Shopping for Food - Where? Why? Coupons?
- Thread starter imoldernu
- Start date
I have sons - ages 9 and 11 - who have reached that bottomless pit stage.
I also still work. So time is limited.
I shop weekly at costco (which is carrying lots of organics now.)
I supplement at Sprouts (produce store), and Trader Joes.
For quick items - the local grocery store, Vons, gets the business.
We do most of meal eating at home - and pack lunches... so we go through a lot of food.
I also still work. So time is limited.
I shop weekly at costco (which is carrying lots of organics now.)
I supplement at Sprouts (produce store), and Trader Joes.
For quick items - the local grocery store, Vons, gets the business.
We do most of meal eating at home - and pack lunches... so we go through a lot of food.
Most fruit and vegetables: farmers market
Meat/eggs: farmers market or Whole Foods
Spices/ethnic food: farmers market or Whole Foods
Dairy products: Whole Foods
Food Staples: Safeway or Whole Foods for bulk.
Tea/Coffee: small local retailers
No coupons. I select the retailer based on freshness, selection, and other tree hugging criteria. Convenience and price are secondary.
Meat/eggs: farmers market or Whole Foods
Spices/ethnic food: farmers market or Whole Foods
Dairy products: Whole Foods
Food Staples: Safeway or Whole Foods for bulk.
Tea/Coffee: small local retailers
No coupons. I select the retailer based on freshness, selection, and other tree hugging criteria. Convenience and price are secondary.
rbmrtn
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Not a lot of choices here. Walmart, Kroger and a Piggly-Wiggly
WalMart generally has lowest prices on canned goods and most staple items, Shop sale adds a Kroger and PW. Buy in bulk when items on sale.
Coupons on things I can actually use, which is not much. Got used to store brands on a lot of things.
WalMart generally has lowest prices on canned goods and most staple items, Shop sale adds a Kroger and PW. Buy in bulk when items on sale.
Coupons on things I can actually use, which is not much. Got used to store brands on a lot of things.
Life_is_Good
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We have a place in the Northwest called WINCO. They beat all the supermarkets and Walmart on price for most items. They are like a Costco for food.
audreyh1
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Costco and HEB. Both have great meat selections. HEB has great produce. Costco does too and great fruit when in season. HEB has a good store/organic brand for dairy and many non-perishable items.
I focus more on quality than anything. Fortunately, both Costco and HEB give pretty good prices for higher quality items.
Nearest Whole Foods is 250 miles away. Sprouts has some of the organic brands we like, so we occasionally visit them. HEB carries some of the other staple organic brands.
I focus more on quality than anything. Fortunately, both Costco and HEB give pretty good prices for higher quality items.
Nearest Whole Foods is 250 miles away. Sprouts has some of the organic brands we like, so we occasionally visit them. HEB carries some of the other staple organic brands.
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
I shop at the supermarket a half mile from my home. It has all the standard stuff at reasonably competitive prices. Also it has nice produce, often locally grown.
Since I am just shopping for one person, and for only half my meals at that, I am not inclined to drive around looking for deals or unusual items. Time is money even after retirement. It isn't worth it to me.
Yesterday I was out of EVERYTHING. I went to the grocery store, and was able to shop, bring everything home, and have it all put away in my kitchen within 32 minutes after the time I left (and 23 of those minutes were walking up and down the grocery store aisles). Very convenient. It is even faster when I only need half as many items.
Since I am just shopping for one person, and for only half my meals at that, I am not inclined to drive around looking for deals or unusual items. Time is money even after retirement. It isn't worth it to me.
Yesterday I was out of EVERYTHING. I went to the grocery store, and was able to shop, bring everything home, and have it all put away in my kitchen within 32 minutes after the time I left (and 23 of those minutes were walking up and down the grocery store aisles). Very convenient. It is even faster when I only need half as many items.
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freebird5825
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Aldi's - prefrozen chicken, veggies/fruits, dairy, snacks
BJ's - on free trial membership, paper goods, condiments, some frozen prepared food (potpies, meatballs)
American Legion - join up with other members and the post itself to buy in bulk from Sysco or Deli Boy.
Dollar type stores - canned and dry goods
My container garden on the back deck - herbs, tomatoes, peppers, peas, green onions, leaf lettuce, beans in season
Micellaneous local stores - Mr B scans the newspaper grocery store flyers for sales while he has coffee with the Legion guys in the morning. They do the same "research" and tell each other about the best local deals. It's like having a Shoppers Club with no fee or silliness.
