We go to Walmart or Superstore about once a week and buy most canned and boxed items there.  When the Walmart supercentres were new, I saw frozen/refrigerated foods being left out so I'm a bit more cautious with that type of stuff, but I think it's gotten better.  We'll buy a fiar bit of stuff from Superstore.  Costco can be good too, but our freezer is usually full!

 

I'll buy some produce & meat from Superstore, but sometimes there are quality issues.  Costco I have no problem if I can buy it in a small enough quantitiy!

 

We used to go to Safeway really often, as it was a really short walk.  Considering how far away it is now, we still go fairly often.  We'll buy most meat & produce there.  Sobeys is closer and it's ok, but we prefer Safeway.  I'm not sure where the nearest Save-On foods is.  I would put them on par with Safeway.  I'm curious to watch what occurs with the 3 over time with the buyouts.  I'm hoping we don't loose out on quality or price because of it.  Coops might be brought in, if they are similar to the ones in Calgary, I'll be happy with that.

 

We haven't been to the farmer's market in a while.  There's a year round one that we used to go to semi-regularly, but it feels too far away now.  There's a close smaller summer one.  It doesn't have the same rules and there's one stand that I suspect they just buy & resell from a wholesaler or something.

 

We also have a great butcher nearby.  We went quite a bit in the summer, and now it's been a while.  Chemguy knocked over his mini BBQ and we don't buy chicken there.

 

There was a bakery that opened by my pilates studio, so I used to pick up a few things after my class on the weekends.  Other than the butcher, we don't go to a speciality place often anymore.

Our main Western grocery is a No Frills (cheap arm of Loblaw) about 5 minutes away. That's augmented with periodic trips to the grocery in a Walmart Supercentre that carries some stuff that No Frills doesn't (e.g. my bread flour).

 

However, we also shop at two of the local Asian groceries to get various products, both fresh and prepared, that aren't readily available in Western stores. This ranges from fresh fish to some of the more obscure Asian vegetables (did you realize that pea leaves are edible?) to Asian snacks and sauces (Wasabi peas, mmmmmm).

 

That's where we shop, As to how, we do one big shopping trip a week (normally on Sat. morning) to No Frills and, if needed, Walmart. Then I may hit No Frills again on the way home during the week for fresh fruit and vegetables and that sort of thing. For the Asian stores, we tend to build up a list and then hit them as needed.

 

Mendalla

 

We have 2 nearby (I believe on is called Asian Grocery Store lol) but I think they are both Indian.  They are small, and beyond spices and candy they didn't seem to have anything special, but the brands were different.  I did get some gulab jamun, but that's not something I should be making a regular occurance of :)

 

I've enjoyed going to T&T (I think they are under Loblaw now too?) but to go often they would either need to be closer or I would need someone to direct me to the good stuff!  I've also noticed that some of the foreign products don't follow Canadian labelling laws and it's important that I know what I'm eating.

I stick to No Frills - I never have to worry about watching prices.  We shop weekly, with minor top-ups but it seems things are changing as our home - life changes (kids out more, at college, my sweetheart around more lately).  

I don't spend more than $100 comfortably in a week.  I know I can get what I need for less than that, even with 2 teens, but maybe we're getting more comfortable with our income so I don't stress about a bit more.  It usually reflects some treats :D

 

And we have the PC credit card - nothing better than free groceries.  My only trouble is that Loblaws isn't always leading the charge on fairness or good sourcing.

 

 

The ones here are all East or Southeast Asian (Chinese, Vietnamese) but carry some of the Indian spices and such.

 

 

Sigh. We still don't have a T&T here but do hit them when we visit my wife's cousins in the GTA (where the chain has several stores). They tend to be bigger than the ones here (though the newest one is a good size, having taken over a Metro lease after they downsized in the London area) and have better preparted/hot food counters. They are, as you correctly recall, part of Loblaw. The Chinese immigrant who started the chain sold it to the Westons maybe 5 or 6 years ago.

 

Mendalla

 

Hi chemgal,

 

 

We buy a half or quarter cow from a local farmer once a year.  That pretty much takes care of our beef needs.  Chicken and pork comes from local butcher at the Farmer's market.

 

Dairy is purchased at local farmer's market as are most fruit and vegetables.

 

When we go into a Grocery Store at all it is the Freshco across the street from the farmer's market.  If it is a latenight emergency purchase (our youngest just turned 18 but my wife still has cravings--go figure) then it is the Metro close to home or the Sobey's across town.  None of which carry President's Choice Ice Cream so that craving has to be timed just right.

 

Grace and peace to you.

John

I grocery shop every 2 weeks on payday.  I try to get most of my groceries where I work I get a10% discount.  I can price match at work also.  The stuff I can;t get at work I will get at no frills, food basics or walmart.

i'm very fortunate that shortly before we moved to this city a group of people got together and formed a Coop.  It was going through its first of at least four expansions when we bought in.  Member owned.  Not-for-profit. 

