I stopped by Aldi expressly to stock up on fruit and a few other staples. I was sad that they were completely out of the $0.99 pineapple and $1.49 strawberries, but happy for the great deals on apples and oranges. I might have to make another trip to get the strawberries and pineapple as they told me they’d be getting in another shipment tomorrow.
Here’s what I ended up getting:
Chicken Breasts — $5.49
Milk — $2.80
Three bags of apples — $1.29 per bag
Paper Plates — $1.29
Tortillas — $0.99
Kidney beans — $0.55
Cream of Chicken soup — $0.59
Applesauce — $1.19
Two bags of oranges — $1.49 per bag
Oil — $2.29
Butter — $2.38 (Yikes! This is much more than I usually pay. Must. look. for. a. sale. on. butter. stat! Or, buy a milk cow. :))
Carrots — $0.99
Two cans of refried beans — $0.69 each
Raisins — $1.49My total was $30.34 including tax.
And no one flip out that I bought plastic plates, okay? We’re going to be hosting some folks for meals over the next few weeks and I just decided to make it easy on myself and stick with plastic so we didn’t have to mess with dishes when we had company.
Also, those of you who are observant will notice I bought oil. It’s been months since I’ve bought oil, but I’ve been hankering for some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins and they just really taste better with oil instead of butter or applesauce or coconut oil. So I caved. Yes, I did.
I also got the apples and oranges at Aldi this week, but amazingly I was able to get strawberries cheaper at Publix after sale and coupons. They were not as tasty as the last ones we got from Aldi though.
I have made a huge Aldi price comparison list, where it is easy to see where a product is cheapest. Most of the products are products that rarely go on sale, and if I cannot find a coupon and a sale, I always go to this list to see where I should buy it….most often it is at Aldi.
I went to Aldi’s yesterday, but I didn’t get the strawberries or pinnapple bummer. The price of butter there was $2.29 in MI.
Maybe someone already commented on this, but I had Wal-mart price match their pineapple to ALDI and got four for $.99. Then I took your frozen orange idea, Crystal, and cut them up in wedges. I froze two sheet pans full and have been putting them in smoothies along with the oranges. So yummy!
After I posted this last night, I was thinking, “Duh!” I should go to Walmart and have them pricematch! Thanks for the idea!
If you want a healthier but still incredibly delicious pumpkin chocolate chip recipe, try this one: http://delicious-nutritious.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-love-for-everything-pumpkin.html. I haven’t made it as muffins yet, but the bread is seriously incredible and the whole grains aren’t even noticeable!
Crystal-
I know it must be difficult to put yourself “out there” as you do on your blog but please try not to worry about if people are going to be ridiculous and judge you about using paper plates! 🙂
I just wanted to let you know what a huge encouragement you are to me. You are by far the most UNself-absorbed blogger that I read and that is why I read yours. Your most recent e-book on time management has been such a positive encouragement to me. I have two little ones (1 and 3) and my husband is in full-time ministry (which means that I’m pretty much in full-time ministry too 🙂 ) and I never feel that there are enough hours in the day. My house is constantly a wreck and my life feels so disorganized. Reading your tips gives me hope that I can gradually get things back in order. I’m going to ask my husband to read it too so he can encourage me along the way.
Thank you for your wonderful examples of your walk with Christ and your roles as wife and mother. I appreciate all that you do.
Here in Iowa I usually find half gallons of milk around $1.87 or so…sometimes HyVee runs a $0.99 special. I’m pretty sure gallons are at least $3 no matter where you go.
Butter is typically $2.98 or so at Walmart for the store brand and more expensive from there. With a coupon I can usually get Smart Balance for about the same cost. HyVee had a deal the other day for their own butter for $0.99 limit one, but luckily I found some Land O Lakes light butter for $0.99 each – I bought 4 and two had peelies…so I paid just $3! They’re in the freezer so hopefully I’ll be good for a while now…
And I mean butter and Smart Balance butter sticks here, not margarine or tubs.
I always try to find Smart Balance on BOGO sale, and by using coupons I can get the price below $1…this is when I stock up. If I find a really good deal on Smart Balance I make sure to freeze some for when I need to bake.
JR
Frugality Free
Where do you find Smart Balance on BOGO? I’ve never seen that.
Publix has Smart Balance butter on BOGO sale pretty regularly, and I am pretty sure I have seen it go on BOGO at Winn-Dixie as well.
JR
Well, butter aside…:) I was shocked today to find that most of the deals you got were not at my Aldi!! I thought they were a nationwide pricing store! Anywho, it wasn’t big differences, like .30 or .60 cents, but I’m frugal, so I didn’t budge. I’m glad you were able to get the deals you did. Have fun eating all those apples. 😉
Stephanie
Don’t worry about buying paper plates or oil. I am not an environmental police, nor a food police! You can buy whatever you like and you won’t hear a peep from me.
