How to Dehydrate and Store Food - PART 2

How to Dehydrate and Store Food - PART 1

How to Price Match & Case Lot Sale Guidelines (repost)

Price Matching Rules

• Walmart is the only grocery store (currently) that will Price Match.
• You must have your ads with you.
• Walmart will price match grocery ads & Sunday newspaper ads (Best Buy, Walgreens, CVS, Office Max, etc).
• Item must be identical to the sale item in the ad (meaning same brand, size, type, etc).
• Walmart WILL price match Store Brands. For example - Walmart will match Kroger/Smiths bread on sale for Walmarts "Great Value" Bread.
• Walmart will only price match printed (not online) ads.
• Walmart will take manufacturers coupons, but not other stores coupons.
• If a printed ad says (limit 2), then you will only be able to price match 2 of that item. Of course you can always buy 2 more the next day...
• Walmart will not price match "Buy one get one Free" or any other type of BOGO sales.
• Walmart will not price match items that come with an instant rebate/savings, or other such item.
• Walmart will not price match meats and chicken if it comes from the Smiths/Albertsons butcher shop. Well, sometimes (very rarely) they will, but I wouldn't count on it!
• Each Walmart manager sets the limits on which stores they will price match from. Walmarts will NOT price match ads from stores that are MILES away. So don't expect to bring an ad from Utah (to Nevada) and get those prices :)

Price Matching Guidelines

Holly is the queen of price matching. Here she shares her tips on price matching.

• Go when the lines are not busy and without children if possible.
• Shop on the same day and try to go to the same cashier.
• Price match at the end of the order & let the cashier know you will be price matching. Separate them with a bar or a space on the grocery belt.
• Tell the person behind you that you will be price matching. This way they won't get irritated if you take a little longer than normal. (hopefully)
• Many Walmarts are MUCH friendlier at price matching than other Walmarts. Know your stores. The neighborhood Walmart at Stephanie/American Pacific & Warm Springs/Eastern are great to price match at. The Super Walmart is much stricter (and not as friendly).
• Bring your ads & have them ready!! Holly circles the items that she is price matching, so she is able to show the checker quickly if needed.
• Be Organized! On my grocery list I circle the items that I am price matching in green. That way, when the checker asks me what the price of milk is, I can quickly check my list for the correct price. I'm sure Holly doesn't need to do this, she has all prices memorize :)
• Be courteous! Don't demand that an item be price matched. If they say no, you can either buy it at regular price or try again at a different Walmart or another day with a different cashier.
• Know what dates the ads start and end.

Price Matching Prices
Each week I feature our "Grocery Deals of the Week". These are a basic price guideline to follow on things like chicken, ground beef, fruits and vegetables. It is not a complete list of all the good deals that week, although I wish I was grocery savvy enough to do that for you. SO, here are some guidelines for YOU to follow in order to get the best deals with price matching.

• Know your prices. Sometimes the "Everyday Low Price" at Walmart is cheaper than the sale price at other stores.
• Know your price point. Holly will not pay more than .50 for fruit, .08 oz for cereal and $1.50 for boneless skinless chicken breasts & ground beef. My price point is higher than that, so set your price point and watch for your items to hit that price.
• Stock up when the items you regularly use hits it's lowest price. I usually buy 20 lbs of chicken/ground beef when it goes on sale. For dry/canned goods, I will buy as much I think we'll use before it hits the expiration date.
• Sales usually run in a 12 Week Cycle. So about every 12 weeks chicken/meat/etc. will be on sale again. If you can't afford to buy a ton of a sale item, try to buy enough to last you for 12 weeks.
• Seasonal Items. There are certain times of the year that items will hit their lowest price. Thanksgiving - turkey & baking items, August - back to school items, etc. For a more detailed list click here.
• Don't buy something just because it's on sale. At one of the Smiths sales I bought 45 cans of Campbell's Chunky Soup because it was on sale for .66 cents a can. We don't even eat Campbell's soup, so I ended up donating it to the food bank.

The Smith's (grocery store) has a case lot sale twice a year. This usually happens right around General Conference (April and October). The case lot sale has deep discounts on different grocery items when you buy them by the case. When the case lot sale comes out, we will be posting what the great deals are. Sometimes a few of the items on sale are a not a good deal.

CASE LOT SALE GUIDELINES

• Buy what your family will eat.
• Just because an item is featured in the case lot sale, does not mean it is a great price.
• Set extra money aside each month for the case lot sale.
• Be aware of your limits. (example: Limit 2 cases)
• Do not plan on rain checks. Go early and take friends.
  

Self-Reliant Meeting This Week!!

Our Self-Reliant meeting is this week!

Theme: "I Dare You to Buy It and Dry It"

Date: August 2, 2011 (Tuesday)

Time: 7:00 P.M.

Location: Guilford Building
1525 Guilford Drive
Henderson, NV 89014

Everything you need to know about price matching and comparison shopping. Smart shopping via Wal-Mart, The Cannery, Costco, and the Case Lot Sale will be covered. Lower your monthly grocery bill the easy way! We will also cover many types of dehydrated foods and learn how to use them in your everyday cooking.

**Remember, Nursery is provided!!**

FREE Gardening Workshops!

Acacia Demonstration Gardens

Here are some great FREE gardening classes starting in September at the Acacia Demonstration Gardens (50 Casa Del Fuego Street, Henderson, NV).

• Tree Care 101
• Tree Pruning Basics
• Tricks and Treats Plant Projects
• Composting
• Container Gardening
• Fall Veggies for a Winter Garden
• Herb Gifts for the Holidays
• Oh My Aching Back
• Landscape Design with Fall Colors in Mind

You can register for all classes starting August 15th at www.cityofhenderson.com/parks.

Upcoming Class on Canning Tomatoes

This class is offered by Marilyn who was one of the participants in the Master Canning Course that I took in March.

What: LET'S CAN SOME TOMATOES !

When: Saturday, July 23, 2011 8:30 AM

Price: $30.00 per person

Where: Cowboy Trail Farm

6550 Cowboy Trail NW (off 215 & Bradley)

Las Vegas, NV 89131

If you've ever wanted to learn how to preserve your food, don't miss this Workshop.

Our 1st in a series of Food Preservation Workshops will begin in July. We will feature Cowboy Trail Farm’s Organic TOMATOES and teach a variety of ways to preserve them so they can be enjoyed year round.

All equipment, utensils, and spices will be provided as well as canning jars and lids Each participant will have hands-on experience and go home with a share of the completed jars. We will also be enjoying Marilyn’s famous sundried basil tomatoes! There will be take-home recipes, handouts, and other canning resources available.

Your instructors are Certified Master Preservers and follow USDA regulations

Other Food Preservation Workshops in this series will include : Pickling, Jams & Jellies, Steam Juicing, Dehydrating, and more.

Space is limited, so register early! And, don't forget your apron.

Please send your check payable to:
Organic Edibles, 7121 W. Craig Rd, #113-152, Las Vegas, NV 89129

For more information contact Marilyn at 604-3165

Online Powerless Cooking Class - From Food Storage Made Easy

Food Storage Made Easy has put their Powerless Cooking Class online!! Click here to watch their videos.