Shop Cheap

Nothing like a good run at 7 a.m. on a cold Sunday morning to get the blood flowing and heart pounding. As part of The Bee Marathon Relay team, Shop Cheap crossed the starting line with the masses then handed off to the Mad Men (Knott, Luchini and Paquette from advertising). We finished at a respectable 3:52, 188th overall.

What's a girl to do once she's done? Got to re-stock the shelves and get ready for the holidays because the stores are ready and waiting. Here's what we like this week.

Safeway has a keeper in the paper today. It's their special ad that runs now through Christmas. You will find everything from party trays, to seafood platters and a spirial ham dinner. There's cheesecake and cookies; finger foods and flowers. Be sure to tuck it away until you are ready.

Safeway's $5 Friday specials are pretty awesome. You can pick up an 8-piece chicken dinner; 20 ounces of roasted pistachios; marinated meats and a Tiramisu bar cake. Also in the $5 Friday ad, all Laundry Detergent and Safeway fabric softerner.

Lots of BOGOS: London Broil; Fress Express salad kits; Doritos; Duracell batteries and vitamins.

Last week, we had to wait until Sunday, but we finally got the Dungeness crab. It was fresh and delicious. This week, the crab at Safeway is $5.99lb.

The Weekend Sale (Friday-Sunday) has frozen turkey for 59-cents a pound; New York strip steak for $3.97lb; Eating Right frozen meals are 6/$10; Quaker cereals are $1.88 and blackberries are $1 a basket. Lucerne Butter - which has been in the $3.50 range - is $2.99.

In produce, Roma tomatoes, mangos, bell peppers, apples and potatoes are either $1 each or $1 a pound.

And don't forget to use your $10 off coupon if you earned one last week.

Over at Raley's, we are going to shop the Saturday/Sunday sale for avocado (59-cents each); oranges (2lbs for $1) Progresso soups ($1 each) Sunnyside Farms yogurt (10/$5) and 2-liter Coke for $1.

Other specials at Raley's: Fresh Dungeness crab for $3.49lb; Nob Hill Trading Co. gourmet soups 3/$12; Tropicana OJ 2/$5 and a coupon for Weight Watchers Smart Ones - $1.88 for and entree or dessert.

If you are a Greek yogurt fan, Chobani in the 32oz container is $4.99. Swiss Miss hot chocolate is $1.99 for a 10-pack box; a 6-pack of Classic Coke is $1.99 and Powerade is $1 each.

If you like peanut butter, stock up this week because Raley's brand is only $1.79

In produce, apples are 99-cents a pound; pomegranates are 2/$3; Holiday seedless grapes are $1.99lb and English cucumbers are $1 each.

Holiday cupcakes in the bakery are $6.99 a dozen and single serve desserts are 4/$10.

Save Mart has lean ground beef in the Max Pak for $1.99lb and Foster Farms fresh chicken breasts are BOGO.

Avocados are 67-cents each; a 5lb box of tangerines is $3.99. Blackberries and organic salads are BOGO; apples are 97-cents a pound and pineapple is $2.97 each. A 3-pack of Romaine Hearts is $1.99

In the coupon category, be sure to clip the one for Jif at $1.79; Sunny Select chicken broth 2/$1; Dole canned fruit 2/$1; Knott's jam or preserves $1.79 and StarKist chunk light tuna for 79-cents.

Buy 2 jars of Ragu (2/$3) and get a free package of Golden Grain pasta. A loaf of Bohemian Hearth bread is free when you buy a jar of Nutella for $5.99. Nabisco crackers are $1.99.

Del Monte tomatoes are $1 a can; Sunny Select olives, cranberry sauce, pineapple and Mandarin oranges are all $1 a can, too.

If you're planning a trip to Sprouts this week, be sure to clip the coupon for $5 off any purchase of $30 or more. Sprouts has avocado for 69-cents each and tomatoes for 69-cents a pound. Bell peppers, cucumbers, radishes, green onion and cilantro are all 3/$1. Grapefruit is 3/$1, too.

Sprouts butter is $2.99; Fage Greek yogurt is $1 for a small container.

Over at Sunflower, the other Farmers Market-type store, Texas grapefruit is 6/$1; limes and lemons are 10/$1 and Fresh Express salads are $1 a bag. Asparagus is $1.77lb. Small seedless watermelon and pineapples are 2/$4.

That's it for this week. Got to run!!