices on a select few items, with each holiday. Before Thanksgiving, it's frozen turkeys, canned vegetables, potatoes and butter. Before Christmas, it's usually ham and cream cheese.

For Easter, it's often ham, again, asparagus and eggs.

So, this next week, I'm hoping to find another ham (I've got 2 in the freezer, I'd like one more, which, after baking 1 for Easter, will give us 2 additional hams to use sometime in late spring, maybe around Mother's Day, and again in early fall, to give us some breakfast meat).

I'd also very much like to find eggs on sale. Last year, Walgreen's had a dozen eggs on sale for 99 cents/dozen, and no limit. I checked my April grocery journal for last year, and I bought 17 dozen eggs in the month of April. I remember freezing about 5 or 6 dozen eggs. I'd like to buy 18 dozen eggs this April, if the price is right, and freeze about 7 dozen for future baking and cooking.

I'm also low on cream cheese, and in some years, I do find cream cheese on sale the week before Easter. I'm hoping for more this year, too. I'd likely buy 6 8-oz bricks of cream cheese, at the right price (paid 88 cents at Fred Meyer last year).

It would also be nice to find canned pineapple for $1 or less. Last spring, I found canned pineapple for 88 cents at Fred Meyer. I bought a dozen cans, then, and am just now down to my very last can of pineapple.

So, that's what I'm hoping to find on sale the week leading up to Easter. How about you? Are there specific items that you usually find on sale the week before Easter?

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26 comments:

  1. We have 99 cent sales on a dozen eggs this week, which is a week earlier than I usually see the sales. I've been surprised to see butter on sale for the past couple of weeks at Aldi for $1.89/pound, which is a terrific price around here, so I've been grabbing a pound each week and popping it in the freezer. My husband will pick up a ham as well.

    I made a pineapple cake yesterday (it's similar in taste/texture to a carrot cake but my recipe uses no oil and I don't have to grate carrots, so I can mix it together in about 5 minutes)--it uses crushed pineapple so now I'll have to re-stock on that. I think Aldi usually runs around 89 cents/can but I'd have to double-check the price. I like to keep chunk pineapple on hand for an occasional sweet & sour meal.

    Will you wait till April 1 to go shopping so you are officially dipping into the April food budget?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kris,
      No, if I find eggs, canned pineapple or cream cheese on sale beginning this Sunday, I'll start stocking up then, especially if there's a limit per visit, or need a store coupon. For the ham, I can afford to wait until later in the week, as the stores which have the hams usually have a good supply and I only want 1 more.
      I'll just figure I needed to go over, once again. And start fresh with April's budget. But my overage wouldn't be anything like the month before, so I'm okay with it, and feel I curbed my spending fairly well this month.

      That pineapple cale sounds delicious! Is this Weight Watchers recipe? I'll have to buy a can of crushed pineapple, too, now!

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    2. Nope, not WW, just tasty ... I love sharing recipes, so here goes:

      Pineapple Cake:
      2 eggs
      2 cups flour
      2 cups sugar (I reduce this, especially if I put frosting on it--1 to 1 1/2 cups is sweet enough for me)
      2 teaspoons baking soda
      1 can crushed pineapple (#20), juice included
      1 cup nuts (optional, can be reduced)

      Beat all together and pour into 9x13 pan (ungreased). Bake 40 minutes at 350*.

      Shara's pineapple jelly sounds good. I've never cost-compared fresh pineapple to canned, like YHF, but sometimes I can get a fresh one for $1.50 and I'm pretty sure that's a lot cheaper than canned. Hmm.

      Happy shopping!

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    3. Kris, thanks so much for the recipe! It sounds delicious!

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  2. I have two hams in the freezer and am trying to decide if I can squeeze another in. I do miss the days of having two free standing freezers and a second refrigerator. I can't fit more than a few dozen eggs in my refrigerator and still have enough space for everything else. I do buy pineapple when it goes on sale. I like to buy the rings and then I dehydrate them. I use the juice to make pineapple jelly, which my family loves. We either snack on the pineapple rings or I rehydrate them later for cooking. The jelly works great eaten as is or mixed with other things for sweet/sour sauce, BBQ, etc.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Shara,
      Oh yum! I love dried pineapple. I'd never thought to dehydrate the canned rings. That sounds like a great idea!
      I save the juice in a container in the freezer, until I have enough for the family to have a small glass with breakfast. I think there's now enough for pineapple juice with Easter breakfast. And pineapple jelly sounds delicious and very tropical!

      thanks for the ideas!

