More goes into which grocery store you frequent most than who has the widest variety – though that is quite important. However, location, hours, selection and all sorts of other factors can also come into play.
So I expect that there will be a wide variety of opinion on this topic, since I have to assume we all live at least slightly different lives, but it will still interesting to hear what everyone has to say!
gm
Curious
J_T
lumpintheroad
Macarolina
Nittany313
BenJT
Keith F
brianc
brianc
Macarolina
brianc
Juanito
Juanito
Swillard
Latest from Decaturish
I go back and forth between Dekalb Farmer’s Mkt and the Publix on North Decatur. Honestly I don’t love either but the Farmer’s Mkt is the best deal for the money and Publix is pleasant to shop and is the most convenient for things I need that Farmer’s Mkt does not carry.
DeKalb Farmer’s Market, hands down. I go there for all my veggies and usually end up spending way less than I would at Publix and Kroger. Also, the produce quality is infinitely better. I go to baby Kroger when DFM is closed. Publix is a pain in the ass to get to and it’s hard to get back out onto Clairmont Road when you’re done.
I split my money between YDFM, Baby Kroger, and Candler Park Market, with the lion’s share going to YDFM with the caveat that if you lack patience with other humans, you’ll either learn it there or be booked for second degree murder.
YDFM for all produce, nuts, rice and cool things like wasabi green peas.
Publix for weekly BOGOs.
Buford Highway Farmer’s Market every other week or so for things we can’t get at YDFM (like more Asian specialty variety and fresh tortillas).
Patak every few weeks to stock up on meat.
Kosher Kroger for everything else, sticking mostly to store brands unless there are good coupons or deals on name brands.
Wow JT, we are shopping twins!
Ooh! Been wondering where to get fresh tortillas. We’ve been making them ourselves, but I’m frequently too lazy to do it, and they come out all misshapen when I do muster the energy.
Exactly what J_T said (which sort of scares me, but whatever).
It’s OK. I scare myself, too!
I divide my shopping between YDFM (for produce, beer, wine, and anything ethnic) and Big Kroger. I’ve shopped at Publix plenty, and it’s the more pleasant shopping experience, but Kroger is cheaper so I suck it up and buy groceries (and get gas) there. Once every five or six weeks I hit Costco at Brookhaven for what my kids refer to as “$400 worth of snacks”.
I miss Webvan.
Webvan’s arrival coincided with the arrival of our daughter. Man, that was sweet. Baby falls asleep, hop on the computer and, 20 minutes later, the grocery shopping’s done.
It needs to come back. Not because it’s a viable model, which it clearly wasn’t, but for my own personal convenience. As well as, presumably, yours.
http://fresh.amazon.com/welcome;jsessionid=1088D10B24D750C6D8D797256059B8BF
I remember signing up for Webvan at roughly the same time as I signed up for Netflix. However many years later I’m still a Netflix loyalist, but if Webvan were to reappear I wouldn’t even consider signing up again. The process just didn’t appeal to me. I’ve realized over the years that I actually like grocery stores and farmers markets. The ONLY thing I liked about Webvan was not having to haul stuff from the car to the front door.
Yes, I liked it. I didn’t have the child issue but I was working a lot of hours. And traveling a lot. Planning the week’s menu and then firing off my shopping list to Webvan? From my office? Or a New Jersey hotel room? It was a great service.
Also had a baby and Webvan experience. It was heaven. I’d sign up again. We have some standard staples that we buy week after week after week and there’s times when life is crazy and not having to go to the store to get the same boring staples would be great. But this type of service is of course not good if you want to pick out just the right grapes or other produce or cut of meat.
I also shop at Publix and YDFM. I get produce mostly at YDFM and everything else at Publix. People always tell me that Kroger is cheaper than Publix but Publix is clean, well-lit and the employees are always nice. Kroger is too big, there’s always displays in the aisles that get in the way and the employees aren’t as nice. But one caveat: I love the pharmacy at Kroger, which is where we get all our prescriptions filled. The pharmacists are great and the staff are very helpful.
