Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas .

My newspaper ads came on the mail .  As usual, I will post them, even if it os Christmas.  Most people I know won't be shopping soon.

The ads

QFC
Tomatoes .99
Berries 2/4
Pork shoulder 1.79

Yogurt 10/5

TOP
80 percent beef 1.98
Pork shoulder
Chicken breasts

Quaker oatmeal bats 3/5@@$$
Blues 4.00


SAFEWAYS

pork loin. 1.49
Oranges .99

Friday
Blues 2/5( cheaper at top)


ALBERTSONS

Apples .88
Salad kits 2/5
Eggs 1.69



There is not a whole lot there.  They don't usually have a lot of bargains.  In fact, I see where prices went up right before Christmas, it pays to shop as you see it on sale.  They take advantage of the last minute shoppers.


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Jane

Merry Christmas!  

Merry Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve

Someone hacked onto my e mail and sent a cruise ship advertisement to my friends and family off my e mail list.  I did notice, that they MISSED adding the Edmonds PD LOL. 

Totally missed yesterday.  Life was too hectic.  The girls are home from school and with doctors and business it just didn't happen.  

A non traditional desert for Christmas is brownie sundaes.  Layer a brownie, ice cream whip cream and crushed candy canes or chocolate syrup.  

Chocolate syrup

1 cup heavy cream

2 T corn syrup
12 ounces chocolate, semi sweet
2 tsp vanilla extract

1) in a saucepan, combine cream and syrup.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.

2) remove from heat stir in chocolate. Stir in vanilla.

3) serve or store on a jar and let cool completely before placing in fridge.  Be careful pouring hot things in jars.  Jar should be at least room temp.

I made grandmas apple cake.  It worked fine.  Apparently fake sugar does not always work on all baking situations.  I made lemon pound cakes.  They fell flat!   I don't know of ot was the tin pans, or the sour cream that came from Costco, so it was a denser consistency.  Baking is not my forte.

I'm bringing fruit salad to Christmas Eve.  Truly a splurge and definitely not a part of the USDA stats.
Christmas only comes once a year, right?!????

I hope you and yours have  a wonderful Christmas!!!

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Jane

Fred Meyers and rite aid

I got the paper early.  There is no insert in the paper this week.  Rite Aids up rewards do,not roll forward.  It use or loose time.  I have three dollars and will get something we need.m there is not much on sale this week. They most generally do not reward late shoppers. LOL   I noticed that the sparkling  cider that we bought last week for two bucks was two fifty this week.   A lot of people don't care, but I like to save every dollar I can.

Fred Meyers

New York beef roast 3.47
Rib eye roast 5.88 ( through Tuesday only)
Broccoli. .99
Coffee pods 5.99@@ $$
Butter 2/4@@
Frozen veggies .69@@ ( 12 ounces) ( cheaper than tops buck for a pound.
Celery .49
Radishes, green onions 2/.88

Ham. @@ coupon for ten dollars off ham, the full price of ham is not disclosed.

That's about it.

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Jane

Simply Saturday / recipe edition

The last weekend before Christmas.  Everyone is doing the last minute preparation a for the holiday.  I thought I would post a good colorful recipe that was easy.

Mediterranean chicken

1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
Vegetable oil

1-1/2 pounds chicken cubes, cooked
2 cans diced tomatoes
Sliced green and red peppers
Ripe olives
Salt and pepper
Oregano

2 T cornstarch, 3 T water

In large skillet, sauté onion and garlic in oil.  Add tomatoes and peppers and remaining ingredients except the cornstarch and water.  Bring to a boil.  Add chicken.  Make slurry with cornstarch and water.  Add to mixture and stir gently.  Cook until sauce is thickened.  Serve with rice.

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Jane

Finally Friday, and it is snowing.

It's snowing, thank God, not for long according to the weather people.  I am done with shopping and just need to shovel out our mess since I haven't been home much the last week and do some baking.  A few packages to deliver and one to wrap.  Thos os the first time my granddaughter has seen snow.  It ought to be fun.