Better start stocking upon anything you can, prices are going nowhere but up. You can freeze butter you know.
I get excited to find butter for under $3.00.
Pumpkin Muffins
1 white or gold cake mix
1 can pumpkin
1/2 bag cinnamon chips or choco chips it you choose 🙂
Mix and bake. Yummy…….an no oil!
I noticed the paper plates first thing! 🙂 I have them at my house right now as well. I’m pregnant with our sixth, don’t have a dishwasher, and am suffering from all day morning sickness right now. Pretty much the first thing my mom does for me when I call her with an “announcement” is to buy a big package of paper plates for me from Sam’s. If anybody has a problem with anything that you buy, they should keep their comments to themselves. 🙂 As I tell my children ten times a day: “Be nice.” 🙂 I love it that you’re real. I wish you lived closer to me; I want you for a friend–paper plates and all. 🙂
🙂 Wish you lived closer, too, and I’d make some food for your family to eat. Morning, noon and night sickness is not fun at all! 🙁
Yes I was really happy to see Aldi’s deals this week as this was a shopping week for me 🙂 I bought 4 1lb packs of strawberries at 0.99 cents each!! thats like summer prices around here! I followed a recipe for freezer jam and my family LOVES it! it will be hard for any of us to eat store bought jam/jelly again. Here Aldi also had pineapples for 0.99 cents each so i grabbed 2 of those and we are really enjoying them. Thanks for introducing me to Aldi I can’t believe how much money we’ve been saving over past 6 months shopping there. I am in western NC (near Hendersonville) and love reading your blog!
Crystal,
You are right to be soooooooooooooooooo very positive when folks seem negative they are really just curious, trying to tell their point of view or wondering how they can managed to do things better themselves.
The biggest thing that most of us have is a communication problem.
Most folks are not negative / however, most folks are curious!
It’s hard to communicate through a computer screen! I wish you all could just come over for a cup of coffee. 🙂
I’m hoping for the best for you too Becky! I was let go on June 12, 2010, and Hubby was let go Feb 15, 2011. I didn’t think it was too bad going to 1 income after I was let go, but now with hubby let go, I’m not sure what we are going to do. I’m in northwest Illinois, and 2.00 is my ‘magic’ number. At least it’s what I strive for, for 2% Milk, butter, and per lb for meat. Not that I always find those products at that price, but the closer I get to it, the better!
I had a huge shopping trip today including canola oil for your banana bread! I’ve been laid up all week with a back injurty and am dying to do some baking.
Went to Aldi yesterday and spent about $50. The milk at my Aldi was $3.09! UGH! Luckily, I went to Sam’s Club first and got is for $2.59. It seems as though almost everything that I normally buy has gone up! Praying that my husband will get a job soon!
(Hugs) Becky. I’ll pray your husband gets a job soon, too. 🙁
All of these comments about varying grocery prices in various locations just reminds me that *we all need to be careful about comparing our grocery budgets to one another*. I really feel for those of you who have to pay so much for milk and butter and other basic groceries. I know a big part of it depends on what state you live in (some states set milk prices and usually those are not low!). If you live in an area where prices are always high, don’t be discouraged when you see people post low grocery totals…just do the best with where God has located you!
Well said! I also believe that it is all relative. It is very expensive where I live – both housing, real estate property taxes,auto insurance, groceries. But there are lots and lots of jobs available and the pay is good. My husband I have both noticed that if he were to take another job in a state where living expenses were much lower – he would have to take a large pay cut……….but ………..it would even out as the pay rates seems to be adjusted to the cost of living in that area.
Do the Aldi’s deals run from Wednesday to Wednesday? I was upset the other day when I had to buy butter, got it at Dillon’s for $3 cause I didn’t have time to go anywhere else! I might also have to start buying 3 gallons of milk per week since my almost 1 year old is now totally on milk! Oh well, I guess the good news is, my husband just texted me to tell me he’s getting a raise and a title change and our tax return will pay off our van! Woo hoo! I wish I lived on the West side of town so that I might be more likely to run into you! 😛
They recently switched to running them Wednesday through Tuesday.
Woohoo for a raise and a tax return!
We have a farmers market up the street here in jacksonville, fl. I was able to get a case of strawberries for $10 and a case of blueberries for $5. Milk here I got cheapest at Walgreens of all places for $2.89. I havent used butter in forever since it is so expensive. I should check on the price though it does make a taste difference.
