The Juice Deal? - Page 2

[ikesmom]

I don't always buy juice because the kids go through it in one day..and forget to drink water. We do mostly water and tea sweetened with honey. When I do buy it I get whatever is on sale. If I get the low quality stuff I figure that they don't really don't get it often.. so its ok.

Last week my grocer had the Santa Cruz on sale 2 for 1. I got a berry and a pineapple. I put a small amount in the blender with a banana and some yogurt and water. I call it a fresh smoothie and the kids like it. We are a family of 6 so this really helps stretch it out and make it more filling. I have a juicer and will occasionally use it, but I am usually lazy. When I use the juicer I will add water to it anyway because it is too strong or sweet in flavor..also very laxative for the young ones.

[zebra15]

I usually wait for a sale with coupons then stock up. My DS loves treetop brand and its around $1.50-$2.00 on sale. When I say stock up, I'm talking 10-15 bottles at a time.
I can't stand walmart these days either, but I do well at Frys (Kroger) stores. I don't buy concentrate, its just easier to get it in the bottles. Plus I think its cheaper, the frozen doesn't make too much.

[_ktg_]

While I hate supporting businesses who I disagree with, sometimes you have to suck it up for your budget to get through this patch.

Now .87 cents is an awesome deal for juice, typically I wait for our grocer's 10/$10 sale for old orchard concentrated juice and stock up like no tomorrow ~40 cans as we have an extra freezer. If I had any coupons I would use them then too, just to knock the price down further.

With this & the fact we don't drink it alot (breakfast only) or watered down during the day, I'd say this lasts us for 3-6 months easily. Good luck and I'm going to now check out my walmart as I'm down to 2 cans of juice in my house and they haven't had their sale yet....

[lilyka]

everywhere is going to have generic frozen concentrate for cheap. and they are all about the same. And if a few cents makes that much difference either suck it up and shop at walmart (thats what I do but I save A TON on groceries there as much as it kills me to shop there) or reduce the juice. but frozen concentrate is just as good as any reconstituted concentrate. might as well add your own water and reusable jug and save your money. Honestly though if we were just looking at $.20 per jug that would not be enough to convince me to go into walmart.....I would just get whatever your usual grocery store had on sale in the freezer.

[Ruthla]

If you really can't make ends meet without shopping at Walmart, then you do what you have to do.

But there ARE other ways to cut the grocery bill and still avoid supporting a store you don't want to support. One way is to buy the cheapest options of foods, and another way is to buy less of some things.

Check out the supermarkets you are comfortable supporting, and check out their juices in various places: the shelf-stable plastic jugs, the shelf-stable cans (that need to be poured into another container, such as an empty plastic one, for storage), and the frozen concentrate. 12oz of concentrate makes 48 oz of juice (or more, if you dilute it further than they recomend.)

Besides buying the cheapest juice you can find, you can reduce the amount of juice your kids drink. You can serve water most of the time and save juice as a special treat. You can serve juice once a day (say, at breakfast OR afternoon snacktime). You can dilute the juice with more water when you do serve it (with or without reducing the total number of times you offer juice) to stretch the juice even further.

[Usually Curious]

Originally Posted by AlwaysByMySide

If you're going with the cans, add more water than it calls for, to stretch it a bit further. Even outside of the nutritional value, adding extra water will stretch it and kids (at least mine!) don't notice. Start off adding a little bit of extra, and then up it every time, so it's not a drastic change.

(I know juice has no nutritional value, but WIC gives it to us, so the kids drink it, but it is HEAVILY watered down - as in 75% water/25% juice.)

Most of what WIC gives has little to no nutritional value and the amount of milk they give us is flat out obscene. There are only two cereals available on WIC here that do not have HFCS! WTH?

Although the WIC foods are far more nutritious than most of the food you see in the average American's basket I guess.

[leavemealone]

I saw at Kroger today that Juicy Juice in the bottle is $1.99 in my area (your area may vary). If there are any coupons out there, that could be a good deal. I also noticed that V8 fusion is $2.99 a bottle, so with the $1 coupon that was recently in the paper, it would only be $1.99 a bottle. At least that's some vegetables that are going into my child when he drinks V8 fusion. Sometimes, I take what I can get in terms of vegetables.

[AlwaysByMySide]

Originally Posted by Usually Curious

Most of what WIC gives has little to no nutritional value and the amount of milk they give us is flat out obscene. There are only two cereals available on WIC here that do not have HFCS! WTH?

Although the WIC foods are far more nutritious than most of the food you see in the average American's basket I guess.

We buy oatmeal with the 'cereal' part of our WIC checks.

They drastically cut down on our milk and the juice, FINALLY, in favor of fresh fruits and veggies. Between the two kids, I used to have to deal with 6 or 8 bottles (46oz) of juice a month...I had a serious stockpile going on for awhile. Most of it got turned into seriously watered down juice pops in the summer. Now it's down to two 64 oz bottles. We also now get buttermilk, which has made the baker in me very happy. (Although it would have made sense, when they made the change to adding buttermilk, to maybe providing recipes or ideas on ways to use it, since most people that I have talked to have no clue what to make with buttermilk.)

[Logan's Mom]

Originally Posted by sandcastle

I saw at Kroger today that Juicy Juice in the bottle is $1.99 in my area (your area may vary). If there are any coupons out there, that could be a good deal. I also noticed that V8 fusion is $2.99 a bottle, so with the $1 coupon that was recently in the paper, it would only be $1.99 a bottle. At least that's some vegetables that are going into my child when he drinks V8 fusion. Sometimes, I take what I can get in terms of vegetables.

oh, V8 fusion - i hadn't thought of that. I sometimes buy the big gallon size container at BJs (our costco/sam's equivalant). I don't recall the exact price but I know it was cheaper then the store's prices. They also have thier own coupons and take manufacturer coupons. We also dilute here, as PP mention, it helps strech it.

[leavemealone]

I was back at the store today and saw the the V8 fusion was actually $2.49 at the Kroger stores in my area. I posted it was $2.99 yesterday so it's even better. Check your stores and you can also follow deals on hot coupon world and a full cup. I think I saw some $1 off 2 Juicy Juice coupons out so those would only be $1.49 each.

[Gray's Mommy]

We buy frozen concentrate juice all the time. I send it with my son's lunch to school. It does have more nutrition over something like Kool-aid, so I don't feel bad at all. I do find that the more expensive brands of apple juice have a better flavor than the wal-mart brand though. I do dilute it to 4 1/2 cans of water to the concentrate. I only buy the WM brand apple juice when I have too. Their o.j. isn't bad though.

[lilyka]

I stock up on v8 fusion when it is 2 for $5 and cut it 50/50 with water (the light is just cut 50/50 with water yet it is the same price. never buy that. you have water....). Bonus if I have a coupon. I buy it by the case when it is on sale. It is the only juice I let my kids drink.