Grocery shopping

[Incredulity 11,683]

Family of 5.

Costco gets most of our grocery business. We go there because we get good stuff at a fair price.  250-350 weekly with some weeks off.  We are about $1100 a month on groceries.  

Fill in at other chain grocery for stuff I don't need a ridiculous amount of.  Mainly non-staple veggies and fruit, beer, spices etc.

Save a shitload not eating out.  It' seems to be $100/meal with tip minimum. 

Frankly the service and quality most everywhere doesn't have me really all that motivated to pack up the family to dine out. 

[Your Mom 4,852]

I loathe trips to the grocery store.  I avoid it as much as possible. 

I get one big instacart delivery from HEB about once a month.  Then a few trips to the neighborhood convenience store for little random things I run out of before the next big instacart delivery.  I do go into the actual store for meat but I buy a shitload all at once and won't go back for at least a month or so.  I also eat out about twice a day on average, so groceries last a while at my place. 

I have two kids playing two different sports with practices in different locations so dinners are usually out on the way to or from a practice or game.  Breakfasts are always at home, that's our family meal and I cook it every morning and we eat as a family when my kids are with me.  So we quickly go through a lot of eggs and bacon but meats and other dinner-ish groceries last a while.

Edited April 4, 2019 by Your Mom

[JSB 677]

I for one enjoy going to the grocery store. I go every weekend, most times by myself, listen to music or a podcast and it takes about an hour, which is a nice break from shuttling two kids around to various games and birthday parties. I do the cooking on the weekends, wife will cook during the week, but during the week is simple stuff. I will cook more complicated meals on the weekends. Plus, my wife does not price shop very well. There could literally be a one pack and a two pack of the identical item right next to eachother for the same price, and my wife will get two of the one packs. 

[Iceman 2,725]

22 hours ago, C-Man said:

Now that Central Market opened a location a half-mile from my house, it gets the majority of my attention. The kids want a couple things from Trader Joe's so I still need to stop in there from time to time to get the frozen orange chicken for them and wine/beer and a few other things for me. I've basically stopped going to Whole Foods altogether, though they did a total remodel on the Lomo Alto spot. It looks good. I hit up Tom Thumb for wine and stuff like Coke Zero that you can't get at CM or TJ.

I tend to buy 2-4 days of protein options as well as assorted vegetables though I'm constantly going back to fill-in things for recipes that I've decided I need. I bet I'm in a grocery store anywhere from 3-5 times per week.

Same here.

I buy a shit ton of stuff online, but I actually still enjoy the grocery store.

[Woland 749]

Two people in the house,  I and my wife.

I like to go to Market Street twice a week., usually Thursday and Sunday. It's hard to keep salad greens fresh for an entire week. There is also an occasional trip to Trader Joe's to pick up a supply of croutons.

I have list of items I buy at Costco. When I need something on the list, I'll check the supply of everything else. On average, I pick-up about six items a trip.

I cook in large quantities and package meals for the freezer. I just cooked about five pounds of pull-pork for tacos which yielded one meal about six bags for future consumption. Some weeks I don't need to purchase meat.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,819]

Probably every week-week 1/2. Try to plan for 2 meals + leftovers for 3 of us. Fill the rest of the days with eating out or easy pasta/pizza

 

I try my best to get it under 150 but its always over 200.

 

Diapers/tp/paper towels are 55 by themselves.

[Landomatic 3,813]

35 minutes ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

I try my best to get it under 150 but its always over 200.

Yeah I usually go in for a toothbrush and come out over $200 later.  And get home and realize I forgot the damn toothbrush.

[idigTexas 2,289]

Just me.

HEB, Randall's, Whole Foods, Costco, and Walmart are all closer, but I drive the extra few miles to Central Market once every 7-10 days.  My average bill as about $150.  I cook at home for most meals, eating out 2-3 times a week.  I buy fresh foods to eat for 4-5 days, and then resort to frozen to keep from having to shop more frequently.  For non-food items or emergency needs, I go to HEB.  Some things I'll order from Amazon.     

[SimonBolivar 10,959]

I love grocery shopping at around 9 or 10PM on a Sunday at HEB. That place is empty as hell.

 

[CooterBrown 18,028]

Is the curbside pickup more expensive?

 

3% markup so basically nothing. Done it probably 30+ times and have had only one order that was messed up but they noticed when checking it over before loading it in my car. They fixed it in about 10 minutes and refunded me the shopping fee.

 

 

[Zepol87 9,191]

Nice, thanks. Gonna give it a shot next week and see how Kroger does

[Redneck Mutha 8,007]

Just me and Mrs Mutha.  Friday night is dinner and drinks, then more drinks back at the house where we start talking next week's meals while bartending.  Saturday morning early get online or check the cookbook to complete the list, then later hit up HEB.  If we don't need meat/booze, we can sometimes get out for $40.  Usually never more than $80 tops. 