I am brand new to MSM. I am having tons of fun reading about all these grocery sales and am considering switching from our “Go Big and Go Home” method of once a month shopping, (which I’ve done for 9 years now)to weekly shopping using this site. Totally dreading going once a week, but it will be worth the savintgs! Anyhow, why do you avoid oil? For health reasons? I have to tell you, we switched over to Aldi’s olive oil several years ago and I use it in everything; cookies, cakes, you name it, we use olive oil instead. As long as you don’t buy Extra virgin, you’ll be fine and never taste a difference!!!!
http://4littlefergusons.wordpress.com/2010/12/02/go-big-go-home/
We’ve switched to using primarily coconut oil and butter and occasional olive oil, mostly for health reasons.
About the muffins: we LOVE them. But, I just use that much more pumpkin in place of the oil, and they are great! It’s win win, cause they are more nutritious, and lower fat. I buy pumpkins to cook and freeze in the fall for this purpose! Very moist and yummy, esp with mini choc chips…
My mum picked up pineapples at $1/each at her local grocery store and then canned them. I didn’t know you could can pineapple, but she gifted a lot of them to me and they taste really good – it loses the ‘sharp’ taste when they are canned!
LOL at your disclaimers 😉 I bought the cheapie butter at Kroger that isn’t cut into sticks, I think for $1.99. And I stocked up on oil when Kroger had a buy 10, get $5 off mega sales, with coupons, so be on the look-out for that! Thanks for all you do!!!
Definitely think your posts are getting funnier, Crystal. don’t get me wrong, no complaints about past posts…you seem very sweet, but lately you’ve been adding “something”. it’s fun. I like it.
I am SO GLAD you posted about Aldi. I have not gone all week. I will be stocking up on apples and oranges. Seems we have 4lbs oranges for $.99 and apples for $1.49. Whoot!
Do you buy margarine? That’s all I ever buy because we use butter/margarine so sparingly, so one 4-pack of sticks for .69 or less will last a couple of months (unless I’m making peanut butter cookies!)
We don’t buy margarine just because we all prefer real butter. I was looking at the price of it longingly yesterday, though, and wishing we weren’t real butter “snobs”. 🙂
We are real butter “snobs” as well, and are paying right at $5/lb for store brand. Eeek!! But hey, at least our bodies know what to do with butter! 😉
I’m glad ours isn’t the only area where butter/milk/eggs have gone up! When I made my “price book” butter was 2.19 at Kroger. This week? 3.19. I’m hoping it stays put there? 🙂
I would vote for you getting the milk cow. The way milk prices are, its not a bad idea. 😉
I’m so glad to see that everyone has noticed that butter has shot up. I don’t usually buy it (because I LOVE it) but I made cookies for my son’s class last week. I was shocked to see that it was over $3 for the cheapest, most watery store brand (I live in Maryland, extreme northern DC suburbs). Milk has gotten insane here, too! I went ahead and switched my almost 2 year old to the 1% the rest of us drink so that I’m not buying two kinds.
Here is Nor Cal, butter is really high right now. It’s been way over $2 a box for a long time now. At one point it was just over $3. But thankfully it’s gone down some! I think we’re paying around $2.48 currently. and milk is $2.40. (that’s the cheap store price)
thanks for keeping it real!!!!!!!!!! love the plastic plates! we all have to do it from time to time. your blog is my favorite. never conform, be true to yourself, your amazing!!!!!!! my favorite part of your blog is how real you are!!!
thanks 🙂
I use paper plates for those kinds of times, too. I only use paper, though, not styrofoam or plastic because those leach chemicals when hot foods are placed on them. I think I discovered that when I was researching my non-stick cookware and realized I needed to dump them and go to mostly cast iron cookware. I use canola oil very infrequently, also. I buy organic or Whole Foods expeller-pressed canola oil – they’ve promised me it’s not GM canola used in their product. I usually use coconut oil or olive oil… I’m going to try the light olive oil and see if it’s a good replacement for the canola oil in baked goods. Thanks to a previous poster for that idea. I’d really prefer to avoid canola oil completely, if I can. I’ve tried regular olive oil, though, and that just didn’t work well.
I use light olive oil, and it works very well for baking.
I completely agree about the paper plates. When we have our extended family over, we don’t even have enough dinner plates for everyone to begin with, let alone the clean up. I have to say reading all the comments about area prices has been enlightening! Funny how when milk isn’t on sale here, I think that paying $2.89/gal is a pain. I’ll keep my mouth shut now!
What you consider too expensive for butter is cheap for me! 😉 And the price on pineapple – I hope you can go back and get some! Wish I had an Aldi! LOL. Here I was all excited that I found organic blueberries at my Trader Joe’s for $3.99 – when they are $5.99 at Whole Foods or anywhere else.
Butter at our Aldi’s in central IA is $1.58! I bought a case 2 weeks ago and noticed yesterday that the butter was still that price. Milk is running $1.99 there as well.
