Grocery costs around the country

[momaste]

I have seen a few lists of inexpensive grocery ideas and ways to stretch the grocery dollar, but I think that region really plays a part. We never have ground beef for less than $1.99 a pound, for example, but I've seen people post their cheap meals on the web with $.59 a pound or less. So I'm curious. I'm going to post my weekly menu and I'm wondering if you could tell me how much you can get those things for in your neck of the woods, and tell us where your neck of the woods is!

This week we're having:
Honey baked lentils and Asian coleslaw
Chicken spaghetti (chicken breasts), brussels sprouts
Smoked sausage (1/2 kielbasa), kale, and mashed potatoes, baked apples
Arroz con pollo (chicken thighs), squash
Egg curry, frozen spinach, flatbread
Brazilian beans (1/2 kielbasa), rice, and oranges
Chicken noodle soup (carcass, back, wings, legs), broccoli

Breakfasts are either oatmeal with applesauce, egg with toast, or a yogurt smoothie with banana and frozen strawberries (on hand). I make my own yogurt.

Assuming a stocked spice cabinet, the grocery list looks like this:
3 lb. chicken
1 kielbasa
1 lb. lentils
1 lb. black beans
2 lb. rice
1 lb. spaghetti noodles
1 lb. noodles for soup (spirals, bowties, whatever)
honey (small jar)
5 onions
3 green peppers
1 red pepper
garlic
1 lb. potatoes
1 lb. brussels sprouts
1 head of cabbage
1 bunch kale
1 broccoli
2 lb. carrots
celery
parsley
2 lb. apples
2 lb. oranges
2 lb. bananas
pita/flatbread
1 loaf sandwich bread
1 dozen eggs
1 gallon milk
1 lb. butter/margarine
lemon juice
tomato paste
2 cans tomatoes
1 jar marinara
frozen spinach
1 lb. oatmeal (steel cut oats, bulk, or rolled oats however you buy them)
16 oz. jar applesauce

(These are all recipes from the cookbook Extending the Table by Joetta Schlabach. We eat leftovers for lunches, so a week of dinner for 6 means a week of dinner for 3 and lunch for 3 around here.)

[Mama Dragon]

We shop at the same store, so I'm memorized much of this, and we buy those things often too....

3 lb. chicken .69/lb
1 kielbasa 3 pack:1.50
1 lb. lentils .79
1 lb. black beans .79
2 lb. rice .99
1 lb. spaghetti noodles .69 or 1.99 for organic
1 lb. noodles for soup .69-.99
honey (small jar) 1.29
5 onions .49/lb
3 green peppers .48 each
1 red pepper .48 each
garlic I buy a huge thing of preminced garlic that lasts us 6 months, it costs $3
1 lb. potatoes 10lbs is 1.99 (never looked at bulk taters)
1 lb. brussels sprouts not sure, will check next time I go
1 head of cabbage .89
1 bunch kale 1.99
1 broccoli .79
2 lb. carrots $1
celery .79
parsley $1
2 lb. apples .69/lb
2 lb. oranges .49/lb
2 lb. bananas .49/lb
pita/flatbread 8 pack: $2
1 loaf sandwich bread 1.89 (sara lee whole grain white)
1 dozen eggs .69
1 gallon milk 2.49
1 lb. butter/margarine .48 margerine $2 butter
lemon juice .49 for one of those little lemons, 1.19 for a big jug
tomato paste .29/can
2 cans tomatoes 1.29
1 jar marinara probably about 1.50
frozen spinach 2.29 for a 2lb bag
1 lb. oatmeal steel cut: 2.49 for a 24oz bag, 1.59 for quick oats
16 oz. jar applesauce .99

[roadfamily6now]

