Thrifty Thursdays

Objective: Do a little pantry stocking at a 99¢ Only store. Cost: $22.93.

A 99¢ Only store isn’t for the faint of heart or someone who doesn’t know how much things actually cost at the regular retailers. For me, this store is a place to find things to fill in pantry gaps, purchase holiday decor, or get really cheap gift bags. Products range from high-end food items to socks to tacky do-rags. I once did a small library open house and saved lots of money by purchasing goody-bag items and decorations at 99¢ Only.

Sadly, my favorite 99¢ Only store has closed, but there are still four in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Shopping at these stores requires some price savvy; purchasing canned goods can be tricky, since there are often 10 for $10 sales at the local grocery and because Wal-Mart’s everyday low price is many times going to be less than 99 cents. (This is where a price book comes in handy.) I don’t go weekly as some people may, but I do go fairly often.

I purchased things that are regular items in my pantry. Here is a partial list:

Niagara 24-pack water, 2.99. Yes, I recycle the bottles.
Chicken of the Sea pink salmon packets. I love these for work lunches.
Juliana’s Parmesan Cheese. I wished I’d taken the gamble and purchased the Paisano Mio Italian Topping.
Two individual frozen, thin-crust pizzas. Not recommended, but I ate them.
Two 28-oz cans of peeled Italian tomatoes. I’d seen them elsewhere for $1.50, so the price was right.
NESCAFÉ instant coffee sticks. No coffee snob here. I love these at work.
Iodized salt. Thirty-nine cents. It will last forever, and it is a baking necessity.

I have since purchased the Paisano Mio Italian Topping, and I use it for grated parmesan when needed. It gets a little clumpy, but a good whack on the counter usually loosens it up.

Happy eating,
R.D.

Here are some links to help you wrap your head around this idea.

The author of the 99 Cent Only Store Cookbook cooks a quick meal in this YouTube video (great Breakfast at Tiffany’s music in the background).

Buy the cookbook at Amazon.com.

Here is a New York Times article with ideas on using items from a different 99-cent store in New York City.

Editor’s note: Post originally drafted in September 2010.