How Publix BOGO deals work

When the Publix ad starts

Publix’s weekly ad starts on Thursday in most areas and on Wednesday in parts of Florida. Check the ad for your own store, since the start day and some deals depend on where you live.

Shop on the overlap day if your store has one, when last week’s and this week’s BOGOs can both still be on the shelf. Ask your store whether it has one.

Buying just one BOGO item

In most Publix stores you can buy just one BOGO item and pay half price. That means a small household doesn’t have to buy two of something to get the deal.

If you do buy two, you pay for one and get the second free. Either way, the price per item is the same: half the regular price.

This works best on things you would buy anyway. A BOGO on chicken or pasta sauce is a real saving. A BOGO on something you would not normally buy is just spending.

Watch the unit price too. A BOGO on a name brand is not always cheaper per ounce than the Publix brand at its regular price. The shelf tag usually shows a unit price, so compare the two before you put anything in the cart.

Stacking coupons on a BOGO

Publix takes both its own digital coupons and manufacturer coupons on the same item. On a BOGO, that is where the savings get big.

A BOGO plus two coupons can bring an item close to free. Each coupon has its own terms, so read the fine print for size, quantity, and how many times it can be used.

1. Check the weekly ad for BOGOs on things you already buy.
2. Clip the matching Publix digital coupons to your account before you shop.
3. Look for a manufacturer coupon on the same product, printed or from the newspaper.
4. Enter your phone number or scan your account at checkout so the digital coupons apply.
5. Check your receipt before you leave the store.

What goes BOGO most often

BOGOs rotate, but some kinds of food show up again and again. If you shop Publix every week, you will see the pattern.

• Proteins: chicken, sausage, and frozen seafood are regular BOGO items.
• Pasta, sauce, and boxed sides, which go BOGO in rotation.
• Bread, cereal, and snack brands.
• Frozen meals and frozen vegetables.

Planning dinners around BOGOs

Build dinner around the BOGO protein of the week. A BOGO pack of chicken or sausage at half price is often cheaper per serving than anything else in the ad.

Pasta, sauce, and sides go BOGO in rotation. Buy two and plan a second dinner from the free one. Pasta and jarred sauce keep for months, so it is worth stocking up when they come around.

Frozen seafood, chicken, and bread keep well in the freezer, so a BOGO week on any of them is a good time to buy one for this week and one for later.

If a BOGO item is sold out, ask the customer service desk what they can do. Policies on that can vary, so ask at your store.

Seeing your store’s BOGOs

Penny Meals reads each Publix store’s weekly savings, including BOGOs and multi-buys, and the coupons Publix lists for them. Enter your ZIP and you can see which Publix deals are on near you, and how they compare with other stores nearby.

Questions

Do you have to buy two to get a Publix BOGO?

In most Publix stores, no. You can buy just one BOGO item and pay half price.

Can you use two coupons on one Publix item?

Publix takes both its own digital coupons and manufacturer coupons on the same item. Each coupon has its own terms, so read the fine print.

What day does the Publix ad start?

Thursday in most areas and Wednesday in parts of Florida. Check the ad for your own store.

What are the best Publix BOGO items for dinner?

The BOGO protein of the week, often chicken, sausage, or frozen seafood, plus pasta, sauce, and sides that go BOGO in rotation.

This week’s markdowns

• Publix markdowns this week
• Winn-Dixie markdowns this week

Cheap recipes

• Cheap chicken dinners
• Dinners under $5 a serving
• All recipes

Related guides

• What day does each grocery store’s weekly ad start?
• Cheap dinner ideas under $3 a serving
• How to feed a family on $50 a week