There are a lot of items that new couponers often think they can't really get frequent deals on, like meats, veggies/fruits, and basic dairy like milk because there simply aren't a lot of coupons offered. One of the things I often could NOT find deals/coupons for was bread. ... Let me correct myself: I couldn't find a lot of deals for the name brand stuff I really liked and WANTED to buy. Only the generic store brand. Which was perfectly fine but... I don't know. Having grown up in an area that had umpteen Italian bakerys and delicatessens in walking distance, I'm kind of spoiled when it comes to bread and baked goods! I'm not TOO good for Kroger brand sliced bread but I know the difference between that and the fancier whole grain kind with fresh oats or pumpernickel seeds and a good crispy crust...
One thing you can do to save some money is hit up your local BAKERY OUTLET. We have about 3 of the Merita/Dolly Madison outlets in our area alone and last week I took my mom by one out of curousity. What a gold mine! Mind you, this will all be processed packaged breads/baked goods, but it's all going to be brands like Wonder, Hostess, Sara Lee, and affiliated.
One thing you can do to save some money is hit up your local BAKERY OUTLET. We have about 3 of the Merita/Dolly Madison outlets in our area alone and last week I took my mom by one out of curousity. What a gold mine! Mind you, this will all be processed packaged breads/baked goods, but it's all going to be brands like Wonder, Hostess, Sara Lee, and affiliated.
The other thing is that it is an "outlet" and prices are lower for a reason; most all the product is nearing its sell-by date but it IS all still good for at least another couple weeks or so. But it's PERFECT if you need bread for a dinner, party, BBQ, or if you know you can get through a loaf in 1-2 weeks in your family. Often things like hotdog buns are cheaper than storebrand by half. I managed to get a bag of Merita Warming Rolls for $1.00 and a big loaf of Wonder Texas Toast for $1.19. These would have cost me $5 together easily at the store if not more.
Now, what about if you don't have a big family or event to buy for? What then? It's hardly worth it to spend even a $1 on bread that will be unuseable in a week or 2... Well, I used the warming rolls as a side item for dinner all week (they go great with homemade chicken soup, btw). For the Texas Toast, fortunately, most bread freezes quite well. I decided to make my own frozen Texas "Garlic" Toast: I melted a few tbsp of butter spread in a cup, and mixed in Garlic powder, a bit of salt, and chopped basil. Pour/spread over the individual slices, then wrap in freezer paper and stuff into freezer bags. All we'll have to do is toast them in oven for 4-5 min per side.
You could also buy the clearance stuff to make homemade breadcrumbs. My grandmother used to do that all the time... but, yeah, I'm partial to buying them in a can myself.
They also have pies, doughnuts, cakes, and even cereals at much reduced prices. One tip is to bring either cash or checks; I'm not sure if it's common practice at all of them but mine did not accept credit/debit cards.
Now, what about if you don't have a big family or event to buy for? What then? It's hardly worth it to spend even a $1 on bread that will be unuseable in a week or 2... Well, I used the warming rolls as a side item for dinner all week (they go great with homemade chicken soup, btw). For the Texas Toast, fortunately, most bread freezes quite well. I decided to make my own frozen Texas "Garlic" Toast: I melted a few tbsp of butter spread in a cup, and mixed in Garlic powder, a bit of salt, and chopped basil. Pour/spread over the individual slices, then wrap in freezer paper and stuff into freezer bags. All we'll have to do is toast them in oven for 4-5 min per side.
You could also buy the clearance stuff to make homemade breadcrumbs. My grandmother used to do that all the time... but, yeah, I'm partial to buying them in a can myself.
They also have pies, doughnuts, cakes, and even cereals at much reduced prices. One tip is to bring either cash or checks; I'm not sure if it's common practice at all of them but mine did not accept credit/debit cards.
I will pop the bread in the freezer if I'm afraid I won't get to it before it goes bad. I also save the heels of the bread for stratas and bread puddings.
ReplyDeleteGreat reminder to go to the outlet stores!