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Chicago grocery stores - Page 2

post #21 of 46
6/26/09 at 10:52pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mom0810 View Post
I have been posting on the frugality and finances forum and feeling AWFUL because I spend $300 on a trip to Jewel every week or so... and those women can go to the grocery store for $50 and under a week. It's very maddening for me.
YES! Thank you! This exactly is what prompted my original post!!! I read the posts from the women who spend insanely low amounts on groceries as well and am completely perplexed!!

I'm also feeling stuck with Jewel- it's so close and I try to shop the sales and use my preferred card and coupons..... but I'll check out the Aldi and Meijer flyers this weekend.
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post #22 of 46
6/27/09 at 9:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by *Eva* View Post
If you're near Crystal Lake check out Joseph's Market, my mom shops there and they have great prices and the place is nice and clean. Its on 14 and I want to say its right by Best Buy, maybe just west(?) of it.
Yes, I'm VERY near Crystal Lake.

See now everyone I've talked to hates Joseph's. No, I shouldn't say that. SOME people think it's dirty and yucky. But then, others, my hairstylist for one who is from Germany, LOVES Joseph's. So I just don't know. I am really caught. I am near tears some weeks because I get drawn back in to Jewel (the moth to the flame, I feel like) and the money just flies out of our account. $300 a week or more. And it's not like it is a ton of food. I just feel so defeated and I keep trying and trying. I want to buy what's good for my family, but I also want my family to have money to do other stuff, you know? Yikes.
post #23 of 46
6/27/09 at 12:21pm
I dont think you should base what your family should have according to the frugal forum here. I love that area, but its a national board and you have people from all over the country adding their two cents about shopping for less than $250 a month.

It depends on several factors- geography, family dietary needs and restrictions, cooking ability, time, and family income. I can cook 99% of what we eat from scratch and be creative with meals so my grocery tab is going to be much less than a family where they depend on convenience and boxed sort of foods to feed them. Also, we are into using what we have or what is on sale to eat instead of we have to buy this each and every week so everyone is happy.

We have a centrella store right around the corner from my house and I have shopped there for several years. It is always much cheaper than Jewel and a local owner. Caputos also has some centrella food products.


One thing I noticed about TJs and Aldiis they carry some of the same products and Aldi will have it a few cents cheaper sometimes.
post #24 of 46
7/6/09 at 9:44am
I live in the West 'burbs and I too am going to start eliminating Jewel from my list of places to shop. It's the closest store, but by far the most expensive. I usually will make the drive out to Woodman's in North Aurora, twice a month to buy groceries there because overall, they just have the best prices, period. I can walk out of there with a car full of groceries for a $100 and never feel like I forgot anything. They also have an organic section that I plan on spending more time in next time I go in order to do some price comparison between them and Trader Joe's for certain things.

I also second the idea of looking into an Aldi's. We just started shopping there. While I won't get tons of things from there, if I'm in a rush and need milk, I always go there because it's never more that $1.98 a gallon...butter is never over $1.99. We are also going to start getting our produce from TCF organics delivered so we will have more and better quality fresh produce.
post #25 of 46
7/6/09 at 9:46am
How is Aldis for labeling for food allergies, though? Woodmans, too? Does Woodmans have brand names?
post #26 of 46
7/6/09 at 12:34pm
Yes, Woodman's has brand names. The only thing about Woodman's I don't care for is their produce - inexpensive but quick to spoil. For instance, you can get 5 lbs of potatoes for less than $2 - but you better use 'em fast!
Otherwise they are great - I drive about 30 miles to shop there. Even when gas was $4/gal it was still worth it. They have a nice selection of natural/organics, too, like we get Applewood nitrate-free hotdogs, and organic freerange eggs - but watch the exp. dates! And they carry JASON and Kiss My Face products too, as well as a whole aisle plus a whole freezer section of natural/organics. And since they are a WI company their cheese section is unbeatable!

