2.12.2010

great value

A couple of weeks ago David and I went to Wal-Mart and he mentioned that our cart looked like a moving advertisement for Wal-Mart brand (Great Value) stuff. Ha! It's true, we did have a LOT of Great Value brand things in our cart. Here is a glimpse of it, although we didn't get all of these at one time.


I used to shop at Harris Teeter. The worst thing is, I used to shop there with NO COUPONS. The thought of that now makes me sick! I believe Harris Teeter (with the exception of Fresh Market and Whole Foods) is probably the most expensive Grocery store out there. I know they do amazing things with coupons at HT, but I haven't gotten into the groove of the whole coupon thing yet. I would like to one day, but just can't quite get a grip on it.

About a year and a half ago, I decided to start doing 100% of my grocery shopping at Wal-Mart. I have to tell you, I am so thankful I switched! The only negative thing is that it can tend to be crowded, especially evenings and weekends. Other than that, I have been so pleased with it. It's AMAZING how much cheaper a lot of the stuff is there. I have saved tons and have been able to get a lot more for my money than I feel like I would have at a regular grocery store. I also used to be a "brand-name snob", where I felt like I had to have the best brand-name items out there. There are still a few items I get the brand-name of, such as JIF, Smuckers, and Honey Nut Cheerios. I haven't tried the store-brand peanut butter or jelly yet, but I probably will eventually. If it's terrible, I can always go back to the regular. :) Believe it or not, there are even a few off-brand things I think are maybe even better than the regular brand. I mean, what's the difference between Bird's Eye frozen broccoli, and GV frozen broccoli?! Beats me, but I save like 50 cents by getting store-brand! Things like that are a no brainer to me.

I just wanted to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and try some off-brand things, wherever you shop. You'll be probably be very pleased!

Happy Friday!

6 comments:

Katie said...

We loved grocery shopping at Walmart too! And for the record, I think store brand pb is just as good! But I understand having a few specific preferences... Happy shopping!

jason and jen said...

My friends and I love shopping at Wal Mart! I love Great Value baby!! Hope you guys are doing well. We have to get the girls and Camden together again soon!

becca Simmons said...

I am proudly beginning to coupon, but, even with coupons and HT doubling, cereal (as well as some others) is cheaper at WalMart. I am now addicted to GV cookies (double stuff GV not-oreos, yum!). I try to only shop HT if I have plotted their store with Vic specials and coupons.

Happy savings!

Jenelle Leanne said...

When we were living on my teacher's salary in Indiana we got very good at living on off-brand stuff. I am a big fan of Aldi for a lot of canned/frozen/dairy/random non-perishable items like cereal, syrup, chocolate chips etc. I also like the fact that Kroger sends me "targeted coupons" every couple of months so I can "coupon" without having to exert any extra effort. :) Wal-Mart is great, unfortunately, the nearest one to us sort of freaks me out. I am looking forward to having the new one that they are (hopefully) going to start building over by Triangle Town Center mall!!!

Gretchen said...

I found the best time to shop @ Wallyworld is 8:30am on weekdays. I used to drop my girls off at school and head over there. It was EMPTY!

Chelsea said...

I totally agree- Walmart is super cheap and HT full-price is ridiculous!! I too used to shop there, sans coupons OR a grocery list- the horror!! :)

I agree with Jenelle, that Aldi is the cheapest I've ever found for basics. Unfortunately, there isn't one anywhere near us. So I use the good 'ole IGA here in Wendell for quick runs. Our Walmart in Zebulon has great produce, but there's nothing else in that direction, so most of the time I just don't take the time to go there.