Finding reasonably priced groceries

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YeahBuddy
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Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by YeahBuddy »

With inflation aside, I'm finding issues locally with overly excessive prices and out of stock for some essentials. For example, my local grocer hiked the price of a gallon of milk from $2.50 to over $5.00 / gallon. My local Costco has milk for under $3.00 but it is not convenient to drive to and has restricted hours. Another issue boneless, skinless chicken breast which used to be in stock for $2.99/lb. It's been out of stock now for > 1 month and the replacement is organic chicken for $5.99/lb. The thighs are lower quality.

Is this a common problem? And does anyone have a solution I'm unaware of, such as a delivery service, a meat company, other retailers, etc.
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mega317
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by mega317 »

Delivery isn't going to be cheaper (except maybe at teaser rates). Everyone will have an answer but it's going to be a hodgepodge. I have a meat guy! or this farmer down the road has too many eggs he's practically giving them away! I don't think there is one answer that is generalizable to multiple foods which will meaningfully impact your bill.

Also I don't know if inflation is an aside. Things get more expensive. It's not as if grocers or anyone else are adjusting their tags by the CPI every month.
notBobToo
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by notBobToo »

Maybe depends on your location, and cherry picking can help. Around here (DelMarVa) milk is running about $4.00 a gallon for store brand (Giant, Harris Teeter, Food Lion). Just got boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.77 a pound (Giant, three day sale) and bone-in split chicken breasts for .99 a pound (Harris Teeter). Stocked up for grilling season.
Chuckles960
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by Chuckles960 »

Just wait long enough and the current prices will seem reasonable.
H-Town
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by H-Town »

RobLyons wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 3:29 pm With inflation aside, I'm finding issues locally with overly excessive prices and out of stock for some essentials. For example, my local grocer hiked the price of a gallon of milk from $2.50 to over $5.00 / gallon. My local Costco has milk for under $3.00 but it is not convenient to drive to and has restricted hours. Another issue boneless, skinless chicken breast which used to be in stock for $2.99/lb. It's been out of stock now for > 1 month and the replacement is organic chicken for $5.99/lb. The thighs are lower quality.

Is this a common problem? And does anyone have a solution I'm unaware of, such as a delivery service, a meat company, other retailers, etc.
In my area (the 4 largest metropolitan), I don't see such jump in prices. I think we have decent competition around here (HEB, Kroger, Randall, wholesale club, etc.) to keep price stays competitive.

When we plan meals for next week, we use app for each of the local grocers to make sure we don't overpay. We tend to rotate protein when they're cheaper ($2 - $3/lb).
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Beensabu
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by Beensabu »

RobLyons wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 3:29 pm Is this a common problem?
Yes, this is how it is right now. Dairy, eggs, and meat are all way up and have been for awhile.

I have found that when the cheaper stuff goes out of stock, they tend to mark down the more expensive stuff at least a little bit.
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stoptothink
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by stoptothink »

It's getting scary, I'm shocked every time I go shopping. For instance, price of eggs at our local grocer have now increased 400%+ in the past year. Problem is, this is (by a pretty significant margin) the cheapest grocer in the area; eggs are (not insignificantly) more expensive at WalMart. The only things we have done are slightly change our eating habits to eat less of the products that have skyrocketed in price and spend more of our dollars at the local scratch & dent/fell off the back of the truck store, which has different fare depending on the day. Basically, we're just becoming more flexible.
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ResearchMed
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by ResearchMed »

We are still using Instacart, so that drives the grocery prices even higher.

However, there are quite a few "grocer" type choices near us.
I tend to use 3, one is high end (not quite Whole Foods, although that's actually a 4th choice we could use), one almost high, and one much lower priced. Those are all "in general".

Each of those stores has a few items that are priced sky high. Ridiculously so, actually.
I've zeroed in on which of the stores has the best/better prices on our commonly purchased items, and get those from them, and then add the regular things (that are about the same price at each place) to make sure we've got the minimum order, etc., and to make it fair for the shopper, so the tip is useful to them for their time, etc.

There are items that can be $4.59 at one place, and $3.09 at another. That is truly nuts. There are quite a few items like that. These are everyday prices... week after week.
Diet Coke 6-packs can be almost $2 more at one store than at the other two.

