I bet you didn’t know that I have the largest Kroger Supermarket (Fred Meyer, Ralphs) in the US in my town! Well I do. They tore down the old one over a year ago and built a HUGE one. So huge that it takes me an average of 2 hours to go grocery shopping! I’m not a fan of the new size – it has a horrible layout!
At the old Kroger I used to know the flower lady and would buy some marked down flowers every other week. But when they built the new Kroger, there were suddenly new people and no marked down flowers! Which made me sad because nothing brightens a room like fresh flowers.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to Amazon and/or Etsy, which means that I may earn a small commission from some of the links in this post. Please see our Disclosure Page for more information.
Until last Friday! I happened to be walking past and spied an assortment of flowers in a corner, went to have a look and low and behold they were marked down!
I got two bunches of sunflowers for $1.15 each (and they aren’t even old)!
The new flower lady tells me that she will be marking down flowers Thursday evening into Friday morning from now on. Yay!
It gives me so much enjoyment to be able to have some lovely fresh flowers on my dining room table. And what great timing! Clearance flowers available just when there’s not too much for me to pick in my yard.
Having fresh flowers in winter is definitely something I’d call a “simple pleasure”. Just a little something that makes every day life a little sweeter!
What are some simple pleasures you enjoy?
Meadowsweet Cottage says
Looking out my window at the neighbor’s tree- flaming red against a blue Nevada sky–even makes dishwashing a pleasure!
Stacey says
I love to flowers at the grocery store too. Don’t like to spend more than $3.00 though…that’s just the magic number that floats in my head. I’m so glad you found the flowers and the sweet lady who told you. 🙂 Makes that big ol store a little friendlier, doesn’t it?
Vee says
So cheerful and bright. I wonder how long you expect the sunflowers to last? I buy a $2.50 bunch of carnations and they last a month. I call that a bargain, though they don’t make quite the statement your sunflowers do.
Manuela says
Well I bought them last Friday and they still look pretty. I don’t expect them to last a month. I don’t think I’ve ever had fresh flowers last a whole month. Those must have been some amazing carnations!
So to answer your question, I expect them to last about two weeks.
Lisa~A Cottage To Me says
Beautiful sunflowers! On occasion our little local grocery store will mark down flowers. I pick up a bunch and you are right it brightens things up a bit in our home. Puts a little smile on my face as well!
Faith says
It is a lovely bunch of bright beauties..perfect timing. Stop over and list your simple pleasure over at my place…Simply Joys Shared Monday is going on…We used to have Kroger years ago here, it would be nice to have another store here so there are no shenanigans going on..
Theresa H. Roach says
Simple inexpensive pleasure but OH SO beautiful! I buy them also:) Have a blessed day dear Manuela, HUGS!
Kathleen Grace says
Awesome deal! Flowers are a luxury, so getting them for a steal is super. Huh, I never thought to ask if our Kroger has a regular day they do the markdowns! I’ll have to try that!
Debby Messner says
I love sunflowers.
I like at our local grocery. Every one thinks it is too expensive. I don’t……I usually by the brands that are on sale. If I think something is too high, I will wait to buy it later or someplace later. I can find the GF products that I like there. They did a remodel a few years back. I am still not happy with it. The first rows are wine and alcohol. Clean in the new addition the farthest away is the bread, cheese, eggs and milk section. I know they did this because of the college students. I think they should have used the new addition to have all the wine and alcohol and snacks and left the rest alone.
Manuela says
I love sunflowers too. They’re such happy flowers.
My Kroger has a center section with housewares – like they want to be a Target or something. My Publix recently remodeled and put wine and cheese (specialty cheese) at the front of the store as you walk in. My local Cost Plus World Market has wine tastings every Saturday. I guess people are getting more into wine maybe because they’re cooking at home more?
DFW says
Beautiful flowers for a great price. Good for you.
Jennifer says
I always look for the marked down flowers too. Such a wonderful way to bring sunshine into the house!
