COSTCO, THE COMMISSARY, OR THE LOCAL SUPERMARKET?
I do not have a Costco membership. But I know people who do. That should work just fine for me when I do my price comparisons. The closest Costco is something like 30-45 minutes away from me, so I don’t see membership as a wise move for our family.
One of the perks of the military life is shopping in a commissary. Unfortunately with ROTC, we are remote, and the closest one is at an Air Force Base an hour away. I know I can get good deals there, but I don’t know how good they’ll be compared to my other two options.
There are 3 supermarkets in our town. Two are recently remodeled, have all kinds of nice amenities and free samples. One is old, sells food in bulk bins, is freezing cold, and looks like a converted warehouse. Guess which one I shop at? If you like the amenities, be prepared to pay for them. I refuse to.
*A little point of order: We have made the choice to take a set amount of money and get our food storage together right now. You don’t have to do it all at once like this. Working from your master list, plan to throw in several of the items each time you shop over the next several months.
So I’m off… I will take a copy of this list to all three stores for price comparisons:
Yes, I really am this nerdy. Love me or leave me. (If you leave me, be sure to go to Paige's blog for a FASCINATING series of posts and threats regarding Kindermusik. Girl, those maracas won't keep your table full during the upcoming depression...)
I'm hitting the local Supermarket first. Then, I'll check out Costco. My last step will be to take the lists from both stores up to the commissary, and see how I fare. I'm sure you're all dying to find out.
21 comments:
I've actually done this - with all three types of stores, but it's been a few years. I'm intrigued by what you come up with - however, you are missing a couple of variables:
1. The case-lot sale. The tricky thing here is that each commissary's caselot sale is vastly different in quality and selection (and price). The best I've ever seen is here at Lewis and McChord and they happen about quarterly. For example, I can get boxes of cereal for 60 cents and cases of pasta for about 30 cents (per box). I've got my receipts around here if you'd like me to look it up - but high tailing it to a quality caselot might turn out to be a good move. Especially with some of the items on your list like the tuna - HUGE savings in the smaller canned goods department during the case lot.
2. The cannery. I buy all of my flour, sugar and other items I use in bulk from the cannery in the 25 pound sacks and then put it in to my own containers. I haven't found a better way yet and I've about given up my membership at Costco because they just aren't beating these two options for me. If you don't have the latest prices on dry goods - they are pretty easy to come by.
I only shop at the commissary once per month because it's 30 minutes from me. I get my perishables from the milkman, the local discount grocery store or the farmer's market. I'm a milk snob (hence the milkman) but I figure when I buy just about everything else in bulk, I'm allowed to demand no hormones and organic something.
I'm enjoying your food storage commentary!
great points! thanks for reminding me about case lot sales. no kidding, i used to get up at the crack of dawn to get my number for those things. you absolutely cannot beat those prices. some commissaries post on their websites when they'll be having them. i'll have to check on this one.
you are right about the cannery as well. i haven't touched on this yet, but i do actually have about 25 cases of storehouse goods. with 6 cans in each case, i'm pretty good there. it's mostly rice, flour, wheat, sugar and potato pearls. but i'm always looking for good prices to replenish that stock. but like you mentioned, you usually can't beat the cannery for that stuff.
wow. suddenly i feel so mormon!
You have some serious problems......
No... you don't get to the "so Mormon" level until you are making cracked wheat and eating it for breakfast and halving it with your ground beef. Then you are sunk.
Right now you are still at "cheapskate who wants to be prepared for the next shortage" level. And I'm comfortable with that place. It saves me lots of money in the long run.
Way to hook your readers with your title.
I adore the nerd in you! ;)
I can't wait to see what you find out. I keep hoping you'd come out here and do it for me :)
Very interesting... please don't tell us that next you will be getting rid of your television. You know how those Mormons are
report back soon, the suspense is killing me!
When you first started, I was feeling bad because I have nothing. But, when I look at some of the things you are buying I have realized that I do have a lot of these things because I do shop at Costco and Sams. So now I feel a little better and like I can do more and feel good. Thanks.
I love your nerdiness. We have three levels of grocery stores here. The super dooper ream you for all your worth Whole Foods and Safeway stores where the employees practically roll out the red carpet for you. Then there's the midgrade Albertsons store which some of my neighbors are disgusted with. THen there's the Winco where you get the real deals among the cluttered mess. I shop at Winco. My neighbors have never even heard of the place. Why spend more money on food if you don't have to??? I don't get it.
I like your inner nerd, spreadsheet and all. She reminds me of my inner nerd.
wait a minute... you're going to all of these places and NOT shopping? I'm confused. You'll be coming home with nothing?
hmm.
I use commissary btw... closest and cheapest.
Please do not tell my husband that there are women out there who comparison shop and enjoy saving money. He will drop me like a hot expensive rock.
I'm sorry your computer is in for repair, but I guess that's why I didn't miss TOO much the 2 weeks my computer was all packed away (tell me why the packers put my mouse and keyboard somewhere OTHER then the box of ALL the other computer "stuff"?)
SO, I'm curious as to your results, partly because we've notice that it really depends on what part of the country you live in as to who the winner is for the best shopping deal. We have Sam's Club instead, and when money was barely in existance had to do the serious comparing to see if coming up with the yearly fee was worth it. We noticed that we did better with sam's brand at Walmart (since we are only buying food at this time - no books, games, etc. over there.) I've taught the older kids well, look at the price per ounce, and often we get 2 smaller jars of Peanut butter to save us up to 75cents!
One last thing...are you a coupon clipper? I was taught by the "coupon guru" in our first unit - this woman could walk away with over $200 worth of groceries and toiletries and spend under $10. It was shocking! Anyway, just wondered.
Thanks for motivating us with the Food Storage. :o) !!!
Love You! You need to start charging, you would make a great food storage consultant!
Wow, you really are something. And I thought I was doing great buying $25 Harmon's gift cards for $20 from my brother (he gets them as bonuses at Cirque lodge and doesn't use them since he still lives and eats at my parents). Perhaps I will have to dig a little deeper.
You keep up the good work so I don't have to do it myself. You are quickly becoming my favorite person in the world for your services.
Can us civilians sneak into a commisary? I think the cannery stopped offering flour because it was DISGUSTING.
I am just waiting for you to figure it all out so I can reap the benefits of your nerdiness. :)
I'm waiting with bated breath for you to tell me where you got the best deal.
We have nine hundred lbs of wheat under Rachel's platform bed, a wheat grinder that you can use with a bicycle if there is no electricity and 100 gallons of water on the side of the house. I'm nerdy too.
I love food storage, it's just about the only churchy subject that I don't squirm when people talk about it. Whew!
Your doing great, caseload sales rock. Don't forget water purifiers and stuff to cook with like propane or charcoal and a dutch oven. And make sure you have fats like oil, but rotate it often. Our body actually needs some fats.
I could go on for days!!!!
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