We try to do more with less to keep the meat bill down - chicken thighs, various pork cuts, carnitas/roasts in the slow cooker - usually only splurge on a nice meal at home on Sat nights (steaks, seafood, chops).  Then simpler (cheaper) ones Sun and Tue, with enough for leftovers the next day.  Thursday potluck.  

Sandwiches and frozen dinners for her lunch during the week as part of that grocery bill.  I need to get better about bringing my lunch.  Could save a couple hundred a month on my lunch out bill and probably lose the 7 additional lbs I'm looking to lose pretty quickly....  

[EE2B 1,565]

Is the curbside pickup more expensive?

This is not true at all. There's a 3% markup on every item when you do curbside or delivery, and the online price may not be the same as the pricing in your local store. Plus there's a $4.95 personal shopper fee for all orders. (EDIT: This is for HEB)
Interestingly, the fee for delivery is only $5 compared to the $4.95 for curbside. But you're expected to tip a delivery driver.
Also, HEB is currently offering 4 free curbsides AND 4 free deliveries for new accounts, but I believe they will give existing customer accounts the same deal. I set up a new account and got groceries delivered for the first time yesterday.
 
 

Honestly I never really looked/cared. I did look and Super1 is 4.95 flat rate unless it’s over $100. Anything over $100 there is no additional charge for. It looks like target is a flat 4.95 charge as well. May as well be free if it keeps me out of the store with two kids.

[6th Street 6,504]

Jewel Osco trip on Sunday after the baby has swim school. And usually a trip to Trader Joe's midweek for a couple of quick dinners. 

[South Austin 52,600]

I'm probably an odd bird who actually likes grocery shopping.  I go to Central Market on Saturday and/or Sunday at 8am when it opens.  There's something weirdly meditative about walking through the isles, coffee in hand, before the crowds arrive, buying our usual staples, and planning a couple elaborate meals aside from my usual routine of just slinging plates of predictable dinners during the weeknights.  And let's be honest, the milf viewing at CM can be quite good.  I usually buy for most of the week--proteins, vegetables, pasta or another starch for the kids, kid snacks, and other items.  Inevitably I have to make a stop during the week for something (either CM or the neighborhood HEB off Burnet and Koenig), whether for a couple small items or a whole meal, but usually it's only once and a pretty easy diversion on the way home.

[SydneyCarton 48,170]

30 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I'm probably an odd bird who actually likes grocery shopping.  I go to Central Market on Saturday and/or Sunday at 8am when it opens.  There's something weirdly meditative about walking through the isles, coffee in hand, before the crowds arrive, buying our usual staples, and planning a couple elaborate meals aside from my usual routine of just slinging plates of predictable dinners during the weeknights.  And let's be honest, the milf viewing at CM can be quite good.  I usually buy for most of the week--proteins, vegetables, pasta or another starch for the kids, kid snacks, and other items.  Inevitably I have to make a stop during the week for something (either CM or the neighborhood HEB off Burnet and Koenig), whether for a couple small items or a whole meal, but usually it's only once and a pretty easy diversion on the way home.

You're not alone, and there's already been a couple others who've admitted to loving shopping. I really enjoy it. On the days I have to hit costco, which opens at 930, I'm typically hitting Trader Joe's up before right when it opens at 8 or 830. TJ's in Houston always has good eye candy as well. But I also find wandering a grocery store to be enjoyable. Fuck, I even enjoyed it when I was in my mid 20's and hit up the Hot Kroger on West Gray in Houston. It's peaceful. 

[Landomatic 3,813]

I really enjoy grocery shopping when it’s an elevated experience like Central Market.  I could spend hours in there perusing all the amazing ingredients and trying to plan meals around them.

I do not enjoy the run-of-the-mill, generic grocery store like Kroger or Tom Thumb.  That’s just so utilitarian feeling to me and much more of a necessity than a luxury.

[DoobieWah 1,460]

#TeamProGroceryShopping.

 

Unlike the 1%s above, I value-shop and hit five or six grocers a week, often two or three in one trip. However, I'm way out Westheimer in Houston and have Trader Joes, HEB, Sprouts, Fiesta and Phoenicia all within walking distance of each other. I love Aldi for pantry staples.

As for shopping services, screw that. I like to cook and will be selecting my own fresh veggies and meats thank you very much. And I'm always looking for new stuff which is much more efficient in person.

Let's eat!

[idigTexas 2,289]

It's not the grocery shopping itself that is a problem; it's the people who shop in a state of unconsciousness, oblivious to the fact that there are other people in the store who are also trying to shop.  Thankfully, Central Market seems to have fewer of these types.