I have my issues with YDFM and I refuse to go on the weekends when it’s so crowded. But their produce is good and well-priced. I’m looking forward to their expansion and hope it helps with the overcrowding. I’m probably also still scarred from my childhood experiences when YDFM was located at Medlock where Woodshed is now. I’d go with my Mom shopping and leave completely stressed. It was so loud and chaotic. I used to call it the United Nations market.
I don’t find it hard to get to Publix. I take Clairemont there and when I leave, I always turn right onto North Decatur and then take Superior across Scott and then cut through to Church. I am very careful to drive slow through the Great Lakes neighborhood, though, as I can’t stand it when people speed through Winnona Park when using it as a cut-through.
As a Great Lakes resident — thanks!
YDFM for almost all food, Kroger for stuff like dish soap and Coke Zero that I can’t get at YDFM, Publix when something I like is on sale, plus a monthly sojourn to Trader Joe’s for “convenience foods” and toiletries.
With four mouths to feed and a semi-tight budget we prefer the ALDI on Memorial for nearly all our basics. Any remaining gaps (beer, Aretha Frankenstein pancake mix, Indian spices, etc…) get filled at the various other local options.
Big fan of ALDI! And YDFM.
Being that the query in the title is “Best grocery store for the money?” …..there is really only one answer: Aldi. Probably will save 35% over Publics and 20% over the hated Walmart. It also happens that I prefer the Aldi house brands over the the house brands at any other store. The only bad item I know of at Aldi is coffee (I hate it).
I am also lucky in that I prefer “Two Buck Chuck” over most other wines that cost four times as much.
Yup, Aldi house brands are very good in comparison to other stores.
Publix for bread. YDFM for veggies, spices, and cheese. Costco for coffee and wine. Trader Joes for convenience food. Big Kroger for pre-dinner small runs and gas. (I think I grocery shop almost every single day.)
Ditto.
Always fun making 80 lists for 80 different stores!
Before babies and living on the east side of the square, it was YDFM, Baby Kroger and occasional voyages to Costco. After babies and moving to the west side of the square it’s YDFM, North Decatur Publix, and slightly more frequent trips to Costco. And we try to hit the Decatur Farmer’s Market every so often.
Incidentally, we get most of our beef and pork from Tink’s at the Decatur Farmer’s Market (the dear price encouraging us to indulge in it less frequently and feeling better about the quality and taste and sourcing when we do).
Re Costco: Is there any scenario in which it’s worth it for a couple with no kids who live in a condo to join? I’ve been considering trying it for a while now. We meet friends in Brookhaven fairly often, so we’re in the area anyway. And I do know at least one single person who shops there, though she has a dog and a house.
If you drink coffee like we do and demand decent bean coffee, then that pays for the Costco membership in itself. If you entertain a big group, even once or twice a year, that’s another bonus. And if you like wine, then Costco has very good quality wines at good prices. Much better selection than YDFM.
Thanks for the info. We do go through a fair amount of wine (4-6 bottles a month), so that might be reason enough.
If 4-6 bottles of wine a month is a “fair amount” then we must be guzzlers.
Ha! Of course, we also drink beer at home and eat out at least twice a week, otherwise we’d probably go through more.
I don’t think it does make sense brianc. You will be tempted to buy stuff that you don’t really need just because Costco had a great price….we just joined this year – and have 1 kid and lots of storage. I still don’t buy much food there (at least not produce) as we could never go through it all. I buy their organic milk – it is about the same price as the Greenwise at Publix. I think we save $1-2 per 1.5 gallon. I pick it up because I am there for other things and would not make a special trip for the milk savings. I have been happy with their meat selection and quality, which I was not expecting. Just find a friend with a membership and go twice a year with them – no need to join. I can see us utilizing more of their food department should our family grow.
I agree that Costco can be a dangerous place to shop if you allow yourself to get sucked into impulse buys of things you KIND OF need, but consider buying at a really good price. But if you can go in with a list of staples you need, it is great. We rarely buy perishables from there – instead we buy things we know we will use at some point and keep stores in the basement and freezer (cereal, paper products, chicken breast, pork loin, etc.).
