Feeding The Cheungs: Picking A Grocery Store

I have this friend who thinks she has a million dollar idea. "Maggie!" she says. "I need to, like, invent a DRIVE THROUGH GROCERY STORE!" And I say, "Dude, do you know how many times I've read that on the internet?" Only I say it nicer, because I don't enjoy popping bubbles. 

I live in the city so I have a LOT of grocery store options. I don't have a Wal-Mart or a Super Target, but I feel like I have pretty much everything else: chain stores, farmers markets, local chains, all organic, specialty shops, Costco, Asian groceries and outlets. Two of these (Asian grocery store and all organic store) are within easy walking distance. 

But here are my issues: 

1. I don't want to drive very far (and in the city this means, like, longer than ten minutes. I know. Shut up, me.)
2. I don't want to spend more than $100 in one trip. 
3. I want a good produce selection.
4. I want to buy the things I am picky about.

UNFORTUNATELY, this magical store does not exist. 

Most people solve these problems by going to multiple stores, but I don't know, Internet. I do that on occasion, but I don't love grocery shopping THAT much. I have a limited amount of kid-free time to shop (I only take the kids if we'll be too busy to shop on the weekend) and I don't want to be driving to three different stores. It's a pain! 

So most of the big chain grocery stores are good on points one, two and three, but not always on four. When I was doing the South Beach diet I always bought those little granola bar type things, but not all of the chain stores carry those. And the stores that did carry them wouldn't carry the low carb pasta I liked best. So, you know, that's annoying. Two things I always wanted to buy, not at the same store. 

Then, the stores that are great on points three and four, sort of suck at point two. There's this store I LOVE a little north of me. Amazing produce, enough grated parmigiano reggiano for me to swim in, but every time I go there I spend more. Things just COST more at that store, the meat especially. Probably because a lot of it is organic and local and from animals that go night night on rainbows, but hello, EXPENSIVE. And that's just not an option for me right now. So while I treat myself to that grocery store every once in a while, I can't make it My Grocery Store. Sob. 

And since I'm always trying to figure out if I can save more money, I sometimes try out That Store Everyone Else Is Going To. But I went there once or twice and yeah, things seemed cheaper, but they carried different brands of my every-week items and I wasn't always sure about those and also it's, like, four neighborhoods away. AND it's crowded and I don't know where anything is and I just didn't love it enough to get to KNOW where everything is. You know? I will pay a few cents more for convenience. 

I am always open to something new, but for the most part I head up to the Safeway a few blocks over. It's not the dirt cheapest store, but it seems to be the cheapest of the large chain stores, at least for the items I buy. It carries most everything I want. The produce section often leaves a lot to be desired and they don't have my freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, but WAH, first world problems etc.

We occasionally make a trip to Costco (only once during the month if we go at all) and I buy frozen chicken, fish, some vegetables and Molly's Laughing Cow cheese because SHE IS MADE OF CHEESE. I'll also buy grapes and peppers and eggs and olive oil and other things I know won't go to waste AND are cheaper than the regular store. Oh, and Fiber One bars which are my new South Beach granola bar. But I try to buy everything else at the grocery store.

Besides that, we make the occasional side trip to the Asian grocery store for Necessary Items that are just better to buy at an Asian grocery store (rice, soy sauce, deep fried tofu, pre-sliced meat for hot pot mmmm, anyone want to come over for hot pot?) I tried shopping there for real, because the meat and vegetables are CRAZY CHEAP, but they didn't carry any of the other things I buy. Also, sometimes? I am scared of the Asian grocery store meat. It's TOO cheap.

Then we have shopping online, which I made a serious effort to try. I shopped Safeway online and it was awesome, because my order came directly from the store I go to every week, only I DIDN'T HAVE TO GO THERE. But if I order groceries online again? I have to pay some kind of ridiculous delivery fee. I think it's something like $13, which, well, I kind of think that's a lot. Especially when I could be spending that $13 on chocolate chips and wine just buy driving two minutes to the store all by myself. I also gave Amazon Fresh a chance, but every time I create an order I end up canceling it. There are no store brands and everything is Good For You, which means Expensive. My Amazon online order, with free delivery, costs a lot more than my Safeway order WITH delivery. GAH.

So for now I am sticking with Safeway. The circular came today and avocados, bacon, steak and a favorite wine are on sale, not to mention it contained coupons for hot dogs (a Jack favorite), tortillas and the Johnsonville brats Phillip likes. It's comfortable, it's familiar and it's close enough to perfect. 

Tomorrow: The Moral (?) Dilemmas. SIGH.

Comments

[lindsay]

Oddly, I have fond memories of my dad taking us from store to store to store when I was a little kid to do grocery shopping (a Co-op, a Safeway, the Butcher block, and a bread store. CRAZY! It's hard to believe that's how things were 'back then.'

[Jen @ The Short Years]

Do you have a WinCo in Seattle? It's my favorite grocery store.

Also, I thought of the drive through grocery store years ago! And I still fantasize about having one somewhere near my house whenever I need just a few things and I really don't want to haul the kids in and out of the store.

[Morgan S.]

I shop at Safeway, too. It is one mile from our house and an awesome park is on the way so in nice weather Blake walks there almost every evening for BBQ dinner fixin's with one of the girls. I keep my eye out for the once or twice a month "spend $50, get $10 off" coupon and then I stock up on canned items, dry goods, soda, etc. I love when my receipt says I saved 40% off! Our store is lovely and so are the people that work there. We used to make a separate trip to trader joe's for certain items, but we found coffee is a better deal at Costco and Safeway has wine for $3, so we don't need to go to TJ's anymore (which is always, ALWAYS a zoo and impossible to go to with two toddlers).

