Well here’s a hot deal for you!  There is a new Oscar Mayer Lunchmeat catalina running through 6/10, the best deal by far is on the 2oz packages of Oscar Mayer lunchmeat which are currently selling for $0.99 each (reg. $1.29 each).

Oscar Mayer Lunchmeat Catalina
Valid through 6/10

Buy 3, Get $2 OYNO Catalina
Buy 4, Get $3 OYNO Catalina
Buy 5 or more, Get $4 OYNOCatalina

Here’s the great deal you can score…

Buy (5) Packages of the 2oz scar Mayer Lunchmeat – $0.99 each
Get a $4 OYNO Catalina
Final Price:  $0.95 or $0.19 each!

Maybe you’ve been interested in testing the waters and making the switch to organic foods.  If so, chances are you’ll start small and take baby steps since it’s clearly going to increase your budget’s bottom line, or is it?  Now I’m not here to tell you it’s the same and you won’t noticed any difference at all, but it may not be as shocking as you once had thought.   So far we’ve made a several changes to the food we eat here in the Frugal household and we’re still sticking to our $75/week budget.  We’re not eating “clean” or “paleo” or anything like that, they’re great options but we’re being realistic for our family’s current budget, likes, and dislikes.

Here are the changes we have made so far (it’s been 4 weeks at this point)

1. Organic Produce (when at all possible)
2. Organic Milk – every week so far we’ve found organic milk on clearance, score!
3. Natural Snacks – we shoot for 5 ingredients or less

Now I’d love to be able to move towards organic and grass fed meat but at this point it’s easily double the cost unless of course you go in and buy a large portion of a cow.  We are considering that at some point.

Today however I want to focus on organic veggies.  We’ve been solely eating organic produce for 1 month now and my budget hasn’t been affected at all yet.  I thought for sure I would cringe everytime at the prices, but I’ve found very little difference.  I do know that these prices could vary greatly based on your location in the US, so this won’t apply to everyone but it’s definitely worth checking out.  We knew at some point the prices would come down, it’s a simple supply and demand issue.  I’m just to see it’s finally starting to happen!

Last week I was at Safeway and I decided to really compare the prices,  side by side you’ll see what I found below…

This is just a small starting point to get you thinking.  Now there are often sales and we can get regular produce for less than the retail prices above – but organic produce also goes on sale!

Here’s another gem I discovered, when I pay a wee bit more for something I’m that much more determined to use it.  I’ve noticed a whole lot less waster this month as well.

I’d love to hear what you think about all of this.  I was shocked myself to find the prices so close, did it surprise you?

Satisfy crunchy cravings without coupons!  Leave your coupons & scenarios at home, and pop in to the 99 Cents Only Store for these deals:

1.   Snackwells 130 Cal. Choc Popcorn, 5 pk.
2.   Rice Krispie Treats, 8 pk.
3.   NY Style Bagel Chips, 6 oz.
4.   Quaker Oat Granola Cookies, 7 pk.
5.   Quaker Yogurt Vanilla Granola Bars, 5 pk.
6.   Whole Cantaloupe
7.   Whole Honeydew
8.   Philadelphia Cream Cheese, 8 oz.
9.   Philadelphia Indulgence Dk Choc, 8 oz.
10. Organic Iced Tea w/Lemon, 16 oz. (priced $0.65)

I’m keeping an eye out for sunscreen.  Today there was an unfamiliar brand of sunscreen sticks, but I’m hoping for name brand!  We absolutely love these NY Style Bagel Chips.  They’re baked, not fried, and are a great chip alternative with dippers (hummus, Philly Indulgence).  The varieties I saw included Plain, Sea Salt, Everything, Sesame, and Garlic.  Grocery stores sell these for around $3.99.  I’ll pay only $1, thank you very much.

Despite the store name, not everything costs $0.999 or $1.  Today I had to snap a picture of the O Organic Iced Tea.  This is a Safeway brand, and each bottle is priced at $0.65 (compared with $1.09 at Safeway).  On two occasions, I’ve witnessed happy 99 Cent shoppers loading up on this Organic Iced Tea.  A lot of the non-refrigerated beverages fall into a lower pricepoint, so check the shelf tags.  The only item that is priced higher than $1 is the gallon of milk.  It is priced $2.99 at my store.

