Today I want to talk about grocery shopping. After I went to 4 different grocery stores this past Saturday alone I realized that I might be a grocery-store-aholic. The thing is, I actually don't like grocery shopping at all, but in order to get all the food I want (at hopefully the best price) I end up frequenting several different stores.
Trader Joes
3 cans of beans, chunky salsa, popped chips, and 2 packages of dried mango = $13.53. I was so excited about the dried mango because it was $2.99 and I usually pay double that at Whole Foods. However, after tasting it, it was a huge waste of money because it's disgusting. Didn't love the popped chips either, so this trip was a bit of a disaster. Luckily I love Trader Joe's salsa and beans so it wasn't a massive waste. Other items I generally buy at Trader Joe's include: frozen fruit (I love their frozen mango and frozen raspberries especially), plain greek yogurt, harvest grain blend (amazing mix of Israelic cous cous, red quinoa and lentils), frozen salmon patties, frozen chicken dumplings, pretzel thins. For treats I highly recommend their animal crackers, peanut butter cups and chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels. Yum.
Whole Foods
Next I visited Whole Foods. I know Whole Foods has a bad rep for being way too expensive but if I had endless money and could do my shopping all at once place, I'd probably just shop here 80% of the time. I rarely buy something here I don't like at all. Saturday I bought...
Pizza Crust, 3 sweet potatoes, 3 yellow potatoes, 2 zucchini, 7 honeycrisp apples, 2 packages of mini vanilla Oikos yogurts, sliced mushrooms, pasta sauce and nutritional yeast from the bulk foods = $42.64. Yes it was expensive, but that was mainly the apples because I can't find honeycrisp anywhere else this time of the year and I love them enough to pay the extra for them (but extra it was, these apples alone were almost $12, everything else was pretty reasonably priced). I actually usually buy my potatoes and sometimes my apples at the regular grocery store but I've been reading lately about the importance of buying apples and potatoes organic so I just caved and did it this week. The potatoes actually weren't expensive at all so I should probably go that route in the future. Other items I buy at Whole Foods include: peanut butter and almond butter (I love that it grinds right in front of you and then tastes amazing), quinoa, and my peppermint tea that is *cheaper* at Whole Foods than anywhere else, wahoo!
Regular Grocery Store
This week's regular trip was to Market Basket which is the cheapest grocery store in my area. I secretly hate Market Basket because it's insanely busy all the time and seems to be a favorite of everyone over the age of 70 who clearly has no where to be. However, it's cheap so I go there when I feel like being put into an immediately bad mood. Otherwise I go to Stop and Shop or Shaws depending on what is most convenient at the time and what's on sale where. Eric and I spent about $45 at Market Basket this week. The only food I bought there was Cheerios (on sale) and 3 packages of baby carrots. The rest of the food was Eric's. He normally spends slightly more on his food but he hadn't really thought about his meals for the week yet and he had some leftover things he can cook this week. Also...he hates Market Basket way more than me so he was trying to get out of their as fast as possible. Other items I generally buy at the regular grocery store include: tuna packets, fish and chicken, chicken broth, rice, pasta, yogurt, bread, any random baking needs, and of course, ice cream!
HMart
This is an Asian grocery store that opened several months ago. It has basically any Asian food you could dream of, as well as many regular grocery store products, and an amazing food court. I didn't actually buy anything here, but Eric and I finally went to look around and just see what all the choices were. We will definitely be back :)
Haha okay, so really I made purchases at only 3 grocery stores on Saturday- but that's still a lot!
In case you are wondering my meals for the week will include: oatmeal, smoothies and peanut butter toast for breakfast (not all together), a veggie and black bean pizza for lunch 3 days, hummus and veggies or tuna for lunch the other days, dinners I'm planning on this week will include leftover tempeh and roasted potatoes, savory oats (never tried them, very excited) with beans, veggies and salsa, a salmon patty with mashed potatoes and carrots, and one night at my parents house. Snacks will include yogurt, cheerios, and random veggies or fruit here and there.
Do you visit more than one grocery store for products or prices you like? What's your favorite grocery store?
This Week in Boston:
The Wine Riot- April 16th and 17th at Cyclorama (Boston Center for the Arts)
Beer 101- April 16th 7:00-8:30 at Gordon's Fine Wine and Culinary Center
Beer Summit- April 16th 6:00-9:30pm at Park Plaza Castle
Chocolate Bar- April 16th 11:00am-3:00pm at Cafe Fleuri
*Actually this occurs every Saturday, but what better time than now to enjoy a delicious dessert buffet?
Spring Cupcake Tea- Saturdays in April at the Ritz Carlton
Hmm, wine, beer, chocolate and cupcakes? Life is good in Boston this week.
On a totally unrelated note, Eric and I may take a day trip (or maybe one night) to Newport RI next week when we are on vacation. I've only been once as an adult for a bachelorette party so I am looking for recommendations for restaurants, things to do and possible hotels or bed and breakfasts to stay at if we stay for one night. You guys made fabulous trip consultants :)
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Once every two weeks or so we go to Superstore. It's SO CHEAP. Me and Eric got an insane amount of groceries that lasted us about two weeks for only $120 there! Love it!
ReplyDeleteWhen I just need to stock up on produce I go to the local grocery stores that carry local products. More expensive but tastes better and makes me feel good about what I'm doing with my money! In the summer I plan on hitting up the farmers market on a weekly basis as well!