But overall, the trend has been that prices are definitely rising, but only on some types of items.

And then there are the shortages. One of the stores is more likely to carry item X than either of the others, etc.

I suppose in general each store tries to sort of gouge the less alert shoppers on a few items, while being competitive on others. (I haven't noticed anything that appears to be a true loss leader, but my mental pricing could be outdated.)

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livesoft
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by livesoft »

I live in an area of significant population and lots of grocery stores. Costco is too far away, but Walmart, Target, HEB, Kroger, and others are nearby, so there is lots of competition. Prices have gone up, but not too bad for the things I buy. For instance, a half-gallon of Silk unsweet organic soy milk is $2.98 at Kroger and last week was $2.48 at HEB, but today is $2.78 at HEB. 18 oz of fresh blueberries has been $4.48, but today $4.98. I don't buy meat since others in the household buy meat. So far, no one has complained about unavailability nor prices of fresh chicken, beef, and fish.

When I have travelled, I have seen remote towns with small grocery stores. I can see why fresh produce, dairy, eggs, and meats would be expensive in those locations.
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Kenkat
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Re: Finding reasonably priced grocerie

Post by Kenkat »

Must be somewhat regional; in Ohio:

Kroger - Gallon of Milk, $2.29; Large Eggs - Dozen, $2.29
Wal-Mart - Gallon of Milk, $1.88; Large Eggs - Dozen, $2.22

We also will shop at Aldi, Sam’s Club and GFS (Gordon Food Services) for certain items that we know are cheaper there. It definitely pays to shop around and use coupons; for example, we got a dozen eggs free at Kroger last week just by “clipping” a coupon in the Kroger app.
HomeStretch
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by HomeStretch »

I am seeing significantly higher prices. I use the following to keep grocery spending down:

(1) buying multiple quantities when a regularly purchased item is on sale and using coupons, if available.

(2) eliminating food waste.

(3) planning menus around what’s on sale rather than the opposite.

(4) growing my own herbs and a few vegetables.
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ClevrChico
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by ClevrChico »

We do a mix of our local discount grocer, Aldi, and an Asian grocery. Costco is in the far 'burbs, so it's not a practical option for two working parents.

Prices are higher everywhere, but these cheaper grocers are still cheaper than the expensive ones.
adamthesmythe
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by adamthesmythe »

Chicken and egg prices, at least, are up because of an outbreak of avian flu. This price rise at least should be transitory.

The sensible thing is to buy the best alternate to things that are expensive.
MadHungarian
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by MadHungarian »

The only thing that hasn't been going up is my paycheck. It's a bit distressing.
Pyramid44
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by Pyramid44 »

Our local stores are hit and miss.

This week deli meats were 99 cents per ounce (think $1 per ounce or 16$ per pound). Some sale items, but usually not fan favorites.

I’m finding any whole meat (chicken, port, beef) anywhere from 10$ low to high 20 per pound.

Cans of soup average at 4$ per can.

Eggs are limited due to regional flocks decimated by avian flu. 5 to 6 dollars per dozen. Limit 2.

Milk is anywhere from 4 to 6 dollars a gallon (cow, nut, oat, no difference)

However there were a couple of sales of tomato products at 69 cents a can and local sausage maker having two products at 3 dollars per 1 pound pack limit 2 (bought the limit).

Dungeness Crab was available for 79.99 (Yes, on penny below 80 dollars) a pound. No crab cakes this seasons at our house.

Greens for salads vary. Not always seeing iceberg or Romain but instead more of the mixed greens for sale.

First fresh corn on the cob this year at 1 dollar per ear.

Breakfast is no longer a three egg omelet with a side of breakfast meat and toast. All three items are now pricey or limited.

Breakfast is now a potato “hash” (Cubed, shredded) with onions, peppers, seasonings, maybe some shredded cheese and a single egg served your way.

I’ve been making home made falafel as a protein for lunch or dinner. The other meal is usually a salad or soup. Most recipes are Mediterranean or middle eastern such as tabouleh.

We used to use milk in coffee but have simply switched to black.

The supermarkets are no longer hiding the empty spots on their shelves.

