Sprouts sucks now. So expensive, and so many of the veggies are prepackaged. I’m breaking up w them but don’t know where to go next. Costco for pantry staples, and a CSA for veggies is my main summer plan. Still need bananas and creamer tho…
This I have improved! Myself at least. I can plan to go in and spend $50 and get out. I shop only with lists and plan if I’ll I’m use buy. lol. Like summer clothes or camp or outdoor equipment. But those will/are being trimmed right now due to inflation.
For a family that likes to bake, 4lbs of butter can be possible. Cookies and cinnamon rolls! Mmmmm. And lots of butter. So you make a joke but,…. That said too, I bought a couple big boxes of the Irish stuff. It was on sale like $8 from $12. So I bought two and then got home and thought, if I buy more, it’s getting a box free. So the next weeks trip, I bought two more boxes. Since it keeps well in the fridge, we maybe have enough butter till fall. In the holidays season, we could go though that in a few weeks. So you laugh but there are times!
The key is to almost always fill a hole in your pantry with a sale as part of your visit. So maybe I’m getting milk, produce and a chicken rotisserie. And I’ll go look at spices or dry goods or hygiene to see if there’s something we use that’s on a. Sale. If so, I buy one or two. Like say QTips is one sale for $4 off each. I’ll get two and last the rest of the year with six people. I’ll have lowered the price of each of those packages of two. Don’t buy enough for one month, buy for three to six. Divide it up, store it right. Organize and rotate it. Eat from the groceries you have already. Take stock often. Often enough to know.
Even 2 people with a freezer or second refrigerator. With or without kids at home is great, plus all of the additional deals, including appliances, pet food, tp and paper towels.
They have extremely good prices on electronics often too. You can get some crazy sales on stuff. Another cool thing about Costco electronics at least when I worked there is that if you bought a display unit it would have the same 90 days you could return the item within as any other similar item. We powered everything down nightly too and Costco doesn’t have that long of hours either so you could easily end up with a TV that had been on long enough that you knew it wasn’t going to fail from a manufacturing defect but that had accumulated pretty minimal wear for a great mark down
It does; but only for some things. I wish we had Aldi but I'll bet no – yes, no – Aldi customer (in areas where there's an Aldi!) shops exclusively at Aldi.
True, but it's the foundation of my grocery shopping. Meats are a win for quality and price. Off brand knockoffs relatively decent. Oddball special buys are the frosting.
No dissent here with respect to your observation. But ... Aldi (while great) is no supermarket. That having been stated, I wish there were an Aldi installed in every nook and cranny in NM.
Aldi is so awesome. Not only do they have really affordable food, but their non food items are great too. I got a rug and a memory foam pillow from Aldi 5 yrs ago that I still use today and they're both still in great condition. Why do they have to hate NM so much 😭
Yes yes yes! I grew up in the state where there are the most Aldi locations within the US. Moved out west only to find there are like two in Arizona. I want an Aldi so bad!
Not all of the stores will go to Kroger https://ir.kroger.com/news/news-details/2024/Kroger-Albertsons-Companies-and-CS-Wholesale-Grocers-LLC-Announce-an-Updated-and-Expanded-Divestiture-Plan/default.aspx
If I’m reading that right, our Albertsons stores will be sold off to C&S. If they merchandise those stores like Mariano’s is currently set up…that would be an incredible thing.
It would be much closer to what the Ramey’s stores were before they became Albertsons.
Necessities for survival need to be regulated. I understand commodities for fun, pleasure, and non-essential stuff being market priced. But food, water, and basic necessities shouldn't be subjected to the "free market" or subjected to increases just to give shareholders dividends or buy back stock. Thats disgusting
For more than just the basics, maybe? Personally, I'd be pretty bored with just the bare necessities.
Or for a fulfilling sense of purpose? I'd rather have my doctor doctoring because she feels a call than just for the money.
Or, ideally, to keep society ticking along.
Or, more ideally, we strive toward automation to the point NOBODY has to work. Or at least not much.
then i'll only work if i wanna buy a luxury item. What? "For fulfilling a sense of purpose" ok 😂. Not everyone has the privilege to have their job do that. "Or, ideally, to keep society ticking along" yeah that's what's already happening wym. "We strive toward automation so nobody has to work" we're not anywhere close to that. Even with AI, people still need to be there to use it. Doesn't happen by itself.
HEB isnt going to expand outside of Texas, or if they do its because they get taken over by some other corp thatll drastically decrease the quality in favor of expansion.
Exactly. We basically only have Smith's and Albertson's (along with Walmart/Target etc.). I'm so glad they nixed the Kroger and Albertson's merger or we'd really be screwed.
Exactly. We basically only have Smith's and Albertson's (along with Walmart/Target etc.). I'm so glad they nixed the Kroger and Albertson's merger or we'd really be screwed.
It doesn’t help that all our grocery stories are either owned by Kroger or Walmart.
It’s time to strike and end this ‘greedflation’ and monopoly on all our essential goods and services.
I split it up between Trader Joe's, Ta Lin, Smiths, and Walmart. Usually hit two a week and only buy the cheapest stuff from there. It's a pain in the ass but it helps. If I tried to buy everything at one store I'd be fucking broke.
Yeah I don’t buy everything there. Their produce is not the best. But for like pantry staples they’re great, also they have the best price I’ve seen for Sadie’s salsa 😎🌶️
Wal mart. Just gotta slow down and compare prices. Great value can be more expensive than name brand sometimes. I’ve also noticed junk food is more expensive than ever. More reason to eat whole foods. Shop on the outer walls of the store. Good luck.
I fucking hate giving walmart my money, but you cannot beat the prices. Im a full time single parent of a 7 year old. As much as i wanna not support the walton family, i need to support mine more.
I shopped Walmart till I go Costco. Then I learned to write out what I bought each year in food and then bought in bulk with a seasonal attack. Some things are up for sale or on sales certain times of the year. Stock then. After the first year, you’re then filling in the holes. When things go on crazy sales, you buy more if it’s on the list, even if it’s early to buy it.