      Delete
  3. We buy fresh pineapple from Costco or Wal-Mart for $2.98 each. My husband has the chore of peeling it and slicing it up into chunks. I have not weighed or measured the amount one pineapple yields but I think it may be cheaper than canned prices (because we live in the tropics?)
    Can't wait for the first sale on eggs to begin (thanks to your post about freezing eggs, I might buy a few extra dozens)...maybe a ham for the freezer for when the grandkids are over. Sometimes our local Kmart has terrific clearance prices out of the blue especially on short dated food items. Last year I bought 10 blocks of butter at 50 cents each. With their ShopYourWay points program, I can build up points easily (eg.earned almost $100 in points from buying a refrigerator at Sears with an earn 10 percent on next purchase coupon), and spend the points that was earned at Sears on foodstuff at Kmart. This week I have an email coupon to earn $10 in points by spending $15 of points (so net $5 out of pocket for $15 worth of products, clearance included in these types of promos. I am continually frustrated with the short expiration on some of the points earned and having to call customer service to question why some times points are not awarded, but the savings is significant enough to make me deal with the hassles. When I record spending in my books I deduct the points earned as a deduction on the purchase that earned the points, not on future free purchases made with the points (otherwise my food spending might be a bit lower). I think the Sears/Kmart affiliation makes for some nice earning and spending reward opportunities. I know I've segued a bit, but savings to me is savings in all forms.

    YHF

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    Replies
    1. Hi YHF,
      Wow that butter price last year was phenomenal, at 50 cents/ea.

      Hmm, I'll have to look into more programs like what you have with Kmart and Sears.We have a pretty good gas points program with 2 of our local chains. I can shop loss leaders at the one store, but buy gas at the other, where gas is always cheaper any way. And I do most of my new clothes/gifts and clothes for others shopping at Penneys, which also has a points program (and lots of good coupons).And you're right, saving money is saving money -- doesn't matter if it's on food or other items.

      I wonder just how much usable pineapple is on a fresh one? I guess that would also depend on how big your pineapples are. And I wonder, with the canned pineapple, if the weight is for the fruit only? Or if the juice is included in the weight? If the weight of the juice is additional, then that is a bonus for the canned, as we do use the juice, as a drinking juice (kept in the freezer until I have enough).

      Do you use the cores? I've used the cores to flavor a pitcher of water. It's best with a couple of cores, for about 1 quart of water, allowed to infuse overnight in the fridge.

      Delete
    2. Wish we had a Penneys store, and recently they did away with their local store pick up center where I could get free shipping. Shipping is often the deal breaker for us living so far from the mainland. Kmart has a gas point program too (partner with Fuel Rewards Network), whenever a purchase over $50 is made at the store, a catalina coupon appears that says "you've earned 30c per gallon. Only Shell gas stations in our area participate, and they are not the cheapest gas in town, so if I can accumulate at least 60c per gallon discount, then we will try to do a fill up there.

      Fresh pineapple chunks are plumper than canned so one pineapple looks like it would fill more than three cans (roughly the equivalent price wise). I googled your question whether the can weight includes the juice, and I think it does: http://abc13.com/archive/8933757/ I told husband to leave the core on when he cuts the chunks. I like the fiber that is in the core. I know that pineapple while a good Vitamin C source is very high in carbohydrates, so we try to consume only one pineapple/wk.

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    3. Thanks for that link, YHF. Upsetting that so much of canned food is just the liquid.
      And also thanks for your approximation of how much pineapple is in a fresh one. I sometimes see pineapple on sale for under $2, so maybe I'll pick up a couple and chop and freeze, when I do.

      Delete
  4. Eggs are 99 cents a dozen this week, spiral ham is $1.37 lb. which is good but I'm out of money for March. Not a penny. BUT, since we have one more week before Easter AND we move into April, I will have pension deposit on April 1 and will have to get groceries next Wednesday and I hope the deals will continue on into next week. I'm not sure how well we'll get by this weekend but we do have about 8 eggs left, about 3/4 gallon of milk and one loaf of homemade bread. I'm sure we'll get by just fine and I'm not worried. I might be more worried about whether or not a quarter tank of gas will get me to work and back for three days (Fri., Mon., and Tues.) before I can fill up.