3 lb. chicken .99/lb
1 kielbasa 3 pack:never bought a small pack, 16 piece, 4 lbs = $3
1 lb. lentils .79
1 lb. black beans .79 one can or .99 1lb bag of dry
2 lb. rice .I get a 10lb bag for $6
1 lb. spaghetti noodles .69 or 1.99 for organic
1 lb. noodles for soup .69-.99
honey (small jar) $4
5 onions .49/lb
3 green peppers $1 each or more
1 red pepper $3.98 per pound
garlic I buy a huge thing of preminced garlic that lasts us 6 months, it costs $3
1 lb. potatoes 10lbs is $5
1 lb. brussels sprouts not sure, will check next time I go
1 head of cabbage .89 per pound
1 bunch kale 1.99
1 broccoli $1.29 per pound
2 lb. carrots $1.99
celery $1.79 per pound
parsley $1
2 lb. apples .1.99 per pound
2 lb. oranges $1.99 per pound
2 lb. bananas .75 per pound
pita/flatbread 8 pack: $3
1 loaf sandwich bread $2.75 Good Stuff made with sticks and twing
1 dozen eggs .89
1 gallon milk $3.35 - $5.75
1 lb. butter/margarine $1 margerine $3 butter
lemon juice .49 for one of those little lemons, 1.19 for a big jug
tomato paste .29/can
2 cans tomatoes $1.29
1 jar marinara .69 - $2.99
frozen spinach gag, never buy the stuff. Fresh is $1.49 a bunch
1 lb. oatmeal steel cut: $1.69 bit container of instant oatmeal off brand
16 oz. jar applesauce .99


I shop at the military base commissary but produce is still very $$ here in Alaska. (so is milk )

[Dar]

Most of those aren't on my regular list, so I don't know... and sometimes it varies seasonally, especially fruits and vaggies, and we really only buy what's in season. We generally pay between .50 and .99 a pound for apples, for example, but at the farmer's market they're a little more... but they're much better. The .99 apples generally taste better than the .50 ones, too. Likewise, we get free-range eggs at the farmer's market for $1.50 when the Mennonites show up, but other wise we pay $2.25 at the grocery store. I do know that Costco skim milk is about $2 a gallon, and at the grocery store it's about .50 more. We get a lot of stuff at Costco, so that may skew the numbers.... like I buy rice by the 20 pound bag. I could get 20 pounds of broken rice for $3.50 at Costco, but we get 20 pounds of Basmati instead and pay $10, so .50 a pound. They used to have brown basmati but they stopped carrying it.

We buy whole wheat spaghetti noodles, so they're $1.29 a pound. I think regular often go on sale 2 for $1.

I buy 32 ounces of applesauce at a time, usually for $1.99., so 16 ounces would be .99. That would be for the no-sugar added stuff... but sometimes I get the culled apples from an orchard near us really cheap and just make a big pot of applesauce and freeze it, and that would be much cheaper.

Another thing to remember when comparing is that some states charge sales tax on food, and others don't. Kansas does, and when we moved her from California our food bill went up because of that...it adds almost 8% to the cost of groceries.

Dar

[roadfamily6now]

sales tax on food is just plain wrong

[Sharlla]

Originally Posted by roadfamily6now

sales tax on food is just plain wrong

Word! I was shocked when I moved here (from WA) to find that they charge like 3% tax on food here. Not a lot but still. ALthough those who get food stamps are not taxed. I also find it strange that in addition to sales tax they also take state tax out of your pay here as well.

[crunchymomof2girls]

3 lb. chicken-$11 for 3 lbs
1 kielbasa- $2.99
1 lb. lentils-$2.49
1 lb. black beans-$1.29
2 lb. rice-$3.38
1 lb. spaghetti noodles-$0.99
1 lb. noodles for soup (spirals, bowties, whatever)$0.89
honey (small jar)-$3.49
5 onions-$3.35
3 green peppers-$4.47
1 red pepper-$2.99
garlic-$0.50/bunch
1 lb. potatoes-$1.59
1 lb. brussels sprouts-$2.99
1 head of cabbage-$2.07
1 bunch kale-$0.99
1 broccoli-$2.49
2 lb. carrots-$1.29
celery-$1.99
parsley-$1.49
2 lb. apples-$5.97
2 lb. oranges-$5.94
2 lb. bananas-$1.48
pita/flatbread-$2.99
1 loaf sandwich bread-$0.99
1 dozen eggs-$0.99
1 gallon milk-$3.99
1 lb. butter/margarine-$1.49
lemon juice-$0.99
tomato paste-$0.59
2 cans tomatoes-$1.99
1 jar marinara-$2.99
frozen spinach-$1.39
1 lb. oatmeal (steel cut oats, bulk, or rolled oats however you buy them)-$3.49
16 oz. jar applesauce-$0.99


