That's it though, everyone should be able to work proteins into well balanced meals especially families with growing children or young adults. Made me sad.I mean, a jar of sauce $4 and a box of pasta $2 with a bag of salad $4 meets that challenge for a family of 4...not the most nutritionally balanced, though...
We spent over $100 at Shop Rite yesterday ( the receipt said we saved $40 with specials and coupons) and have an order we‘ll buy at WalMart tomorrow that should come in around $50. We are two adults and an adult senior dog. I do make from scratch 1/2 of what the dog eats. He needs a prescription dog food. The balance of fresh and the prescription has worked for him.Strip steaks.
Not all our meals are pricey, I am also very at ease with potatoes and eggs or soups and repurposing leftovers. I made chicken soup the other night with leftovers from a roast chicken, made chicken salad (mayo and broth in a blender) with the meat starting to get a bit dry so the $11 chicken was 3 meals for 4.
I guess this time I just needed to restock and got some sticker shock.
If Wegman's were giving recipes like box of pasta and jar sauce I could see bad mouthing them, but they are not.
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I'm responsible for the grocery shopping in my family, which has gotten harder since I changed my eating habits. Fresh produce is outrageous, and I go through a lot of it because it makes up the bulk of my meals. I used to go exclusively to ShopRite, but now I shop at Aldi or Sav-A-Lot. Sometimes both in one trip. My family of five complained at the beginning that the food would be terrible, but I stuck to my guns and now everyone has calmed down.
Good advice, thanks!If you are heavy on produce (like we are here), always do 2 shops a week. It just pays off b/c loss leaders differ the most on produce between stores, so you can get a lot (b/c some places also limit to only 3-4 lbs of an item or just single quantities for berries) and a lot of variety.
I love Wegmans but we only shop there occasionally because it’s just too expensive. I started getting produce at Aldi and Trader Joe’s which are closer and a lot less and meat at the local butchery. I discovered my health insurance reimburses for things like the Y, Weight Watchers, Yoga and CSA. For anyone wondering a CSA is a share in a farm and it is a HUGE savings on produce. Some also include items like eggs, maple syrup and some fresh poultry and eggs. We can get up to $350 back!Up in Massachusetts I don't find Wegmans to be much more than elsewhere, in Pennsylvania there is a noticable difference. I think Mass is one of the most expensive places in the US, when I go back to PA literally everything is at least 1-3 dollars less.
As far as organic, it is not OK that people are being taught it is luxurious to not eat pesticides and genetically modified foods we did not evolve with, I don't accept the idea that organic is fancy. Humans evolved alongside our food and even if people don't accept evolution (I do but I understand the position) there must be some ringing of a bell that we have existed alongside our plants for ages and so when we eat stuff our bodies are like, "OK there blueberry, I know what to do with you," and when we eat some synthetic goo covered in pesticides that looks like a blueberry or whatever our bodies say, "huh, what the?" and become inflammatory.
Organic shouldn't only be for upper middle class people, I reject that idea.
Oh, and BTW I can afford it, it doesn't mean I am utterly blind to the troubles of others and how things weigh on them, that would make me callous at best and a psychopath at worst, and I am neither.
Hmmm, good one, I could probably get that down quite a bit.But, I'm looking at Wegman's suggested shop list for their $4.25/person fish tacos and I get...
$11.99 Tilapia bag (2lb)
$3.59 12 pack tortillas
$5.99 12 oz pico di gallo
$1.50 10oz bag cabbage
$1.29 1 avocado
$2.99 Mexican riced cauliflower 10oz
$4.49 chili lime seasoning shaker
$4.49 crema 15 oz
There's no way that's $4.25/person - if you assume $17 for 4 - that's the fish with tortillas and cabbage (which doesn't even have seasoning). That's all you can buy from their suggested list for $17.
They have you buy too much fish to keep unit costs on the protein down, but then you have to outlay more overall money to make the meal...
When I go to Wegman's, my bill is similarly priced to Target, Wal-Mart, Trader Joe's, Safeway, and Weis markets (we are in the mid-Atlantic). I do a bit of shopping in the "fancy" sections but mostly shop for typical brand items or their store brand items.
Some items I am particular about but I will try out different store-brand items sometimes. A lot of their produce at Wegman's is not more expensive than anywhere else--I have compared and it evens out. I love getting fruits and veggies there. I do not shop at Whole Foods or organic markets.
ETA: I forgot Aldis! I shop there sometimes. They do have great prices but it's a hit or miss on produce and brands around here.
That doesn’t seem bad for steak and shrimp.WINNER within $10!
We gifted their cupcakes to my niece for her birthday via Instacart and was told they are the BEST cupcakes they ever had so I tried one and yes they were above and beyond.Also, as far as store bakeries, Wegman's cupcakes are so good. I cannot have them in the house, and I am not typically a big baked-good fan. I am also not a baker, so while many people can make delicious baked goods, I rely on bakeries if I am going to buy them.
That’s why I started shopping there! We tried a few items that were hit or miss. I like the marinated pork shoulder for tacos. I cooked it in the slow cooker all day with a jar of pineapple salsa and topped it with fresh cilantro and green onions. So good.I don't bother shopping around for cheaper produce. I went to Aldi today, bought
1 doz eggs (cheap protein!)
2.25 lb red grapes (most expensive thing on my list)
soft cream cheese
2 avocado
4 large tomatoes
shredded cheddar
3 red/yellow peppers
3 green peppers
bag of spinach
4 bananas
pint mushrooms
1 lb brocoli crowns
$28.35
We have a spinach and mushroom frittata for dinner regularly, in addition to beans and rice and peppers in soft tortillas. I buy my chicken and ground beef at Costco in large quantities
The family size pack of four steaks were $38 which is a lot but I only do it maybe once a month, in my mind one steak meal at a restaurant is over $40 so for 4 people it is solid and generally makes 2 meals, first on the grill and second with toasty garlic bread.That doesn’t seem bad for steak and shrimp.