If you wear glasses, Costco will save you $200-300 per pair of glasses for the same quality. No joke – that alone justifies the cost of the membership.
We use our Sam’s Club membership for Milk Bones, toilet paper and paper towels. There’s really nothing else there that I can’t buy in smaller quantities for about the same (or less) per unit cost.
We use the in-law’s Costco membership for dog food (the Costco grain-free stuff is a great deal). The in-laws buy their meat there but I prefer to drive to Patak’s or buy smaller quantities at Kroger or Publix.
I had memberships to both at various times when I was single and living in an apartment and I hardly ever used either one.
I’ve heard you can buy the Red Lobster biscuits frozen at Sam’s Club. But that’s probably a reason for me NOT to consider joining Sam’s Club.
The also sell frozen McRib-like patties too!
You might try to go in on a membership with someone, that would definitely make it worthwhile. We buy eggs and cheese there, sometimes snacks, but my father (its his business membership we are on) buys gas there every week and has been known to purchase large electronic items. If you have kids to buy gifts for – especially the under 6 crowd – they’ve got great deals on Toys and exclusive sets around Christmas. It’s come in handy with the nieces, nephews and foster kids in our extended family and that alone might be worth the price of membership if I didn’t already have one.
I’m a single person w/ limited storage space and I have found a Costco m’ship to be well worth it for coffee alone. The other big item I’ve saved on over the years is contact solution (although I don’t need that any more). The quantities of fresh food are usually too big for me. But I do buy canned goods and paper goods. Bought my current smart phone there (after shopping around, it was the best deal at the time on what I wanted). For several years pre-Kindle I bought 90% of my books there (trade paperbacks at 40% off but not at all locations–I’ve mainly used Brookhaven & Sandy Springs stores). Also, I frequently find great deals on seasonal items — space heater, beach umbrella, sweaters in the wintertime, shorts in the summer. This summer I found a pair of J49 (J46?) shoes for under $30 (they retail for $70-80). Loved them so much, went back the next week & b0ought the other color. So, I go about every 5-7 weeks with a basic list and then forage a bit.
Of course, the down side is winding up with individual rolls of paper towels, etc. stuffed in odd corners all over the house!
Oh, the other big benefit is prescriptions. I don’t have insurance coverage for meds any more and the Costco Online Pharmacy has the best prices on two things that I take. And they have free shipping if you can wait a few days. (Be aware they are a totally separate operation from any of the stores.)
Since the Little Kroger gets absolutely no respect, I would like to add:
- I can find everything within a few footsteps, including great wine
- The people there are the most friendly and helpful of any grocery store
- They carry “progressive” items you can’t get at the big Kroger, i.e. natural cured bacon
- Easy parking, right-sized carts
- Better beef than YDFM
- It has morphed from Big Star, A&P, Harris Teeter, to Kroger. If only we could reinvent ourselves so easily. The Harris Teeter upscale look is retained in the beer section.\
- It’s a poor man’s ATM (pull out $100) with any purchase
- And to reiterate, no 10K to reach the dairy cooler at 11 pm.
Baby Kroger is great once you start conceptualizing it as a highly expanded convenience store rather than a highly condensed supermarket. I stop there on the way home from YDFM if I’m craving one of the 3 flavors of Ben & Jerry’s that they stock.
Great minds think alike…
3 flavors? I’ve never seen more than two – Cherry Garcia (yuck) and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (meh) and that’s on a good day. The gas station on Howard has a better selection.
do not blaspheme the Cherry Garcia! the gods of full fat ice cream do not like it and they will leave you only ice milk and fro-yo! REPENT!
Even though we don’t get there a quarter as often as we did when we lived half a block away, I will fervently defend this little store against its many detractors. The small size makes it easy to find stuff, the staff always remembered us by name and when my wife was pregnant would chat with her about how it was going and later dote on our twins (more impressively, they’d ask me how she and they were doing when I was there by myself).
And though it’s not exactly a mecca of organic foods, they do a surprisingly good job of stocking some key unique items/brands that we always rely on (they’re where I discovered the ambrosia that is Graeter’s ice cream and still return for it). It almost feels like a hybrid convenience store/grocery store — ease of getting in and out of the former with the selection of the latter.