Diana says
Those look lovely — I love sunflowers! Kroger is talking about converting the store here in our town to one of those giant mega stores, with furniture even, but since they also want a gas station I don’t think it will happen.
I checked my Costco for yeast — gone! Just like you said. I put a plea in the suggestion box. They said they have had a good number asking for yeast.
Manuela says
This one has a gas station which is good because it’s the cheapest gas around. I filled up today and paid $3.03 a gallon.
This Kroger has furniture/dishes/tablecloths, a huge baby aisle, the seasonal aisle etc. and it’s all in the center of the store. So you have to walk past all of that to get from produce to the freezer section on the other side of the store. Plus some aisles are short and have horizontal aisles mixed in. It’s a mess! With all that space they still aren’t well stocked. They always don’t have something I need.
I’m hope Costco will carry yeast as a specialty item for Christmas baking at least. They have bread flour why not yeast. I just don’t get it!
Olive Cooper says
Your sunflowers are beautiful. I get lost in our enormous Kroger too. In fact I broke up with Kroger and now Publix is my new BFF. Thanks for stopping by Olive Out. xo, olive
Manuela says
I love Publix! Shopping is a pleasure there 🙂 I always check out their sales.
Brenda Kula-Pruitt says
Oh, and they’re beautiful, Manuela! I never find any that cheap. I like the photo of your living space in the background. So soft and cozy looking.
Brenda
Jacqui says
You’re right, fresh flowers do make a room. The ones I have are past their best-buy date … time for more! 🙂
We are going to be redecorating our living room. I really like your living room and the colours you have in there. Do you remember what paint you used and the colour?
Manuela says
Hi Jacqui,
The wall behind the fireplace is Squished Squash by Benjamin Moore. The rest of the walls are Moonlight by Benjamin Moore. The Dining Room is Squished Squash right now but I’m going to repaint it to Moonlight – it’s a softer yellow.
I always get a sample pot and paint a swatch on my wall and live with it for a week or so before deciding on a paint color.
frugalluxuries says
Bargain beauty Manuela!!! You are so lucky. :))). We don’t have Krogers out here but I will be borrowing your great idea and start asking if TJs has a markdown day! So smart of you.
Love,
Traceyxox
Pat says
Manuela-
such pretty flowers. I’m so glad you were able to meet the new flower lady and find out good times for marked down flowers. These are so pretty. I love that table runner. —Pat
Alicia S says
What a great idea. I’ve always wanted to buy fresh flowers on Monday to grace my desk at work but the cost was prohibitive, but there is a Vons and and Albertsons within a few blocks from the office and I bet they have markdown days as well. Time to go in and befriend the flower lady 🙂
Mimi Sue says
I love sunflowers too. Nothing brightens the day like sunflowers! Mimi
Melanie says
What a beautiful bouquet of flowers for such little money! They certainly cheer up a table (or any space) in the dreary weather, don’t they? I love your burlap runner, too.
deana says
I get my flowers from Wal-Mart. There are times we can find them marked down to a 1.00 a bundle. If you feel that some of the items are to high use coupon’s. I belong to a few sights where you can print the ones that you will use off the printer. So after I have my list done I just go on the coupon site and print out what I need and the ones I see good deals on and go ahead and do those as well and just put them a way till I am ready for the item.
I like how you put them burlap around the bottom of the vase with the ribbon it looks really good.
Skip says
I love sunflowers (and all other flowers). It’s perfect that they mark them up before the weekend. Esp if you have having guests over. I wonder if all grocery stores mark down around Thursday. I will have to look into this 🙂
Kristi Jalics says
How wonderful that you discovered this and that the woman who runs the flower department told you when it will happen, every week….Just looking at the pictures of flowers in your blog today made me feel happy and sunny!
Deanna says
Sunflowers are so cheerful! What a treat to see these today on your blog! It’s like sunshine, which we have been lacking for a month nearly!
Ah…and a nor’easter on it’s way. I think we will be getting some snow today or tonight!
Thanks for brightening my day!
Deanna
Julie says
AWESOME deal…such a small price for such a big dose of cheer!! rah. xo