There are coupons matches on coupon connections , it's up and running.  One is for meat balls at SAFEWAYS for 1.50 for 14 ounces.  I am not sure about what those would taste like, but at that price we wouldn't be out much of they are bad.  LOL Top foods has frozen veggies for a buck a pound.

All of your rewards at rite aid expire at the end of the year.  I need to spend three dollars.  I am hoping that they will have some decent buys on things we need.  We did well the  last two trips.

On another note, my husband and I worked yesterday.  A couple came in, they bought a pocket knife and a butter dish.  That was their presents to each other.  I wrapped them on clean newsprint paper like we do all the things that we sell.  It was their wrapping paper.  Sometimes, I think we loose track of the real meaning of Christmas  and it gets lost with the commercialism.  We really scaled back this year, I put up few decorations, mostly because of little children in the house that don't understand yet that decorations are not toys. LOL and because I have been too sick too long.

A group I belong to has been trying to help a homeless family that just got housing. We made Christmas, but also have rounded up things for housekeeping.  I have had so much joy seeing Christmas  come together for a family that couldn't be more deserving of a nice Christmas.
I think I for the first time in years have looked at Christmas with a new perspective.

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Jane

Terrific Thursday

Finally got the ads.

TOP

spiral ham 1.97
Tangerines 3.77
Ice cream 2.99
Frozen veggies 10/10--16 ounces
Coffee pods 5.99@@
Sour cream 2/3
Eggs 18 count 2/5

Roast beef 2.99 a 9.99
Tillamook cheese 4.99@@

SAFEWAYS

HAM 1.99
pork loin 1.99
Grapes 1.99
Green beans, fresh  BOGO
Ice cream 2.99
Roast 2.99

Friday deals/ 5 bucks
Oranges
 8 pounds
Pizza

QFC
HAM .99
Broccoli .99
Choc chips 2/4
Ice cream 2.99
Tillamook cheese 4.99
Green beans 1.99
Organic oranges 4/3.99
Turkey .59--30.00 min purchase
Sour cream 1.00
Ice cream 2/5

ALBERTSONS
Ham 1.77
Ice cream 2/5
Coffee 5.99@
Cheese 4.99@

That's about it.  I did a real quick scope this morning.  Be sure to look at match ups and cross off anything cheaper elsewhere.  Pick the two best stores, get in and get out.  I am not seeing a lot of bargains as usual for a holiday shopping trip.  Sausage is actually over priced, especially when they are trying to make it look like a bargain with free eggs.  Sausage should be close to two dollars a pound, not 3.50! LOL.  If it goes much higher, well be making  our own!

Don't forget batteries of what you bought for Christmas takes them!  The dollar store os not a good place to buy batteries.  It's a time when cheaper is not better.  Duracell guarantees that if you ruin a device because one of their batteries leaks, they will replace the device.
Just a FYI

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Jane

Wicked Wednesday

Well, the mail person is back to his or her ways,  no ads yet.  I checked coupon connections last week and found no update.  I googled coupon matchups, Seattle and got another matchup site.

When I make meal plans, I use a template or outline to insure variety in our meals.  Eating a variety of things gives us a balance of nutrition.

My outline or matrix is

2 beef
2 chicken or pork
2 vegetarian
1 fish or shellfish

I try to work in the fresh veggies and other perishable items that were on sale that week, finding the lowest prices in our area.  Every section of the country has different lowest prices.  If you live in a small town, supplementing your pantry with a trip to the larger town with cheaper prices if possible will help your situation.

Frittata ( vegetarian)

8 eggs, beaten
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan or other hard cheese, grated
Salt and pepper

Combine ingredients
Place in greased baking dish
Bake at 350 20-25 minutes or until ot tests done.  ( knife inserted in center comes out clean.  )

I also make impossible pie with cheese when I want an inexpensive dinner.  Add a field green and fruit salad with a fruit vinaigrette.

Mac and cheese is a hit at our house for vegetarian as well as a vegetable stir fry.

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Jane

Terrific Tuesday

This is the wonderful week that I don't have to cook for four days on a row!    Yeah.  I love cooking, but it's nice to have a break once on a while, and I love being out with friends and family.