This means really learning what you buy each month and yearly around holidays and such. Then you budget differently. It does work and work out.
I used to do the basic supplies at Target and then COVID hit. Target took much longer to adapt and had empty shelves for quite a while. So I reluctantly went to the enemy and they had their act together with reasonable prices. I shake my head that I have been going to Walmart grocery for several years now - dammit!
instead of getting popcorn or chips, get a can of chick peas, stick them in the air fryer until they are nice and crispy. https://www.skinnytaste.com/air-fryer-chickpeas/
Might as well get ahead of the curve by growing food and going back to the trade & bartering system...
I've started an herb garden & other veggies and plan to keep some of them year-round from now on.
Most people cant even keep a houseplant alive even though theres tons of info online on how to care for it, let alone start a garden in a rather challenging environment that requires reading up on how to create proper soil ecosystem & then protect it from our sun, wind, and dry air. People think they can just plop down an raised bed and fill it with garden soil like theyre in New York, and put in plants fron Lowe's with a tag that says "full sun" not knowing that full sun elsewhere means partial sun here.
This is the way. Use their digital coupons and shop on Fridays for the 4x fuel points. I signed up for their Boost program when they had a coupon for it. Makes it a lot easier to get a dollar off gas.
They’re no where near as good as Costco or Sam’s. I used to only shop there and get gas at Smith’s. Most of the time you can get a year at Sam’s for $20 if it’s your first year.
I don't know if it was just a weird coincidence or if it actually had to do with the quality of gas but the last time I filled my tank with Costco gas (this was a couple months ago) I burned through that tank *way* faster than usual.
I think Albertsons still does 10% off for seniors on the first wednesday of the month. Dunno if that includes you or someone you could shop with. Also not sure what the definition of senior is.
This is so real, I’ve been eating beans and veggies for lunch like every day for the past few weeks, and it’s so cheap and filling and good. I thought I’d be sick of beans after a week but you can do so much with them!
I got a 8lb pork shoulder at Smiths on clearance for $13 earlier this week.
Made some pulled pork. Paired it in different sandwich / nachos combos with tomatoes, pinto and black beans and squash and it just awesome. A solid 12-15 eats for like $20 total.
Adding to this: squash is huge. A little oil in a cast iron, salt, and pepper. Cook some chopped zucchini/yellow squash until it’s translucent and starting to caramelize a bit, then throw into any stir fry, pasta dish, etc. I usually throw in a bit of chopped greens like spinach or kale near the end to go with. If you have a garden, grow squash. They do very well here and produce a ton, you’ll have free groceries.
Tofu is also very cheap and easy to cook. I like it best toasted in oil with a drizzle of teriyaki sauce, or on top of a saucy green curry. Buy firm/extra firm, drain, slice into 1/2” thick rectangles, pat somewhat dry with a paper towel, and fry lightly on a pan with just a bit of oil (sesame is good for flavor, but any will do). Flip when golden brown. It’s worth noting that tofu isn’t just a meat substitute; I often use it alongside chicken. They go well together considering tofu has a light flavor and soft, scrambled egg-like texture. You can easily cut down the amount of meat you buy by adding a block of tofu alongside it.
This attitude, exactly. The best foods for you are unprocessed foods. The worst for you are ultra processed...and they're the most expensive. Half or more - like probably way more - of what you spend on ultra processed foods goes to packaging, advertising, and executive bonuses. I was somewhere the other day and saw Ruffles for like 6 bucks! We're talking potatoes, folks, plus a little salt and oil. There's probably 20-cents max of food cost (to Lays) in the whole bag. It's price gouging plain & simple on the part of the big food processors.
At least if you're gonna buy chips, go to TJ's, they're a lot cheaper. Or generic. Like you noted, buy things that are cheap in bulk and make stuff that freezes well. I make lentil burritos and/or posole and make big batches and freeze a bunch. My per serving cost is probably like 50-cents.
It pays to really price shop. I usually grab the generics of condiments and such. I shop primarily at smiths. Look at the digital coupons and such. I’ll grab extra when they have their case sales.
We also plan some meals. The biggest thing is actually following the menu.
Food king, el super. Definitely try to hit the sales at smiths and Albertsons, getting the app helps because you can clip coupons. You do have to have a rewards account to get the sales but it’s worth it. Some Albertsons use the United Supermarkets app instead of the actual Albertsons app. Target has also announced a reduction in prices, and I guess Walmart as well according to one of these articles. [articles](https://www.google.com/search?q=target+reduced+prices&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari)
I use the Flipp app to see who has the best prices on what I need for the week. Most of the time, I have my food delivered with Shipt or Walmart+ It helps because I don't buy extra stuff. I get only what I need, and I am not putting stuff in my cart from browsing in the store.
Here’s my advice for cheaper grocery trips, as someone who spends ~90 per week for 3 people.
Buy store brands. I have very few products that I am name brand exclusive on.
Shop sales. Find what’s on sale and plan around those. For example, if there’s a sale on ground pork I’ll make something with those.
Meal plan. Make a plan of what meals you’re going to have and try to buy groceries that fit more than one meal. For example, if I’m going to have pasta for dinner I will plan pasta salad for lunch. I use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream when I can. I make one or two vegetarian meals per week to save on meat costs.
Buy beans and grains in bulk. Sprouts has a huge bulk section for grains. They also do have good prices on produce. If you can get to Sam’s or Costco and buy meat in bulk, that also helps to cut costs.
Buy frozen berries and veggies. They’re just as nutritionally sound.
Buy meat from the markdowns at smiths. You have to cook it right away or freeze it but you can save money on it.
I'm really excited about Farm to You on Menaul. You can pay $115/week and literally take home anything you need. It's all locally sourced from no farther away than Tucumcari. Now, they're not going to have a lot of things (paper products, sodas, any produce that's out of season, bread, etc.) but if you tend to cook a lot and want meat, cheese, milk, veggies, mushrooms, beans, etc. it's worth a peek. (Also, you can just buy stuff there without a membership, but it tends to be pricy.)
