Sticker Shock in Grocery Store

[Pat]

I don't usually do the grocery shopping for the house, I live with my daughter and 2 grandsons. I went to the store to pick up a few things and was really surprised at the cost of things.

I usually get a few things from Aldi's which is a discount store in the area. The store I went to had cake mixes $2.49 a box, which to me was a big surprise, I usually pay $1 for a cake mix brand name.

 

[missbishi]

Prices are getting ridiculous aren't they! I always shop around, visiting about 3 different stores to get everything I need. The difference in some prices makes it worth the effort.

 

[Rosyrain]

I too do not just shop in one grocery store. Each Tuesday the sales flyers come in the mail and so I go through each of them with a fine tooth comb and figure out where the best deals are going to be on everything I need to get. It is amazing how prices are different from one store to the next. The travel and distance/gas issue is no big deal for me because the grocery stores are all pretty close to my house. It really is worth taking the time to research the best prices on things you need.

 

[Arch]

Over here all the big stores are into price matching, so there's not really that much difference from one to another. Our main local stores are Aldi and Morrisons, and if there's a difference of a few pence on a comparable product one week, it' often equalized the next. I keep the prices of a few key things in my head, and remember which brand is better - for example, a 40p loaf from Aldi is slightly nicer than the 40p loaf from Morrisons. If we happen to be shopping at both, I'll opt for the Aldi one.

What I generally avoid is ready made stuff, which is usually sold with a big mark up. Apart from bread, biscuits and things like meat pies (which I always buy when they are on reduction to clear), I buy basic ingredients and cook from scratch.

 

[welsh dragon]

Over here all the big stores are into price matching, so there's not really that much difference from one to another. Our main local stores are Aldi and Morrisons, and if there's a difference of a few pence on a comparable product one week, it' often equalized the next. I keep the prices of a few key things in my head, and remember which brand is better - for example, a 40p loaf from Aldi is slightly nicer than the 40p loaf from Morrisons. If we happen to be shopping at both, I'll opt for the Aldi one.

What I generally avoid is ready made stuff, which is usually sold with a big mark up. Apart from bread, biscuits and things like meat pies (which I always buy when they are on reduction to clear), I buy basic ingredients and cook from scratch.

Morrisons do a price match card now. They match the price on like for like for like products with aldi, liddl. And when you spend x amount you get a voucher for £5.00. Im using mine to go towards christmas food shopping.

 

[DIna00]

Where I live now the prices are outrageous. Shredded cheese is 2.99 a bag, butter is 4-5 dollars, the cheapest loaves of bread start at 2.99. Also where I live now I swear there is a supermarket conspiracy going to make sure they do not stock items that have high discount coupons, or they know the coupon is coming out so they mark up the price right before.

I used to coupon quite a bit when I lived down south but it is pointless up here. That's why Aldi is my all time favorite store, they seem to keep their prices somewhat consistent across the country.

 

[Food4thought]

I shop at Lidl, which is very similar to Aldi. Both are German supermarkets with a limited range, but their prices are generally lower than the big supermarkets. I never buy any big brand items there, because their own products cost less and are just as good.

Every week there are some very good offers on fresh produce, at prices I don't see anywhere else.

In the UK, It's always worth comparing prices with Asda (Walmart) because some items cost less there.

 

[Arch]

Morrisons do a price match card now. They match the price on like for like for like products with aldi, liddl. And when you spend x amount you get a voucher for £5.00. Im using mine to go towards christmas food shopping.

If you don't have one of those cards (we don't) they print on the receipt how many points you would have got if you did have one. I've never yet had a receipt that said I would have earned any points. We looked at the terms and reckoned it just wasn't worth filling the form in and getting the associated junk mail. We just don't buy the 'right' stuff.

My regular supermarket when I lived in York was Sainsburys, and I used a nectar card, which was better because you got points for every purchase, not just on whatever they chose to include in the promotion. I accrued points gradually, (and sometimes you got a voucher for double points or similar) and eventually saved about £50 on the cost of our wedding buffet food!

They've revalued the points now, so it would take even longer to accrue any value, but our local big Sainsburys is a drive away now, and it's not worth the extra trip.

 

[missbishi]

Seeing as we're talking about supermarket loyalty points, I have to ask, does anyone here "womble"? Wombling is the art of finding receipts in the supermarket car park which have unclaimed points on them, taking them to the store's customer service desk and having these points added to your account. Apparently it's perfectly legal but I just haven't got the nerve to do it! Has anyone ever done this?

 

[Arch]

Seeing as we're talking about supermarket loyalty points, I have to ask, does anyone here "womble"? Wombling is the art of finding receipts in the supermarket car park which have unclaimed points on them, taking them to the store's customer service desk and having these points added to your account. Apparently it's perfectly legal but I just haven't got the nerve to do it! Has anyone ever done this?

I've never done that, but I have picked up discarded coffeeshop loyalty cards with one stamp on them and saved them up to combine with my own card to get a free coffee a bit early.. Also, the coffee cups from MacDs that have a little sticker on, you collect 6 stickers for a free drink. I've picked up plenty of cups discarded with the sticker still on, and NT and I have had several completely free coffees that way.