Thursday, May 14, 2009
Grocery Shopping – Smarty Style
A Collaborative Effort by the TSP Team
We received an email from a reader a few weeks ago asking if we would take on a challenge. The challenge would be to gather prices at grocery stores so that Smarty Readers would have a chance to see how much they are spending, depending on where they shop.
So here's some things we took in mind while shopping and comparing prices, and here's what we found out...
We all know that price alone does not determine where one shops. If you enjoy mostly organic food, many people shop at Whole Foods or Fresh Market. If you have plenty of storage space, Costco or Sam’s may be the way to go so that you can buy in bulk. Or if you are like me, I won a Savings bond from Harris Teeter by using my VIC card, and I will therefore always be a loyal HT customer!
A few other things that come into play when choosing your grocery store: friendly cashiers, proximity to your home, freshness of produce & meats, and cleanliness of the store. I am sure we all have strong opinions on some of those!
Our TSP team chose to compare some basic staple items from Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, Food Lion and Wal-Mart. In addition, I wanted to add that Costco milk is fairly inexpensive ($2.29-$2.49 a gallon), but the spout that the milk pours from constantly causes spills in our house.
As we gathered prices, we did NOT include sale items. Although some stores have items priced higher than others, once the item goes on sale, it may actually drop significantly lower. I would recommend signing up for the online newsletters from your favorite stores and watching to see which items are on sale and when. So keep in mind the above factors and take a look below. We hope this will help you make Smarty Decisions when choosing where to shop!
These items are all regular prices – not sale.
Gallon of Generic Whole Milk
HT - $2.99 (HT brand)
Lowes - $2.99
FL - $2.99 (FL brand)
WM - $2.19 (Walmart brand)
Loaf of Nature’s Own White Bread
HT - $2.49
Lowes - $2.29
FL - $2.29
WM - $2.17
Yoplait Kids 6 pack yogurt
HT - $3.19
Lowes - $2.90
FL - $2.69
WM - 2 for $4
Cheerios 14 oz.
HT - $3.99
Lowes - $3.79
FL - $3.64
WM - $2.86
12 pack cans Coke
HT - $5.79
Lowes - $4.79
FL - $4.69
WM $3.98
Granny Smith Apple
HT - $1.99 pound
Lowes - $1.99 per pound
FL - $1.99/pound
WM - $1/per pound
Eggo Waffles (10 pack)
HT - $2.79
Lowes - $2.60
FL - 2 for $5
WM - $1.78
Sunmaid Raisins 6-pack
HT - $2.39
Lowes - $2.27
FL - $2.20
WM - (45 oz boxes) $1.58
Hostess Mini Muffins
HT - $3.99
Lowes - $3.99
FL - $2.79
WM - $3.00
Jif Peanut Butter (28 oz. jar)
HT - $4.39
Lowes - $4.36
FL - $4.25
WM –$3.42
Edy's Ice Cream (48 oz)
HT - $5.65
Lowes - $5.39
FL - $5.39
WM - $3.50
Bag of Snyder’s Pretzels (9 oz)
HT - $2.59
Lowes - $2.49
FL - $2.49
WM - $2.28
Aunt Jemima Syrup (24 oz)
HT - $4.29
Lowes - $3.52
FL - $3.19
WM -$2.82
Smarties, what do you think of this comparison?
15 comments:
This doesn't surprise me at all. Wal-Mart always has the best prices on staples. I now try to go there once a month to stock up on cereal, juice boxes, granola bars, etc.... I feel it is worth the longer drive because I save a lot. We also love Costco's organic milk!
I knew I was not imagining things! I started shopping at Walm-Mart last year and couldn't believe the savings. And, they have SO much organic stuff (and gluten-free which I have to buy for my husband) for a lot cheaper than even Whole Foods. I will say that the shopping experience there is not like shopping at HT or Lowes, but once you get your receipt, it's worth it. Also, if anyone tries the Grocery Game (www.grocerygame.com) you can save TONS at HT and Lowes. It takes some practice, but people claim to have been able to pay less than half for their groceries!
And I agree with Ashleigh, Costco's organic milk is a GREAT deal!
oops. Sorry, I meant to write Wal-Mart, so much for typing with a 10-month old on my lap!
