Ontario Food Deals for June 5 - June 11, 2009

I apologize in advance. This week's flyer deals has turned into this weeks rants and conspiracies! There are so few deals this week I think I will try to skip the stores all together and just buy milk at the drug store and fruit and veggies at the farmers market! Maybe that has put me in a bad mood, leading to all my ranting?

The No Frills and Foodland flyers didn't come this week. Those stores are a little farther from my home, in a nearby small town, only worth driving to for really great deals or if I am headed that way anyhow. I wonder if they have decided we are too far away? The other possibility is that the big new Walmart that is between my larger town and those stores is sucking away some of their business. Sending us the flyers only makes it easier, because Walmart will price match from flyers. Just rambling: I admit I don't have particularly strong views on Walmart, one way or the other. By the way, if there are any flyers you don't get but want to see, you can check them out at flyerland.ca. You can find the link for Canadian Online Store Flyers on my side bar, under "Useful Websites".

Watch out again this week for "deals" that aren't really deals. The Sockeye Salmon (wild red pacific) is on sale for $2 for a standard (213 g) can at Price Chopper this week. The add says "save up to 99 cents". I guess that may be true, but the very same Clover Leaf salmon is pretty easy to find for $2 a can. That was the price it was "locked" at in April at No Frills, and may still be. I wait until I can find it for $1.50 a can to stock up.

Food Basics

• Green Seedless Grapes, product of Mexico, $0.99/lb. Be aware, these are on the dirty dozen list of fruits and veggies to think of buying organically because of their high pesticide load.
• Breyers double churn ice cream (1.66 -1.89L) for $3.99. Last time I bought Breyers, I discovered it wasn't really ice cream when I got home, it was a "frozen dessert". I find that kind of off-putting. This is more expensive type of Breyers, but seems to really be ice cream!

Price Chopper
The $1, $2, $3 Sale continues

• Chicken leg quarters, $1/lb
• Kellogg's cereal, Jumbo boxes for $3. Mini Wheats (850g), Special K red berry (700 g), corn pops (515 g), foot loops (580 g), just right (1.02 kg), corn flakes (1.35 kg), selected varieties. (Just so you know, there is no way in a million years I would buy a giant box of foot loops, or even corn pops for that matter, but I figured I would type it all out, as listed in the flyer!)
• PEI potatoes, 10lb bag for $2. Just so I can fit in one last little rant, these aren't local to us here in Ontario, and Ontario grows lots of lovely potatoes!

Wow! I had better stop now! See you all next week.

Bulk Barn Coupon (May 30 to June 12, 2009)

I just got a Bulk Barn flyer in the mail box, with a coupon to save $3 when you spend $10 before taxes. The flyer and coupon are good for two weeks, from Saturday May 30 to Friday June 12, 2009.

The coupon reads:

Save $3.00 on your total purchase of $10.00 or more before taxes available at any Bulk Barn. Coupon effective from Saturday May 30 to Friday June 12, 2009. Limit one coupon per store visit. This offer excludes the purchase of gift cards. While supplies last. We reserve the right to limit quantities. All applicable taxes shall be payable on the full value of the merchandise. Coupon cannot be used in conjunction with the 10% Seniors' & students' discount. No mechanical reproductions accepted.

In the past I have found that Bulk Barn prices are usually higher than my local independent bulk store (Ayrs Baking Supplies, if anyone is interested), but with the $3.00 off coupon, you are basically getting a 30% discount on $10.00 worth of food. If you are very careful to only spend just over the $10.00 minimum, especially if you buy things that are also on sale, it can be worth it.

You do need to be careful because their are some items that are actually more expensive to buy in bulk than to buy at the regular grocery store. A price book can really make a difference. Last time I was at the Bulk Barn, I noticed that the regular price for whole wheat pasta is $0.61/100 g. Even with the coupon, that would be $0.43/100 g. If I head over to Zehrs (Loblaws) and buy their house brand whole wheat pasta at regular price, I will only pay $0.34/100 g. If I find a sale, the difference is even more. I have often paid as little as $0.26/100 g for whole wheat pasta.

Another peril of the Bulk Barn is all the sweets and treats. We try not to buy these things, but we (the kids and I) find Bulk Barn very tempting! Make sure you do not go when you are hungry or feeling snackish!

When you go to the Bulk Barn to use your coupon, it is harder than you might think to spend only $10.00. You need to weigh each item to determine how much your bag will cost. I suggest you bring a paper and pencil and a calculator. Make use of the scales located around the store to weigh your items. You can also use this handy chart to get an idea how much a cup of different items weigh. For example, a cup of brown sugar weighs about 110 g and a cup of almonds weighs about 225 g and a cup of raisins weighs about 100 g.

Some of the good deals:

I have included the price per 100 g if you make use of the coupon, but remember that only applies if you spend the $10 before the discount! Also, it only applies on your first $10.00. If you spend more, you just get the regular sales price!