I made two chickens , very large chickens on Sunday.  I don't think I would do it again in the small oven.  I needed to use two separate pans and leave a lot more air circulating around them.  I wound up microwaving them for another twenty minutes to get them done.  I have dinner premade for Wednesday and Thursday.    

There is something really comforting about chicken pot pie on a cold day.  We love buffalo chicken pizza.  When I shopped, I got a honey Dijon mustard pork tenderloin.  There are coupons out there for them.  

green bean salad 

2 cup fresh green beans, cut into two inch pieces, blanched crisp tender.  

1/2 cup cucumber, cut in half, seeded, and cut into semi rounds slices

1 small red pepper, cut into thin strips.  

Sliced red onion

Dressing 

2 T cream cheese! softened

1 T. Milk

1 T vinegar

2 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper.  

Mix salad ingredients.  Mix dressing ingredients.  Toss.  

Serves 2 

Raspberry salad 

Field  greens, or torn romaine 

Diced pear

Raspberries

Toasted pecans, optional

Dried cranberries

Raspberry vinaigrette

Notes: 

Designer lettuce is cheapest at Costco.  

Pears are a buck a pound these days

Raspberries were also on sale.  

I always keep dried cranberries, they are a special treat in my oatmeal, or on cookies instead of raisens.  Also, you can use them in stuffing or rice to go with poultry.  Yum! 

One of the ways that you can save money on the grocery bill is to make it a point mid week to survey the fridge and use up the little odds and ends hiding in there.  When the Dijon mustard jar is almost completely done, make a oil and vinegar dressing right in the jar. Cover the jar and shake it.  

That's all for today.  

The ads come out today, but I have a full day, probably Tommorrow.  

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Jane 

Trip to Fred Meyers and Rite Aid/ other stuff

We made the trek to the next town and went to Rite Aid and Fred Meyers.  I really scored at Rite Aid.
I usually don't buy soda except at holiday time.  We like root beer.  When I was a child, that's the only soda my dad would allow in the house.  A special treat was root beer float.  I got root beer for .10 a two liter bottle. With up rewards, four pair of panties were less than five bucks including tax.

On to Fred Meyers.  Christmas oranges were a good price, and flour was on sale.  Holidays are a good time to stock baking supplies.  I opened my last back up org flour, so I picked some more up.  Jello products were a buck.  lotts of bucks coffee makes a lemon pound cake.  The recipe for the wanta be is on the Internet.  My daughter and I made ot last year.  We figured we made about 212.00 an hour making it at home instead of. Using it at That other place.  Milk was 1.25 a half gallon.  Green beans  were .50.  Coffee pods were on sale and I had coupons.  I get two cups from a pod and it's really convenient for company.

Yesterday we went out to a house party.  We had a wonder dinner of a stuffed chicken breast with cheese and Canadian bacon,  rice, salad, and green beans with almonds and rolls.   Desert was yummy caramel flan, and a pistatisio desert.

You can have some convenience food when you budget and get most of what you buy for 1/2 price.  I am still running about sixty dollars a week, and.building  a stock for three adults.  I haven't checked the stats from the USDA lately, but considering the increased price of meat and vegetables I don't think we are far off.  

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Jane

Rite aid and Fred Meyers for Sunday

It's Saturday.  I have the Sunday paper courtesy of my husband.  Rite aid had really good bargains using up rewards last week.  This week, flipping the up rewards is going to be a challenge.  They are advertising extended hours to closer to Christmas, but the bargains are not real prolific.

If you want to go online a listen to a video credit for a dollar and find the coupon in the Sunday paper for .55, paper towels are 4.44 a 8 pack.

No nonsense socks, tights, leggings Bogo1/2.  And a 2 dollar up reward.  Must buy 2, limit 3 up rewards per household.

Toothpaste products have decent up rewards, check coupon connections for matchups.

I'm not one to buy soda, but it is 4/4 with a 1.00 up reward for the 2 liter bottles.  ( net .75).

Quaker granola bats and cranberry juice 2/5 with a 1.00 up reward.

