One of the most oft-heard responses that I get, when I explain my couponing ways to a non-couponer is "Oh - I shop at Giant. They are much cheaper than that store!".
(note: I'm using my local grocery stores to illustrate my point, but I assume that the same holds true in your area.)
My absolute favorite store right now is Acme. If you are from the Philadelphia area and reading this, you might think I'm crazy. Whenever I tell anyone that I get the best deals at Acme, their response is usually "Acme? But they are so much more expensive than the other stores!". And the truth is, for many things they are (except meat - don't get me started on SuperFresh meat prices!).
But the other truth? They have the best coupon policy and the the best Catalina deals (especially since my Giant switched over to those stupid Gas Points!). But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't drop them like a hot potato if they stopped giving the deals!
As a stay-at-home mom who also lives less than 4 miles from 4 major grocery stores as well as 2 CVS's and a RiteAid (and a Walgreens pretty soon), I realize that I have a flexibility that many others don't have. But what I don't understand is this idea that one store is better than any other. Even the most die-hard Aldi or Costco shoppers have to admit that there are better deals to be found at other stores when you can combine a coupon with a sale!
So let's look at some of the arguments for sticking with a particular supermarket:
1. Yes - checking out 4 different grocery stores(in addition to CVS, RiteAid and Walgreens) each week takes some work. That's the good things about sites like this and the other frugal blogs out there. We do the work for you, cutting your time drastically.
2. I know that there are some people out there who do all of their grocery shopping in one day and spend 6 hours hitting 4 different stores. I'm not one of them. I would rather remove my own liver with a ZooPals spork than spend 6 straight hours grocery shopping. With gas finally being cheaper, it's not as bad to make several trips, especially if like me, you need to go back out anyway each week for more milk, more bananas, etc and combine it with any other errands. There's no reason that you can't hit one of the other stores when you have to run back out!
3. Some people may stay with one store that they perceive to have more "coupon friendly" cashiers. Frankly, I don't care what the cashiers think about my coupons and I never let myself be treated poorly just because I am using coupons (and this isn't me "looking down" on those in retail...my husband is a retail manager). This goes back to the idea that so many people have that they are doing something wrong or "cheating" the store by using coupons. Those people really need to move past this. As long as I am following both the stores coupon policy and the wording of the coupons, the attitude of the cashier means little to me (besides - you can just kill those sourpusses with kindness!).
The bottom line is: no one store has the best prices (every day or sale). When I think of Pantry Items and Meat Sales, I think of Acme. When I think of every day produce prices, it's Giant (with Genuardi's having the best sale prices). Right now, Acme holds the favored spot in my heart because they have the best sales and coupon policies. But I can't remember the last time I "bought" toiletries anywhere besides CVS or RiteAid (where I get them for free).
If you are loyal to one store for all of your shopping, I would love to know....Why?
Nessa
I 100% agree with you! But, I didn't know this was true until I started using coupons. Until then I was convinced the local Supercenter was the cheapest place to shop and Kroger was super expensive! Oh, and CVS was way too pricey to shop at! You live and learn!
Nessas last blog post..Christmas Walmart Rant
kimmiep621
i have to agree with you. My husband LOVES aldi and redners, finally after a few shopping trips with me to acme and few others he sees the errors of his ways. and now he doesn't mind me surfing your blog and others like this for our deals every week.
i love acme and my double coupons, and last week i got good deals at superfresh since they were doubling too. have to go for sales.
Jennifer
I have always been loyal to ACME. I get good deals and through this blog I have become smarter when I shop there. They double coupons up to .99$ which makes using coupons so much more fun.
Gingertre
I am fairly loyal to Giant for one reason - the TreeHouse. I always have 2 if not 3 kids with me when I shop and to be able to put 1 or 2 of them in the TreeHouse has made me a saner shopper, and more able to focus enough to get better deals. So yes, I'm willing to forego a few deals at Acme in order to have some sanity.
Also, I'm very curious as to why you buy your produce at a supermarket? A quick trip to Jim & Ralph's in Collegeville and you've instantly cut your produce costs in half if not more. I went on Saturday and got a week's worth of produce for me & 2 neighbors (we combine our visits and rotate who goes weekly) for $20. 4 lbs of bananas for $2 (and typically you get 5+ lbs since they "eyeball" it), 6 cucumbers for $1, 2 heads of romaine lettuce for $1.50, a bushel of gala apples (about 25 lbs) for $8. And yes, it's all top quality (unlike produce junction). I have never had an issue with quality. So why not shop there?
Mindi
Gingertre: I have one very big problem with Jim & Ralphs....the time. I stopped going there about 6-8 months ago when I got sick of waiting 45 minutes to get my bananas. Add to that the fact that, aside from bananas & grapes, I'm the only one eating produce in the house (I know - I'm working on that, but with the quantities that they sell at their cheap prices, it also means quite a bit of produce would gt thrown away or I'd live on 1 kind of fruit and 1 kind of vegetable for the week), and the time issue gets even more annoying. With the way my family eats, it comes down to running in to Giant or Acme and paying $.59/lb for bananas and be out in 5 minutes....or wait 45 minutes to save $.09/lb.
As for the Tree House - that is a HUGE bonus when it comes to Giant. I should have mentioned that I shop at Acme and Giant in very different ways because I also usually have children with me (although I try to go in the AM when I only have Elizabeth, who is too young for the Tree House anyway). I go in to Acme with a very firm "attack plan", my coupons out & ready and I make a beeline for the products I want and am out in 20 minutes. With Giant, I have a bit more flexibility because I can put the boys in the Tree House and wander the aisles with my coupon binder.
Jennifer
I also agree with you. I am not loyal to any one store (except for maybe CVS--hee hee:)
I live near an Acme, Genaurdis, and SuperWalmart. I also work near a Giant. I check the blogs (especially yours since we live close to each other!) and plan accordingly. Since SuperWalmart opened, I really do find that I can get great deals there even without double coupons. I did go to Genaurdis and Acme last week for their cereal deals and a few other things that I needed the double coupons for. Genaurdis is absolutely outrageous in price compared to all others, so I only go there for screaming hot deals.
Thanks for all you do!
DIANSCRAPS
I totally agree on Jim and Ralphs, I just don't have the time to wait there If I am having a party or something, then I go there (and hit the bread place across the street).
I liked the little produce place we had by Vince and Tony's the owners were so nice and I could go in and let my girls pick anything out they wanted. I really miss them 🙁
DIANSCRAPSs last blog post..ACME 12/19 - 12/25/08