• Natural Almonds (California) $5.89/lb, or $1.30/100 g ($0.91/100 g with coupon)
• Sunflower seeds, hulled (roasted, salted or unsalted) $2.89/lb or $0.64/100 g ($0.45/100 g with coupon)
• Walnut halves or pieces (California) $5.39/lb or $1.19/100 g ($0.83/100 g with coupon)
• In-shell peanuts (dry roasted, salted or unsalted) $1.79/lb or $0.40/ 100 g ($0.28/100 g with coupon)

• Large Prunes (pits removed) $3.49/lb, or $0.77/100 g ($0.54/100 g with coupon)
• Sultana Raisins $1.89/lb 0r $0.42/100 g ($0.29/100 g with coupon)
• Turkish Apricots $3.79/lb or $0.84/100 g ($0.59/100 g with coupon)
• Dried Cranberries (assorted flavours) $6.19/lb or $1.37/100 g ($0.96/100 g with coupon)
• Dried blueberries or Dried cherries 20% off (probably a good deal... where else do you buy these?)

• Brown Sugar (Golden yellow or dark brown) $0.75/lb, or $.17/100 g ($0.12/100 g with coupon)

Extra Food Deal: Apple Juice

I just noticed in the Rexall/Pharmaplus flyer that Rougemont apple juice is on sale this week. It is a really great bargain at $0.69 for a 1.2L can (standard size). Normally, this goes on sale for $0.88, so this is a deal indeed if you want 100% juice.

Ontario Food Deals for May 22 - May 28, 2009

The most exciting thing this week is the $1, $2, $3 sale at Food Basics. There are a few good deals, which I pointed out below, but there are also some things that have actually been rounded up to go with the sales theme. Their sales price on mayonnaise is usually under $3, but has been rounded up to $3 this time! Don't forget, you need to know your prices!

I will also make my way to the Superstore to look at the big box of granola bars on sale. These make a good snack I can keep in the car for the kids, saving me money on trips to Timmie's with "starving" children.

I may also pick up some bacon. We are running low in the freezer. I have seen bacon for as little as $2 per package for good quality, and the sales this week are $3 per package. Was the extra low sales price a fluke, or part of the regular sales cycle? Looking in my price book, I saw the lowest price in March, when I last stocked up. Bacon was available at $3 per package in February, and again over the last two weeks. This is where stocking up takes experience, thought, planning and a little luck. It may be that the "new normal" sales price of bacon is $3 or it may be that I should wait longer for the next good sale. We will see!

Although I blew my $100 challenge this month, I still want to keep my spending as low as I can. Still, it doesn't make sense to pass up good deals when they are around, unless my store cupboards are already overflowing with those items.

Food Basics
$1, $2, $3 Sale

• Saporito Vegetable Oil, 3 L for $3
• Chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, frozen, seasoned for $2 per lb or $4.41 per kg
• Marc Angelo Italian Sausage, hot or mild, 500 g for $2 (I have never tried this brand, but it is a pretty good price)
• Italian home bakery Calabrese style bread, 675 g for $1

If you are in Kitchener or Waterloo, there is a new Food Basics open at 600 Laurelwood Drive in Waterloo. There are a few extra deals in town, available only at the Food Basics located at 600 Laurelwood Drive, 851 Fischer-Hallman Road and 370 Highland Road West only.

• Black Diamond cheese, selected varieties, 500 g for $3.99, limit 2 (This is actually a few cents more expensive than a similar cheese at Walmart last week. Still a decent deal though.)
• Piller's Black Forest Style Ham, smoked and cooked, 900 g for $3.99. This comes to $0.44 per 100 g, much cheaper than buying it pre-sliced at the deli counter.

No Frills

• Pork side rib portions for $1.97 per lb or $4.34 per kg (Not a bad price if the good weather has you in the mood for ribs!)

Superstore

• Unico tomatoes, still price locked at $0.79 per 796 mL can
• Nature Valley crunchy granola bars, club size (1.12 kg) for $8.79. I think this is a good deal, but I don't know how many bars are in this box. You can get a regular size box with 5 double bars for $1.99 at Zehrs (their ongoing semi-permanent sales price). That works out to just under $0.40 per bar. If there are over 23 double bars per box, it is a good deal! Do keep in mind that each individual sleeve contains 2 bars. I think this is clear from the packaging, but make sure there are over 23 pouches of double bars if you are looking for the best deal. I think these jumbo packs are usually in the $10 range. Also, each box contains a variety of flavours, so if your family won't eat all the flavours, it isn't a good deal! I will post when I have more details.
  

Price Chopper

• Asparagus, product of Ontario, $1.49 per lb or $3.28 per kg

Sobey's

• Kellogg's Cereal (Mini-Wheats or Raisin Bran, Froot Loops or Frosted Flakes, selected, 275 - 475 g), 3 for $5
• Schneiders Bacon, regular, salt reduced or thick, 500 g for $2.99 (Good deal for name-brand bacon!)

Foodland

• Maple Leaf Bacon, 500 g for $2.99. Similar deal to at Sobeys

Zehrs (Loblaws)

• Asparagus, product of Ontario, $1.77 per lb or $3.90 per kg (It is a bit cheaper at Price Chopper, but if Zehrs is more convenient, go there. Just don't forget to eat your local asparagus while you can!)

Ontario Food Deals for May 15 - May 21, 2009

Lucky for me and my food challenge, there isn't much to excite me this week. I have lots of peanut butter, so don't need to stock up. I'll probably buy some asparagus, because it is in season now, and doesn't last long. It should be easy to stay under $15 this week.

No Frills
The Half Price Sale continues. The deals listed last week should still be good this week, according to last week's flyer! Additionally:

• Kraft peanut butter, selected varieties, 750g or 1kg. This may include Kraft's natural, 100% peanut butter, which comes in the 750g size for $1.99
  
• Kellogg's Raisin Bran (675 g), Mini Wheats (540-555 g) or Rice Krispies (525 g), selected varieties, $2.49

Zehrs (Loblaws)

• Europe's Best frozen vegetables (300 g - 600 g) for $1.99 - $1.00 in-store coupon, as promised in last weeks flyer.

