Shop Cheap

Everyone - soccer parents, college students, empty nesters - is looking to stretch their dollars in light of the current economic climate. Thankfully, Shop Cheap is here to help. When we started blogging, it was fun to compare prices and tell you all where to get the best deals on grocery items. Now, it's a matter of necessity in every household. We promise to focus on items that are reasonable and follow-up with recipes that make use of those ingredients.

Let's get the party started! This week you can buy grapes and apples for 88-cents a pound at Safeway; boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.88 a pound at Raleys and boneless beef chuck roast for $2.99 a pound at SaveMart. And that's just for starters.

RALEYS: In addition to the chicken breasts, Raley's has an entire page of buy one, get one free (or BOGO) items. They include Freschetta large pizza, Golden Grain pasta, S&W ready cut tomatoes, S&W canned corn or green beans; olives and Calistoga sparkling juice. Other items include General Mills cereal 4/$7 (that's less than $2 a box); Crystal Geyser spring water for $3.50 a case and Campbell's Tomato or Chicken Noodle soups for 50-cents a can.Sunnyside Farms cottage cheese is 2/$4; orange juice is 2/$5 and Tia Rosa flour tortillas are 2/$5. Raley's Hearty variety bread is $2.50 a loaf and Thomas' bagels or muffins are 2/$5. If you are looking for a quick meal, check out the Lasagne or Meatloaf  in the deli for $5.99.

And it's not in the food or grocery category, but Pantene hair care products are $2.28. That's quite a deal.

SAFEWAY: Here's where you will find the savings on produce - especially Fuji or organic Gala apples for 88-cents a pound, broccoli crowns for 88-cents a pound and Bartlett pears for 49-cents a pound. Safeway is continuing with the weekend 48-hour store promotion. This week the focus is lean (80%) ground beef for $1.88 a pound and grape tomatoes, 99-cents per pint. Ken's salad dressing is also 99-cents a bottle. Safeway also has boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs or combo pack) for $1.99 a pound and medium cooked shrimp for $5.99 a pound. Ritz crackers and Fig Newtons are BOGO and gallons of Lucerne milk are 2/$5.19. Other BOGOs include Orange juice and Lucerne 18-count large eggs. The Friday $5 meal deal is Chicken Tenders and the new Monday $5 offering is cheese or pepperoni pizza. In produce, you can get zucchini for 99-cents a pound and red bell papper is still 97-cents a pound. O Organics salads are BOGO.

One last note on Safeway. If you were using your rewards to get 10-cents off a gallon of gas, the minimum has gone from $50 per visit to $100.

SAVEMART: In addition to that juicy deal on chuck roast, you can stock up on Keebler chips deluxe cookies. Buy four packs of cookies and they are only 99-cents each. I know we are focusing on saving money, but if you just love fresh cooked crab, the season is upon us. Savemart is advertising whole cooked crab for $4.99 a pound. That's about as good as it gets for whole crab. Sunny Select drinking water is $3.50 a case; Progresso soups are $1.50 a can and deviled egg potato salad in the deli is $2.99 a pound. Savemart always has good prices on produce. This week, it's vine ripened tomatoes for 99-cents a pound; avocado for $1 each and leaf lettuce for 79-cents each. And then there's the pumpkins at $3.33 each.

VIC'S is so hard to write about because the prices vary at each location. To make it easier, I'm going to focus on items that are available at the three stores for the same price. General Mills cereals are 3/$6 and Hansen's apple juice is $1.99 for a 64-oz bottle. Campbell's chunky soups are 2/$4 and Bush's best beans are 79-cents a can.

FOODS Co.: Fresh center cut pork chops or beef tri-tip roast is $2.27 a pound; fresh whole chickens are 98-cents a pound (in the twin pack) and boneless beef stew meat is $3.28lb. In produce, bananas are 2 pounds for 98-cents; limes are 7 for 98-cents and red potatoes are 68 cents a pound. Grapes are 87-cents a pound and Bartlett pears are 2 pounds for 98-cents. Spring natural drinking water is $3.50 a case; 2-liter 7-Up and Sunkist soda is 88-cents a bottle. Bakery items are really on sale. Layton Farms bread (twin pack) is $1.98; Western Hearth bread is $1.57 a loaf; English muffins are 98-cents a pack and Van de Kamp buns are 98-cents.

Come back tomorrow for recipes that include broccoli, zucchini, chicken breasts and ground beef.