ETA: Oh, I have to read allergy info too - my DH has a life-threatening tree nut allergy. Haven't had any trouble at Woodman's.
post #27 of 46
7/6/09 at 1:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gingerstar View Post
Yes, Woodman's has brand names. The only thing about Woodman's I don't care for is their produce - inexpensive but quick to spoil. For instance, you can get 5 lbs of potatoes for less than $2 - but you better use 'em fast!
Otherwise they are great - I drive about 30 miles to shop there. Even when gas was $4/gal it was still worth it.
Woodman's carries just about anything and everything you could possibly need. It's a really good one-stop-shop kind of place. Yeah - I stay away from the produce...though my onions will last pretty long. But gingerstar is right: it will spoil quickly! Glad to hear that their organic selection is good too. I'll be heading out there later this week. I do have to agree that it's worth the drive. I don't travel 30 miles-closer to 12-BUT, even with higher gas prices and the cost of tolls, my savings totally make up for it.
post #28 of 46
7/6/09 at 2:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Natsuki View Post
Our Meijer is really bright and new looking - they remodeled it a few years ago and it's huge with great sales and great selection. Their Meijer line of organics is so reasonably priced too - we especially like their organic peanut butter and graham crackers.

Woodman's is a Wisconsin chain that is GIGANTIC (seriously, it's huge) and they don't take any credit cards so the prices are cheaper than other places, it's also employee-owned and has a great cheese aisle.

Caputo's is an italian grocery store that has a great deli, bakery, fish, and ethnic food section (along with being a good regular grocery store). Not sure how many locations they have - there are two within a half hour drive of where I live.
Caputo's started out as an Italian grocery store, but also now has a big focus on Polish and Mexican food -- at least the one near me does. The produce section is HUGE. Great cheese selection. I highly recommend it. There are two Caputos out in the Western/northern burbs as well.
post #29 of 46
7/6/09 at 2:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Belia View Post
YES! Thank you! This exactly is what prompted my original post!!! I read the posts from the women who spend insanely low amounts on groceries as well and am completely perplexed!!

I'm also feeling stuck with Jewel- it's so close and I try to shop the sales and use my preferred card and coupons..... but I'll check out the Aldi and Meijer flyers this weekend.
Depends on the size of your family. I find shopping at Costco is great for us, but we are 6 plus a big dog. Also, amazon.com has the "subscribe and save" bulk ordering.
post #30 of 46
7/6/09 at 3:15pm
Saving on groceries isn't so much about where you shop, but about following the prices. Watch the sale papers for all your stores and go where the things you want to buy are on sale.
post #31 of 46
7/7/09 at 12:13pm
Well, we're in Uptown and honestly, I go to 4 different stores every week for the best price on what I need. Usually (but not always) it breaks down like this:

Aldi's: canned tomatoes, canned beans, eggs (recently $0.79/dozen), avocados, mangos, canned olives

Trader Joe's [usually has the best prices on organic stuff]: whatever canned beans I couldn't get at Aldi, pasta, pasta sauce, soy/rice milk, hummus, bags of in-season organic fruits and veg, nitrite-free hot dogs, chicken sausages, cheese

Jewel: sometimes they have sales that get me better prices on organic produce, nitrite-free deli turkey, soy/rice milk

Whole Foods: on-sale/in-season produce, chicken/pork/beef in bulk [it's usually 1 or 2 dollars less expensive per lb than if you get it at the meat counter; I divide it into 1-lb packs at home and freeze what we're not using immediately], any of their 365-organic stuff, their by-the-lb olive bar (a splurge)

Aldi, Jewel and Whole Foods all have websites where I check the specials for that week, although Jewel doesn't always advertise everything. For instance, recently Veggie Booty was 2/$4 which is a great price but I only found that out at the store so we stocked up.

Totally OT, it's interesting to keep track this way because you see the fluctuations in price pertaining to your particular shopping habits. We watched TJs nudge their prices up in 20 and 30 cent increments every month or so over the past 2 years, then when the economy really took a dive, the prices on basics started to drop again. And Jewel is advertising all over the place how they dropped prices up to 30%, but what they don't advertise is that they upped the prices on quite a few things in the weeks leading up to their "price drop". And I have the receipts to prove it.
post #32 of 46
7/8/09 at 12:35pm
Can someone tell me if the Woodmans in North Aurora has Cheese Curds? Seriously... I'm on the NW side and hoping not to trek to Kenosha.

Aldi labels food for allergens, I think it's federally required. As an FYI, TJs and Aldi are owned by the same company. No surprise as they have a similar concept.

