Comments on: Saving Money on Groceries: Picking the Right Store

By: sonam

sonam — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:29:55 +0000

Wal-Mart also gives away scholarships to college kids, provides jobs to people with no background in retail, and treat their workers well.
They have a really good pay, provide pretty good prices for most things, they give their workers hours, and if you’ve ever talked to a Wal-Mart employee, most say they are happy in their current job.

By: jjs

jjs — Sun, 10 May 2009 18:08:56 +0000

Ummm, my brother worked at Walmart in College, (a couple years ago) and they paid him better than any other grocery store around could (starting at $8.50 per hour to stalk shelves) They also donated thousands of dollars worth of products to my other little brother’s Eagle Scout Project of making hygene kits for victims of natural disasters without a problem. I think they treat their employees better than other grocery stores, and I know that they do a lot to help in the community (military, schools, charity ect…) not to mention all the jobs they give to people who would normally have a hard time finding a job (disabled, senior, no experience ect.) So, whatever…

By: ADD

ADD — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:39:21 +0000

People who hate Wal-Mart generally are disgusted by their poor treatment of their employees and the negative effect they have on the communities they move into (often against massive community opposition).

Yes, they have low prices in the short term, but in the long term we all pay dearly for their monumentally destructive policies.

By: American

American — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:19:10 +0000

Why do people hate Wal-mart? What’s wrong with a company that has low prices and thousands of jobs? Living in a free market means businesses that have lowest prices will have the most customers. Companies that can’t compete die.

I guess I am the only poor person here.

By: Tommy

Tommy — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:42:15 +0000

We primarily shop at a few places:

99 ranch: cheaper produce and meats than safeway, plus all of the ingredients we need (we’re Asian).

Monterey Market (in Berkeley, CA): Awesome selection of produce at very reasonable prices (even for organics!). Much cheaper than Safeway.

Amazon.com: Some household items are cheaper with the subscribe and save.

Costco: Toilet paper, tissues, etc here. Sometimes we get meat here because the quality is a little better than 99 ranch, but the prices are about the same or a little higher than the ranch.

By: deepali

deepali — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:50:11 +0000

Researching Wal-Mart’s lack of ethics isn’t really a full time job. There are two good websites that explore some of their issues – wakeup walmart and walmart watch. I think when a country reaches a certain amount of affluence, then it makes sense to stop and look at how many people we’ve stepped on to get that point.

That aside, just going into a Wal-mart once convinced me I would never shop there again. Everyone was miserable. It was depressing.

By: My Budget Quest

My Budget Quest — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:00:40 +0000

There’s a great website in the UK called My Supermarket. When you shop online, you choose which supermarket you want to buy your shopping from & at the end it tells you if you could have bought your shopping cheaper at one of the other main supermarkets. You can then choose to purchase from them instead.

It’s a great way to compare without spending the time doing it manually.

Don’t know if there is a US equivalent.

By: Maha

Maha — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:04:29 +0000

If you’re in the Sacramento, CA area, there is the Grocery Outlet. Although some of the brands seem experimental, they carry many items you see at Safeway and the like. At my last visit, they had coke for $1.99/12-pack (although it could have been for a 24-pack, I didn’t need to buy any, so I didn’t verify). Also found the Bimbo bakery outlet. If you like Orowheat, Bohemian Hearth or Boboli (and other brands), check it out. Oatnut bread sells for $4.09 at Safeway. At the outlet it’s $1.99. If you’re there on Wed or Sun, it’s $1.49. If you spend $7, you get a free item (I chose Oatnut again). If you have a freezer, stock up!

By: Austin Chu

Austin Chu — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:24:12 +0000

Great post. I found myself reading all the way though. I work for a company that manages and tracks gift cards and I blog about ways to save money on savvywallet.com. Couple things: Many americans are still sitting on unused gift cards. Last year around $8B was lost/unclaimed, online printable coupons can you save you tons on groceries and basic products. You can also purchase discounted gas cards online. As for myself? I run my car off waste vegetable oil, and it’s all free. I haven’t paid for fuel since Jan. You can check it out on austinchu.wordpress.com.

By: Anitra

Anitra — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:51:07 +0000

In Massachusetts, the convenience store is usually the cheapest place to go for milk – good if your family drink much, since the price per gallon has gone up $1 in the last year!

Aldi’s or scratch-n-dent stores are great, if you have them in your area (we don’t).

