Affordable grocery stores

[Laila619]

I would recommend Super Target or Super Wal-mart. In my area at least, they are cheaper than traditional grocery stores.

 

[Gypsy]

Gypsy, keep an eye out for Grocery Outlet stores. They're finally expanding into the Bay Area, and they're great for grocery bargain hunting!

I've seen them around. I'm not sure we have one right here though. But then again, I don't have a Sprouts here and I go there anyway.

I find that buying groceries takes strategy. We usually end up hitting many stores for things.

Dry/canned/bottled 'brand name' things like Mayo I buy at Target.
Trash bags, paper goods (all of them), eggs, butter, orange juice we buy at Costco. I also buy some meat there. But I find that Safeway on sale is more cost effective.
Sprouts is for non brand name dry goods and cold cuts. Especially the bulk stuff like organic oats, nuts, cereal, I buy at sprouts.
Safeway I get canned tomatoes (finally found a brand I like), some dry pasta and meats. And I like their Ham off the Bone, and it's often on sale.
I buy seafood and fresh greens at Ranch 99.
And I buy almost all my veggies and fruits at the farmers markets.

I will also hit specialty stores for fancy cheeses, pate, and some cold cuts.

Honestly, grocery shopping can be exhausting. No one store has great prices and great quality across the board.

 

[NOYFB]

Affordable grocery stores? Isn't that an oxymoron?

 

[kenny]

No one store has great prices and great quality across the board.

+1

Stores that attract you with their very low prices on X will often have very high prices on Y, assuming you'll take the easy way out and just buy everything at one store.

Now that I've figured out their game I don't mind visiting 3 or 4 stores to complete my shopping.
In fact it's rather satisfying, in a revenge sort of way.

I feel so smug viewing the high prices of milk at the store with rock-bottom produce prices.
Then at Costco where I buy my milk I love looking at the tomatoes which often cost 5 to 10 times what I pay elsewhere.

I feel so smug.
Another person may feel smug saving gas and time completing all their shopping at one location.

 

[kenny]

Just got back from Superior Grocers, so thought I'd show you my catch of the day.
Produce is on sale Wed and Thurs.

Bananas, 2 lb
Onions, 1.9 lb
Cilantro, 1 bunch
Cucumber, 1 large
Green Onions, 1 bunch
Honeydew Melon, 1, weighing 4.1 lb
Jalapeño Peppers, 3
Kool Pops, 1 box of 20
Manila Mangos, 2
Pineapple, 2, weighing total of 4.4 lbs
Red Bell Pepper, 1
Roma Tomatoes, 3.2 lbs
Corn, 1 ear
Valencia Oranges, 2.4 lb
Seedless Watermelon, 16.5 lbs

Total: $13.97.

Disclaimer: unlike top-price stores like Ralph's, Whole Foods or Gelsons, Superior will not have apples that are the largest you have ever seen in your life or grapefruits the size of your head, and you sometimes have to pick through to find the best examples.
But I think the prices make it worth it.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I'm not sure you can find one but look for Stater brothers, or Winco. Both are so. Cal stores. Meat is better at costco, but when there is a tri-tip sale at vons I stock up. Most of the produce is more expensive at Von's than costco even on sale. I would also look for some local farmers markets. Most importantly, i would plan your meals around the sale flyers and stock up when you find a good sale. The sales generally fall every six to eight weeks so plan to stock up accordingly. Meal planning in advance and stocking up should save you some cash.

 

[luv2sparkle]

Here is my personal breakdown of what I buy and where I think it is cheaper:

Staters: cereal when on sale (if you buy that) Foster Farms chicken on sale between 69. and 77. cents per pound on sale. I usually stock up and chop it up myself and freeze it in foodsaver bags

Von's: Tri tip-untrimmed. Usually between 2.77-3.99 on sale. Again trim myself and freeze air tight.

Costco- most veggies for salad, but watch the price of tomatoes because sometimes they are higher than the regular grocery. Paper plates with Costco coupon books. I also buy toilet paper (charmin) and kirkland brand paper towels. I just like them. Kirkland brand fabric softener and detergent. I usually buy these things when they have a coupon book which comes out for every month. Vitamins w/ coupon.
Eggs are way cheaper at costco, and so is cheese. I bought some smoked gouda for pizza and it was 5 dollars a pound vs. 9.99 at my local grocery. I think the quality of their lunch meat is better than the store deli so I buy that there. It also has less preservatives. Spices are cheaper here. I also buy ziplock bags again with the coupon. Ciabatta rolls for sandwiches and bagels are a pretty good deal too, although I like Panera bagels better. Cream Cheese is a great deal at costco if you don't mind a large container. At the grocery its about 3.99 for a small container and at costco about 4 (in one container) is 8.29. If we have had it for a while and I just want to use it up, I add it to mashed potatoes or bake a cake for the fam and make frosting with it. Bagged pinto beans are pretty cheap at costco about a dollar a pound if you want to make your own refrieds and freeze them, but I have seen beans for a dollar a pound other places.

