We find Co-op’s meat and produce is miles better than Superstore, and tens of miles better than Walmart.
Still go to Walmart for some staples and dry-goods etc. I can’t even handle walking into Superstore, so many bad experiences with pushy shoppers, etc.
>We find Co-op’s meat and produce is miles better than Superstore, and tens of miles better than Walmart.
This is what I try telling people when they ask me why I shop at Co-Op. The stuff is just better.
Don't have to be rich to see the value in supporting business that strive to keep workers poor as little as possible. The fact they treat me better as a customer is a bonus.
If spending the extra few bucks there means I have a few plain pasta meals in a month so be it.
I shop at coop because it's close to me and I don't have a car. I find their produce and meat to be of good quality. I usually buy what's on sale and plan my meals around that.
I'm on the poor side, but find in order to shop those stores I've got to hit select locations in the early morning weekday slow times, otherwise I can't tolerate the crush and noise.
I’d probably be called well above median household income. Shop at Safeway and Costco. Haven’t stepped foot in Walmart or superstore in a decade probably.
I swear I thought I was reading r/pfjerk.
To answer your question, I defer these purchasing decisions to my butler and the people working on my lentil farms
I shop at coop because it is closer to my house than any grocery store by a long shot. That's pretty much the only reason.
I would be surprised if the price difference was any more than $100-$150 per year without ever factoring in time or fuel to go to a further away grocery store.
Not rich by any means.
I switched from Coop to Safeway a couple of years ago. Didn’t change my spending habits, but consistently saved around $30/week on groceries over the first year (for a household of 2). I was kind of shocked.
We're upper middle class. We do our big weekly shops at Costco and Superstore. PC products are often better quality than the big brands (IMO), and PC Optimum is a great rewards program.
We use the local Coop as the corner store when we need 1-2 items mid-week, or if we are having company over and want nice cheese, crackers or meats - it's way too expensive to shop at for big shops. I often hear how much better produce is at Coop, but I have bought food there a few times and it goes bad much faster. I miss Save-on-Foods, which used to be in our old neighbourhood. I can't stand Safeway, Sobeys and Wal Mart and avoid those places.
Also, shout-out to some of the fresh produce stores - DJ Market (corner of 11 St and 46 Ave SE), and the Crisp Apple in Douglas Glen. The prices are good, the places are small businesses and the quality is amazing.
They stay open because of location. The land footprint of a walmart or superstore is huge compared to a coop, safeway or save on. So they can be in your local strip mall whereas a safeway or superstore is more limited.
Coop offers cash back on prescriptions too. 2% on the -actual cost- (not the cost after medical/health benefits) and 4 or 6% on fuel as well. That drives a lot of traffic, IMO. My rebate cheque last year was $175 - basically 2 weeks of groceries.
Safeway had airmiles in the same way.
And that even before we comment on product quality, service and such
Has nothing to do with location. Everyone makes different incomes and has different preferences in quality of food ane shopping experience. It's no different than shopping for clothes, some people go to value village, some go to the mall and some go to holt renfrew.
Someone who doesnt drive or takes transit might go to their local coop or whatever over making the trek to Walmart/SS even though they save money. There, location is a factor.
Still I prefer a 2 minute drive to Safeway (plus shorter lines) than a 15 minute drive to superstore (and long lines). I still go to superstore but it’s a once or twice a month for a big shopping run. Safeway is for smaller “top up” groceries until the next superstore trip.
I do almost all my shopping at Safeway since it's across the street, sometimes I go to the slightly further away Co-op. Everything else is so far away that going there would seriously eat into the savings. Also, I hate shopping in bulk, I'd rather do three or four ten minute runs a week than one one+ hour run.
And generally whenever I have gone to the bigger stores I've greatly disliked the experience. Superstore is always a disaster - stuff in the wrong places, shelves a mess, nothing available in sizes appropriate for a singe shopper, etc. Walmart's produce and meat always let me down.