Like others, I shop 'here and there' for groceries. Right now, I have the time and inclination to do so, but I'm sure it's not for everyone and won't always be possible. I go to Jewel/Dominick's for loss leaders, Butera (ugh, hate that store) for Deli and specials, Aldi for staples, and Stanleys for produce, and TJs for random things I don't get elsewhere. Sometimes I trek out to Meijer/Sam's Club for meat and general groceries. Yeah, a little ridiculous!

This leaves our grocery bill pretty minimal. I keep an internal price book and know what my prices are to stock up on items. The biggest thing is meat which I only buy on the sale price and freeze it.
post #33 of 46
7/8/09 at 7:31pm
Woodman's is employee-owned as well, so the people who work there are super-nice! A big plus. Man, I love that store. It's worth the hike.
post #34 of 46
7/9/09 at 9:46am
It is federally regulated to label for food allergens... to an extent. They just have to put them on the ingredient label now, which is really not that helpful...

Some companies go a step further, which I like and label if it was also "made in a facility with.." That is what most families with food allergies need, to make a good decision. Cross contamination is still a problem, so even if something does not contain the ingredient, if it was made on the same equipment with the ingredient, it's nice if they let you know that. Some brands I feel safe with, some I don't. I will check out Aldi's I guess. I know a lot of people who DO shop there. I have never been.

But the last two weeks, at Jewel I have saved a ton. I get Kraft shredded cheese for $1.69 a bag, it's usually $4.00! I also got a lot of other stuff for cheap... so I only spent $250 last week, including 3 trips to the farmer's market! So that was really good.

I am hoping to cut it back even more this week. DH has been laid off, so now it's really important to save.
post #35 of 46
7/9/09 at 12:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mom0810 View Post
Yes, I'm VERY near Crystal Lake.
...... I am near tears some weeks because I get drawn back in to Jewel (the moth to the flame, I feel like) and the money just flies out of our account.
If you are near Crystal Lake then IMO it is worth the drive to Woodman's on Randall in Carpentersville. Their prices are great, and they have many natural and alternative food options. The only thing I go into Jewel for is the Vienna Beef Natural hot dogs, which for some reason Woodman's doesn't carry. Every time I buy anything else at Jewel I regret it, because it would cost so much less at Woodman's.
post #36 of 46
7/9/09 at 2:11pm
Maybe dh and I will drive out there this weekend. We are on the far north side of CL, near Prairie Ridge HS, and it's a long hike for us to Woodmans. Maybe 40 minutes.
post #37 of 46
7/10/09 at 12:53am
I shop all over the place. I think Jewel has gotten so out of hand with their prices. The price drops are a joke.

Dominick's has some good sales.

Meijer's is great.

Whole Foods is ok for some things.

I started shopping at TJ's when it first opened in Orland Park when people said Trader What's? LOL.

I think Aldi is kinda gross and too many processed items for me.

Ultra is nasty. Won't go in there.
post #38 of 46
7/10/09 at 12:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carson View Post
Can someone tell me if the Woodmans in North Aurora has Cheese Curds?
Oberweis has them!
post #39 of 46
7/10/09 at 9:38am
Well, I had to share my story from Jewel yesterday...

I got everything we needed and I only spent $130!!!!:::

I was seriously so shocked and excited that I called two people on the way home to tell them. LOL

We did the Farmer's Market yesterday for produce, where I got tomatoes, zucchini, onions, cukes, and blueberries. Then I went to Jewel and got some other stuff for the week, LOTS of stuff, including treats. I only spent 130 and I almost fell over. I had a coupon for 10 off of my order of $160 or more and when I handed it to the guy and he said, "uh, you didn't spend $160." I almost started jumping for joy. I really just assumed it would be over 200! So I was happy. I stocked up on cheese (we'll use it, trust me) and even got frozen Home Run Inn pizzas and chips and other goodies! It was so great.

Of course that brings my total for the week, including the farmer's market, to $220. BUT, that is down $80+ from my usual. So really worth celebrating. :::
post #40 of 46
7/10/09 at 10:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carson View Post
Can someone tell me if the Woodmans in North Aurora has Cheese Curds? Seriously... I'm on the NW side and hoping not to trek to Kenosha.
Yep. I've never bought them, but my husband always points them out...perhaps that I hint They have a surprisingly large cheese selection with a bulk of it from Wisconsin companies.