Winco.-I really only go there for weird spices or bulk food items. Sometimes you can find some good organics in the bulk bins. I bought some organic honey there not too long ago. They actually have the bee hive in the store!

 

[luv2sparkle]

If your Costco has it, their organic coffee is a killer deal. Otherwise, I buy that at Trader Joes.

 

[mayerling]

Just got back from Superior Grocers, so thought I'd show you my catch of the day.
Produce is on sale Wed and Thurs.

Bananas, 2 lb
Onions, 1.9 lb
Cilantro, 1 bunch
Cucumber, 1 large
Green Onions, 1 bunch
Honeydew Melon, 1, weighing 4.1 lb
Jalapeño Peppers, 3
Kool Pops, 1 box of 20
Manila Mangos, 2
Pineapple, 2, weighing total of 4.4 lbs
Red Bell Pepper, 1
Roma Tomatoes, 3.2 lbs
Corn, 1 ear
Valencia Oranges, 2.4 lb
Seedless Watermelon, 16.5 lbs

Total: $13.97.

Disclaimer: unlike top-price stores like Ralph's, Whole Foods or Gelsons, Superior will not have apples that are the largest you have ever seen in your life or grapefruits the size of your head, and you sometimes have to pick through to find the best examples.
But I think the prices make it worth it.

Wow, Kenny! This afternoon I bought 3 onions, 2 green apples, one bag of green grapes, and one bag of penne and I paid $17!

 

[arkieb1]

We have some of the best produce in the world but the supermarket chains here screw the farmers so they are basically going broke and then they charge the consumers ridiculous prices for meat, fruit, vegetables and so on. The price of food, clothing, cars, houses pretty much everything is MUCH more expensive in Australia than the US.

 

[kenny]

Wow, Kenny! This afternoon I bought 3 onions, 2 green apples, one bag of green grapes, and one bag of penne and I paid $17!

That's cause you shop at a store for white people.

I'm joking, but there's an element of truth in it.
I remember years ago reading that companies charge as much as they feel customers in each location can pay.
IIRC the exact same cigarettes Phillip Morris sold for $5 a pack in USA would be priced $1 a pack in countries where that was the 'going' rate.
Less in other countries.
It's kinda sickening they still make enough profit selling the same stuff at the lower prices.
Imagine how much profit they make off the affluent demographic.

Again, this grocery chain caters to lower-income primarily-latino neighborhoods ... which are sprinkled all over Southern California.

I'm gonna post the receipt below since it's too low to believe.
Frankly some items are much cheaper at other times, like 18 cents for a bunch of cilantro instead of the 50 cents it was today.
Those mangos were 25 cents each today but last week they were 20 cents.
50 cents for an ear of corn is very high for this store but TWO pineapples for $1.45 is a steal.

Y'all need to shop on the other side of the railroad tracks.
Local farmer's markets are as expensive as Ralph's or Vons.

 

[Gypsy]

Oh I totally agree with the "you shop at stores for white people" comment.

If you ever go to Ranch 99 Market. Or, around here, an Indian market you'll be shocked. I buy spices at the Indian market. And that the Persian Market. I started laughing one day when I was out of turmeric and I wanted to one stop shop, so I said, 'well, I can suck it up and buy Turmeric at Safeway." Nope. Couldn't do it. It was all pale, and over priced. Ended up at the Persian store.

I try to buy as much as I can at these places. It saves you TONS. ESPECIALLY Ranch 99. I buy as much as I can there. And then when I go to 'regular' grocery stores I flip out. $.99 for a bunch of green onions!! Holy crow. I pay 20-30 cents a bunch. I get a PILE of fresh basil of 2 bucks. And mushrooms are just plain CHEAP. Celery and carrots! The tomatoes usually suck, and the potatoes too. So I do skip the sucky stuff... but it's usually confined to the items that aren't traditionally used in large quantities in Asian foods.

And the seafood. So fresh and so inexpensive.

I don't buy a lot of meat at Ranch 99. And none at the Indian grocers. As for meat,but I've recently found there are several good Hispanic markets around here that have great meat at great prices. So that's where I'm going to start going.

If anyone in Nor Cal can give me good recommendations of 'ethnic' stores that are good, I'd love that. I find that there is a TON of savings to be had.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I think I get a flyer each week from Superior, but there is not one close to me. It would be a bit of a drive. But I am going to try to stop when I can. I really like that if they have a 2 for special and you buy one they still give you the sale price. Our Fresh and Easy doesn't do that. If you buy only one, you pay full price. Thanks for the receipt post, Kenny!