Comments on: Choosing Your Grocery Store

By: College Frugality

College Frugality — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:34:15 +0000

No Rewards Card Gimmicks, Please

At 16 I rescued abandoned shopping carts in the parking lot and asked, “Paper or plastic?” For nearly two years I worked at Shaw’s, a regional grocery store, which uses a rewards card for sales. After a short period of time, I understood the truth behind sales and became skeptical of the rewards card.

Unlike Cosco’s annual member fee, the Shaw’s card requires no contract or signup fee. Customers are asked to present their card at the beginning of a checkout transaction and trust items on sale are honest deals. Truth be told, some items were on sale to beat expiration dates or empty an overstocked stock room.

Similar to many stores, Shaw’s sold an arrangement of 3-liter generic sodas. Each bottle was fashioned with a large, orange 89-cent sticker. Ironically, Shaw’s advertised the same sodas, without the stickers, as ten for ten dollars during a week in July. The original price and stickers returned the following week as I became skeptical of the rewards card. I quit shortly after.

As a frugal college student, I shop less at Shaw’s, or other grocery stores using a rewards card, and more at locally owned grocery stores or farmers markets. Here are some reasons why: fruits and vegetables are locally grown and fresher, the shopping space is less congested, shorter checkout lines, and no rewards card gimmicks.

By: Kristy @ Master Your Card

Kristy @ Master Your Card — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:47:44 +0000

We have about three different grocery store chains, two different warehouse options, and then, of course, Wal-Mart. I base my choice on price, convenience, and store brands. We have this store here called H.E.B. that is on almost every major road in this area, has super competitive prices, and their store brands actually taste good. It's usually fully stocked, except late at night when I like to shop to avoid the crowds and rude people, but otherwise I find what I need. I wouldn't shop at a high end store. For me, it's not worth paying more. In this area, the higher-end stores aren't necessarily cleaner, their lines are just as long, and their employees are just as rude. I'd rather pay less and have more convenience. That's just me, though. Kristy @ Master Your Card´s last blog post..What Would You Do With $10 Million?

By: Shevy

Shevy — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 07:26:33 +0000

I shop at a Safeway that is between home and work. Whether I’m driving or on the bus, it’s the quickest and easiest place to go and it’s open until midnight (I work late evenings 3 times a week). My daughter’s school also does a fundraiser with Safeway gift cards for part of the year. I don’t save any money with them but the school gets back something like 8% of the cost of the card and that’s nice.

Once every couple of weeks I go out of my way to Superstore, which I hate (long lineups, have to bag your own groceries) but it has much better prices on certain items and is the only place where I can get some others.

And I go to the kosher deli weekly for kosher meat, bread and cheese products.

By: Kika

Kika — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 08:53:05 +0000

I live in a small town without tons of selection. I shop at the store with generally lower prices for much of my groceries but also make regular trips to Shopper’s Drug Mart’s grocery section where I tend to find excellent sales on items I regularly use. A couple times a year I order from “Grainworks”, an organic food co-op of sorts; I buy huge sacks of brown basmati, black-eyed beans, etc. I also buy eggs from a young girl raising her own hens and 1/4 of a young, locally-raised beef, each spring. A friend who shops at Costco picks me up boxes of edamame from there. A couple times/year, when I go into the city I stock up on big bags of rice from the Chinese Market (and a few other things). So more and more I am shopping from a variety of sources- no longer looking at price alone but also at best quality for my food-dollar. We are in Canada and spend about $850/month on groceries & cleaning products for a family of five.

By: momstheword

momstheword — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 05:13:24 +0000

I do most of my shopping at a store called Winco and Costco. At Winco you have to bag your own items but the prices are excellent. I don't use as many coupons as I should but I don't buy a lot of the items that the coupons are for. I think the pricebook idea is excellent. I have used one for years and it has helped me stockpile groceries at their lowest prices. momstheword´s last blog post..MY GROCERY STORE HATES ME

By: Saver Queen

Saver Queen — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:52:25 +0000

I just found a giant grocery store that is unbelievably cheap, as well as clean, quiet and open late. (I regretfully inform you that you're not the only one who likes to do her grocery shopping on saturday night - i am sad also). I used to shop at Loblaws - more expensive, I admit - but with great sales and, when I lived in Toronto, I was desperate for nice places to shop so I sometimes paid a little extra to avoid battling the crowds. I also enjoy our farmer's market, although it is much more expensive so I am going to reserve it for it's specialities: local artisan cheeses, humanely raised meat & mennonite eggs. Saver Queen´s last blog post..Frugality v. simplicity: Reconcilable?

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:41:28 +0000

You overlooked IKEA which has excellent coffee, cookies , jams and prepared dinners among other foods perhaps too exotic to a nonScandinavian. Except for bulk products at Lidl and variety at Carrefour, I have priced foods in city centre often as cheaper. I have ruined my freetime fighting for parking spaces, and driving a tanklike cart around an enormous store pushing everything except that simple milk I need. French hypermarkets are overrated!

By: Craig

Craig — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:34:54 +0000

I shop at the supermarket closet to my house. It has a large variety and I always find what I want. I also have a store bonus card to get additional savings on store items.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:30:44 +0000

@SyrahSuzie, Lidl has bagels??? I’m there!

By: Nancy

Nancy — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:26:22 +0000

As much as I hate to admit it, I do the bulk of my shopping at the WalMart Super Center. It's convenient and affordable. Working full time, I don't care to spend an entire day of my weekend going from store to store to gather our food. I prefer to buy my fresh produce at the upscale grocery store, Dillons, as it is much better quality than WalMart. I wish we had a Whole Foods store but it saves me money by that not being an option. Nancy´s last blog post..This & That