I plan meals based on what I have in my pantry and freezer. I refill based on what I can find on sale. Fresh veg and fruit is based on what is available on sale when I get to the store.

Even Costco isn’t always the cheapest place to buy something depending upon the spot sales at supermarkets. Depends on how far your gas dollars go in getting to a variety of stores.
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blueberrypi
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by blueberrypi »

Aldi is the only store that seems significantly cheaper. When I was single I did almost all my shopping there.
GeMoney
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by GeMoney »

It depends on what's available in your location but for me I also shop at local ethnic markets whose prices for me has been even less than discount supermarkets. Although prices have been increasing at Trader Joes it has not increased at the rate as the supermarkets in my area.
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JAZZISCOOL
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by JAZZISCOOL »

RobLyons wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 3:29 pm With inflation aside, I'm finding issues locally with overly excessive prices and out of stock for some essentials. For example, my local grocer hiked the price of a gallon of milk from $2.50 to over $5.00 / gallon. My local Costco has milk for under $3.00 but it is not convenient to drive to and has restricted hours. Another issue boneless, skinless chicken breast which used to be in stock for $2.99/lb. It's been out of stock now for > 1 month and the replacement is organic chicken for $5.99/lb. The thighs are lower quality.

Is this a common problem? And does anyone have a solution I'm unaware of, such as a delivery service, a meat company, other retailers, etc.
I agree with the other posts in that it is likely regional. I tend to shop at Kroger because they have the best sales. Today I bought 1 gallon of milk for $3.19 and skinless chicken breasts for $4.99/lb. They also had good Fuji apples for $0.99/lb which is quite good since produce prices have been much higher lately. They also have online store coupons you can download to save a bit more. I also earn fuel points there to buy gas at a discount. You can save more on chicken if you buy the large family packs (and have freezer room.....)
LittleMaggieMae
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by LittleMaggieMae »

RobLyons wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 3:29 pm With inflation aside, I'm finding issues locally with overly excessive prices and out of stock for some essentials. For example, my local grocer hiked the price of a gallon of milk from $2.50 to over $5.00 / gallon. My local Costco has milk for under $3.00 but it is not convenient to drive to and has restricted hours. Another issue boneless, skinless chicken breast which used to be in stock for $2.99/lb. It's been out of stock now for > 1 month and the replacement is organic chicken for $5.99/lb. The thighs are lower quality.

Is this a common problem? And does anyone have a solution I'm unaware of, such as a delivery service, a meat company, other retailers, etc.
I think the price increases are a common problem.

A couple of solutions:
look around your area - are there other grocery stores you've never gone into? Do they have a webpage and an online weekly ad? Figure out which store has what you want on sale - and then go visit it. Now might be the time to have an "Adventure" and check out the groceries in your area. This is where you do the thing where you "shop sales" and maybe stock up on some stuff so you always have enough "ingredients" at home to make various meals.

Find a substitute for the thing you can't find or that has become too expensive. For milk - you might just have to bite the bullet and pay the higher prices if you have kids and milk is one of their preferred beverages. If you are cooking with milk or using it in your coffee (or a smoothie??) there are other options (various versions of canned milk for example - you will need to google the substitution so you get the right can of canned milk :) )
Or, stop using/buying the thing that is now too expensive. This requires a change in "mind set" and in menu planning. And may require eating some "hit or miss" meals as you expand your recipe repertoire. I'll admit not every can do this or feels that they even should do this. :)
Kellerreiss
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by Kellerreiss »

ALDI - hands down, best prices, best quality, better than WF.
fareastwarriors
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by fareastwarriors »

Buy what's on sale, not necessarily what's on the "list." Make sure the sale is actually good deal on a unit basis. Check our all the ads for nearby competitors.



I got some $1/lb pork shoulder on sale. It came in huge bag like 10+ lbs. I grind most the meat and fat to make dumplings. Froze many dozens. Others can make ground pork tacos, sausage, or pulled pork etc. I used the bone for soup.

I got corn 4 for $1 on sale. Sometimes I just microwave one as a snack or throw into my soup for sweetness. Others might bbq or do corn salad or eat corn on the cob, etc. I bought asparagus at $1/lb recently.

Dry pasta can still be had for $1 for a pound box. Some red sauce or make your own. That's only a few dollars for a lot food.

