What does food really cost in Hawaii? (Pahoa: coupons, leases)

[vanboingy]

This is crazy, thanks for posting all the what it really costs and websites to find the grocery ads. I was totally right in believing that our prices here in Ontario, Canada are remarkably close. Milk is within a dollar, our chicken is more expensive, produce is almost the exact same. Eggs are cheaper in Hawaii by 60 cents. What I save in groceries (scary thought) is going to make the difference for rent being more in Hawaii.

[whynot?]

Originally Posted by vanboingy

This is crazy, thanks for posting all the what it really costs and websites to find the grocery ads. I was totally right in believing that our prices here in Ontario, Canada are remarkably close. Milk is within a dollar, our chicken is more expensive, produce is almost the exact same. Eggs are cheaper in Hawaii by 60 cents. What I save in groceries (scary thought) is going to make the difference for rent being more in Hawaii.

Please note that Hank started this thread in 2007, and only a few posts on the most recent page are from even the fall of 2008. Most of the previous posts/pages/prices are well out-of-date and preceded last year's skyrocketing fuel costs (which directly affect shipping) that have been passed along since.

Think! started a more recent thread with pictures of the items in-store and prices shown. You might want to search for that.

[vanboingy]

I actually went to the websites mentioned that had the grocery ads and compared there. I did notice that some of this thread was quite old, but not all of it. Thanks.

[PacificFlights]

Just remember, it’s not only the cost of specific food items, it's the total cost of all food items being generally more. You can pay full price at a local mainland supermarket and will probably pay the same as Hawaii. But, on the mainland, your odds are greater that many items will be less costly and sales on items will be plentiful. On Hawaii, you have to hope and pray for the sales. You would have to really go out of your way on the mainland to deliberately buy the most expensive brands to end up paying the same week-in, week-out high prices of Hawaii.

True you can get many items on Hawaii at similar mainland prices, but often that's comparing a Hawaii sale price to a mainland regular price. If you know someone on Hawaii, next time you go grocery shopping for the week or month, make a list of what you bought. Send that to your friend on Hawaii and have them go to the supermarket and price those same items.

What makes Hawaii expensive is not that food is more expensive, or gasoline is more expensive, or that housing is more expensive. Other places have just as high food prices, or just as high gasoline prices, or just as high housing prices. Hawaii has them all high! Everything, day in, day out. Many people come to Hawaii with mainland food wants and can't cope with the high prices. They need to adjust their food wants to what’s available within their budget. But most people insist on eating as if the food didn't have to be shipped thousands of miles to reach them. So they stay with prepackaged foods or they have to have that exotic foreign food, and they expect it at the same price they are use to paying. Reality escapes them

[HankDfrmSD]

Originally Posted by whynot?

Please note that Hank started this thread in 2007, and only a few posts on the most recent page are from even the fall of 2008

True that I started this thread in 2007, but not true that it takes you to old data.

If you click on the link in the first message, you get the weekly specials NOW, for this week.

Here it is again. Same link. Look at the dates in the lower left corner.

Welcome to Foodland.com

Hank

[whynot?]

Originally Posted by HankDfrmSD

True that I started this thread in 2007, but not true that it takes you to old data.

If you click on the link in the first message, you get the weekly specials NOW, for this week.

Here it is again. Same link. Look at the dates in the lower left corner.

Welcome to Foodland.com

Hank

Didn't mean to mislead about your link -- there were several older posts in-between that listed individual items' prices, many of which are higher now. The link -- like this topic -- will last forever, I guess.

Welcome back to the islands!

[Haoleman]

I found that the "Big Equalizer" was when the big box stores came to Hawaii. When Costco opened their then largest store in existence in Kona and put in gas pumps, everyone expanded their operations and lowered their prices to compete. Still having family in the Santa Rosa Area back then, I decided to do a comparison shopping trip back in about 1992 and found that the prices in Costco and Safeway were either the same or only a few pennies different per item with the exception of milk and cereal. I found that for many fresh items like vegies, we would hit the farmers markets and get better produce at half the price of the markets and these were coming direct from the farmers for the most part so no middle man. Fish bought from the harbor market was always great but about the same price as the markets as they probably had some sort of non compete clause with the local markets. Like the new thought of consuming locally grown produce and meats, fish, Fish is cheaper, beef is higher as they have to import food for the beef or take twice as long to finish range fed beef which is safer. If you're going to live on an island, you need to become an islander. That's the only way it will work unless you wipe your ass with $20.00 bills.

[HankDfrmSD]

Originally Posted by whynot?

Didn't mean to mislead about your link -- there were several older posts in-between that listed individual items' prices, many of which are higher now. The link -- like this topic -- will last forever, I guess.

Welcome back to the islands!

Looks like Foodland has changed the link to their ad. Here's one that works:

Store Locator :: Foodland

[whynot?]

Originally Posted by HankDfrmSD

Looks like Foodland has changed the link to their ad. Here's one that works:

Store Locator :: Foodland

What a difference a year makes, huh? My old post was from last January.

And now we have Times Markets instead of Star Markets on Maui. They covered the Star logos with Times bumper stickers on the carts and have a different color plastic logo bag. Those are about the only differences so far.

[Balad1]

I noticed yesterday while shopping at the Big Save Market on Kauai that a 1lb block of Velvetta cheese was $7.39.

If anyone was watching me I'm sure my jaw dropped...