FRED MEYERS

New York Roast 3.47 a pound

Satsuma 4.88

Milk 4/5@@

Cheese 2/3 @@

Coffee, Yuban 5.49@@

Smoked sausage 2/5@@
Vegetables 2/1
Jello products 10/10
Flour 3/5 ( 5 lb bags)

Butter 2/4
Choc chips 2/4
Peanut butter 2/4
Celery .49

That's about all,  remember Fred Meyer ads go Sunday to Saturday.

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Jane

Finally Friday

Finally Friday! it's been a long week.  Both of our vehicles are sick and the repair shop is going to have a really good Christmas!?!!!   LOL.  We really can't complain.  Both of them are paid for, and have been cheap transportation.

I digress

On to food.

Christmas baking time. I got cookie mic cheaper than scratch.  I do t usually bake a lot.  Baking can cost a lot especially when your cookies take special ingredients.  Fortunately, baking ingredients are usually on sale this time of the year and if you bake all year, it would be a good time to stock up of you find a bargain.

Rite aid has some baking ingredients buy 15.00 with a five dollar reward.  That makes things 33 percent off.  Fred Meyer had some good sales too.  I have seen butter as low as 1.50.

Betty Crocker has a month long cookie series going on.  A cookie a day.  I had an aunt that used to bake oodles of cookies at Christmas, all nummy.  I don't think even she odd that many variety,

I like creme brûlée , brownies with ice cream and a little chopped peppermint candy is a good Christmas desert.  Peppermint ice cream and shortbread cookies is a favorite,  chocolate waffles are an inexpensive treat.

Dairy is cheapest at Costco.

I like to balance the heavy meal we all have at holiday time with an easy lighter soup meal.
My mother used to call that giving  your stomach a rest.  LOl

Guess that's all I have.

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Jane

Terrific Thursday. : what to do with what you got

 SAFEWAYS has whole chickens for .79.  And ALBERTSONS has oranges for .88.  Sounds like a match made in heaven.  It would be my pick for my batch cook for the week.  In comparison, SAFEWAYS has a chicken in the deli department for five dollars.  It is 30 ounces that is less than two pounds.  If it was two pounds it would be 2.50 a pound.  or, in other words, you could buy two for ten dollars and have four pounds of chicken.  The place of origin is a mystery.  For ten dollars, you can have over twelve pounds of raw chicken that you know came from the NW.  You are saving over 66 percent.  NEVER buy a chicken under three pounds.  You are paying too much for bone , you don't eat bone!  

Clams are a buck at ALBERTSONS, and milk is 2.59.  It might be time for clam chowder.

Note: ALBERTSONS has Colgate toothpaste for .75.  I would check coupon connections for a coupon.

SAFEWAYS has sour cream and yogurt on sale.  I can usually find a coupon for yogurt.

SAFEWAYS has cream of mushroom soup for .89.  That is precisely why I stock.  I paid .30 cents last month at Fred Meyers.  That is a savings of 66 percent.  If you can get most of your food for 2/3 off, you can get three times the food for the same amount you are spending now. now, most of us don't need three times the food, but you can still double your food and save another 1/3 .

There are bargains if you look hard.  By taking advantage of the bargains and only buying real food, you can eat better for less.  You can't always get 66 percent, but you can average 1/2 if you take advantage of the specials and stock while the price is low.  This is not about hoarding, it is about buying low and eating high.  It's about being self sufficient.

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Jane

Wednesday, the ads

The ads already again.

TOP

TILLOMOOK 2.99@@
beans 2/1 @@

QFC
SIRLOIN tip roast 3.25
Dreyers 2.99
Starbucks coffee 6.99$$
Nathan's 2/6

SAFEWAYS

Ham .99
Chicken .79
Oranges .99
Starbucks 6.99$$
Milk 2.59

5 dollar Friday
Family pack lunch meat
Shrimp
Urban coffee
Sugar
24 ounces Jiff
Berries 2/5

ALBERTSONS
Ham 1.47
Oranges .88
Salad .88
Cream cheese .88
Ice cream 2.99
Fran's bread 2.49
Apples 1.00
Tomatoes 1.00
Pears 1.00
Cucumbers 1.00
Organic carrots 1.00

