Catching great clearance sales at grocery stores

[HeatherFeather]

I save a lot by keeping an eye out for the clearance items at my local stores. Target always seems to have end caps filled with clearanced health & beauty and the grocery shelves often have little red clearance stickers as well. I usually look in both areas every time I shop there and have found great prices on hair care items, spices, and seasonal flavors of certain foods like pumpkin coffee and red velvet pancake mix. A lot of times these items are really really low - and I can get them for under $1.

I often have coupons for some of the hair items, so I get even more savings on those! Hair care items (good brands I usually would want to buy too) plus a coupon - I have gotten some for 34 cents before. Amazing.

When I shop at my local grocery stores, most have some little section where they display clearance foods. I have found incredibly low prices on clearanced pantry items there - especially after holidays, where they quick sell a lot of the extra baking ingredients and other holiday items. Nice candles in seasonal scents also get sent to the same spot, so I can get really nice brands like Yankee and Village Candles at clearance prices.

Today I found quite a lot of nice clearance items:

2 big jugs of Organic Sweet Leaf Green Mint Tea, only 49 cents each!!
6 bags of ground organic gourmet coffees (various flavors, all premium brands), $2.24 a bag!! Since I usually pay anywhere from $7-12 per bag on coffee, that was amazing to get them that low!
2 bags of whole wheat organic pasta from Italy, 74 cents a bag!!

I felt like I was robbing the place, getting those items for so low. Nothing had expired - the coffee is good until December, I go through about 1-2 bags per month.

[Kchurchill5]

Great Deals HF.

I don't coupon much, but I do always check out clearance items. And sometimes, they just run specials. They had white and black beans and my local store last week 3/$1. Good deal.

Albertsons, both local stores are closing. I'm seriously bummed. But I picked up 5 lbs salmon, 4.99; 6 lbs shrimp 3 Colossal for 6.00 each; 3 lbs ext lg for 3.99; 3 lbs tilapia for 2.99; lobster tails 2/4.00. So I was happy. Boneless skinless breasts for 59 and whole chickens for 2.99.

Thats because they are going out of business; but on a daily basis like HF, I watch the sales and in store specials.

I just god Haddock, fresh for 6.99 lb, so a piece for me for very inexpensive.

Also right after cinco de mayo they had some great prices on salsa, black beans, rice, tortillas, cheese etc. I bought a few items that are good pantry items.

Also, watch the clearance flowers; many can be re-potted and grown for next year; I have bought quite a few like that. And clearance items they decided to no longer carry they get rid of VERY cheap.

Liquor stores located next to grocery stores also have tasting specials. Many times, the sponsors will bring in t-shirts if you buy something. Well a week or so after the tasting they often put the shirts on sale for 3-5 dollars. They make great work tee shirts. I buy lots of them that way. Great night shirts too.

And leftover bread ... day old bread; they sell at half off. Bring it home, process it or cut in cubes and freeze. Makes fantastic croutons and bread crumbs. And usually very cheap. Also makes great bread pudding.

[HeatherFeather]

I have a hard time finding coupons for food I eat most of the time, but I do find tons for all of my health & beauty items and household cleansers. I save a lot there.

[Kchurchill5]

I have a hard time finding coupons for food I eat most of the time, but I do find tons for all of my health & beauty items and household cleansers. I save a lot there.

I'm the same. Not many every day, but cleaners especially.

[Ninner]

The only area I go to for discounts is at the grocery store veg. shelves. I have picked up some very nice items there. The only thing I do not purchase is their packaged sliced mushrooms. Many of these items purchased I must prepare/cook then refrig. the day of purchase. I will add to recipes or use (side dishes) during the week.

[HeatherFeather]

Oh yeah - the sale veggie table can sometimes be a great place for great soup items or bananas for bread.

[Kchurchill5]

Heck yeah, great for soup.

I get the old bananas all the time for my staghorn ferns. Bananas make the best natural fertilizer for them. I always pick up those. Older carrots and onions make great stock. Just cut off the bad spot which is usually very small. They often put cabbage on sale too. Another great soup or to make your own sauerkraut.

And tomatoes. One blemish and they often get tossed. Just cut the spot off and make sauce.

Food network had an interesting special with Ann Burrell and I think Robert Irvine that shopped for leftover, or thrown out food, discarded by stores and vendors and they cooked with it. It was really amazing to see all the stuff that stores threw out just because of a blemish.

Heck my tomatoes from the garden have blemishes. I don't throw them out.

[HeatherFeather]

My farmer's market has an "old veggies/fruit" bin in the back where they sell all the slightly damaged or starting to turn produce for a huge discount. It isn't in horrible shape, just stuff that the usual customer won't pay full price for. Get deals there if you are planning to cook the items into jam or sauce or whatever. I always check it out to see if there is anything I want.