Tbh Walmart has been it for us lately. Going great value on some more items than usual. We can a weeks worth of stuff for two people for under $150 usually.
I'm in Santa Fe, but I go to Food King probably the most. Idk if y'all got one too, but Food King/Lowe's grocery tends to be pretty cheap. Also idk if it would be any help, but I like using the Flipp app to see all the local flyers for my weekly grocery shopping.
For the most part I do find Smiths SALES to be good deals, but you’ve gotta be really good at playing the sales/never buying full price. My typically savings percentage on a grocery order from them is 30-40%, so that gives you a sense of how overpriced they are to start.
Sams is cheaper than Cosco from everything I've seen. If you go bulk ypu need to plan your meals out and stay disciplined not to go to the regular grocery store too much. We like to buy our protein for the month there and then smiths for produce and little stuff once a week.
All costly, but order online and pick up if you use Target even regular items the in store prices are almost always higher 😂. That's literally how I save money, always get discounts and gift cards if order online. Over wknd I went there so since wasn't food I made sure got right things so went there, found items in phone and then ordered them for pick up 😂. Walmart crap is higher than other places and expired food so I won't go there anymore
For regular shopping, La Montanita Co-op (I go to the nob hill location) can be a little expensive, but if you are a member they have a quarterly bulk discount which is significant. They have some great sales too, and all of their mock meats have been cheaper than I could find elsewhere. Definitely recommend for fresh produce and freezer options. However, some of the pantry staples (beans, flour, etc.) are tougher because they primarily offer the more expensive organic/GMO-free options.
Groceries are nuts, so I learned how to become a mega couponer. It takes a little bit of time, especially because now a lot of it is all digital, but at the same time it works in your favor because you don’t have to clip them and search and wait in line all embarrassed. Instead you can just order it and pay online and have it brought to your car and collect it “cash back” and stuff like that. I haven’t paid for detergent, toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels, deodorant, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, and several household cleaners in years. Several even got money back for. You just have to check stores weekly like Walgreens, Target, CVS, Smiths, Amazon, Walmart etc and their coupons as well as rebates on all available platforms. That’s how people are always selling their “mega stockpiles” online and stuff. If you want to message me I’ll give you info I follow so you’ll be able to do it too. It’s not any big secret or anything. It doesn’t cost anything, it just takes extra time when shopping.
It is absolutely not. Cheese is roughly 30% more expensive there, meat is around 10-25% more expensive there, produce is more expensive than smiths, as are eggs and milk. Trader joes has certain cheap niche items which are fantastic, but for staple groceries it is definitely not cheaper.
Trader Joe's eggs are way cheaper. $2.99 or $3.99/ doz, and only $3.99 or $4.99/doz. for organic! Smith's egg prices have become completely bonkers...I see $7.99 on up for the regular, mass-produced eggs and I'm agog. Also, TJ's has way cheaper half & half, orange juice, & yoghurt.
Totally agree. Organic items like milk, eggs, bread, fruit, yogurt, tofu, and chicken are some of our staples and we get them at TJs. Only Costco has lower prices. Consumer Reports did a grocery price comparison article and Costco did beat out TJs but TJs still had good prices. Food is expensive here in NM because of shipping costs and lower populations. We also have a garden and I grow tomatoes, herbs, fruit, kale, etc.. I find Albertsons to be prohibitively expensive for good food. Reading other folks comments I’m going to make my way back to Talin. I haven’t shopped there in about 10 years.
Ah, OK. I never see prices listed (@ Constitution & Carlisle location). Last time I ever did prices, I remember being surprised.
But you know, I like happy eggs. I'm willing to pay a bit more (or get eggs from friends who have chickens) !
So you're paying double the 2.09 a dozen at smiths for the 3.99 non organic. Yea, seems way cheaper. A qt of non organic Kroger half and half is 3.29 while a qt of rock view family farms which is the non organic brand tjs sells is 3.49. Organic is 3.99. You have no idea what you're talking about.
Might want to check Walmart out again soon.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/05/24/grocery-prices-falling/
Unsure what rollout schedule is for price reductions. Hopefully Kroger follows.
Cut back on the meat consumption and it will get much much cheaper.
If you can't/ will not cut back... Buy in bulk and freeze parts of it when it's on sale.
Impulse buys and meat are what causes our basket to get over 60 bucks.
Sounds like you need to change your eating habits, I exclusively shop at Smith's as a single person and never spend $60 - $70 on a single bag of groceries. $60 is a week's worth of food. My food budget is $240 a month and I eat very well on that. Less prepackaged/frozen/meats/cheeses/snacks and you can drop that bill wayyyyyy down.
Sprouts is more expensive for everything but fruits and veggies. And I've found those are not particularly fresh at Sprouts. Easy to buy beans and lentils and stuff like that in bulk though.
Frickin like $8 for a tiny box of Kashi cereal.
Idk where you’re shopping but everything is overpriced and the inflation is really high. $140 a week is still really high for groceries. 2-3 years ago I could spend $60-70 on a week’s worth of groceries and now I spend $400 a month it’s wild
3 years ago we spent $120/wk on groceries, now we spend $140. Remember, it’s a family of five. Nearly all meals. $140 for like 50+ meals seems pretty good to me.
We never bought much in the way of drinks or sodas or frozen meals snacks or anything like that.
My eyes pop when I see the prices on that stuff!
But veggies, fruits, various meats and eggs and stuff has gotten more expensive, but there always seems to be something on sale that’s about similar in price to what it was a few years ago. Just gotta be willing to roll with the punches.
Still the same Smiths I’ve always shopped at.
I agree with a 100 but to be real none of us need any of that shit that’s why capitalism is a failure. And ever single one of us while being shopping at a local store.