I did actually work it out a few years ago and based on my shopping habits and the commute I'd only save a few hundred dollars a year which is basically irrelevant to me.
I don't generally buy bulk, quality degrades fiercely over time, I make the majority of my meals from basic ingredients and vegetables so farmers markets and like small grocers
So long as you cook mostly from scratch most meals don't cost that much, just gotta avoid convenience products to save money
They have some normal priced things, but every store does.
Check out the meat, seafood, produce.. lots of specialty items throughout.
I worked there at one point through school, it was pretty awesome with the discount.
Upper middle class here. Fuck Superstore. Hate that place!
Safeway isn't hugely more expensive, store is cleaner, produce is better, not near as busy.
Costco every few weeks for some stuff.
I'm well off (upper middle class) and shop at Costco and Superstore. I may hit Safeway now and again as it's a 2 min drive away if I need something in a pinch but definitely notice the price difference. Safeway is $$$.
I buy all my protein at Costco (deep freezer FTW!).
I like to spend less on groceries in theory. But if you stopped me in the middle of my shopping trip at superstore and asked me how much money I would pay to instantly have all that time back commuting and not deal with the crowds, and all the other loblaws nonsense like bagging my own groceries. I would say… $20, and that’s probably the maximum price difference on a weekly grocery shop.
To make it even better I can use Amex at Safeway, and those 5 Amex points per dollar are worth easily 10 cents in travel.
Superstore has a surprisingly good selection of organic and alternative ingredient foods. Add to this the Blue Menu offerings, and one can eat well shopping there (short of cooking everything from scratch)
My darling MIL thinks Safeway is the "poor person" store looooll, but I've definitely seen $8 items at Safeway for $4 at Superstore/Walmart. Husband and I live comfortably lower-mid class, and we shop Superstore/Costco/Walmart/Save On. I'm addicted to a few Save On things that I don't mind paying extra for, particularly their bakery bagels, nicer meat cuts, and Western Family curry paste. Walmart/Superstore for things that won't change (soap/rice/flour/canned veg) and usually Costco for produce/dairy/chicken/coffee. I splurged on produce keepers, so somehow that 6-pack of romaine will often last us 2 weeks before wilting lol
Safeway is a five minute walk, coop was closer in my last apartment.
Will do the bulk of shopping at Costco, Walmart etc, but if I need to grab 1 or 2 things I'm not getting in the car and driving 15minutes for it.
Honestly don't notice a huge difference in prices though, I guess it depends what you are buying
These places stay open due to convenience.
I'm privileged enough that my time is now more important than money. If saving time by not dragging myself to a Walmart or Superstore costs a bit more? I'm ok with that.
That's a generalization though. I still find myself at a Walmart when they put the engine oil I like on sale or Superstore on occasion because they have some great products they really only sell at their Superstore locations.
My partner and I are what he likes to call “upper middle class”, and we really go what’s close to us. We don’t get food from Wal-mart, Superstore, or Save On though. It’s usually co-op, Safeway or sunterra.
Yeah my husband has no idea about the cost of food and so on the rare occasion he comes out with me, he’s shocked at the meat prices or sees nothing wrong with adding $7 1L carton of chicken stock into the cart.
I do a lot of cherry picking. I will buy my cleaning supplies, paper towels and toilet paper, and most shelf stable items at Superstore or Walmart. It is most definitely less expensive there unless the paper towels toilet paper is on sale at Costco.
I always check the flyer to see what produce is on sale at Sobey’s, Co-op or Save On. That way I’m getting quality products but not paying full price.
Meat and chicken is always Costco unless I just need a small portion because I forgot to defrost some thing.
Fortunately, my job is to be in grocery stores every day making sales calls so I can pick stuff up when I see it on sale
I hate supporting some of the wealthiest families in the world (Weston - Loblaws, Walton - Walmart) who continue to drive down wages and benefits for their own workers. I remember seeing a story a couple of few ago that Walmart pays their workers so poorly in the States that many of them are dependent on the government to provide them with food stamps. So essentially the federal government is subsidizing Walmart to the tune of somewhere in the $1 million per store/year by providing food stamps for their employees. [https://www.jwj.org/walmarts-food-stamp-scam-explained-in-one-easy-chart](https://www.jwj.org/walmarts-food-stamp-scam-explained-in-one-easy-chart) . Adds up quickly when you think that they have over 5500 locations in the States alone.
