larry_stewart
Master Chef
(Addie....just FYI....her name is Mad Cook, not Mad Cow...lol)
I thought that's what I had read, but I figured I must have misread it. But I never went back to check lol.
(Addie....just FYI....her name is Mad Cook, not Mad Cow...lol)
Just out of curiosity, what do you guys find to be the major differences when comparing the lower end, bargain stores to the higher end, stores?
Is it quality, freshness, Brand availability, variety, price ??
(Addie....just FYI....her name is Mad Cook, not Mad Cow...lol)
I'm in a small town - 3 miles from one end of town to the other - and only 2 major grocery stores. I usually shop at Albertsons, because it's closer and not on the main boulevard but every now and then I'll go to Staters. It depends on what I need and what's on sale. If I want to go to Costco, Trader Joes, or any other major grocery chain, it's over 200 miles round trip so I don't get there often.
We do have a WalMart out near the county line, but I rarely go there.
I used to have it good when I lived in the Twin Cities. We had 6 grocery stores within three miles of our house, and that's not counting Sam's Club and Costco.
Now I live in a small town of 3,500 and there is one store. Okay, two if you count the local meat market (which actually has a pretty decent selection, and much that's sourced locally). If I choose not to shop at those places, it's 20 miles to the next nearest store.
So now I have to plan a little better. When I drive into the office 2 days a week, I head for the grocery stores before making the trip back home. But I miss the days of being able to run out and get things like Ahi tuna on a whim. The only fish they carry at the local mom & pop store is salmon, and it usually doesn't smell very fresh.
I don't mind. Sometimes I am a mad cow!I thought that's what I had read, but I figured I must have misread it. But I never went back to check lol.
I don't mind. Sometimes I am a mad cow!
Ive found that Spices in my local Indian store are significantly less expensive then when bought in the regular grocery store ( along with almonds, cashews..). The quality has been good, I just think they have such high demand and buy it in crazy bulk, ( usually sell it in bulk too). Also, the canned stuff ( like beans, tomatoes) are unrecognizable brands ( maybe popular in their country), and are also usually less expensive. That being said, I'd try a can first before loading up, just to make sure the quality is satisfactory.
Just out of curiosity, what do you guys find to be the major differences when comparing the lower end, bargain stores to the higher end, stores?
Is it quality, freshness, Brand availability, variety, price ??
I will definitely say it's mostly price. With stores like Aldi, they carry about 90% store brand items, and if that's the bulk of your merchandise you have to make sure that it's good. I will say that their store brands are just as good (probably the same suppliers) as the higher end grocer's store brands. There is very few things that I have bought there that I didn't care for. I actually like some things better, like their chocolate chips, I like them better than Nestle.
Aldi can be hit or miss with produce. Their produce is usually a bargain, think 99 cent strawberries, blueberries etc.. They don't have the climate control cases in my Aldi like a regular grocery store, so stuff doesn't last as long. They also don't have everything all the time. With that said, they give even parents on a tight budget an opportunity to afford fresh produce.
We have an Indian store down the street and their spices are dirt cheap, but they don't sell a "small" amount of anything. I was driving home and forgot to buy ground ginger and stopped there to get some, I ended up buying a pound of it! But it was only $2.99 and I didn't want to make another stop. I will say it was really good quality and fragrant!
When I was a teenager, husbands did all the driving. There was no need for a girl to learn to drive. If only I had known I would be widowed twice.
My Mom (born in 1918) learned in a hurry - literally one "class" from my Dad, and that was that. Dad was being shipped out because of WWII and Mom needed to know how to drive. She was 23? 24? They lived with my maternal Grandma when they were married in 1941, along with my unmarried aunt, and had just the one car. Mom must have learned right - she never had an accident.My grandmother was born in 1909, and she never learned how to drive...
They do have a double-your-money-back guarantee, if anything is ever that bad. We've had a clunker or two, but they were edible clunkers....I will say that their (Aldi) store brands are just as good (probably the same suppliers) as the higher end grocer's store brands. There is very few things that I have bought there that I didn't care for...