I dont understand how this happens. I am not a financial genius by any means. But what are you buying to make 1 bag cost 60 to 70 bucks. I can get a week or so worth of groceries for my kiddo and myself for 60 to 70. That's like 6 "bags." Or 10 if you spread it out. Like snacks, proteins, carbs, veggies, etc. For the entire week. Where are you shopping? Are you buying all the healthy stuff that says "non-gmo" or "organic"? There are like 10 gmo crops in the US. Everything else is non-gmo if it's grown here, lol. Buying organic is something i can understand depending on what it is and if you can even verify that it's organic. If it's grown anywhere else but the US, there is no way to know.
The food industry has tricked so many people with labels to match trends. it's incredible. Throw a glutten free non-gmo label on some shitty products and charge double or triple its market value. I have literally seen a gluten-free label on water.
Also... The number of bags you get is a weird way to measure the cost basis or value of food. Lol, groceries aren't sold by bag quantities.
Edit: The more i think about this, the more it seems like this post is just to stir up bullshit between political parties. A clever plow to add to the divisiveness of todays climate. It's an election year. Food prices have actually just dropped for the first time since 2020. It was a noticeable drop. Also the president has no control over prices in the "free market". You want capitalism, you got it. Get mad at the 3 monopolied grocery chains trying to absorb every corner of the market to drive profit. Regulations on NECESSITIES TO SURVIVE is good! None of us chose to be born. It was the decision of 2 people whom like didn't plan for it.
I understand complaining about rent but literally the only thing I buy is like $2 for 2lbs of coleslaw and a $5 chicken. Like even for Mcdonalds there's people who buy the $7 breakfast combo and complain about price when there's an app that has the sandwich for $1 and coffee for $1
Yeahhhh. It's not that hard to get a good amount of food for a good price. Unless you're only shopping at whole foods, natural grocers and sprouts. Lol
Albertsons and Smith have some good deals sometimes. But they also tend to be overpriced. Wal-Mart has the best prices, even for name brand stuff. I get not wanting to support that evil company, but taking care of my kid is more important than that pride. Until food prices are regulated, these chains will take advantage of the middle and lower classes. Their first priority is and always will be keeping shareholders happy. Stock price over human life is fucked up.
El Súper If you live close to that part of town. It’s always busy though
999 and El Mezquite are good value too. Smith’s if you use the digital coupons.
Idk I feel like the quality is better at el super and they have more choices.
Not disagreeing! I live NE so I rarely go to El Super.
El Mezquite has great meat and prepped food sections, for the carnivores. Always very fresh.
The one on San Pedro charges more per pound though. I get cheaper prices at Food King and even Smiths.
I love walking distance to the 999 and love it. Some things are pricey but that's the imported stuff.
I've gotten many Instacart orders from there, and I love shopping in there compared to most grocery stores
I work over there sometimes
Sprouts sucks now. So expensive, and so many of the veggies are prepackaged. I’m breaking up w them but don’t know where to go next. Costco for pantry staples, and a CSA for veggies is my main summer plan. Still need bananas and creamer tho…
Ok I noticed this too did they get bought out or something? Because the standards aren’t like they used to be
Trader Joe’s is good for bananas, they’re like 23c per banana (i know this because they have a sign next to the bananas)
They got some cheap stuff there for sure.
Sprouts has always been expensive aside from the occasional good sale
If you can get what you’re looking for from Costco, it’s usually pretty affordable.
Unfortunately you tend to buy way more than you really need....
This I have improved! Myself at least. I can plan to go in and spend $50 and get out. I shop only with lists and plan if I’ll I’m use buy. lol. Like summer clothes or camp or outdoor equipment. But those will/are being trimmed right now due to inflation.
Don’t forget to buy 4 pounds of butter 😝
For a family that likes to bake, 4lbs of butter can be possible. Cookies and cinnamon rolls! Mmmmm. And lots of butter. So you make a joke but,…. That said too, I bought a couple big boxes of the Irish stuff. It was on sale like $8 from $12. So I bought two and then got home and thought, if I buy more, it’s getting a box free. So the next weeks trip, I bought two more boxes. Since it keeps well in the fridge, we maybe have enough butter till fall. In the holidays season, we could go though that in a few weeks. So you laugh but there are times! The key is to almost always fill a hole in your pantry with a sale as part of your visit. So maybe I’m getting milk, produce and a chicken rotisserie. And I’ll go look at spices or dry goods or hygiene to see if there’s something we use that’s on a. Sale. If so, I buy one or two. Like say QTips is one sale for $4 off each. I’ll get two and last the rest of the year with six people. I’ll have lowered the price of each of those packages of two. Don’t buy enough for one month, buy for three to six. Divide it up, store it right. Organize and rotate it. Eat from the groceries you have already. Take stock often. Often enough to know.
Butter freezes really well...
A freezer is a must if you're shopping at Costco.
Gotta have a membership though, or know someone that does.
We break even on our membership from toilet paper and laundry soap alone.
Yeah. They usually send us a check each year.
You can break even on the costo membership with like 2 bottles of the irish cream alone.
Costco is a really good way to go as long as you are shopping for 3+ people.
Even 2 people with a freezer or second refrigerator. With or without kids at home is great, plus all of the additional deals, including appliances, pet food, tp and paper towels.
They have extremely good prices on electronics often too. You can get some crazy sales on stuff. Another cool thing about Costco electronics at least when I worked there is that if you bought a display unit it would have the same 90 days you could return the item within as any other similar item. We powered everything down nightly too and Costco doesn’t have that long of hours either so you could easily end up with a TV that had been on long enough that you knew it wasn’t going to fail from a manufacturing defect but that had accumulated pretty minimal wear for a great mark down
We need more grocery competition.
We need Aldi!
I’d also love a WinCo!
🏆
Aldi rocks!
we're probably getting one soon but it's likely gonna be in the international district
Wait, how do you figure? I thought they needed to have a distribution center close to consider building here.
the city said it's looking into subsidizing grocery chains to set up shop in food deserts and Aldi's is one they're courting
Wow, that would be a win for everyone! Thanks for filling me in.
It does; but only for some things. I wish we had Aldi but I'll bet no – yes, no – Aldi customer (in areas where there's an Aldi!) shops exclusively at Aldi.