Price Chopper

• Kellogg's Raisin Bran (675 g), Corn Pops (345 g), Rice Krispies cocoa (420 g), All Bran (525 g), $2.49

Sobey's

• Asparagus, Product of Ontario, $1.47 per lb, weather permitting
• Chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, value pack, $2.99 per lb or $6.59 per kg

Real Canadian Superstore

• Post cereal, selected varieties (Shreddies and Honeycomb are pictured) (400-620 g) for $1.99 (price lock)

Walmart

• Cracker Barrel cheese (500 g) for $3.97

Food Basics

• Gold Seal pink Salmon, skinless, boneless (170 g - smaller than normal), $0.99. This is cheaper for salmon, but my understanding is pink salmon isn't as good as red salmon. Also, wild salmon is better for the environment. As this is not labeled wild, it isn't! The wild red salmon I bought two weeks ago was about $0.70 per 100g and this is $0.58 per 100 g. You decide on the best balance for your family between taste, price and environmental impact.

If you are in Kitchener or Waterloo, there is a new Food Basics open at 600 Laurelwood Drive in Waterloo. There are a few extra deals in town, available only at the Food Basics located at 600 Laurelwood Drive, 851 Fischer-Hallman Road and 370 Highland Road West only.

• Irresistibles white meat chicken strips or nuggets (908 g) for $3.99

$100 Grocery Challenge: Week 2

Last week, I spent $33.14. I was hoping to stay under $20 on my second week of grocery shopping, so I have $50 for the rest of the month.

Thursday I went to the farmer's market and picked up two bunches of fresh Ontario asparagus for $5.00 and a loaf of fresh bread reduced to $2.00. On the way home we stopped at Food Basics because we were out of milk ($3.97), and faced one of the perils of making extra shopping stops: the extra purchases! We grabbed another bag of cookies, still on sale for $1.99.

Thursday total: $12.96

Friday I went to Food Basics and picked up my potatoes, and while I was at it I got a few more things:

• White potatoes, 10 lb bags, 2 for $3.00 = $3.00
• Bananas = $2.28
• Lemons and limes, reduced for quick sale = $.79
• Lemons (nice, shiny, new, 3) = $0.99
• Food Basics TOTAL = $7.06

Today I went to Zehrs to pick up the Europe's Best vegetables and bought a couple of other things:

• Europe's Best Frozen Vegetables, 4 for $1.99-$1.00 each = $3.96
• Bread (50% 0ff) = $1.34
• Sour Cream = $1.99
• Snap lids for canning = $1.49 + $0.19 taxes
• Zehrs TOTAL = $8.97

Oh, and I think my mother is worried I am going to deprived my kids. She bought us 8 liters of milk, a dozen eggs and several bunches of lovely asparagus when they visited this weekend. Thanks Mum!

Total spent this week, $28.99

Total spent to date = $62.13

Humm... this isn't looking good for my challenge! Especially as I just ran out of baking powder and sugar (white and brown)....

One thing I am realizing is that I tend to buy extras on each shopping trip. I had read that reducing your shopping trips reduces spending. I think this is one reason meal planning saves you money. I made 4 stops this week on three different days. I spent about $10 on "extras" this week. Many of those purchases were reasonable purchases, and none were particularly extravagant, but it was extra!

Next week I am going to try doing all of my shopping on one day, even if it requires multiple stops. I feel that this may reduce my chances of spending as much on extras.

If I am lucky, there won't be any good deals in the flyers!

Price of Store Bought Vs. Homemade

I just read a great article comparing the price of store bought and homemade food. She compares bagels, cream cheese, jam, crackers and granola, and overall, homemade comes out cheaper and better tasting. The author seemed a little surprised, but I'm not! I guess I grew up with a bit of a homemade bias. Cakes were always from scratch, and bread always came out of the bread machine. And I just always assumed that homemade was both better tasting, better for you and cheaper. Over at Home Ec 101, Heather agrees with me, but reinforced the idea that saving money isn't the only goal of making food from scratch.

Some of my assumptions were turned on their head when I read the Hillbilly Housewife's article about "convenience" foods that are worth purchasing rather than making at home. Pasta, frozen veggies and canned beans all make her list of convenience foods. She is right, of course - they are a convenience food compared to what my great grandmother would have used, never mind the fancy stand mixer, the food processor, the rice cooker and the bread machine I have in my kitchen. Go back just a little further, and even my stove starts to look like a convenience item!

All of this got me thinking about my own food assumptions and bias. On this adventure to feed my family on a budget, my goal is to make sure we are eating a healthy diet and that we are being mindful of our environmental impact. Additionally, the taste and flavours of the food we are eating has to be at the top of my agenda, if I want anyone to eat it!

With this in mind, I am going to try doing some comparisons of the prices, flavours, ingredient lists and environmental impact of some foods I already make from scratch as well as some of my favourite convenience foods.

My Comparisons (A Growing List)

A Soft Drink Replacement (Iced Tea)

Can I spend only $100 on Groceries in May?

I have decided to try to lower my grocery budget to $100 for the month of May. This shouldn't be too hard. I don't buy much in the way of meat on a weekly basis, because we buy our meat in bulk and my cold cellar and freezer are full of food.