WalMart is at the very bottom of my list, if at all. I have personally seen people sample food from sealed containers and place them back on the shelf. That just grossed me out and destroyed my confidence in their food safety.
Coupons? Not since I was a newlywed and we bought the house in 1984.
BJ's - on free trial membership, paper goods, condiments, some frozen prepared food (potpies, meatballs)
American Legion - join up with other members and the post itself to buy in bulk from Sysco or Deli Boy.
Dollar type stores - canned and dry goods
My container garden on the back deck - herbs, tomatoes, peppers, peas, green onions, leaf lettuce, beans in season
Micellaneous local stores - Mr B scans the newspaper grocery store flyers for sales while he has coffee with the Legion guys in the morning. They do the same "research" and tell each other about the best local deals. It's like having a Shoppers Club with no fee or silliness.
WalMart is at the very bottom of my list, if at all. I have personally seen people sample food from sealed containers and place them back on the shelf. That just grossed me out and destroyed my confidence in their food safety.
Coupons? Not since I was a newlywed and we bought the house in 1984.
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I'm guessing at about 75% WalMart, 20% Costco and 5% Publix supermarket. Just two of us so we don't buy anything in bulk. Most meat products come from Costco. Everyday grocery items come from WalMart because of price. Most of the coupons I use are for a $1 or more off an item. I don't mess around with the $.50 off eight cans of something. At WalMart, if we get there about 10AM they might be marking down meat if it's the last day to sell before expiration. I'll stock up on 96% lean ground beef or thick cut pork chops where you can save $3-4 on a package. We use a lot of chicken broth and I buy this at The Dollar Store where I can get a 32oz box for a dollar. If we were a family of four with two teen age sons playing football, I'd be watching grocery cost a lot more.
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Our weekly CSA share for vegetables. Aldis weekly for everything we can possibly buy there, because it's the cheapest by far. Stop & Shop or Shoprite for most everything else. Trader Joe's about once a month. Whole Foods about once a year.
Katsmeow
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At our current house I mostly go to HEB. For HEB they do all their coupons in store so if something has a coupon you just tear it off there in the store and use it. That is convenient since we don't take a paper and so don't otherwise get coupons.
For awhile before I went to HEB I did the Grocery Game.
http://www.thegrocerygame.com/
This is based upon 2 concepts. The first is that store rotate sales of items on a regular basis so within a 3 month or so period of time the price on an item can vary widely between the regular price and sale price. If nothing else, you will save a lot by buying a 3 month supply of non-perishable items when they hit the lowest price during the 3 month cycle. If you have a coupon saved up for that time, you save even more. The grocery game will tell you which items in your local store each week are at the low price and will tell you which coupons match up. It isn't free but when I used it I definitely saved much more than the cost. However, since we don't get coupons from the paper any more I quit using it. Also I found it less reliable for HEB than other stores.
As far as other stores, I occasionally use Kroger for a few things that I can't get at HEB and even more rarely go to Walmart (very poor selection and only go there for 1 product flavor I can't get elsewhere).
I used to live near a Super Target and its grocery prices were comparable to HEB. Kroger is much more expensive. However, where I live now the Target has poor selection.
For awhile before I went to HEB I did the Grocery Game.
http://www.thegrocerygame.com/
This is based upon 2 concepts. The first is that store rotate sales of items on a regular basis so within a 3 month or so period of time the price on an item can vary widely between the regular price and sale price. If nothing else, you will save a lot by buying a 3 month supply of non-perishable items when they hit the lowest price during the 3 month cycle. If you have a coupon saved up for that time, you save even more. The grocery game will tell you which items in your local store each week are at the low price and will tell you which coupons match up. It isn't free but when I used it I definitely saved much more than the cost. However, since we don't get coupons from the paper any more I quit using it. Also I found it less reliable for HEB than other stores.
As far as other stores, I occasionally use Kroger for a few things that I can't get at HEB and even more rarely go to Walmart (very poor selection and only go there for 1 product flavor I can't get elsewhere).
I used to live near a Super Target and its grocery prices were comparable to HEB. Kroger is much more expensive. However, where I live now the Target has poor selection.
RAE
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I have a big vegetable garden, and my goal is to buy no vegetables from the store for at least 5-6 months or so, while my garden is producing (and we have veggies in the freezer and on the canning shelf to fill part of our needs after that, also). So far this year (since about early June, anyway), sweet corn is the only veggie I have had to purchase, and I get that at a little local corn/veggie stand.
