Where You Buy Your Groceries Makes a Big Difference in the Final Bill

When I was a kid, my mom shopped at one store, the store closest to our house. Occasionally, if we were already in the shopping center of another grocery store, we might shop there, but generally speaking, it was the neighborhood store.

This was also in the days before Target and Walmart carried groceries, in the days before Amazon even existed, in the days before Trader Joe's even. I know. The dark ages.

Nowadays, I have no end of choices: Albertsons, Ralphs, Vons, Walmart, Sprouts, Trader Joe's, Costco, ALDI, Grocery Outlet, Stater Brothers, and Target are all within a 15-minute drive from my house, with some brands having multiple locations within that radius. Plus, with Amazon Prime and Google Express, I can grocery shop without leaving my house. I have lots of choices.

And which choice I make has a direct impact on my final bill.

Have you ever compared the prices at your different stores? Have you shopped the sales to know which has the best, can't-miss sales? Have you chosen one with the best bottom line or do you pick and choose, shopping from more than one place, but selecting only the best-priced items? Do you choose your shopping based on best location or best coffee bar?

All of these are valid reasons for choosing the grocery store you shop at. Keep this in mind: blinding choosing a store will cost you more money. 

My regular stops include Ralphs, Walmart, Sprouts, Trader Joe's, and Costco, with ALDI and Amazon thrown in for good measure every once in awhile. I don't go to them all every week, but I selectively choose certain items when I do make it to each one. Over the coming weeks, I'll be posting about each of these stores and why I shop there. Watch the blog.

In the meantime, do a quick google maps search and see what options you have. You may be surprised that you could save money just by changing your store.