This is one of those week's when having a stockpile is good...

Because the sales are...lackluster.

(See the Stockpile Post Amendment at the end!! Not a total loss!)

Fresh and Easy has Farmer John or Smithfield hams for 77c/lb. I think that's a good price because even hams that have water added are useful to cook and use for lunchmeat.

Basha's has Value Pack pork chops for 99c/lb. That's a pretty good price.

And all other kinds of meat - you shoulda bought it already.

Pros Ranch has good produce prices this week, some extra good deals today, but nothing I'd run out of my way for. Food City tomorrow has some good produce prices and if you have one near you, it's worth stopping in.

For my part, I'm glad I have a lot of veggies and fruits packed into my freezer. Ditto on chicken, beef, and those wonderful strip steaks I got at Basha's last week. That same cut is $3.97/lb at Fry's this week.

Eggs are 99c/dz at Walgreens and milk $1.99/gallon. At Bashas, half-gallons of milk are 97c.

BUTTER is $1.47/lb at Albertsons, limit 2.

Yes, the week is boring, the prices aren't bad, but they aren't all that good. The time to buy was last week or the week before or the week before that. The holidays are here, the stores know you have to have the food, so the sales have moderated. Things will improve after the holidays. After the holidays, they figure you have a lot of leftovers in the fridge, it's cold and gray and you don't want to leave your house and you're buried under a blizzard of credit card bills. They need something to get you out to the store and the sales will be back.

THIS is why we stockpile. So when you come here and read a downer blog post like this, you can defrost a roast, steam a package of frozen veggies and make muffins from the fruit compote you put up last fall and be happy to give your grocery budget a week off.

Hunt's pasta sauce is 88c/26 oz can this week at Fry's. Fry's. Basha's and Albertson's has cheap pasta this week. Good to know if you're down to your last noodle.

STOCKPILE POST AMENDMENT! (Many thanks to Miss Deborah!):

Safeway has London broil for $1.77/lb. This makes an excellent ground beef. Have the butcher grind it for you and freeze. Very lean ground beefs are often well over $2/lb and they won't be this lean.

Whoo! I feel better. Buy butter at Albertson's and London broil at Safeway. Make hamburgers, meatloaf, meatballs. Better yet, shape it into tiny reindeer, use rosemary sprigs for antlers and sprinkle with white bread crumbs.

Put it on your kitchen table for a centerpiece.