A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Food Prices

I will be waitng, jenn--and we have a CVS here too.

I think we have CVS around here but none very close to me.

We have a CVS about 15 miles away.

But the big news is that Walgreen's is negotiating to come to Maine! I love Walgreen's and have missed it since we moved here.

I do not get the Sunday papers because no one is here to shop for me on Sundays, so I don't get the coupons any more.... just the things they send in the mail.

One of our chain stores does the 10/10 deals but whenever I've tried to make use of it, my girls seem to get confused and end up spending far more money than they would have otherwise, so I don't shop there any more. Also, this particular store has higher prices on every item except produce. Their produce is FANTASTIC!

Carol Jean, our Shop N Saves are now called Hannaford (Hannaford Brothers started the chain). I shop there most often because their prices are very good and they have a wonderful meat & seafood dept. Their produce, though, is blah.

We also had a little IGA right in our town but it closed last year. The building started having too many problems & they were closing constantly for repairs. I think they plan to reopen because they did a fantastic business being right on the edge of all the tourist attractions & our visitors could find them easily.

What I didn't like about that store was that every summer they'd raise their prices knowing the tourists would pay them, and then they'd start discounting again come September.

But because it was within walking distance of our cottage Maxi & I shopped there often when he was little.

Oh, that's the other thing I was going to mention Carol. I have NEVER seen Maxwell House for $11. I think I would faint if I did. I always pay about $6 for it and am delighted when I can get it for less.

Merme

I was reading an article a few weeks back when gas was coming down and it said that the high cost of fuel drives groceries up but groceries hardly ever come down if fuel does. Another way to gouge the consumer.

I won't buy anything manufactured by proctor and gamble. Proctor and Gamble still does animal testing in their labratories and has been cited for some of the worst cases of animal torture and abuse. I just can't support something like that. I read labels religously and the manufacturer lable is usally tiny and on the back of a product. I went online and found all their brands....I had to give up dawn dish soap, oil of olay products, folgers coffee and many other items I used all the time. It is hard to keep up on but sort of the same as couponing in many ways. And I never used Tide before I found out it was Proctor and Gamble. I read consumer sites and magazines and several years ago there was an article about how some clothing manufacturers and some laundry soap manufacturers were in cahoots with each other. The laundry soaps had additives which cost you more to supposedly make your clothing brighter and more stain free but which also make your clothing deteriorate faster so you had spend more to purchase both products.... and the worst offender was Tide. I think I would beat my clothing on a rock before I used it. Ok I'll get off my soap box now. I know everyone likes thier favorite products for their own reasons and it usually doens't matter what anyone else says. I know I am not going to quit using some of my favorites for nobody.

While I don't coupon as much as many others do here (I can't afford to get the newspaper), I do read labels in the stores than show how much you are spending per ounce or other measurement....sometimes the largest items aren't as cheap as they seem. I do tend to shop the bulk items tho as they can be really cost effective, you just come home with no lables or how to cook directions on the packages you make up yourself in the stores. I get all my pasta, baking needs and many herbs and spices that way.

I am in no way brand loyal....I can't afford to be. I buy whatever is the cheapest with my coupons and the sales...doesn't matter to me who is making the product or whatever.

I had heard about P&G and what they do...but for other reasons I refuse to get onto the "I won't support this group because they do this to animals" wagon. I won't get into it here tho...cause it usually just causes a fight when I speak my personal opinions about all of that. ...but I understand why you do what you do, Fernie.

what about soap Jen? Isn't Dove one of the expensive ones but that's what the doctors recommend.

Dove is primarily recommended for patients following surgery. It helps with the scars.

But I can't use it regularly because the smell of it reminds me of feeling so sick after my open heart surgery. I smell it and feel weak & dizzy all over again!!

For general use, many docs advise using Dial, especially for people with sensitivities.


Merme

I have to be careful with what I buy with soap. Nothing scented because both Stephen and I are sensitive to that. I try to get Dial as much as I can. CVS puts it on sale about once a month and if I have coupons for the specific pack they are selling it isn't at all uncommon for me to actually MAKE MONEY on that! Giant had packs of Lever 2000 on sale a few weeks ago and I was able to pick up 3 packs for $1 each.

I do not buy Dove very often at all...I am allergic to it and we are not really rushing to try it out on Stephen.

you keep talking about CVS. We have one not far from my house but I never notice sales going on.

Merme, the doctors at the HD all recommended Dove for babies and small children.

In my family we use baby soap on babies. It wouldn't occur to me to use adult soap on a very wee one, though it must be okay if the docs suggest it.

