I’ve said it dozens of times before, but my absolute favorite ways to save – especially on produce, dairy and meat – are manager markdowns. They are items that are nearing their sell by date and often times you have a few days (or longer) to eat the food, but you can save 50-75% off.
It’s hit or miss when you’ll find markdowns – but I always look. When I stopped into QFC (Kroger store) this morning, I found all sorts of markdowns. Here are some of the highlights:
Whole roasted chicken – $4.19 (reg. $7.99) – We will make roasted chicken salads tonight for dinner and then I’ll make slower cooker chicken broth overnight!
Baby Portobello mushrooms – $1.69 (reg. $4.99) – I might make a big batch of spaghetti sauce with the mushrooms I got today. Or we will roast or grill them, I haven’t decided yet.
Organic Arugula Clamshell – $1.49 (reg. $3.99)
Fresh Snow Peas – $1.29 (reg. $2.99)
Dole Salad Kit – $1.79 (reg. $3.99)
Yogurts – $0.25 – $0.79 (reg. $0.50 – $2)
I figure regular price was probably about $40 – which means I saved about 65% – without using a coupon and I was able to buy healthy food options!
Here are my tips for making the most of manager markdowns:
- Find out the markdown schedule – Find out what days your local store generally marks down the items in the meat and dairy sections. For example, do they always markdown on Mondays and Thursdays? Shop the same-day as the markdowns to get the best selection.
- If they are coupon savings, they are generally store coupons – Some times, especially on meat products, the manager markdown stickers says a certain dollar amount off. For example $2 off for quick sale. These are store coupons, so if you have a manufacturer coupon, you can use that too (this happens a lot for cheese or deli meat).
- Check the dates – Don’t assume that they are close to their expiration dates. Markdowns can happen for lots of reasons – packaging changes, overstock, etc.
- Freeze meat – If I find meat that is dated within a day or two, I’ll take it home and freeze it immediately. Remember when you go to defrost it that you should use it immediately after defrosting.
- Know the good spots to look – My favorite place to look for markdowns are the deli counter cheese section, lunch meats, sausages, yogurt and milk. Some stores have a specific “clearance” or markdown section.
- Make the call based on your comfort level – Use your best discretion on the viability of dairy products that are close to date. Some people claim yogurt is good for weeks after it’s “best by” date, I prefer to eat mine within a day or two of the “best by” date. When in doubt, throw it out. Meat is another story all together – it’s recommended you don’t take risks on PAST-dated meat. It should be frozen or cooked by the date on the package.
- Use your coupons – Combine with coupons (either printable or e-coupons) whenever possible and you can get even better deals!
- Pay attention at checkout – Make sure your cashier scans the marked down price. Sometimes it requires a coupon be peeled off or a different bar code be scanned – so watch carefully when you checkout.
Here’s some information I pulled from the USDA Food Safety web site that explains the different dating methods used on food:
- A “Sell-By” date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.
- A “Best if Used By (or Before)” date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
- A “Use-By” date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.
You can get some really helpful information at the USDA Food Product dating Web site.
Have you saved with manager markdowns lately? Do you like buy marked down meat or produce?
Susan says
I also like QFC for their markdown prices. I hit the produce section the most, but find good deals in the meat dept., bakery and dairy quite often.
A couple of weeks ago they had a few pkg. of Oscar Meyer Deli meat for .49!! (Reg price of $4.99!) The expiration date was 2 weeks away. I had to look twice at that price.
They have cartfuls of markdowns ,too. A lot of times it is for gourmet or expensive organic products. Since it is the store closest to my home, I can run through to check often.