My goal is to continue to stock up when I find good prices, with the idea that maybe I can permanently reduce my monthly grocery budget to $100. Budgeting is one of my weaknesses, and I am looking forward to making it my focus. At the end of the month, I will reassess my budget and decided if $100 a month (plus extra for our yearly meat purchase) is a reasonable budget to feed my family of 2 adults and 2 small children. Can I do this while still cooking healthy and tasty food?

Now, this idea developed as I was out doing my grocery shopping, so I bought a few unusual treats that were a good price. As the plan is that this will be a permanent change, I'm not going to worry about it.

So how did I do? I stuck pretty closely to the deals I had found by reading my flyers and checking my price book.


Foodland

• Clover Leaf Sockeye salmon, Wild red pacific, regular size canned salmon (213 g) on sale 2 for $3 this week. X4 cans = $6.00
• TOTAL = $6.00
  

Food Basics

• Italpasta regular pasta (450 g) for 2 for $0.99, X8 = $3.96
  
• Red Rose Orange Pekoe 36 tea bags for $0.99, X1 = $0.99
• Christie cookies, (550 g) for $1.99, X2 = $3.98
  
• Maxwell House ground coffee, 925 g tin for $4.44, X1 = $4.44
• Brown rice, $1.99
• TOTAL = $15.36
  

No Frills

• Satin Care shave gel for $1.99 - $2.00 from save.ca, X1 = $1.99 + $0.26 tax - $2.00 = $.25 (See, even FREE things aren't free!)
• Delmonte juice boxes for $1.99
• Cucumber for $0.99
• TOTAL = $3.23
  

Walmart

• Yoplait yogurt tubs, 650 g for $1.97 - $1.00 coupon found in last month's Chatelaine magazine. X1 = $0.97
  
• Always pads (18) for $2.66 - $1.00 coupon from newspaper flyer and online source X2 = ($2.66 X 2) + $0.27 tax - ($1.00 X 2) = $3.59
• 4 L of milk = $3.99
• TOTAL = $8.55

Grand Total of $33.14
Coupon Savings = $5.00

Overall, I think I did pretty well. I went over a $25 weekly budget (for 1/4 of my $100), but I find a monthly budget is more practical when stocking up. Depending on sales, I may only buy milk, eggs and yogurt next week!

Ontario Weekly Grocery Flyer Deals for May 1 - May 7, 2009

I will stop by the brand new Food Basics in Waterloo to pick up some of the flyer deals, as well as the special new store deals. I also plan on picking up a fresh mozzarella cheese or two at Price Chopper and some frozen fish at Superstore. I am looking forward to picking up a free shave gel at No Frills, and a tub of yogurt for $0.97 with coupon at Walmart. The large tins of salmon at Shopper's are a pretty good deal too.

What is your favourite deal this week?

UPDATE: Foodland has Clover Leaf Sockeye salmon, Wild red pacific, regular size canned salmon (213 g) on sale 2 for $3 this week. A slightly better deal than the salmon at Shopper's Drug Mart, and a better size, for my family.

Food Basics
$0.99 sale this week. Watch out though, because some things can be found cheaper.

• Italpasta regular pasta in select varieties (450 g) for 2 for $0.99, while quantities last
• Primo canned beans (540 mL) for 2 for $0.99, selected varieties (I mostly use dried, but I think this is a pretty good deal)
  
• Fresh chicken legs, quarters bagged for $0.99 per lb or $2.18 per kg
• Red Rose Orange Pekoe 36 tea bags for $0.99

If you are in Kitchener or Waterloo, there is a new Food Basics open at 600 Laurelwood Drive in Waterloo. There are a few extra deals in town, available only at the Food Basics located at 600 Laurelwood Drive, 851 Fischer-Hallman Road and 370 Highland Road West only.

• Breyers classic ice cream (1.66L to 1.89L) for $1.99
• Lean ground beef for $1.49/lb, sold in 2lb tubes for $2.98
• Christie cookies, selected varieties, large sizes (550 g) for $1.99
• Maxwell House ground coffee, 925 g tin for $4.44

No Frills

• Satin Care shave gel for $1.99 - $2.00 from save.ca, making it free!
• Unico vegetable oil, 3L for $3.99

Price Chopper

• Fresh ground beef for $1.49/lb, sold in 2lb tubes for $2.98 (same price as at the new Food Basics)
• Silani mozzarella cheese ball, 340 g for $2.49 (this is the fresh style cheese. It is yummy, and can be frozen)
• Aunt Jemima waffles, 354 g for $0.99
• Always pads (12-24) for $2.99 - $1.00 coupon from newspaper flyers (available slightly cheaper at Walmart)
  

Zehrs (Loblaws Stores)

• Air chilled chicken for $1.64 per lb or $3.62 per kg. (Still not as cheap as a Superstore a few weeks ago, when the chickens were about $1.17 per lb)

Superstore

• Kraft Cracker Barrel bar cheese, 500 g for $4.44. I bought cheese for $0.66 per 100 g and this cheese is $0.88 per 100g, but still a good price.
• Tide laundry detergent for $11.99 - $1.00 coupons, found everywhere, including this weeks Shop and Save, delivered with newspapers and flyers. (Tide Ultra powder 3.8-4kg or 2X liquid 2.95 L laundry detergent, selected varieties, 48-80 washloads)
• Green Island polar cod fillets, boneless skinless, frozen, 400 g for $1.99. I haven't tried this brand, but the price is good, so I think I will try it this week.
• Unico tomatoes, still price locked at $0.79 per 796 mL can. Last time, I found I could get the unsalted variety at this price.