Wow. I’m in eastern IA. I’ve never been to Aldi…but once my butter stockpile is gone I’d better check it out!
I think it’s pretty humorous after reading the comments, which reiterate my thoughts lately, that the government is saying that there is no inflation. They don’t include groceries, gas, & several other necessities in their figures—what? Bizarre, right?
Does Aldi’s sell organic milk?
They promise no artificial growth hormones in their milk and eggs, which is good enough for me!
I paid $4.10 for a pound of butter the other day at our local small grocery store. Everywhere else is close to $4 a pound too. Needless to say I made a point to stock up on the organic butter from Azure (comparable price, perhaps a little less). Milk is around $4 a gallon too.
Crystal,
What’s your plan for all the apples? I love your meal plans and recipes. I’ve never used a bread machine but am going to attempt the Cinnamon rolls. I just bought the yeast. I’ve never really used yeast but with all the different recipes you’ve posted recently I need to get over my fear and try it!! Also was wondering if you could tell me the exact model of the vita mix you have. I googled vita mix and many came up.
You don’t grow your own wheat to harvest OR have a milk cow?
For shame. 🙂
I was just reading a blog about homesteading where the author mentioned that she and her husband moved to the country & bought a milk cow with great intentions to save money. 1st winter, the milk cow got mastitis and they got socked with a huge vet bill. Clearly, sometimes we are lucky just to pay a bit over $2 for butter. 🙂 And mucking out stalls? I’ll just go ahead and skip that bit o’ fun, as well.
I agree. It may seem cheaper to get it from the source…. but prices even for butter at $4 per pound is WAY cheaper than getting a cow, feeding the cow, paying the doctor bills, housing the cow, etc. Then you have to pasteurize the milk (or you can risk bacterial disease) and if you don’t want whole milk, you have to process the milk further.
Goats are MUCH cheaper and we’ve had them for many years. We don’t pasteurize our milk and we’ve never been sick. If you are clean in the barn and you filter the milk, it’s not necessary. 🙂
I live in MN. and my Aldi’s had strawberries for $1.69. Still a great price considering everywhere else was over $3. Not sure of the butter prices. I’ve been waiting to get it for .99cents so I can stock up. I haven’t bought butter in over 6 months or more since the last time I stocked up. Aldi’s used to have a great price on milk but now it’s over $2 so we buy it at Sam’s Club for $1.99
But I have noticed the prices increasing by .10 cents at Aldi’s over the last month or more on regular items I buy. But still Aldi’s has great prices and I’m able to feed my family of four plus a new baby on a budget of $200 a month.
you said “hankering” which could be interpreted as “craving,” so i’m pleasantly surprised that no one (‘cept me!) bothered you about possibly being preggers and didn’t give a flip about the plastic plates. 🙂
Hahaha. I noticed. I thought, “Hmm. Crystal’s got a little lip in this post. And she’s got cravings. Ooohhhh!”
😀
I like lippy! You tell ’em, it’s your party and you’ll have paper plates if you want to!!!!
Would she be training for a 5K if she were preggers? Really?!
Nope, not pregnant… unless you know something I don’t know. 🙂 Just more hungry than usual because of all the running I’ve been doing. 🙂
You all crack me up!
I actually thought healthy carb cravings from running – perfectly normal! You really burn through them when training! 🙂
Butter is high all over I see. Here at the regular stores…ie Target was over 3$!!! I almost fell on the floor! At BJ’s wholesale it is 9$ for 4/package 16lbs I think…. Still kinda high, but will have to check at Aldi’s.
On Aldi’s since my familia are bagel nuts. The cream cheese is tasty, and $1.25 or so down this way. While at even Bj’s and other stores spiking over 2$ a package. Just a tip since I bulk up on that when I take my monthly Aldi’s trip 😀
This is so funny because when I post pictures of shopping trips on my blog, I always feel like people are going to judge me based on what I bought and I’m often making apologies & excuses! 🙂 It’s ok, Crystal – you can buy whatever you want and we’ll still love you.
🙂 I’ve found it’s better to explain things up front than to have people start rumors that I’m pregnant or something… though I didn’t seem to do very well at that despite my efforts this time around!
Paper plates = babies? I feel for you! I love your blog and read you back on Biblical womanhood too. It is sad that people have so much free time to nit pick.
I am thankful I found you years ago. I got my grocery budget under control and was able to learn how to use coupons effectively before my oldest left for college. She is now in Missouri and teaching her friends how to use them. It has made a huge difference for her budget as a college student. She also left for college with a well stocked supply of soap, shampoo, tooth past and all the other essentials courtesy of CVS and Walgreens!
I guess what I am saying is thank you! You have been a huge blessing to me! I pray that God continues to use you to help women and that people cut you some slack when they get ready to say anything negative!
