What is A Good Price? My Grocery Price Book For September 2008

     I thought it would be fun to compare prices around the country (and beyond). These are the best prices I can usually get for things and what I try to use as targets. Please share what things cost where you live. I would love to know.

     I shop at 4 main stores. The first and closet to my home at 1 .2 miles, is Sweetbay, a moderate discount grocery store. It is not as cheap as the super discount stores and try's to compete with the more upscale store Publix. Publix is a full service grocery store and is generally more expensive, but surprisingly is cheaper than Sweetbay on some staples. It is about 2 miles from my house. Then there is Sam's the warehouse club that is about 1.5 miles from my house. It has more stable low prices on certain meats and staples. I also just checked out Aldis which just opened a few stores in my state this week. I had always heard others talk of Aldis so I had to check it out. The closet Aldis is 7.7 miles from my house. There are no super Walmart Super Stores close by.

They all have their Pros and Cons.

Sweetbay;

 Pros   1. Great sales and loss leader items each week.

            2.  Consistently low canned goods prices and low prices on store brands

            3. large variety of produce

            4. Still has some of the lowest prices for cheese

             5. Closest to my home.

Cons

             1. Very high prices on staples like flour and rice lately.

             2. You really have to know your prices because to compensate for their great sales 

                 other everyday items are higher priced.

Publix

Pros 

              1. Nice to shop at. ( They have a nice self serve soda fountain)

              2. Surprisingly some nice sales from time to time

              3. Surprisingly lower priced on staples such as rice, flour, and oil.

Cons

              1 Higher priced on most things

Sam's 

Pros

              1. Consistent lower prices on meat. If I can't get what I want on sale at the regular 

                 grocery stores they generally have the best non- sale price.

               2. Consistent Low prices on most staples. (again if I can't find a better sale price.

               3. On the few things I am brand loyal too they usually have the best price on brand 

                  names. (however I am not super brand loyal and usually I can find an equivalent

                   store brand that is cheaper than the name brand at other stores.

Cons

              1. Doesn't carry a lot of generic brands.

              2. Huge store and I always get lost and spend a ton of extra time. Not an in an out 

                  store.

               3. I don't have the storage for a lot of bulk shopping.

ALDIS, 

Pros and Cons Yet to be assessed since I have only been there once. Only con at this time is that it is a bit of a drive.

                                                   

Dairy   

Fresh Milk 1 Gal :             Sweetbay 3.79,  Aldis 2.72,  Sam's 3.52

Powdered Milk 2/lbs:     Sweetbay  8.49

Canned Evap Milk:          Sweetbay .89,  Aldis   .69

Mozzarella Cheese 8oz:  Sweetbay 1.69, Sam's 12.18/5lbs (1.22/8oz.)

Cheddar Cheese 8oz:       Sweetbay 1.99

Sliced Am. Cheese :          Publix  2.59/16 sl

Velveeta:                            Sam's 7.80/4lbs (.97/8oz)

Eggs Lg. 1 doz:                 Sweetbay 1.69, Aldis 1.19

Fats 

Smart Balance 3lbs:    Sam's 4.52/3lbs

Margarine  80%:           Sweetbay .89/lb 

Butter:                               Sweetbay 1.99/lb

Vegetable Shortening:   Publix 4.19/3lbs

Vegetable Oil:                   Aldis 2.29/48oz.

Meats

Ground Beef 10% fat:  Sam's 2.60/lb

Chicken Leg Quarters: Sweetbay .59/lb

Whole Chicken: Sweetbay Sale price .79/lb, Sam's Everyday price .79/lb

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast:   Sweetbay 2.29/lb

Hot Dog (Ball Park Meat):  Sam's 5.59/3.5lbs (1.60/lb)

Tuna packed in water 6oz can:   Sweetbay 3.49/4 cans (.87 ech)

Turkey Lunch Meat:   Sam's 6.43/2.5 lbs (2.58/lb)