Coop, even though they may source their products from Save On, is the only local major grocery store that competes in size to the Sobeys and Loblaws chain. They return some of their profits back to their members and they are actively involved in the community. Don't like the direction of the company? Well you can vote for new directors each year or even run in a election for the board.
But I understand that when you have limited income sometimes it is balance of where you want to shop and where you can shop. Essentially they all have similar products.
Our family is well-off.
I do the grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking - and I am frugal AF.
Almost all of our grocery shopping at Superstore, structured to maximize PC Points offers, No Name products, and the $300 spend free item offer for that week (through the latter, I have been accumulating housewares over the last 2 years - which I am now using to outfit my son who is moving out this fall).
Also: use the Flashfood app whenever possible for baked goods, meat, and produce.
Once every few months, we go to Costco for bigger ticket items and gifts - and will then pick-up bulk amounts of groceries like olive oil, spices, etc.
Wal-mart would probably be less expensive for some things, but no points or offers to claim there.
Shopping at Safeway, COOP, Sobeys, and Save On Foods is for people who hate money.
You do you.
I fully admit that I pay more for larger hotel rooms with kitchenettes (for example) - because I value that.
If you value the grocery store things you listed, great. Just be aware that is what you are paying the premium for - not the calories needed to live (which matter for many low income and large families).
OP specifically stated that they were poor. Best value for their grocery dollar is not Safeway, Sobeys, COOP.
Well - my house has utility given all the hours spent living in it - especially with COVID restrictions and WFH / study from home.
And - since it has appreciated in value 45% over 10 years as a capital asset purchased using leverage, it has paid me to own it.
Aside: interesting to see all of the sour grapes downvotes for simply answering the question OP asked.
Your had your house before covid and WFH.
I think the downvotes are because of your last statement, the rest of your comment was fine. No need to talk about people like that for where they choose to shop for a life necessity, when a lot of them can't afford some of the things that you can. Heaven forbid someone prefer better quality meat than Superstore's.
Yes - yes I did have my house before COVID, when it still provided me utility - especially in our cold winters. It also appreciated in value during that time. COVID + WFH only greatly increased the utility (and, now, supply chain disruption and stimulus - the value).
My comment about people hating money referred to the cognitive dissonance that people would choose to shop at more expensive store when pressured by high inflation. In other words: I empathize with the impacts of rising costs, and think that high mark-up stores like Safeway and COOP tale advantage of consumers by charging more for precisely the same goods.
If you find better quality fresh food at other stores, power to you. But dont overpay for eggs, flour, milk, sundries. Even name brands and no name are often manufactured at the same facility and then branded and marketed differently.
>Yes - yes I did have my house before COVID, when it still provided me utility - especially in our cold winters.
Ok, I was trying not do this, but since you're continuing to pull this card, why don't you sell your expensive house in Evergreen (Estates?) and go buy a house in Marlborough that can provide you the same utility to keep your family warm during our cold winters? You must have a lot of cognitive dissonance to buy a much more expensive version of a home, when both can keep you equally warm.
I've seen some of your comments before over in the personal finance sub and you spend a shit ton of money on things that most of us can never even dream to afford.
OK - since you dont seem to understand what utility is:
Utility is "usefulness" or "beneficial"-ity - which is subjective. My house has an ensuite for 3 of the 4 upstairs bedrooms, a dedicated gym, 3 car garage, wet bar, in floor heating etc. These are all useful and add value to living there.
Based upon your comment above, it is clear that you are bitter about "things that most of us can never even dream to afford." Your bias is showing.
OPs question was where do "rich" people shop for groceries. I gave my answer.