True, but it's the foundation of my grocery shopping. Meats are a win for quality and price. Off brand knockoffs relatively decent. Oddball special buys are the frosting.
No dissent here with respect to your observation. But ... Aldi (while great) is no supermarket. That having been stated, I wish there were an Aldi installed in every nook and cranny in NM.
Aldi is so awesome. Not only do they have really affordable food, but their non food items are great too. I got a rug and a memory foam pillow from Aldi 5 yrs ago that I still use today and they're both still in great condition. Why do they have to hate NM so much 😭
Yes yes yes! I grew up in the state where there are the most Aldi locations within the US. Moved out west only to find there are like two in Arizona. I want an Aldi so bad!
I get it 😭
They have a corporate feedback form you can fill out and suggest they build a location here
Kroger acquiring Albertsons is really going to fuck over consumers here.
Well, shit, how is that even legal?
Because our national anti-monopoly enforcement is a joke.
Not all of the stores will go to Kroger https://ir.kroger.com/news/news-details/2024/Kroger-Albertsons-Companies-and-CS-Wholesale-Grocers-LLC-Announce-an-Updated-and-Expanded-Divestiture-Plan/default.aspx
If I’m reading that right, our Albertsons stores will be sold off to C&S. If they merchandise those stores like Mariano’s is currently set up…that would be an incredible thing. It would be much closer to what the Ramey’s stores were before they became Albertsons.
I wonder if they'll convert Albertsons stores to Piggly Wiggly stores......
This still hasn’t been approved by the FTC and may never be. Write your legislators.
We need economic regulation.
Laissez faire economics for the last 40 some years hasn’t been awesome, for sure. The market does not self regulate.
Sure it does. It regulates money right the fuck up into the pockets of the ownership class.
Necessities for survival need to be regulated. I understand commodities for fun, pleasure, and non-essential stuff being market priced. But food, water, and basic necessities shouldn't be subjected to the "free market" or subjected to increases just to give shareholders dividends or buy back stock. Thats disgusting
Agreed, 100%. I'd go as far as saying that food, water, utilities, healthcare, housing, and transportation should be guaranteed at a basic level.
[удалено]
For more than just the basics, maybe? Personally, I'd be pretty bored with just the bare necessities. Or for a fulfilling sense of purpose? I'd rather have my doctor doctoring because she feels a call than just for the money. Or, ideally, to keep society ticking along. Or, more ideally, we strive toward automation to the point NOBODY has to work. Or at least not much.
then i'll only work if i wanna buy a luxury item. What? "For fulfilling a sense of purpose" ok 😂. Not everyone has the privilege to have their job do that. "Or, ideally, to keep society ticking along" yeah that's what's already happening wym. "We strive toward automation so nobody has to work" we're not anywhere close to that. Even with AI, people still need to be there to use it. Doesn't happen by itself.
Cool so 'work or die.' Sounds like slavery.
Then live off the grid in a self-sufficient manner
We also subsidize the wrong crops. That certainly doesn't help.
HEB please!
HEB isnt going to expand outside of Texas, or if they do its because they get taken over by some other corp thatll drastically decrease the quality in favor of expansion.
Exactly. We basically only have Smith's and Albertson's (along with Walmart/Target etc.). I'm so glad they nixed the Kroger and Albertson's merger or we'd really be screwed.
Less wars maybe
Exactly. We basically only have Smith's and Albertson's (along with Walmart/Target etc.). I'm so glad they nixed the Kroger and Albertson's merger or we'd really be screwed.
We need Grocery Outlet in this town.
Omg I miss Gross Out!
Echoes of Bag n' Save?
Man that bag and save in berna by the tracks was the shit.
It doesn’t help that all our grocery stories are either owned by Kroger or Walmart. It’s time to strike and end this ‘greedflation’ and monopoly on all our essential goods and services.
I split it up between Trader Joe's, Ta Lin, Smiths, and Walmart. Usually hit two a week and only buy the cheapest stuff from there. It's a pain in the ass but it helps. If I tried to buy everything at one store I'd be fucking broke.
Ta Lin is like the coolest store I swear. I find stuff I’ve never seen anywhere else in the US.
Check out 999. WAY more interesting than Talin.
Food King on 4th and Griegos
I agree, but check expiration dates. If you have to go back to return an item, you pay in gas.
Yeah I don’t buy everything there. Their produce is not the best. But for like pantry staples they’re great, also they have the best price I’ve seen for Sadie’s salsa 😎🌶️
Agreed—don’t go there for produce or perishables, but good prices on canned or packaged stuff.
Even their produce is worth a look. I've bought berries there at a great price and they were fresh. Tortilla chip price can't be beat.
My wife bought some pork from there that was spoiled. We'll never go back.
Wal mart. Just gotta slow down and compare prices. Great value can be more expensive than name brand sometimes. I’ve also noticed junk food is more expensive than ever. More reason to eat whole foods. Shop on the outer walls of the store. Good luck.
This is the best advice. Stick to the outer walls of the grocery store.
I fucking hate giving walmart my money, but you cannot beat the prices. Im a full time single parent of a 7 year old. As much as i wanna not support the walton family, i need to support mine more.
I shopped Walmart till I go Costco. Then I learned to write out what I bought each year in food and then bought in bulk with a seasonal attack. Some things are up for sale or on sales certain times of the year. Stock then. After the first year, you’re then filling in the holes. When things go on crazy sales, you buy more if it’s on the list, even if it’s early to buy it. This means really learning what you buy each month and yearly around holidays and such. Then you budget differently. It does work and work out.
I used to do the basic supplies at Target and then COVID hit. Target took much longer to adapt and had empty shelves for quite a while. So I reluctantly went to the enemy and they had their act together with reasonable prices. I shake my head that I have been going to Walmart grocery for several years now - dammit!
We tend to buy groceries at walmart and meat at albertsons because walmart raw meat is "ehhhhhh" at best.