Sale
Clams 1.00
Tomato sauce .25
Cranberry sauce .75
Potatoes in pouches .75

That's about all

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Jane

Terrific Tuesday/ bargain edition

It is  Tuesday.  Yesterday we braved the cold and went to riteaid and business Costco.  There are some things that you can't find at regular Costco.  I Scored big time at Rite Aid.  I needed two consumable gifts for a round about gift exchange.  I had some rite aid bucks .  I got fingernail polish for free, great stocking stuffers.  Also, when you buy 15.00 worth of baking items, you get five dollars rite aid  bucks.  I bought a 12.00 bag of m and m's and two cookie mixes that I had a coupon for.  I was four cents short,so I bought a bottle of vanilla.  The cookie mixes netted .62 each.  The whole bill was less than five bucks, including tax.

Peach and blueberry pie.
Peaches can be found on the frozen food case.  I found some at grocery outlet, cheaper than fresh last summer.

Crust for 2 crust pie.

Filling
2 T lemon juice
3 cups peaches,
1 cup blueberries
1 cup sugar
2 T tapioca
Pinch of salt
2 T butter
1 egg yolk

Mix together lemon juice and fruit.  Add sugar and salt and let stand while you roll out crusts, about
15 minutes.  Pour filling into pastry lined crust.  Dot with butter.  Cover pie with second crust.  Paint crust with egg yolk beaten with water.  Bake at 425 for 45-50 minutes.  NOTE: if peaches are wet, drain them in a colander fore mixing with blueberries.

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Jane

Monday Madness

Yesterday was go see Santa day.  Grandbaby was scared to death.  She just sat there with a blank stare!  ought to be a good picture.  I remember her income at that age screaming bloody murder!  
I was able to get a scaled down Christmas decor up and make an apple cake.  I have come to the conclusion that you can't use fake sugar for this cake.  It still didn't quite resemble grandmas cake.

I found a .25 coupon in Sundays paper for recipe starter.  It is .50 at the dollar store.  Also, coupons.com has a coupon for BBQ beef in a tub.  It os 3.99 ( about 1/2 price) at QFC and the dollar coupon makes it 2.99 -- cheaper than you can scratch cook it with the cost of beef these days.
The USDA predicted that that would happen.

Yesterday we had pork chops over the cranberry stuffing,  it was really good.

Rite aid says that they have over 300.00 in up rewards.  I was hard pressed to find much for things I would buy.  There is fingernail polish for free( a good stocking stuffer) .  The 3m temporary hook things are bog1/2 with a 3.00 up reward.  This might be a bargain, but can't tell until I get there.
There is a 5.00 up reward when you buy an old navy ,gap, or banana republic gift card.  Holiday fleece throws  are 2/5. And ice cream is a good buy.

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Jane

Sunday Focus| rite aid and Fred meyers

The newspaper is out and rite ado and Fred Meyers ads, along woth zillions of ads vieing  for your Christmas money.

Rite Aid

Fingernail polish FREE with a up reward.  Great for stocking stuffer
Dryers 2/7 w a 2.00 up reward nets 2.50
Betty Crocker cookie mixes 1.49 - ck for coupons

Buy three AMX gift cards, get 10.00 off @@

Popcorn Tim's 2/10 with a 2.00 up reward.  Nets 4.00

Crest toothpaste 2/6 w 200 up reward.  -'check for coupons.

FRED MEYERS

APPLES .88
Potatoes 5 lbs/ .88
Ham 1.88
Vegetables 2/1 @@ canned
Country bread 3/4@@
Ocean spray juice 3/5@@
Beans or tomatoes 2/1@@
Tuna 10/10
Ice cream 2/4@@
Tomatoes, grape 2/4
Berries 2/5
Zucchini .99
Lemons 2/4. 2 pound bags
Cucumbers, green peppers. .58

That's about it

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Jane

Suddenly Sarurday/ 1.50 a day

I read an interesting article on Facebook yesterday.  I shared it for those that are on my Facebook.  There is a study that says the difference between a middle class and a low income persons food budget os 1.50 a day.  I am assuming that is per person in the family.  That's six dollars a day for a family of four.  Or 42 dollars a week.  We save more than 42 dollars a week shopping wisely.

