How do you buy groceries?

[mrsklamc]

Do you shop multiple stores? Or plan the menu around what's on sale at one store and then pick up a few other things while you're there too? Or just hit wal-mart or target for everything you need?

 

[shortbun]

We shop two groceries, usually every other week. We plan our menus from what proteins and fresh produce are local or in season and therefore less expensive. We clip a few coupons for things like paper products or specialty items. I can't stand Walmart type places for groceries. They focus on junk at every end cap-soda, cookies, Little Debbies. I also shop a Farmer's Market from late spring to late fall every Saturday morning that I can. Again-local produce, organic meats.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Aldi is my store! I shop for a family of 5. I cook a hot breakfast for them every morning, pack lunches for 4 out of 5, and cook dinner every night-7 nights a week. I can get everything I need at Aldi for well under $100 a week. I also suggest E-Meals.com for a great meal planning service. They have an Aldi meal plan that comes with a 7 meal menu and grocery list.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

I normally only shop at one grocery store and plan meals based upon what is on sale. I rarely ever buy food items at walmart or target, most of what they have is packaged foods which we try not to eat much of at all. I do buy paper products and cleaning supplies at walmart/target

 

[disneyfreakk]

I shop two grocery stores every week. Wegmans for organic items, fresh produce and everything else. then my local grocery store for water cooler water bottles and Horizons organic milk.

I also go to Sams about every six weeks for meds and paper items.

 

[kydisneyfans]

2 stores-Kroger and Meijer.
We stock up on sale items and plan meals based on what we have on hand.
The trip is weekly to get fresh produce/dairy/etc.

We fill in at Aldi every other week, milk has been either 1.49 or 1.79 a gallon since last September. I usually get a few other things but find Kroger/Meijer ad prices to be lower than Aldi.

 

[njmom47]

Since I work for a supermarket co, I shop at one of the stores we own once a week. I sometimes buy stuff when I go to Walmart or Target (although they're not super stores with a complete grocery store inside) and see something different or cheaper than at the supermarket.

 

[njcarita]

i have my order delivered about every 2 weeks and fill in what i need with quick trips to store

 

[IUTBAM]

With the exception of produce (which I get at Sprouts), I buy all my groceries, health & beauty, and cleaning supplies at SuperTarget, Sam's Club or Walmart SuperCenter. I clip coupons, but I don't buy a lot of processed food, so I don't get much bang for the buck coupon-wise (although every little bit helps). At least once a weeki, I go to the Walmart Supercenter FIRST thing in the morning (7:15 a.m.) after I drop my son off at school and hit the meat case to see what has been marked down (specifically looking for lean pork chops, super-lean ground beef, and stew-meat and stir-fry sliced beef). I buy the majority of my meat that way (with the exception of boneless, skinless, chicken breast...that never seems to get marked down, but thankfully Sam's Club usually has it for less than $2/lb.). I do get spiral sliced hams and fresh turkeys to roast every few months and then portion and freeze them for meals.

 

[dumbocutie]

We shop Aldi and Ultra every week. Try to watch for sale items and plan meals that way. Meatless meal once or twice a week. If I am at Walmart or Super Target I will check out certain items and pick them up if cheaper than the other two stores mentioned.

 

[kirstenb1]

I split between our local store, Food Lion, and Sam's Club, about 30 miles away. I love Sam's for produce. Giant container of blueberries for $6, same with cherry tomatoes. I buy plenty of other stuff at Sam's too, and go there about every 2-3 weeks, or when I'm trying to put together a lot of food for a party, or coffee hour at church.

 

[DawnM]

90% of our food comes from Costco. I go about twice per month.

 

[QVCshopper]

I do the majority of my shopping at Wegmans, but will hit other stores for great loss leaders once in a while. Wegmans has free child watch and nice places to eat, both of which make my life soooo much easier. It's a pleasant place to shop, and everything I buy is super yummy and fresh. I do buy their meat that's been marked down as well as their Kosher items and their store brand.

