When I posted about my $73 shop and how I was thinking meal prep, I got some interesting comments. I love Sheila at Ephemeral to bits, and was floored by her sharing a weekly shop for her was $200, for her, her husband L, and dear kitty. In turn, I'm wowed by seeing some UK bloggers describe their hauls, and make me feel like a spendthrift. Well there's not a calculator that can scare me so I thought it might be interesting to pick a few items from my shop and compare as best I could to a few other places.
Frozen Meatballs
Minnesota Walmart, 48 ounces/ 3 pounds=$7.98 US dollar
Victoria, BC, Thrifty Foods, 650 grams, 1.49 pounds, $9.99 Canadian Dollar
Tesco, UK 622 grams, 1.37 pounds, £4.20 British pound
Pasta spaghetti noodles
Minnesota Walmart, Generic, Walmart 32 ounce, $1.67 ( 16 ounce 85¢)
Victoria, Thrifty Foods, Compliment store brand, 900 grams, 32. Oz., $2.50
Tesco UK £ .20 for 500 gram, 17.6 ounces
Milk
MN Walmart 2%, 1/2 gallon, 64 ounces,$2.47
Victoria Thrifty Foods 2 litre, $4.39
UK Tesco whole, £ .99 1.13 litre
Whole wheat bread
MN Walmart Great value 29 oz. $1.38
Victoria Thrifty Foods Compliments 570 gram, 19 ounces, $2.49
UK Tesco Whole meal 700 grams, 25.7 ounces £. 65
For reference on currency conversion:
$1.00 US Dollar= $1.25 Canadian Dollar= £0.80 UK Pound. This is quite a change from even eight years ago when $1 US Dollar was only worth £ .65.
No doubt where Sheila lives, there is a huge difference. Victoria is an island and pretty much all needs to be shipped to stock. The UK and US seem comparable on some items, but vary product to product. I'm sure someone has done a much thorough analysis than my spot checking a few staples. I'm impressed with how UK grocery stores reduce prices or have things like waste not boxes or Too Good to Go- neither here in Minnesota that I'm aware of. Hang in there, Sheila. Enjoy your brunches out. I'll try not to crab about grocery prices and just get on with life.
It is interesting to see how prices vary so much even within the US. I know so many are paying high prices for eggs while I get back yard/farm eggs for $2.00. We buy local beef and chicken and it's a bit more expensive than the store prices (sometimes) but the quality is so much better it's more than worth it. Plus I like being able to visit the farm that raised the meat.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day Sam!!
We now have chickens allowed up to five. I see people are selling their excess eggs at pretty low prices. Farm direct is awesome.
DeleteWe sometimes buy the huuuuge bag of meatballs from Costco, they can go a long way. But the pricing is getting bonkers, I paid $15.49 Canadian for a box of pads that was once 8.49 :/ We buy a lot of meat from the chinese grocery - but the key is always to shop at multiple groceries it seems to get the best prices.
ReplyDeleteI admit I don't chase prices and don't coupon shop. I do use several stores, but only if convenient so I'll never have rock bottom budgets.
DeleteCool. I am in NWPA. Here are my numbers.
ReplyDeleteFrozen Meatballs Walmart 7.87.
Pasta 32 oz. Tops 2 16 oz. for .89 1.78
Milk Tops 4.57 (We have state minimum pricing)
WW bread Strohman because I can never find Walmart brand 2.68
These are all generic. Thank you I liked this exercise.
Thanks for sharing your prices. I find it interesting to compare. When we travel, I pop into the local stores to see.
DeleteThere are several things here in my county which are more expensive, especially gas, due to the cost not only to haul things in, but haul them out again, because, technically, we are an island as well. When we first moved here, I was a bit taken aback at prices of some things. But, I realized that I was cooking/shopping the way I did when I lived in another part of the country. I learned to keep my eye out for the local grocery store truckload and meat sales, (which come seasonally), to be alert to when the produce stands/farms open. I also plan big shops with loss leaders/advertised sales, and fill my tank with gas with other reasons to be "off the island." (Since kids left elementary school I was driving them in to school, so that enabled me to take advantage of in-store sales more frequently.) When we would visit our Panhandle place, I'd have to learn to switch gears again!