You are very kind. But in all honesty, I don’t think most people are being negative, they are just genuinely curious. I feel loved that so many people take time to care about the little details in my life.
Pretty sure I have the best readers ever… even those of you who think I’m pregnant every three days. 🙂
Oh I feel bad! I did not mean the pregnancy comment was negative and who ever wrote it I hope you don’t think I was saying that! You do seem to have great readers; I was talking more about people that might think badly about you buying paper plates. Anyways, I do enjoy your blog and reading all the comments from the sweet readers! I will go back to lurking now!
Oh Man! I would kill for your grocery prices! Every post I am just amazed at how low the sales are for u. We don’t have any of the grocery stores u mention, but target. We have a Walmart but its horrible. Butter is around 3.50 .. never get fruit so cheap! U r lucky. I live way up in ND
I, too, live in North Dakota, and after reading this blog over the past several months, I no longer think that we can say the cost of living is cheap here. Although our housing prices are reasonable.
Very True! My brother is moving , The cost of living is less, and housing the same.. Pretty crazy 🙂
I lived in ND for 10 years. Although some things are more expensive there, one thing that I really miss is not having to pay sales tax on food. Where we live now (in KS), sales tax is almost 10 percent. That adds a lot to the total cost of our food.
I find it easier to do disposable plates as well when we have large amounts of company. I like to buy my disposables (plates, napkins, utensils) at Party City. I love the colors and the designs – particularly the damask ones!
Mary Ellen
The Working Home Keeper
What are the prices like at Party City? If they are good, I’m going to keep that in mind when I need to buy paper plates again.
For paper plates, the prices range from $3 – $5, depending on size and plate count. I can usually find plates and napkins on markdown at our store as well.
Mary Ellen
That’s awesome! I know you were looking for an awesome cereal deal and I’m stocking up at safeway this week… Family size boxes are $1.99 and then some smaller boxes are $1.49… All f these are brand names so after coupon and doubles i’ll be able to score some for under $1 a box! 🙂
I wish our Aldi had good produce. Half the time ours goes nasty the very next day so I quit going. Tired of returns.
I haven’t had good luck with Aldi either. 🙁 I do tend to get hamburger there, because I can get it about 1.00 less per pound than anywhere else in town. It’s the fatty kind, but I just make sure to drain it and use less than the recipe calls for. Someday I won’t have to scrimp money and can get the nice, lean, organic stuff *sigh*
Ours is like that, too. It’s usually half rotten in the store. But, if you can get an ad from there, Walmart will price match it. That’s what I do for our produce.
Speaking of a rise in the cost of basics like butter, eggs increased in price suddenly here in Cincinnati. I usually pay 99 cents to $1.09 per dozen large but this week they were $1.64. I passed those up and went to Aldi, where eggs were still 79 cents. Then I wondered if it was a prudent use of time and a fraction of my $3.49 gas to drive across the street to Aldi simply to buy eggs.
By the way, Kraft Mayonnaise has a sneaky “Great New Look” label, which means, there is less product in the jar, but a fancy new label. 30 oz now. Might want to check sizes on mayo when you shop, to be sure you get the best buy. The jar looks the same size.
I’m not far from Crystal, and it seems like our milk goes just about parallel with a gallon of gas. So, I’m imagining it will be on it’s way up, which would probably account for the rise in the cost of butter as well.
Butter is one of those ‘not negotiable’ items for our family though, I’d do without cheese before I’d give up our butter and start using margarine.
By the way, if you have a Quik Trip near, like Crystal and I do, do me a favor and check to see if they have the best gas prices where you are, usually they do, and the company supports this hungry family (hah)
I’m not far from Christie, and it seems like our milk goes just about parallel with a gallon of gas. So, I’m imagining it will be on it’s way up, which would probably account for the rise in the cost of butter as well.
Butter is one of those ‘not negotiable’ items for our family though, I’d do without cheese before I’d give up our butter and start using margarine.
By the way, if you have a Quik Trip near, like Christie and I do, do me a favor and check to see if they have the best gas prices where you are, usually they do, and the company supports this hungry family (hah)
I actually DO know your name is Crystal. lol tried to fix it and MEH.
I buy my butter at Costco and pay less something like $1.50/lb – a FAR better deal than anywhere else I’ve seen…even on sale!
PAPER PLATES! I am calling the housewife police, right now, Crystal!
🙂 I hope I bump into this weekend, should be a good show!
*bump into you!
I know prices are higher in my neck of the woods but how I WISH prices on milk and butter were that low! When butter is not on sale it’s regularly $4.99 lb. and milk $4.29 a gallon. Even our sale prices are much higher than your regular prices!! 🙁
This was a timely post! I bought butter @ Sam’s Club today and it has gone up almost $2 in a month. I paid $10.46 for 4 lbs. of butter. I was hoping for a great grocery store sale but considering what I’m reading with all of these comments, I guess that won’t be happening.