I see whole chicken for $1.29-1.49 lb or thighs at those prices. Many great dishes to make.
I don't get fancy cuts of pork. Like I said I get shoulder once a while ($1/lb), and ribs I see still (2.49 on sale).

As for steak, I chose to eat less of it and less often but better quality.

Learn to cook different foods using various ingredients. Don't be afraid to spice it up! Don't have to follow a recipe down to every detail.

For packaged goods, especially national brands, you might have to wait a few weeks for the right sale. Sorry cravings. You need to wait. Never pay retail for national brands!

Lastly, don't let food go bad! We waste so much food in this country. It's a shame.
rosalee
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by rosalee »

I'm not living in the USA just now so my food costs are much lower as nearly all my food is local grown.

But i can tell you that all food desires and habits are learned behaviour, mostly from mother's kitchen. Once we are able to better judge 'good food vs bad' we can move on to find personal betterment, possible better health and cost savings.

Do you know what is TVP? A very low cost vegetable protein, dehydrated and keeps forever. How about low-fat dried skim milk powder?

When i was a boy my mother loved chocolates and we shared the whole box of Fannie May. Guess what? I learned to love them too. Now, i eat them only 3x per year, and then only a bit. And i know some folks who find them much too sweet and refuse to take even one.

I really cannot listen to my brothers complain about the high price of T-bone steak. Stop eating it or stop complaining.
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Watty
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by Watty »

It is not a huge difference but one thing to watch out for is that even within a chain the prices may be different at different stores. There is a older Walmart that is about three miles from me and it is on a smaller road. There is another newer bigger Walmart that is about three miles from me in the opposite direction. Depending on what else that I am doing I may stop at either one if it is more convenient. I have noticed a couple of items that were less expensive at the older Walmart which is usually less busy. I have noticed this with other chains as well. The price difference may be 5% or less but every little bit helps.
Retired1809
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by Retired1809 »

ALDI - hands down, best prices, best quality, better than WF.
+1
I'll add some examples of Aldi's values:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast: $1.99 per pound.
Wild caught salmon: $8,99 oer pound.
Bananas: 29 cents per pound.
And their premium vanilla ice cream compares well with Costco's.

And their parking lots are free of loose shopping carts. (Deposit a quarter to get your cart and you get it back when you return your cart. German engineering.)
centrifuge41
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by centrifuge41 »

notBobToo wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 3:45 pm Maybe depends on your location, and cherry picking can help. Around here (DelMarVa) milk is running about $4.00 a gallon for store brand (Giant, Harris Teeter, Food Lion).
Yikes!

Here in NoVA, Harris Teeter, Safeway, and Giant are pretty expensive and each have few worthwhile specials. Aldi is tied for cheapest (cheaper than Walmart, and generally better quality. E.g. Aldi milk is fine, Walmart milk often spoils fairly quickly). We also have Lidl here. If you live anywhere between Atlanta and Long Island, you may be close to a Lidl. Comparable prices to Aldi, nicer quality on a lot of imports (but sometimes inferior quality to American knock-offs). Definitely worth checking out.

Eggs have gone up like crazy everywhere: normal eggs often cost more than cage-free eggs (which haven't really gone up). Cooking oil is up a lot. But whole milk is still about $1.80 a gallon at my local Lidl. Yep, it's less than half the price of the store brands. No Food Lion anywhere near me (it's an outer suburb thing in the DC area, and I'm in an inner suburb).

Definitely pays to hit up a discount grocer, and avoid the big-box full service grocers except for specials. I wish I still lived in Kroger territory - one of the few very well priced big box grocers around (on average, about ~10% more than Walmart, with better quality. I really don't like how HT/Safeway/Giant cost about ~40% more than Walmart/Aldi/Lidl).
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Picasso
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by Picasso »

I just go to Whole Foods and pay whatever the prices are. I’m busy and want good food.
centrifuge41
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by centrifuge41 »

I can't find any links to professional studies at the moment, but I did my own in the past, using a basket of 30 items in Northern VA:
I took generics wherever possible (I have generally good experience with Aldi/Lidl generics, and a little worse experience with Walmart generics. YMMV).