Shopper's Drug Mart (Sales Start Saturday)

• Gold Seal Pacific Red Sockeye Salmon, large 418 g tin for $2.99

Walmart

• Yoplait Source or Creamy Yogurt tubs, 650 g fro $1.97 - $1.00 coupon found in last month's Chatelaine magazine.
• Always pads (18) for $2.66 - $1.00 coupon from newspaper flyers

Canned Tomatoes at Price Chopper

At my local Price Chopper I discovered Unico canned tomatoes on sale for $0.77 per 796 mL can. I didn't see this price listed in their flyer, but it is a good deal I thought I would mention, especially if you aren't near a Superstore, where the same tomatoes are price locked at $0.79 per can.

Free Green Bin at Participating Stores

I just heard that many of the Loblaws stores are giving away a free green bin until April 30, 2009 if you spend $60 with this printable coupon. This only applies to the stores that are eliminating complimentary bags. This offer is not available at No Frills, because fee for bags is not new.

Keep in mind, as I reported last week, the reusable bags are also on sale for 50% off until April 26th, 2009.

I don't know the regular price of the bins, but if you are planning on spending $60 or more on groceries this week at one of the participating stores, print out the coupon! The bins are well rated by customers on the President's Choice web site.

The coupon reads:

Spend $60, get a FREE PC GREEN Box
April 22-30, 2009

Spend $60 or more (single purchase before applicable taxes and surcharges) and receive a Free PC GREEN Box. Excludes tobacco, alcohol, prescriptions, eyewear, dry cleaning, gas bar, lottery, gift cards, and third party service purchases. Limit one PC GREEN Box per household.

Offer valid April 22 to April 30, 2009 at participating stores impacted by the elimination of complimentary bags. See participating banners below.

This coupon must be presented at time of purchase. Coupon is not redeemable for cash and has no cash value. Offer cannot be combined with any other offer.

Participating Locations: Extra Foods; Superstore; Fortinos; Independent; Loblaws; Loblaw; Valu-Mart; Zehrs; Maxi; Provigo; Dominion; SaveEasy; Wholesale Club; Club Entrepot

Ontario Weekly Grocery Flyer Deals for April 24 - April 30, 2009

Every week I look at the flyers for Sobeys, Foodland, No Frills, Price Chopper, Food Basics, Real Canadian Superstore, and Zehrs (a Loblaws store, which should have the same sales as Loblaws and Fortinos). I also look through the food section of the Pharma Plus and Shoppers Drug mart flyers, as well as my Walmart and Zellers flyers. My goal is to find food that is worth stocking up on, because it is at the lowest price I can expect to find it.

This week, there isn't much to buy again. I will probably go to Price Chopper to get some Cheerios, and Ontario tomatoes and cucumber. The potatoes are a good deal, but we don't need any yet. I will probably swing by No Frills to get the good deal on Ontario apples, and I can get my yogurt there this week. If I am near a Zehrs, we may pick up some ham, but other than that, I'm not doing much shopping this week.

What do you think is the best deal of the week?

Price Chopper

• Whole chickens, fresh for $1.49 per lb or $3.28 per kg. Not as good as last week, but okay.
• Cheerios, $2.49 for 370-525 g. Shows Honey nut, but says cheerios, so should be regular too.
• Hot house tomatoes, from Ontario, for $0.99 per lb or $2.18 per kg
• Seedless cucumbers, from Ontario, for $0.99 each
• Russet potatoes, from Ontario, $2.99 for a 10lb bag

No Frills

• Empire or McIntosh apples, from Ontario for $2.49 for 4 lbs
• Unico vegetable oil, $3.99 for 3 L, price locked
• Tuna, no name, $0.87 for 170 g, price locked
• Yogurt, no name, $1.97 for 750 g, price locked

Zehrs

• PC Black Forest ham, deli sliced, $0.99 per 100 g

Food Basics

• Equality Brand Cheese bars, 520g for $4.99 ($0.96 per 100g. I have got name brand cheese for as little as $0.66 per 100g, but this isn't a bad price if you want some cheese.)
• Europe's Best frozen fruit, 600 g for $3.79. This was down to $3.49 just a few weeks ago. Still, a pretty good deal if you use the $2 off coupons that were around. I have heard rumors there were more at Loblaws stores last week, but I haven't been able to find any.

Superstore

• Astro yogurt, price locked at $1.99 for 750 g
• Unico tomatoes, still price locked at $0.79 per 796 mL can. Last week, I found I could get the unsalted variety at this price.

How to Make a Price Book and Slash Grocery Spending

If you want to stock your cupboards with food purchased at the lowest prices, you need to know what the best prices are! My price book, which allows me to stock up during the best sales, has made the biggest difference to my grocery budget. It saves me far more money than coupons, or any other list of grocery saving tips and tricks.

My main goal at Stocking the Larder is to tell you what I have discovered each week from comparing the flyers, my coupons and my own price book. That is actually how this blog was started. I kept emailing my brother a list of the best deals I found each week. He suggested I start a blog because other local shoppers might find it useful. If you are living in Ontario, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed to keep track of my weekly grocery store deals.