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

I spent the afternoon scouting out a few great deals at Target, I’ll have that post up shortly.  In the mean time here is what I ended up purchasing today, quite a few great deals this week!  You can head over here for all of the recent Target deals.

Mossimo Lace Tanks – $6 (Reg. $8)
$3/1 Mossimo Apparel Coupon Target Coupon (no longer available)
Final Price: $3.00 each

Garnier Fructis Shampoo – $2.99
$1/1 Garnier Hair Care Item Target Coupon
$1/1 Garnier Fructis Shampoo
Final Price: $0.99

Revlon Nail Files and Clippers – $1.89
$2/1 Revlon Beauty Tools Target Coupon
Final Price: FREE!

Cutter Insect Repellant Products – $4.49
$1.00 off one Cutter Product
$2.00 off one Cutter Product Target Coupon
Final Price: $1.49

Up & Up Makeup Pencil Sharpener – $1.37 
$0.75/1 Up & Up Cosmetic Accessory Item Target Coupon
Final Price: $0.62

Up & Up Ibuprofen Tablets 24 ct – $0.97
Use the $1/1 Up & Up® Pain Relief Target Coupon
Final Price: FREE!

Spectracide Weed & Grass Treatment 26 oz – $3.49 (on sale through 5/19)
$3/1 Spectracide Lawn & Garden Care Item Target Coupon
Final Price: $0.49

Up & Up Disposable Straws – $0.97
$0.50/1  Up & Up Disposable Tableware Product Target Coupon
Final Price: $0.47

Organic veggies, juices, and a frugal/earth-friendly idea for organizing a stockpiler’s pantry!  Here are today’s finds:

1.   Earthbound Farms Organic Spring Mix, 5 oz.
2.   Organics Biologique Baby Arugula, 5 oz.
3.   Minute Maid Premium Peach Juice, 59 oz.
4.   Minute Maid Pink Lemonade, 59 oz.
5.   Mott’s 100% Vegetable Juice, 64 oz.
6.   Mott’s Applesauce, 6 pk.
7.   Back To Nature California Lemon Cookies, 9 oz. (also Ginger)
8.   Kraft Velveeta Pepper Jack, 1 lb.

I use the little cups of applesauce whenever I bake brownies or quick breads.  Applesauce can be swapped for oil to save on fat calories!  I do it all the time with boxed brownie mix & the applesauce is unnoticeable in finished products.  These little cups are handy because they’re about 1/2 cup & I don’t have to open a big jar of applesauce.  A frugal tip:  Maximize the energy it takes to power the oven.  If your main dish requires the oven, plan on also roasting some veggies and/or baking brownies or a banana bread.  I try hard not to cook a single item in the oven!

After we’ve eaten our organic veggies, I re-purpose the clear plastic boxes + lids!  The boxes work well in the pantry for rounding-up things like these NutriGrain Bars.  I have a stockpile of  NutriGrain Bars as a result of a Catalina offer of free milk.  As you can see, the boxes stack well.  I like that they’re clear so that family members can view the contents.  In organizing the stockpile of bars, I’ve placed them in order of expiration dates.  So, for a $1, I get my veggies and a pantry storage box, too!  To all the other moms who read TFF, have a Happy Mother’s Day!

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

This is a photo series of items I’d NEVER shell out money for at Costco.  I’ll be doing several of these as well as posts on what I WOULD buy at Costco.  Most of the items I list today I’d never buy at Costco, because we can almost always get them FREE or even as Money Makers.  Wouldn’t you agree?

Here are a few other popular Costco posts here on The Frugal Find…

1. (Updated List!) Items I WILL buy at Costco…
2. How to find Clearance items at Costco
3. Why we bought a Costco membership…
4. You can shop at Costco WITHOUT a membership!

$4.25 per box of cereal – Ouch! I’d pay up to $1.50 for Frosted Mini Wheats max.

We see deals on feminine products on a regular basis, often times even FREE!