Sam’s Club had Milk for $2.19 Wednesday and as others I usually buy my butter at Aldi’s or Walmart for cheap. I didn’t look at Sam’s cost but I am sure it is decent by the bulk if you use it a lot. I have no clue what the deal is with butter prices. Over Christmas (before I knew Aldi’s carried butter) I couldn’t find it on sale anywhere.
I was going to say that-I always buy butter in bulk @ Sam’s. But even there, the price has been crazy. I still have 3 lbs., but last time I purchased it, it was over $10 for 4 lbs-over $2.50/lb. I just switched from Sam’s to Costco-haven’t looked there yet. I guess I may be cutting my cholesterol to save my budget.
I say YAY for caving on oil and paper plates! Cave proudly! 🙂
Is it bad I’m more concerned with butter prices than gas prices? Best of luck getting the strawberries and pineapple!
If you have a Rite Aid near you check them out for milk. $1.99 per gallon & hormone free.
I am in Salt Lake City where milk is under $2 per gallon and I can usually get butter under $2 per lb at Winco with the .55 off Challenge butter coupon. Winco beats Sam’s and Costco on most items. The markdowns at Smith’s have been great also (our Kroger affiliate).
Ok… Alaskan prices
Milk $3.39…. (better deal around town)
Butter $3.19 (store brand)
Chicken $8.00
Apples $3.49 a bag
All these are pretty much sale prices. I shop the commissary and use coupons… It is all brand name which helps..
It sounds like you’re very blessed! I paid $4.35 for a gallon of milk in southern MS today (at a small local grocery store, but even at Walmart it’s $3.85), and butter is $2.50-$3 per pound.
Occasionally I can get milk for $2.99/gallon at Rite Aid but it’s 35 miles from my house so I have to be already in the area for it to be worth the drive with gas prices so high!
I think I’d pass out if I saw dairy prices that low!!
Hey,the disposable plates are ok for special events. Do not let anyone guilt you out ,including you!
My family comes for holidays,we always have 10 folks sleeping here and eating 3 meals a day. I buy disposable cups,plates ,napkins and plastic utinsels on sale when I find them. I put these in a pretty metal holder on my counter and keep it filled. I would rather spend time with loved ones than doing dishes.All other times we use non disposable items. Life is sometimes tradeoffs.
I wish we had an Aldi here in Northern California. When I lived in the UK I used to shop there a lot for basics! I heard the owners of Aldi also own Trader Joes, interesting, huh. I couldn’t live without good old TJs 🙂
The owners are actually brothers, and have different companies because they did not agree on their business philosophy. I definitely like Aldi, but I would trade it for a TJ’s in a heartbeat!
I am shocked! My family moved to SOUTH Mississippi and milk prices are $3.59 gallon. In previoius home state of Ky, milk was always on sale for $1.99. No aldis around here. 🙁 awesome prices for you!
Paper plates and oil are staples in my house! I hope to get some pineapples and strawberries tomorrow too!
That is a great price on butter!!! It must depend where you live!
Meijer milk is $2.29 a gallon btw, great price!
Sigh — I REALLY miss Meijer! We moved to the Kansas City area from Michigan 2 years ago, and there are no Meijer stores here. My extended family all still lives in MI, and my mom often tells me about the great deals on milk (and other things) at Meijer! I also miss coupon doubling…
I love good bargains on butter too! But I’d rather pay enough for my dairy products to keep the dairy farmer in business. I just can’t appreciate imported dairy products! Maybe some of you are not familiar with the milk market but the last couple of years that we’ve been enjoying lower prices on dairy it has actually COST the dairy farmer to ship his milk. Thousands of farmers had to go out of business simply because they didn’t even receive a large enough milk check to cover their expenses to produce milk for us. This isn’t meant to be a rant 🙂 just a friendly reminder that a dairy farmer near you may be having a much more difficult time than someone who is unemployed.
Thank you for appreciating the dairy farmer. My dad is one, and he’s one of the few left around the area in KS that I (and Crystal) live. He definitely does not see any extra money when milk prices go up.
Thank You for posting!! Sometimes people think when dairy prices in the store go up the dairy farmer must be making a killing. Unfortunately with the price of ALL inputs going up this is the only way for us to survive. Thanks again!
Agreed! We live in Minnesota, and I’ve heard the same thing about the recent low dairy prices. Gotta support our farmers!
I love seeing Aldi posts. I’ve been going there for groceries lately and never remember to keep prices/receipts handy when making my next list. We go through a lot of butter here!