Lidl sale: $97.80
Lidl: $100 (All prices indexed to Lidl non-sale. The actual Lidl basket cost $56.27)
Aldi: (I don't know, sorry. They are one of the few stores that don't post prices online, but pricing feels very similar to Lidl).
Walmart: $110.70
Food Lion: $115.60
Kroger sale: $112.20
Kroger: $119.90 (I took a Richmond area store to grab prices, since Kroger is what I was used to prior to Aldi/Lidl arriving in Richmond. I wish NoVA had Kroger!)
Harris Teeter sale: $138
Giant sale: $144.40
Giant: $145.50
Safeway sale: $147.90
Harris Teeter: $161.40
Safeway: $173.40

Nowadays, items have gone up, but the relative rankings remain similar. You can easily repeat this exercise from the comfort of your own home: almost all stores except Aldi share data online now.

E.g.: https://shop.harristeeter.com/, https://shop.foodlion.com/, Walmart.com (set store, choose In-store option), safeway.com, giantfood.com, lidl.com, kroger.com etc

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joe8d
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by joe8d »

blueberrypi wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 5:32 pm Aldi is the only store that seems significantly cheaper. When I was single I did almost all my shopping there.
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Bogle7
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by Bogle7 »

Whatever.
“In 2020, U.S. consumers spent an average of 8.6 percent of their disposable personal income on food—divided between food at home (5.0 percent) and food away from home (3.6 percent).”
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ ... -spending/
So, a 20% increase in grocery prices means people spending 6% of disposable income on food.
Starvation is not in US consumers’ future.

Your Grandparents Spent More Of Their Money On Food Than You Do
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Beensabu
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by Beensabu »

Bogle7 wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 9:18 pm Whatever.
“In 2020, U.S. consumers spent an average of 8.6 percent of their disposable personal income on food—divided between food at home (5.0 percent) and food away from home (3.6 percent).”
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ ... -spending/
So, a 20% increase in grocery prices means people spending 6% of disposable income on food.
Starvation is not in US consumers’ future.

Your Grandparents Spent More Of Their Money On Food Than You Do
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/20 ... han-you-do
Thanks for demonstrating how the highest quintile can skew the average.
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windaar
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by windaar »

Food is an important spiritual part of life,when so much of our humanity has been leveraged away into screens and stress. We buy what we want at whatever the price to have a great family meal with a glass of wine. But at these prices we have built in a "leftover" night every week around Thursday, so that food in the fridge doesn't get thrown out. I also think that our two Hello Fresh meals every weeks save us money because we are buying just what we need for those meals.
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YeahBuddy
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by YeahBuddy »

H-Town wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 3:55 pm
RobLyons wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 3:29 pm With inflation aside, I'm finding issues locally with overly excessive prices and out of stock for some essentials. For example, my local grocer hiked the price of a gallon of milk from $2.50 to over $5.00 / gallon. My local Costco has milk for under $3.00 but it is not convenient to drive to and has restricted hours. Another issue boneless, skinless chicken breast which used to be in stock for $2.99/lb. It's been out of stock now for > 1 month and the replacement is organic chicken for $5.99/lb. The thighs are lower quality.

Is this a common problem? And does anyone have a solution I'm unaware of, such as a delivery service, a meat company, other retailers, etc.
In my area (the 4 largest metropolitan), I don't see such jump in prices. I think we have decent competition around here (HEB, Kroger, Randall, wholesale club, etc.) to keep price stays competitive.

When we plan meals for next week, we use app for each of the local grocers to make sure we don't overpay. We tend to rotate protein when they're cheaper ($2 - $3/lb).


I like this idea. Do you find it takes long to browse ads? I used to do this but it took a while to download each ad and browse, create a list. I found it wasn't worth my time but now seeing such price differences I may return to this habit. Thanks
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YeahBuddy
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by YeahBuddy »

stoptothink wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 4:04 pm It's getting scary, I'm shocked every time I go shopping. For instance, price of eggs at our local grocer have now increased 400%+ in the past year. Problem is, this is (by a pretty significant margin) the cheapest grocer in the area; eggs are (not insignificantly) more expensive at WalMart. The only things we have done are slightly change our eating habits to eat less of the products that have skyrocketed in price and spend more of our dollars at the local scratch & dent/fell off the back of the truck store, which has different fare depending on the day. Basically, we're just becoming more flexible.