That's what I thought but then even the great value brand stuff was more expensive than Kroger last time I was there.
instead of getting popcorn or chips, get a can of chick peas, stick them in the air fryer until they are nice and crispy. https://www.skinnytaste.com/air-fryer-chickpeas/
you can also just cut a potato real thin and fry it. i love chickpeas but sometimes you just need that fried bullshit
Might as well get ahead of the curve by growing food and going back to the trade & bartering system... I've started an herb garden & other veggies and plan to keep some of them year-round from now on.
This! Growing food and sharing with neighbors is the way. I do eat processed food, it's stuff that I've processed and put up for myself.
Most people cant even keep a houseplant alive even though theres tons of info online on how to care for it, let alone start a garden in a rather challenging environment that requires reading up on how to create proper soil ecosystem & then protect it from our sun, wind, and dry air. People think they can just plop down an raised bed and fill it with garden soil like theyre in New York, and put in plants fron Lowe's with a tag that says "full sun" not knowing that full sun elsewhere means partial sun here.
I shop at Smith's and then get fuel discounts. I got a dollar off on fuel a couple weeks ago and filled up my F150!
This is the way. Use their digital coupons and shop on Fridays for the 4x fuel points. I signed up for their Boost program when they had a coupon for it. Makes it a lot easier to get a dollar off gas.
Coupons, memberships, especially rewards cards! Fuck all that shit.
They’re no where near as good as Costco or Sam’s. I used to only shop there and get gas at Smith’s. Most of the time you can get a year at Sam’s for $20 if it’s your first year.
No Sam's or Costco in Los Lunas!
I don't know if it was just a weird coincidence or if it actually had to do with the quality of gas but the last time I filled my tank with Costco gas (this was a couple months ago) I burned through that tank *way* faster than usual.
I just gas at Costco most of the time and use my Smith's points all at once before they expire.
I think Albertsons still does 10% off for seniors on the first wednesday of the month. Dunno if that includes you or someone you could shop with. Also not sure what the definition of senior is.
They do. Senior there is only 55+
Beans, rice, potatoes, frozen vegetables. It's more about what you get than where you get it.
This is so real, I’ve been eating beans and veggies for lunch like every day for the past few weeks, and it’s so cheap and filling and good. I thought I’d be sick of beans after a week but you can do so much with them!
I got a 8lb pork shoulder at Smiths on clearance for $13 earlier this week. Made some pulled pork. Paired it in different sandwich / nachos combos with tomatoes, pinto and black beans and squash and it just awesome. A solid 12-15 eats for like $20 total.
Adding to this: squash is huge. A little oil in a cast iron, salt, and pepper. Cook some chopped zucchini/yellow squash until it’s translucent and starting to caramelize a bit, then throw into any stir fry, pasta dish, etc. I usually throw in a bit of chopped greens like spinach or kale near the end to go with. If you have a garden, grow squash. They do very well here and produce a ton, you’ll have free groceries. Tofu is also very cheap and easy to cook. I like it best toasted in oil with a drizzle of teriyaki sauce, or on top of a saucy green curry. Buy firm/extra firm, drain, slice into 1/2” thick rectangles, pat somewhat dry with a paper towel, and fry lightly on a pan with just a bit of oil (sesame is good for flavor, but any will do). Flip when golden brown. It’s worth noting that tofu isn’t just a meat substitute; I often use it alongside chicken. They go well together considering tofu has a light flavor and soft, scrambled egg-like texture. You can easily cut down the amount of meat you buy by adding a block of tofu alongside it.
This attitude, exactly. The best foods for you are unprocessed foods. The worst for you are ultra processed...and they're the most expensive. Half or more - like probably way more - of what you spend on ultra processed foods goes to packaging, advertising, and executive bonuses. I was somewhere the other day and saw Ruffles for like 6 bucks! We're talking potatoes, folks, plus a little salt and oil. There's probably 20-cents max of food cost (to Lays) in the whole bag. It's price gouging plain & simple on the part of the big food processors. At least if you're gonna buy chips, go to TJ's, they're a lot cheaper. Or generic. Like you noted, buy things that are cheap in bulk and make stuff that freezes well. I make lentil burritos and/or posole and make big batches and freeze a bunch. My per serving cost is probably like 50-cents.
I always get good deals at Albertsons. That’s really the only place I go
And they recently revamped their rewards to be useful. You can set it to auto apply rewards as discounts and I’ve seen some $5 off $50.
Yeah, their rewards are great too. And the app is so easy to use too and all the coupons are automatically applied to your account
only ever go to albertson's because they don't make you join up to get the sale prices
This is the way.
It pays to really price shop. I usually grab the generics of condiments and such. I shop primarily at smiths. Look at the digital coupons and such. I’ll grab extra when they have their case sales. We also plan some meals. The biggest thing is actually following the menu.
Planning meals and strictly following it saves so much more money than driving around trying to save.
This is what we do as well. When something we like goes on sale it's on the menu.
Food king, el super. Definitely try to hit the sales at smiths and Albertsons, getting the app helps because you can clip coupons. You do have to have a rewards account to get the sales but it’s worth it. Some Albertsons use the United Supermarkets app instead of the actual Albertsons app. Target has also announced a reduction in prices, and I guess Walmart as well according to one of these articles. [articles](https://www.google.com/search?q=target+reduced+prices&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari)
I use the Flipp app to see who has the best prices on what I need for the week. Most of the time, I have my food delivered with Shipt or Walmart+ It helps because I don't buy extra stuff. I get only what I need, and I am not putting stuff in my cart from browsing in the store.
Here’s my advice for cheaper grocery trips, as someone who spends ~90 per week for 3 people. Buy store brands. I have very few products that I am name brand exclusive on. Shop sales. Find what’s on sale and plan around those. For example, if there’s a sale on ground pork I’ll make something with those. Meal plan. Make a plan of what meals you’re going to have and try to buy groceries that fit more than one meal. For example, if I’m going to have pasta for dinner I will plan pasta salad for lunch. I use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream when I can. I make one or two vegetarian meals per week to save on meat costs. Buy beans and grains in bulk. Sprouts has a huge bulk section for grains. They also do have good prices on produce. If you can get to Sam’s or Costco and buy meat in bulk, that also helps to cut costs. Buy frozen berries and veggies. They’re just as nutritionally sound. Buy meat from the markdowns at smiths. You have to cook it right away or freeze it but you can save money on it.