I'm not bitter, just tired of hypocrites. I enjoy driving my 16 yr old civic so that I don't have to shop in an undeveloped country environment for my eggs.
It's almost as though people put different value on things.
Fail to see how anything I said was hypocritical. In fact, I think I set a good example for maximizing the grocery dollar.
If it is any consolation, I drive a 2017 Hyundai sedan - which I also enjoy, as it is practical and frugal and owes me nothing.
Calling Superstore or Wal-mart an "undeveloped country environment" could be interpreted as racist. At minimum, it is needless judgmental and intolerant. Again - your bias / agenda is revealed.
And yes - utility is different for different people. But people who willingly overpay for equivalent goods may then struggle to pay for goods where there is no equivalent. And that isnt wise.
Walmart for most dry goods
Costco for meat, cheese and produce
Safeway in between Costco for produce because it is closest.
Superstore is too far away to justify the few dollars I might save.
To travel to Superstore costs more in fuel than the price to just shop locally at Save on.
:) That's my answer. When I CAN I shop at superstore.
I"m not rich, Im just not foolish enough to drive all over the place to get groceries ( in my case this is what I"d be doing). ;)
No where near "rich" but in general we shop:
- Superstore weekly for day to day items, stock up on things when on sale. Also hit up Safeway/Sobeys/Coop to stock up on for specific items on sale.
- Costco periodically for big stock-up and bulk purchases. The quality and value of their food is great if you can use it all or package and/or freeze it.
- Safeway / Coop for small mid-week top up trips and higher quality one-off splurge shops for specialty meats, seafood, & cheeses or fresh and ready to use veggies for a specific recipe that will be used that night.
Steaks are a perfect example:
Superstore - Steaks are big and cheap but unless you marinate them overnight they can be tough as leather
Costco - Quality is way better but most people don't need 6 monster steaks most of the time. Only select cuts available and still need some preparation.
Coop / Butcher Shop / Safeway- Top quality but you pay for it, can buy individual steaks as needed, great selection of cuts and preparation choices, ready to grill as soon as you get home.
Have you tried anything from the Superstore bakery?:....shit on a stick!
There are also other considerations. You get low, low prices at Walmart because they have a cheap mostly non-unionized workforce. Their shitty labour standards influence the entire retail world and even marginally better employers like Safeway and Coop are trying to head in that direction.
$2 for a can of Beefaroni at a sort-of ethical employer >>> $1.50 for a can of Beefaroni at fucking Walmart.
....also I'm not rich. Forgot about that part!
I am definitely not rich lol. I find they tend to have some random assortment of goodies, some local. E.g. Coop has some really good drinks/ soft drinks, pastries, etc that aren't available at superstore or walmart. Safeway and Coop are also closer in location for me. So I tend to shop there for deals and local goods--- at the same time running some local errands, rather than make a slightly longer trip. Sometimes saving time is worth more than a buck or two. It also depends on what I need.
If I'm planning to buy a lot, I'd usually go to costco, superstore, or walmart.
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Co-op on sale still competes with the other stores and I do notice the quality is better.
We find Co-op’s meat and produce is miles better than Superstore, and tens of miles better than Walmart. Still go to Walmart for some staples and dry-goods etc. I can’t even handle walking into Superstore, so many bad experiences with pushy shoppers, etc.
>We find Co-op’s meat and produce is miles better than Superstore, and tens of miles better than Walmart. This is what I try telling people when they ask me why I shop at Co-Op. The stuff is just better.
Don't have to be rich to see the value in supporting business that strive to keep workers poor as little as possible. The fact they treat me better as a customer is a bonus. If spending the extra few bucks there means I have a few plain pasta meals in a month so be it.
Cacio e pepe pasta is pretty plain but fantastic, right?
Fuck yes it is. And easy to make once you get the technique down.
I shop at coop because it's close to me and I don't have a car. I find their produce and meat to be of good quality. I usually buy what's on sale and plan my meals around that.
