The question about groceries got my husband and I talking. We were pondering whether food is just a lot cheaper here. I was googling to see if I could find comparison food prices, with no luck. Then he mentioned I should ask "that mom site" lol! So, I am! For example, today we bought a few things:
-3 pound bag of organic apples $3.49 a bag
-Hormone free chicken breast $1.88 a pound
-Frozen veggies .88 a bag
-Oranges .69 a pound
-Regular milk is .99 -1.99 a gallon, Organic is $3-5 a gallon
-A block of cheese is usually around $1.50, hormone free around $2.50
What about you? What are the costs of typical groceries in your area?
Wow! Interesting. Is there a reason food prices vary so much place to place? I mean, we get a lot of produce and cheese from California, but it's cheaper then in California. That's so weird to me. I can understand Hawaii and Alaska, but I wonder why it's so different everywhere else...?
@Lattegirl - We're going on something like 30 days of above 100 degree weather. This week will be around 108 degrees. YES, it most definitely cost a lot to air condition all day every day. We keep our air set at 80-82 right now, and our bill is still high. OUr air condition has to be turned on from early spring to fall, so the electricity bills can be hard!
@JessIn Texas - It's for a half pound, which is a great price for hormone free cheese! We get it at Albertsons, and the brand is Tillamook.
FYI - all chicken is required by law to be hormone free. They stick that on the label to make consumers think that's something extra special. It's not.
Antibiotic-free and free range are whole other issues.
Wow! I wish I could run down to Texas to do my shopping! I live in NE and milk on sale is $2.99 per gal. Regular chicken breasts are $1.99 lb, can't afford to get near free range/hormone free. Regular cheese $3.50 lb, and I'm a thrifty shopper!
normal prices
Conventional Apples $2.99 per pound for Fuji
Hormone Free Chicken Breast $11-15 per pound
Chicken Breast $9-12 per pound
Frozen Veggies $2.99-5.99 per 12oz or 16oz bag
Oranges $2.99-4.99 per bag
Regular milk $7 per gallon ($3-5 per half gallon)
Organic Milk : much more
TraderJoes or Whole Foods Milk : $1.69 per half gallon/ $3.29 per gallon
1lb Block of cheese (cheddar, etc.) : $8-$12
lunch meat $10 per lb
hotdogs $5-$8
In our area, a family of 3 making 44k a year is considered UNDER the poverty line. Until last year under 44k was automatic food stamps, WIC, and food bank access. This year, they've dropped the numbers significantly. (by over 10k... church programs are getting hit hard this year).
Average 2 bedroom 1ba apartment (20+ years old but in good order) : $1500 per month
Average 2 bedroom 1ba rental home (50-100 years old) : $2200
Average home costs for 2b/1ba home 400k-600k
Block of cheese is about $2.99-$3.99/lb
Regular milk is $2.39
Hormone free chicken breast is about $1.99/lb
Frozen veggies (steamfresh) is .88 a bag
Seedless grapes are $8.99/lb
Everyone should keep posting, I want to know where I shouldn't live when I get my degree. Food is getting stupidly expensive.
Wow, food is cheap where you are! Cheese is so much more expensive here. A bag of frozen veggies is between $2 - $4. Can't remember the rest, except last time I bought a pound of apples they cost $5.45.
-3 pound bag of organic apples $6.99 a bag
-Regular chicken breast $1.99 a pound on sale (I think it all says hormone-free); better-quality chicken (cage free, all natural and/or organic) is $5+ per pound
-Frozen veggies $1-$1.50 a bag
-Oranges 1.69 a pound
-Regular milk is $2.69 - $3.99 a gallon, Organic is $5-8 a gallon
-A block of cheese is usually around $3.50, hormone free around $5
The more competition you have the cheaper the prices. Some stores are famous (or infamous) for their prices on certain items. I find the "mexican markets" are less expensive on chicken, fruits and vegetables and more expensive on beef and lamb.
