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No. Skin on and bone in. It's absurd how expensive it is.
It's absurd how expensive things are at Publix and Lowe's and Harris Teeter. You are definitely shopping in the wrong place.
Aldi's, Food Lion and Walmart have much better prices.
I don't think anyone in NC would consider the lack of oxtails a big deal
Remember, you are in pork country! NC produces a MAJOR percentage of the nation's pork. Beef, not so much. There are also a ton of poultry farms/processors here so if you can't find reasonably priced chicken you are not looking hard enough.
For example. At Walmart (before the storm) Ground beef was close to $5 a pound. I can't afford that. But get a mix of ground beef and pork? $2.88 a pound.
Seek out what is produced locally and in season and adjust your shopping accordingly. Read those sale papers and buy things when they are marked down, not full price. That's just part of homemaking.
So I moved to Wilmington back in April and I love it here. There have been some trade-offs as far as costs of living goes (gas is much cheaper here than in the Midwest, where I moved from, but I pay a little more for internet) etc. However, the main issue I have found is that grocery store food is SO expensive compared to the Chicago suburbs and I can't figure out why.
For example, the cheapest I can find a package of chicken thighs is about $4/lb at Publix. In Chicago, you can go to Caputo's and get a huge package of chicken for $0.99/lb. It blows my mind to see a package of 4 chicken thighs for $7-$10 dollars, when I could get the same thing back in the midwest for $3 or so.
Fruits and vegetables are insanely overpriced here. $5 for a package of 3 bell peppers sometimes?? Not even organic! I don't understand where these prices are coming from.
Is it just because Wilmington is far away from other large cities?
I really like it here but I am having a hard time justifying spending $60+ dollars every time I go to the grocery store just to buy the basic necessities for eating once a week, when I could spend half of that and get fresher/better options in Chicago.
Any thoughts?
As you said, there are trade-offs. We relocated from NC to the Midwest last year. I practically do a happy dance when I see how much I spend on food now compared to then (and much of it is fresh fruits and vegetables and meats), and I don't even try all that hard to shop at the cheapest places. It's probably just proximity to America's breadbasket here that makes food cheaper. The coastal regions involve shipping things further, and potentially food costs could go up during non-tourist times of the year, as I don't think the stores order as much food. On the flip side, good luck finding fresh saltwater fish in the Midwest (if you do find it, it's NOT cheap). We definitely miss our regular meals of flounder, mahi, tilapia, grouper, shrimp, etc. We used to have flounder once a week... not anymore!
My opinion is to concentrate on the cheaper seafood and gas, and realize that some of the increased grocery costs are simply a trade-off to living there. One can't have it all!
It's absurd how expensive things are at Publix and Lowe's and Harris Teeter. You are definitely shopping in the wrong place.
Aldi's, Food Lion and Walmart have much better prices.
I don't think anyone in NC would consider the lack of oxtails a big deal
Remember, you are in pork country! NC produces a MAJOR percentage of the nation's pork. Beef, not so much. There are also a ton of poultry farms/processors here so if you can't find reasonably priced chicken you are not looking hard enough.
For example. At Walmart (before the storm) Ground beef was close to $5 a pound. I can't afford that. But get a mix of ground beef and pork? $2.88 a pound.
Seek out what is produced locally and in season and adjust your shopping accordingly. Read those sale papers and buy things when they are marked down, not full price. That's just part of homemaking.
I agree with this. I try to do most of my shopping at Walmart or Sam's if I have a lot of groceries to buy, and I go to Food Lion if I only have a few things to get. Be sure to get the MVP Card at Food Lion, if you haven't already. That will save you a little bit.
All the rest of the grocery stores mentioned are way overpriced. I would only go there if I need something very specific that the other stores don't have.
Also, if you're willing to go to Leland, they have a Piggly Wiggly over there (or used to). They always have some good sales on meat.
Chicken thighs are $1.29 at Walmart. You're shopping in the wrong stores.
I know it's going to sound annoying to you, but I do not shop at Walmart. I hate Walmart as a company. Their ethics and employee treatment are terrible.
As you said, there are trade-offs. We relocated from NC to the Midwest last year. I practically do a happy dance when I see how much I spend on food now compared to then (and much of it is fresh fruits and vegetables and meats), and I don't even try all that hard to shop at the cheapest places. It's probably just proximity to America's breadbasket here that makes food cheaper. The coastal regions involve shipping things further, and potentially food costs could go up during non-tourist times of the year, as I don't think the stores order as much food. On the flip side, good luck finding fresh saltwater fish in the Midwest (if you do find it, it's NOT cheap). We definitely miss our regular meals of flounder, mahi, tilapia, grouper, shrimp, etc. We used to have flounder once a week... not anymore!
My opinion is to concentrate on the cheaper seafood and gas, and realize that some of the increased grocery costs are simply a trade-off to living there. One can't have it all!
Thanks for putting it into perspective. Enjoy the low food costs! I definitely am happy to pay $2.59 for a gallon of gas versus $3+ on average.
It's absurd how expensive things are at Publix and Lowe's and Harris Teeter. You are definitely shopping in the wrong place.
Aldi's, Food Lion and Walmart have much better prices.
I went to Aldi's today... they had no meat or produce available, so I'm going to check back there after next week to see if they have anything fresh. I went to Trader Joe's, and they did have meat but it wasn't much different in price than Publix.
People have recommended Walmart, but I do not shop there on principle. I hate them as a company.
I hope that since Wilmington is growing, the prices will maybe come down a bit with more competition.
Thanks for your input!
We moved from NJ to E. NC back in 2003. Everyone thought it was because things were less expensive.
No, it was for the quality of life. We live outside of Greenville & when we started grocery shopping back then there were very few people in the supermarkets. Kroger, Lowe's, Food Lion! That being said every restaurant & FF place were packed morning, noon and night & for good reason. The food was outrageously expensive in the supermarkets. Then, The Fresh Market opened up in our area! Everyone said it was expensive, not for the quality. On Tuesdays they had Organic, boneless chicken breasts for $2.99 lb. I would buy 3 of them & with sides my husband & I would have 2 dinners. They had other specials too during the week. I actually saved money going to the more expensive store.
We loved our yrs. in NC & still have a home there, but aside from home prices and insurance there is nothing cheap about living in NC. Like living anywhere you have to budget your money and shop accordingly.
Wilmington's food prices go up in the summer because of the tourist season. They go back down in the winter. You havent experienced the cheaper season. Works that way for gas too. And hotel rooms.
I find certain things in certain places. I like the chicken breasts behind the counter in Harris Teeter because they are consistently $1.99 lb. Some places are better for beer/wine, some better for bread, whatever...I try to move around the different stores and get their specific deals.
Seriously, go try Piggly Wiggly in Leland. Check out the sales paper. Thighs on sale for $.99 a pound right now. Go buy a bunch and throw them in the freezer.
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