[yellowsnow]

I'm going to check out Jones Market today. Just a small adventure. I know I will be buying some butter and coffee.

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by yellowsnow

I'm going to check out Jones Market today. Just a small adventure. I know I will be buying some butter and coffee.

Don't forget the loose chocolates by the deli case. Little individually-wrapped chocolates. Buy a couple of each. You won't be sorry.

[yellowsnow]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

Don't forget the loose chocolates by the deli case. Little individually-wrapped chocolates. Buy a couple of each. You won't be sorry.

Thanks! I'm all over it! LOVE chocolate!

[delgadobb]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

There are some screamin' deals in the food section of Costco -- Parmesan cheese, for instance. Coffee, occasionally. (When they sell bags of Kenya AA or Rwandan for the same price per pound as Columbian, I buy as much as I think I can drink in four months. Particularly Rwandan.)

As a recent convert to coffee (THAT took a lot of years), I'll keep my eyes open for this at Costco. I've been making an effort to get sugar beverages out of my life - too many empty calories & the more I research the more I learn about lots of bad stuff linked to sugar. I'm also hydrating with lots of water.

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

Nuts (other than peanuts) are almost always best purchased at Costco -- pecans, pine nuts, cashews, walnuts, macadamias.

You can even add peanuts to the list. I've been transitioning to a ketogenic lifestyle & peanuts make an ideal snack (in moderation, of course) - nuts are often expensive, but not if you get the right kind at Costco. Kind of ironic that eating fat helps you burn even more fat, but it actually works in the right context.

We're lucky to be in one of the regions where Costco carries Hoody's brand peanuts - they're cheaper than the house (Kirkland) brand. Back in the midwest near friends/family, they don't have them & the Kirkland peanuts are much more expensive. Last trip I picked up six (6) 42 oz containers of Hoody's dry roasted peanuts for $4.29 each. That's insanely cheap (just over $1.60/lb) & I like the flavor better than Planters or other brands which get excessively seasoned. Hoody's are lightly seasoned with sea salt.

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

The strategy for Costco is to make a list and never deviate from that list. Otherwise, you'll end up filling that Sherman tank of a shopping cart and blowing through your month's food budget in half an hour. The other big problem with Costco is their mega-sized processed food selection. Half the shoppers have a 20-pound box of corn dogs in the cart. That isn't good for their waistline or their wallet.

+1.

I will make impulse buys at Costco but rarely are they related to food. Usually it's household stuff that's on clearance (insider tip - price ends in 7) that I'll actually use. With food, stick to the plan & don't buy a bunch of junk. That's doesn't mean I'm immune to picking up a rotisserie chicken when I'm there; $4.99 gets you a chicken bigger than Sam's or a grocery store & it consistently has phenomenal flavor. Fits with ketogenic as well. Love the stuff & I get a few meals out of it.

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by delgadobb

As a recent convert to coffee (THAT took a lot of years), I'll keep my eyes open for this at Costco.

Jones Market. Jones and DI. Armenian medium-roast coffee. $4 per pound.

It's a solid daily cup.



When I'm in Costco and see Rwandan for sale, I buy at least 10 pounds. That's a serious bargain for one of the best coffees on the planet.

[yellowsnow]

Scoop was right on! That Armenian coffee at Jones Market is wonderful. Got chocolates and butter too. But my prize purchase was veal bologna for $4.49/lb. I have never seen this in the US before and it is great. I think I bought almost every cold cut they had and a loaf of black bread. I wanted to buy a half pound of sturgeon, that's all I could afford, but they didn't have any chunks that small.

Then Market 168. I got a huge daikon 2lbs per dollar. A beef knuckle roast for $3.99/lb. And scallops cheap too!

I will be going back to both these places!

[bigdogmom13]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

When I'm in Costco and see Rwandan for sale, I buy at least 10 pounds. That's a serious bargain for one of the best coffees on the planet.

Scoop, I'm gonna have to try the Rwandan some day. I usually buy Rainforest Blend. A couple of years ago, Costco had New Guinea coffee. Now THAT was some incredibly tasty stuff!!

[delgadobb]

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

When I'm in Costco and see Rwandan for sale, I buy at least 10 pounds. That's a serious bargain for one of the best coffees on the planet.

Scoop, I found the Rwandan coffee at Costco & bought a bag. A 3 pound bag of beans was $15.99 - does that sound about right? Haven't got around to trying it yet, but will do so once I get through my current batch.

I'm a relatively newbie to coffee - while I can discern good coffee from not-so-good coffee, I couldn't tell you much about what makes one better than the other. I do better with red wine.

[delgadobb]

One other thing, as long as I stopped by here ...

for those who have AMEX, here's a reminder to do your shopping at Smart and Final by the end of June to get your $25 rebate on a purchase of $50 or more. I have two cards & just did this for the sixth time (limit three offers per card). Today's tally: 3 12-packs of beer (2x Lagunitas IPA & a Shock Top variety pack) - rarely see either on sale. 8 pound bone-in pork butt marked down by manager. 3 Cajun Pork Loins marked down by manager. 2 pound chub of ground beef (85/15). Manager markdowns were getting close to sell by date, so I'll freeze them immediately then use when I'm ready.

Total bill was $53, which will have a net cost of $28. That includes 3 12-packs of beer that don't often go on sale, a large pork butt & 3 great looking cajun pork tenderloins. The ground beef was an impulse buy as my total was only $47 at that point (not enough for AMEX promo) - apparently the pork tenderloins were supposed to be marked down from $4.99/lb to $2/lb, but they rang up at $1/lb! I didn't figure this out until I got out to the car, since I was sure I was going to be just over $50 BEFORE the ground beef. No complaints.

For those who have an AMEX & qualify, get out there & do your shopping at Smart and Final! It's like getting (close to) 50% off, almost impossible in the grocery world even if you clip coupons & watch sales. Every one of the things I bought today cost less than it would have been elsewhere, with the possible exception of ground beef with a higher fat content (i.e. 73/27 generic stuff).

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by delgadobb

Scoop, I found the Rwandan coffee at Costco & bought a bag. A 3 pound bag of beans was $15.99 - does that sound about right? Haven't got around to trying it yet, but will do so once I get through my current batch.

I'm a relatively newbie to coffee - while I can discern good coffee from not-so-good coffee, I couldn't tell you much about what makes one better than the other. I do better with red wine.

That sounds about right. Unless something is seriously amiss, you're going to wish you had bought more. You just paid $5.33/lb for the good stuff. I've seen bland, crap coffee offered for sale for more. (Lookin' at you, Charbucks.)

Which Costco? I'll run over there tomorrow and buy five bags.