It would be cheaper to buy a cow and make our own lol
Budget Grocery Shopping and Meal Planning
- Thread starter AnnieClaus
- Start date
I've been having difficulty finding Paper Dining Napkins.
I've been to two stores and the shelves are bare.
Anyone else?
The paper towels and t.p. seem to be fine.
I've been to two stores and the shelves are bare.
Anyone else?
The paper towels and t.p. seem to be fine.
Dollar tree had them last week but not a lot, shelves were pretty empty. Haven’t been in the grocery store in a few weeks. I haven’t been able to find chinet hot cups with lids since last year.
There were many gaps when I shopped last time. Frozen foods seem to be missing from our shops. No frozen peas or cob corn, no frozen fish.
I wonder if we will ever go back to a fully stocked supermarket?
I wonder if we will ever go back to a fully stocked supermarket?
Maybe contact the manufacturer and see if they are still available. There was a product that I could not find and the manufacturer said that they were no longer supplying to that supermarket and were only stocking at another one.
I’ve looked online, everybody is pretty much out of stock or don’t carry Chinet cups any more in my area.
Made a special trip to the meat market for chicken wings and bacon (2 of my favorite things!). Wings were 2$ lbs vs 4.99$ at the grocery store. They finally had them in 5 lbs packages instead of 20 lbs. Smithfield bacon was 3.99 lbs. I think the last time I looked at bacon it was 8.99.
Made a special trip to the meat market for chicken wings and bacon (2 of my favorite things!). Wings were 2$ lbs vs 4.99$ at the grocery store. They finally had them in 5 lbs packages instead of 20 lbs. Smithfield bacon was 3.99 lbs. I think the last time I looked at bacon it was 8.99.
Our local big name grocery stores have had pretty well stocked shelves over the past several weeks. Still a few items that are sparse here and there. Now Walmart is a different story. The one by my house and the one by my job still have lots of empty shelves. Got to wonder if it is more of a staffing issue then a stock issue.
Starting to see meat prices at the meat market we use come back down. Prices are not where they were a year ago but they are definitely lower then what they have been. The prices of eggs have been dropping too just not as fast as they went up!
Grocery store had store brand jars of applesauce (sweetened and unsweetened) marked down from nearly $3 to 60 cents a jar. Expiration dates are 2023 and 2024. Bought 10 jars...5 sweetened and 5 unsweetened to use in baking.
Starting to see meat prices at the meat market we use come back down. Prices are not where they were a year ago but they are definitely lower then what they have been. The prices of eggs have been dropping too just not as fast as they went up!
Grocery store had store brand jars of applesauce (sweetened and unsweetened) marked down from nearly $3 to 60 cents a jar. Expiration dates are 2023 and 2024. Bought 10 jars...5 sweetened and 5 unsweetened to use in baking.
Third store was the charm- I found the paper napkins.
Annie
Annie
I buy paper goods, bathroom supplies and cleaning goods from Walmart. They were stocked including the nice Dining napkins but they didn't have the Chinet plates. I always use them at the big extended family gatherings at Christmas. I did notice that they didn't have their brand of facial tissues at all. It was all filled in with Kleenex, Scotties, and Puff. I haven't check my grocery store recently where I tend to buy the store brand. Aldi was out of stock with a lot of paper goods.
Dh and I noticed that the store brand selection of cereals has been reduced greatly. I don't know if more people are buying it and it's always out of stock or if they aren't selling the store brand anymore. The other place I've shopped at is now only selling three store brand cereals. Everything else is Post, General Mills or Kellogg. We buy store brand for most items so see the price of non-store brand is even worse sticker shock for me.
Dh and I noticed that the store brand selection of cereals has been reduced greatly. I don't know if more people are buying it and it's always out of stock or if they aren't selling the store brand anymore. The other place I've shopped at is now only selling three store brand cereals. Everything else is Post, General Mills or Kellogg. We buy store brand for most items so see the price of non-store brand is even worse sticker shock for me.
