Every Saturday I drive past the Exeter Farmers Market on my way to Hannaford. Last week I stopped and grabbed a basket of tomatoes, some kale, and a dozen eggs for $12 total. Hannaford would've charged at least $18 for that same stuff. The tomatoes actually had flavor, not that mealy grocery store junk. I'm sticking with the market for now, it's fresher and cheaper. Has anyone else switched and noticed a big difference in their grocery bill?
My neighbor across the street, Bob, told me last fall to always check the Market Basket app on Wednesday mornings because they drop digital coupons at 7am. I figured he was full of it since I never had luck with those things. But after three weeks of checking, I snagged a $2 off any brand of coffee and a $1 off eggs deal that stacked with the store sale. Ended up paying $4 for a bag of coffee that normally runs $9. The trick is you gotta clip them right when they post because popular ones run out by noon. Has anyone else found good hidden deals in the Market Basket app like this?
Borrowed my neighbor's Stihl backpack blower for the last house and finished in half the time without my arms going numb... never realized how much the weight and air speed mattered. Now I'm hunting for a used one on Marketplace but not sure if the older models are worth grabbing. Anybody got experience picking up used Stihl blowers around Concord?
I tried to use the $5 off a $30 purchase digital coupon at Shaws in Concord last Tuesday and the cashier told me that store already hit their limit for the week. The coupon was still active on my app but the system wouldn't take it. I learned you need to go early in the week on Monday or Tuesday morning or you risk it being used up. Has anyone else had a coupon that showed as valid but got rejected at the register?
So I've been showing up at 9AM thinking I'm early for the discount meat deals (you know, the ones with the yellow stickers). Turns out I've been missing them by 2 hours this whole time. I asked the meat department guy at the Salem NH store and he said they start marking stuff down right when the store opens at 7. By 9AM the good stuff is already gone. I grabbed a pack of chicken thighs for $2.50 last week at 7:15 but now I'm wondering what else I've been sleeping through. Anyone else find out a store secret that changed when you shop?
I tracked which store had the best prices on my weekly staples, and Market Basket came out $23 cheaper on average for the same stuff. Has anyone else noticed that big difference between the two chains?
Picked it up in Manchester two years ago and it ground beans like a champ until today when the motor started smoking. Anyone know a good place to find a cheap replacement around here that won't break the bank?
I was stocking up on canned tomatoes for the winter and saw the store brand went from $0.89 to $1.29 a can. That's almost a 45 percent increase just since summer. Has anyone else spotted similar jumps at other NH grocery stores, or is this just at that location?
Got it home from Manchester, fired it up once, and the auger gearbox stripped out halfway through my driveway. Anyone else get burned by a marketplace deal that looked too good to be true?
I was sitting at my kitchen table last Sunday flipping through the paper circular like I always do, trying to find the ground beef deal. After about 45 minutes of circling stuff and doing math in my head, my wife asked why I didn't just use the MB app to filter by category. Apparently they added that feature back in April and I never noticed. It took me longer to figure out the app than it did to just use the paper honestly. Has anyone else had a moment where the digital version actually saved time or do you still prefer flipping pages?
I was at the Market Basket in Manchester last Saturday and watched the cashier scan my coupons one by one, then realized I'd been handing them over all crumpled up and out of order for years. Turns out you're supposed to organize them by value or expiration date so they process faster and you don't miss savings. Anyone else have a checkout routine they swear by?
I usually walk right past that little shelf near customer service, but last week I stopped to look and scored a whole bunch of canned beans and tomatoes marked down to like 50 cents each. The dents were tiny, nothing that actually hurt the seal. Saved around $8 on a single trip. Anyone else check those discount racks or am I the only one digging through the seconds?
Found a barely used KitchenAid mixer for $40 that usually goes for $300+. Anyone else ever stumble on a deal that felt too good to be true?
I was digging through the marked-down baked goods and spotted a whole rack of canned veggies and pasta sauces with yellow tags tucked behind the dairy cooler. Anyone else ever stumble on a secret clearance spot like that?
I was chatting with this older lady at the Manchester Hannaford last week while we were both digging through the clearance bread rack. She mentioned she never bothers with double-coupon Tuesdays anymore because the store jacks up the base prices on stuff like cereal and pasta sauce by like 30 cents a box beforehand. I never actually checked, but she was right. I looked at my receipt from two weeks ago and the Miracle Whip I bought on double-coupon day was actually cheaper the following Thursday with no coupon at all. Now I keep a little notebook where I jot down the normal shelf price of my regular items, so I can tell if the deal is real or just noise. Has anyone else caught their store doing this with specific items?
Everyone raves about Market Basket being cheaper, but I tested both stores in Manchester for 3 months. I saved $22 a month at Market Basket but their produce would go bad in 3 days. Hannaford's stuff lasted a full week and their store brand is actually good. I'd rather pay a bit extra than throw out half my veggies, you know? What's your experience been with produce quality between the two?
I kept hearing everyone rave about how much better the local produce is at the Concord farmer's market compared to Shaw's. So I spent $8 on a bag of Honeycrisp apples last Saturday, figuring I'd get something special. Half of them were mealy and one had a bruise that went all the way through. I mean, maybe it's just me, but I think Shaw's apples are way more consistent for half the price. Anyone else had better luck with other vendors there?
Found a barely used cast iron skillet sitting on the shelf next to some old lamps. Lady running the place said people toss good stuff all the time because they just want it gone. Walked out with a 12 inch Lodge that just needed a quick scrub. Anyone else have luck at their local transfer station?
I was reading a post on a NH college group and saw that textbook prices drop 70% within one year of release. So now I'm debating if I should grab those $5 textbooks at the Concord Salvation Army or just wait for them to hit the free bin. Has anyone else noticed older editions being just as good for learning?
I was SURE it was going to be some watered down fake stuff you know? But they had a guy out front selling gallon jugs from his own farm in Weare for 5 bucks. Figured for the price of a coffee it was worth the gamble. Got it home and poured some on my pancakes and it was the real deal dark and thick. Has anyone else found legit food deals at random spots like that?
It took me three months of ignoring that stupid Market Basket digital coupon to realize I could have been saving $50 a month on the same stuff I was already buying.
Some older fella in the produce section told me he always hits the clearance endcap before anything else. Tried it last Tuesday and snagged a half-priced bag of coffee and some marked down bakery bread that was still fresh.