The Price Is Right Jan 25 - 31

The Price is Right
Originally uploaded by darthdowney

The weekly sales flier at my alternative* grocery store usually provides me with the fresh vegetables and meat that I need for the week. I calculate the price per serving and select the least expensive alternative.

This week, the following prices were in effect:

Pork shoulder, bone-in (99¢ per pound)
Boneless, skinless chicken breast (1.69 per pound)
Ground beef, chuck (1.79 per pound)
Pork tenderloin, boneless (2.99 per pound)
Ground beef, sirloin (3.69 per pound)

The cost per 3 ounce serving for each of these was

35¢ Pork shoulder
43¢ Chicken
46¢ Ground chuck
87¢ Pork tenderloin
91¢ Ground sirloin

Cost per serving takes into account the loss of fat, water, and bones when you cook the raw meat. It's a better estimate of the actual cost of the protein in the meat than using the price per pound of raw meat.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Cost per 1/2 C serving

11¢ Apples (83¢ per pound)
15¢ Grapefruit (50¢ per pound)
28¢ Navel Oranges (50¢ per pound)
34¢ Tomatoes ($1.29 per pound)
37¢ Avocado ($1.00 per fruit)

Other good deals that I stocked up on were
Tomatoes, canned 23¢ per serving (.80 for 14.5 oz)
Ketchup .041 per ounce (.99 for 24 oz)
Mustard .049 per ounce (.99 for 20 oz)
Walnuts 3.99 per pound


*Save A Lot is consistently less expensive than my alternative grocery store if I'm just walking in and buying a list of items. But some of the items on my Simply Frugal shopping list aren't available there. And often, sale prices at the alternative store are less than the everyday price at Save A Lot.

My Bare Cupboard Basics inventory list includes the standard price for the item at Save A Lot. By knowing what I'd normally pay, I can quickly decide whether the sale price is actually saving me money. For example, at Save A Lot, I usually pay .056 per ounce for mustard. So I stocked up the pantry at the alternative store this week.

I shop at a regional chain called Meijers. No matter where you are, you can find an equivalent store. Usually a few pennies more per item than Save A Lot, but if you only buy the sale items, you can save a great deal.