Here is a 5ct package of Degree Deodorant for $13.49 or $2.69 each.  This isn’t a deal at all, almost on a weekly basis you can get deodorant anywhere from free to $0.99 each.

I’d expect to be PAID to take anymore toothpaste home, let alone pay over $2 per tube!

My mouth dropped when I saw the price over these razors, did yours?  Yes it’s true, sadly people still pay for these things.

Here’s one last item that we can get on sale, as low as $0.99 for a smaller bottle on a regular basis.

Cinco de Mayo’s around the corner & my menu plan is inspired by ingredients from the 99 Cents Only Store:

1.   Cacique Queso Fresco, 4oz.
2.   Knudsen Crema Mexicana Sour Cream, 16oz.
3.   Fresh Limes, 2 lbs.
4.   Whole Pineapple
5.   Organic Romaine Hearts, 3ct.
6.   Green Beans, 1 lb.
7.   Nabisco Fruit Thins Fig & Honey
8.   TGI Friday’s Loaded Chicken & Cheese, frozen 12oz.
9.   Ore Ida Ultimate Baked Potato & Cheese, frozen 10oz.

So, I’m planning Fish Tacos since Raley’s/Nob Hill has the frozen tilapia for $1.99 for a one pound bag (with E-coupon, thru’ today). The Queso Fresco, Crema Mexicana, and fresh limes will be excellent garnish … and I have organic guacamole in my freezer from last week’s trip!  I also want to try an amazing idea for corn-on-the-cob.  It involves a touch of butter, squeeze of lime, and a sprinkle of chili powder and cilantro. Fresh corn is 4/$1 at Fresh & Easy Market.

The Clayton Rd store has a small selection of adult clothing.  Upon reading the hangtags, I found that they are recycled, gently-used garments.  The labels includ Land’s End and Gap.  So, if you enjoy garage sales and thrift shops, you can see what the 99 Cents Only Store has to offer now, too.

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

Here in the East Bay, it feels like we fast-forwarded from winter to summer, completely skipping spring!  First picnic of the year?  99 Cents Only Store has me covered with these essentials:

1.   Minute Maid Cherry Limeade, 1 gallon (!)
2.   Pepperidge Farms Stone Baked Artisan Rolls, frozen 8ct
3.   Oscar Mayer Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Fat Free, 10oz.
4.   Fresh Avocados, 2ct
5.   Cabo Fresh Certified Organic Guacamole, frozen 12oz.
6.   Back To Nature Natural Grahams, 10oz.
7.   Jell-O S’Mores Pudding Cups, 6ct
8.   Pop Tarts Strawberry Low Fat, 8ct
9.   Hormel Maple Bacon Sausage, frozen 12ct
10. Bananas, 2lbs

The gallon of Minute Maid was such a deal, I grabbed two.  I will use a portion of it to make DIY Slushies (ICEE).  The organic guacamole will go into the freezer until Cinco de Mayo.  With my fresh avocado, I like to use it in sandwiches as a mayonaise replacement.  Simply sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning.  And the Pepperidge Farms Stone Baked Artisan Rolls made me giggle.  Remember when Safeway offered these rolls as a Just4U Freebie, but we couldn’t find them in the store?!

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

I braved a rainstorm to do my weekly hunt & gather at the 99 Cents Only Store! It was worth it —  Happy with these finds, all $1 each:

1.   PAM Nonstick Spray Olive Oil, 5 oz.
2.   Coffeemate Cafe Latte Creamer, 16 oz.
3.   Danimals Crunchers, 4 pk.
4.   Old El Paso Green Chiles, 4 oz.
5.   Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar, 10 oz.
6.   Whole Grain Sandwich Flats (Thins), 12 oz.
7.   Nabisco Whole Grain Saltines, 16.5 oz.
8.   Butternut Squash, 2 ct.
9.   Broccoli
10. Yoplait Light Vanilla Yogurt, 32 oz.

There’s an amazing-looking recipe for Frozen Yogurt Dots that I’d like to try.  I wonder if the texture is like Dippin’ Dots?  So, part of my Yoplait will go towards that recipe.  I got an unbelievable deal on fresh strawberries yesterday (4 lb. box for 75cents @ Fresh&Easy), so with the remainder of my Yoplait, I can make parfaits or smoothies.  With the butternut squash, I’m planning to add chunks to Chili.  The PAM Olive Oil will be handy when spritzing veggies prior to roasting, or for making my own baked pita chips … I grabbed three PAMs!