I DO visit more than one grocery store but I'm sad to say we dont have a Whole Foods OR a trader joes :(.
ReplyDeleteWe usually get about 3/4 of what we need from Trader Joe's and the rest from Shaw's - I do love being able to know what the sales are ahead of time to make sure I'm getting the best price though!
ReplyDeleteIf you go to the Market Basket in Chelsea it isn't stressful at all! It's the biggest supermarket in New England and it's amazing :-)
ReplyDeleteMy Dad lives in newport and I'm there all the time! I love the Salvation Cafe for a fun restaurant.
I have a secret love for grocery stores. It is very sad.
ReplyDeleteIf I had an unlimited bank account, I would shop at Whole Foods. Sadly, I just checked my bank balanace and that is not the case. I typically go to Whole Foods once a month and then the rest of the time to Walmart (for cereal and basics) and Hannford.
Yay for day trips!!
ReplyDeleteI usually only go to one grocery store but wish I went to more. I'd go to Produce Depot for all fruits and veggies, then a health food store for all the specialty stuff, and then a regular grocery store for all the other stuff. So bottom line, we're all in this together lol! ;)
I have been known to hit 3 grocery stores in one day in pursuit of all my favorite goodies! one store has oikos, another place has my beloved naturally nutty, and another has the best cereal selection ever! I would travel to the ends of the earth for food :)
ReplyDeleteI wish everything could be in the same store. I am all about efficiency and the fact that my pasta and pasta sauce are found in two different stores is not ideal.
ReplyDeleteI am jealous of your options.. mine are meijer, walmart, kroger and glens.. i am jealous of whole foods and all other cool grocery stores.. kroger/glens are the most expensive.. mejier is FINALLY getting healthy options and walmart is the cheapest but the worst produce.. so i tend to hit up mejier and have very mean conversations in my head about the other people there
ReplyDeleteI usually only go to one grocery store/week. Usually. I am on a super strict budget now, though, so that might change. i am trying to get by with only spending $30/week on groceries - used to spend $50-60 so that is a pretty big decrease! This weekend i shopped at a local bigger chain & then went to Target. Target was suprisingly cheaper on things like canned tomatoes, salsa, etc.
ReplyDeleteWhen summer rolls around, I will buy my produce at a different grocery store because the quality is just so much better!
The closest Whole Foods is in Tampa, which is about 45 minutes away from me. And we don't have any Trader Joe's. :(
ReplyDeleteI go to one chain grocery store and I love it. They also makes the best-ever sub sandwiches, a billion times better than any Subway sub! They do have an organic line of food but I haven't tried them out yet. I'm a little scared!
Chocolate bar?? Sign me up!
ReplyDeleteI don't have the patience to go to multiple grocery stores, but I might if we had Whole Foods and/or TJ's around here. Sadly, no such luck.
Sounds look good eatin' this week!
I don't usually visit more than one grocery store... we just don't have those kind of options here!
ReplyDeleteomg when i didnt have a child, it was even worse
ReplyDeleteTJs, local health food store, 2-3 groc stores, WFs, and a CSA box.
now, i have one decent groc store in my area and TJs and WFs are less than once a month, each, b/c honestly they are too far and too expensive(wf's) to be shopping at with regularity. with tj's i jus stock up like mad when i do go.
The Black Pearl (I'm 99% sure that's the name) has KILLLLLLLER chowder and nachos. Odd combination, but delicious. You also should check out the Newport Storm brewery. They do free tours and you get a couple of pints at the end!
ReplyDeleteI've been know to hit up different grocery stores too. Usually I go to the regular grocery store, but once a month I'll hit TJ's and Whole Foods, and every couple If months, I make it to BJs/Costco.
ReplyDeleteWhole Foods IS expensive, but I just love their selection, especially of the specialty items. I always treat my self to organic Pink Lady apples when I'm there - but it's an occasional treat, for sure! :P Like you, I could buy everything at Whole Foods if I could, but I always tend to buy extra stuff that I don't need - oops!
ReplyDeleteWe usually shop at Stop & Shop, which is pretty good - but I'm with you on hating the crowds. And they never seem to dissipate, even if we go at odd hours. Oh well :)
Have a great day!
It's funny you should say that about Mondays. I was just thinking the exact same thing yesterday. The past few weeks I've been dreading them like the plague. I'm trying to change my attitude towards them.
ReplyDeleteMy husband loves to go through all the online flyers and write out the deals for the tons of stores around us. If they are a great deal I let him do the running around. I prefer the one grocery store near us...primarily cause I know where everything is....
ReplyDeleteI made a mental note long ago to stop hating mondays, that's 1/7th of my life!! Still some days are easier than others.
ReplyDeleteMM i really want to make homemade pizza, I just forget to buy everything
Yes I visit 4 different stores and I HATE it. One day I am going to invent to grocery store that has it all! Currently I shop at HEB, Sprouts, COSTCO, and Whole Foods...sheesh!
ReplyDeleteYou need a Fairway near you. It's a cool supermarket that is all of the ones you listed above (with the exception of the Asian place, although they do have a big Ethnic foods section) all rolled into one.
ReplyDeleteOH MY GOSH! That goodness I am not the only person to go to multiple grocery stores in a day! haha. Iam sad you didn't like the TJ's mango - I like it from there! But, maybe I like it more because it is cheaper??? Sometimes I get one or 2 pieces that are bad, but the rest is good.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever been to that chocolate bar??? I have been dying to go! Haha.