Well I took few days break. Hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend. It was sure beautiful hear in New York. Beautiful except if you had to fill your gas tank up (lucky me – NO car) or go food shopping.
Since I have not shopped in quite a while, I did my first major summer food shopping. I recorded what ONE person (myself) bought and paid for. Granted a lot of this stuff (especially the non-perishable items) will last a few months – but the meat, produce and dairy will not.
I went to the Food Emporium on Union Square – which is considerably cheaper than the Whole Foods on Union Square, but more expensive than the raunchy and filthy C-Town located over on 1st Ave. The Food Emporium is the closest supermarket to me, with an entrance right down the block on 15th street. Food Emporium is owned by A & P (and you do not want to know what my grandmother used to say about A & P. – and it wasn’t the joke about its merger with Stop & Shop). I would have gone to the Union Square Green Market – but that is only open on Friday and Saturday.
I know to save money the Food Emporium is not the place to got for major shopping. On-line and other markets are better choices. But my time and choices (and ability to carry) were limited.
Here is what I bought: Compare to what you pay. I wil l say that many of these items are up over 10-20% from last summer.
| Thuman Turkey Breast, sliced 1 lb | $8.99 | |
| Diamond Almond Slivers | $5.99 | 10 oz. |
| Friendship Lowfat Cottage Cheese | $3.49 | 16 oz. |
| Philadelphia Cream Cheese | $5.99 | 12 oz. |
| Land O’ Lakes Butter | $5.29 | 1 lb |
| America’s Choice Muenster Cheese | $4.49 | 1 lb |
| Eggs Jumbo Dozen | $2.99 | doz |
| Brown Cow Yogurt | $1.59 | 6 oz. |
| Tropicana Orange Juice | $4.79 | 1/2 gal. |
| America’s Choice Whole Milk | $4.29 | 1 gal. |
| Land O’ Lakes Half and Half | $1.99 | 1 pint |
| Salmon Steak – 1/2 lb. | $5.25 | per lb |
| Tuna – 1/3 lb | $6.50 | |
| 2 Rolls Bounty – 75 2 ply | $4.99 | |
| 6 pack Scott Toilet Paper | $6.99 | |
| America’s Choice Spring Water | $3.19 | 2.5 gal |
| Goya Split Peas | $1.09 | 1 lb |
| Minute Rice Box | $3.29 | 14 oz. |
| Newman’s Mango Salsa | $3.39 | 16 oz. |
| Fancy Feast – 4 cans | $3.00 | 3 oz. |
| Corona Light Beer – 6 pk Bottles | $9.99 | |
| Ocean Spray Ruby Red Grapefruit | $5.29 | 64 oz. |
| Kozy Shack Rice Pudding | $3.99 | 22 oz. |
| Fantastik Cleaner | $4.19 | 1 qt. |
| Cascade Dishwasher Detergent | $4.19 | 45 oz. |
| Pepperidge Farm Choc Chip Cookies | $3.19 | 8.6 oz. |
| Maxwell House Ground Coffee | $5.49 | 11.5 oz. |
| Honey Nut Cheerios | $6.99 | 17 oz. |
| Barillan Angel Hair Pasta | $1.98 | 1 lb |
| Campbell’s Tomato Soup Can | $1.29 | 10.75 oz |
| Classico Tomato Basil Marinara | $3.99 | 26 oz. |
| Rao’s Pasta Sauce | $9.49 | 24 oz. |
| Bumble Bee Solid White Tuna in water | $2.19 | 6 oz. |
| Hunts Diced Tomatos can | $1.79 | 14.5 oz |
| Jello – box | $1.09 | 3 oz. |
| Mott’s Organic Apple Sauce | $3.79 | 24 oz. |
| Perdue Drumsticks – 2 lbs | $3.20 | |
| Bell & Evans Chicken Breast = 3/4 lb. | $5.28 | |
| Hebrew National Kosher Beer Franks | $5.29 | 12 oz. |
| Sirloin Tip Steak – 1.2 lbs | $7.25 | |
| Thin Boneless Veal – 4 oz. | $5.62 | |
| Thuman Bacon | $5.99 | 1 lb. |
| Rolls – Sesame – 4 | $2.76 | |
| Canada Dry Ginger Ale | $1.89 | 2 liters |
| Diet Pepsi | $1.89 | 2 liters |
| Chips Ahoy Original Choc Chip | $5.29 | 18 oz |
| Triscuits | $4.19 | 9.5 oz |
| Heinz Ketchup | $2.29 | 24 oz. |
| Hellman’s Light Mayonnaise | $4.99 | 30 oz. |
| Domino Sugar | $1.99 | 2 lbs |
| Colavita Olive Oil – Extra Virgin | $8.99 | 17 oz. |
| Pam Spray Olive Oil | $4.59 | 5 oz. |
| Wonder Bread Whole Wheat | $3.49 | 24 oz. |
| Stroehman’s Potato Bread | $3.49 | 22 oz. |
| Levy’s Rye Bread | $3.49 | 16 oz. |
| Avocado – 2 | $5.38 | |
| Fresh Express Bay Spinach | $3.99 | 6 oz. |
| Green Pepper – 1.3 lb | $4.69 | |
| Beefsteak Tomatoes – 2 lbs | $6.98 | |