We are in Charlotte, NC

[BetsyS]

3 lb. chicken .69/lb
1 kielbasa 3 pack:$2.99
1 lb. lentils .79
1 lb. black beans .49 one can or .99 1lb bag of dry
2 lb. rice .I get 3 lbs for $1
1 lb. spaghetti noodles .69
1 lb. noodles for soup .69-.99
honey (small jar) $2
5 onions .99/lb
3 green peppers 50 cents each
1 red pepper $3.98 per pound
garlic25 cents a head
1 lb. potatoes 50 cents
1 lb. brussels sprouts not sure, will check next time I go
1 head of cabbage . 29 per pound
1 bunch kale 1.99
1 broccoli $1.99
2 lb. carrots $1.99
celery $1.99
parsley 79 cents
2 lb. apples .$1 per pound
2 lb. oranges $1.99 per pound
2 lb. bananas .33 per pound
pita/flatbread 8 pack: $1.49
1 loaf sandwich bread $2.75
1 dozen eggs .1.05
1 gallon milk We buy 1/2 gallons at $2.99
1 lb. butter/margarine $1 margerine $3 butter
lemon juice lemons are 2/$1
tomato paste .35/can
2 cans tomatoes $1.29
1 jar marinara $1 on sale
frozen spinach $1/1 lb
1 lb. oatmeal steel cut: $3 a lb..I buy this in bulk from the health food store
16 oz. jar applesauce .99


I shop at Aldi's, a local whole foods type store, and a regular grocery store, Ingles, plus international markets (not all of them every week; I try to hit them all at least once a month) Plus, we have a new Trader Joe's that is coming by the end of the year! Woohoo!

[momaste]

Thanks for playing along, everyone! It is interesting to see the costs around the country. Sales tax on food IS wrong!! I'm in California. No sales tax on food.

[Ellp]

From Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Assuming a stocked spice cabinet, the grocery list looks like this:
3 lb. chicken/ $1.99/lb
1 kielbasa
1 lb. lentils
1 lb. black beans
2 lb. rice/ We buy it in bulk $14.99 for 22lbs, so about $1.36
1 lb. spaghetti noodles/ $0.99 on sale
1 lb. noodles for soup (spirals, bowties, whatever)/ $0.99 on sale
honey (small jar)/ about $4-5
5 onions/ about $1.30 for 3 lbs
3 green peppers
1 red pepper
garlic
1 lb. potatoes/ $0.59/lb for russets
1 lb. brussels sprouts/ $2/lb
1 head of cabbage
1 bunch kale
1 broccoli/ $1.99/lb
2 lb. carrots/ about $2
celery
parsley
2 lb. apples/ about $3
2 lb. oranges
2 lb. bananas/ about $1.60
pita/flatbread
1 loaf sandwich bread/ $3.79 for multigrain
1 dozen eggs/ $3.50 for large size
1 gallon milk/ $4 for 4 L (Canadian), its $5.89 for 2L organic milk!
1 lb. butter/margarine/ about $4 for salted butter
lemon juice/ we buy real lemons for $0.50/each
tomato paste
2 cans tomatoes/ about $3
1 jar marinara/ $2.50 on sale
frozen spinach/$1.50 a box
1 lb. oatmeal (steel cut oats, bulk, or rolled oats however you buy them)/ we buy bulk at $3/3lbs
16 oz. jar applesauce

I didn't reply to a lot of the items because I either couldn't remember off hand or we don't buy it regularly. Our groceries seem a bit more expensive here in Canada than for Americans. I envy you guys...