Is it bad that I was pretty sure that Wal-Mart had the best prices but I seriously loathe shopping there. And.. I am never able to just get the things on my list, so there is an added cost to all those great deals, because of my lack of will power we end up spending our savings!! I will definitely check out the grocery game, because I do get kind of a thrill when I know I've gotten a great deal. We shop at Costco, and I know that sometimes if I would compare store flyers and clip coupons I could save more than I do, especially on paper towels, toliet paper, and zip-loc bags. But I am lazy!! I will have to work on this.
Yeah, I dread sometimes going to Wal-Mart, but I LOVE it when I get there. The prices are GREAT!! And I end up getting lots of items that we need. I have decided that the reason their prices stay SO low is that they NEVER put money towards getting new shopping carts!! I am serious, has any one ever gone there and had a cart where all four wheels worked?? If so, you are lucky! I am just going to keep going back to see if I can luck up and get that cart!! Happy Shopping!!
We short for a peanut-free diet, and some of our PA staples are only at Wal-Mart! I'm with others - it's not my favorite place to shop, but the prices are great. If I need to get in and out fast, I usually go to HT or Lowe's.
I just went to Food Lion today and compared their prices. It's actually what I thought - a little bit more than WM, less than HT, and very similar to Lowes. But...I have to say, the check out line was VERY slow - it's like that any time I go. I usually do my big weekly trips at WM and I've learned to put up with a lot of things there that aren't fun - like carts that don't steer straight, long lines and crowed aisles - but you just can't beat the prices. I do have to say that HT has all these stores beat when it comes to the meat selection!
Meant to tell you to go back to the original post to see how Food Lion compares - I added in their prices!
I agree most with the statement you wrote about friendly service and fresh produce! Although some places are cheaper, I love Harris Teeter. Everyone is so friendly, and they always have great produce and deli meats. And I also agree with signing up for everyone's newsletter! When HT runs their VIC savings and has Buy One Get One Free sales, they end up being the cheapest. Great research by your team!
Thanks for the info. I agree that the staples and kids snacks must come from Wal-Mart. I am a huge HT fan. The VIC savings can't be beat and their brand of deli meat is awesome. It runs BOGO a lot and sometimes buy 2 get 3 free. That's when we restock the freezer. HT has the BEST customer service! My husband and I refused to go to FL. One day I had to load my own groceries while I was 8 months pregnant and had my one year old with me. Not only that - it was raining. This never would have happened at HT! Love the prices at Wal-Mart, but the all around experience and sales at HT!
I just realized I forgot to add one element into this mix - Express Lane Grocery Pick-Up! This can also be a huge factor when determining where to shop. I used the HT Express Lane pick-up quite a few times during my pregnancies and shortly after. I was not always feeling well (as you read in an earlier pregnancy post), and it would take a lot out of me to grocery shop. It was so nice to put my order in online and then swing by to pick it up. It is only $5 at HT, and can be worth every penny.
If you want to save even more than at Wal-Mart, go to Aldi! Shopping there is DIFFERENT, but well worth it. There is only one of each type of item (so you can't comparison shop), but it's almost always 20-30% LESS than a Wal-Mart price. And most items are Aldi's own brands. Honestly, they are better than the off-brands at the supermarkets. I spent a whole night on the internet learning how to shop there, but I haven't been sorry since! I buy anything frozen, canned, or boxed there, as well as pet food, cleaning products, etc. NEVER been disappointed. They ONLY take cash or debit, and you have to bag/box things yourself (like Costco/Sam's). Sorry to gush...I'm a zealous convert!
I tried to switch to Food Lion to save but I really missed the customer service and convenience that I receive at Harris Teeter. I had a bad experience at FL with a screaming baby and zero customer service so I decided to continue shopping at HT. Instead I am stocking up on staple items at Sam's Club.
I have been shopping at Harris Teeter for a long time, and even though the prices are a little more, I honestly think it is worth every penny. I get smiles and "can I help you's" from each employee I pass. I can always find someone when I need help. They always open a new register if the line is too long. They are always considerate of my time. Not to bash any of the other stores, but I never get this kind of customer service at a few of the others. During times when money is tight, I would rather spend a little more money and support the business that cares about me. And I do agree with some of the comments above - when HT runs a special and does buy one get one free, it ends up being much cheaper.
Thanks for this comparison blog. I enjoyed reading it and agree with so many of your points!
We recently began shopping at ALDI stores and LOVE their fresh produce and meats. Their prices are far below that of any other store we have shopped at. Their stores are organized so that you can shop quickly- it never takes me more than 30 minutes for a weekly trip. Just remember to bring a quarter for your shopping cart!
Post a Comment