| Braeburn Apples – 3 lbs | $7.45 | |
| Canteloupe | $4.49 | |
| California Navel Oranges | $4.00 | for 3 |
| POM Pomegranite Juice | $4.99 | 16 oz. |
| America’s Choice Frozen Broccoli Spears | $1.29 | 10 oz. |
| Lean Cuisine | $4.69 | 9 oz |
| Polaner All Fruit Jam | $2.69 | 10 oz. |
| Edy’s Vanilla Ice Cream | $7.49 | 1.5 qt |
| Haagen Dazs Coffee | $4.39 | 1 pint |
| $301.00 |
Yep, $300 bucks. I wonder if the McCains ever see a food bill – or care how much it cost. I realize Manhattan prices are higher on everything – but still have to live, eat and survive. I would be that the Alpo and Fancy Feast might start seeing there sales go up quite a bit.
and as for Supermarket Sweep – the game show from the 60’s and the 90’s – they need to bring it back — and head for any aisle, and bring an armed guard.
Distributorcap 
Holy crap. The mere mention of that C-Town scares the hell out of me.Be afraid.The prices are not that much higher than up here I must tell you.It is scary.
By: FranIAm on May 28, 2008
at 1:41 am
What about Gristedes? Oddly, the head of the family that owns that filthy chain wants to run as a democrat for mayor. Wonder how he gets people to vote for him when anyone who has ever been in a Gristedes remembers that smell they all have. You know, like someone dropped a steak and forgot to pick it up. Three weeks ago. Oi.
By: pissed in NYC on May 28, 2008
at 2:43 am
That’s a lot of $$$. Today, I went to Walmart (What the fuck was I doing?) because I had to buy a pool filter for that damn pool project. I bought ground Maxwell house 34.5 oz for $5.00. I really had shopping at there. They don’t have the variety of product like they do at Kroger, Publix or Ingles.
By: Mathman6293 on May 28, 2008
at 3:08 am
Hey Cap;Thanks. I needed to see that total to put me in perspective. I went shopping with my wife for a month now, thinking that the $300 that I budget for the three of us a week was enough.Not really. We hardly by meat. Fish, yes as it is cheaper than meat up here.I wonder how the working stiff who’s household income is the national average, can cut it with all the other things he has to pay.
By: Robert Roels on May 28, 2008
at 4:30 am
holy crap, dcAp! (ooh! i made a little rhyme!!)prices are high here, but i could still do your shopping for you and fly up to deliver it cheaper than what you paid for it. if i lived up there, i would have to live on the cat food. maybe a slice of day-old bread once or twice a month. funny how you can learn about someone just by looking at his/her shopping list. for example, i learned that you are definitely not lactose intolerant, dcAp!
By: nonnie9999 on May 28, 2008
at 6:16 am
OMG .75 cents for a can of fancy feast? You are paying at least three to five times as much for items we are buying. I go up to the States bi-weekly and hit Vons and Henry’s. Mike hits Albertsons, we only buy salsa, veggies and fabuloso here although yogurt is a deal. I coupon everything I cook everything and wait for sales, my god Dcap, that list and those prices just blows my mind. Which reminds me, I need to go check the sales at Vons, Henry’s and Albertsons on line.
By: Marjorie on May 28, 2008
at 6:17 am
OMG you are not going to like this at all, but just checked Henry’s – that is the only place I’ll buy meat because it is chemical and hormone free: sirloin steak on sale is 3.99/#, ground sirloin is 2.99/# and boneless chicken breast are 1.79/# (for enchiladas) Foster Farm bonein chicken breasts are 1.29/#. Eggs are two cartons for 3.00 and a big coffee 33 oz. (Yuban) is on sale at Vons for 6.99. Orange juice is on sale at Albertson’s for 2.50 a carton. Unfortunately no whole fryers on sale this week, and I bake one (about 5 #) everyother day for the doggies. Wow, New York is really expensive, unfreakinbelievable. And I thought WE were being screwed to death.And you know what, it’s going to get worse.