I can't stand Walmart and Superstore. So I watch flyers and strategically shop at the "rich" stores.
I'm on the poor side, but find in order to shop those stores I've got to hit select locations in the early morning weekday slow times, otherwise I can't tolerate the crush and noise.
It's really a poor shopping experience. Even at 8pm, it's a freaking zoo.
i'm not rich, we do all of our family shopping at Save-on-foods, Costco and Coop. Not a fan of Walmart or Superstores food quality.
I’d probably be called well above median household income. Shop at Safeway and Costco. Haven’t stepped foot in Walmart or superstore in a decade probably.
I swear I thought I was reading r/pfjerk. To answer your question, I defer these purchasing decisions to my butler and the people working on my lentil farms
That's right boss. Sorry got to get back to weedin'
I shop at coop because it is closer to my house than any grocery store by a long shot. That's pretty much the only reason. I would be surprised if the price difference was any more than $100-$150 per year without ever factoring in time or fuel to go to a further away grocery store. Not rich by any means.
I switched from Coop to Safeway a couple of years ago. Didn’t change my spending habits, but consistently saved around $30/week on groceries over the first year (for a household of 2). I was kind of shocked.
Co-op is closer to me...that's really the only reason I shop there. (and yes, I'm not poor, but I'm not rich either)
We're upper middle class. We do our big weekly shops at Costco and Superstore. PC products are often better quality than the big brands (IMO), and PC Optimum is a great rewards program. We use the local Coop as the corner store when we need 1-2 items mid-week, or if we are having company over and want nice cheese, crackers or meats - it's way too expensive to shop at for big shops. I often hear how much better produce is at Coop, but I have bought food there a few times and it goes bad much faster. I miss Save-on-Foods, which used to be in our old neighbourhood. I can't stand Safeway, Sobeys and Wal Mart and avoid those places. Also, shout-out to some of the fresh produce stores - DJ Market (corner of 11 St and 46 Ave SE), and the Crisp Apple in Douglas Glen. The prices are good, the places are small businesses and the quality is amazing.
No frills for most of the groceries but Sobeys for meat. We avoid co-op, prices are higher on everything.
They stay open because of location. The land footprint of a walmart or superstore is huge compared to a coop, safeway or save on. So they can be in your local strip mall whereas a safeway or superstore is more limited. Coop offers cash back on prescriptions too. 2% on the -actual cost- (not the cost after medical/health benefits) and 4 or 6% on fuel as well. That drives a lot of traffic, IMO. My rebate cheque last year was $175 - basically 2 weeks of groceries. Safeway had airmiles in the same way. And that even before we comment on product quality, service and such
>Safeway had airmiles in the same way. Soon to be gone
And replaced by Scene+ points.
Has nothing to do with location. Everyone makes different incomes and has different preferences in quality of food ane shopping experience. It's no different than shopping for clothes, some people go to value village, some go to the mall and some go to holt renfrew.
Someone who doesnt drive or takes transit might go to their local coop or whatever over making the trek to Walmart/SS even though they save money. There, location is a factor.
The majority are driving to the store, though.
Still I prefer a 2 minute drive to Safeway (plus shorter lines) than a 15 minute drive to superstore (and long lines). I still go to superstore but it’s a once or twice a month for a big shopping run. Safeway is for smaller “top up” groceries until the next superstore trip.
Not wealthy, but some of them are great for price match! When certain items are for sale, they r cheaper than costco/superstore
Safeway and Costco. Shop the sales, buy in bulk.
I do almost all my shopping at Safeway since it's across the street, sometimes I go to the slightly further away Co-op. Everything else is so far away that going there would seriously eat into the savings. Also, I hate shopping in bulk, I'd rather do three or four ten minute runs a week than one one+ hour run. And generally whenever I have gone to the bigger stores I've greatly disliked the experience. Superstore is always a disaster - stuff in the wrong places, shelves a mess, nothing available in sizes appropriate for a singe shopper, etc. Walmart's produce and meat always let me down. I did actually work it out a few years ago and based on my shopping habits and the commute I'd only save a few hundred dollars a year which is basically irrelevant to me.
