Those of us that live right on the Delaware line know the benefits of shopping in Delaware. Of course the big draw is NO sales tax on anything.  And several years ago, Delaware restaurants went smoke-free, years ahead of their counterparts in PA, so that was a deal breaker for my family. I HATE cigarette smoke.

I don’t even know if there is a law on the books about carrying liquor across state lines, is there? I’m assuming not, but if there are laws, then disregard my advice!

But if you shop at Avondale Acme, they have coupons on the back of their receipts. There’s a new one for 15% off wine at Hockessin Liquor. They have good deals anyway–they give you 10% off when you buy 3 bottles, 15% off when you buy 6 bottles. But now, with this new coupon from Acme, it’s 15% off one bottle. Combine that with no sales tax, and you’ve got a pretty good deal. Their prices are competitive and their selection is good. They also offer wine tasting every Friday and Saturday.

Plus–a really good beer selection. And unlike stupid Pennsylvania laws, you can purchase just one bottle of something to try it, not get stuck with a whole case.

Not only does PA have stupid beer & liquor laws, but we also have state minimum milk prices. Now, I understand wanting to give PA farmers a fair price, I really do. But I’m paying about $3.40-$3.50 per gallon of milk at Acme. At the Happy Harry’s in Hockessin, it’s $2.58. We’re talking about $0.80-$1.00 per gallon difference, and my family drinks 4-5 gallons per week. I have a weekly appointment with my son in Wilmington that takes me right past that Happy Harry’s once a week, so it’s not out of my way. Just for taking 10 minutes of my time and popping in there, I can save $25 a month. I think that’s significant savings, for no hassle.

DO NOT buy gas in Delaware though. I don’t know what is going on there, but their gas prices are significantly higher than PA. As much as $0.35/gallon higher.

I do buy pet food in Delaware, for the sales tax reasons. Plus Concord Pet’s buy 10 get 1 free deal. Combine that with the no sales tax, and I’m essentially saving 16% on my pet food purchases. With three 100-lb dogs, this is significant savings.

I haven’t posted much about this week’s grocery deals, mainly because there really isn’t much worth writing about. For the time being, I am following these stores regularly: Acme, Superfresh, Giant. And checking in on: Genuardi’s, Dutchman’s.

Acme: there’s an in-ad coupon for get 5 free Gold Peak tea (or Fuze) when you buy 10. The Gold Peak tea is also get a $1 catalina when you buy 2. So, buy 11 for $11, get 5 free. Also receive $8 off your next order, since you bought 16, you’ll get eight $1 catalinas. So 16 bottles of Gold Peak tea for $3 net oop, a good deal if you like this stuff. Deal is not working on Fuze, so don’t try it.

Also, the General Mills stuff is on sale, combine it with the coupons from last Sunday’s paper for better deals.

The blueberries are bogo, but Acme needs a geography lesson. Mine said “Jersey Fresh Blueberries” which I was excited about, only to find out all the berries are from Michigan.

Giant: I really didn’t see any super deals and I’ve been following their gas prices. They tend to be $0.06-$0.09 more per gallon, as compared to the Sunoco at the intersection of 41 and Newark Road. So I really have to have a decent deal to even come out ahead. They do have several catalina deals running this week, including Purina pet foods (coupons in last week’s paper).

Superfresh: once the 3-day coupons expired on Monday, not really a reason to go out of my way.

Hopefully next week will be more deal-worthy. I’ve already seen the Acme ad that starts Friday, and nothing to get excited about.

I’ll post the deals if I see them, but for now, a slow period.

Lately I have been seeing clearance racks everywhere. Summer merchandise is being clearanced out to make room for fall and winter. Some big stores like Kmart, Target and Walmart are getting rid of some toys to start making room for the holiday stuff. And grocery stores even clearance merchandise too. But not all clearance merchandise is a good deal, so how do you know?

Clothes: Clothes most often are marked down according to season. After the 4th of July, all the summer stuff starts to really get marked down. But before you purchase that $3 item, ask yourself, is this a good deal? Is it very trendy, thus you’ll look outdated next season wearing it? It may not bother you to wear a July 4-themed tshirt from Old Navy that says “2010” on it, but then again, it might. Even if a shirt is a dollar, if you never wear it, was it a good deal?

Also, be leery of what retailers call the “tips & tails.” That is, all the apparel that is either XXS in size, or XXL. The unpopular sizes are always left behind, that’s why they are cheap. Don’t purchase anything with the intent of losing 20 lbs, or the “It’ll shrink in the wash” or “I’ll wear them with thicker socks” concepts. If it doesn’t fit, then it’s wasted money. Only buy clearanced clothing for yourself if: you definitely have items to match with it and wear it with, it fits now, and it will still be in style next year.

With children, I find it is worth it to take a chance on guessing their size this time next year, and I’ve been pretty successful at it. Then again, save your receipts, know the return policy and considering using ebay and craigslist to unload items that don’t work out.

Grocery: Grocery stores clearance their merchandise for several reasons. It can be that the item was unpopular and no one purchased it, thus taking up valuable shelf space. It can be nearing expiration date or, it sometimes can be as simple as the manufacturer changed the package or discontinued the item.

Check the expiration date and make sure that you will use/eat all of it before it goes bad. Make sure this is an item that you eat/use regularly, and don’t be lured into buying a large quantity just because it’s cheap. And remember, most grocery stores will allow you to use a coupon on a clearance item. The only exception I can think of is Big Lots, who doesn’t take coupons. Acme, Superfresh, Giant, they all take coupons on clearanced items.

Health & Beauty and Cleaning Items: These items often get clearanced for the same reasons as food, either it was unpopular or the manufacturer changed the packaging or discontinued the item. CVS, Walgreen’s, Walmart, Target, Kmart, Rite Aid–they all will take a coupon on a clearanced item.

For all clearance items–the same basic rule applies: Will I eat/use/wear this? Because no matter how cheap an item is, if you never use it and end up tossing it, it’s just like tossing money.