Our Aldi’s Milk has been $0.99 since they opened in the DFW area about 6 months ago. LOVE IT!! And scattered Aldi stores (not all) have their bags of sugar for $0.49 and bags of flour (regular and self rising) for $0.69 cents and 1lb boxes of butter (not margarine) for $1.99
Wow! I’m moving to TX! Those are awesome prices. I live in NC and people go nuts if milk is 2.67. I am so jealous!!!
That’s what I was thinking! Those dairy prices in Texas sound incredible!
However, I do know that many parts of Texas don’t have that great of a selection when it comes to grocery stores — at least that what I’ve been told!
I live in north east texas and I paid $2.89 for milk at walmart this week and I thought that was very reasonable. We do have one other local grocery store and its milk runs close to $4.00 a gallon. 🙁 I do however live in a fairly small town with about 5000 people. 🙂
Yes you were told right about Texas.
I live in San Antonio, which I would say is a one of the bigger cities in Texas but as far as grocery stores, we only have HEB. Of course we have Walmart and Super Target too, but it’s not the same.
From what I hear, HEB originated here in SA and ran all the competition out.
After living here now for about 6 months that’s the thing I hate the most….the lack of grocery deals.
Remember that Texas is a big state! I’m in Austin and I just paid 2.48 for 1 lb. butter and 2.78 for gal. milk-store brands. Those prices are less than they have been recently, but around here, the prices fluctuate weekly! I’m not joking-it goes up and down all the time! Same thing with eggs- I never know how much they’re going to be.
And while we have lots of grocery and health food stores around, only one doubles coupons- Randalls, but everything that’s not on sale is very overpriced compared to HEB. Just have to remember to work with what you have! 🙂
I am in Fort Worth and am falling in love with Aldi’s! They forced all the other stores to lower their prices on milk and eggs in our area.
I live in the Austin and we have HEB and Randalls but Sprouts moved in last year and has helped some w/ prices. I am not able to coupon like some of you crazy couponer are but I have to say HEB is starting price is better than most report.
wow! $2.80 for milk?! im in texas and it’s almost always 99 cents at aldi and walmart.
Kenyon, I was just thinking the same thing–wow, we are so lucky to get our milk for 99¢! Walmart went back up to $1.99 so I buy it exclusively at Aldi. I noticed a jump in their butter price too over the past few months (Aldi’s, that is). It was around $1.69, now it’s $2.38. 🙁 We cannot live without butter, and I don’t do the fake stuff!!
I paid $2.99 for butter tonight which was on sale and with a coupon. Regular price was 4.39. I wish I could get is for $2.38. 🙂
Milk $2.80!!!!!!!??? I bought it last week for a $1.89. I tried buy butter last week and was shocked at the price but just opted for the tub kind at .99 cents!
I WISH I could get milk for $2.80! My local store has it at regular price for around $3.68. Sometimes it goes on sale for $3 or so.
my MIL got 7 gallons of milk today for $1 a piece. They were all on manager special- but the sell by date was not until the 13th. I wonder if someone was mistaken when marking things down.
It is not uncommon though in NorthCentral Ohio for milk at Krogers to be $1.99 about every month and a half.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Aldi’s! I can’t believe how much money I save by shopping there (and I don’t have to mess with coupons to save money)!
Crystal,
I met you in the Target produce isle about 3-4 weeks ago on a Saturday night shopping outing! And it was so nice to meet you! Don’t feel bad about the paper plates. I buy the 600 bulk paper plates at Sam’s which last about 3 months at my house. I use them a lot for breakfast and lunches and real plates for dinner. We have a family of 6 and I was forever loading and unloading the dishwasher and my time is worth something so the plates are a little luxury item for me!
It was so fun to meet you, Laura! I wished we could have had more time to chat!
Yes, me too! I would love to chat! Maybe we will run into each other again while we are childless and we can treat ourselves to some Starbucks at Target! With our free Starbucks gift cards of course!!
By the way, what 5K are you training for? (I saw your post the other day!) I have always wanted to do the River Run, but one of my kids usually has a soccer game and I do not want to miss it. My goal is to do a 5K this summer.
Oh, we should plan a coffee date. I’ll email you!
sounds good!
Yes, I’m wondering about the 5K too. My hubby and I were just talking about it. Is the River Run the one they do at Easter time? That’s the one we were thinking about.
Laura – there is another 5k in town on May 7th to benefit “Girls on the Run of Sedgwick County” I’m training for that one (hoping it will be my first 5k that I can jog the whole thing without stopping to walk!)
Good luck to both of you in your training!
I have three small children, and I serve meals on paper plates when DH is out of town- less mess for me when I’m on my own for clean-up duty!