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

Inspiration ingredients for an Easter celebration meal at the 99 Cents Only Stores!  A splash of color for the table, compliments of these veggies in vibrant Easter egg hues.  What would you prepare with these ingredients?

1.    Chartreuse Broccoflower
2.    Purple Cauliflower (also, White)
3.    Asparagus
4.    Portabella Mushrooms, huge!
5.    Alouette Crumbled Goat Cheese, 3.5oz.
6.    Laughing Cow Cream Cheese Wedges, 8 ct.
7.    Avocados
8.    Cocoa Puffs Treats, 6 ct.
9.    Hershey’s Bliss Cocoa Choc/Raspberry, 5 ct.
10.  Chicken Broth, no msg added, 32 oz.

I like to have these big Portabella Mushrooms on hand if vegetarians are joining my table.  They are so meaty & taste great grilled and brushed with your favorite sauce.  Top it with melted cheese and it’s a winner!  The Laughing Cow cheese wedges make ideal appetizers alongside crackers (there were nice Pepperidge Farm crackers) & grapes.  And for the grand finale, a dessert using the 2 lbs. of frozen fruit.  Oh, and I made a quick stop at the Clayton Fresh & Easy, and picked up a whole pineapple on sale for only 99 cents!

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.  

Above is my total loot, I had to stop back in today for some of it since the first day of the sale my store was about wiped out.  They were restocking the shelves this morning though and I was able to get some more toys!  I think my total was just over $20 for everything pictured above.

This is reader Amber’s shopping trip, looks like she did well too!

Battleship, Scrabble Flash, Candyland, Clue card game, Sorry card game, Scrabble card game, My First Crayola triangle crayons, 3 boxes of pasta noodles, Stayfree liners, Fisher Price Laugh & Learn puppy, Up & Up deposible razors, Aquafresh toothpaste and two shirts all for $32.96. Receipt says I saved $105.49

You can go here and scroll down to see the various deal scenarios for this sale, although I’m pretty sure most of the Target coupons are gone now.  Didn’t you just LOVE this deal?  What deals did you score?

Today I’ll share two sections: Grocery & Non-Grocery items appearing now at the 99 Cents Only Stores.  First, here are the Non-Grocery finds from my Clayton Rd. store:

1.   K&Company Adhesive Chipboard Die Cuts (retail $4-$5)
2.   Circo Infant Hat with UPF 50+ Sun Protection
3.   Lysol Antibacterial Kitchen Spray, 22 oz.

With Spring Break coming up, it’s a good time to line-up craft projects for yourself & the kids.  These Chipboard Die Cuts are adorable, and they look/feel expensive!  Here are Creative Project Ideas using this product.  One of the die cut packs is themed Family Vacation.  Perfect for creating memory books of family trips.  I also spotted coordinating stickers and stamps from the EK Success brand.  If Spring Break includes travel to sunny locations, or for summertime swim lessons and sandbox time, pick up the Circo Infant Hat w/UPF 50+ Sun Protection to shade precious little heads!

Here are my Grocery finds:

1.   Butterball Oven Roasted Chicken, 5 oz. (also, Turkey)
2.   Jamba Juice Apple-Greens, 16.9 oz (looks seriously healthy)
3.   Jamba All-Energy Drink, 8.4 oz.
4.   Banquet Brown’N Serve Sausage Crumbles, 9.6 oz.
5.   Sourdough English Muffins
6.   Artisan Boston Lettuce
7.   Lentils, 1 lb.

Sumiko shared her Lentil Soup recipe recently on TFF.  My family loves Lentil Soup.  It’s a great way to use up all the odds & ends of veggies at week’s end.  Believe me, you can not mess-up on a soup recipe!  Soup is very forgiving!

This week’s shopping trip highlight was brought to you by Jolene, the  TFF 99 Cents Only Store expert! Find a 99 Cents Store location near you.