I’m on board the Baby Kroger train, too. I know what they have/don’t have, so I’m rarely disappointed in their limited stock. Also, I’m always pleasantly surprised by how quickly the line moves, due to the seven registers.
I use the store often, and I love its location and ample parking.
You can’t imagine how wonderful it is to frequent an actual Graeters, where they have not only a full selection of ice cream, but baked goods and candy, too. It is a true bakery and ice cream parlor in one, and only 500 miles away. Would love to see something like it in Decatur, and a Skyline Chili, too!
Disagree on little Kroger having better beef(I’m assuming meat/protein as a whole) than YDFM. You won’t find a better product than Eden Farms berkshire pork at any grocery store in town. And their deli section is fantastic, imo. Their in house meats – turkey/roast beef. etc are better than any store brand or Boar’s Head.
Baby Kroger is the perfect place to visit when you need 2-3 items and don’t want to end up with a cart full of tantalizing-but-unnecessary stuff. For culinary treasure hunts, I head for YDFM, Patel Brothers, and H Mart.
Funny this topic came up, as I was helping with an ESL class yesterday and this was the topic used for a lesson. The consensus was YDFM, with a few mentions for Kroger (zero mentions for Whole Foods or Trader Joes).
Personally, I’d go with YDFM for the money, but the experience is such a pain that I find it difficult to motivate myself to head over there very often. So I mostly stick to the places I can walk to: Baby Kroger, the weekly Decatur Farmers Market, and occasionally Sawickis. I also make it to the Tucker Farmers Market (Thursdays) about once a month, since other business carries me in that direction anyway. It’s a pretty good one, arguably better than Decatur’s for produce.
Well, I’d say Trader Joe’s… but there’s not one in Decatur…. yet.
Don’t know if you are being sarcastic but my family truly has some favorite Trader Joes items that you cannot find elsewhere. Alas, I rarely get that way lately. But a bite to eat at Metro Fresh, a movie at the Landmark, and shopping at Trader Joes is a nice evening out.
Meat Masters on Candler Road.
Tell me about it.
YDFM like everyone else said for veggies, fruit, beer/wine, fish etc. Big Kroger for canned stuff and LaCroix water, which my husband is addicted to. Target for paper products. And Trader Joes for snacks.
Not related to grocery shopping but I saw a swarm of police cars (about 7 marked and 3 unmarked ) in a rush down Clairmont and I think turned on North Decatur. This happened about 125pm today. Does anyone know what’s going on?
Another vote for Aldi, I cannot get everything there but great for basics and produce can be surprisingly good as well. Great to stock up on chips, canned items, anything pantry related, baking supplies etc. Trader Joe’s has great (borrowing this) “convenience foods” at better prices, feta, higher end produce, salami, chicken sausages, champagne. Totally agree on the Publix v. Kroger points and split between those depending on sales.
Did y’all know that Aldi’s and Trader Joe’s are very cloesely related?
No! Could you tell us more about that?
Both are owned by Germany’s Albrecht family.
There is a recent article in Time about this: How Two German-Owned Sister Supermarket Brands Became Hot Trendsetters in the U.S. Read more: http://business.time.com/2013/07/29/how-two-german-owned-sister-supermarket-brands-became-hot-trendsetters-in-the-u-s/#ixzz2bseT78Qb
That is one of the primary reasons I giggle at the ‘Wal Mart is big and evil and Trader Joe’s is ok’ mentality.
I’m a diehard Big Kroger fan and have been loyal to them ever since they opened. However, I’ve gotten to where I spend far more at YDFM than at Kroger these days. I shop only once a week and always on Sundays–yes, I go to YDFM every single Sunday. It’s the most challenging thing I do all week, so I feel good when I get it out of the way before the week starts.
Also Bruce–Big Kroger does indeed have natural cured bacon. But I usually get my bacon at YDFM anyway.
Also buy my beef at Tink’s. YDFM prices on beef have gone up–again.
