Deal Alert: Really Cheap Eats

***Deal Alert***

Need a really quick way to save big money when time is short and you forgot your grocery coupons? If you live in Arizona, California, Nevada, or Texas just head on over to the nearest $.99 Only Store.

A bargain grocery shopper's dream, the 99 Cent Only sotres in my local area are a deal not to be missed.

What do the $.99 Only Stores carry? All the fixings for a really inexpensive meal...dry goods, dairy, deli, frozen, produce and bakery as well as paper products, cleaning supplies and much more.

I've recently found huge savings on Bertolli frozen pastas (regularly $5.99), Lean Cuisine frozen pizzas (regularly $2.50 on sale), Lean Cuisine entrees (regularly $2.50 on sale), 3-pack yellow, red and orange bell peppers (regularly $3.99 per pound), Romaine Lettuce Hearts (regularly $2.99 on sale), 5-pound red potatoes (regularly $3.99) and Planters Peanut Bars (regularly $4.99) just to name a few. These deals are excellent in my local area when compared to the bigger chain grocery stores down the street. Some purchases beat the rock bottom prices I could get at other stores even with double coupons and sale pricing combined, now that's a deal!

The best deals in the store? Frozen dinners, produce (many major brands Grimmway, Dole and Chaquita), snack foods, cereal and bakery items, salad dressings, pasta sauces, nuts and dried fruits, personal care items, aluminum foil, and zip lock bags.

Like any other deep-discount supermarket or dollar store, products move through quickly and perishable items may be hit or miss a day or two out of the week. Check both the quality and expiration dates on perishable items and be selective with your purchases.

When I find a great deal on name brand products like Lean Cuisine or Bertolli I tend to buy as much as we reasonably expect to use within a month. Meals under a buck are hard to beat when you need a quick lunch and are trying to avoid the nearest fast food joint.

Shopping at the 99-Cent Only Stores is a great strategy if you are either on a really tight budget, or just looking to purchase specific items at deep discounts.

Chrisitne Jory has written an exellent companion cookbook for the $.99 Cent Only Stores shopper. She has created over 100 tasty gourmet recipes using only products purchased at the $.99 Only Stores in her area. Even if you don't have a 99-Cent Only Store near you I was really impressed with the recipes she has created in this book. She has some unique ideas that I had never seen before and her recipes require few enough ingredients to inexpensive regardless of where you shop. My whole-hearted recommendation to Jory's book, this veteran of the cheap meal wars is humbled. The best $10 I've spent in a long time to be sure.

Find a 99-Cent Only Stores near you

Happy bargain hunting!