    Alice

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    Replies
    1. Hi Alice,
      I just read your other comment and I am so happy for you to be able to stock up on these items, after all. I see the timing of this additional money as a blessing for you, not just that you will be able to stock up on these items, but as you had previous thought you wouldn't be able to until Wednesday, I think you had frugal-thought your way through your must-haves list.

      I do this when I think something won't be possible. Then the opportunity does allow for it, and I have thought it through so thoroughly by that point that I make the most of whatever blessing came through. I value it more, instead of just frivolously spending or using it.

      Those prices on eggs and ham will hep your budget long-term, for sure!

      Delete
  5. I don't stock as much as some of you do, but I am going to be looking for eggs on sale. My son told me that the price of butter was good at Aldi's right now, so I got some of that.

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    1. Hi live and learn,
      Kris also mentioned Aldi has a good price on butter this week. That's great! Even if you don't do the huge stock-up that some of us do, you still find deals that benefit you for a shorter term!
      Does Aldi put out a flyer, or have online ads? Or do you have to go into the tore to find out the deals, there?

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    2. Aldi's had both online and in store flyers.

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    3. Thanks for answering, live and learn. Not having been in an Aldi's, I was wondering if you could know in advance what would be there and what price. Trader Joe's is maybe a bit like Aldi's, and they have a twice-quarterly flyer that they send out. But of course, it doesn't have prices for everything listed, just highlights to get you interested in coming into the store.

      Delete
  6. I already have a ham in the freezer, which I earmarked for Easter at home this year. I'd love to grab 2 more for the freezer as after Easter, I will be out. Finding meat proteins on sale when I can means I have to stock up.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Carol,
      Your situation is similar to ours. We have a ham in the freezer, so are set for Easter, but would like more for the future. (In our case, I have 2 hams, and want 1 more). So far, I have not seen any deals on hams yet. Our prices here are not like other ares, for the spiral sliced ones, and I haven't seen the price on non-sliced hams for Easter, yet.
      Wishing you luck on finding a good deal, so you can snag 2 more for future meals!

      Delete
  7. My awesome husband came through again...he has a small job that we works at regularly and he "cashed in" what was due him since Feb. and March. I now have some cash to buy the weekend groceries and stock up on a few items that are priced well this week! It won't be outrageous but maybe an extra ham or two for the freezer would be nice. $1.37 a pound for spiral sliced is quite good. Eggs at 99 cents and I really don't need a lot of other things so we'll just save that for another day. I will be baking bread tomorrow but I have everything I need for that. I might not even need groceries until the second week in April!

    Alice

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    Replies
    1. Alice, that is so, so great for you! That price on spiral-sliced ham is about 50 cents per pound less than what I'm seeing in my area for the spiral-sliced. I'm guessing you'll be out the door shopping early today!

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    2. Nah...I'm at work from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm then off to get daughter from college for the night, then bring her to her old high school play so maybe tonight if I'm lucky. Bring her back to school tomorrow so she can work, go home and do laundry and housework and if I didn't get groceries tonight then sometime tomorrow. Then again, there is next week. Life is busy
      Alice

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    3. Well, good luck getting your shopping in, Alice. Life IS busy.

      Delete
  8. Yay! As posted in the comments on another day's post -- eggs are 99 cents/dozen at Target this week. I was beginning to worry that I'd not find an egg deal this year, as Walgreen's changed up their sales from previous years.

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    1. I was just coming to tell you that! Target also has a coupon for $10 gift card if you spend $50 on food - not sure if that's something for you but it might be helpful.

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    2. I mentioned this on my facebook page, so thought i'd also put it here -- when in Walgreen's yesterday and today (2 different Walgreen's in our area) they had a sign at the egg cooler, stating that eggs were indeed 99cents per dozen, no limit. This was not the egg deal in the flyer which I read online, but in addition to that egg deal (buy 2 bags of candy, then buy eggs for 88 cents/dozen).

      So, for anyone wanting to stock up on eggs, but not near a Target, Walgreen's is another option. (And yes, I REALLY stocked up on eggs this year!)

      Delete

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