Oh! Is there any sweeter smell in the whole world than the smell of a baby after a bath?!


Merme

I use Johnson & Johnson on the kids....with it being winter, Maddie only gets a bath like once a week...more if we have something particularly messy for dinner. Luke gets bathed even less. It isn't like he's playing outside and getting really dirty. Bathing in the winter dries out the skin and they both fight me with applying lotion, so less bathing is my answer.

CVS puts weekly sales flyers in the Sunday paper and they also have an "Extra Care Bucks" booklet for each month. The thing with them is that they will do a sale and for some of them they will give "ECB's" (Extra Care Bucks) for the purchase of that item. You have to sign up for the Extra Care Program...which is basically their loyalty program. I haven't looked at this week's flyer yet but let's make something up so you get the idea....

Let's pretend they have Colgate Total Care toothpaste on sale for $1.99 with your CVS card. You look at the ad and see that they are giving back 1ECB (extra care buck) with the purchase of the toothpaste. BUT...in your binder, you have 2 Q's for $1 off that particular toothpaste. So what happens is you go to CVS buy 2 tubes of the toothpaste on sale...you go to the cashier, give her your CVS card, the two tubes of toothpaste, and your 2 Q's. You pay $1.98 ($1.99 x 2 - $2 from your Q's). Then when your receipt prints out, there will be $2 worth of ECB at the bottom of the receipt. Tear the ECB off and put it into your CVS envelope or ziplock bag...or whatever you use for CVS. For your next transaction at CVS, you can use those ECB's like real money. So what we do is call "rolling" the ECBs. Let's pretend you go back to your flyer and you see that they have 3-packs of Dial soap for 2.99 each and they are giving 2 ECBs for each 3-pack purchased. ...you look through your Q binder and low and behold you have 2 Q's for $1 off 3-packs of Dial soap. So you pick up 2 of those 3-packs and go check out....So now what you give to the cashier is: you CVS card, the soap, the q's AND your $2 in ECB's and after all is said and done the cashier says to your total is $1.98. So, you pay your $1.98 and get your receipt and at the bottom of the receipt you look at the ECB's that you've just earned....$4!!....that is what is called a money maker.

You can use the ECB's for anything you buy in the store. For me it becomes a game. I HATE putting out actual money, so I tend to do multiple transactions while i'm there....putting things in my cart, checking out, getting ECB's, putting more things in my cart, checking out using those ECB's, getting more ECB's. Now, this does take some time and I will sit and make "scenarios" for each transaction so I know exactly what I'm buying, using, and getting in return. But alot of people don't mind putting out like $20 in one transaction and end up getting like $30 in ECB's in return (usually more) and then they just keep rolling it every couple of weeks. It really is like stealing legaling from the store and I really am not sure how they make $$ off of it....except for the fact that not alot of people really play their game.

Maxi's pedi told me when he was tiny that because he has asthma he is prone to ecema (sp?) and to go easy on the bathing esp in winter. Fortunately, Maxi liked lotion and his baby massages and that helped! But I also kept a small amount of mineral oil on hand for the skin behind his ears because it could get bad back there. I love the smell of Johnson & Johnson, particularly the bedtime bath one. And Baby Magic also.

I read about the CVS game on line this morning. It sounds less complicated having you explain it, Jenn.

I will be able to shop at CVS when I move.

Merme

<-- one day old to this forum!!

all i can say is WOW. I learned almost too much in one sitting about saving costs!
-I always use almost 3xs the amount of detergent the liquid detergents say to use. I like to see about 1 inch or more of bubbles on top once the washer starts it's rockin. ALWAYS hot water, even if its supposed to wash cold. I just want those germs out of there. never realized that it could get clean with less soap and cold water! I go through about 1 of those large bottles a week!

-I take two showers a day, and give my daughter(2yr) one every morning then wipe her down with wipes after messy meals (used to give her baths after every mess also, but it got old, quickly). her skin is CRAZY dry (always thought she just took after her dad!!) and the only lotion that seemed to work at all for it is curel, 8$ a bottle, and i have to keep on her with it. Maybe less baths are the remedy to her dry skin!

-I just give the CVS clerk my parent's phone number since they have the account, but they don't use the ECBs... i was just there last night and got one, for purchasing another $8 curel!!

back on topic:

-I noticed my yogurt JUMP from .25 to .85
-The Banquet pot pies from .50 to .69
pretty much everything-- Even the dollar Menus haven't had items for a dollar!

I think one idea that i've had for everyone to save money is to make garbage bags, not plastic! If they made them out of a material that actually biodegrades, they could use the same landfill years later... instead of using our tax money to put our trash somewhere else every time one fills up! It sounds silly... that i know!

