apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Yes, we do something similar. Our routine goes between Whole Foods, Trader Joes, farmers' markets and lastly VONS or Ralphs (big store) for commercial goods and great coupon deals on basics. What makes the last option fun is couponing- wonderful! We have a budget for food every month and whatever I save in coupons/card values, I can use to splurge on locally roasted coffee (from Jones) or fancy baking ingredients- makes clipping the paper worth it!

In NY, shopping at multiple stores/markets is sort of essential, even if just to find everything we need! But it's really, really exhausting, unless the trips are split up between members of a household or parties to a potluck...

I can't do this as the food markets around here are too far apart and I don't have my own car. But my mother, who lives in the suburbs, has always shopped at multiple stores. There are some ingredients she can't find in mainstream grocery stores and she saves a ton of money by shopping various sales and using millions of coupons.

Having gone on these trips, though, I agree that it can be exhausting and time-consuming. It's easier to have various family members pick stuff up when they're out doing something else.

I, too, vary my shopping between the farmer's market, Whole Foods, and the big supermarket.

In the town where I live, all of these places are just a few minutes from each other, so I will visit more than one store in a day.

Trader Joe's is a 20-minute drive away, so I only shop there if I'm in the area for some other reason.

Good post! We've been going to various (4-5) for the last few yrs and it DOES save money if you just step back and pay attention to where your money is going. Yes, we don't hit all he stores during the same day, but certain items (deli items or fruit/veg) are limited to certain stores/markets with the idea of balancing cost/quality/location.

IMO, being a smart/organized consumer goes hand-in-hand with enjoying good food. One does not have to have an unlimited supply of money to make this happen either. Seriously! It can be done.......not overnight, but small steps can achieve the goals.

organic canned beans are actually cheaper at my WF than at TJ's.

I do this too and save tons of money.

Besides Trader Joes, a local (cheaper) version of Whole Foods and every now and then the regular grocery store for some items, I go to Target for paper things and cleaning supplies, etc. unless the regular grocery store has them on sale for less.

I've been doing this for the past year or so, and it makes a huge difference. I go to the local Korean market for produce, meat, and dairy--usually about once a week--and then a once-a-month trip to Albertsons or Safeway and Trader Joe's for the pantry things I can't find at the Korean market.

In addition to being budget-friendly, avoiding mainstream grocery stores for weekly shopping forces me away from prepared foods and toward whole ingredients--including unusual cuts of meat and produce I've never encountered. It definitely keeps my cooking healthy and fresh.

I learned this from my Filipina grandmother years ago!

Here's the schedule:
- I head to the local natural foods store once a week or so for produce (best deals)
- My husband or I go to the local Vons about once a week for our coupon-oriented shopping
- We maybe go by Target once a month for paper products and cleaning supplies
- Trader Joe's for cheaper, healthier snacks, our dog's glucosamine tablets (100 for $10!) and other staples every couple of months
- And Ranch 99 for Asian and vegetarian staples every couple of months

Once you get used to it, it's not a big deal. Besides, I like going to the grocery store -- it's always an adventure. I just never go there when I'm hungry to avoid impulse buys!

We do something similar, but not to save money, but to get better food. We get produce from a specialty store nearby, I also get my organic milk in glass bottles there because its the only place in town that sells it. Then there's a butcher right across the street that sells absolutely amazing meats. Once a week we also go to the large grocery store for everything else. On saturdays we go to the farmers market for apples, and anything else good.

I grew up with a mother who always went to the local grocer's with the freshest and cheapest fruit and veg, Eastern European or Italian delis for meats and cheeses, and the supermarket for everything else. I more or less shop like this with the addition of Costco for big staples like coffee, toast, and butter. Not only do I save money this way but I find especially with the first two, I get the best products out there. I also try to get to the local Farmer's Market if I can get my act together before noon on a Sunday.

Definitely! The farmer's market(s -- I'm spoiled/lucky to have easy access to a few), Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and several large chains each have their own advantages and I'd rather go on 3 short shopping trips in a week than limit myself to one big shopping trip to one store.

Oh totally. Fresh and Easy, Walmart and Albertson's.Our farmers markets are a little far but we have great fruit farms here in the summer.

Absolutely!

CSA for veg; Milk Pail market for fruit and cheese; Far Mar for seafood; TJs for eggs, dairy and convenience foods. Fortunately, they're clustered close together.

I only need to hit WF a farmstand once or twice a year for bulk beans and grains and every four months or so Smart N Final for flour and this one salad dressing that my boyfriend can't live without (Parisian Honey Mustard, go figure).

I hardly ever go to Safeway except in emergency situations, which is to say, for Rice Krispies and mini marshmallows.

I live in a remote community; we are fortunate to have four grocery stores in town (and a couple of convenience stores and a couple of meat markets). Plus, we're on the coast and know fishermen who sell their catch off their boats. There are a couple of farms nearby that sell free range eggs and produce at the summer open air market and beekeepers who sell honey... Sadly, due to some inconvenient legislation, we can't get local meat anymore.

So, depending on what I need, I tend to get everything from one grocery store that consistently seems to offer reasonable prices (and often better produce and meat)--but it did take a few weeks of shopping around and flier-browsing to reach that conclusion; and for the next couple days, it's literally in my backyard. I may start to shop at the one grocery store in that part of town--which is a block away from our new house (which we take possession of tomorrow). They're a little more expensive, but they have a fantastically knowledgeable meat counter staff and they offer some products that are really hard to find elsewhere in town.