Friday's Frugal Find--The Manager's Special

For this week's experiment in frugality, I wanted to give a shout-out to something that probably most of us are aware exists but may not habitually check as a great source for deals.  I have been blown away by some of the deals I have nabbed recently through a wonderful little thing called "the manager's special."  I see it as my personal little surprise each time I shop, that unexpected token of pleasure and utter serendipity...sigh.

I'm in love.  Seriously.

I dream about the manager's special bin on my drive to the store, fantasizing about what it might contain this trip, and also secretly harboring what I hope to find inside.

It's Christmas, y'all, every single grocery trip.  If you're cruising by the manager's special bins in your fury to cross items off your list, you are missing Christmas, presents and all.

So to back up all the gush with cold, hard facts, here's why you should include a thorough browsing in every trip to the store:

Kroger
They have an actual bin, almost always located in the back along the meat/dairy section, usually right next to the double swinging doors leading to the warehouse area.  In some of their stores, I've seen shelves as well.  But you can't miss it once you've looked for it because all of the items are marked with bright, yellow stickers that read "Manager's Special."  Direct and to the point for the frazzled, shopping mommies with toddlers hanging off their carts everywhere.

There's also a "Manager's Special" space in the meat section, same lovely sticker and all.  I don't tend to find as great of deals in this section as I do the bin.  So be careful.  Definitely know your prices well--a pretty yellow sticker and the word "special," though they make your heart happy, do not automatically make something a good deal.

Nevertheless, to bait you to the bin, here are some of the amazing finds I've found there recently:

• Canned veggies, like diced tomatoes, organic refried beans, and other more-expensive canned products along those lines -->  $0.30 to $0.40 each
• Large bottles of salad dressing --> $0.79 each
• Enfamil, high grade formula -->$6.99
• Package of sliced almonds --> $0.79

These are just a few of the treasures I've unearthed.  Why are they so cheap, you ask?  No, they have not been ruined, expired, previously used, or steamrolled by a truck.  Most of the time there's either nothing wrong (too much inventory) or their only crime is being a bit dinted or dusty.  I take the poor things home and give them the TLC they need, all while keeping our budget low and frugal.  It's a win-win.

Target
Perhaps they're too sophisticated or perhaps they do not want their specials to sound handed down "from the top," but Target calls their Manager's Specials "clearances."  They opt for bright orange in their sticker choice, so again a no-miss situation here.  Their clearances are always end-caps, usually one per each section of their store (one for groceries, one for cosmetics/personal hygiene, one for home decor, etc.). 

A good rule of thumb for any store, and especially Target, is to "walk the perimeter" before doing any shopping.  It's on the outter edges that the best deals are hidden, like mini treasure troves reserved only for those willing to do a little digging.

I love the clearance end-cap for the grocery section at Target.  Again, you have to be careful and double-check prices against regular ones, but there are still some amazing deals to be found!  Here are just a few:

• Large bags of organic brown sugar --> $0.66 each
• Jumbo boxes of K-cups --> $21.99 for around 40 K-cups (that's a steal!)
• 64 oz. bottles of Welch's juice --> $1.49 each

Walmart
Walmart's prices are already so low that people often assume they don't mark down further--but they, too, have clearance end-caps for almost every section of their store.  And in some seasons, entire aisles will be dedicated to marked-down items.

My favorites lately have been the "Oops, We Baked Too Much!" shelves located near the dairy section.  Shelves of breads, pastries, and cakes are majorly reduced in price and are usually only a day old.  I've seen loaves of artisan bread for around or under $1.00.  Entire sheet cakes, donuts, cupcakes, and more are all marked under $5.00 routinely.  Definitely worth a gander.

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As I said, most stores have these sections or bins or shelves.  I've just highlighted a few to give you a taste for what you've been missing.  I've always known they existed, but often didn't take the time to routinely check them.  And that's the key.  If you don't check them every time you shop, you will miss out on some of the greatest deals.

I've also been so blown away by how often something I'm really in need of and stressing about being able to afford ends up in those bins.  It's like God is reaching down and saying, "I'm here, too."  And I just love having a Father-child love moment with the Creator right in the middle of the grocery store.  Brown sugar never seemed so sweet until it came direct from His Hand.

Happy yellow-stickering :-)

And post what you find in response--I'd love to share in your own Christmas surprises!