Chicken breasts (bone in skin on) are $.99 lb at one national chain. $1.99 lb at another, and $2.39 at a third market. They are $.89 at a mexican market. Two weeks ago, I bought whole fryers for $.69 lb at Ralph's. They got a huge shipment of whole fryers with close expiration dates. I bought 8 and put them in my freezer and shared the good deals with one of my children. For a Friday only sale, one of our "mexican markets" put 10 pound pag of fryer leg 1/4's for $3.90 ($.39 lb).
Apples are $3.99 for a 3 lb bag at one store, $1.99 lb at another and 2 lbs/$.99 at a mexican market.
Oranges are 9 lbs/$.99 at a mexican market $.99 lb at one national chain and $1.39 lb at another chain.
Milk is $2.60 gal at one store to $3.29 at other stores.
Cheese is $2.10 lb at Sams and $3 to $5 lb at other national chains.
I bought pasta, spaghetti, elbow mac, shells at 42 oz /$1. But at some national chains it was $1.99 for 12 oz.
I don't know why food prices are so different at different stores, but I can tell you I usually shop at 3 or more stores per week. I save far more than the price of the extra gas.
BTW, cheese is more expensive in California than outside California because of the dairy lobby. They artificially inflate the prices we pay here.
Good luck to you and yours.
Organic apples 1.99 per pound
Organic milk gallon 6.59
Bread 4 dollars
Greek yogurt 1.69
Yoplait yogurt 80 cents..
Delli meat 10 dollars lbs for boars head
Cheese.. A large bag of string cheese 7 dollars on sale
Ocsar myer packaged ham lunch meat 4.99 a package.
Are your yogurts and prepackaged meats cheaper?
Median home price just under 400,000 in Seattle..
We live in a small 1940s house.. Oh and most people in Seattle do not have air conditioning in their homes.. It was 75 today.. I was watching the news and wondered if it is really expensive to have air on all summer long in places it gets really hot? Fun question u asked.
L.
Wow that is cheap. I live in South Korea right now. But we shop at the commissary which is American. For a gallon of milk it's almost $5 and a block of cheese is about $3. Not sure about the other stuff seeing as I don't usually go for Organic because it's too expensive. Everything is very expensive. My husband and I spend almost 500-600 on food every month. If things were cheaper then it would probably be half that. lol.
3 lb bag of regular apples $3.49 organic about $5
Frozen veggies have a huge range depending on the size
Milk is $3.50 organic depends where you buy it
I buy our meats from a butcher I buy a 10 lb bag of boneless chicken breast for about $10 the rest I purchase a bundle usually the $95 one it lasts us almost all month.
A gallon of milk here is $3.99. $5.99 for organic milk. A dozen eggs are $2.99. A loaf of bread is $2.99. I pay 10$ for chicken breast every week. A bag of frozen veggies is usually $2.
I'm in CT,
The prices can vary greatly from store to store within 2 miles of each other.
boneless chicken breast - you can find on sale for $1.89/lb - hormone free, I have no idea
milk - average $3.50 a gallon, it's only $2.59 at BJ's
cheese - no name brands you can find cheddar for arround $3/lb, however, I've see it up to $6.00/lb for name brands
frozen veggies - can find on sale for $.99 for a 12oz bag
Well, I don't normally keep up with the per pound prices on everything.. but a "typical" package of chicken breasts is more than $1.88 a pound. Let alone "hormone free" or "free range". Frozen veggies are more like $1.00 a bag (sale priced). My regular grocery store has a gallon of "store brand" milk at $3.79 right now, but I can get Target's for about $2.89 a gallon. The organic HALF-Gallon milk starts around $2.50 or $3 on sale, regularly about $3.79. Store brand cheese is around $3.99 lb. Or to buy Amish Country longhorn colby, it runs about $3.00 per 10 oz. pkg.
The cheapest loaf of bread (publix premium store brand) runs around $1.89 a loaf every day. Pepperidge Farms breads are $3.99 at the grocery, and $2.99 or $3.29 per loaf at Walmart.
