Cheapest Groceries
 

I should have asked this question a while back, but I am sitting here contemplating which supermarket chain to go and buy my weekly groceries. Has anyone ever bought exactly the same items from different chains and compared the final price for all groceries bought? I know it will differ from item to item but surely they do not average out to be the same. I believe Wal-Mart may be the cheapest but I have all kinds of alternatives since I live in Knoxville. (Food City, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Bi-Lo, Target, etc). So who do you think has the cheapest groceries? (please try not to be biased just because you hate wal-mart :D )

Different chains seem to have differne things on sale at different times. I remember back in the day my mother would visit 3 stores on her weekly trips to catch all the best deals. But of course she's insane that way.

Me? I go to Costco for bulk items, FoodMax for cheapness and Albertson's other times because it is the closest. Rather, that's where my girl shops for our food. :thumbsup:

That's pretty much it-- if you are really looking to save money, and not worry about convenience (or spending gas money driving all over town) check out the store circulars, make a list, and go to each store for whatever has the best sale prices.

Also, make sure you that you have "store cards" for each of the stores, while it can be used to track purchases and stuff, it often gives you better prices.

Krogers has weekly deals on frozen foods of different sorts. Every 3 weeks or so, they have stoffers frozen dinners for half off. I always stock up on the large size frozen lasagna's and mac and cheese.

I would say just check their websites and store adds, and go from there. A good realistic way to save money though, is to make a list, and stick to it when you go to the store. That, and never ever shop hungry, you'll buy everything!

That argument will always play itself out regionally, and it's all up to you to do the research, or find ou twho else already has done it. It it may even change from month to month. suffice it to say that it will always be more expensive than you want it to be, no matter where you shop.

Peace,

Pierre

Regionally we all have different food chains so I'm not sure how much comparison can really be made. Certainly, Kroger's prices are relatively the same as Fred Meyer's, and Safeway and Vons can be compared, but only Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California and Nevada have Winco (that's what Winco stands for, after all), which in my opinion is the cheapest grocery store of all. I'd say Wal-Mart's food centers are cheapest nationally.

Perhaps this is better posted in your particular region on the regional boards? That may even be to broad as well...hmmm. Nuts.

Ever since Cub Foods pulled out of Denver last year Walmart pretty much has a lock on the lowest prices around here. I usually shop at King Soopers since I just like going there better than Safeway, Albertsons, or Walmart.

I agree, this is probably a regional question. When I say that the cheapest groceries where I live are at Stater Brothers, only people in Southern California will know about them.

Most people have never heard of the supermarkets near your home.

ALDI...........if you have one, least expensive by far.

Publix here in FL is like fucking expensive, but theyre the ones who will better cater to your "hood" like I live in Miami Beach, the one here has a lot of Spanish/Latin foods and not so much white people foods. I dont like that they dont have a butcher and thier meat/seafood sucks.. but the one in downtown Ft Lauderdale and the one on 17th street here in Miami Beach is a little better..

I LOVE Albertsons cuz they have good service, competitive prices, a butcher/meat counter, good deli, and they do all kinds of specials. Too bad here its 45 min away so I rarely go unless Im visiting someone north of me.

Walmart is aight too, cheap.. easy.. but no seafood counter really, no butcher.. ok bakery/deli thing...

Ideally I would merge publix and albertsons lol.

Oh man, Aldi rocks. Bread for 39 cents instead of $1.69, chips, macaroni, ravioli... everything so inexpensive! If there's one anywhere in your area, I'd go there.

most of aldi's stuff is almost expired from my experience...

here in central pa i have noticed most things are less expensive at Wal-Mart...the big grocery chains around here are Giant and Weis...Giant is owned by Ahold who also owns Bi-lo's down south, and i usually go shopping at Giant cause its closer then Wal-Mart

albertsons is pretty good here.... they have albertson cards which give you little discounts, plus they give me an extra 5% off student discount.

Yea, I agree that Giant seems to have the lowest prices (and I SWEAR that's not biased just because I'm management there....:) ) Same as Bi-Lo, Martin's, and Super G in different parts of the country, though there's different divisions running each. In fact, there's two "Giant" divisions that could be running a store; either Giant Foods LLC. (those are the 24 hour stores) or just Giant supermarkets (usually the smaller stores that close early). Each division has its own price scheme, as well as slightly different sales every week, depending on the market that they're in. But you don't need to know Ahold's plan for world domination, do you.....?

Aldi absolutely rocks.

Around here (western Massachusetttttttttttttts), the supermarkets seem to be Big Y and Stop & Shop. Their selection is similar but not identical, and their prices strike me as similar also. Oh, I've noticed some Shaw's around too, but not as close.

I read the sales ads, check the coupons, make a list for each store and head out. The main stores here in Alabama are Kroger, Bruno's, Win Dixie and of course, Wal-mart. Bruno's and Kroger are the most expensive but Bruno's does double coupons. Bruno's also is sure to have the item/brand I am looking for. The seafood counter at Kroger always has a not so good odor, so I don't shop there. Win Dixie has good sales, so I go there when I have a list for that store. And then there is Wal-mart. I hate shopping at the Wal-mart food center. It is always crowded, and so many parents treat it like an adventure to an amusement park when I'm just trying to pick up some cheap paper towels. But that's the price you pay...........or not.

a professor once mentioned that over a period of time, all grocery costs from stores in the same area will average out to the same total cost. he went into all this stuff about pricing strategies and store matching/offsetting, and said that ultimately goods bought at, say piggly wiggly will cost the same if bought at bi-lo during the same time.

i dont know about chains like wal-mart, etc. though

The only place I go to and $60 fills up my back seat and trunk...and thats a 4 door cadillac...