Our butter has been VERY high. Walmart used to have the cheapest butter where I live and it was $2.00. Now it is over $3 at WM. But I don’t like WM butter. It seems too watery when melted. My local grocery store sometimes has butter on sale for $2.98. Regular price is almost $6 for store brand butter!
Wow, y’all get milk and butter cheap. Even at Aldi our milk in central NC is $3.89 per gal. and our butter is $2.49 per lb. I have been going weekly to try and find the corn tortillas but have yet to find them in the past week. Maybe they stopped carrying them 🙁 anyone else had trouble? Maybe they are making all of our tortillas into ethanol.
All food prices are rising rapidly and unfortunately I’m afraid it will continue for quite some time, if not forever.
It’s been going up in Eastern NC, too. We used to have butter at Aldi for about $1.99, and lately it’s been at least $2.39. It’s probably gone up since the last time I bought any. The milk has gone up, but Harris Teeter has it on sale this week!
The lowest that I can get butter is $2.50/lb and that is rare. I appreciate seeing how different grocery prices can vary. It reminds me that it is unfair to compare my grocery budget with others. I need to strive for my personal best and be pleased with that.
Regarding cooking oil, you might try cooking with extra light tasting olive oil. It does not have the expected olive oil taste so it is a good choice for baking muffins, etc. It is more healthful than cooking oils so it may be an excellent choice for your family.
meijer has strawberries 5 for $5.00 right now! great deal!
That means spring is coming! They’re 2 for $4 here, and that’s not too shabby. I’m waiting for 99 cents a carton, then….it’s jam and jelly time!
I think it’s funny you clarified on the paper plates. When I saw them I so thought, “Hmmm…I bet she gets flack for that.” 🙂 Hope you don’t.
I agree on the butter thing, holy cow, it has just been going up and up. I go through so much of it, it’s killing me. Gotta have it though.
I know, we’ve not had butter for about a week and, let’s just say, toast is awful bland without it. 🙂
Yikes, butter sure has gone up! My local IGA has amish butter for 1.99….I think I am gonna go stock up after reading this post!
My goodness, I haven’t been able to get butter here for less than $3.00/lb lately! $2.38 sounds like a great price now to me!
Where do you usually get butter? It’s been so expensive. I’ve been looking for a good deal too. I might just load up the kids and go get strawberries and pineapples too. I didn’t realize they were on sale. Did they mention what time the truck comes in?
I’ve been getting butter at Aldi, but it’s been regularly priced around $1.89 and sometimes on sale for $1.69. I’ve not bought it in awhile and was surprised at how it was!
They weren’t sure when the truck would come in, but said it’d for sure be sometimetomorrow. They did have a sign saying “Limit 2 pineapples per customer”, but it was hand-written so it might have just been for today that they were imposing a limit.
WHAT! 1.89 for butter? *sigh* I live in Wisconsin, and it doesn’t get that cheap, even at Christmastime here.
I wonder how much it is at Aldi…I should probably go since I’m almost out of sugar. That’s another product that’s gone up exponentially, price-wise, in the last year. And don’t get me started on the $3.45 a gallon gas.
Good thing all my HBA/laundry/cleaning products are free or cheap!
Have you tried Kwik Trip? Their butter is reasonable.
@andrea,
where do you live in Wisconsin? Outpost Natural Foods in Milwaukee carries some with an every day price os $2.59. Not super cheap but lower than big box stores and it’s made with hormone free milk.
sams club in kenosha/somers WI has a 4 pk for $8.?? just a little over $2 a lb…well, that was before the price of gas jumped so, maybe it has gone up, as well.
If you can get heavy whipping cream cheap, try using a heavy duty mixer or heavy duty blender to make butter and what doesn’t turn into butter is buttermilk
Dang! Our butter at Aldi has been $2.39 and that’s the cheapest around. We have been getting a gallon of milk there for $2.29 though. I’m nervous about my shopping this week and seeing the jump in prices. yikes.
butter has been hovering around 3.25 in central virginia. saw some for $2 a few weeks ago and bought several pounds.
I miss having an aldi around!!
Butter @ Stop & Shop and @ Shaws in MA is generally 3.99. YUCK!
would you believe i paid 1.49 for butter at aldi just a couple months ago??
I get mine at Sam’s for about $10 for 4 pounds. The 4 pounds, however, is the dangerous part 🙂
Do you freeze it? It freezes really well.
Before we got our milk from a dairy (I make my own butter now) I bought it at Costco which was the cheapest place around.
I wish I could butter for 2.38! Here in so cal the cheapest I can find is 2.47!
Crystal,
I have some free Kashi cereal coupons for any of your readers that could use them but they are good only at Market Basket (or might work at a Publixs since the accept other store coupons)
Just e-mail me if anyone wants them I have 7 and they are good until the end of the first week of April.