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Wed 26 Nov, 2008 06:02 am
In my town there is a Publix, which IMO is a semi-upscale grocery. (It ain't Gristedes, but it is lots better than A&P.) I had been shopping there exclusively since I moved down south. Last year, they opened a super Wal-Mart on the other side of the same street.
As of late I have been doing some of my food shopping at Wal-Mart. I find that the prices are better in most categories. I still go to Publix though, because they have some of the more high end items that Wal-Mart does not carry.
I even sometimes go to the el cheapo store in my town for targeted items, like watermelon, that you can still get for $3-. I had been buying a lot of stuff at Sams and Costco, even before the downturn. (Costco has the most AMAZING huge pumpkin pie for $6-)
Anyhow, I needed a few things yesterday, Wednesday, two days before Thanksgiving. I expected the place to be jammed with people buying stuff for the holiday, but it looked like a normal day to me in terms of people in the store, and the amount of stuff in their baskets.
On top of that, when I checked out, I asked the cashier if it had been busier earlier in the day. She said that it hadn't. One of the baggers (an older man) cracked, "We tell better jokes here than at Wal-Mart".
I am wondering as to whether people are consciously attempting to steamline their shopping habits to save money.
Are you doing your grocery shopping any differently since the economic downturn? What are you doing to save money, if you are?
interesting, yesterday Lady Diane and meself went to the usual market which was a slight bit busier than usual and then went down the street to our somewhat upscale meat market/ fish monger/deli etc and you had to take a number just to get in the door (with a security guard to insure "cooperation").
@dyslexia,
i love wal mart for generic items, but if i had my own spot id shop organic too..
I still shop at Publix. I love Publix and often, the prices are just as good or, in some cases, even better than the Kroger. Sweet potatoes are .43 per lb. at Publix and .59 per lb at Kroger. See?
I'm clipping coupons for the very first time.
@eoe,
kroger stuff sucks, maybe they have tiers, but i had some mayo that tasted like pure cheap oil of some sort. i was disappointed.
everything kroger i have tasted is basura.
@OGIONIK,
You've got to be careful with the generic stuff.
I know places like Whole Foods is suffering, but my local quality grocery was so busy yesterday that I had to wait for a parking space. I can understand buying name brands in Walmart, they are the cheapest, but I would never buy produce or meat from them. They do a lot of transporting and warehousing that effects freshness. Walmart's "warehouse of wheels" does not appeal to desire for fresh and local that I'm willing to pay for it. The biggest problem for most people shopping at Walmart is that they buy more than they normally would because there is so much stuff to be tempted by. I actual spend less at the smaller, high quality grocery. Mainly because I don't come home with impulsive sock purchases or family sized packages of Little Debbie Cakes (unless I'm expecting Dys and Diane for dinner).
@OGIONIK,
Og, learn to read labels. You can tell the quality of packaged food from what is in it.
@Green Witch,
yeha most the time i cant understand the words.
its like chromiolithilateiumpolymorphicphetamine
@OGIONIK,
Check out this list for some of the worst (scroll down)
http://www.healthyeatingadvisor.com/food-labels.html
If you can pronounce it don't buy it.
I quit driving across town to Whole foods but because of the price of gas, not that the I found the produce that much higher. I may start going back now that gas is down at least temporarily. For staples and just the regular crap I have a Food Lion within walking distance. Squinney and I will occasionally get some stuff from Sams club but now that we feed ourselves or just one cub (it's rare for us all to be at the table at once) we don't need the jumbo economy family small army platoon sizes.......so Sam's is not a regular stop for us.
@Bi-Polar Bear,
I got all excited during a trip to Houston back in March and joined Sams Club. Hubby and I have shopped there a few times but like Bear and Squinney, it's really no one but us at the table. The drive really isn't worth it.
@eoe,
Yes...and Publix here takes coupons - double ones too...they also do like Walmart in that they will match a sale price at another store. And their buy one get one free specials are really things I can use. This makes them as cheap as Walmart in many things. Walmart still outweighs it a bit when it comes to some things though. I just keep my eyes open and check my sales circulars
@eoe,
I belonged to Costco for years, and finally decided that the price of my membership plus the price of things I bought and didn't need added up to much more than any savings I'd accrued.
I do miss some specific costco items -- around holiday time, they have a good deal on 3 lb bags of both walnuts and almonds; I also miss their Val Breso feta cheese, my favorite brand of feta.
I still like the big bath towels, the glassware set, the suitcase set, and the big ceramic bowls, after a bunch of years. Since I still have all those, I don't need more..
I don't go to an upscale store and I use coupons. So to save money, I'll use my coupons and then double or triple up on things. Like I save $1 when I buy 3 bottles of JOY or save $1 on sugar.
I buy things in bulk, especially toilet paper when there's a sale. .. Best way to save money.
Also, I don't buy ORGANIC...
@Miller,
miller wrote :
Quote:I buy things in bulk, especially toilet paper when there's a sale. .. Best way to save money.
Also, I don't buy ORGANIC...
that's what i call FUNNY !
@Phoenix32890,
Quote:To my delight, I cooked the roast for 1 hour in the pressure cooker, and it was absoutely delicious. Subsequently I cooked a Publix brisket in the cooker, which is more expensive, and it was nowhere near as good. Go figure!
if the beef wasn't properly "aged" even the most expensive beef can turn out to be "substandard" .
http://www.beefinfo.org/aging.cfm
Quote:Beef, like fine wine, improves with age. The term aging simply means the length of time beef cuts are stored under controlled conditions of temperature and humidity before they are packaged for the meat counter. Aging allows naturally occurring enzymes within the meat to slowly break down some of the connective tissues that contribute to toughness.
Beef aging significantly increases tenderness. Aging times vary considerably from 3 to 21 days. For the best eating quality, look for beef aged at least 10 to 14 days. Check with your meat department manager on their aging policy.
Our local Whole Foods is always crowded, probably because it's located in
yuppie territory.
We don't have Publix out here, it's either Vons/Safeways or Ralphs. They're
busy too. Walmart is quite a distance, almost on the outer skirts of the city...
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