Groceries

Being furloughed without pay from a job is always difficult, but coming right on the heels of the holidays when budgets are further stretched compounds the financial misery. Several food panties are  waiving their normal income requirements to help furloughed government employees. Here are a few that we know about (and please let us know if there are others): [Read more…] about Food Pantries Open to Furloughed Government Workers

The offer is valid today, Saturday, January 5. Safeway is offering our heroes a well-deserved discount. The first Saturday of the month, the grocery store gives active duty, reserve and retired military personnel an additional 10% off their grocery purchase. Proper ID is required. (The discount does not apply to prescription drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gift cards, money orders, bus passes and lottery tickets. Other exclusions may apply.)

The discount comes at the end of your bill, after sale prices and coupons have been tallied. Ten percent may not seem high, but, when it comes to groceries, the discount can easily put $10 or $20 back in your pocket — even more, if you have a big family.

Safeway is making major changes to its Rewards Program. Now, you can choose to use points for fuel or grocery discounts, including FREE items. The fuel side stays the same, save 10¢ per gallon gas for every 100 points earned — up to $1.

Just remember, 100 points is now equal to 1 Reward. And 1 Reward is equal to 10¢ off per gallon of gas. For $1 off per gallon of gas, you will need to redeem 10 Rewards. [Read more…] about How To Use Safeway’s Rewards Program To Earn Gas, Cash or Free Groceries

Help is just a phone call away for families, seniors and other individuals who are seeking food assistance anywhere in Colorado. Hunger Free Hotline, is a FREE bilingual “one-stop” resource that helps you find food assistance programs in your area. This can include food pantries, free meal sites and nutrition programs such as food stamps. Hunger Free Colorado’s food assistance navigators provide help based on each caller’s need.

They not only answer questions but also ensure that callers receive needed information—from directions and hours of operations to help applying for nutrition programs. To reach the hotline, call 855-855-4626 (that’s a toll-free number) or 720-382-2920.

You can get a real person from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday or after-hours you can leave a message. All calls are kept confidential, and messages will be returned the next business day.

Okay, this isn’t exactly breaking news. The policy changed on April 30 this year. I just can’t believe it missed my radar! King Soopers no longer gives customers an item for FREE, when it scans incorrectly. As of now, the grocery store’s Scan Accuracy Guarantee states that they will simply give you the lower price. This is definitely bad news for eagle-eyed bargain hunters and receipt checkers, like me. (It was always a welcome surprise to get an item for free.) For me, it happens more often than you’d think and not just at King Soopers. I see price discrepancies all the time at most stores. It’s just that most people don’t review their receipt. The policy change should not discourage you from taking a quick glance at your receipt. Keep checking to ensure you’re charged correctly. For savers, every penny counts!

For our tips on how to find the best deals at King Soopers, click here.

Any chance you get to give kids a healthy snack is a good thing. To this end, Safeway is helping parents promote healthy eating. The next time you shop, stop by the produce department or customer service and ask for the necessary promo “club card.” (Families with lots of kids can get multiple cards, so each child has their very own. Every parent knows sharing with siblings can be tricky!) Then, every time the kids tag along on a shopping trip, they just flash their “club card” and get a banana or gala apple for FREE. (From our sources, the fruitful offer is open to kids 12 and under.) For finding the best deals at Safeway, review our Safeway Shopping Guide.

Thanks to our friends at Super Safeway for sharing this deal. They’re also a great source for finding bargains at Safeway!

All Sprouts Farmers Market locations in Colorado are offering buy one/get one FREE pricing on more than 600 items today, Wednesday, February 15 through Wednesday, February 22. Items include all-natural boneless pork loin chops (to $4.99/pound), 1-lb. bags of frozen EZ Peel shrimp (to $15.98), house-brand sliced or grated cheese (to $3.99), Brown Cow yogurt (6-oz., to 99¢) and many more items.

We used Instacart over the weekend and were very happy with the service! (Thanks to promo and sale, we got 4 dozen roses from Whole Foods Market delivered to our home for FREE — all for $11.96, including tip! We kept one and gave the other three dozen to neighbors.) Even though we prefer to run our own errands (we’re very particular!), sometimes, we need a helping hand. Instacart is a grocery delivery service that can have everything on your shopping list at your door in as little as an hour. They connect you with personal shoppers in your area who pick up and deliver your groceries from your favorite local stores, including Costco, King Soopers, Natural Grocers, Safeway and Whole Foods Market. (Whole Foods Market and Natural Grocers both offer the same prices as you’d find in-store. Prices at the other chains may be higher. Instacart is not a retailer or a seller of groceries or other merchandise.) First-time customers can save $10 their first order ($35 or more) and get FREE delivery, too — just use this link. Regular delivery rates start at $5.99 — not bad, considering the time and gas you’ll save running around. We won’t use the service on a regular basis, but we will definitely call on them, when we’re in a bind.