By: Marjorie on May 28, 2008
at 6:53 am
Avocado – 2: $5.38Are you kidding me with this?At Wegmans, Avocados are 2 for $4.00, or $2.00 a piece. Unless you’re making a shitload of money, I don’t see how people afford NYC.Aren’t there farmers markets for produce?
By: Christopher on May 28, 2008
at 10:56 am
There are only a couple of things on your list that I have recently bought and seems your prices on those things are a bit higher.We bought groceries Saturday and Mr Pop commented that it was the highest grocery bill we had ever had. We haven’t hit the big 300 yet though. We shop at Publix supermarket and could perhaps do better at Wal-mart but I will starve before I will enter that damned place.
By: pissed off patricia on May 28, 2008
at 12:25 pm
Ice cream? You members of the unwashed masses don’t need ice cream! Back to the salt mines with ye!Only Bush could make a trip to the supermarket worse.
By: Randal Graves on May 28, 2008
at 12:31 pm
C-Town. Barrrrf.I have this little Spanish market down the street from me that I usually go to. It’s fairly clean and all, but there are only like 5 aisles so there isn’t a lot of stuff to choose from. Of course, I live right across from a Costco, but no matter what day/time I go in there it’s a complete madhouse so I just stay away. These are the reasons I generally eat cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
By: BeckEye on May 28, 2008
at 2:00 pm
Wow, that is unbelievable. I buy a lot of the same things, and if I bought exactly that list here (Silver Spring, Maryland, not exactly the best example of low cost of living), it would cost about $200…still not cheap. (Kozy Shack rice pudding…mmmm)
By: CDP on May 28, 2008
at 2:08 pm
Except for the meat and fish prices are about 1/2 of what you reported out here.
By: Demeur on May 28, 2008
at 9:58 pm
Holy cow, I just bought a medium sized avocado for 69 cents.I’d say the prices in NYC are 30-40% higher than what I pay in Texas.I won’t replicate your whole list but here are some comparisons:Land O’ Lakes butter: $2.50 lb.Philly Cream cheese: $1.59Corona 6-pack: $5.99Cheerios: $2.99Canteloupe: $1.49Haagen Dazs Coffee: $2.98Fancy Feast: .49 per canBumble Bee tuna: .99 canApples: $1. lbLemons 5/$1.Huge watermelon: $4.9924 12 oz. bottles Ozarka Spring Water: $5.I’ve finally found one category where Texas kicks NYC’s ass.Oh, and Scott toilet paper runs me about $2.98 for a four-pack.
By: karenzipdrive on May 29, 2008
at 12:24 am
wow, good prices on butter, cream cheese and fancy feast Karen. Maybe we should send these east coasters care packages of avocados, I have them coming out of my ears. Good on toast with a little salt & pepper and a dash of red vinegar.(<;
By: Marjorie on May 29, 2008
at 1:46 am
Looks pretty good. When’s dinner?
By: One Fly on May 29, 2008
at 2:30 am
I’d send him avocados in a heartbeat but the price of shipping would put them at the same price point he pays for them.
By: KarenZipdrive on May 29, 2008
at 3:35 pm
Holy shit Batman…how much for Philly Cream cheese? That is highway robbery dude. My condolences DCap.
By: Dusty on May 29, 2008
at 11:38 pm
Btw…As a former resident of Boston…the mere mention of Stop and Shop makes my blood run cold.
By: Dusty on May 29, 2008
at 11:39 pm
Diet Pepsi? I can’t support that purchase at any price. Not enough SUGAR! And now I’m wondering what your grandma used to say about A&P!
By: Dale on May 30, 2008
at 12:53 am
yes — $2.69 for a friggin avocado — i wonder if a car could run on themi normally do no shop at FE — TOO EXPENSIVE — i will hold my nose and go to C Town or Met Food to get paper goods and cleaners — sometimes i order online from Fresh Direct — they actually arent as expensive. and they deliver.i so convinced there will be a run on Alpo very soon
By: Distributorcap on May 30, 2008
at 12:54 am
D-Cap how did you get all those groceries home without a car?
By: karenzipdrive on May 30, 2008
at 11:57 am
I’m not surprised. Our food bill skyrocketed in April. It might be that our kids are eating more, but I think prices have simply gone up.
By: Grant Miller on June 4, 2008
at 9:49 pm