My main source for grocery shopping is Aldi. You just can’t beat them when it comes to the essentials such as eggs ($1.35 a dozen) milk ($2.36 a gallon) and bread (.85 cents for a load of white sandwich bread). Since inflation has now reared its ugly head, however, I do find myself scanning the weekly circulars of the other grocery stores in my area. I look for the loss leaders whose prices are substantially lower than Aldi or are being offered on brand name products that I love (but couldn’t afford otherwise).
One of the main brand products I buy as a loss leader is Tuttorosso canned tomatoes. My family loves these tomatoes as they make a great Italian sauce over pasta and are very versatile in many of my soup recipes (i.e. minestrone and Tuscan bean). With expected company coming over my house this holiday season (not once, but twice!) I usually make a lasagna big enough to heartily feed my crowd. Usually when Shop Rite has a sale on the Tuttorosso canned tomatoes (every six months), I stock up. Shop Rite discounts the canned tomatoes from $1.36 a can down to .75 cents a can (when you buy a case (12). The store also discounts mozzarella, ricotta, lasagna noodles, olive oil and grated cheese at the same time. It’s a recipe combo sent down directly from heaven (because everything you need to make the perfect lasagna is on sale)!

Today was the first day of the sale. When I got to the store around 2PM, they were basically sold out! I couldn’t believe it. I knew I should have gotten to the store earlier but never once in all the years I’ve been buying these canned tomatoes (at least 20 years) the grocery store never ran out so quickly! I went to the Customer Desk and one of the clerks looked in the back. Nope. They were gone. I went back to the shelf, got on my knees and shuffled through the shelves. I was able to rustle up 6 cans of crushed tomatoes and 6 cans of Italian plum tomatoes but they were salt free (which does change the taste). Nonetheless, I was happy I got what I got.
Welcome to the new world of real, honest-to-goodness food shortages!
The other products that I bought were the ricotta, mozzarella, Ronzoni pasta, orange juice, Purex laundry detergent, low-fat sour creme, B12 gummy vitamins, Christmas cactus, all on sale. I got an 8oz tube of Colgate toothpaste for only .39 cents!!! The only thing I didn’t buy on sale but I thought was a very good price was a quart of egg nog. And yes! when I got home I made myself a drink! I deserved it! Grocery shopping is very hard work lately. It’s not all fun and games anymore!







All in all, the Shop Rite savings came to $41.68 which included the reduced prices. In reality I saved $26.72 actual cash off of products that I would normally buy. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Even with all those savings, my total still came to $66.23. Ouch. I think we’re all going to be eating lasagna till it comes out of our ears!
Here’s what my sales receipt looked like (it’s a long one) and the total discount receipt follows.

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$1.35 is a great price for canned tomatoes, $.75 is almost unheard of! I enjoy Pastene tomatoes and just picked some up while visiting my parents for $1.58 a can. Doesn’t sound like such a good buy after hearing your deal! Prices at your Shoprite were very good, even if they were loss leaders.
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Sharon we love this brand for years. Great taste. Good consistency. We buy a few cases every six months when they go on sale. Last sale was 12 for $8. Paying the current $9 is still a bargain. It was worth getting on my knees in the store to buy them. Lol!!
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Going tomorrow and getting all of the same minus the cacti and adding $1.49 domino sugar and gold medal flour. Love ShopRite for everything Italian. First shopping since week before Thanksgiving and if it wasn’t for this great sale I probably wouldn’t have shop to 2022!Sincerely, Lara
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Have fun. Kudos and much thanks to those supermarkets and grocery stores who are doing their best to keep food prices down. I am very thankful to them and I am sure this Sunday, at the dinner table, we all will be very thankful over our lasagna! Enjoy!
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Just got back from my ShopRite and Aldi’s. Spent $61 and saved $74 at ShopRite and they had three pellets of Tuttorosso tomatoes products and the shelves were full. Well stocked on all of the lost leaders. I would have spent less then $50 but my son asked me to do three appetizers for Christmas celebration and twice baked potatoes to accompany the boneless leg of lamb He’s having. I saved $74 dollars! Aldi’s finally got their chocolates -shelves were full no limit, and six kinds of German cookies my DIL wanted to get for her parents who arrived from Munich yesterday. Life is sweet!! Sincerely, Lara
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Can’t wait to get back to Aldi this week. I want chocolate!!! Glad your Shop Rite was well stocked. Lucky you!
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