My boyfriend says, as of this spring, we are going to bulk-buy our meat from a local farm and get a deep-chest freezer to keep it all in. (I've never had fresh meat, but i'd eat anything to get away from spending 1k at wal-mart every month on items we purchase there)

Welcome to Banter Hall, DPP from OH.

Biodegradable trash bags would be helpful but the trouble is, the nondegradable stuff people put inside the bags!

The problems with overdoing it with laundry detergent is that too much soap is bad for your equipment and too much soap is tough to rinse out of your clothes.

The trick to getting clothes thoroughly clean is to NOT overload the washer! Most people put way more than they should into a single load. But a washer is classified in terms of power by how many times the agitator can take a garment from the top of the washer, bring it down to the bottom and then return it to the top. If you overload the washer, the agitation cycle doesn't work as well and your clothes get less clean.

Okay, Maxi and I like those Maruchen Instant Lunches. You know, those styrofoam cups of ramen noodles?

Well, at the regular grocery store they are priced at 79 cents each. At Wal-Mart they are 28 cents each! So we go without them for as long as it takes to go to Wal-Mart again because I refuse to pay such a staggering price for them locally. Of course, I wouldn't make a special trip all the way to Wal-Mart to pick them up, but I try to remember them when I am there.

Why should there be such a difference in pricing from one store to the next?


Merme

Wal-mart and Sam's buy in huge lots and get a better price because of that. Their mark up may be a little lower too. But that is what brings the people in. Our wal-marts are not super stores. So not a huge selection of foods and I avoid most except the sodas, some candies and snack crackers. The other things in there are more than my regular grocery stores. But their OTC drugs are better priced than most other places.

Dpp,

The current ad for CVS says that if you buy 2 of those 13oz Curels you get $5 in ECB's back. Just thought you might want to know that...if it is something that you buy anyways you might as well get it on sale and get some $$ back in return.

Interesting subject. One way to save money is to not buy anything processed. ITs far more expensive and far less good for you.
Buy from the outside of the grocery store, you will save a ton of money and be far healthier.
Cook from scratch and freeze meals.
Just my little contribution!

I agree, Ditchy. Most processed food contains far too much salt, and empty calories. When you say buy from the outside of the grocery store do you mean around the perimeters?

Just wanted to pass along something the young owner of a small local petstore told me a few weeks ago. His suppliers have been telling him to stock up on any canned foods, etc, because the price of tin is supposed to sky rocket, and make foods, etc that are packed in it very expensive as well.

Yes a small store owner told me about the same thing just after Christmas. And aluminum like sodas as well.

Ditchy, for the most part you are right about cooking from scratch, BUT there are some things like the veggies that I get (that happen to have some sauces in the bags with the veggies) that I get for absolutely FREE with my coupons combined with the store sale. So, you have to keep an eye on that stuff. Also, because produce is seasonal....tomatoes are MUCH cheaper in the summer than in the winter as well as apples (cheaper in the fall) and other fruits like that.

I did want to mention that canned pet food is not really that good for pets. It is bad for their teeth. Also, when you buy dry dog food (not sure if this applies to cat food as well), look at the ingredients. ALOT of makers will make the first ingredient corn. This is a filler. Try to find dry food that has no corn at all or has it as a 3rd ingredient or even further down in the ingredient list. Your dog will not poo as much and also will not eat as much! Also, some breeds really shouldn't have corn at all...it doesn't agree with them. With as large as our dogs are, they eat only about 4 cups of food a day (we let them free feed). We get a dog food in bulk (45 pounds of food for $26) and it lasts about 3 weeks with the two dogs. I can't remember if this kind has corn in it or not. We like to stay away from corn all together, but it is hard..so if this food does have corn in it, then it is either 3rd or 4th in the ingredient list.

I don't buy many processed foods because I have to strictly limit potassium, phosphorus, salt and carbs. That includes salt substitutes which are loaded with potassium. My doc gave me a short list of allowed processed foods to spare me from having to read every single label in the store. It helps to know in advance going in!

But I still think these coupon tips are terrific for even nonfood items we use all the time.

Saving money is saving money.


Merme

There are actually 2 sides to the coin about dry versus wet pet food. I have a friend who was told by a very well known vet here, that her cat absolutely MUST have wet food for his digestion, and just adding water to his dry food does not work. Our cats get dry food as their mainstay, but also a can of wet food - 2 small cans divided for all 5 cats - for dinner each night. It's just enough to satisfy them, and does not do any harm.