As somebody whose grocery shopping habits were largely shaped by his first apartment being a sixth floor walkup on the Upper East Side two blocks from the nearest D’ags or Sloan’s (never more than a sixpack), I tend to make far too many trips to the supermarket even now that I’m a homeowner with a car and generous storage space. I bring something home for dinner, and the bride says, “What did you bring for tomorrow night?” My wife and I love the East Lake Publix. Friendly and responsive staff, clean, well stocked, and a rainbow of a clientele.
We make an occasional run to the Hipster Kroger for its large meat department, great cheese shop, and the wine selection.
We share a Costco membership with a friend for toilet paper, paper towels, wine, and the free samples in the aisles.
So there is the Baby Kroger, the Big Kroger, the Disco Kroger, and now the Hipster Kroger (I assume Edgewood).
I’m afraid to know what the Ponce Kroger next to Green’s is called.
The most (in)famous of them all: Murder (she) Kroger(ed).
Toco’s Kosher Kroger = Krosher
When I lived in midtown in the 90′s, I heard it called Killer Kroger. If I remember correctly, it used to have a driver’s license renewal office there. Get your suitcases of Budweiser and re-up your license while you’re at it. Oh, the good old days!!
For a few years, several Krogers had driver’s license renewal counters. Would be great to have those again since online renewal is no more (or the last I checked it was no more, maybe it’s changed again).
Years and years ago, we called it the Ghetto Kroger. And don’t forget the Ansley Kroger and the Ga Tech Kroger.
The Kroger on Moreland south of I-20 is popularly known as Ghetto Kroger. There is a Murder Kroger song that you can find on Youtube.
The Ansley Kroger has a nickname that I’ll get moderated for saying here.
No mention of the Disco Kroger?
Also known as Freddy Kroger.
Murder Kroger
Hmmm. No mention of Oakhurst Market…
i head to OM when i’m in a bind for a quick high quality protein or a prepared side, but here’s some skinny that helps with other last minute needs:
often i go in and don’t find what i need–say, cream cheese, rice, herbs . . . since they do a good amount of in-house prep of dishes, almost any ingredient they use in their kitchen, they’ll sell you a container or portion of—all you have to do is ask one of the guys behind the meat counter, and they’ll check on it.
I have had so many different grocery patterns. Years where I couponed hardcore and hit YDFM, Kroger, and Publix, and CVS weekly. Years where I split my time between YDFM and whichever grocery store struck my fancy. At this point in my life I have three little kids and two of them are with me about 90% of the time, so I do most of my shopping at Costco. We finally have a big enough family that it makes sense. I go about once a month, stuff my cart to the brim, and spend about $400. I usually have to fill in with a couple of small trips to Aldi and/or Kroger/Publix. For example, if I am making a recipe that requires breadcrumbs I will get them at Aldi because whatever size they sell at Costco would be a lifetime supply for me. But for bread, fruit, peanut butter, meat, frozen items, paper towels, honey, olive oil, etc etc Costco is, for me, where it’s at.
I shop at Whole Foods. It is not as expensive as everyone thinks if you treat it like a grocery store and not a gourmet shop. I do not spend money at YDFM because of their policies toward and treatment of employees, including a refusal to provide healthcare and a living wage. The insurance issue actually appeared in a newspaper article reproduced here a couple years ago.Many of the long-term employees of the Ponce Whole Foods as well as Briarcliff are former employees of the YDFM and have told me horror stories.
Beans, grains, and dried fruits from the dispensers are not too expensive, and since you buy only what you need, no waste. Also, as a former employee, I can say firsthand that they’re good to their people.
We end up hitting Whole Foods (ooh, the 20% wine sale is soon) primarily because the Petco by Hipster Kroger doesn’t carry the insanely expensive kitty litter we use and we have to stop at PetsMart now and then. We usually buy a couple of pieces of meat on sale and some produce. I like some of the natural shampoos, soap, and shave cream they sell too. And you can have a pint of beer while you’re shopping. They carry some other things we really like such as Nancy’s biscotti and Big Daddy gourmet dog biscuits ( we don’t own a dog. Don’t ask). And thanks for giving me one more opportunity to mention that I absolutely hate YDFM, as much for the management as for the insane crowds and the insane store policies. And the smell.