 

Now it is as big as most grocery stores and, in addition to groceries, it also sells brand-named clothing, footwear, electronics, appliances and seasonal (an outdoor area for gardening seedlings and peat moss, etc..  It has a pharmacy.  And a separate gas bar.  We have annual meetings, appoint a Board of Directors, vote on policy.  Manager and staff seem to be satisfied - they usually stay long-term.  I know most of them by name, and they remember me (but have to ask for my member number at check-out.)

 

It buys locally whenever possible - the produce manager can tell me whether the strawberries come from 20 kg down river, or from the north-side.  The person behind the fish counter can tell me when the fish came in from the NorthShore or the Bay of Fundy, and can tell me if the lobster I've pointed to is male or female (it does make a difference).  The dulse is fresh.

 

Despite paying a service charge of about $2 a week, I usually save about $10 on my weekly grocery bill.   I buy about 80% or more of my groceries and household items there.

 

We do buy paper products (tissue, paper towels) at Costco.   And baby spinach - Coop produce manager admits that he cannot match their prices on baby spinach in the winter months.   We try to visit the local farmers market for produce during the summer and buy our fiddleheads from roadside stands.

 

We make biweekly Costco runs. We like that they pay better than most stores, and the quality is generally quite good. Locally, we have a No Frills and we stock up on their sale items.
.
In the summer, we hit farmers markets every other week. Love shopping at the Square One farmer's market, but it's a little far.

I try to shop once weekly. (because once only saves time and gas and mileage.)

I usually go to our town's Independent Grocer. (And independents are quite unusual these days.)

But the store is large, and they carry President's Choice, my favourite line.

And being independent, they also carry local products: locally made jam and pasta sauces, local maple syrup, local dairy products.

I shop weekly at our farmers' market in season, and I also have a share in a farm coop. So I only need to go to the grocery store for paper products and dairy and beverages in the summer.

I live in a smaller community .  . . and shopping is limited - even grocery stores.

 

I shop at our local Co-op store.  I wish I could say the prices are reasonable, but they aren't.  We have one other small grocery store here.  We have a Walmart, but it does not have produce - only a very limited amount of non perishables and frozen foods.

 

We used to have an Extra Foods, but it closed about two years ago.  When we had it, the prices were a bit more reasonable because of the competition.

 

I am at the grocery almost every second or third day for something.  I do not have a deep freeze, only the freezer section on my fridge, so I am always having to go the store for something.

 

My diet consists of fresh vegetables, rice, potato, chicken, fish, and fruit (I do eat frozen veggies too).  There are a few packaged items I eat - canned olives, nuts, rice cakes, rice crackers.  So my shopping is pretty much the same all the time.   I do buy other items for my hubby though, as he eats more processed food than I do.

 

When I go to the city I usually stop in at Safeway because they carry the coconut water I like to buy.  On our last trip, we stopped in at a Super Store, I liked their organic and health food section.  Our next trip we are going to stop at Costgo, but of couse won't be able to buy lots of perishable items.

 

It continues to amaze me on my trips to the city that at the grocery stores I have gone to (big ones - Safeway, SuperStore, etc.) that they do not carry goats milk yogurt.  I know Liberte makes it, my son has gotten it for me at a health food store in Saskatoon, and our local Co-op ordered it for me once, but they have to order 25 cases at a time - and they don't sell enough of it before the best before date arrives.  So they aren't ordering it again.  I just think of all the people who have trouble with cow's milk, that you would be able to find this in the big center grocery stores.

 

 

 

P.S. - I hate grocery shopping - putting in cart, lugging out to car, lugging into the house, cooking, and taking some back out to the garbage stand. 

 

 

I go to No Frills and use the flyer to base the week's meals on. I get cat food and some organic stuff there too. Cleaning and houselold products are usually from No Frills. I also go to "Nature's Emporium" once a month or so for things like organic produce and bulk organic beans, nuts, seeds etc. They have lots of specials too. It's a huge place - like Whole Foods.  You'd love this place,Beloved. 

Lately, I've learned to make my own yogurt from scratch. It's made it possible to have organic yogurt at a reasonable price. 

 

I purchase meat from a local butcher, chicken & eggs from a local chicken place, looking at buying beef from the farmer.

I buy vegetables from a market that runs their own farm, and also brings in items.

 

My husband does most of the shopping at Zehr's.  yes, we pay a premium. We find the quality of vegetables to appear better, but, it is all about the convenience and also family tradition (my mom worked for Zehr's)

 

Sometimes, I go to the FreshCo which is close to our house for specials.

 

I never go to priceclub or costco any more, as we found we bought too big of items / quanity, and it wasn't a deal for us.  impulse buying kicked in

 

we don't go to walmart.