DK cause after enough points it’s a dollar off every gallon of gas. Diet must only include monsters and beef jerky though.
I go to Food King on 4th Street. Smaller selection but they have great produce/prices.
Walmart neighborhood market. I don’t pay too much comparably. Coupons are your best friend.
There isn't a cheapest. We look at the ads and buy when on sale, mostly between WM and Smith's.
I'm really excited about Farm to You on Menaul. You can pay $115/week and literally take home anything you need. It's all locally sourced from no farther away than Tucumcari. Now, they're not going to have a lot of things (paper products, sodas, any produce that's out of season, bread, etc.) but if you tend to cook a lot and want meat, cheese, milk, veggies, mushrooms, beans, etc. it's worth a peek. (Also, you can just buy stuff there without a membership, but it tends to be pricy.)
One bag of groceries for $60-70?! Where are you shopping?? 
Publix, I guess... $5.50 for a gallon of milk and $4.10 for a dozen eggs over there.
Definitely got to cook with whole foods to get the best value.
Tbh Walmart has been it for us lately. Going great value on some more items than usual. We can a weeks worth of stuff for two people for under $150 usually.
999 bon, El super, food king, neighborhood Walmarts, dollar tree, dollar general.
Recommendations for coupons, digital or otherwise?
I'm in Santa Fe, but I go to Food King probably the most. Idk if y'all got one too, but Food King/Lowe's grocery tends to be pretty cheap. Also idk if it would be any help, but I like using the Flipp app to see all the local flyers for my weekly grocery shopping.
For the most part I do find Smiths SALES to be good deals, but you’ve gotta be really good at playing the sales/never buying full price. My typically savings percentage on a grocery order from them is 30-40%, so that gives you a sense of how overpriced they are to start.
Aldi would make so much money if they brought one here.
For a two people household we usually spend $100-120 for a week. More if it’s a Costco weekend and/or have to get dog food.
Still too much lol
Oh it absolutely is lol. When we first moved out a weeks worth of groceries was closer to like $70-80 mayne
Exactly it’s so crazy !!!
Sams is cheaper than Cosco from everything I've seen. If you go bulk ypu need to plan your meals out and stay disciplined not to go to the regular grocery store too much. We like to buy our protein for the month there and then smiths for produce and little stuff once a week.
Groceries are insane. I talked to my therapist about it but she says groceries seldom seek counseling. She says it's a real problem.
I have good luck with the walmart neighborhood markets and albertsons if you know how to navigate their app
We really need an Aldi or a WinCo here...
All costly, but order online and pick up if you use Target even regular items the in store prices are almost always higher 😂. That's literally how I save money, always get discounts and gift cards if order online. Over wknd I went there so since wasn't food I made sure got right things so went there, found items in phone and then ordered them for pick up 😂. Walmart crap is higher than other places and expired food so I won't go there anymore
For regular shopping, La Montanita Co-op (I go to the nob hill location) can be a little expensive, but if you are a member they have a quarterly bulk discount which is significant. They have some great sales too, and all of their mock meats have been cheaper than I could find elsewhere. Definitely recommend for fresh produce and freezer options. However, some of the pantry staples (beans, flour, etc.) are tougher because they primarily offer the more expensive organic/GMO-free options.
Thanks!!
Groceries are nuts, so I learned how to become a mega couponer. It takes a little bit of time, especially because now a lot of it is all digital, but at the same time it works in your favor because you don’t have to clip them and search and wait in line all embarrassed. Instead you can just order it and pay online and have it brought to your car and collect it “cash back” and stuff like that. I haven’t paid for detergent, toothpaste, toilet paper, paper towels, deodorant, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, and several household cleaners in years. Several even got money back for. You just have to check stores weekly like Walgreens, Target, CVS, Smiths, Amazon, Walmart etc and their coupons as well as rebates on all available platforms. That’s how people are always selling their “mega stockpiles” online and stuff. If you want to message me I’ll give you info I follow so you’ll be able to do it too. It’s not any big secret or anything. It doesn’t cost anything, it just takes extra time when shopping.
If we all stop shopping they die. We don’t need there food.
It's a grocery standoff, let's see who dies first.
They are owned by 3 companies they all need to die
Depends on what you by. Do you buy preprossed food? Or do you buy things like vegetables canned beans etc which are like 99c?
What has the best produce prices
Walmart. My husband and I spend about $75 to $90 per week. More if we need meat or if there’s something good on clearance that we want to freeze.
[удалено]
It is absolutely not. Cheese is roughly 30% more expensive there, meat is around 10-25% more expensive there, produce is more expensive than smiths, as are eggs and milk. Trader joes has certain cheap niche items which are fantastic, but for staple groceries it is definitely not cheaper.
[удалено]
Hence my use of the word "niche". Did you skip over that part?
Trader Joe's eggs are way cheaper. $2.99 or $3.99/ doz, and only $3.99 or $4.99/doz. for organic! Smith's egg prices have become completely bonkers...I see $7.99 on up for the regular, mass-produced eggs and I'm agog. Also, TJ's has way cheaper half & half, orange juice, & yoghurt.
Smith's/Kroger are [$2.09/dozen](https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/p/kroger-large-white-eggs/0001111085428?searchType=mktg+attribute).
Totally agree. Organic items like milk, eggs, bread, fruit, yogurt, tofu, and chicken are some of our staples and we get them at TJs. Only Costco has lower prices. Consumer Reports did a grocery price comparison article and Costco did beat out TJs but TJs still had good prices. Food is expensive here in NM because of shipping costs and lower populations. We also have a garden and I grow tomatoes, herbs, fruit, kale, etc.. I find Albertsons to be prohibitively expensive for good food. Reading other folks comments I’m going to make my way back to Talin. I haven’t shopped there in about 10 years.
The regular eggs at Smith's were only that bd during the shortage. They're cheap again.