I do lots of smaller orders. I have never spent $100 in a food store trip, I like to break it up into more frequent, smaller orders, but I only live three miles from the store. Actually, we have many stores nearby, including Giant, Acme, Costco, BJs, Genuardis, just to name a few.

If you haven't been, Wegmans is an experience as well as a food store, and I like to spend my money there--except on weekends--too crowded!

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

We go to the Commissary every two weeks and buy what we need, we usually pick up bread, if DH wants sandwiches, once a week at the grocery store by our house, but other than that, everything comes from the Commissary, including personal hygiene items, paper products, and pet food, except the pellet food our rabbit eats.

We hardly ever go to any other stores any more and I loathe Walmart, we hardly go in there 2 to 3 times a year. I will wander Target every now and then, mostly, just out of boredom.

 

[Hook326]

I shop two stores on a regular basis...it used to be Valli (for produce, meats) and Hiilander for everything else. Then hilander was bought out by a more expensive chain here so I decided to try Aldi's which i've been doing for a couple of months now while keeping Valli. Every two or so months, i drive about an hour and a half to a huge Korean supermarket and stock up there with Korean food

I shop for paper products, etc at Target, CVS, or Walgreens depending on who has the best price! I really don't like Walmart so avoid there.

 

[cornflake]

I don't buy groceries from Target, I don't think they really have what I buy as groceries. I get paper goods there though, way cheaper than my local market.

I have three or four local markets I stop at regularly. A couple others I stop at less frequently.

They don't really have sales (one has just started to put a few things on sale, they never really had sales before, but it's not on any discernable schedule, it's just like there's suddenly a sign says some random thing is on sale, another does have some things on sale every whatever, I dunno how often they change, and I might be moved to buy something if I see it's on sale because it's written on the chalkboard by the entrance but that's about it), so I just get what I need, every couple days-ish.

 

[cluvsdisney]

I go to a warehouse club every few weeks to stock up on certain items that I like to always have on hand.

There are 2 nearby supermarkets I shop in every 7-10 days - the one I go to depends on which has the best sale on diet pepsi. Then I work around their other sale items with what I have on hand to plan out my menu.

There is one other smaller store with with delicious prepared foods without preservatives, artificial colors, msg, etc. along with other grocery items at great prices. I just tried some foods there recently and I loved everything I purchased so I am adding this to the food shopping rotation.

 

[Kies99]

We have two large local chains (Giant Eagle and Shop 'n Save) as well as an Aldi's all about 150 yards apart on the same side of the street.

Needless to say, we shop all three since it's so easy.

 

[LovesTimone]

When I shop - I do a once a month stock up, then pick up fresh produce and meat weekly, and with that includes milk, bread, juice and things you always run out of.

I always take my coupons with me so if something is a great buy then it will be a better buy with my coupons. Take time to check out the sales ad as you enter, I have found coupons in the Ad racks that were not in the paper. Also check out when they have tasting, alot of time there are coupons for now and then again later on.

With the stock up - I check the sales ad's - Publix, Walmart, Target, and once in a great while Kroger. I make a list of what I need, any upcoming events, birthday, company coming over, or if I need to take a dish somewhere, hoildays in that month.

Then I match up coupons to ads, always check for store coupons, Publix and Target are the best match for store coupons and coupon from the paper or on line for my families needs. Don't forget rainchecks, most store offer them ask it can't hurt.

With the weekly shopping I normally only go to publix, and the produce market, again taking my coupons with me, sometimes there might be something not advertised that is on sale. By buying whats in season saves money.

 

[momfeez]

Shop once a week at Publix for groceries. Imake out menu for the following week based on what's on sale. I use coupons...our publix takes one manufacturer's coupon and one store coupon (either their's or target's or walgreen's) for the same item. Bonus if I have coupons for items that are by one get one free items that week

Shop at target twice a month for paper goods, cleaners etc. Target also takes one manufacturer's coupon and one of their store coupons for the same item.