If you can do egg whites, Costco has them at reasonable prices. (My local grocer doesn't even have them in stock most days).
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quietseas
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by quietseas »

Almond milk still $2.78/half gallon, but unsweetened cashew milk has gone extinct. Hasn't been on the shelves for about 6 months.
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YeahBuddy
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by YeahBuddy »

This has been a very informative thread! I just downloaded two local grocer's apps and just found boneless skinless chicken on special for $1.99/lb! But have to clip the ad. Will employ some of the techniques here starting now!
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furiouschads
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by furiouschads »

I like ALDI price, quality, and speed of checkout. I was on a British site recently. It was fun to see that they too thought of Aldi checkers as speed demons.

In my mid-Atlantic area, Aldi is not fully discovered by some slices of our community. Still heavily recent immigrant customer tilt. But some hipsters are catching on.

Before I went keto, I loved Aldi's premium vanilla ice cream. Gives Haagen Daaz a run for its money. Their fancy orange juice was great too. Their basmati rice did the trick. Their corn chips and ridged potato chips were yummy.

Today, their black angus ribeye steaks are thick and great. Fine butter, good thick-sliced bacon, very good breakfast sausage, great whipping cream and half&half, amazing aged NY cheddar, correct small kosher pickles. Good jerky. Vegetables are fine too. No in-store bakery, but I don't eat bread. Lidl's bakery seems OK.
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muffins14
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by muffins14 »

I find Trader Joe’s to be well priced
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lazydavid
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by lazydavid »

muffins14 wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 10:29 pm I find Trader Joe’s to be well priced
I would agree on their packaged goods (shelf/frozen). Fresh stuff is typically more expensive than pretty much any other option, IME.
Ivygirl
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by Ivygirl »

Last week I saw an interview with a spokesperson for Walmart - sorry I don't have a link - but she expressly stated that increases in prices for certain foods were going to be held down so that low-income shoppers would be able to buy enough. Foods mentioned were tuna, bread, mac 'n cheese.

I assume they will make it up by raising prices more on premium products. I know I was shocked to find that a premium brand of pasta sauce I often buy went up $2 per jar from $7 to $9 in a matter of three weeks. Hellman's mayonnaise is up $1 per jar and I swear the jar is smaller.

I think there will be a broad policy among large grocers to make sure there is something for the low-income shopper to fill his or her cart. I notice there is always a large display of sausage and ham products at reasonable prices, while beef is nearly unaffordable. Also there seems no shortage of inexpensive fish like tilapia, swai, and even frozen shrimp. And freezers full of small packages of frozen vegetables.

So those of us who want to economize will be able to do so at the expense of some of our favorites.
forgeblast
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by forgeblast »

We ended up planting a little bit larger garden this year,and plan on canning a lot.
Part of that will be hitting farmers markets. We bought a few chickens for eggs and have ducks too.
We went out and pollinated a few apple and paw paw trees by hand.
Also inoculated a couple of logs with mushroom spore.
Learned to fly fish, and plan on building a few structures on our property (small smoke house and maple sap house.
If you see the train wreck coming do something....
koryg75
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by koryg75 »

As far as meat goes, if you have the freezer space, going direct to the farmers can save some coin. Splitting a whole animal with friends can be quite a deal. Meat is delicious murder after all.
nordsteve
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by nordsteve »

Twin Cities is a competitive grocery market, with Cub, Walmart, and Target dominating the scene. Aldi and Trader Joe's also operate in the price sensitive segment. Some recent prices:

2% milk - $3.49/gal
Chicken breasts - $5/lb
Hamburger patties - $3/lb
Large eggs - $3/doz

Costco is about a 15 min trip from here, we stock up on expensive items like meat cheaply there and freeze it. We time the trip to line up with an empty gas tank to generate $3 in savings there.
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220volt
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by 220volt »

+ for Aldi or Lidle (if you have one in your city.). Apart from growling your own food and livestock, nothing else compares
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homebuyer6426
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by homebuyer6426 »

Canned fish is still reasonably priced. Sardines, herring, mackerel. Generally pretty healthy too. Sardines $1.50/20g protein

Chicken thighs are about $1.50/lb here (doubled, but still cheap), frozen turkey breast is $3/lb, beef livers $4/lb and nutritionally dense

Pasta is still $1/lb here, same as it was 10 years ago
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Watty
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by Watty »

One thing that has not been mentioned yet is making sure that you are using a credit card that will give you a 2 or 3 percent rebate on groceries.

