Will Costco save our family more money?

The Hubbs and I started debating whether shopping at Costco on a more regular basis would save us more money.  We generally shop there every 3 months or so.  Together we wrote down what we had just purchased at Costco last week and what it would cost at Fred Meyer, where I shop every week.  This short list is just what we purchased last week.  At the bottom of this post are current prices on everything we would buy at some point from Costco.


Costco purchases on 12.27.2010
Organic olive oil, 51oz~$10.49
Organic sugar 10lbs~$8.89 *will last more than 1 month
Organic frozen corn 5lbs~$5
Organic frozen peas 5lbs~$5.29
Organic frozen green beans 5lbs~$5.29
Organic strawberry jam 42oz~$6.49 *will last more than 1 month
Tillamook sharp cheese 2.5lbs~$7.55 *will not last 1 month
Tillamook colby cheese 2.5lbs~$6.59 *will not last 1 month
= $55.59

At Freddy's I would pay (I'm comparing the exact same item, but probably diff. brands)
Oil 48oz~$24
Sugar 10lbs~$12.90
Corn 5lbs~$20
Peas 5lbs~$20
GBeans 5lbs~$20
Jam 42oz~$14
Sharp cheese 2.5lbs~$9
Colby cheese 2.5lbs~$9
= $128.90

For a savings of $73.31

So today, like the type-A-list-making nerd I am, I went to Costco with nothing in my mind to purchase but I wanted to make a price list.  It was of course packed...1pm on Monday shouldn't be, but it was.  So here is what I found, I hope it helps :)

Organic Broccoli - $3.49/3lbs
Tillamook sharp cheese 2.5lbs~$7.55
Tillamook colby cheese 2.5lbs~$6.59
Frigo mozzarella 2.1lbs~$4.29
Organic frozen corn 5lbs~$5
Organic frozen peas 5lbs~$5.29
Organic frozen green beans 5lbs~$5.29
Organic salted butter 2lbs~$6.89
Polish hot dogs 3.81lbs/14 hot dogs~$10.99
Maple syrup 32oz~$12.55 *every other month
Organic strawberry jam 42oz~$6.49 *every other month
Organic peanut butter 56oz~$7.89
Organic Better than Bouillon (chicken and beef) - $6.49 ea? *every 3 months
Steel cut oats - 72 oz/$8.99 ??? *every other monthOrganic olive oil 51oz~$10.49
Organic sugar 10lbs~$8.89 *every other month
Organic animal crackers 64oz~$7.99
Pace salsa 76oz~$5.39 *every other month
Mayonnaise 64oz~$6.89 *every 3 months
Classico spaghetti sauce 64oz~$6.99
Organic tomato paste 72oz~$5.99 *every 3 months
Organic apple sauce 189oz~$8.79 *every other month
Organic quinoa 4lbs~$9.89 *every 3 months
Organic short grain brown rice 12lbs~$13.99 *every 3 months
Listerine 3liters~$9.99
Smokehouse almonds 38oz~$8.69
Jerky 18oz~$11.99 *we only buy this on coupon
Triscuits 38oz~$5.99
Craisins 48oz~$6.99 *every other month
Prunes 50oz~$5.99 *every 3 months
Organic raisins 4lbs~$6.99 *every 3 months
Fruit leather 48oz~$10.65 *once in a blue moon purchase because of the waste created
Trail Mix $9.99 *when the budget allows
Organic Almonds - $9.99/4lbs
Tortillas $4.99/5lbs 14oz (40 large) *the all natural ones
Vinegar (white, distilled for cleaning/laundry/dishwasher rinse) $3.49/2 gallons
Toothbrushes *only on coupon

I'm not including produce because the price fluctuates so much and we try to eat in-season produce.  We get our milk and eggs from local farmers and we purchase our meats directly from our local farmers/butchers :)

This breakdown has shown me that I need to adjust our budget and shopping to make Costco more of a priority.


What are your Costco staples?  Can you find any comparable products at your grocery store for less?

Posted over at We Are That Family for WFMW

 

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June Food Stamp Challenge: Grocery shopping week 2

I headed to Freddy's again and came out of there for $70.74.  However I did buy 3 new toothbrushes and a new razor and a small bag of cat food.  I always buy our cat food at a local pet store, but our eldest cat has been having a hard time chewing (we think it hurts his teeth) so I bought a bag of Friskies and he's in love again :)

So, non-grocery items totaled $23.14 and our grocery bill = $47.60

Left for the month = $235.08

*I still need to buy our local milk.  My mom and I, plus, the kidlets of course, went out to the farm today and had a tour.  It was wonderful and we both learned a ton about conventional milk and their milk.  They aren't certified organic because of certain stipulations, and I'm glad they aren't.  I'm usually 100% PRO organic, but in this case it isn't worth it.  So, from what we learned about conventional milk (what The Hubbs and I drink), I think we'll be switching to our local dairy as well.  This will of course put a bit of a bind in the grocery budget, but I know I can do it :)

Here are a few interesting graphs about food stamps

Other grocery options

I'm blessed with numerous grocery options with in minutes of our home.  The place I shop 90% of the time is Freddys and it's 2 miles away.  They have the best prices to go along with their extensive natural/organic section.  We don't do Wal-Mart and haven't for many years.  We also have 3 local grocers with in 2 miles that I like to support when I can.  One of them is Harvest Foods which is where I buy our Spokane Family Farm whole milk.  I can get it at other places, but HFs offers a Buy 10, Get 1 Free punch card, so I say "Why not?"

About 3 miles east of here is a URM Cash n Carry, but I haven't been there in ages.  They aim to sell to companies/restaurants so their stock is mostly bulk...huge bulk.  Another Cash n Carry is down the road the other way and I've never been, though I suspect it's about the same.  Another avenue is Grocery Outlet, which generally sells 'about to expire' groceries.  I plan to check them out this week to see what they have and determine if it's worth making a monthly trip or so.  They offer a wide range of products and are starting to offer natural/organic groceries which is a plus :)

Have you tried any of these types of grocers?  If so, what are the pros/cons?

June Food Stamp Challenge

Katy @ The Non-Consumer Advocate is hosting a June Food Stamp Challenge.  Katy lives in Oregon and her numbers are based on the OR food stamp program.  We live in Washington and I could not find the amount they give to a family of 4 each month through food stamps, however I did find something interesting.  The income guideline for a family of 4 is $3,675.  That is a lot of money for this side of state and we would qualify for that easily, but we don't need to thankfully.  I couldn't find the amount WA gives out though.

So, in Oregon the amount of food stamps for a family of 4 is $668/month.  This is outrageous to me and it doesn't even include non-food items.  I try to buy as much natural and organic food and products as our budget allows.  We spend about $360/month, but when we buckle down in the winter (when the biz is slow) I can get by with $250/month.  I'm going to shoot for spending no more than $360 this month.  We have a lot of plans for this month + camping and we all know that it can get out hand when you buy marshmallows and Hershey bars ;)  I will be including our non-food items like laundry detergent, deodorant, etc etc. 

I'll be posting my grocery bill totals each week along with supplementary trips to the store for the occasional batch of Rosauer's brownie bites and beer or wine.  I will still be using my coupons which save me an average of $5/week or $20/month.  I'm so curious to take an in-depth look at my grocery bill again.