Groceries in the US

[ExhaustTed]

Whilst being aware of the fact the US is an expensive place to buy food, having now been here for two weeks, the real shock of just how eye wateringly expensive groceries are is beginning to really hit home. I am wondering if anyone has any shopping tips about how to minimise cost. I have started all the usual food planning and budgeting type stuff, but as I am still navigating my way around the stores and brands - is there a happy place between not too expensive and not to grim? (Giant and Safeway are my two nearest shops with others not to far away). We are considering a Costco card? Is that a good investment?

[MakeItStopNeville]

People WERE coming!

[MakeItStopNeville]

This thread is cracking me up. We arrived 10 years ago when it was $2 to the £. People
We’re coming from the UK with suitcases and piling them high!

If you’re being paid in $, then you need to work out your new budget. Trader Joe’s are great for frozen stuff etc but their fresh produce goes off really quickly. Shop rite and stop and Shop are both medium range supermarkets. Presuming you’re in the Tri State.

[HerRoyalNotness]

I don't know how you can all be bothered to shop at 3 or 4 different stores to get everything though. Our friends in Canada used to do this too, it drives me bonkers! But I guess if I did, I wouldn't be wondering where all our money goes.

[Want2bSupermum]

Food is just super expensive here. Bread that is £1-1.50 at home is $5 a loaf here. We pay $9 a loaf for DHs bread. I slice and freeze it. I caught DD2 feeding it to the dog and had a fit. It's about 75c a slice!

[BeALert]

Yes I'm sure that has an effect jojo. Where are you in the US this week? Is it fun?

[jojowilko]

I'm in the us with work this week and it's crazily expensive. I don't think the value of the pound helps at the moment.

[BeALert]

The meat at Trader Joe's is very expensive but it is good quality. DH sells pork items to them (and Aldi). They are buying premium cuts compared.

That's interesting - I quite often go in there for meat. Agree about the lemon curd, and the frozen veg too - I get frozen leeks there.

[lljkk]

Winco had the best prices (& quality produce, bizarrely enough) that we saw.

[Want2bSupermum]

20thcentury I hear you on the trader Joe hype. 90% of their food is junk. However that 10% which is good is excellent. Cheese is a bit cheaper and it's the only place where I've found proper lemon curd. I'll never forgive them for discontinuing aeberskever (Danish pancake balls) and they have a fab range of frozen veg. It's the only place where I can find frozen whole leaf spinach and their frozen peppers for $1.99 a bag is a bargain. They also have an excellent ketchup.

The meat at Trader Joe's is very expensive but it is good quality. DH sells pork items to them (and Aldi). They are buying premium cuts compared.

[Pawpainting]

I do most of my shopping in Smith's, which is Kroger in other places. If you have the loyalty card things are cheaper and also if you sign up to their website they have online coupons that you can load on to the card. Safeway I think is too expensive.

Costco for bulk items like porridge, toilet paper, shampoo and condtioner and bottled water. Still very expensive though. I've been living here for 4 years and I've noticed the price has increased a lot the past year. Previously I could spend less than $100 a week for 3 of us. Now it's usually $120+.

[20thCenturyGirl]

I'm always surprised to see Trader Joe's recommended. Their processed food is so high in sodium, having said that the honey butter chips are just delicious!
Like most people on this thread, I find myself going to loads of different stores where in the UK I would have just go e to one or two.
OP I hope you are settling in.

[Tableforjuan]

Find the cost and quality of fruit and veg incredibly depressing. We would have got a 3 pack of peppers for a quid each week in Tesco/Sainsbury; now could be $5 in either Safeway or Walmart.

But the most depressing thing is price of cheese. Was delighted to find halloumi in Safeway until I picked it up and saw the $9.99 label.

[OlennasWimple]

Yy - you can't dust off your Tesco shopping list and try to recreate it in the US.

Coupons, coupons, coupons - they are a PITA but can save a fortune. One big benefit of Trader Joe's (apart from the awesome cheese and cheap wine) is that they don't do coupons, but almost everywhere else does.