You can do the same thing I do, if you have a little extra time and some patience, to make sure you are getting the best deals on the food you want to store in your home. Some people only track a few items, which is a great way to get started.

My price book is an Excel spreadsheet, with a new tab for each category of grocery item. These categories include:

• Dairy and Eggs (including cheese, milk, butter, eggs)
• Fresh Produce and Meats (including fresh fruit and vegetables, different sorts of meat)
• Dry Goods (including flour, sugar, cereal, dry pasta, and a section for treats)
  
• Canned Goods (including canned tomatoes, canned soups, oil, tuna)
• Frozen (including frozen fruit and vegetables, ice cream)
  
• Beverages (including apple juice, tea, coffee, orange juice)
• Pet Care (including cat food and kitty litter. I can't use the cheapest brands of food, because they don't seem to agree with my cats. I keep track of the brands that work, listed separately. It helps me keep track of the best prices as well as what my cats will eat!)
• Personal Care (including toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper)
• Cleaning and Food Storage (including garbage bags, laundry detergent, ammonia)

I list everything I buy under each category. I add prices to my price book from my receipts and from the weekly flyers. For each item I record:

• price paid
• size of the item
• unit price
• date purchased
• store
• coupon used (if any)
  

My spreadsheet automatically figures out the unit price for each item, usually calculated per 100 mL or 100 g. (The price per millilitre (mL) or per gram (g) is often so low, it would show up as $0.00, which isn't very helpful! Also store labels usually give unit prices in terms of per 100 mL or 100 g, making it a more useful number for comparison shopping.)

A sample unit price calculation:

Price Paid: $1.99
Size of the item: 750 mL

Unit Price = Price Paid/Size of of the item
Unit Price = $1.99/750 mL
Unit Price = $0.00265 per mL

To make this more useful, multiply by 100
Unit Price per 100 mL = $0.26 per 100 mL

I keep multiple prices for most items. This helps me see what items have a regular sales cycle, and helps me determine how much to buy during a sale.

I make a weekly shopping list, so I find that I usually don't need to bring my price book with me. If there are any prices that aren't clear from the flyers (usually related to item size), I make a note on my list to check it out at the store. I am working on making a sheet I can print out and keep in my coupon wallet so that I can always check to see if a clearance item at the grocery store or some unadvertised special is really a good deal, but this isn't a priority because it is so infrequently needed.

If you considering starting your own price book, there are several great resources on the web.

• For getting started, the Frugal Hacks show you how to get started using the receipts you probably have laying around from your last few grocery trips. A second post talks about how to put your price book to use.
• Over at Frugal Upstate, she has a detailed description of her price book, including a really thorough explanation of the math involved in figuring out unit prices.
• The Organizing Junkie describes her system, using a notebook and flyers.
• At Mom Advice, she describes her price book, and offers free printouts of her price book pages.

Ontario Weekly Grocery Flyer Deals for April 17 - April 23, 2009

There aren't that many deals this week, so I won't be buying much. This is one of the weeks that I enjoy the fruits of my stocking up and spend very little money.

I probably won't make it out to No Frills because there isn't much I need there this week, and it is out of my way. Food Basics is probably not going to make the cut either. I may pop into Price Chopper because it is right next to the Pharma Plus, where I will definitely be headed to stock up on some apple juice and my husband's brand of deodorant. Based on sales, I will do my main shopping at the Superstore this week. The main draw is the good deal on whole chickens. I will probably buy 2 or 3 and add them to the freezer.

The food I buy every week, which mostly consists of milk and eggs, are about the same price at all of the budget grocery stores. If you check the back of the Price Chopper, No Frills, Food Basics and Superstore flyer, you will see they all have bread, milk, eggs and butter advertised for almost identical prices. I don't buy the processed bread, and I usually wait to stock up on butter when I find a really great price (and most of the stores only guarantee a price on salted butter - I prefer to get unsalted). For basic milk and eggs, any store will do.

If you need reusable grocery bags, Sobey's and Price Chopper have them for buy 1 get 1 free on Earth Day (Wednesday April 22, 2009). Also, Zehrs (Loblaws) and Superstore have their reusable bags on sale for 50% off until April 26th. The full service stores, like Sobey's, Zehrs (Loblaws) and Real Canadian Superstore are going to start charging for bags in the very near future. Zehrs (Loblaws) and the Superstore will start charging 5¢ for bags on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2009 and Sobey's will start charing for bags of May 1st, 2009.

Superstore
No tax event on Friday 5pm-close and Saturday from open-close

• Whole chicken, fresh for $1.18 per lb ($2.60 per kg)
• Tomatoes, Ontario on the vine for $1.29 per lb (or $2.84 per kg)
• Unico tomatoes, 796 mL for $0.79 (Should still be on sale, as they were listed as a price lock last week. I found that at my Superstore they had the no salt added variety at this price as well!)

Pharma Plus
Sales start Saturday the 18th

• Rougemont Apple juice for $0.88 for 1.2L (standard can)
• Old Spice deodorant at 2 for $5.00
• Cheerios for $1.99 for 400g box
• Another coupon came in the flyer for Buy 1 Get 1 Free on Rexal brand vitamins, mineral or herbals, excluding advertised products. Valid April 11 -24th, 2009

No Frills
(If you happen to live in KW, the only No Frills I know about is in Elmira. If you are near the expressway, it isn't very far, especially if you are making a stop at the new Walmart in St. Jacob's)

• Royale Toilet Paper 40 single rolls for $5.97 - $1.00 from save.ca
• Celery $0.99 (imported)

Price Chopper

• Post cereals (400-620g) for $1.47. The picture only shows Honeycomb and Shreddies, but it will probably include raisin bran too. Maybe others?