I'm super picky about produce and proteins, so I don't know if I could handle someone else doing that for me. 

 

[Nueces River Rat 5,539]

18 hours ago, EE2B said:

This is not true at all. There's a 3% markup on every item when you do curbside or delivery, and the online price may not be the same as the pricing in your local store. Plus there's a $4.95 personal shopper fee for all orders. (EDIT: This is for HEB)
Interestingly, the fee for delivery is only $5 compared to the $4.95 for curbside. But you're expected to tip a delivery driver.
Also, HEB is currently offering 4 free curbsides AND 4 free deliveries for new accounts, but I believe they will give existing customer accounts the same deal. I set up a new account and got groceries delivered for the first time yesterday.
 
 

Honestly I never really looked/cared. I did look and Super1 is 4.95 flat rate unless it’s over $100. Anything over $100 there is no additional charge for. It looks like target is a flat 4.95 charge as well. May as well be free if it keeps me out of the store with two kids.

And perfect timing for my household.  My better half just had surgery and she is going to need me at her side for a few days,  so I can just send my high schooler to go pickup or have it delivered.

 HEB just started curbside at our local store a couple of months ago,  so I am eager to try it.   How are they when it comes to picking produce and meats?  

[midtown 3,348]

1 hour ago, idigTexas said:

t's not the grocery shopping itself that is a problem; it's the people who shop in a state of unconsciousness, oblivious to the fact that there are other people in the store who are also trying to shop. 

Sorry for partying?  I usually grocery shop high 

[idigTexas 2,289]

If you are the fat lady who stands between her cart and the shelf that she is browsing, blocking the entire aisle, then you should be sorry...oblivious bitch.

 

[CooterBrown 18,028]

42 minutes ago, Nueces River Rat said:

 HEB just started curbside at our local store a couple of months ago,  so I am eager to try it.   How are they when it comes to picking produce and meats?  

I've had no issues other than this past week when they gave me a pound of ground beef that was dated the same day. WTF. It shouldn't even be for sale.

[irishtexan 11,522]

The instacart shoppers at my HEB on Brodie are the worst. They're all wearing headphones, trying to complete their order as fast as possible, racing through the store and not looking when they come out of an aisle. Calm down, instacart shoppers!

[wild_turkey 3,182]

We have a Central Market down the road so 80% of it is there. Mix in some occasional Trader Joe’s, Super Target, and Costco.

We go 3-4 times a week. We’re too whimsical and impulsive to know what we’ll want to eat beyond a couple days, plus certain things are better fresh.

I don’t mind the grocery store. They are usually quick trips, I like looking at the food/wine/beer selection, and the CM and TJ’s have a strong yoga milf presence.

[WhatTheBuck 28,798]

59 minutes ago, midtown said:

Sorry for partying?  I usually grocery shop high 

I've found that to be fiscally imprudent. 

[Tailgate 3,023]

Instacart HEB for everything but steaks and beer.

[ohchaucer 1,443]

I too love shopping. And yoga pants. It's the more one-off just need stuff for the kids shopping that gets annoying. 

[bigcigar 1,165]

We’re cheap I guess. My wife stays home and does the shopping. For a family of 5, she goes to Aldi every week and Costco every 3 weeks. She typically sticks to Aldi’s organic products. They seem higher quality than comparable products at the Walmarts and Kroger/Tom Thumb/Albertsons of the world and considerably cheaper. I prefer Aldi’s organic milk to pretty much everything outside of Kirkland organic. Meat and produce is split between Costco and Aldi depending on quality and how fast we go through it. Aldi for chicken thighs, roasts, and other cheap cuts and Costco for pretty much all other meat. Also produce is real hit or miss, so it generally depends on what they have and how it looks. We can get our staple veggies at Costco if Aldi’s selection looks like crap.

Packaged goods primarily Aldi...mostly cereal for the kids as we don’t eat a lot of that stuff, but also random snacks. Lunch meat, cheese, bread and condiments for kids lunches are primarily from Aldi.

Grocery bill is about $100-$150 a week at Aldi and $200-$300 at Costco every 3 weeks depending on what household items we need. On good weeks, we’ll eat at a restaurant 1-2 times. On a bad week, it’s all weekend meals + wasted food.

HEB in Dallas would likely change everything.

[Mr.Hovis 71]

I sometimes venture in to the Whole Foods at Wm. Cannon and S. Mopac  for a smaller/specific items run. Those people that are at the beer/wine bar with an empty basket next to your bar stool, you're not fooling anyone, you're day drinking in a grocery store. NTTIAWWT.

 

Edited April 8, 2019 by Mr.Hovis
Brain Fart, now I'm done.

[next2naus 439]

Dropped $248 at the Shop-Rite today, lets see when I have to go back this week, I suspect Friday or Saturday