This weekend I went to Ralph's, and as usual when I got to the meat department, I scanned to aisle for any packages marked down as "Manager's Special." That yellow and orange sticker makes my day! I bought some ribs, marked down to $3.48 (they were six something), chicken marked down to $4.44 (also originally six something). The beef roasts were on sale (50% off!) so I snagged a pot roast and some stew meat at a discount as well. SCORE!
I made the ribs in the crock pot last night, and they were great (Just threw them in with onion, BBQ sauce, salt and pepper). I made the chicken tonight and made corn tortilla quesadillas and beans. I think I'll wait for after Thanksgiving for the pot roast, since I don't want to go into the holiday with leftovers.
It's nice to stock up on meat when it's on sale. I know some people are squeamish about the manager's special thing...it's meat that's about to go bad. But I put it in the freezer as soon as I get home, and I've never had a problem with it. I find that I definitely cook at home more often if I have meat on hand. I can usually improvise some side dishes from the pantry (I don't have a pantry. I have random cupboards that overflow. But you know what I mean), which means I am more likely to cook without making another grocery store trip.
I also get salads that are on clearance-as long as I eat them within a day or two, they are fine also. This saves money and makes me try things I might no otherwise buy. I've gotten loaves of bread for 99 cents for the past three weeks as well. I keep my bread in the fridge, so I don't notice a difference after I toast it.
Do you buy items on Manager's Special? How do you get bargains at the grocery store?
Ooh, I love clearance meat! I freeze it right away too (or sometimes cook it) and never have any problems.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the best time to go for markdowns?
ReplyDeleteJana
That's awesome! I haven't seen many manager's specials. I always get things on sale and I always cook when I have meat on hand too. It's easier to plan meals around it.
ReplyDeleteyou know me, bargain shopper all the way. i love me a manager's special ; )
ReplyDeleteI'm not squeamish about it but I've never caught a manager's special up here yet that was worth the buy - it's always an expensive cut that's still more than I'm willing to pay per pound for meat. So I end up just waiting for regular sales and buying a lot of that instead. The double-couponer in me is sad.
ReplyDelete