There's still a week left in June but local grocers are already celebrating Fourth of July. From steak and hamburger for BBQing to corn on the cob, chips and soda, you can get a head start on planning for the 3-day July Fourth weekend. Here's what's hot:
1) If you're thinking burgers, Safeway has a ground beef sale.
2) SaveMart is giving away soda, chips, salad and links - depending on how much you spend.
3) Raley's/BelAir has a coupon for $3 off watermelon with the purchase of dogs and buns.
4) Summer produce is still at its peak.
Let's get specific: If you live near the Howe Avenue or Sierra College Blvd./Roseville Safeway, don't miss the special "grand re-opening" coupons on your insert. Tortilla chips are 99 cents; $5 off Rancher's Reserve beef and Rice Krispies 2/$2. (don't forget the Club Card!)
If your Safeway isn't holding a "grand re-opening" there are plenty of other Safeway savings this week. The ground beef sale is based on fat content: $1.29lb. for 20% fat; $2.49lb for 7% fat; $2.99lb for 10% fat ground sirloin. Whole Foster Farms chickens are 69-cents a pound; large raw shrimp are $4.99lb and Johnsonville brats or Italian sausage are $3.99 a package.
In the produce aisle, ears of white or yellow corn are 8/$2 (remember to husk the corn at the market to avoid cleanup at home); onions for the burgers are $1 a pound and Fresh Express complete salads are BOGO. Apricots are $1.99lb; 4lbs of strawberries are $4.99 and yellow peaches are 99-cents a pound.
For the rest of the BOGO buys, there's Bulls-Eye BBQ sauce, Grill Mates seasonings, Star olive oil, Tyson sliced bacon, Safeway Select ice cream, 12-packs of soda and Florida's Natural or Minute Maid orange juice. In the pharmacy, vitamins are BOGO.
Safeway also has an excellent floral department. This week (and probably next, too) they are featuring a red, white and blue Americana bouquet for $7.99
Over at SaveMart, they have coupons offering free items pegged to how much you spend. Here's the skinny: Spend $25, get a 2 liter soda; spend $50 and you get Kettle chips with your soda; for $75 add a pound of Reser's potato salad and for $100 you get Johnsonville links or beef franks - just be sure you buy the buns - $1.19 for eight!
If you're looking to stock up before the holiday, there's BOGO Doritos; Lindsay olives for $1; Bohemian Hearth sliced bread $1.99 and Sunny Select briquets $5.99 for 18lbs.
Produce is a definite bargain at SaveMart with seedless watermelon at $2.99 each; small Fuji apples $1.29lb; a 12oz. carton of raspberries for $3.99; avocado for 99-cents each; hot house tomatoes for $1.69lb and limes or lemons at 5/$1.
I'm also thinking that the Driscoll's fresh strawberry Boston looks good at $8.99 for an 8-inch cake.
Raley's/BelAir offers up a delicious recipe for grilled beef, corn and bean salad that they say will feed a family of four for about $10. All the ingredients are on sale and the recipe is available in the paper and online at www.raleys.com
The holiday shopping is starting early at Raley's/BelAir, too. If you buy Ballpark franks or Hillshire Farm smoked sausage and Sara Lee hot dog buns 2/$5, there's a coupon for $3 off a whole watermelon.
Need a quick meal, 8-piece fried chicken is $5.99; a bakery baguette is $2 and Fresh Express salads are 2/$4. If you don't want to make your own burgers, ground beef patties (93% lean) are $3.99lb. Salame in the deli is $4.99lb and would go nicely with the $2 baguette.


About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.