Food Basics

• Cucumbers, Ontario, for $0.79 each

Stocking Up: Getting the best deal on groceries

How much food do you have in your house right now?

We have... well, a lot! Our freezer is quite full, and so is our cold cellar. They are full of food we will use, bought at the cheapest prices I could find, ready for us to prepare into healthy meals (and the occasional unhealthy treat).

Why do I have so much food, when there are only four people in my family? I am not hoarding, nor am I worried about the end of the world. I am trying to make the best use of my grocery dollars, by purchasing food we use at the best price I can.

Take a can of tuna. A regular can of tuna can sell for a huge range of prices. I have seen it for $1.79 for store brand tuna in water. I have also seen it for $0.99. A few weeks ago, I saw if for $0.69 per can. So I bought 10 cans. I saved over $10 compared to buying the tuna at full price, and $3.00 over buying it at the more expensive sale price.

My goal is to buy enough tuna at $0.69 a can to last me until the next time I can get it for that price.

When I stock up on each pantry staple as I find it on sale, my shelves are full of food purchased at the lowest price, ready for me when I need it.

The same principle can be applied to frozen or freezable items, if you have a large freezer for storage. I keep my freezer full of meat, butter, frozen peas and corn, frozen fruit and cheese that I freeze in bars or grate and then freeze.

You may also be interested in some of my tips and tricks for stocking up.

Ontario Weekly Grocery Flyer Deals for April 10 - April 16, 2009

Keep in mind before you head out shopping, that most stores will probably be closed tomorrow (Friday April 10th, 2009) for the holiday!

There are a couple of good deals at all the stores this week, including free Pillsbury Crescent rolls, and $0.49 for 125g of sliced meat (after coupons, available online).

I am particularly interested in the good price on meat: good deals on Canadian bacon and pork tenderloin this week.

I will also stock up on Campbell's condensed soup and our favourite Habitant soups, both on sale this week.

Canned tomatoes are a good price, but as the price is locked, I will only buy a can or two this week. I can buy a few cans over the next few weeks. This should make it easier to stick to my budget.

Sobey's

• Schneiders 1890 or fat free sliced meats (125g) for $2.49 - $2.00 coupon from save.ca
• Oranges, Seedless from Morocco (8lb bag) for $3.99

SATURDAY April 11 ONLY:

• Lou's Cured Pork Loin Rolled in Cornmeal (Peameal Bacon) for $1.99 per pound.

Price Chopper

• Green Giant frozen veggies (750g) for $1.99. Not as good as last week, but not bad if you are out!

Superstore

• Pork Tenderloin (frozen in pkgs of 2) for $1.99 per pound. Buy some and try my recipe!
• Tropicana orange juice for $4.44 for 3.78L (about the same price as last weeks, per unit)
• Vegetable oil for $3.99 for 3L (again, same deal I got last week)
• Astro yogurt (650/750 g) for $1.99 (Price lock... so it should stay here for a few weeks)
• Unico tomatoes, 796 mL for $0.79 (Another price lock...)

• Coupons: There are a variety of coupons in the Superstore flyer this week, good only for this week. Many for electronics and household stuff. Of particular interest was Fusion power cartridges (4's) or Venus cartridges (8's), save $2

Zehrs (Loblaws stores)

• Campbell's condensed Soups (tomato, vegetable, cream of mushroom or chicken noodle) (285mL) for $0.49

Food Basics
Evidently the sale doesn't start until Monday here in Waterloo. May or may not be true in other places.

• Kraft Peanut Butter (1kg) for $1.99. I prefer natural peanut butter, but it is my husband's favourite. EDIT: the 750g natural 100% peanuts was the same price!
  
• Shopsey's all beef wieners (450g) for $1.99
• Habitant Soup (796 mL) for $0.99

Walmart
(Sale starts Saturday)

• Pillsbury Crescents (235g) for $1 - $1 save.ca coupon. Okay, so this isn't healthy, and probably falls under one or more of my coupon traps, but for free, or close to free, I may buy. Keep in mind: It will cost at least the price of the gas to get there, there may be a charge for taxes, you may find some other things you "need" while you are in yet another store, you may be hassled when buying only one free thing, and the nutritional content of these things is probably atrocious.

Rexall PharmaPlus
(Sales start Saturday)

• With the flyer coupon, Buy 1 Get 1 Free on Rexal brand vitamins, mineral or herbals, excluding advertised products. Valid April 11 -24th, 2009

Stocking Up: Some Hints and Tips

Know your prices.
Is it really a good deal? Don't buy 5 boxes just because the store tells you it is a good deal. Often the sales prices listed in flyers aren't anywhere near the lowest price you can find. Check out my weekly food deals posts, and think about keeping your own price book.

Find a storage place.
We are lucky because we have a big cold cellar under the stairs full of shelves and ready to hold all our canned goods, shelving in the furnace room and a big chest freezer. You may not have my optimal storage situation, but you almost certainly have some storage!
In our first apartment we had a small chest freezer right in the kitchen that acted as extra counter space. We still hadn't acquired much in the way of kitchen clutter and had room in the cupboards for extra food.
Keep in mind your pantry doesn't have to be in the kitchen. You will go shopping in your pantry as needed. A linen closet could work well, if you get rid of the old sheets you don't need and the ratty old towels. I've heard of people storing extra food under beds. Be creative!