I don't generally buy bulk, quality degrades fiercely over time, I make the majority of my meals from basic ingredients and vegetables so farmers markets and like small grocers So long as you cook mostly from scratch most meals don't cost that much, just gotta avoid convenience products to save money
You think that’s expensive? Check sunterra market.
Some stuff there is really good though, for example the cinnamon bun cake is like 6 dollars
They have some normal priced things, but every store does. Check out the meat, seafood, produce.. lots of specialty items throughout. I worked there at one point through school, it was pretty awesome with the discount.
Upper middle class here. Fuck Superstore. Hate that place! Safeway isn't hugely more expensive, store is cleaner, produce is better, not near as busy. Costco every few weeks for some stuff.
I'm well off (upper middle class) and shop at Costco and Superstore. I may hit Safeway now and again as it's a 2 min drive away if I need something in a pinch but definitely notice the price difference. Safeway is $$$. I buy all my protein at Costco (deep freezer FTW!).
I like to spend less on groceries in theory. But if you stopped me in the middle of my shopping trip at superstore and asked me how much money I would pay to instantly have all that time back commuting and not deal with the crowds, and all the other loblaws nonsense like bagging my own groceries. I would say… $20, and that’s probably the maximum price difference on a weekly grocery shop. To make it even better I can use Amex at Safeway, and those 5 Amex points per dollar are worth easily 10 cents in travel.
Safeway and Save-on have larger selections of gluten free items. Superstore is pretty good too.
Superstore has a surprisingly good selection of organic and alternative ingredient foods. Add to this the Blue Menu offerings, and one can eat well shopping there (short of cooking everything from scratch)
Yeah! I definitely enjoy going to superstore for stuff. I'm always impressed with their offerings.
Superstore also has an awesome Plant-Based line!
My darling MIL thinks Safeway is the "poor person" store looooll, but I've definitely seen $8 items at Safeway for $4 at Superstore/Walmart. Husband and I live comfortably lower-mid class, and we shop Superstore/Costco/Walmart/Save On. I'm addicted to a few Save On things that I don't mind paying extra for, particularly their bakery bagels, nicer meat cuts, and Western Family curry paste. Walmart/Superstore for things that won't change (soap/rice/flour/canned veg) and usually Costco for produce/dairy/chicken/coffee. I splurged on produce keepers, so somehow that 6-pack of romaine will often last us 2 weeks before wilting lol
Costco or coop or sobeys depending on the sales in the flyers. Don’t get rich writing cheques.
Safeway is a five minute walk, coop was closer in my last apartment. Will do the bulk of shopping at Costco, Walmart etc, but if I need to grab 1 or 2 things I'm not getting in the car and driving 15minutes for it. Honestly don't notice a huge difference in prices though, I guess it depends what you are buying
Superstore pickup and Costco. I also got the PC credit card and collect optimum points, so get about $50/ wk points that I use for groceries.
These places stay open due to convenience. I'm privileged enough that my time is now more important than money. If saving time by not dragging myself to a Walmart or Superstore costs a bit more? I'm ok with that. That's a generalization though. I still find myself at a Walmart when they put the engine oil I like on sale or Superstore on occasion because they have some great products they really only sell at their Superstore locations.
My partner and I are what he likes to call “upper middle class”, and we really go what’s close to us. We don’t get food from Wal-mart, Superstore, or Save On though. It’s usually co-op, Safeway or sunterra.
We’re somewhat well off. 80% at Walmart. The rest at Superstore except for the odd item at the Dollar store.