We go mostly to Safeway (originally a US chain, I don't think they're in Ont but i read they were bought out by Sobey's)these days, unfortunately. It's within walking distance and there are ok sales. There are a few house brands we're used to that are a little cheaper. Whole Foods Market (a California based big health/ organic grocery market) for a few deals but usually too expensive. I like the organic chemical free soaps and detergents but they're too pricey for us right now too. A few years ago I shopped there a lot. IGA is on my way home from work so I stop in for one or two things sometimes. And some fruits and veggies from neighbourhood small family owned grocers with outside fruit stands down the block. Sometimes we buy great food at Granville Island Public Market but we don't get there all that often except a few times in the summer. That's got to be my favourite place to shop and browse in the whole city. It's just the two of us and we have a small apartment kitchen and small freezer so we don't go to Costco. We tend to shop as we go rather than do major shopping trips anyway. My parents go there and stock up their deep freeze and pantry. Oh, and there's a great European deli nearby that my husband likes to buy sandwich meat and cheese, and various pickled things he grew up with, once in awhile. The deli meat and sliced cheeses are cheaper than Safeway. But for most of what we buy lately, which is pretty basic, Safeway.

Being in the city without a car we never get to farmer's markets. That's something I wish we could do.

Buses don"t go to the market kimmo?

St Lawrence and Kensington Markets, Carrot Common and individual fruit and veggie stores (Chinatown and Riverdale).  Busses and subways provide my transportation.

I live in a small community so shopping is limited for all types of things.  For groceries there is a choice of three venues.  I go to the closest as my first choice.  My second choice is much further away and doesn't carry the brands I prefer and is more expensive.  The third is a 'mega store' and doesn't give good service and also doesn't participate in supporting the community and the people in it.  All three have one day a month that has a discount - so that is the day I do most of my food shopping.   

 

Meat is straight from a farm that produces without chemical input - beef, pork, lamb.  Chicken is ordered from the Hutterirites who deliver into town regularly.  Eggs come from an acreage where the chicken business is part of the childrens' homeschool program.  In the summer we buy fruit and vegetables in season at the Farmers Market.

 

I make most meals using very basic ingredients plus a few cans and dry items like flour baking powder, spices etc.  I get teased for being the only person in town who has never bought Hamburger Helper!  

My grocery trip usually includes fresh and frozen fruit and veggies,  flour, oatmeal, cold cereal for visiting grands, dried beans, rice, dairy items, toilet paper, paper towel, laundry/cleaning products,  personal care items like toothpaste.  Occasionally we need vinegar, BBQ sauce, olive oil.  I buy white sugar if I want to make jam, for regular table use it is brown or local honey.

 

Once stocked up I only ned to buy milk and more fresh fruit if needed (we have lots of local fruit in the freezer).  If I get lazy and run out of home made I'll pick up a loaf or two at the store. 

I rarely shop at Walmart because the choice is limited and I would have to go somewhere else to get the rest.

 

I shop at Food Basics, Sobys, and Zehrs. Check first to see who has what on sale in the flyers and if I need that item. The farmers market is mostly a summertime thing.

There are a smattering of small farmer's markets around London but some are seasonal and most are out of the way for us. One of the things I miss about Kitchener-Waterloo is that there were two good markets there when I was growing up (one in downtown Kitchener, one north of Waterloo) though I'm not sure of the current state of them. I know the Waterloo one had a bad fire not that long ago.

 

Hamilton, where I lived in the nineties, had a nice indoor one tucked in between Jackson Square and the library and we used to pick up a lot of meat and produce there on weekends.

 

Mendalla

 

We do once-a-week shopping at Superstore.  For two people we spend about $60 per week and get everything there.  Throughout the week, we may go to Save-On if we realise that we're without something.  Their prices are almost always higher, but it's on the way home from work so the convenience factor wins out.  I don't go to Sobeys, Safeway or Walmart.  There is a new locally-owned grocery store near my naturopath that I am hoping to check out soon.  I hear they have some good gluten-free items.

We'll go to the farmers' market in the summer/fall, but it is inconveniently located far from us so we have to time a trip there when we have other errands in that part of town on a Saturday morning.  There's a great local bakery where we prefer to purchase our bread (though we eat very little), but they have the the worst operating hours for people who work 8-5.  I don't know how they survive.

I feel that way about Costco to an extent.  It's a zoo on the weekend, and I would gladly go late on Friday or Saturday if they were open then!

Most groceries are from the Calgary Co-op.  We get some fresh fruit and veggies from the Lebanese grocery store along with feta cheese (regular cow feta for me; goat feta for my wife), olives, and nuts.  Occassionally we get other stuff from there like sesame sticks. We get a fair amount of groceries from Superstore (about 2 or 3 times a month).  We also get some groceries from Shopper's.  When we lived in a town, we got chickens occassionally from Hutterites, and occassionally beef from a local rancher.  About 3 or 4 times a year we get some groceries from the Real Canadian Wholesale store.  We also get sale items some times from Sobeys and Safeways.  We used to get some groceries from Costco when we had a membership but their prices tended to be higher than the Co-op with comparable quality.

