Even with all the budgeting and, dare I say, money micro-managing in the world, there are some weeks where my family and I simply don’t have the extra cash to head out to our favorite restaurant for a cheap bite to eat. Sometimes, we eat up our dining out money by making an unexpected trip to the pediatrician’s office for one of our children, where we’ll pay a $25 co-pay; other times, an unexpected spike in gas prices may throw our financial planning out of whack. During weeks like these, I’m always looking for ways to experience the luxury of dining out without actually going to a restaurant.
That’s why I’ve started shopping at high-end grocery stores from time to time. For years, I did all my food shopping solely at low-cost retailers like Walmart or Aldi, hoping to pinch as many pennies as possible. Over time, I learned that by taking advantage of coupons, in-store loyalty programs, and predictable sale-cycles, I could come close to replicating the prices I was getting at those big box retailers even when I chose to frequent their more upscale competitors.
Over the years, my husband and I have hopped from city to city, state to state, as our careers took us from North Carolina to New York, Texas to Georgia. I’ve learned to appreciate a high-end supermarket when I see it. Here are my top three.
#3. Publix
My husband and I grew to love Publix while living in the heart of Georgia. Publix is a decidedly Southeastern grocery store chain with a decidedly Southeastern feel: the majority of its more than 1,100 stores are located in Florida, with the rest scattered across Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. Because Publix is a regional supermarket, it has the ability to make stronger connections with local and regional suppliers. I saw this in action in my Macon, Georgia, store’s produce department, where everything from peaches to berries were advertised as locally grown. You don’t see that in many national chains, where everything from produce to dairy to meat products often travel across state – and international – borders to reach the shelves.
On the whole, Publix’s prices were highly competitive as well – in fact, surprisingly so. Publix has an exceptional coupon-matching policy, which – in my experience – goes far above the policies of some of its competitors. For example, say you have an ad for a buy one, get two free deal at another grocery store; Publix will honor it. Likewise, if you have a coupon for a free gift card with the purchase of a certain item, Publix will honor it. They even honor private label coupons from competitors off Publix’s own in-house brands. During my days in Georgia, I took advantage of this generous policy to do most of my shopping at Publix, simply clipping out the ads from Walmart to get the lower prices!
#2. Whole Foods
Early on in our relationship, my husband (he was actually just my boyfriend at that point) and I had the chance to live in Austin, Texas. This was the first time I learned about the glory that is Whole Foods. Founded in Austin just two years before I was born (I’m 30 – no, really, I am!), Whole Foods has exploded over the past three decades to an international organization. The company now manages 310 stores in 40 states, two Canadian provinces, and the United Kingdom. The company was founded on the principles of bringing fresh, organic food to the masses – and it’s succeeded. I can honestly say that I’d never even considered the source of my groceries before the summer I spent in Austin.
I’m not going to make any bizarre claims that Whole Foods is an inexpensive way to shop for your groceries – I’d be unable to back up those claims. The reason I enjoy shopping there is because of the culture. The company’s motto is whole food, whole people, whole planet, and they’ve stayed true to that. In fact, Whole Foods is routinely ranked among the best 100 companies to work for. And, if you’re someone who likes to shop for “day of” food – meaning you’ll be cooking your purchases immediately after buying them – deals, rather amazing ones at that, can be found at Whole Foods. The stores routinely put produce that’s leaning toward becoming overripe on deep discount; same goes with meat and dairy products. If you plan to grill that steak immediately, or will be preparing a fruit salad for a dinner party that evening, it could be a gold mine.
#1. Wegmans
If you’ve ever been to a Wegmans, you know why I’ve got this supermarket ranked in the top spot on my list. Wegmans is the smallest of my top 3 grocery store chains, with just 81 stores spread out – rather sporadically – through six states. My husband and I shopped at Wegmans while we were students at Syracuse University, then later as newlyweds. Wegmans’ locations stretch from the shores of Lake Ontario – take a break through the Adirondacks – only to pick up along the I-95 corridor through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
Wegmans combines the size and variety of Walmart – stocking more than 46,000 items online and in its stores – with the ambiance of Whole Foods. How on earth is that possible, you’re probably asking. I’ll admit, it’s tough to make a grocery store that’s the size of an athletic stadium feel cozy, but somehow the folks at Wegmans pull it off. You’ve probably heard the older supermarket adage that you should do most of your grocery shopping along the store’s perimeters, where the healthiest items – products like produce, dairy, fresh meats – are located. In Wegmans, these areas seem to encompass the majority of the floor space, akin to Whole Foods. Additionally, in many locations, these healthier sections are adjacent to one another, meaning you could do all your shopping in these areas without veering into the aisles of processed foods (from which Wegmans doesn’t shy away). Combine all that with an expansive prepared foods section, where you can purchase everything from fresh stuffed chicken breasts to sushi to a salad bar, and you have an ambiance worthy of my undying shopping loyalty – yes, it’s been six years since I’ve lived in a state that has a Wegmans, yet I’m still utterly devoted to this brand.