“…and Big Daddy gourmet dog biscuits ( we don’t own a dog. Don’t ask).”
I know you said don’t ask, but I’m going to anyway. Because I’d love to know who’s eating the dog biscuits.
We stop and visit a few yard dogs on our Sunday morning walk through our neighborhood. I’ve tried the Big Daddy peanut butter cookie and it’s not bad.
Oh. Kind of a disappointing answer. I was hoping for something like, “my ferret loves them.” Or “our kids used them for teething.”
You win the internets
Our kids use the ferrets for teething.
The other attendees of the conference call I’m currently on are wondering why I just laughed out loud. Especially since we are talking about dull hardware and software upgrades.
So you would rather them have no job, than that job? Because I am assuming that their job at YDFM is the best job they can get, or else they would be working elsewhere. So, if we all stop shopping there, they will have to lay off employees and they will either find a job that’s not as good or no job at all. Good looking out!
The Baby Kroger is officially known as the Krogette, not to be confused with the United Nations Kroger.
East Lake Publix has the nicest employees around and it’s never crowded! I also love YDFM for produce and wine. I can only tolerate going during the week. The crowds can be maddening! I also LOVE Oakhurst Market for select lunch items like soup and chicken salad. It is also our favorite stop to get meat items for weekend grilling!
Agree, East Lake Publix is a very well-run store. I never understood why I didn’t run into more Oakhurst neighbors shopping there. Great pharmacy, too (at least, as of a couple of years ago, at which point my insurance situation changed and I had to start buying meds elsewhere).
I just had a meat pickup truck pull up to my house this afternoon peddling Beef, Chicken, and Fish. The guy told me he was from Country Fresh Foods and was looking to expand his catchment area. Now back in Jersey, I would have not thought twice about buying fish off the back of a truck, but here it seemed, well, fishy. The guy had no business cards to give and after turning him away I googled the company and have come up with mixed results. Now, we don’t eat landwalkers in our family, but love some good fish. But, I had heard from our neighbors about the good old days when the meat truck and produce trucks would come down the street. I think I would love a produce truck but question a meat/fish truck.
We are too far from the dock to buy fish off the back of a truck unless you personally know the person driving or their relatives.
+1
I am surprised that no one has mentioned the newly revamped grocery section in the Target store on North Druid Hills. It tends to be cheaper than Kroger or Publix.
Agree that this is getting to be a great place for dry goods. The refrigerator and freezer selection is still slim and of course there’s no produce.
They do have produce now since the revamp. Of course, there isn’t the selection there is at grocery stores, but I have picked up some good fruit there now and again. But I can NEVER find underwear or bed linens at even the best stocked Pulix or Kroger!
Geesh. I was just there on a school supply run and bought a lot of dry goods and even some gelato. Missed the produce altogether. This is why I am not a police detective..
That’s where I buy cereal, among other things. The cereal is much less there than at Publix (at least the kinds my family likes).
I hit Big Lots every week or two and save a ton on basics (tp, paper towels) and usually find great bargains on some food we eat regularly (especially cereal…). They also have some great deals on things like school supplies, detergents, household goods….I always check expiration dates, but never had a problem w/ their products. Like treasure hunting….
I don’t have a comment here that hasn’t already been up re: grocery stores, but I gotta say I always look forward to reading through the “best for the money” comments. I really have learned all kinds of random things and new places from it. Thanks DM!
Just curious if there are any couponers here… I used to agree with the general statements re: Publix/Kroger/Costco above until I got into couponing. Holy god. I immediately started saving 40% on all my groceries and toiletries (yes, I tracked it in Excel). And that is with buying a significant percentage organic. It does take me about 2 hours to plan a weekly trip, but that converts to quite a nice hourly wage. Anyone else out there? I had given up Publix as too expensive until I learned how great they are about coupons. Thank goodness because it sure is lovely to shop there! And who knew CVS was such a deal?! I never even noticed an “ECB” on my receipt until I got into this a few months ago. I used to think YDFM was the way, but not anymore. And Target can go to heck in a handbasket. I would love to meet other couponers in Decatur if they exist.