I went to two stores this week, to get what we needed. Here's what we spent & what I purchased:
Local shop (much more expensive than the produce stand, but the stand is enclosed & social distancing is really hard. One day, we'll be back!) All items for the curry, although we'll have an extra can of milk, leftover potatoes, brown sugar & cilantro. I'll use the remaining cilantro in pico de gallo
- Brown sugar - $1.99
- Coconut milk - $2.99x2 (Trader Joes is cheaper, but already had a long line)
- Cilantro - $.89
- 5 lb bag of potatoes - $2.79
- Total = $11.65
Costco. It was an expensive visit, as we need a few pricier items:
- Milk - $6.09
- Blueberries - $3.99x2
- Veggie straws (snack for the kids) - $5.29
- 5 dozen eggs - $14.99
- Cucumbers - $5.99
- Mayo - $4.99
- Salmon (special treat for M, who will turn this into at least 4 dinners) - $22.48
- Smoked almonds - $9.99
- Meatballs - $18.9
- Tortillas - $2.99
- Pineapple - $2.99
- Peanut - $6.79
- Fresh mozzarella - $7.69
- 8 lbs of chicken $15.99
- Cauliflower - $5.49
- 6 bags of pasta - $6.99
- Lettuce - $4.49
- Nectarines - $9.99
- Limes - $6.99
- Total = $167.19
Our standard Costco shopping trip pre-COVID was closer to $125/week. Two things have changed - the prices have gone up almost universally, and M & I now eat 8-10 additional meals/week at home (between the two of us, for breakfast & lunch). We previously received free meals at work. And snacks. I miss the free food for sure!
How are grocery prices where you live?
I've noticed prices going up as well, although beef is coming down in price. The thing about it for us is that we are spending more money because we are not shopping the markdowns right now. Hopefully that will change before much longer.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to see that Costco was out of chicken again (fresh). We bought frozen, which worked fine in the recipe I was using. I prefer fresh, and am hoping the shortages won't continue. Great news that beef is coming down in price.
DeleteExactly right, I'm paying quite a bit more for many items these days. My 13 year old can also bike to the local, more expensive store, and when I'm out of an ingredient, he'll often bike there to get exercise & save me from the stop. He does require a $1 tip. ;-)
I'm trying not to give up on grocery saving entirely but we're seeing fewer sales and higher sale prices for so many basics. We're paying full price for things we'd never have done in the past just because we can't get them otherwise and that's not fun but I'm grateful we can get enough to feed everyone.
ReplyDeleteYes! I haven't typically invested time in this type of price matching & watching of sales, because the majority of what we wanted could be bought for a decent price if we went to the right stores. I no longer go to a variety of stores, so I think I need to change my strategy.
DeleteLikewise, also grateful for the budget to afford to feed everyone.
Prices are up a lot in South central Alabama. I am actually usually shopping in Walmart.com because I am 29 miles from nearest grocery store although we do have a Dollar General here.Cindy in the South
ReplyDeleteIt's hard when you don't have a lot of options for shopping. Fingers crossed the rise in prices is short term, although my understanding is that we pay less than food than other countries, so I suppose it's possible it won't come down after things settle down with COVID. I'll need to make some permanent budget adjustments, if that's the case.
DeleteBasics have just gone up and up. Fresh fruit and vegetables are pretty economical, but that will change as fall moves forward. I really want to focus on hearty and meatless meals at least a couple times a week.
ReplyDeleteSome nights I have very basic options (sliced fruit, cheese, bread & maybe edamame) while the kids & M have a heartier dinner. I prefer it, particularly on a hot day
DeleteIs milk over $6 a gallon or is that for two gallons? We are right at $3. Everything is up. Beef is back, but much higher. Chicken is back to normal.
ReplyDeleteGood job on the shopping!
Sorry, should have specified - that's two gallons
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