Hilary, if you can keep your grocery bill down to $60 a week for two people, you are either shopping at the right store or working miracles (or one of you doesn't eat).  Seelerman and I find it difficult to keep our grocery (and household items) at $100 a week.  I do buy a few luxury items like butter, that I didn't buy when the kids were at home.  But I don't think I'm extravagant.

 

Since I live alone, every few days (whenever I need something) I hit the local grocery store (high prices) but on weekends I travel thirty minutes to visit various chain grocery stores for the deals.

ok, I kept reading and caught on to the important specifics everyone was offering.

So, aside from our basic No Frills shopping, let me add that we get our meat (95%) from a meat packers that supports small, local, hormone-free, antibiotic-free meat.  Did I mention my inlaws essentially own the thing?  ick, but hey -good, sustainable, happier meat.  4% of the rest of our meat is from a local butcher shop (local to us) that sells good meat as well.  Boy - that's pricey, but I feel better about it than buying meat at No Frills.

During the summer, 85% of our veg comes from an awesome hicksville-farm stand in the corner of the big city.  And when I say hicksville, I mean it with all respect & honour.  They are real farmers, unvarnished by 'organic' sales pitches etc.  Good people, single family except for some farming friends who send in eggs or whatever.  We have a garden too but haven't made it really productive yet - more of a fun experiment.  My MIL brings things from her garden too.

We also frequent a spot called Organic Garage for shampoo, soap, handsoap & lotion, a few food items and some fruits & veg.  Some of it is too pricey for us still, but overall, it helps us balance out the No Frills shopping.  Plus, what is it with Organics stores (any of them) selling tons of crappy processed snack food??  Forty million types of chips - weird.

Costco - well, we have a membership since the fall.  We've shopped there 3 times, and chose them because of their employment practices.  I don't shop at Walmart except when pigs are in full flight.  I'm still not big on the mainstream or chemical products that Costco sells, and I find having lots of something means it either gets used up faster or goes bad in the case of produce.  Not convinced it suits our shopping needs, but better that than Walmart.  I wish I could use my PC card there too for more grocery points, but that's not allowed.  Hence, rare trips.

 

 

 

 

 

Understood

I think the farmer's markets are off the beaten track. Not on bus routes. Maybe Inanna knows of one accessible by transit. It's the sort of thing I'd want to make a day trip out of, do some sight seeing, driving with a friend if we could. But not something I could do very easily for regular grocery shops because it would just take too long, and difficult to carry much, even if we could get there by bus. It seems to me that taking the bus would be a big adventure rather than a shopping trip. Possibly some walking down country roads involved.

I like cow feta too, Jim. I have to ask at greek restaurants to be sure.

I'll say. Hillary, what's on your grocery list? I could use some tips.

Unlike everyone else I shop most days. I plan dinner and then shop. I stock up on basics usually weekly and then daily add whatever fresh meat , chicken fish.... I need.

I store my own carrots, onions, potatoes, garlic, parsnips. Just ran out of potatoes last night.

I can tomatoes and still have some left from last summer.

We eat a fair bit of bread and that accounts a lot for the daily shopping. But it is also on my dog walking route to stop at the store. I should make my own bread and save on shopping.

I also stock up on Fridays to take food to the farm though we have a pretty good grocery store near by and a fabulous butcher there.

I have a Sobeys, a great Loblaws and good butchers nearby.

In summer I use local shops for veggies if my own aren't ready. But I get a little frustrated to see them offering out of season food and imported food. Kind of takes away from the "farmers market" thing they are doing

Nice lastpointe, very british

I used to live in an area of toronto called bloor west village. All the elderly German, Ukrainian, Polish ladies shopped daily with baskets. Often in the deli I would be the only one ordering in English.

 

 

I don't buy much that isn't on sale.  I'd rather go without something for a week than over spend.  I always buy store brands unless a sale on the name brand makes the price comparable.  Southern Alberta grocery prices seem to be lower overall than those in southern Ontario where I used to live; I'm sure that's a factor.

I forgot to mention Bulk Barn, too.  We spend up to $15 every couple weeks on seeds, nuts, dried fruit, carob chips (for baking), and maybe a bit of candy.

 

My wife (sometimes accompanied by me) goes once a week to Food Basics. She also goes once a week to a local Korean foods market. My Mom (who lives with us in the wintertime) goes once or twice a week to Metro. As far as I know, they don't regularly use coupons. When I accompany my wife I look for sale items marked 50%-off or below while she does the regular shopping.