Chuck/Pot Roast:       Sweetbay 2.29/lb

London Broil:      Sweetbay 2.49/lb

Bacon:       Sweetbay 2.49/lb

Fresh Vegetables

Romaine Lettuce 1head:  Sweetbay 1.59

Cucumber: Sweetbay .79 ech,  Aldis .39/ech

Tomatoes: Sweetbay 1.49/lb

Baking Potatoes; Sweetbay 2.49/5lbs

Zuchini:   Sweetbay 1.29/lb

Canned Vegetables

Corn:      Sweetbay .50

Mexicorn: Sweetbay 4.00/5 (.80/ech)

Green Beans: Sweetbay .50

Crushed Tomatoes 28oz.:  Sweetbay 1.19

Tomato Paste 6oz. :  Sweetbay 2.00/5 (.40/ech)

Tomato Sauce 8oz:    Sweetbay 1.00/3 (.34/ech)

Diced Tomato 14.5oz:  Sweetbay .69/ech

Mushroom Pieces 4oz.  Sweetbay  .69/ech

Canned Soups

Cream of Mushroom: Sweetbay .99, Aldis .59

Cream of Chicken:  Sweetbay .99, Aldis .59

Cream of Celery: Sweetbay 1.39

Canned Beans

Black Beans:  Sweetbay 2.00/3 (.67/ech)

Pinto Beans:   Sweetbay 2.00/3 (.67/ech)

Fresh Fruit

Apples:   Sweetbay .99/lb

Bananas: Sweetbay .69/lb

Cantaloup: Sweetbay 2.00/ech

Grapes: 1.49/lb

Fruit Juice

Orange Juice (Not from Concentrate) 1/2 Gal.:  Sweetbay 1.99

Apple Juice 64oz.: Sweetbay 1.47

Canned/Jarred Fruit

Applesauce 25 oz.: Sweetbay 1.29

Grains and Starches

All-Purpose Unbleached Flour:  Publix 2.29/5lbs,  Aldis (bleached)1.69/5lbs

Whole Wheat Flour: Publix 3.99/5lbs

Bread Flour: Publix 2.99/5lbs

Cornmeal 2/lbs: Publix 1.09

Wh. Wheat Spaghetti: Sweetbay 1.29/lb

Wh Wheat Macaroni: Sweetbay 1.29/lb

Wh. Wheat Penne: Sweetbay 1.29/lb

White Loaf Bread 20oz: Publix .89

100% Wh. Wheat Bread: Aldis 1.09

Instant Mashed Potatoes: Sam's 5.28/3.25lbs (1.62/lb)

Baking Supplies

Sugar:  Sweetbay 1.99/5lbs

Baking Powder: Sweetbay 1.49

Baking Soda:  Sweetbay .49

Chocolate Chips 24 oz.: Sweetbay 4.29

Beverages

Tea Bags Family Size: Sweetbay 1.79

Green Tea Bags: Sweetbay 2.59

Condiments

Bouillon Cubes: Sweetbay 1.49

BBQ Sauce: Sweetbay .79/18oz

Ketchup: Sweetbay .99/24oz

Peanut Butter: Sweetbay 2.39

Pancake SyrupLight: Sweetbay 2.19

Sweets and Treats

Saltines: Sweeetbay 1.29,  Aldis .89

Pretzles: Sweetbay 1.79

Pudding Cups: Sweetbay .99/4

Herbs/Spices

Chili Powder:  Sweetbay 1.19

Thyme: Thyme: Sweetbay .59

Paprika: Sweetbay 1.19

  (I am continuing to work on this and  will update as I add more, but since I couldn't figure how to cut and paste and then post my spread sheet I am retyping this by hand)

How to Make Great Popcorn on the Stove Without a Microwave

My college daughter moved into the dorm without a microwave. She needed to learn how to make popcorn on the stove. Regular popcorn is a very cheap and affordable snack for the college student. Here are the very specific step by step instructions I gave her.

