Groceries For Le$$: The “Captain of Coin” Meets the "Carpet Cleaning Kid"

We have a lot to cover this week.  First, if the southern California grocery workers go out on strike, I will honor their picket line and will not promote those stores involved in this column. I would not be a “scab” worker and won’t be a “scab” writer either.

Secondly, we had some people over the other night and since it was a hastily put together affair, we needed some quick snacks within the hour. I ran out to the grocery store to get the makins’ for pigs in blankets and a variety of chips for our guests.  Of course I knew the perfect sale. The promotion was "buy 4 chips and save an additional $3.00" which was a great deal. I check all the fine print in the flier and I’m good to go.  I have the hot dogs, the crescent rolls and the 4 bags of chips.  I rush through the check-out line and as I’m walking towards the exit, I notice the $3 didn’t come off the receipt.  I grab the ad out of the cart and read it yet again.  Sure enough, it says “buy 6 and save $3.00”.  I cannot begin to tell you how often this has happened to me.  I do this everywhere.  I’d have bet you $1 million that it said 4 and as usual, I’d have been wrong.  As big as a rush I was in, I wasn’t going to leave the store paying a penny more than I should, let alone $3 more!  So, I had to go back into the store, get 2 more bags of qualifying chips, get back on line, return the 4 original bags, get a refund, re-purchase the 4 bags of chips plus the 2 additional bags to make 6 bag minimum, pay for it all over again and get my correct receipt showing the $3 off.  I’ve danced this dance in every grocery store in San Diego.  That day, it just happened to be Stater Brothers.  I apologized to the cashier and the person behind me. Luckily, they were very forgiving of my error.  I raced home with my cheap chips, only stopping briefly at a nearby phone booth to transform back from "Grocery Guru" to "Mild Mannered Host.”

Finally, last week I told you that I met a young student who cleans carpets.  I admired his hardworking and entrepreneurial spirit.  So last week I contracted Daniel of D&S Carpet Cleaning to clean the old carpeting in my home.  The carpet is likely older than he is. Here’s how it went...

I realize that everyone’s experience with a service is different, I am therefore cautious to endorse someone so as not to damage my reputation.  In this case, we have an exceptional price combined with a good result.  On the morning of our appointment, Daniel showed up on time!  What a great way to start.  He came in for a brief inspection then returned to his truck to get his equipment.  He works alone and has sliders to place under furniture that is feasible to move by himself. The six step method he employs includes: pre vacuum the home, pre-spray and agitate with a Roto-Vac, pre-groom (rake) carpet, rinse and extract, post-groom and deodorize.  The big guys use only 2 steps, pre-spay and extract.   He gained experience through cleaning his own home, then friends and neighbors. Amazingly, he even picked up expert tips and techniques from YouTube videos!  A bright guy, Silva carefully reinvested his earnings to upgrade to the professional equipment he uses today.  He worked quietly and methodically.  He never rushed and "wants to do the best job possible" and he doesn’t have the time constraints of a carpet cleaning company with 4 more jobs to knock off that day.  He is able to remove even heavy soil, but if the fibers have changed color, like if you had splashed your hair dye (purely hypothetical of course), those stains do not come out.  We also had an entire soda dropped in the middle of our living room several months ago.  I’d say Daniel removed 80% of it.  The best part of the service was our steps.  Years of high traffic had blackened them.  Daniel worked very hard and long, but the result was fantastic and were left in a like-new condition.  Best of all, STAIRS ARE INCLUDED IN HIS PRICE!  I found him honest and appreciative of his customers.  He even cleaned a badly soiled car mat for me at no cost.

OK, so after he’s done, I tell him about my column and he is very flattered to be mentioned, but I told him there’s a catch and he has to "do something special for my readers" and this is what he came up with for you:

Book by 9/15/11 and mention your friend Steve Kushner’s “Groceries for Le$$” article and get an additional 10% off his already low $150 price!

Any 2 story home including stairs for $135 

FINAL PRICE, NO UP-SELLING, NO EXTRAS, NO HIDDEN CHARGES

D&S Carpet Cleaning

danielsilvacarpetcleaning@gmail.com

Give him a call at 858.442-8745

On to shopping...For the week of August 24-30, 2011…

Pretty lackluster sale week, but if I have to pick a winner for best sales it’s….Henry’s/Sprouts

ALBERTSON’S

Corn  4/$1.00

Yup, that’s it! Getting ready for the strike I guess.

Henry’s and Sprouts

Cantaloupe 3/$1.00

Baby Carrots, Eggplant, Celery, Iceberg or Romaine Lettuce  88¢ each

Bartlett Pears 33¢ lb

Peaches, Plums and Tomatoes 88¢ lb

Red Bell Peppers 33¢ each

Brown Rice 69¢ lb

Ralph’s

Watermelon 29¢ lb

Tomatoes 88¢ lb

Jennie-O Turkey products 50% off

Eggo Waffles $1.99 each

ChipMates Cookies $1.99 each

Stater Brothers

Red Seedless Grapes 89¢ lb

Strawberries 16oz $1.50 each

Asparagus $1.99lb

London Broil $2.77lb (kinda’ tough cut of meat)

Foster Farm Whole Chickens 79¢ lb

Pepperidge Farms Goldfish 6.6-8oz  99¢ each

Mix and Match 75¢ each (MUST BUY 10)includes items such as:

Kraft Dressing and BBQ sauce, Knudsen Cottage Double, Athenos Greek Yogurt, Trident Gum, Corn Nuts, Kool Aid Bursts

Von’s

White and Yellow Peaches  88¢ lb

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast  $1.97 lb

80% Lean Ground Beef  $2.27lb

Boneless Chuck Steak  $2.47 lb

Large Cooked Shrimp  $5.99 lb

Your comments are always welcome.  Please recommend this blog to your friends and join the “Groceries for Less” Facebook page

Not responsible for typographical errors.  I type the best I can with 2 fingers.