One of the biggest areas of savings most people miss is the Manager's Markdown. Most people don't stop to take a look at the great deals they can find! Kroger, Remke bigg's and Meijer especially offer this kind of sale - but Kroger is my favorite. A lot of time I'll find items that I almost never can get on sale - more than 50 percent off! Do you love expensive cheese? Organic foods? Fine cuts of meat? These all will often go on Manager's Markdown!Now, the Manager's Markdown has a slightly negative reputation. Most people assume that if it's marked down, then it must be close to or past its expiration date. About half of the time that is true. Still, if it is a day or two before expiration and I can freeze it, it's no different from the item I buy at full price with a week or more left before expiration! But the other half of the items are often marked down for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with expiration dates. According to the managers I've met, it's often a case of needing more room - either new stock is coming in and they need room for it on the shelf, they've decided to discontinue carrying an item altogether or a new type of packaging is coming in and they need to clear out the older products.

So just what kind of deals have I gotten from Manager's Markdowns? Well, here's a sample list:

• Less than $2.00/lb for ground turkey is an excellent price!

• Fresh mozzarella normally $3.99 each - this is more than 50 percent off!

• Organic steamer fresh veggies with $1 off coupon attached. I paid $.19!

• Used a coupon for $.50 off a dozen, making these organic cage-free brown eggs only $.39 a dozen!

• Hefty Easy Flaps garbage bags - combined with $.55-off-one peelies found on the boxes - only $2.21 for 37 bags!

• Asiago cheese is normally $5 to $7 each, but I found it for $2.99!

• Goat cheese is typically $3.89 to $4.50, but only $1.99 with Manager's Markdown!

• Goldy's Smoked Mozzarella for $2.49 -- this is 50 percent off the regular price!

• A Cappuccino maker for less than $10!

• Buns for $.49 to $.79 each. They had buns elsewhere for $.24 each. Manager said they had a shipment coming and they needed room!

• Veggie trays, normally $16-plus, but only $4.99!

• Ham, normally $3.49, for just $1.49!

• Mom's Best Naturals organic cereal is normally $3.49. Used the $.75/1 printable coupon: FREE!

• Organic low-sodium soy sauce - used $.25/1 coupons and paid only $.25 a bottle!