Shop Cheap

Looking for a bright spot in the economy? Check out the food prices at our local supermarkets. There's a price war going on here, shoppers, and we are benefitting - big time. Why else would we continue to see 72-hour sales and new price cuts at Safeway; 99-cent sales and 8 full pages of ads from Raley's; and Mix & Match (10 items for $10) deals at Save Mart?

This week is another great example of low prices on local produce, fresh chicken and all kinds of cereal.

We are going to start with Raley's this week because (danger, Will Robinson) the prices are listed above the items on the front page. Got confused because everywhere else, the prices are shown below. Once I got that all sorted out, it was obvious that the deals are really tops.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are $1.97lb; seedless grapes are 99-cents a pound (check out that recipe for Chicken with Grapes and Rosemary); and Angel Food Cake is $3. Sunnyside Farms ice cream is $2.69; Nabisco classics cookies or Honey Maid Grahams are $1.99 a box and General Mills cereals are $1.49 each when you buy four.

Need cotton swabs (AKA Q-Tips), balls or makeup rounds? The Top Care brand is only $1.39.

Take a trip down the 99-cent aisle and you'll find Swanson pot pie, Celeste pizza for one; Bar-S hot dogs; Tina's burritos (3 for 99-cents); Hawaii's Own frozen juice; Molli Coolz ice cream cups; salad macaroni; Raley's canned tomatoes; Van Camp's Beanee Weenie; Hormel Beef Tamales; Dial Basics soap and X-14 toilet bowl cleaner.

Fresh Tilapia fillets are $4.99lb and Jennie-O Turkey Store seasoned ground turkey is BOGO. Weight Watchers Smart Ones entrees are $1.99 each; Oroweat honey wheat or country potato bread is $2.50 a loaf. Eggs certainly are reasonable again -  99-cents for a dozen of large Grade AA.

Over in produce, Elliot family pears are 59-cents a pound (we'll run the recipe for Chicken with Fresh Pears on Thursday); cantaloupe is 38-cents a pound; blueberries are $1.99 for a small container and locally grown squash is 98-cents a pound.

 Safeway has that new low-price thing going on. And for all you Safeway bottled water drinkers - rejoice. A case of Refreshe is now $3.49 (with Club Card, of course). It's even cheaper this week - $3.33. The Friday, Saturday, Sunday 72-hour sale includes Hillshire Farm smoked sausage for $1.99; Fresh Express salads for $1 a bag; and Honey Nut Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch for $1.50 a box. If you do the Dew (or Pepsi) a 2-liter jug is just 59 cents.

Foster Farms whole chicken is 79-cents a pound; Tilapia fillets are $4.99lb; cooked salad shrimp is $3.49 a pound and Nathan's beef franks are BOGO. In produce, blueberries are $2 a pint; red cherries are $1.49lb and locally grown corn on the cob is 10/$2.

Safeway really has the coupons this week. And remember you can either clip them or go online and register them on your club card. Here are the coupon deals: Lucerne large eggs are $1.49 for 18; Kraft shredded or chunk cheese is $1.49 and Lucerne  or Safeway select ice cream is $1.99. Mott's apple juice is 99 cents; Rinaldi pasta sauce is 99-cents and Nature Valley granola bars or gushers are 4/$6 (must buy 4). A 12-pack of Vitamin water is $9.99; Artisan Filone breads are 69-cents a loaf; seedless watermelon is $2.49 and mushrooms are 99-cents for an 8-oz. package.

Basics on sale include hamburger or hot dog buns for $1.19; Lucerne yogurt is 40-cents each; Safeway variety breads are $1.99 a loaf and there's a coupon for Thomas' English muffins or plain bagels for $1.49. The Friday only $5 special is the All-American sub sandwich (and a 2-liter jug of Coke for 88-cents). Deli counter salads are 2/$4. Smart Ones frozen meals are $1.79 each when you buy five.

Let's head over to Save Mart for a pound of strawberries for 99-cents; jumbo cantaloupe for 89-cents each and a pound of seedless grapes for 79-cents. Beef backribs in the max pak are 77-cents a pound; Kettle chips are BOGO and Bayview Farms ice cream is $1.69. Bohemian Hearth bread is $1.89 a loaf. Tyson Rock Cornish game hens are 99-cens a pound in the twin pack; Foster Farms fresh chicken is 99-cents a pound and Tilapia fillets are $2.99 a pound ($2 less that the other stores).

Save Mart is doing the Mix & Match thing. In the 10 items for $10, you can get Quaker Quakes mini rice cakes; Lindsay pitted ripe olives; Sunny Select mustard or ketchup; Farmer John pork links or Bar S franks and sliced pineapple.

Mission flour tortillas are $1.89 a package; Bayview Farms milk is 2/$4.29; Sunnyside Farms cottage cheese is $1.99 and Sara Lee bread or bagels is 2/$5. In  produce, peaches are 99-cents a pound; Bing cherries are $1.99lb; blueberries and blackberries are 2/$4 and limes are 10/$1. Tomatoes on the vine are $1.69lb; fresh green onions, radishes or cilantro 3/99-cents and green bell peppers or cucumbers are 2/$1. If you want a quick and easy lunch, Taylor farms complete salad kis are 2/$5 and chicken tenders in the deli are $4.99 a pound.

Come back on Thursday for some great chicken recipes.