RVA Deals

Check out this week’s best deals on meat, dairy, fruits, veggies, staples, and more. AND find out if stockpiling is right for you…

June 10, 2009; 7:30 AM • by Alison Brown

It must be said: I am fed up with wading through Facebook pages clogged with the results of umpteen personality quizzes. I love my friends, but I truly do not care what kind of root vegetable they would be. (For the record, I’d be a parsnip, sweet and nutty.)

But since we can’t seem to take enough quizzes, I’ve compiled one related to last week’s topic of stockpiling: “Should I Stockpile?” The results are simple – the more questions to which your answer is “yes,” the better candidate you are for cutting your grocery bill through the strategic use of stockpiling.

Do you have enough space in your freezer/fridge/pantry to store extra food until you need it?
Likewise, do you have wiggle room in your weekly budget? Stocking up will save you money in the long run, but may require a higher initial outlay to build up your supply.
Do you do most of your shopping at Kroger and/or Ukrop’s? Regular prices can be high at those stores; likewise, the sales can be great deals, so you have a lot to gain by taking advantage of them. If you’re a Walmart shopper, stockpiling is not as important because prices don’t fluctuate as much.
Are you brand loyal? There’s almost always some brand of pizza, pasta, and shampoo on sale. But if you insist on having the same brand regardless of price, buy it up when it’s cheap!

On to this week’s top picks:

Meat Top Pick:

Normally $5.99 at Kroger, a 1lb package of Brookwood Farms pork barbeque is $2.99 this week. It comes in original Carolina sauce or tangy tomato. Buzz & Ned’s it ain’t, so Q connoisseurs steer clear. But I’ve tried my share of prepared barbeque and prefer Brookwood to most other brands on the shelf.

Veggie Top Pick:

Bagged salads are a deal this week. You’ll find Dole Premium Classic salads for $2 at Ukrop’s, and Fresh Express or Dole Garden salads for $1.50 at Kroger.

Fruit Top Pick:

Fresh, juicy peaches are just $1 a pound at Whole Foods.

Dairy Top Pick:

Kraft shredded, bar, and singles cheese are on sale for $1.67 at Kroger. Look for a display in the cheese case with tearpad of coupons for $.50 off Kraft Naturals cheese. This doubles to $1, which makes packages of shredded Naturals just $.67 with coupon.

Staples Top Pick:

At Ukrop’s, Thomas’ Original English Muffins are $1.50. I happen to like the combo of BBQ & English muffin, but for the more traditional types, Kroger sandwich buns are on sale for $1.

Snacks & Sweets Top Pick:

Kroger is offering 18-count fresh-baked cookies for $1.80, regularly $4.69. Varieties include chocolate chip, sugar, peanut butter, and oatmeal raisin.

Beverages Top Pick:

At Target, 12-pack cans or 8-pack bottles of Coca-Cola products cost just $2.75.

Household Top Pick:

Charmin 12-roll big packs are priced $5.99 at Kroger. Load a $.50 e-coupon onto your shopper’s card using the P&G eSAVER program, and there was a $.25 coupon in Sunday’s paper, which doubles.