Get membership / loyalty cards for everywhere. CVS regularly have 30% off everything (even when you have used a coupon to reduce the price already), and have a look to see what they have in your local store - eg loo roll worked out cheaper there than StopNShop because of the 30% off. (That also tells you how over-priced goods are, if they can regularly run discounts like that)

[SofiaAmes]

You can also order British non-perishables like PG Tips on Amazon.

[mathanxiety]

Coupons are only good for name brand items, which are usually more expensive than store brand stuff so you don't save much and they are bothersome.

You do need to branch out and try local things. Tamales were a revelation to me, and they are easy to make.

You also need to avoid higher end grocery stores and explore every single alternative in your area and even further afield. I found a gem of a store when I did some shopping for an elderly neighbour one time. Her favorite place was owned by a Sicilian family and had been in business for decades when I first darkened it's doors. I had a few bad meat experiences there and have moved a little far from it to make regular shopping there practical, but if I'm passing and know I need vegetables or fruit I pop in.

Weekly ads can be seen on your phone and they arrive in junk mail and inserts in Sunday newspapers. If you can be flexible about what you eat you will save.

[Cavender]

I agree that Be makes a good point. We eat far more Mexican food in Texas than we ever did in the UK for obvious reasons. I still can't get over the price of bell peppers though.

The only British thing I buy on a regular basis are tea bags, for everything else I've switched to local brands.

[helzapoppin2]

CostPlus World Market is good for British goodies like Cadbury's and baked beans.
I went through a phase of clipping coupons, but that can be a full time job! There's often a P&G insert in the newspaper with a lot of coupons. I second Hispanic shops, too. For tinned goods, and veg, they're more down to earth prices.Trader Joe's is good for cheap wine and more cosmopolitan foods.
I seem to remember Safeway had a magazine of coupons you could pick up in store, so the others might, too.
Good luck! Enjoy your time there!

[Kursk]

I second the change your diet idea. You really do need to eat like a local and accept different food to feed our family cheaply.

[Want2bSupermum]

exhausTed When people at home complain about Tesco I give them a huge eye roll. There is a good reason they have been so successful and I remember as a child going food shopping in the UK. It was not a good experience.

If I lived in England I would have M&S ready meals Tuesday through Friday. They are amazing.

[misssmilla1]

Be I'm glad you said that, I've been thinking I'm crazy imagining the v high prices of leeks!

Costco meat is well worth it; the steaks from there are the best we've had (including from our local small independent butcher)

Its also handy for kids clothes (bargain snowsuit from there last year) and I'm obsessed with their $20 sheet cakes for birthdays etc

[KatoPotato]

You absolutely must get Trader Joe's Honey Butter crisps.

[ExhaustTed]

This is all so amazing. I am coming to terms with the expense, but it also helps understand where the best places to get things are. I do think I am suddenly really missing my Tesco app and home delivery.

[diodati]

Costco is definitely worth the membership fee. Apart from that, look out for "specials" - when random items go on sale, especially meat. Our local Safeway has sales every Sunday, when fresh produce such as meat, fish and vegetables that haven't sold during the week are sold at half price. A deep-freeze is a great investment for buying food in bulk and storing it. Costco is especially good for buying in bulk; it feels odd to buy in such huge quantities but you do end up saving in the long run.

[BeALert]

Partly the problem is that people arrive and keep on buying the things they bought in the UK. Leeks and cauliflower are cheap in the UK but expensive in the US. OTOH corn on the cob is incredibly cheap right now, and broccoli is half price on my local supermarket.

Bread is expensive yet you can get 8 english muffins for $1, so we tend to eat those instead.

We buy whatever meat is on sale that week. Often you can get pork butt for $0.99/lb so we buy one, put it in the crockpot, have a big pulled pork meal and freeze the rest.

Same with fish - often salmon or haddock is half price. I'd never pay $15/lb for our but if it's $7/lb I'll buy double. I also often buy the chowder mix fish and make fish pie.

I don't do coupons at all, and only one shop round here does click and collect so I buy almost all our groceries there.

I go to Wholefoods for their Irish Bangers. Strangely they also seem to be the cheapest place to buy Weetabix.

[Leavingonajet]

These are great lists thanks guys.