Yesterday we had French fries and BBQ beef sandwiches.  The BBQ beef was 3.99 on sale at QFC and I had a dollar coupon.  That makes a pound of BBQ beef 2.99--less than making it from scratch.

Today we are having pork chops and cranberry stuffing.  Pork chops were BOGO.  Four pork chops were 2.61.  Well within my five  dollar range and I can use the leftover croutons and cranberries from thanksgiving.
Fruits were really reasonable at QFC and a good way to pump up our immune systems with antioxidants and vitamin c.

This is the first time in a week I have had to work on Christmas.  We have had a sick baby on the house and my daughter had to go to work.  My husband had to cover my shifts.  So, I'm going to try to get caught up with Christmas chores .  We have December birthdays, so I try to get Christmas pretty well organized by mid  month.  I have scaled down over the years, but I will probably ramp up next year for our grandbaby.

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Jane

Finally Friday/ recipe edition

It's finally Friday and I have a sick baby again.  Pork chops are a pleasant contrast to the turkey we all ate last week.

Pork chops with cranberry stuffing

1/3 cup cranberries, chopped
1 T sugar
4 pork chops, 1-1/4 inches thick
1T butter
1/3 cup celery
1/4 cup onion
2 T. Orange juice
1 tsp orange rind
1/2 tsp sage
1 cup dried bread cubes
Salt and pepper


oven to 375

1) In small bowl, combine sugar and cranberries.  Set aside

2) in skillet, sauté the celery and onion until wilted. Add remaining ingredients except pork chops.

3) place stuffing in a well greased  baking pan.  Place pork chops that have been salt and peppered on top of stuffing.

4) bake 35-40 minutes or until the pork tests done and is no longer pink in the middle.

Pork chops and oranges are on sale.  Bread cubes and cranberries are probably still leftover from last week.

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Jane

Terrific Thursday/ what to do with what you got

Ok, this week has been a bust.  I have had a sick grandchild all week, and I am so far behind on my regular schedule.  We have several birthdays in December too, so I usually have everything done by mid December for Christmas except the last minute cooking.  I digress

Ok.  I see pork roast for pulled pork sandwiches or tacos for .99.  I also see ham.  Ham is rich and salty, so a little bit goes a long  ways.  We use it in eggs, quiche, pizza, soups, scalloped potatoes, grind it for sandwich spread.

QFC has really good prices on produce, watch them, sometimes they don't pick it as well as it should be.  Apples are .99. Time to make grandmas apple cake.   Oranges are a good buy and good for you.
Berries are not bad priced.  Rich in antioxidants.  I see breakfast for dinner.

After a week of turkey, chicken is probably not probably what we want for a week or so.

2 beef
2 chicken or pork
2 vegetarian
1 fish

My matrix for meal planning.  Pizza is a good non meat, as is breakfast for dinner.  Burritos or tacos work with rice and beans.  Mac and cheese is always a winner here.

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Jane

The ads ,finally on time LOL

QFC

Pears, apples .99
Oranges .68
Ham .99
Freshetta pizza 3.99
Dreyers. 2.99
Natural choices drinks, B6G6 nets .67
Tuna 10/10
Bread 10/10

TOP

cheese 4.99
Milk 2.49@@
Cornflakes.99@@
Tuna .88
Nalley chili 1.00

Buy4, save 2
Cookie mix 1.99
Cake mix .99
HORMEL pork loin 8.99@@$$

ALBERTSONS

Milk 2.29@@oscar Mayer lunch meat 1.99@
Coffee 6.49@@
Ice cream 2.39@@
Berries 3/10
Cucumbers 3/2

SAFEWAYS

pork shoulder .99
Pork loin chops 1.99
Salad BOGO

5 dollar Friday
Alaska cod
Dreyers 2/5
Cheese 5.00
Boston cream cake

That's about it. Don't  forget to cross off anything more expensive , and check coupon connections for matchups.

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Jane