How to Make Great Popcorn On the Stove Top Without a Microwave
Serves three or four people for a whole movie.
Ingredients:
3-quart sauce pan with lid.
Popcorn, not much (about 1/2 cup)
2 or 3 Tbs of butter or margarine (Optional)
Vegetable oil (about 2 Tbs)
Table salt
Preparation:
1. Turn on stove and adjust to somewhere between medium and high heat .
2. Poor vegetable oil in the pan to cover bottom and then some about 2 Tbs.
3. Place pan on stove and let heat for a minute or so.
4. In the mean time, put some butter or margarine in another pan and start it melting at low heat.
5. Cover the bottom of the pan with popcorn in a single layer about 1/2 cup. Don't add more than 1/2 cup.
6. Place the lid on the pan. The popcorn should start popping in a minute or so.
7. Once you hear the kernels start to pop, then continuously shake the pan across the burner until popping reaches a crescendo.
8. Move to a unheated burner and back to the heated burner once or twice (this is an art).
9. Move to an unheated burner when the popcorn reaches the lid and wait while it finishes popping.
10. Pour popcorn in a large bowl, pour on butter, and salt to taste. The butter and salt can be distributed by pouring the popcorn back and fourth between the bowl(s) and pan.

Starving College Student Survival: Biscuit Mix to the Rescue

Cooking from scratch is usually the cheapest way to go, but cooking totally from scratch is not practical for the average college student. It is also not practical to have a small dorm kitchen fully stocked with all kinds of baking supplies such as 5 lbs flour, 5 pounds sugar, baking soda, baking powder etc.

Biscuit Mix to the Rescue
A good compromise is the extremely versatile Biscuit Mix. Bisquick is a name brand, but there are also other brands such as Jiffy and Store brands. I don't like Jiffy because it uses lard or at least it use to use lard, but to tell you the truth, I haven't checked the labels lately. My store sells a store brand that is still the cheapest. Of Course there are all kinds of homemade versions but again making a homemade version isn't convenient or practical for the College Student.

As I said in my other post, it isn't wonderful whole wheat or whole grain, but it is much healthier than ready made baked goods with their high fructose corn syrup and other junk. Also it is much more affordable than buying ready made stuff.

It's real genius, however, is it's versatility. Look at all the things you can make with it and water or just a few other cheap basic staple ingredients.

My Baking Mix Recipes Index, I will be adding More Recipes as I find or create them.

Banana Nut Bread Easy Using Biscuit Type Baking Mix

BBQ Cups College Student Recipe

Biscuits and Variations Using Biscuit Type Baking Mix

Biscuits for Two (Small batch makes only 4 or 5 biscuits)

Chocolate Chip Cookies Using Biscuit Type Mix

Cup Cakes Using Biscuit Type Baking Mix

Easy Cheese Garlic Biscuits

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

Muffins or Coffee Cake Using Biscuit Type Baking Mix

Pancakes

Pigs In A Blanket

Pizza - Using Biscuit Type Baking Mix

Pizza Biscuit Bake College Student Version

Quick Beef Bake

Sugar Cookies - Using Biscuit Type Baking Mix

White Sauce, Cheese Sauce or Gravy Using Biscuit Type Baking Mix

Yellow or Chocolate Cake - Using a Biscuit Type Baking Mix

Basic Starter Survival Grocery List for the College Student

I moved my DD back into the college dorms today. She is in a dorm suite that has a kitchen now. This was more expensive, but we saved by not having to buy the meal plan which is outrageously expensive. I believe she can save so much more cooking for herself. We had to come up with an initial starter grocery list for her first week. She needs to cook some things from scratch, but lets face it, she is not going to be baking her own bread. Instead of supplying her kitchen with all the stuff she would need for baking, we figured a baking mix for starters would be an economical way to go. I also want her to learn to cook her own meals and not prepare too many convenience foods. We had to balance convenience, economy, and nutrition. Is it as perfectly healthy and nutritious as I wanted? Short answer no, but I think it is pretty good nutrition for the economy. It was definitely a balancing act. We had to come up with the most things we could make with the fewest amount of inexpensive ingredients. This was our first attempt. (Actually she is on her own after this and if she runs short of cash she will be a true starving student.)

Feel Free to comment any hints or helps for starving college students.

Basic Starter Survival Grocery List for the College Student

Start with this list your first week then replace weekly what you run out of. As your budget allows you can add other things. Maybe the second week buy some chicken instead of the hamburger.

1. 1 large box baking mix (Store Brand or Jiffy Brand is usually much cheaper than Bisquick. Ok it is not whole wheat or whole grain but it will suffice for now.)

