blogs

Let's jump right in this week and talk about Safeway's Mix & Match promotion. I was skeptical at first, but I followed their advice and let them do the math. (Afterall, we all know our math ability). You can take it from me, this promotion really does work - with one caveat: You've got to count your items because you must buy 10 to get the lowest price.

I went a little overboard last week and bought 20 of the Mix & Match items, but I ended up saving 43% on my grocery bill. In my (check)book, that's worth the effort. Here are this week's offerings that are worth Mixing & Matching:

Barilla pasta, 89-cents; Prego pasta sauce and Mission flour tortillas, $1.49; Johnsonville smoked sausage, $3; Post Raisin Bran, $1.99; Safeway Select fresh pasta and sauce, $2.50 each; 2-liter Pepsi, 75-cents; Betty Crocker brownie mix, 79-cents; 12-packs of 7-UP $2.50; Motts apple juice, $1.49 and Klondike ice cream bars for $2.49. That's like 12 items. So we either buy 8 more - maybe add in some Lysol wipes for $1.99; Right Guard or Soft & Dry deodorant for $1.99; Clorox bleach $1.49; Colgate toothpaste for $1.99 - or we subtract two. See how simple it is?

Other Safeway items that are cart-worthy: Corn on the cob 3/$1 (remember to remove those husks at the store); nectarines 99-cents a pound; BOGO cantaloupe and a loaf of butter top bread for 99-cents. Quaker Life cereal is $1.99 a box; Cheez-it crackers are BOGO and lean ground beef is $3.99lb. If Entenmann's is on your list of guilty pleasures, get the scissors and clip the coupon for $1.99. Also in the bakery area, Safeway sandwich bread is $1.49 a loaf.

In produce, Driscoll's berries are BOGO; cucumbers are 69-cents each and Iceberg lettuce is 99-cents a head.

The $5 Friday special is the Signature Cafe whole roasted chicken (32-ounces). Don't like it hot? Buy the chicken cold; cut it up and make chicken salad.

Moving over to Raley's, there's a tasty recipe and boneless, skinless chicken breasts ($1.97lb). The recipe says it feeds four for about $10. Lime Marinated Chicken with Peach Blueberry Salsa sure sounds good. And peaches are on sale for 97-cents a pound. Raley's large eggs are $1.29 a dozen; a case of their R Everyday water is $3.49; A couple of good deals in their "great dairy" ad: Yoplait for 50-cents a carton and Sunnyside Farms butter for $1.79.

If you're in a rush for dinner, there's a $14.99 Family Meal deal in the Sizzling Wok. It includes chow mein; fried rice, two entree choices; egg rolls or spring rolls and 4 pieces of chicken.

Raley's has a 5/$5 sale. The $1 items include Vitamin water, Crystal Geyser; Arizona Tea and varieties of Power Bars.

Save Mart has seedless grapes for 99-cents a pound; Driscoll's raspberries for $2.49 and cucumbers for 50-cents each. Leaf lettuce is 69-cents a head; and jumbo cantaloupe is 2/$4.

In the meat dept., cross rib steak or lean ground beef is $1.99 a pound in the max pak; beef backribs are 99-cents a pound. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are $1.99 a pound. Talapia fillets are $3.99lb; and Dover Sole fillets are $4.99lb.

 Lays chips are BOGO and Sunny Select drinking water is $2.50 a case. Whipped topping is 99-cents for an 8oz. container. If you want to stock up on cereal for the summer, Kellogg's is buy three; get three free. Works out to $1.83 a box..

In the deli, Foster Farms premier oven roasted turkey is $4.99lb; potato and egg salad is $2.99lb and the Save Mart rotisserie chicken is $5.99 for a 35-oz. bird. Top it off with a loaf of French or Italian bread for $1.69 and you've got your meal.  

Stock up at O'Brien's with their Out-of-the-Park savings on Betty Crocker cake mix, 4 for $5, Quaker rice cakes 2 for $4, Hot or Lean Pockets $1.87, Del Monte ketchup for $.98 and 16 oz. strawberries  2 for $3.

If you are looking for meat and fish you can find Rib Eye for $5.99lb, Split Fryer Breasts for $1.09lb, Pork Spare Ribs for $1.79lb and Grill Tips for $2.89lb and fresh Salmon Steaks are $5.49lb.

Other steals are Fritos and Cheetos for $1.48, General Mills cerealsfor $1.98, Progresso Soups for $1.88 Foster Farms Yogurt 1o for $6.

Pam Dinsmore is the Community Affairs Director for the Sacramento Bee.  Read more of her blogs at www.sacmomsclub.com.