My Latest Giant Frugal Grocery Shop

The other day, I was on Facebook, and an advertisement popped up for a produce delivery service in the nearby city, saying they had some really great sales. I went to take a look and found out that their prices really were stupendous. Well, not for everything, but the sale prices were terrific.

Beets were 12 cents a pound, cherry tomatoes were 49 cents a pound, red peppers were 51 cents a pound, eggplants 38 cents a pound- all amazing rock bottom prices for quality produce, not reduced rack stuff. There were some more stuff with decent prices, even if not amazing- lemons at 51 cents a pound, clementines at 64 cents a pound, celery root at $1.11 a head, and ginger $1.97 for a large root. With prices like that, I decided to make an order. The sale items were't unlimited- you were allowed max 6.6 lbs or 3.3 lbs of an item depending what they were. They didn't deliver to my area, but had free delivery if you spent over 34 dollars, and delivery was $5.71 if your order was smaller.
I ordered 6.6 lbs beets, 3.3 lbs cherry tomatoes, 6.6 lbs of red peppers, 2.2 lbs lemons, 2.2 lbs clementines, 4.4 lbs eggplants, 2 celery roots, and a 200 gram chunk of ginger. Total was $14.28, and with delivery I paid $19.99.


So knowing I had to be in the city to pick up my produce order, I decided to go to the market.
But first I met up with a friend who had an avocado tree loaded with avocados- she gave me 6 beautiful avocados, and I gave her a bag of sow thistle, which she loves, as she says it helps her with her water retention issues!

After that, I made my way to the scratch and dent store where I was flabbergasted at what I saw. My kids have been eating cereal and milk lately for breakfast, but they have been getting bored by the corn flakes and rice crispies that I buy. They asked me to get sweet "yummy cereal" but I told them that it is twice or three times the price, and I didn't want to pay that much for something, especially as it's not healthy. But the first thing I saw when I walked into the store was packages of gluten free chocolate cereal- being sold for 71 cents a box!!! I know that probably doesn't sound so cheap to people in the US, but locally, a box of sweet cereal can cost $6.20 a box, even more if it's gluten free, so this was ridiculous! I bought 12 boxes, and would have bought more if I didn't already have so many things I had to bring home in addition to that. I also bought 3 boxes of gluten free crackers for 94 cents each. Cans of corn were being sold for 71 cents a can, so I bought 8 cans. Again, canned veggies are expensive here- usually canned corn goes for $1.50-$1.85 per can. So great price! Total at the scratch and dent store- $17.14.

Knowing that I had my produce delivery on the way, I went to the market with a certain shopping list in mind- fennel, sweet potatoes, onions, fruit for smoothies, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Fortunately I was able to find all that relatively cheaply!

The first shop I stopped at sold gorgeous looking fennel (not sure why it was reduced rack!) for 39 cents a pound. I bought 2.4 lbs for 94 cents. Another store sold bananas, just barely overripe, for 52 cents a pound, so I bought 5.3 lbs for $2.77.

Another store was selling zucchini at 26 cents a pound, I bought 5.3 lbs for $1.39. I bought a hunk of ginger for $3.42, cucumbers and tomatoes were 39 cents a pound (and absolutely gorgeous, not remotely reduced rack type), I bought a combined 10 pounds for $3.91. I wasn't going to buy anything else but they were lowering the prices of their persimmons and pears from the listed price of 65 cents to 52 cents a pound, so I bought a combined 5.5 lbs for $2.85, and guava at 65 cents a pound, so I bought 5.1 lbs for $3.29. Total for that shop was $14.85.

At another store, onions were 23 cents a pound, sweet potatoes were 39 cents a pound, and bananas for 52 cents a pound. I don't know weights, but in total, I paid $9.14 at that shop.

Total at the market for produce? $27.70.

Right as I was leaving the market, I saw them selling a Pringles like product... only this is gluten free. I was a huge fan of Pringles growing up, and I've missed them.... They were selling each package for $1.42. So I bought 4. $5.68. I wasn't going to share that in this post, but my kids looked at my shop and said "Be honest on your blog, Mommy. Show them that you also eat junk." Ok, so there it is.

My entire shop? Including the produce delivery, the scratch and dent store, and the market? $70.51.

That's a ton of food! I had to clean and reorganize my fridge and freezer and pantry/stockpile to be able to put all my groceries away, and now I think I'm finally set. For a long time. I only plan on buying milk now, everything else we seem set for a while.... But we'll see. (I discovered another 8 packages of cereal, so now we have 20 packages at home.... for example.)

Taking home all these groceries just in my metal wagon and by public transportation was utterly exhausting.... I don't want to see another store for a few years. ;)

Have you gotten any great deals lately? What were they? How much food do you generally keep stocked in your house at one time? Do you have a large stockpile?