ReplyDeleteExcellent point that we need to perhaps relearn how to shop if we have a major move. A YouTube channel I watch said prices for delivery were cheaper than in person shopping- same store. She was inner city London so maybe it's a bit of they can fill at warehouse and sort of centralize fulfillment. It was really eye opening.
DeleteStores here in the UK do reduce 'today's date' foods by a lot at the end of the day, but you have to be in the store at the right time to get them. There are also a lot of Too Good to Go, Olio and Community Fridge type places in towns - not a lot of good to those of us who live too far away to collect, though.
ReplyDeleteIt seems you'd need to be maybe not quite city, but still bustling shopping area to get these deals. I like watching hauls for this reason- seeing how life is different.
DeleteHey, it's me! I don't shop at Thrifty Foods, but nicely done on the cost comparison, Kim. To give you some examples of actual prices I pay:
ReplyDelete- Meatballs from the butcher (only bought when on sale) - ~$9.95 for 6 of them! (I break them up into small meatballs and get a couple of batches of spaghetti sauce out of them.
- A dozen free range local eggs: $7.99 (the cheapest eggs are still over $5.00)
- A liter of lactose-free skim milk: $5.29
- A tub of shredded asiago cheese: $7.99
- Silver Hills Little Big bread: on sale, 2 for $7.00
Yes, we're on an Island, but I try to buy local as much as possible (a lot is grown/produced locally, including dairy, chicken), and I don't buy much pre-packaged or canned goods (eg. I buy oatmeal in bulk, and I buy a lot of fruit and veg). I shop what's on sale and freeze things, and I plan for meals well in advance. I can almost always stretch out my cupboards by a week if I don't feel like grocery shopping.
Victoria is also one of the most expensive cities to live in - it's a booming population. Did I tell you it cost $95 for HALF A TANK of gas for our car?? Good thing I walk everywhere!
We do have fresh veg boxes that you can sign up for, but I feel like I'm taking these away from lower-income families, so I keep shopping my usual way. Thank goodness we paid off our mortgage 10 years ago! We bought our condo in 1998 for $118K and it's now valued over $700K. Most houses are over $1m (I'm not kidding!).
I just looked at a map to find a store that seemed average- and had online prices. I'd have liked to have done a field trip and got real prices. I'd avoid my car as much as possible- still do. I need to put gas in today as it's under 1/4 tank. It'll be a shock but not $95.
DeleteMy prices are either the same or a few cents cheaper in Western PA. I can sometimes find meat markdowns at Aldis or Sam’s but those are rare. I do like to compare prices of things in the store apps. That’s how I found garbage bags are cheapest at Sam’s, 9 cents a bag vs 14 cents with Walmart. I’ll be stockpiled for awhile, good thing they don’t expire ;) JoAnn
ReplyDeleteI should cost compare from home more and set up a better plan- especially to maximize Sam's Club.
DeleteThere's a misprint there Sam. Pasta is most definitely not £20 for 500g. It's a while since I bought pasta but it might be less than £2 for 500g We buy whole milk for £1.20 for two litres, Bread is around £1.25 for an 800g loaf of a good seeded variety... You can buy cheaper bread but it's flippin awful. Next time I do a big shop I'll take a photo of the receipt for comparison.
ReplyDeleteThere was a tiny decimal point so should have said, from the ad I looked at .20 or would you say 20 pence?I was floored how low it was and when I see in a YouTube it is one item that is always so low. I'd love to see your receipts.
DeleteI love how the reduced stickers save the UK bloggers so much money! I’m always amazed at them.
ReplyDeleteWe just don't have discounts- so rare, and usually just holiday food, and never more than perhaps 50% off.
DeleteI don't think that I have been doing a very good job grocery shopping lately. I usually buy some of the Kroger weekly deals. I bought a whole watermelon for $3.47 and 2 lbs kiwi for $3.97. Angus 80% lean ground chuck for $2.99/lb. A gallon 2% milk for $3.49 and eggs $2.99 a dozen. Gas is $4.79/gallon now. I live in VA.
ReplyDeleteThe beef is a good price. I filled up and it cost $60- never filled for more than $45 ever. Thanks for sharing your prices.
DeleteYEs we need to look at other areas so we can quit complaining about our prices.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right. Complaining won't help but sharing ideas to maximize budgets sure can.
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