Do the bags of free veggies have the sauces already mixed in, or are they in separate bags inside? Most of those sauces contain too much salt for those of us who are on restricted sodium diets. But it would be nice if they were separate bags which would give a choice whether or not to use them.

Ohhhhhh - about frozen veggies lately??? I had a coupon and there was a sale on some steamable veggies so I got 4 different types (my first try with them) - when I steamed the first bag I was shocked to see what was considered 5 portions!!! There was barely enough to make a decent serving for my son and I - who are they kidding??? A few peas and a couple of small carrots pieces per serving?!?

I don't know if they've changed the recipes or not in recent years, but when I used to keep cats, wet food made their poo smell MUCH worse! The vet said it was a digestive issue with the wet food. But I stopped keeping cats in 1995 when I was expecting Maxi, so things may have changed since then.


Merme

Thanks! glad to join in the fun!!

and I hate when their is too many clothes in the washer (reason why my guy isn't allowed to help with laundry). I didn't know about the ruins of the equipment or that it doesn't rinse good... I seem to be doing everything right, except too much soap! the guy always wonders why i go through so much, and im sure using cold water should save some of our cash too-- we could use it to go toward our watering the gardens :P

Lynn~ I hoard the Q's for the Green Giant Steamers. Some have sauces and some don't. The ones with the sauces are already mixed together. You just take the entire bag out of the freezer and throw it into the microwave without doing anything to it. You run the micro for 5 minutes and they are done. I use them quite a bit with other foods....like the broccoli with cheese sauce gets mixed in with home made mac and cheese. I've never paid attention to the servings per container or anything. I know what we use and shop accordingly. We have a pretty balanced diet, so I tend to not look at that stuff at all. i can usually tell by the size or feel of something if I'm going to need more than 1. Birdeye makes veggies that need to be steamed...those are in little boxes and some have sauce and some don't. I've never looked at the serving sizes on those either, but I know they are pretty small. Is that the kind you got? There were Q's for both kinds in the papers a couple of weeks ago. I like to get the birdseye rice in the steam bag. It is pretty tender and it is a wild rice mix....no sauce. It goes GREAT with chicken and is much faster than the Jasmine rice that I usually cook.

Dpp~ I did 3 loads of wash today and paid attention to how much soap I put in. I use Era and the little cup has 3 lines. I used 1/4 of what is recommended for the lowest line (if that made sense). When the machine was filling for the rinse cycle, I lifted the lid so that I could see if there was any soap left before the final rinse. There were enough bubbles that I ran the rinse again. Now, today happened to be a diaper washing day. I did a full load of diapers...which is probably about 22 diapers total. Diapers are the only thing that I run hot water with. I ran the largest load setting for the water level and while the hot water was pouring into the tub I put the soap in. For that I use the Tide clear stuff...it happens to be concentrated. I can only use certain soaps with my diapers. Anyways, I used just enough soap to cover the bottom of the cup...that was it. I am currently on my third rinse...still bubbles. It is driving me NUTS! I'm really anal about soap left in the diapers because if I don't get it all out, then the second one of my kids pee in their diapers it has an odor and I HATE that. We have well water, so I don't have to worry about our water bill...there is none! And I've done as many as 7 loads of laundry in a day and have never run out of water, so we must have a good well (I guess it helps that we are close to a stream?)

sounds too me like you have very soft water, Jenn--and for that you are lucky---

-Speaking as someone who had very hard water when I was living out on the farm, that little of soap would not of done me, esp with the diapers. here in town now, the water is better, but I still need to use more soap than you do.

But I do agree one has to learn how much soap it takes to do the wash, taking into consideration their water and washer drum size, & not just go blindly with what the package/bottle recommends.

Do you have a well using an electric pump, Jenn? If so you do have a water bill hidden inside your electric bill, probably.
But get that soap out. I sometimes run the rinse extra long by not letting it drain and resetting it to the beginning of rinse. That may not work as well in a new fangled washer with push button settings. I don't know. I am thankful that my family doesn't appear to be too detergent sensitive. A couple of brands have givin rashes but none of the cheaper ones I usually use.

Carol, we don't have soft water...but we don't have hard water either. I have heard that there are quite a few people in town that have water softeners. Neither of us feel that we need one. When we lived in the city, the water was harder than it is here, but we didn't mind it. We drink the water right from the tap...I can't stand to do that at houses that have water softeners. :P I just think I'm still learning how much soap I need for the diapers. I finally got all of the soap out of them, but decided to run one more rinse, but am keeping the lid open over night so that it doesn't agitate at all. I put a cup of baking soda into the water for the diapers to soak in that to get whatever smells are still in them out. Once the weather gets nicer, I'll be able to hang the diapers in the sun to get any stains out and to make them smell even better.

