Shop Cheap

So much shopping, so little time with the holidays fast approaching. Not to worry. Shop Cheap has you covered at the grocery store. We've scanned the ads and come up with the best bargains at the Big 3 in our region - Safeway, Save Mart and Raley's.

It's a great weekend to get crackin' because Dungeness crab is on sale at Save Mart and Safeway for $2.99lb. If you've been waiting for a low price on crab, this is it. Doubt it's going to get any cheaper. Save Mart is offering crab at $2.99lb on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. At Safeway, you can get Friday-Monday.

Here's what else we like this week:

In addition to the weekend crab sale, Save Mart also has green bell pepper or cucumber 6/$1; cereal for 99-cents and Snyders pretzels for $1 over the weekend. Asparagus is $1.47lb; tri-tip roast is $2.99lb and Coke products are 99-cents in the 2-liter bottle. Avocados are $1 each; Roma tomatoes are 97-cents a pound and eggplant is 97-cents. Iceberg lettuce is 97-cents a head; berries are $2.50 a carton and pomegranates are $1.50 each.

If your holiday gathering requires a canned food item to help the needy, Save Mart has kidney beans for 99-cents; Sunny Select spaghetti for 79-cents and pasta dinners for 99-cents. Campbell's chunky soups are 2/$3 and cases of Crystal Geyser water are $3.33.

Michelina's frozen entrees are 88-cents. Coupons include El Monterey burritos for $1.99 and Little Smokies for $2.49. Sunnyside Farms bread is $1.50 a loaf and Nabisco saltines or Chips Ahoy! cookies are $1.99. Kellogg's cereals are $1.99 a box.

Over at Safeway, their 4-day sale includes the crab for $2.99; seedless grapes for 97-cents a pound Langer's juice drinks 3/$5 and 2-liter Pepsi for 88-cents each. Safeway also is promoting a $10 holiday voucher when you spend $75 in groceries.

Lucerne eggs are 99-cents a dozen; Hilshire Farm Little Smokies are 2/$5 and a huge selection of Kellogg's cereals, apple juice and Thomas' muffins are 5/$10. In the BOGO category, you'll find Classico Pasta souce; Foster Farms fresh chicken breasts and fresh ground turkey. Also, Hilshire Farm smoked sausage or bratwurst and Hormel Pork tenderloin.

In produce, oranges are 99-cents a pound; bell peppers are 99-cents each and cucumbers are 79-cents each. Apples are 47-cents a pound; mangos are 50-cents each.

 Hitting the road and heading to Raley's be sure to grab a free taste of their "To Go" meals in the deli. Always helps when you can sample before you buy. Raley's also corners the market on produce prices. Fresh green beans are 77-cents a pound; Fuji apples are $1.27lb; D'Anjou pears are 77-cents a pound; Mandarins are 97-cents a pound and oranges are 77-cents a pound.

If you like Nutella, buy a loaf of Nob Hill Pugliese bread and get a free jar of the spread. Prego pasta sauce is $2 a jar; Ronzoni pasta is 99-cents and Michelina's budget entrees are 89-cents each. A case of Crystal Geyser is $3.33; R.W. Knudsen sparkling cider is 4/$7. Sara Lee english muffins are $1.99 and Campbell's chunky soups are $1.49.

Come back on Thursday to see what's cooking in the Shop Cheap Kitchen.