I love your shopping series of posts.

[HereWeGoAJen]

In Idaho, I shopped Fred Meyer and it was perfect for me, but they don't have that here. My only choices are Winn-Dixie (horrible), Publix (amazing but so expensive that I cringe) and Wal-Mart. I hate Wal-Mart, but it was the only real option left. Sigh. At least it is close to my house.

I just do not have it in me to go to more than one store.

[Holly]

This whole series is cracking me up and I love it. I thought of you last night because in the middle of making soup for dinner I was struck with THE NEED for a baguette and asked Garrett if he wanted to go to the store with me (the closest one but also the most expensive)real quick to pick one up. And he did. And $101 later (OMG. Budget. Blown.) we left with our baguette. Also 6 bags of chips (YES SIX! His rationale -- it's Super Bowl. Um, we are NOT have a party, btw.) Two different kinds of ice cream and a bottle of Jameson Whisky because it was on sale (and I can tell you that was not particularly enticing to ME because I pretty much eschew all brown liquor...on sale or otherwise.) I just about died when got to the register because I only wanted a baguette! And I laughed thinking of this series you have been writing the whole time!

[Sarah in Ottawa]

I don't love the multiple store option, but sometimes it's the only one. (No sense mentioning grocery stores - the Eastern Canadian market is saturated with Canadian players). Although lately, with my propensity for stocking up, I have been going to the grocery store with the best deals one week, then heading to another week if the deals are best there. It sounds like Safeway is a good option for you (and coupons in the flyer! Something we Canadians rarely get anymore), so don't overthink it!

[Jess]

I would like to come over for hot pot, please. Thank you.

[Redbecca]

We are fortunate that two of the stores we shop at are in the same plaza, so we can get 90% of our shopping done in one trip if we both go, and one lets the toddler RUN RUN RUN from the store at one end of the plaza to the other store at the other end. He gets to run a bit and we get most of the shopping done. There are two other places we shop at but 1 only because it is right up the street from the house (lousy selection but good for emergencies) and the other is across the street from daycare and i can stop in there to get stuff before I pick him up. Shopping with kids (I can't imagine two, egads) isn't the ideal, but we make it work and it goes faster.

[Lauren]

I'm enjoying this grocery series! I always find it interesting to hear how other people tackle meal planning/shopping/preparation. And I totally get where you're coming from about not being able to find all of your desired qualities in one store. My preferred store is definitely not the cheapest one near our house, but they have the best service (by FAR), and the store is small enough that I don't feel completely dismayed if I have to go back to an earlier part of the store to grab something I missed. (My store is a Harris Teeter, which you may not have out west.)

Also, love your blog generally. One of my new year's resolutions is to comment more on blogs that I read. It's hard because I do most of my reading via Google reader on my iPhone as I hold a sleeping infant. Just know that another long-time lurker enjoys your writing!

[Heather]

I shop at safeway. Where I live there aren't alot of options and by far it has the best produce and selection.

[Raven]

I shop at 3 stores. Kroger, marginally fancy HEB and Costco. If I get really lucky I get to spend money at the SUPER FANCY HEB or Whole Foods but those are all the way across town (like at least 45 away) so I would have to pack a cooler of ice in case I bought anything cold and hello hassle.

I miss Safeway and Bashas from living in Az.

[Marie Green]

Do you have a Trader Joe's? I love that store, but unfortch only get there a few times/year as there isn't one nearby. (The closest is over 1 hour away).

Also, re: the delivery charge, I also don't have that option, but if I did, I'd probably pay the $13 b/c I'd probably buy at least $13 worth of impulse purchases if I were to enter the store. (See also: the bag of football emblazoned Oreos that are now residing on top of my fridge).

I guess the silver lining to having basically zero choices is that... well, there are no choices to make! We have 1 local grocery store and 1 local SuperWalmart (which we try to avoid). That's it.

[Sarah]

Sarah in Ottawa - I, too, am jealous of the American coupon system. I rarely get coupons, and even more rarely are they for things I buy.

Maggie - I love the series, too as I love grocery shopping. I'm also not a fan of driving all over the place. I'm currently shopping at a store that has most of what I want but not everything (no fish sauce, no lemongrass). At least it has the local dairy we like because my son also subsists primarily on dairy (and peanut butter).

[Ashley]

I tried to do the double shopping trip. One for Smith's and another for an organic market. The market had to be cut out. I couldn't buy everything I needed there- and I just couldn't go to two stores any longer. It was fun for about a month. But then it just became a gigantic inconvenience.

[Tara]

I SO wish that there was a one-stop place for us. But alas, I go to at least two different places each week. I Looooove TJ's but I don't love that I can't get EVERYTHING there. Shea can't have gluten so I get stuff there & the naturalish market place. And then there's Costco. And then Safeway (<2 min. away) for when I forget stuff or have a mean craving. Sigh.

Oh, and a couple posts ago you mentioned stealing friends' dinner ideas-- well I'll have you know that we (Who am I kidding? *I*) totally make that creamy tomato pasta dish that you posted a few months ago a couple times a month! It's a new fave around these parts.

[Jessica]

Me!! ME!! MEEEE! I want to come over for hot pot.
Please.