If you have one that gives you a 3% rebate on grocery stores then check the statement to make sure that it is actually recognizing the store as a grocery store. I have am AMEX blue card which does not give the rebate at Walmart and maybe Publix since it does not treat them as a grocery store.
Dusn
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by Dusn »

ALDIs is great. My grocery bill is pretty much the same as it’s always been. It may help that I’m also eating vegetarian.
Chardo
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by Chardo »

Only thing I'm noticing a dramatic difference is eggs. Prices are 4-5x higher everywhere. Even the previously cheap places like Lidl, if they even have any eggs, are a small fortune.
LittleMaggieMae
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by LittleMaggieMae »

RobLyons wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 10:06 pm This has been a very informative thread! I just downloaded two local grocer's apps and just found boneless skinless chicken on special for $1.99/lb! But have to clip the ad. Will employ some of the techniques here starting now!
Just an FYI: you may find what you might call "quality" to be different between the various grocery stores in your area. Don't despair and don't write off ALL groceries.

Think of this as an Adventure (or a quest or a scavenger hunt or that you are a detective).

For example: The Aldi closest to me has the BEST veggies/fruit section - it moves quickly and there's maybe one week every 3 months (I'm guessing it's a delivery thing) when the veggies/fruits are pretty much AWFUL. And then every thing is "replenished" and good. A further away Aldi - ALWAYS has rotting over ripe fruit and veggies. My closest Jewel Osco has fruits and veggies but they are ALWAYS sad and sorrowful and over priced. any bagged salad or cold products in the that section are 2 or 3 days from their "best by date" - ALWAYS. The local Tony's Fresh Market is hit or miss... on fruit and veggies but is generally OK.

The local Target has TERRIBLE fruit/veggies - like jewel everything is always on it's last leg.
The local Miejer is good - they are always restocking and fruit/veggies.

the same goes with "meat" and "deli" - I don't eat much meat - but I know Aldi is always good. Friends/relatives use Tony's Deli counter, a Local grocery's butcher and deli counter, and Meijers. Jewel is for snacks and alcohol. :)

Do you see where I'm going with this? You need to suss out which of your local stores provides the right quality for you products and then you watch the sales, plan your menu, and then plan which grocery store to go to and in what order. you don't have to go to all of them EVERY shopping trip. But you may visit one or two to get what you need. I tend to hit Aldi first - and then what I can't get there - I go to another store to get.
HomeStretch
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by HomeStretch »

Watty’s post about using a credit card with 2-3% rebate on groceries is good.

Depending on your grocery spend, evaluate whether the AMEX Blue Card Preferred is worthwhile - $95 annual fee, 6% grocery rebate up to $6k/yr.

It’s probably worthwhile to try the AMEX BCP for a year as there is a public offer (see link, below) to have the 1st year’s annual fee waived and to receive a $350 statement credit if you spend $3k in the first 6 months. Also check DoctorOfCredit to see if there is a better bonus offer. If a family member has an AMEX card, they may be able to send you a referral and earn a bonus reward. The AMEX BCP has offers that you can activate that sometimes will save you more, such as 10% off a cable bill.

https://card.americanexpress.com/m/blue ... gIJ-vD_BwE
LittleMaggieMae
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Re: Finding reasonably priced groceries

Post by LittleMaggieMae »

Dusn wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 9:40 am ALDIs is great. My grocery bill is pretty much the same as it’s always been. It may help that I’m also eating vegetarian.
Just a comment in general - I'm a Flexitarian (who might be mistaken for a Vegetarian).

I'm finally starting to "feel" and "see" the price increases on some of the foods I eat - generally in the cost of "meats".

I feel bad for the people who have meat with every meal and who do not subscribe to "traditional portion sizes".... it's gotta be brutal on the pocket book. :( most of the ingredients for my vegetarian meals have not increased all that much.
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