save money on food?

[MBAustin]

I assume you put a quarter in the cart, and the quarter is returned if you return the cart to the rack? This eliminates the need for cart collection?

Yup, that's how it works! They have a short chain that goes from the cart in front into the coin holder and when it clicks in, the coin pops out. Vice versa for taking a cart.

 

[Surewhitey]

Food is one of the cheapest things in Mexico. Vegetables and fruits in particular, but even beef tenderloin is $9-10 / lb, ribeyes are $4-5 / lb. Seafood is very nice here too.

The imported, processed foods are the expensive things down here. No more Oreos for me.

Even in Cali, we ate in mostly as eating out was not worth the cost, not to mention the headache. I can cook better than most places anyhoo.

 

[Bestwifeever]

We have some of those carts here too. Here's how they work, courtesy of Wikipedia. Being an engineer, I am impressed with the design of such a device, which must be inexpensive, and work off a small battery for a long time.

Each shopping cart is fitted with an electronic locking wheel, or 'boot'. A transmitter with a thin wire is placed around the perimeter of the parking lot, and the boot locks when the cart leaves the designated area. Store personnel must then deactivate the lock with a hand-held remote to return the cart to stock. Often a line is painted in front of the broadcast range to warn customers that their cart will stop when rolled past the line. ​

Our Aldi carts are not nearly as sophisticated as that--in fact, you can take the Aldi cart anywhere (even wheel it across the street and leave it in the ditch, or load it into a pickup truck and take it home) but you won't get your quarter back til you push it back into cart queue and stick the little chain thingie into the quarter thingie. On the other hand, you can keep the cart for only 25 cents .

 

[FUEGO]

Food is one of the cheapest things in Mexico. Vegetables and fruits in particular,

I have fond memories of Mexico and the fresh fruits from the market. Mangoes in particular stick in my mind. I believe they were 3 pesos (USD$0.25) per kilo when I was there during the summers (about 10-12 years ago). Just slightly more expensive than picking them up for free off the sidewalk where they would fall from overburdened trees.

Here on the east coast they are usually 10-20x that price (at a cheap place) and not normally as fresh.

 

[haha]

Ha, in one of your strolls about the vibrant core of Seattle, i.e., 3rd and Pike, you might enjoy visiting IGA and chatting with John, the butcher. He has a very interesting theory regarding why food prices are so inflationary, and a supportive book recommendation. He earned (late in life) a business degree from Seattle University and has years of grocery experiences. Super guy, and you'll likely enjoy the chat, also he makes two types of his own sausage and worth trying.

You ain't wrong on food inflation.

Thanks for the suggestion. That is the corner with Ross and Walgreens- as I remember the IGA is across 3rd Avenue from Ross, to the west? I've never been in there but I will go, maybe today.

Ha