Local Grocery Basics

Whether it’s a weekly trip to replenish the kitchen cabinets, or a quick “omigish!” dash to get more milk, where you pick up your groceries can give you cheap thrills, or drain your wallet.

Omaha is lucky to have a variety of sources for food items, from the Big Boxes, to small neighborhood stores like Wohlner’s, and even the organic chains like Wild Oats. We have specialty meat markets like Stoysich, marvelous specialty bread stores like Great Harvest Bread, and fresh local produce on the corner lot. Most familiar to us are the Big Three grocery chains, and the Lesser Three discount grocery chains. The grocery market has changed quite a bit in Omaha in the past six or seven years, but looks like it’s stabilizing for a while.

You can find deals at all these places, along with some of the best quality food you’ve ever tasted. To regularly shop for savings, though, I have a weekly routine that takes me to where I consistently find that magic blend of quality and price.

Since I cook from scratch(ish) quite a bit, I look mostly for value in the basics: lean protein, whole grains, fresh produce (frozen or canned in winter), and, of course, milk. Not one outlet alone will suffice for me. I like the hunt more than that. And I like the thrill of getting an unexpected, incredible deal on a special treat, or even a staple item (like spaghetti for .25/lb.). Everyday savings add up fast. Here’s where I shop.

Bag N Save – BnS has friendly grocery clerks and stockers, which makes for a pleasant shopping experience, but also allows me to get more for my money. In a casual conversation with a stocker, I might learn that one variety of a product just isn’t selling well. I’ll keep my eye out for a manager’s special on that, and possibly combine it with a coupon. I also enjoy the personal relationships with these folks. BnS carries local discount brands like Our Family, and has a dollar aisle which often (but not always!) provides products at a great price. This store has some of the best fresh meats in the area, and they don’t sit around forever. Their prices on chicken beat the other places’ sale prices most weeks. You used to have to bag your own groceries at BnS (hence the name), but they changed all that when they had a shift in marketing. Now you have to ask if you want paper bags (which I do, because I reuse those much more than the plastic ones). Overall, of the Big Three, this provides the best value for food. Not much in the way of ambience, but I don’t want to pay for ambience in a grocery store.

Aldi – I do almost all my non-sale shopping at Aldi .  While most of their regular prices are rock-bottom cheap, they sometimes do have to move a product, and the deal is even sweeter. Again, becoming friendly with the clerks will provide information on when seasonal items are expected, why there has been no cauliflower in the produce area for months, and who the actual name-brand processor of that ham might be. I actually like the self-bagging and the store set-up. Aldi’s web site has some good info on where their products come from. I also adore The Aldi Queen and recommend you hit her site for some really neat info and recipes! If it’s not a loss-leader or clearance item at another store, I’ll probably get it at Aldi. But they don’t sell everything, so you’ll need to supplement your shopping at a conventional grocer.

Baker’s – Baker’s is now owned by Dillon’s, which is owned by Kroger. I am truly disappointed that the 132/Center location at Bakers Square closed last month. So I’ve regrettably found another doable location. I know on a certain day of the week, this store will mark down meats for fast sale. While I’m there, I scour the aisles for the tags that indicate discontinued, markdown items, and will check out the cooler case for fast-sale discounts on items like prepared foods (that’s the only way my kid gets Lunchables). We like certain Kroger brand products, and I keep an eye out for them. Loss leaders can be a bargain at Baker’s if you can combine them with coupons. Short-dated dairy is often a bargain at Baker’s, but must be used soon.

SuperTarget – No more local small Targets: they’re all going “Super.” That means they’re adding a grocery store and other amenities, which translates into savings. Clearance items are the real value here. It may be a short case of seasonal product, or a few short-expire products, but finding those little orange tags is like spotting diamonds on the ground. This is a great store to find full variety of cleaning products, seasonal items, and paper goods at incredible prices, and use Target coupons.

Before I head to these stores, I check out their weekly ads. I like to start my shopping before 8:30 am on Wednesday, and the grocery ads don’t arrive in my mailbox until 3:00 pm. So I make quick visits early in the morning to their sites when no one can see me.

Now, I have friends who make the rounds to all the stores, and I used to do that, too, when I had more time. And gas was cheaper! Seven years ago, when the grocery wars were happening, I lived within five minutes of five groceries, Kmart, Target and everything else I needed. I got groceries for free sometimes, with the double-coupon offers (which I was used to in another city). But now I’ve streamlined my grocery shopping to take advantage of my travel pattern and what I know to be a bargain.