Click Here For a list of Baking mix Recipes including recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and all kinds of dessert and snack foods made with baking mix

( HINT: Check for recipes on back of baking box or at the baking box's website. You can usually find recipes using the baking mix for cookies, cake or cup cakes, some main dish ideas etc. (HINT: Melted margarine can be used in place of oil in almost any baking recipe)

2.   2 lbs. sugar

3.  1 loaf bread

4.  1 lb. cheddar (or 1 lb. American Cheese)

5.  1 small box powdered milk (for cooking)

6.  2 lbs reg. margarine (melted margarin can be substituted for liquid oil in most recipes)

7.  2 lbs hamburger

8.  1 lb. lunch meat

9.  2 28-oz. cans tomato sauce (or 6 or 7 8oz. cans the kind that are usually 3/ $1)

10.  3 or 5 lbs. potatoes

11.   2 lbs carrots

12.    3 lbs apples

13.   1 cabbage

14.   1 lb dry navy beans ( or 2 cans)
Remember dry beans usually have to be soaked in water overnight before use

15.   1 lbs. dry spaghetti (or Macaroni or 8 oz. of each)

16.   1 doz. eggs

17.   salt (add some seasonings as you can afford them, such as pepper, cinnamon, Italian seasoning, Chili powder, and chicken or beef bouillon cubes for flavored broths gravy's and soups etc.)

18.   Condiments can be pricey- If you eat out at fast food maybe snag a few extra catsup, mustard or mayonnaise packets. Add to your pantry when you can. Good news is condiments keep for a long time.

19.   Water is the Cheapest beverage. If the tap water is bad invest in a Brita water filter pitcher. Itwill save money in the long run. As budget allows for beverages, tea bags are cheap and can make ice tea. Fresh milk is nice, but it is pricey and if you can't drink a gallon before it goes bad, it is not worth the money. Use canned or powdered for baking. If you have to have fresh for cereal or drinking , you have to not buy more than you can drink before it goes bad. Buy milk at you discretion, calcium can be gotten in cheese and surprisingly in most beans.

20.  Later weeks you can add some canned tuna and other canned meats as your budget allows.
Tuna can be turned into tuna salad sandwiches and casserole.

21.   Later you can also buy different fruits that are in season and cheap. Apples are affordable most of the year especially in the Fall.

22.   As budget allows add more variety of vegetables. Canned vegetables are usually the cheapest, but frozen can also be a good buy. Buying too much fresh produce that goes bad before you eat it is not a good buy. Buy only carrots, potatoes and cabbage fresh as they generally last a longer time.


Things you can make from above ingredients

Breakfast

(HINT: make batches of biscuits, french toast or muffins on the weekend and freeze to have quick grab and go breakfasts during the week)

Pancakes with sauteed apples
Cheese biscuits
Muffins (plain, apple or spice)
French Toast (sprinkle with Cinnamon sugar instead of syrup)
eggs (not every day- you need to save some for baking)

(HINT: A big box of quick oats can be purchased as your budget allows. It keeps very well and makes a wonderful hearty cheap breakfast. you can add sauteed apples or cinnamon sugar. Sweetened package dry cereals are very pricey compared to other breakfast foods)

Lunches
Lunch meat sandwiches, carrot sticks or apple, sugar cookies
Cheese Quiche
Shepherds Pie
Grilled or open face cheese sandwich
Baked potato and toppings

Dinners
Mac and Cheese, Cooked apples, Cabbage Slaw
Spaghetti, garlic bread
Cheese Toasts
Hamburger Bean Soup
Hamburger Macaroni Casserole
Cheese Burger Pizzas
Chili Potatoes
Chili Mac
Beef Noodle Soup
Beef and Gravy on Mashed or Baked Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Deviled Eggs
Cheese Potato Soup
Meatball Sandwiches
Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf Sandwiches
Omelets
Potato Cabbage & Bean soup

Vegetable Dishes
Apple Slaw
Cheesy Fries
Hash Browns
Mashed Potatoes
Potato Skins
carrots raw or cooked

Desserts
Apple turnovers
Baked Cinnamon apple slices (Have to buy cinnamon)
Cake, Carrot cake, or Cookies (Check baking box and Baking Box website for recipes)

Snacks
Apples
Carrot Sticks
Cheese
Hard boiled egg

(HINT: regular popcorn cooked the old fashioned way in a sauce pan makes a very cheap and satisfying snack food)