Try before you stock up.
If you have found something that is a great deal, but you aren't certain that you will enjoy that brand or flavour, buy one and try it. Then stock up. We once stocked up on a certain brand of canned peaches I had never tried before. Yuck. They tasted like cardboard. Be warned. Make sure you will eat it!

Only buy food you actually use.
Don't stock up on cheap tuna if you don't like tuna! It isn't a deal if you won't eat it.

Organize your pantry.
I have a section for tomato products, a section for jams and spreads, a section for beans, a section for fruit, a section for canned fish, etc. You need to stay organized so you can find your food. It is great to get a good deal on canned peaches, but if you keep getting good deals and then loosing them in the pantry, you aren't making best use of your grocery dollar.

Keep the oldest food up front.
Just like at the grocery store, put the new food at the back, and the older food at the front, so it gets used first.

Watch best before dates.
Even cans often have best before dates. Make sure you can use what you buy before the best before date.

Try not to pass that line from stocking up to hoarding.
It is really easy to go crazy when you find a good deal. When something you use all the time is on sale for a great price it is easy to go crazy and buy, buy, buy! Keep in mind that most sales will come back again. Grocery stores have cycles and many things go on sale again and again.
Keep in mind the limits of your storage space. You want to be able to stock up on a range on things you use. If your space is all filled up with tomatoes, where will you put the baked beans?

Remember your budget.
When you are buying the food you need to eat this week, you probably find you spend a similar amount from week to week. When you are stocking up, some weeks you won't find anything to buy except your basic perishables. Other weeks there will be several great deals to stock up on. Your goal is to save money, so make sure you are saving money! You may need to adjust to a more monthly view of your food budget, rather than a weekly budget. If you used to spend $150 a week, you could start by making your goal to reduce that by $50 a week, with the plan that you won't spend more than $400 over the course of a month ($100 X 4 weeks).
You figure out what you can afford and stick to that. You don't want to over spend in your efforts to save money!

You might also be interested in reading about how I decide what to stock up on!

Ontario Weekly Grocery Flyer Deals for April 3 - April 9, 2009

I am so excited by the frozen fruit deal I will get this week! On the other hand, I am disappointed to see I spent too much on the frozen veggies I stocked up on last week.

Grocery deals this week:

Price Chopper:

• Tropicana orange juice for $2.97 for 2.63L
• Saporito vegetable oil for $3.99 for 3L
• Astro Original Yogurt for $2.29 for 750g (Can't stock up on this, but not a bad price. Last week I got it for $2 which is even better.)
• Cucumbers for $0.89

Sobeys:

• Green Giant veggies for $1.88 for 750g. Ohhh... I stocked up last week at $2 per bag. I'll make a note that the prices go down even farther and wait for this sale next time! They are also this price at Foodland, if that is more convenient.
• Broccoli for $0.97 for a large size. (Not local yet, but we like some variety!)
• Ground Pork for $3.49 for 450 g (Not an amazing deal, but a favourite)
• Lemons and limes for $0.99 for 3 large.

Food Basics:

• Europe's Best Frozen Fruit for $3.49 for 600 g -$2.00 using the coupons I got last week! (And a much better deal then the $4.99 they are on sale for at Price Chopper)
• Europe's Best Frozen veggies for $1.99 for 300g to 600g -$1.00. I will have to check these out. The 600 g packages are a great deal, cheaper than the Green Giant veggies. The 300 g packages aren't such a great deal. And if nobody will eat them, they aren't a great deal.
• Carnation Evaporated Milk for $0.99 for 370mL
• Dole Pineapple for $0.59 for 398mL

Ontario Weekly Grocery Flyer Deals for March 27-April 2, 2009

My grocery list doesn't reflect the food I am going to eat in the week to come, it reflects the foods that my family eats that are available at a good price now. When it is food that will store in my freezer or in my cold cellar, I stock up.

We also buy some fresh fruit and veggies, eggs and milk and often some other dairy such as yogurt or cheese.

This week I stocked up on:

Real Canadian Superstore:

• Highliner frozen pollock for $1.99 - $0.50 coupon for 400g (X4)
• Royale toilet paper $7.99 - $1.00 coupon for 24 double rolls (X1)
• Frozen peas and corn for $2 a bag (X4)

Food Basics:

• Astro plain yogurt (large tub) $2 (X1)

Zehrs (Loblaws):

• Minute Maid juice boxes (10X200mL) $1.88 - $0.50 (Don't like the extra trash, but I use them!)
• Black Diamond cheese bars (520g) $4.44 (I didn't actually need any this week - but a good deal! You can freeze the cheese, either grated or ungrated. It will be more crumbly when it defrosts.)

Shoppers Drug Mart:

• Butter $2.22/lb (SATURDAY ONLY... sorry, it is already too late!) (X12)

Coupons I collected this week:

Food Basics:

• Europe's Best frozen fruit: -$2.00 off
• Europe's Best frozen veggies: -$1.00 off

(The two coupons were attached together, but are pulled apart to use separately.)

Zehrs (Loblaws):

• Western Creamery (any product): -$0.50 off, found inside a Foodland Ontario booklet