For meat, we buy a 1/4 side of beef and a lamb from local farmers every fall. We also get free-range chickens and farm eggs from another farmer. We also hunt deer, which usually provides some venison.
We did this stuff when I was working (to some degree), but now that I am retired, I have lots more time for the garden and deer hunting, etc., so we're even less dependent on the store for food. We like to know exactly where our food comes from (and how it was grown/raised), which is why we make the effort to do these things. I understand that it would not be practical for everyone.
RAE
For meat, we buy a 1/4 side of beef and a lamb from local farmers every fall. We also get free-range chickens and farm eggs from another farmer. We also hunt deer, which usually provides some venison.
We did this stuff when I was working (to some degree), but now that I am retired, I have lots more time for the garden and deer hunting, etc., so we're even less dependent on the store for food. We like to know exactly where our food comes from (and how it was grown/raised), which is why we make the effort to do these things. I understand that it would not be practical for everyone.
RAE
Bestwifeever
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Aldi's for staples. Can't tell the difference between Aldi label butter, flour, eggs, etc., and the chain stores.
Whole Foods or meat market for meat, bakery, cheese.
Independent local groceries for produce.
Target for non-food stuff like paper and cleaning goods.
If I see a coupon for >$1 that I can use at Target, I'll clip it. Otherwise, no.
Whole Foods or meat market for meat, bakery, cheese.
Independent local groceries for produce.
Target for non-food stuff like paper and cleaning goods.
If I see a coupon for >$1 that I can use at Target, I'll clip it. Otherwise, no.
Mulligan
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Once a week I risk life and limb dodging 30-45 year old people who have ate themselves into the privilege of using electric carts at Walmart. Really nothing else in a 20 mile radius. No coupons, being single food isn't a big bite out of my monthly budget, so I don't bargain shop much.
Goonie
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Aldi for most everything.....probably about 90% of our shopping. Everything we've had from Aldi was as good as, if not better than, over-priced (IMHO), name-brand stuff. Their produce is very good, fresh, and cheaper than anywhere else in town. Same deal with their meat.
Kroger has THE best produce selection in our area. They have a wide variety of organic herbs & produce, as well as the standard herbs & produce. All of the produce that we've had from Kroger has been top-notch...fresh, ripe, and reasonably priced. They also have a very good selection of ethnic food, condiments, ingredients, etc.
We also buy produce from a local roadside stand across town, for fresh-picked produce. There is a small 'mom & pop' organic grocer in the next town over that I go to occasionally.....went there today for a cold ice tea and fresh baked cookies after I attended a friend's funeral visitation across the street. For steaks, seafood, and specialty or unique meat products, I go to the neighborhood butcher shop a couple blocks from home.
We used to shop a lot at our local IGA grocery store, but their quality and selection have gone downhill drastically, and their prices have gone up drastically.
Kroger has THE best produce selection in our area. They have a wide variety of organic herbs & produce, as well as the standard herbs & produce. All of the produce that we've had from Kroger has been top-notch...fresh, ripe, and reasonably priced. They also have a very good selection of ethnic food, condiments, ingredients, etc.
We also buy produce from a local roadside stand across town, for fresh-picked produce. There is a small 'mom & pop' organic grocer in the next town over that I go to occasionally.....went there today for a cold ice tea and fresh baked cookies after I attended a friend's funeral visitation across the street. For steaks, seafood, and specialty or unique meat products, I go to the neighborhood butcher shop a couple blocks from home.
We used to shop a lot at our local IGA grocery store, but their quality and selection have gone downhill drastically, and their prices have gone up drastically.
Local Martin's sometimes Food Lion. Those are the only two (besides Wal-Mart, which I avoid) because of always-long lines.
Martins has frequent sales and sometimes coupons for stuff we actually buy and use, and for every $100 spent there we get 10 cents/gallon off on gasoline.
Costco and Sams Club are both 1/2 hour or more away so it doesn't make sense to go there for groceries. Any savings would be consumed in fuel.
Martins has frequent sales and sometimes coupons for stuff we actually buy and use, and for every $100 spent there we get 10 cents/gallon off on gasoline.
Costco and Sams Club are both 1/2 hour or more away so it doesn't make sense to go there for groceries. Any savings would be consumed in fuel.
MikeD
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REWahoo
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Howard E. Butt
It was originally called the Butt Grocery Company. Probably a good idea to go with his initials only, eh?
Oh, and the official tag line was changed from "We stock a Butt load of groceries" to "Here Everything is Better" ...