Tina, our electric bill is a bit higher during the winter, but that is because of the heat. The pump doesn't run all that much. I hear it kick on when I am washing the dishes and stuff like that, but it never runs for very long. I wouldn't consider it to be a "hidden bill"....our bill for this house is very close to the electric bills that we had at the house in the city....and that house had municipal water.

I like to drain the rinse water out between rinses...I guess I always figured that if I didn't drain it out, it would just go back into the fabrics. I dunno.

I could be wrong but...
I think Tina meant to run the rinse cycle longer than the cycle has it set up for.
To explain----at the end of my rinse cycle before it begins to drain, I can shut the machine off. then I turn the dial around to the beginning of the rinse cycle and pull the knob out. The machine begins the rinse cycle as if it has never started it. So I know have a longer rinse cycle. I do that sometimes with rinse cycles but I do it a Lot with the wash cycle.

Did y'all know that Tide brand makes a cleaner for the washer? To get rid of lasting odors and residual stuff?

They suggest using it once a month all by itself (no clothes inside) on hot water settings to keep things right inside.

I run vinegar through the coffee pot and microwave; citric acid through the dishwasher.


Merme

LOL Opps P & P yup thts what I meant. sure does not sound it huh! LOL

Thanks Ditchy!

To clarify for others who might not understand that... the perimeter is usually where the fresh food items are sold - fruit and veggies, dairy, meats, baked goods, etc, as opposed to boxed, canned and frozen items in the center of the stores.


We are in the market for a new oven/stove. Since I am short, I'd like one with the control buttons towards the front, instead of up on the top behind the burners. I also would like to have a convection oven still. Has anyone bought a new one lately? Any recommendations? It needs to be electric.

I understood what Tina meant...but I do like cleaner water with every rinse. Also, for me to have to pay attention to where the dial is constantly is just impossible with having the two kids and doing the 4 other things that I'm doing at the same time. I know I post on here quite a bit, but I'm usually doing 3 or 4 things at once. Right now I am watching the kids, doing laundry, paying attention to another board, packing the diaper bag to leave, and cleaning the living room. :) There's no way I could tell you what the washer is doing right now....I can't even hear the machine.

OH, I remember those days---and I am here to tell you to savor them. They will be gone before you know it.

Just wait until Maddie is old enough to yell out---"Mom your dryer is calling you!!" (my dryer had buzed and my youngest had observed me running to the dryer when she heard it before..)

We have a stove with the controls in the front, Lynne. It was in our house when we moved in. The man who lived there before us was in a wheelchair so had to have it that way. I personally, would prefer not to have that just because I have a young kid. But, in your situation, I can definitely see that it would be good. I have to look at the brand of ours. I'm not sure what it is but it has been a great stove. No problems at all. Hopefully you find what you are looking for.

I have never had to rinse my clothes more than once because there has been too much soap.

Thanks Jessica. We have a very old Jenn Aire that the previous owners installed when they built the house, so it's about 30 years old. The regular burners don't work anymore, and one of the glass top inserts CRACKED all the way across one night a few weeks ago when I had turned the back burner on - that was pretty scary - made a loud POP noise! It does have the controls on the front which is better for me - I do think I'd burn my arms if I had to reach across hot pots and pans if the controls were on the back!

Yeah I can definitely see how the controls in the front would work for you, Lynne! Tristen really has never touched ours but I worry about that. More so when we first moved in because he was only 3. I have never used a Jenn Aire. Do you think you will go with that again?

Jessica, you can pull the knobs right off of the stove and keep them either far back on the counter or on the back of the stove (where I keep my spices and stuff like that). I grew up with stoves that had the knobs in the front and we have a stove that is more than 50 years old....knobs on the back...and I HATE it. It's also electric and I hate that also....I like gas. :)

Carol, I don't mind being busy at all. I just can't hear the machines and what they are doing. I try to keep on top of the dryer so things don't get wrinkled because I HATE HATE HATE ironing.

I never really thought of pulling the knobs off Jenn. But....the oven part of it is push button, digital so that wouldn't do much good. We have electric and I prefer electric. I guess it is all what you are used to.

Mom has a gas oven and she loves it and will only cook with gas. I have an electric ceramic top oven that I really love. No more food to spill down into the burners.

The biggest difference I guess is that her stove top stuff heats up faster than mine, but my oven gets a lot hotter, quicker than moms.

Our knobs are at the back of ours and I never really thought much about it. Moms are in the front. It does have a little light on mine indicating that the stovetop is still hot.