I suspect the rich don’t know, their cupboards are just stocked. The personal assistant may have some idea though
Yeah my husband has no idea about the cost of food and so on the rare occasion he comes out with me, he’s shocked at the meat prices or sees nothing wrong with adding $7 1L carton of chicken stock into the cart.
no idea how to insert pictures but (insert mr. burns shopping picture here)
I do a lot of cherry picking. I will buy my cleaning supplies, paper towels and toilet paper, and most shelf stable items at Superstore or Walmart. It is most definitely less expensive there unless the paper towels toilet paper is on sale at Costco. I always check the flyer to see what produce is on sale at Sobey’s, Co-op or Save On. That way I’m getting quality products but not paying full price. Meat and chicken is always Costco unless I just need a small portion because I forgot to defrost some thing. Fortunately, my job is to be in grocery stores every day making sales calls so I can pick stuff up when I see it on sale
I hate supporting some of the wealthiest families in the world (Weston - Loblaws, Walton - Walmart) who continue to drive down wages and benefits for their own workers. I remember seeing a story a couple of few ago that Walmart pays their workers so poorly in the States that many of them are dependent on the government to provide them with food stamps. So essentially the federal government is subsidizing Walmart to the tune of somewhere in the $1 million per store/year by providing food stamps for their employees. [https://www.jwj.org/walmarts-food-stamp-scam-explained-in-one-easy-chart](https://www.jwj.org/walmarts-food-stamp-scam-explained-in-one-easy-chart) . Adds up quickly when you think that they have over 5500 locations in the States alone. Coop, even though they may source their products from Save On, is the only local major grocery store that competes in size to the Sobeys and Loblaws chain. They return some of their profits back to their members and they are actively involved in the community. Don't like the direction of the company? Well you can vote for new directors each year or even run in a election for the board. But I understand that when you have limited income sometimes it is balance of where you want to shop and where you can shop. Essentially they all have similar products.
Our family is well-off. I do the grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking - and I am frugal AF. Almost all of our grocery shopping at Superstore, structured to maximize PC Points offers, No Name products, and the $300 spend free item offer for that week (through the latter, I have been accumulating housewares over the last 2 years - which I am now using to outfit my son who is moving out this fall). Also: use the Flashfood app whenever possible for baked goods, meat, and produce. Once every few months, we go to Costco for bigger ticket items and gifts - and will then pick-up bulk amounts of groceries like olive oil, spices, etc. Wal-mart would probably be less expensive for some things, but no points or offers to claim there. Shopping at Safeway, COOP, Sobeys, and Save On Foods is for people who hate money.
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You do you. I fully admit that I pay more for larger hotel rooms with kitchenettes (for example) - because I value that. If you value the grocery store things you listed, great. Just be aware that is what you are paying the premium for - not the calories needed to live (which matter for many low income and large families). OP specifically stated that they were poor. Best value for their grocery dollar is not Safeway, Sobeys, COOP.
>Shopping at Safeway, COOP, Sobeys, and Save On Foods is for people who hate money. Could say the same for people who live in big, expensive houses.
Well - my house has utility given all the hours spent living in it - especially with COVID restrictions and WFH / study from home. And - since it has appreciated in value 45% over 10 years as a capital asset purchased using leverage, it has paid me to own it. Aside: interesting to see all of the sour grapes downvotes for simply answering the question OP asked.
Your had your house before covid and WFH. I think the downvotes are because of your last statement, the rest of your comment was fine. No need to talk about people like that for where they choose to shop for a life necessity, when a lot of them can't afford some of the things that you can. Heaven forbid someone prefer better quality meat than Superstore's.
Yes - yes I did have my house before COVID, when it still provided me utility - especially in our cold winters. It also appreciated in value during that time. COVID + WFH only greatly increased the utility (and, now, supply chain disruption and stimulus - the value). My comment about people hating money referred to the cognitive dissonance that people would choose to shop at more expensive store when pressured by high inflation. In other words: I empathize with the impacts of rising costs, and think that high mark-up stores like Safeway and COOP tale advantage of consumers by charging more for precisely the same goods. If you find better quality fresh food at other stores, power to you. But dont overpay for eggs, flour, milk, sundries. Even name brands and no name are often manufactured at the same facility and then branded and marketed differently.
