How Many Stores/stops do you make to get your weekly food items: especially fresh fruits,veggies, groceries, and special ingredients?

It is a big challenge for me (time wise) to go to the regular store for groceries, and then either Whole Foods or a fresh market/produce store for fresh fruit/veggies. My regular StopnShop grocery store has a poor selection of produce, and Whole Foods is great but very expensive.
Wondering how other people handle this?
Chalant

Tue. Jan 8, 7:46pm

I'll see your two stores and raise you a Trader Joe's. It does get to be a bit much between the time and money! I haven't figured out a system yet, but I do try to think of everything I can buy at one store and try and make due for as long as I can. I also try not to eat on a whim anymore - picking out a recipe in the morning that needs all these different things. I try and plan meals that can help make the next meal (i.e., the whole chicken leftovers become the chicken soup, etc.) but I'm not very organized about it. Mostly, I've been trying to get better at emptying my pantry and fridge before I go shopping again!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008, 10:15 PM

Pretty much for my family it's Trader Joe's and the farmers' market.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008, 10:23 PM

I have a local asian supermarket which has fabulous (sushi-grade) seafood and a small, but very nice selection of veggies including varieties of pears, cucumbers, eggplant, and mushrooms that are not available at most groceries. Their fresh herbs are uber cheap as well. For other produce I shop Trader Joe's - I also buy sauces, lunchmeat, pasta and chicken there. I have a local butcher shop where I buy all my beef (better than I have had anywhere outside Omaha, NE). They are not Whole Foods spendy, but they are not cheap either - however for the quality they are a bargain. I buy paper goods, canned soups, soda, and anything else along those lines at Target.

I almost never shop at a 'regular' grocery store anymore.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008, 11:38 PM

I would so love to have this problem. There is one grocery store in our small town, and it's pretty poor, but it's all we've got. The produce is likely to go moldy on you within days, and you have to check ALL expiration dates to make sure stuff hasn't expired. If I happen to be going to the next closest small town which has better produce I stock up. If I make the 1.5 hr drive to a city, it's like heaven!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008, 11:38 PM

Let's see...
Eat It: cream, bread products, and tea
Organza: Fresh salsa and sifted spelt flour
Superstore: the bulk of grocery shopping
Bulk Barn: Noodles, rice, flours, tea, nuts, quinoa, millet
Safeway: Eggs
Sobey's: Bison Salami, Turkey Kulbassa, fresh, not processed sliced roast turkey breast
Costco: San Pelligrino, Frozen fruit
Vita Health: Amaranth
Local Butcher: meat products

Most of the time it's a matter of exclusivity, or price- and not just a few cents, but usually a 30-70% savings. But yeah, I usually make a trip to the "grocer" at a minimum twice a week for food. I do feed a family of four, and I don't have a lot of space to keep large amounts of the non-perishables around.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008, 12:43 AM

Well, I go to safeway for just about everything, except now and then to costco for meat, coffee and other bulk items(and always get other things I only sort of nead (0=). Maybe it's because I live in California, but our store's produce is always very good. I don't have time to shop at multiple stores to save money.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008, 12:47 AM

My main store is safeway too. If I were healthier I would go to 3 or 4 stores. We have some great ones here but I just don't have the energy to do it.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008, 2:04 AM

I go to Gaint for regular things and last minute stuff... and then Shoppers Food Wharehouse once a month or so to stock up. They have great prices and their produce section is seriouslky impressive. Even better than farmer's market. They have a huge selection too. But it's too far away for me to go too often.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008, 8:46 AM

Usually 3

I do the bulk shopping at Costco (olive oil, meat, fish), deli items at Fresh Market, and all others at my reg stop. I usually shop 3 - 4 times week because I loike to go with my moods on what I want to make for dinner.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008, 10:37 AM

I also do bulk shopping at Costco every two to three weeks. I really like the quality of their meat, fish, and poultry and some produce, too. I divide into meal size portions and freeze. In between I go to the local farmer's market for produce and Kroger's for the stuff I can't get at the Farmer's market or Costco's or for things I don't want a lifetime supply of. I try to plan it so I don't have to go shopping more once a week.

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 11:59 PM

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