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We have a roundup this week from our writer Dorothy Scott about the best places to score lower prices on groceries.
The cost of food has been rising for most of the past six years, but I’m sure no one needs to tell you that.
I shop at Fry’s because, of the two stores closest to me, it seems to be cheaper and provides easy pickup. I also stop at the Los Altos Ranch Market mentioned in the story for certain ingredients—their guac is my favorite!
To save on produce, I’ve hit up the Farm Express Mobile Market that comes to my neighborhood every other week.
What are your go-to stores for grocery shopping? Do you have any strategies for saving?
Here’s what you said:
💬 “I shop at Bashas in Kingman AZ. Prices are all about the same as others stores but way less crowds. Best meat sales are Wednesday but still affording meat is an issue.” — Steve W.
💬 “Winco! Wish there were more of them in the South Tempe/Ahwatukee area!” — Christie B.
💬”We usually shop at Safeway or Albertsons because of their weekly ad deals. This past week, they were running a deal for a dozen eggs for $0.47! They also have $5 deals Fridays through Sundays that are usually awesome. I think using the weekly ad as your shopping guide can save people a ton of money. Just be sure to get the app and clip the digital coupons within the app.” — Sarah L.
💬 “American Discount Foods. Southern and Longmore are side streets. Very reasonable!” – Teresa L.
💬 “I read your article about food prices, and some of the best places to shop are American Discount Foods, and there is a farm to table fresh produce for a large box that only cost $16. C.A.M.P produce.” — Sandy S.
💬 “I saw the email about grocery prices and thought I’d share that most of the local chains (Fry’s, Basha’s, Albertson’s/Safeway) give shoppers over age 55 a 10% discount the first Wednesday of the month. You have to sign up at the guest counters to register and have a loyalty card. The stores will also honor any coupons, so extra savings! Sadly, Trader Joe’s and Sprouts don’t participate. I guess we will see if Aldi’s and Whole Foods will. I don’t know about Walmart since I don’t shop there.” — Ruth Ann M.
💬 “Aldi has had consistently better pricing than Safeway or Fry’s in my experience. I will clip Safeway coupons and stop in only to buy those items or loss leaders (they had pork butt for 97c lb last week) that makes 8 meals for us. They will also have 99c chicken thighs or breast from time to time. Also- creative hack- you can sign up for their ‘health’ programs, connect your fitness tracker, set health goals etc and you earn points that can be redeemed for coupons (like $10 off $30 meat purchase) or free items like a carton of almond milk or berries. For produce, the best prices around are at Food City– you can typically get red / green peppers 2/$1, everything is less there and fresh. Plus, they have a huge variety of Mexican peppers! We are retired so I have the time to go to different stores. Walmart is a decent backstop for ‘good’ prices when there Aldi doesn’t have something- plus I can get free grocery delivery from them with my Walmart plus membership.” — Lea C.
💬 “We’re definitely a multi-store household! Our approach is less about loyalty and more about matching the store to the need. For ready-to-go meals, freezer finds, or fresh flowers,Trader Joe’s is our first stop. When we need items that fit our specific dietary needs, Sprouts is the go-to. For a regular grocery run, Fry’s is hard to beat — solid prices and a wide enough selection that we rarely come up empty-handed. And when time is short, Walmart delivery gets the job done without the trip. On the flip side, we tend to steer clear of Whole Foods and AJ’s — they add up fast, especially for a smaller family. And even though Safeway and Bashas are closer to home, we’ve consistently found the prices feel higher than Fry’s, the produce doesn’t seem to last as long, and the store designs are outdated. When we need to stock up on snacks, produce in bulk, or household staples, Costco makes sense — just not for every run. So I guess our strategy is: know what you’re going for and pick the store that does that thing best!” — Nathan L.
💬 “If you live in Mesa or the East Valley, Superstition Ranch Farmer’s Market has two locations for excellent prices on produce. You will want to shop whatever is in season and plan some meals around those items. They do have a limited selection of frozen foods and dairy also. Huge selection of jams, locally made breads, spices, and salsa too. Another good Mesa market would be American Discount Foods, also two locations. Some produce only at the main location in west Mesa, but prices are excellent. What they have will vary from week to week, but you can save all the time. Good selection of dairy, refrigerated items, shelf-stable, and frozen foods. Sign up for their weekly email and you will get $5 off your first purchase. They have been stocking more gluten free, organic, and other specialty items lately. And of course, there is always my twice monthly pickup order from Fry’s! A $35 purchase allows you to have them pick and pack your groceries, then bring to your car for no fee. And download the coupon to your account, then shop on Fridays for 4x Fuel points. Lately they have been giving me a free item every so often, like a carton of oat milk or a bag of pretzels. Their prices seem to be less than most other grocery stores, and their own brands are very good for store brands.” — Peg A.