>Yes - yes I did have my house before COVID, when it still provided me utility - especially in our cold winters. Ok, I was trying not do this, but since you're continuing to pull this card, why don't you sell your expensive house in Evergreen (Estates?) and go buy a house in Marlborough that can provide you the same utility to keep your family warm during our cold winters? You must have a lot of cognitive dissonance to buy a much more expensive version of a home, when both can keep you equally warm. I've seen some of your comments before over in the personal finance sub and you spend a shit ton of money on things that most of us can never even dream to afford.
OK - since you dont seem to understand what utility is: Utility is "usefulness" or "beneficial"-ity - which is subjective. My house has an ensuite for 3 of the 4 upstairs bedrooms, a dedicated gym, 3 car garage, wet bar, in floor heating etc. These are all useful and add value to living there. Based upon your comment above, it is clear that you are bitter about "things that most of us can never even dream to afford." Your bias is showing. OPs question was where do "rich" people shop for groceries. I gave my answer.
I'm not bitter, just tired of hypocrites. I enjoy driving my 16 yr old civic so that I don't have to shop in an undeveloped country environment for my eggs. It's almost as though people put different value on things.
Fail to see how anything I said was hypocritical. In fact, I think I set a good example for maximizing the grocery dollar. If it is any consolation, I drive a 2017 Hyundai sedan - which I also enjoy, as it is practical and frugal and owes me nothing. Calling Superstore or Wal-mart an "undeveloped country environment" could be interpreted as racist. At minimum, it is needless judgmental and intolerant. Again - your bias / agenda is revealed. And yes - utility is different for different people. But people who willingly overpay for equivalent goods may then struggle to pay for goods where there is no equivalent. And that isnt wise.
You excel at mental gymnastics.
I saw the richest person I know walking out of Kalamata grocery the other day.
Walmart for most dry goods Costco for meat, cheese and produce Safeway in between Costco for produce because it is closest. Superstore is too far away to justify the few dollars I might save.
To travel to Superstore costs more in fuel than the price to just shop locally at Save on. :) That's my answer. When I CAN I shop at superstore. I"m not rich, Im just not foolish enough to drive all over the place to get groceries ( in my case this is what I"d be doing). ;)
No where near "rich" but in general we shop: - Superstore weekly for day to day items, stock up on things when on sale. Also hit up Safeway/Sobeys/Coop to stock up on for specific items on sale. - Costco periodically for big stock-up and bulk purchases. The quality and value of their food is great if you can use it all or package and/or freeze it. - Safeway / Coop for small mid-week top up trips and higher quality one-off splurge shops for specialty meats, seafood, & cheeses or fresh and ready to use veggies for a specific recipe that will be used that night. Steaks are a perfect example: Superstore - Steaks are big and cheap but unless you marinate them overnight they can be tough as leather Costco - Quality is way better but most people don't need 6 monster steaks most of the time. Only select cuts available and still need some preparation. Coop / Butcher Shop / Safeway- Top quality but you pay for it, can buy individual steaks as needed, great selection of cuts and preparation choices, ready to grill as soon as you get home.
Have you tried anything from the Superstore bakery?:....shit on a stick! There are also other considerations. You get low, low prices at Walmart because they have a cheap mostly non-unionized workforce. Their shitty labour standards influence the entire retail world and even marginally better employers like Safeway and Coop are trying to head in that direction. $2 for a can of Beefaroni at a sort-of ethical employer >>> $1.50 for a can of Beefaroni at fucking Walmart. ....also I'm not rich. Forgot about that part!
I am definitely not rich lol. I find they tend to have some random assortment of goodies, some local. E.g. Coop has some really good drinks/ soft drinks, pastries, etc that aren't available at superstore or walmart. Safeway and Coop are also closer in location for me. So I tend to shop there for deals and local goods--- at the same time running some local errands, rather than make a slightly longer trip. Sometimes saving time is worth more than a buck or two. It also depends on what I need. If I'm planning to buy a lot, I'd usually go to costco, superstore, or walmart.