We shop at different grocers, but biggest by volume and $$ is Whole Foods Market. We buy game sausage and bison online because we either can't find a local purveyor or it is too expensive.
FUEGO
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Aldi mostly now. Food Lion for quick stuff or sales since it is 5 minutes walking or by car. Neighborhood Asian groceries for rice and asian veggies and can/jar/dry good staples.
Walmart for groceries sometimes. Usually we get groceries there if we are going there for RX and other non-food stuff (paper goods, toiletries, cosmetics, medicine, etc). Used to go here all the time but Aldi's has mostly replaced them for fresh food and most staples, so walmart is an every other week or every 3 weeks trip.
Coupons - rarely, but i pay close attention to sales by skimming the Food lion and Aldi salespaper weekly. Aldi usually beats name brand plus a coupon anyway and it is quick and convenient due to small size.
Walmart for groceries sometimes. Usually we get groceries there if we are going there for RX and other non-food stuff (paper goods, toiletries, cosmetics, medicine, etc). Used to go here all the time but Aldi's has mostly replaced them for fresh food and most staples, so walmart is an every other week or every 3 weeks trip.
Coupons - rarely, but i pay close attention to sales by skimming the Food lion and Aldi salespaper weekly. Aldi usually beats name brand plus a coupon anyway and it is quick and convenient due to small size.
NW-Bound
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No HEB nor Aldi in our state. Within a few miles of my home are Costco, Safeway, Fry's, Albersons, Basha's (a local chain), Fresh-n-Easy, Sprouts, and Trader Joe's. We go to them all, whoever has what we need on sale that week. Sometimes, we just want to visit a different store, just for the heck of it to see if it has anything different.
For produce and bulk dry food (nuts, almond, sunflower seeds, etc...), we like to go to Sprouts. We also go to a local Hispanic chain as they have excellent prices on some produce and fruits. My recent favorite deal there is avocados on sale at 5 for $1. These are a bit small, about the size of a goose egg. This turns out to be perfect for one serving, as I eat one a day. No left over, nothing to store.
PS. There's a type of avocado that has a very small stone that's about the size of an egg yolk. So, the avocado has a lot of meat despite its small size. I am becoming an avocado addict!
For produce and bulk dry food (nuts, almond, sunflower seeds, etc...), we like to go to Sprouts. We also go to a local Hispanic chain as they have excellent prices on some produce and fruits. My recent favorite deal there is avocados on sale at 5 for $1. These are a bit small, about the size of a goose egg. This turns out to be perfect for one serving, as I eat one a day. No left over, nothing to store.
PS. There's a type of avocado that has a very small stone that's about the size of an egg yolk. So, the avocado has a lot of meat despite its small size. I am becoming an avocado addict!
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audreyh1
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Abbreviation as ReWahoo pointed out. It is a regional grocery chain covering maybe 2/3 of TX and some of northern Mexico. They never expanded beyond that, but they tend to dominate their local markets. None of the other national chains - Safeway, Krogers, Albertsons, Randalls etc. have been able to "win" in their area.
It's a private company and they run a really outstanding grocery store. They even went head-to-head with Whole Foods in their "backyard" (Central Texas), developing their Central Market chain of upscale grocery stores. Then they turned around and introduced the best ideas from their Central Market model to their regular grocery stores. They also have a lot of food lines (especially the Central Market line) that are top quality as well. I'm a big fan.
Whole Foods is also a Texas chain, headquartered in Austin. HEB is headquartered in San Antonio.
I go to United Supermarkets or their Market Street stores. It's a big West Tx chain now making its way into the metroplex. Sometimes I go to Sprouts, but they don't have things like cat litter, so mostly I stick to the United stores.
ohyes
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Few grocery store choices in our area. I have subscribed to thegrocerygame.com for three years and truly believe it saves us money....plus i just really enjoy it.
We eat quasi-vegan. We use the farmers' market, Kroger (we do have a new huge new Kroger with the jewelry store, cupcake stand, etc )...and Whole Foods when we make it into Little Rock (2-3 times a month).
I cook much more since retiring. One meal a day is always a salad...makes me feel so sanctimonious, lol. This also means more trips to store for greens. Course, i have time now!
We eat quasi-vegan. We use the farmers' market, Kroger (we do have a new huge new Kroger with the jewelry store, cupcake stand, etc )...and Whole Foods when we make it into Little Rock (2-3 times a month).
I cook much more since retiring. One meal a day is always a salad...makes me feel so sanctimonious, lol. This also means more trips to store for greens. Course, i have time now!
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