Shop Cheap

 Hope you stocked up on soda last week, because you won't find $2-12 packs this week. Instead, there's cereal at Save Mart and boneless/skinless chicken breasts at Raley's and Safeway.

Here are the highlights:

 Let's start with Save Mart because they have the best deals on fruit and cereal. If you love blueberries, check this out. But one carton, get two free. And Fuji apples are 69-cents a pound. February is National Grapefruit Month and Save Mart is featuring the Texas Ruby Red variety for 49-cents each. The ruby reds are sweet enough to slice and eat like an orange. In addition to the fruit, Roma or vine ripened tomatoes are 79-cents a pound; fresh assorted greens (collard, kale, mustard or red chard) are $1 a bunch. Asparagus is $1.99 a pound.

The cereal sale is a good one. Buy four boxes for $12 and get $6 off at checkout. (For those challenged in the math dept., that's $1.50 a box.) Varieties include Raisin Bran, Frosted Mini Wheats, Frosted Flakes and Froot Loops.

Foster Farms fresh chicken breasts are $1.17 a pound in the family pack. Their variety pack lunch meats are $1.99. Sunnyside Farms sliced cheese is $2.59 a pack.

If you eat a lot of eggs, Save Mart has a deal for you. 5 dozen Bayview Farms large eggs for $7.99. That's $1.60 a dozen! To go with those eggs, there's Ore-Ida potatoes for $3 a bag; Butcher's Block thick sliced bacon for $2.99 a pound and Sunnyside Farms split-top bread for $1.79 a loaf.

Save Mart has a second insert in Wednesday's Bee - stuff that's on sale from Feb. 3 -March 1. Notable items include Bohemian Hearth bread for $1.99 a loaf; Sunny Select drinking water for $3.33 a case; Knorr/Lipton sides for $1 each; Michelina's entrees for $1 each and a coupon for $1 off any El Monterey family meal.

Raley's is promoting a "Cleaning Sale." Those Super Bowl parties must have been messy! Items include Viva paper towels - package of 8 for $7.99; Windex, 409 or Clorox spray 2/$6 and Clorox wipes 2/$5.

The BOGOs this week include Nob Hill Co. freshly shredded cheese; Duncan Hines cake mix; Juicy Juice; large eggs; Hansen's soda; Freshchetta PizzAmore and Wrigley's gum.

Boneless/skinless chicken breasts are $1.97lb; asparagus is $1.97lb; and large oranges are 2lbs/$1. A 5lb bag of Idaho potatoes is $2.50 and for 50-cents you can get a bunch of green onion, radishes. Raley's brand of drinking water is $3.50 a case and Minute Maid premium OJ is $2.50 a carton. And if you love Milton's bread, it's $3 a loaf.

Raley's is also promoting it's "Ultimate Valentine's Day Dinner" for two. Click here for details: http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/shop_cheap/2009/02/019178.html Order at www.raleys.com/order and get $5 off.

 $1 goes a long way at Safeway this week. For $1 each or $1 per pound, you can get red, yellow or green bell peppers; Roma tomatoes; Cornish game hens; Fritos or Cheetos; artisan French bread and premium sliced breads. Dial liquid soap and Close-up toothpaste are both $1 each.

As mentioned above, a case of Refresh drinking water is $3.27; BOGOs include Safeway Select ice cream; Lucerne whipped topping and Arm & Hammer toothpaste. Also, if you buy two gallons of Lucerne milk, the price is $1.99 per gallon. A single gallon is $1 more. Kraft shredded cheese is $1.99.

Other items to cart away are boneless/skinless chicken breasts for $1.79lb; asparagus for $1.48lb and Kellogg's cereals foar $1.99 a box. A 5lb box of Celmentines is $4.88 and a 1lb bag of baby carrots is $1. A 10-pound bag of Russet potatoes is $2.99; and fresh blueberries or blackberries are $2.50 a carton.

Sad to report there is no $5 Friday special this week. But if you shop at the Fair Oaks store, check the front of your ad. There's a coupon for $10 off your next grocery purchase of $50 or more with your Club Card.

Foods Co. has whole Dungeness crab for $3.97 a pound; fresh chicken breasts for 97-cents a pound and pork spareribs for $1.88lb. In produce, there's seedless grapes for 97-cents a pound; fresh onions 5lbs/$1; fresh limes 10/$1 and green onions 4/$1. A twin pack of Van de Kamp's split top or Western Hearth bread is $2.98; Lofthouse Valentine cookies are 2/$5; Van de Kamp buns are $1.98 and Zacky Farms franks are 88-cents a package.

Vic's in Folsom has three clip-worthy coupons on the cover. IGA large eggs for 99-cents a dozen; Crystal butter $1.99 for 2lbs and Best Foods mayo for $2.99 a jar. Fresh Express garden salad is 99-cents a bag and Foster Farms chicken breasts are $1.49 a pound. Oranges are 59-cents a pound; a 10-pound bag of potatoes is $2.49 and zucchini is 99-cents a pound.

Come back tomorrow for chicken recipes and a lot more.