I might could find a 3 lb bag of apples for $3.49 a bag, but they wouldn't be organic. I don't know what the organic ones cost, because it is too much for me to pay so I don't shop or buy them. To buy single apples, the typically run about $1.49-$1.99 lb, depending on the variety and season. And we usually only eat 2-3 apples per week... a whole bag would go to mush and not be eaten.
Does this help at all?
Eggs 2.50/dozen
decent loaf of bread approx 4.00
milk 3.00-4.00
1 lb. decent deli meat 10.00
clock of cheese 4.00
chicken - at least $4/lb if not more
It is getting more expensive everyday. I am really trying to stick to my list and plan out meals to keep my costs down, otherwise I easily spend $125/wk for 4. If I plan, I can usually keep it around 85, that does not include tolietries.
What I can remember off the top of my head:
A gallon of milk is $5
A block of cheese is $8 (about 500g)
Peaches are .79 a pound
Loaf of bread is $3
Dozen eggs is $3
What size cheese you buying, B.? I am in Texas too. I shop at HEB and I spend $4.18 on one lb of cheese, store brand cheddar or mozarella or monterey jack. Milk - store brand for $2.50 or $2.99 for the half gallon, nothing fancy. I buy whole chickens only for $1.19/lb or less. I have no clue what breasts only cost.
-3# lbs bag organic apples----about the same i guess
-chicken----no clue i dont eat meat, sorry
-Frozen veggies- yep .88 cents to about 1.29
-Oranges- about 4 for a dollar
- regular milk---at least 2.50 a gallon
--cheese is at least 3.50 a block (not organic)
looks like our fruits and veggies are about the same, but in my part of texas dairy is more pricey....perhaps its because you are closer to where it comes from idk
.....houston is apparantly 31% cheaper than most big cities as far as food is concerned
Milk (organic hormone free): $8.59 and over/gallon
Apples: $ 2.99/pound
Wedge of Brie Cheese: $7.49 each
Nectarines: $3.99/pound
Frozen veggies: $4 smallish bag
Eggs 1 dozen: $2.99 (sale price)
Loaf of multi-grain bread: $4.59
A Baguette: $2.99
Oh man.
I live in California and things are way more expensive than that.
I could have fainted when I went to a local market today and a gallon of regular milk was $4.59.
I don't know where you shop, but even at the cheapest discount stores, we don't have prices that low for cheese, milk and veggies.
I live so close to dairy farms, I could sneak in the night and milk a cow myself. I cannot believe how expensive milk is here.
Kwik Trip sells potatoes, onions, and bananas for .39 a pound, but I don't buy them there. I usually get a 5 lb bag of potatoes for around 3.00, a 2 lb bag of onions for 1.50, and bananas are .69-.89, depending on organic or not and where you buy. If I buy a green pepper at Hy-Vee, it can cost over a dollar and be small, or I can buy a three pack of huge, beautiful ones at Aldi's for that same dollar.
I want to buy milk where you live...what the heck? A gallon for a dollar? A gallon for regular, generic, store brand milk here goes from 3.59-3.89 (although Target, for some reason, is about a dollar cheaper), and organic is around 6.00
Here's a funny...a quart of goat milk at Wal-Mart is about 3.50, and at Hy-Vee it's about 6.00 ...for a QUART. Plus, look at the difference, and the stores are right across the street from each other! But that's the way it goes. I have to shop at four different stores and know which store has what the cheapest, or I get ripped off.
A box of Cocoa Pebbles Treat (gluten free!!!!) is 2.00 at WalMart. Yay.
An 8. oz package of dried mango slices is 2.98 at WalMart. Yay.
Amy's gluten free TV dinners are 2.98 at WalMart (5.00+ at Hy-Vee)...
Ooohh...at the little market by my house, I can buy a bag of Haribo Raspberries for 1.50, and anywhere else they cost 4.00!!