I went for groceries on Friday, before Labor Day. Big mistake, but also interesting from a viewing standpoint. Deli and produce were fully stocked and good sales. Deli was understaffed, though, for a pre-holiday weekend. But, they seem to be pushing Dietz & Watson deli meats and cheeses, pre-sliced and packaged in ~ 1# packages, in a cooler case near the deli, for grab and go. Bakery pre-packaged was well stocked, but there was nothing in either the "we help you" or "self-serve" cases, only pre-packaged/boxed. Commercial breads and buns, some were sparse, but the delivery guys had crates upon crates ready to shelve. Same in the meat section -- meat cases were sparse, but there were some aisles (chicken and beef) that you couldn't get down with your cart because of the number of cartons stacked up for re-stocking. Chicken prices are still higher than I'd like, but about the same as they've been for the past couple of months. Jumbo eggs were $2.39/dozen -- lower than I've seen in ages (pre-Covid???) for that size. The only area where I saw any shortages were in dairy, and that was strictly with half & half. There was plenty of milk and the flavored creamers, but only one half-gallon of half & half, and that's just too much for my one-person household. Had it been a quart with an extended use by date, I probably would have grabbed it. But not a half-gallon. Some other dairy products were a little sparse, but still plenty for the day. Paper goods had some holes in their shelf-stock. But, unless you were particular about your napkins or brand of paper plates, you could make do. Though turkeys are not yet prominent in the stores I shop, there's plenty of other poultry, so I don't see any issue in my area. Will keep you posted, if I hear of any other issues.
Minta, that was a good pickup.
A lot of the store brand items are no longer available here. EG: a store brand tub of ice cream was $4.79 and is no longer available. The next cheapest for the same size is $9.00
I can not ever Remember seeing a half gallon of half & half in our stores.
I found my cups at Walmart today. They haven’t had them in months. I’ve looked every time I’ve been in. Overall Walmart was poorly stocked lots of empty shelves. The grocery store when I went mid august was hit and miss. Some sections were well stocked others were not. One thing I’ve noticed is the granulated sugar section is getting smaller every time I go. Im glad I’m well stocked.
My husband and I had a conversation with the grocery store general manager awhile back. They order what they want but doesn’t mean they will get it. They have a long list of back ordered items. Every order Is a surprise. They are as frustrated as the customers.
Myron's Mom- Thanks for the heads up on the sugar.
I'll pick up a couple of bags this evening on my grocery store run.
I'll pick up a couple of bags this evening on my grocery store run.
I've noticed, too, that Walmart has name brand items, but not store brand. I believe it's because the profit margin is higher on name brand, and they're deliberately not stocking the store brand because of that. DGS#3 was born in April - just before the baby formula shortage started. By accident, when the name brand formula wasn't available, we found out that he does better (less gassy) with store brand. Now, name brand is all that's available in the store. We can order store brand online, but not the one that was best suited for his tummy. We're just puppets on a string in this game they're playing with the supply chain. At least, that's how I feel.
On my grocery store trip yesterday,
sugar was ok, although there was space where it was stocked.
Still, plenty of bags.
What I couldn't find- garlic salt. None to be had.
Tons of garlic powder, not salt. Just empty space.
I noticed empty space for quite a few spices.
sugar was ok, although there was space where it was stocked.
Still, plenty of bags.
What I couldn't find- garlic salt. None to be had.
Tons of garlic powder, not salt. Just empty space.
I noticed empty space for quite a few spices.
Went to the commissary yesterday where at least the prices of meat are still affordable.
Hardly any chicken and the paper goods were quite thin, otherwise I did notice prices going up - as they are everywhere.
I bought extra cooking oil and olive oil and will do the flour and sugar restocks when I hit the big box stores next week.
Hardly any chicken and the paper goods were quite thin, otherwise I did notice prices going up - as they are everywhere.
I bought extra cooking oil and olive oil and will do the flour and sugar restocks when I hit the big box stores next week.
Annie, you can make your own garlic salt if you need it for a recipe this weekend. Growing up we did a 1:1 ratio of garlic powder to salt. However, online recipes use a 1:3 ratio of garlic powder to salt.
Mary,
Thank you for letting me know! As, I have a couple containers of garlic powder.
Annie
Thank you for letting me know! As, I have a couple containers of garlic powder.
Annie
I never buy garlic salt. I just substitute garlic powder for it. And add salt if needed. I do not salt much since it brings up my blood pressure. I never put salt in pasta water either.
The Aldi's has not had their brand of canned pumpkin. They have Libby's. It's $2.62???????? What?!