RVA Deals

Find out where you can take advantage of some great Super Bowl promos AND how you can get a $10 gift certificate to Whole Foods!

January 27, 2010; 6:00 AM • by Alison Brown

Following last week’s Value Tour report, today is all about ways to save money when shopping at Whole Foods:

365 Everyday Value – One of Whole Foods store brands, which focuses on reasonably-priced basics. I’m convinced that targeting 365 products is the only way to make shopping at Whole Foods anything resembling affordable.

Weekly Hot Deals – Eight great weekly sales, found in PDF format or in pamphlets at the store entrance.

Other In-Store Sales – Look for gold tags to see what’s on sale. (There are about 1000 at any given time). Also watch for orange “More of the Good Stuff for Less” value signs.

Coupons – In addition to accepting manufacturer’s coupons, Whole Foods offers printable coupons on its website, as well as in the bi-monthly Whole Deal publication, available in-store.

The Whole Deal – Besides including coupons, Whole Foods’ Whole Deal guide provides budget menu ideas and highlights “Sure Deals,” primarily 365 Everyday Value items.

Buy Bulk – 10% discount applies when you buy a case.

Reusable Bag Discount – Save $.05 for bringing your own bags, or donate your savings to one of two charity options

Daily Specials – On Tuesdays, buy one 16-in pizza and get one free ($16.99, up to 4 toppings), and pick up $5.99 rotisserie chickens on Thursdays.

Friday One Day Specials – Each Friday the store features a different item from a different department at a super low price. Last Friday, for example, 12-ct bakery cookies were buy one, get one free.

Twitter/Facebook/Newsletter – Stay in the loop by following, fanning, or registering.

“I Wonder” Classes – Free 10-minute classes discussing products in the store, offered at 11am or 7pm. (See Calendar for schedule. Today and tomorrow, offerings include “New Seafood Rating System,” “Healthy Choices Made Simple,” and “Soy Sauce”) After attending five “I Wonder” classes, you’ll get a $10 Whole Foods Market gift certificate!

Also worth mentioning, the Value Tour emphasized Whole Foods’ 100% satisfaction guarantee – If you don’t like something you purchased for any reason, return it with no hassle. (You can also ask to sample just about anything in the store!)

Now on to the deals…

Kroger’s running a “Big-Game Greats” Mega Event this week and next: buy 10 participating items, receive $5 off at checkout. Check the sales circular and list of participating products in-store to find all the great deals! The prices I quote for Big Game promo items include the $.50 discount per item for buying 10.

Meat Top Pick

Perdue whole chickens $.68/lb at Ukrop’s. Also, Whole Foods 85/15 ground beef is $2.99/lb.

Vegetable Top Pick

3-lb bag yellow onions $.88 at Ukrop’s

Fruit Top Pick

$.68/lb Virginia-grown Stayman apples at Ukrop’s

Dairy Top Pick

Kraft cheese (shredded, block, and singles) $.99 after Big Game savings. Use $1 off 2 coupon from Sunday’s paper or Coupons.com to get them for $.49.

Staples Top Pick

Rotel canned tomatoes are $.42 after Big Game discount. With doubled $.30 off one coupon from Sunday’s paper, they are better than free!

Snacks & Sweets Top Pick

Get Quaker Quakes rice snacks for $.49 after Big Game discount. Use the $.75 coupon from the 1/10 Red Plum insert to make them free (Actually come out $.26 ahead!)

Beverages Top Pick

In preparation for the Super Bowl, Pepsi products are on promo at CVS and Walgreen’s this week – Pay $20 for 6 12-packs at either store, and you’ll receive $10 back in store rewards (CVS Extra Bucks or Walgreen’s Register Rewards). Pepsi products can be mixed and matched with other participating items, such as Tostitos or Gatorade, to reach the $20 total required to get $10 rewards. See store circulars for details.

Household Top Pick

Solo plates and cups $1.49 with Big Game discount. Combine with $.75 coupon from last Sunday or $1 coupon from 12/6, to get them for under a buck.

Find more deals by accessing the stores’ weekly ads online:

• Prices valid 1/24-1/30: Kroger, Ukrop’s, Target, Walgreen’s, CVS
• Prices valid 1/27-2/2: Tom Leonard’s, Whole Foods, Fresh Market

Monthly ads online:

• Prices good for the rest of January: Ellwood Thompson’s, Good Foods Grocery

January 27, 2010 6:00 AM 0