Trader Joe’s does tend to offer better prices on “specialty” foods than our local supermarkets do.

I find farmer’s markets and roadside stands are hit-or-miss; some of them don’t even get their fruit & vegetables locally, so I’m not sure what I’m “saving” by going there – most of the time, I just end up going to the closest supermarket (not part of a regional chain), since its produce quality has been consistently high (in the year I’ve been shopping there), and the prices are reasonable. Because they’re local, I’d be willing to bet that they get most of their in-season produce from local farmers, anyway.

By: FFB

FFB — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:26:17 +0000

Trader Joe’s is like the frugal Whole Foods! Love the place. But you can get good prices at Whole Foods to. We do most of our shopping at Waldbaum’s (not sure how far out they extend). They usually offer coupons at checkout for your next order which is helpful. Target has some good deals too. We’ve found their house brand to be pretty good too.

By: Sara - pension comparison

Sara - pension comparison — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:24:13 +0000

Lazy Man – I hear you, and your blog is aptly named. On the other hand I can usually fill in the blanks!

By: Brantoc

Brantoc — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:14:50 +0000

I was just checking. I tend to make the same mistakes in my writing and it’s usually my wife that catches it because I fill the words back in mentally when proofreading.

By: Lazy Man

Lazy Man — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:08:25 +0000

Brantoc, I don’t do it on purpose, but I write how I think. Often times, my thoughts jump faster than my fingers. I often find that I miss the most crucial word in the sentence, the verb.

I should go back and proofread, but then it wouldn’t be Lazy Man and Money.

By: Brantoc

Brantoc — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:56:28 +0000

I don’t want to be a jerk or anything, but that article has more than a couple words just flat out missing from the sentences.

I’ve noticed it for awhile now, is that your way of making people read a certain sentence because I have to stop and think about what word should go there.

This is an interesting look at grocery shopping if price was the only thing you were concerned about. I tend to shop that way, but my wife cannot stand certain generic items. I can eat just about anything and not notice the difference so I have had to adjust my shopping to account for more than just price.

By: Mobody

Mobody — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:46:26 +0000

The Super Walmart near me isn’t really cheaper than any other place. Most Walmarts price themselves competitively with stores in the area. So most things might be one cent cheaper than the Giant Eagle.

I have been doing the CVS thing for paper products, I am still on the fence whether this is a deal.

The cheapest place by far in Northeast Ohio is Marc’s. I have been going to them for decades and no one can beat their prices on just about anything. (I think they have some out east too)

This guy started out selling Coke products out of a closed storefront, he was selling 2-liters for 39-49 cents (in the 80’s) by the trainload when everyone else was selling them for double or more. I think he is still the largest distributor of coke products in ohio, a few years ago he topped even Mcdonalds on sales. He expanded beyond soda and has a lot of closeout stuff like big lots, but a wide selection of meat, fresh produce and is a full blown grocery store.

I used to shop the commissary when my ex was in the army. Some prices were better than others. We used to get better prices at Ft. Meade than at Walter Reed. So I think you just have to compare whereever you shop.

By: James

James — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:59:33 +0000

getting my groceries from the convenience store is a last resort.. i go there when i need an ‘emergency shop’.. the price hurts a lot though, but that’s the price of convenience i guess… wish i was in the military…

By: MoneyBlogga

MoneyBlogga — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:59:33 +0000

If you have a Winco near you in Southern California, I’ve found that to be the most cheapest grocery store around. Forget Vons, Ralphs, Stater Bros., Albertsons …. I would spend 2-3 times as much on groceries there as I would at Winco.

By: CRM

CRM — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:09:08 +0000

I find I save a lot by doing nearly all my shopping at Trader Joe’s (even if most of the stuff is in packages!). I live in Southern California where groceries are quite expensive, and Trader Joe’s is often as much as 50% less than the big-name grocery stores, for the same stuff, or for better-quality stuff. I also love trying all their unique Trader Joe’s brand stuff – a lot of it is so good it’s addictive!

By: Alison @ This Wasn't In The Plan

Alison @ This Wasn't In The Plan — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:01:35 +0000

Our local Wal-Mart really isn’t cheaper than the local chain grocery store. For some things, yes, but overall it isn’t. At least last time I checked. It probably is time to check again. When I lived in another state, Wal-mart was my cheapest option.