Isn't it crazy how we don't know or think about what things cost?? For YEARS, I grocery shopped every week, and I couldn't have told you what eggs or milk typically cost or where I could find them the cheapest. If you are like me and just put the items in your cart, check them off your list, and cross your fingers when you get the the checkout line, you can change this.
One week when you go shopping, make yourself a list with extra room to write next to each item. Choose your three favorite stores and write the store at which you think the item will be cheapest next to the item name. Go shopping at your three stores...as you're buying your ingredients, check on the most popular of the other items while you're at each store (milk, eggs, flour, etc)...write it down to compare later. After one or two weeks of doing this, you'll figure out who is expensive and who saves you money. (Sadly, this is why my groceries rarely come from Target anymore. Target, I love you, but your convenience of being across the street from me comes at too large a price.)
I can't go any further without telling you about my favorite grocery store. I wish I were getting paid to talk about them, but I promise I'm not. The first time I went to this store, I did a quick walk-through with a bad attitude and I walked out without buying anything. (One of the reasons is because I had not sense of what things should cost--I was not impressed with the low prices. In fact, I remember telling my husband The second time I went to this store was years later when I was a little more desperate for a deal and happy to make it work.
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It was the beginning of my continuing love affair with...Aldi. I LOVE this store, y'all. It has a few quirks that cut down on their costs, which help them slash prices. First, you have to deposit a quarter to get your cart. (When you return your cart, you get your quarter back.) Come on, that's not too terrible is it? Second, they do not bag your groceries...you can purchase bags at a very low cost or you can bring your own eco-friendly bags and bag them at the bagging counter yourself. Or you can toss every single thing into the trunk of your car...what do I care? (I will give you a tip if you forgot your bags, which I have been known to do on occasion: grab one or two of the larger boxes that the food is stacked in...if you've been to the store, you'll know what I'm talking about. Inevitably, there is a box of sports drinks or frozen chicken breasts or something that is almost empty...toss the items into the full box behind/under it and store the box under your cart for after you check out.) The last major quirk is that there are almost no brand names. Aldi has their own brands--you will hardly notice that they aren't brand names because they're designed to look (and taste) just like the major brands. I say there are almost no brand names, because occasionally they will have Pillsbury products on clearance (right now they have discounted Christmas funfetti cake, for example) or M&M's or some type of seasonal brand (Libby's pumpkin puree, for example).
One week when you go shopping, make yourself a list with extra room to write next to each item. Choose your three favorite stores and write the store at which you think the item will be cheapest next to the item name. Go shopping at your three stores...as you're buying your ingredients, check on the most popular of the other items while you're at each store (milk, eggs, flour, etc)...write it down to compare later. After one or two weeks of doing this, you'll figure out who is expensive and who saves you money. (Sadly, this is why my groceries rarely come from Target anymore. Target, I love you, but your convenience of being across the street from me comes at too large a price.)
I can't go any further without telling you about my favorite grocery store. I wish I were getting paid to talk about them, but I promise I'm not. The first time I went to this store, I did a quick walk-through with a bad attitude and I walked out without buying anything. (One of the reasons is because I had not sense of what things should cost--I was not impressed with the low prices. In fact, I remember telling my husband The second time I went to this store was years later when I was a little more desperate for a deal and happy to make it work.
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Aldi's almost always always always has the lowest price on everything I need. I shop at other stores for only two reasons: (1) There is a limited (though growing) selection at Aldi--they are most likely not going to have Ancho chiles or broccoli rabe, and (2) On rare occasions, you can find certain things cheaper or better quality at other stores. That being said, I am an Aldi shopper for life. I LOVE it there!
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR STORES
Ok, so the way *I* grocery shop is a melding together of the least amount of trips with the least amount of money spent. You can think about this and implement it wherever you live. (Or you may decide that you have less time, so you will pay a little more money. Or you want to pay the least amount of money, so you will go to as many places as it takes. I make decisions between these two extremes weekly and land somewhere in the middle.) I personally happen to live in a part of town that has a kajillion grocery stores nearby, which is awesome. However, I choose to drive about 10-15 minutes east for two stores near each other that both save me money--the fact that they are both near each other and both save me money makes the extra driving worth it to me.
Here's my personal short list of preferred stores:
ALDI: My first stop because it has the cheapest of almost everything. Their milk is *almost* the cheapest, their fruit/veggies are almost always the cheapest, and their eggs, cereal, pasta, and canned goods are *always* the cheapest. I also almost always buy my extra virgin olive oil here, even though I could find a higher quality somewhere else.
KROGER: Usually my choice if I'm trying to go to one store--I know I'll save on some things and end up paying more for others. Their Private Selection brand items are pretty good--we love the ice cream. And I got a Kroger Turkey at Christmastime for 88 cents a lb! Check their mailer for their weekly sales--once you have an idea of what things cost, you'll know when you spot a deal worth the trip.
FRESH MARKET: My gourmet grocery splurge. Believe it or not, my child acts better in "fancier" atmospheres, so this is my choice of grocery store if I have to go somewhere with her. (Or Costco, for the samples & bribery churro at the end.) This is the place I inevitably head for the ingredients I know won't be at Aldi or Costco...in the past, I would try Kroger first, but I found myself ended up frustrated if the item wasn't there and then I had to go to FM anyways.
In the spring, summer, fall, I also frequent the Farmers' Markets, but that's another post for another season. On most weeks, I hit up Aldi, Costco, & if necessary, only one of the others.
I hope this post saves you tons of time and money...or both! Tomorrow's post is the final in the Grocery Grumble--see you then!
Here's my personal short list of preferred stores:
ALDI: My first stop because it has the cheapest of almost everything. Their milk is *almost* the cheapest, their fruit/veggies are almost always the cheapest, and their eggs, cereal, pasta, and canned goods are *always* the cheapest. I also almost always buy my extra virgin olive oil here, even though I could find a higher quality somewhere else.
COSTCO: Their meat is the best quality for the least price. Their milk is 10 cents cheaper than Aldi, and so is their half & half, usually. I like to buy my K-cups for my Keurig here, because they're cheaper than Starbucks or Target. I am a snob about brand name Ziploc plastic bags, and they cheapest I can find them is here. Costco formula and diapers are awesome, too. (Just for your comparison, my fave brand name diapers are Pampers Cruisers.)
EASYWAY (a local-to-the-Memphis-area produce store): Usually cheaper produce than Kroger & Fresh Market. Sometimes I stop by here and find it actually was cheaper somewhere else on sale. Their orange signs are their sale prices for the week, and those sales are usually pretty great.
KROGER: Usually my choice if I'm trying to go to one store--I know I'll save on some things and end up paying more for others. Their Private Selection brand items are pretty good--we love the ice cream. And I got a Kroger Turkey at Christmastime for 88 cents a lb! Check their mailer for their weekly sales--once you have an idea of what things cost, you'll know when you spot a deal worth the trip.
FRESH MARKET: My gourmet grocery splurge. Believe it or not, my child acts better in "fancier" atmospheres, so this is my choice of grocery store if I have to go somewhere with her. (Or Costco, for the samples & bribery churro at the end.) This is the place I inevitably head for the ingredients I know won't be at Aldi or Costco...in the past, I would try Kroger first, but I found myself ended up frustrated if the item wasn't there and then I had to go to FM anyways.
In the spring, summer, fall, I also frequent the Farmers' Markets, but that's another post for another season. On most weeks, I hit up Aldi, Costco, & if necessary, only one of the others.
I hope this post saves you tons of time and money...or both! Tomorrow's post is the final in the Grocery Grumble--see you then!
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