Be Observant and Save

Good morning from a hot and humid Indiana.  My goodness you could have cut a square of weather out of the atmosphere at 7AM this morning!  It is a muggy, muggy day.  Thus I will be working inside as much as possible today!
Hope you are all staying cool.

Today I want to comment about just being a little observant and looking around the stores can save you money.  It really happens in more ways than I will be showing, but take a moment and look around.  You won't be sorry.

Many of you have Kroger stores or affiliates.  If not - check whatever store you have to see if they have a reduced price section for fresh produce.
Kroger has a rack in each produce department with bags of produce for .99 a bag.  I check it out before buying any produce.
I can't begin to tell you how much I have saved, looking and purchasing from that rack.  My goodness, I have bought bags with 4 huge bell peppers for .99 - when just across the aisle single peppers are selling for ,79 each!  I buy the peppers and either freeze or dehydrate. 
I recently bought some potatoes.  It is just me and I don't necessarily need 5 or 10 lb. bags!  They will go bad before I can use them.

I got this bag of 6 potatoes for .99.  Perfect for me.
I keep the bags (which are just tied shut on one end) - pull off the tags and then use them for packaging any other fresh produce I buy, instead of using the plastic bags.
I have found onions, peppers, potatoes, grapefruit, oranges, lemons, etc. all for .99 a bag.

I am an olive lover!  They are sure expensive.  I recently realized how I can get them cheaper!  I had picked up a jar of olives in the pickle/olive section and then went on shopping.  I was in the ethnic aisle and looked up and there were olives.  Jars almost twice the size of the one I had - and for less than half the price!!!!  Well you can guess which one I actually purchased!

The small jar was store brand and a little over 5 oz. for almost $4 (this is one I had purchased before).  The large one is almost 10 oz. and was $2.39.  Well - duh!!!!
Now if I ever make it back down to Sam's I will get myself a huge jar - but that is quite a drive and I don't go hardly ever.

A while back I was looking for antiseptic wipes at the store, and as many have noticed - they weren't to be found.  Well, they weren't to be found where we usually look!  I looked in paper products and cleaning section and nothing.  I just HAPPENED to walk to an area of the store that has a clearance shelf and the baby supply department was there.  I just glanced over and what did I see?  Antiseptic wipes!!!!  I would never have thought to look there.  There were plenty of containers of wipes there and the price was right.

I am a lover  of different types of bouillon.  I like the dry types (powders), not the kind that is wet and has to be refrigerated after opening.  I have family that love ham flavored bouillon and the place that I have always purchased it in bulk - no longer carries it.  It is a must for us in green beans and soup beans and many other things.
I have found Ham seasoning packets before at the Dollar Tree - but it seems now most of what they carry is tomato/basil and chicken.
I always look in the seasoning aisles at every grocery I go in - haven't had much luck.  Again, I was in the ethnic aisle and what did my eyes spy????  Ham seasoning!!!  Yes indeed.  I snatched up several of them to add to Christmas packages.  There are several small packets in a box, and generally one is what you need for a nice pot of beans.  Not measuring - no mess.  The best part is they were 1.29 a box!

The chicken bouillon was found there as well.  It was 1.29 a box and in the seasoning/bouillon /stock aisle the same size package of chicken was 2.49!!!!  That is just crazy.
I like the tomato/chicken mix they sell as well - although I rarely find it.  I use my dried and ground tomato skins for that.

I have purchased Masa flour in the Latino section for almost half the price that it sells for in the baking aisle.  INSANE!!

It is amazing how just walking an aisle or two over can save you money.  I don't understand why things are cheaper in the ethnic sections - but they generally are.  This girl has learned to look there first for most things and save money!!
This is why ethnic stores are fun to go in.  You can find so much for a  better price.
Spices are always cheaper at specialty stores - as are rice and dry beans.

Another heads up - I have been seeing lots of people on FB talking about how WM stores are getting rid of their #10 size cans of veggies and fruit.  Many have posted that they are getting them for $2 a can and some have even posted $1 - that is for those giant cans!  Sure could come in handy for that prep and stock-up pantry.
You might want to check it out if you are around/in a WM.

So there you have my lesson for the day!  LOL. 
LOOK around and OBSERVE - it can surely save you money.
Be frugal my friends!