Anonymous wrote:Like, do you know how much Mom's is selling bulk oats for right now? Is it cheaper than $1.59/lb?

I don't know about rolled oats but I just bought bulk steel cut oats at Mom's for $1.99/lb

Safeway on sale:

asparagus .99/lb
potatoes .29/lb
chicken stock 32oz .99 cents
butter 2.99/lb
clementines .89/lb
Quaker Oats .16/oz or $2.56/lb
blueberries $2.56/lb
butter 2.99/lb

Anonymous wrote:

Driving to five stores to buy the cheapest oat milk, out-of-season organic berries, prepackaged salad greens, etc. is insanity bordering on stupidity.

That's not what I'm doing, though! But thanks for your feedback.

You're not going to save money this way. No store is ever going to routinely offer the lowest price on a fixed basket of goods. And the time and gas/Lexapro money involved in going to multiple stores is going to eat into whatever savings you might realize.

As a PP said, switch up your thinking. Start by scanning the Wednesday grocery inserts to see what's on sale where. Choose a store, maybe two, and build your weekly meal plan based on those loss leaders and whatever other seasonal/affordable ingredients you need to make up your menus for the week. If something is on sale that your family uses regularly, buy more of it if it will freeze/keep well.

Driving to five stores to buy the cheapest oat milk, out-of-season organic berries, prepackaged salad greens, etc. is insanity bordering on stupidity.

Lidl on sale 11-15-22

naval oranges .62/lb
18 oz blueberries 2.99
1 pound butter $2/lb
6 oz Stuffing mix .49 box
Green grapes .95/lb
potatoes .30/pound
Ground beef 3.49/pound
32 oz chicken stock for $1.00

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tried this for a little while, but it was work to keep it up and I wasn't taking it to the next step of comparing and making decisions off the comparables.

It would make for a great app... Share your purchases (anonymous) and get tips/alerts on where to buy the things you like at good prices.

I think it's efficiency shopping rather than budget.

The one thing I remember as a benchmark from your list is ground beef, 88% at Costco of $4/lb.

There is an app I use, called PricePad. (No I am not a shill for the app).

You can use your phone to scan the item, and it computes the cost per unit for you and records the store, date etc.

it's GREAT for the big chains like Giant, Safeway, Kroger, etc. and for the big food manufacturers, but it doesn't work for store brands or for Whole Foods, Lidl, Aldi, or anything from the bulk bins. ... the cheaper foods like the 365 brand or Aldis store brands, or for produce marked by the pound. So you have to input things manually in that case. That's what I'm trying to do now.

That looks like it's for iPhones only, I'm an Android user.

if you are inside the beltway, make sure you check the ad prices for stores that are outside. The stores vary the pricing and if you are willing to drive a little you would probably net some savings.

Anonymous wrote:You have to also know the amounts you'll actually consume. Fresh spinach is like $2.99 for a 16 ounce clamshell at Costco, but if you'll only use half of it before it goes bad, you're better off with the $1.99 10 ounce bag from Trader Joe's.

Also, if you have an Amazon Fresh grocery store near you, they have a weekly coupon that can amount to half off a specific purchase (this week it's $5 off $10 baking supplies, sometimes it's $10 of $20 for meat or produce).

Thanks, I didn't know that second part!

Greens -- we probably go through 5 x 16oz clamshells of greens weekly, just for dinners. We like our greens!!! Of course for winter, I am trying to move more towards cabbages and sprouts and other wintery green vegetables but we still like to eat the greens. There are much worse vices to have. (We don't drink alcohol or coffee....so there's that.)

Anonymous wrote:I tried this for a little while, but it was work to keep it up and I wasn't taking it to the next step of comparing and making decisions off the comparables.

It would make for a great app... Share your purchases (anonymous) and get tips/alerts on where to buy the things you like at good prices.

I think it's efficiency shopping rather than budget.

The one thing I remember as a benchmark from your list is ground beef, 88% at Costco of $4/lb.

There is an app I use, called PricePad. (No I am not a shill for the app).

You can use your phone to scan the item, and it computes the cost per unit for you and records the store, date etc.

it's GREAT for the big chains like Giant, Safeway, Kroger, etc. and for the big food manufacturers, but it doesn't work for store brands or for Whole Foods, Lidl, Aldi, or anything from the bulk bins. ... the cheaper foods like the 365 brand or Aldis store brands, or for produce marked by the pound. So you have to input things manually in that case. That's what I'm trying to do now.

You have to also know the amounts you'll actually consume. Fresh spinach is like $2.99 for a 16 ounce clamshell at Costco, but if you'll only use half of it before it goes bad, you're better off with the $1.99 10 ounce bag from Trader Joe's.

Also, if you have an Amazon Fresh grocery store near you, they have a weekly coupon that can amount to half off a specific purchase (this week it's $5 off $10 baking supplies, sometimes it's $10 of $20 for meat or produce).

Anonymous wrote:If you're really going through organic maple syrup at a quick clip, put that on the Costco list.

It doesn't have to be organic maple syrup -- that's just all those 2 stores happened to have today!!

How much is the Costco organic maple syrup, though? It might be worth joining after all.

Anonymous wrote:Otherwise, I buy produce in season and there are few things that repeat enough to keep track of price variation week to week.

I also do that, and I try to keep produce to under $2/pound, but I do like to buy pre-washed greens and fruit and those things do go over my self-imposed budget for produce. Still, I'd like to find the lowest prices for such items, I guess.

I tried this for a little while, but it was work to keep it up and I wasn't taking it to the next step of comparing and making decisions off the comparables.

It would make for a great app... Share your purchases (anonymous) and get tips/alerts on where to buy the things you like at good prices.

I think it's efficiency shopping rather than budget.

The one thing I remember as a benchmark from your list is ground beef, 88% at Costco of $4/lb.

If you're really going through organic maple syrup at a quick clip, put that on the Costco list.

Anonymous wrote:I don't keep price books. In the face of inflation, I am converting my consumption. I've eliminated meat, and I buy everything that I regularly consume in bulk -- butter, rice, dry beans, bread, etc. Otherwise, I buy produce in season and there are few things that repeat enough to keep track of price variation week to week.

Where do you buy them? Can you share what the unit cost has been at that location or store? Or do you order online?