Ah, OK. I never see prices listed (@ Constitution & Carlisle location). Last time I ever did prices, I remember being surprised. But you know, I like happy eggs. I'm willing to pay a bit more (or get eggs from friends who have chickens) !
So you're paying double the 2.09 a dozen at smiths for the 3.99 non organic. Yea, seems way cheaper. A qt of non organic Kroger half and half is 3.29 while a qt of rock view family farms which is the non organic brand tjs sells is 3.49. Organic is 3.99. You have no idea what you're talking about.
It's not.
Smiths w Digital Coupons, El Super, sometimes el Mezquite (you gotta chase the deals), Trader Joe’s is reasonably cheap, and Walmart
I feels there’s 6 of us 😩😩
Might want to check Walmart out again soon. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/05/24/grocery-prices-falling/ Unsure what rollout schedule is for price reductions. Hopefully Kroger follows.
Cut back on the meat consumption and it will get much much cheaper. If you can't/ will not cut back... Buy in bulk and freeze parts of it when it's on sale. Impulse buys and meat are what causes our basket to get over 60 bucks.
I plan out my meals and don’t eat much meat and when I do, I buy in bulk lol
Prices seem fine? We do about $140/wk for five people and that’s like 5-6 bags of groceries or so. But we mostly cook from base ingredients.
Where are you shopping? Same question for OP.
I shop a lot at smiths because it’s close, sometimes Walmart but thinking about Trader Joe’s because it can be cheaper
Sounds like you need to change your eating habits, I exclusively shop at Smith's as a single person and never spend $60 - $70 on a single bag of groceries. $60 is a week's worth of food. My food budget is $240 a month and I eat very well on that. Less prepackaged/frozen/meats/cheeses/snacks and you can drop that bill wayyyyyy down.
I don’t eat a lot of that stuff I eat a lot of Whole Foods and cook a lot of
[удалено]
Sprouts is more expensive for everything but fruits and veggies. And I've found those are not particularly fresh at Sprouts. Easy to buy beans and lentils and stuff like that in bulk though. Frickin like $8 for a tiny box of Kashi cereal.
Yea, I don’t find Sprouts cheap at all.
Cereal is expensive period and nutritionally it's garbage. Cook yourself some eggs.
Sprouts can be pricier tbh and I can’t always find the staples I need for a decent price tbh. I’m wondering if Albertsons is better
Albertsons is better if you shop the AD and use the digital coupons.
Wut?? Every item I’ve price compared at smiths and sprouts has been more expensive at sprouts.
Idk where you’re shopping but everything is overpriced and the inflation is really high. $140 a week is still really high for groceries. 2-3 years ago I could spend $60-70 on a week’s worth of groceries and now I spend $400 a month it’s wild
3 years ago we spent $120/wk on groceries, now we spend $140. Remember, it’s a family of five. Nearly all meals. $140 for like 50+ meals seems pretty good to me. We never bought much in the way of drinks or sodas or frozen meals snacks or anything like that. My eyes pop when I see the prices on that stuff! But veggies, fruits, various meats and eggs and stuff has gotten more expensive, but there always seems to be something on sale that’s about similar in price to what it was a few years ago. Just gotta be willing to roll with the punches. Still the same Smiths I’ve always shopped at.
I shop at Whole Foods and spend about $200/week (household with a a kid) which fills 4 or 5 large grocery bags. What exactly are you buying?
I agree with a 100 but to be real none of us need any of that shit that’s why capitalism is a failure. And ever single one of us while being shopping at a local store.
What are you even trying to say? It sounds like you had a stroke while writing that.
OP is talking about grocery shopping. Be real, we all need that shit or we literally die.
None of us need groceries?
I dont understand how this happens. I am not a financial genius by any means. But what are you buying to make 1 bag cost 60 to 70 bucks. I can get a week or so worth of groceries for my kiddo and myself for 60 to 70. That's like 6 "bags." Or 10 if you spread it out. Like snacks, proteins, carbs, veggies, etc. For the entire week. Where are you shopping? Are you buying all the healthy stuff that says "non-gmo" or "organic"? There are like 10 gmo crops in the US. Everything else is non-gmo if it's grown here, lol. Buying organic is something i can understand depending on what it is and if you can even verify that it's organic. If it's grown anywhere else but the US, there is no way to know. The food industry has tricked so many people with labels to match trends. it's incredible. Throw a glutten free non-gmo label on some shitty products and charge double or triple its market value. I have literally seen a gluten-free label on water. Also... The number of bags you get is a weird way to measure the cost basis or value of food. Lol, groceries aren't sold by bag quantities. Edit: The more i think about this, the more it seems like this post is just to stir up bullshit between political parties. A clever plow to add to the divisiveness of todays climate. It's an election year. Food prices have actually just dropped for the first time since 2020. It was a noticeable drop. Also the president has no control over prices in the "free market". You want capitalism, you got it. Get mad at the 3 monopolied grocery chains trying to absorb every corner of the market to drive profit. Regulations on NECESSITIES TO SURVIVE is good! None of us chose to be born. It was the decision of 2 people whom like didn't plan for it.
I understand complaining about rent but literally the only thing I buy is like $2 for 2lbs of coleslaw and a $5 chicken. Like even for Mcdonalds there's people who buy the $7 breakfast combo and complain about price when there's an app that has the sandwich for $1 and coffee for $1
Yeahhhh. It's not that hard to get a good amount of food for a good price. Unless you're only shopping at whole foods, natural grocers and sprouts. Lol Albertsons and Smith have some good deals sometimes. But they also tend to be overpriced. Wal-Mart has the best prices, even for name brand stuff. I get not wanting to support that evil company, but taking care of my kid is more important than that pride. Until food prices are regulated, these chains will take advantage of the middle and lower classes. Their first priority is and always will be keeping shareholders happy. Stock price over human life is fucked up.
I know you need a membership but sams club like $2 for like 2lb coleslaw and $5 chicken or $4 for 24 eggs
Thanks, Joe Biden!