…Trader Joe’s: My New Favorite?
Later this year, my area will finally get a Trader Joe’s. My aunt, who lives in San Diego, already raves about TJ’s. My mom up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, does as well. Even my friend Julie, recently relocated from Philadelphia, is obsessed with this chain. Why? They swear it combines the quality of Whole Foods with the value of Walmart – even better than my current favorite, Wegmans, says Julie (who has recently lived in an area with access to both stores – lucky her!). I’ve never shopped in a TJ’s, but I’m eager to see if this store can help turn my grocery buying errands into a luxurious experience during those weeks when I’ll be doing all the cooking!
What are your favorite grocery store chains? Why?
My wife uses Trader Joe’s and various other supermarkets. We tend to stay away from prepared foods, but the there are many other choices.
I commend you for gtteing on board with your mom about these diet changes. To do it right, gtteing and keeping the bad stuff out of the house is very important.You should be more specific about what kind of health food requirements for your mom less sugar? less fat? less sodium? It makes a big difference in the way to change a recipe.Small changes at first are important with a diet change. Think of this change as retraining your tastebuds. For example, cutting out fast food and soda seem difficult to some people, but it’s really not if the substitute food is decent. Browsing cookbooks at a bookstore or library is a fun way to think about a big, special meal. My favorite to start with is How to Cook Everything. It’s just great and the ingredients are pure, for the most part. The author educates the reader about techniques and strange veggies and stuff.Here are some ideas to get you started:*Change to whole wheat or whole grain everything. This means no enriched flour. If it doesn’t say whole it isn’t whole.*Stock up on veggies and fruits. I threw much of the fresh stuff away at first because it rotted. I was stubborn about choosing those as snacks over, say, toast and peanut butter. Frozen or canned veggies are super convenient and the shelf life is better. Eventually fresh stuff is easy to keep on hand in the appropriate amounts, once you learn what you should and actually will eat.*Pure sugar and oils are better when necessary to cook with them. Stay away from syrups (i.e. corn syrup) and processed oils. Pressed oil is better (i.e. extra virgin olive oil).*Use broth to cook meats or anything on the stovetop. Real broth is best, but canned is fine if sodium isn’t an issue. This helps reduce the amount of oil/fats in cooking.*Spices, spices, spices are key. Learn how to cook with them. Think of cooking as learning about cultures Italian cooking uses parsley, basil, garlic and onion Mexican food has cumin, cilantro, peppers, lime, garlic and onion Thai food includes cilantro, vinegar, ginger and peanuts etc. Pick up a cookbook and try a few, without worrying too much about the health value. It will greatly improve your fluency in the kitchen.*Buy a crockpot and let the meat/veggies cook slowly in healthy spices. One of the easiest things to cook in the crockpot is a lean roast (pork or beef) or chicken, and vegetables. The veggies will break down, mix with the juices of the roast/chicken, making a tasty sauce. (I always put a tablespoon of vinegar with the roast to make it more tender.) I make salsa from scratch (no salt) and dump a couple of cups of it with chicken breast. It cooks for a few hours and it super yummy! If you want to make the broth into a sauce after it’s all cooked, shake a little flour with milk, then stir it into the broth to thicken it. OR you can save the broth for cooking something later. It freezes for a couple of weeks.Expect to spend some money stocking your cabinets with the right things. It will save you money in the long run, believe me. Nothing beats a home cooked, healthy meal! Happy cooking!Oops forgot to add something about snacks. Until your mom can rely on a piece of fruit as a snack, she really needs to fill up at healthy meals and skip snacks (unless she needs them for a health reason). This particular issue relies solely on will power. Perhaps you can let her slide for awhile as she gets excited about changing what’s in the kitchen and how she’s cooking. Also, drinking fluids can be like a snack since it does bring about a full feeling. When all else fails, nuts can be a good choice, in moderation. Watch out for sodium and fat intake with these snacks. Instead, find recipes that have semi-sweet chocolate and oats, roll in some flax or other good option, and bring in some cashews into the snack. It can be like a trail mix. (Warning: dried fruit has much more sugar than fresh fruit.)
Akash –
Thank you for all this information, although I’m not sure what it has to do with this post about high-end grocery stores!