Affordable groceries??? (Boston, Cambridge, Brockton: sales, home, buying)

[AandD]

So, my local Shaws in Sharon simply CAN NOT be the best place to shop. There HAS to be some place that is cheaper. Where can I go to save some money on groceries? we buy a lot of fruit, snack-ish foods for the kids (chef boyrdee/ramen), and soup/stew ingredients.

Also, is there a Trader Joes that has decent parking? Perhaps one in a more suburban location? I went to the one in Brookline today, but left without going in because there was absolutely no place to park. What a waste of gas.

[ChunkyMonkey]

I find Stop and Shop often is cheaper than Shaws. There's also Market Basket and Foodmaster. I'm not sure if there are any near where you are though. The Trader Joe's I go to has lots of parking and is right off of Route 1 in Saugus. However, that's a long way from you. Good luck.

[Beachcomber4]

Trader Joes in Hanover off route 3 is terrific and has plenty of parking. There's a Walmart in the same plaza that will probably have your noodles etc. I don't buy them so I'm not sure but I think I've seen them. Down the street on 53 is a Pepperidge Farm Outlet store where you can get their products on the cheap.

There is a Roxie's meat market in Quincy that always has good meat prices. Hilltop in in Weymouth right off the highway too but I've never been in. Whole Foods in Hingham has great produce- you may pay more but the quality is top notch. Finally, there is a BJ's right off the highway in Weymouth as well. You can probably get your canned food things there in bulk. Again,not sure of prices, I don't buy it.

[clevedark]

Oh you poor thing--you drove all the way to Brookline for the Trader Joe's? I live in Brookline and I rarely go there the parking is so bad.

I second the Trader Joe's in Hanover and BJ's in Weymouth suggestions. When I visit my parents in FL we always go to Costco and that's pretty good too. I don't know if there is one around here.

[AandD]

***LOVE*** Costco.

Thanks for the sugestions, everyone. Will plug these into my GPS and see if I can go on Thursday. The roads will be travel-able by Thursday, right? LOL.

[lrfox]

Needham would probably be a lot easier to park at than Brookline. Hanover is a ways too but there's a lot over that way. Stop and Shop is a LOT better than Shaw's (which is, IMHO the worst grocery store on the planet... or at least in Massachusetts).

Our favorite (aside from Trader Joe's) is Hannaford Supermarkets ( https://cornucopia1.hannaford.com/home/home.shtml ). A lot of good products at reasonable prices. There's one in Norwood, about 5 miles away from Sharon. I did a quick location check and here's the address: Hannaford Supermarket, 434 Walpole Street- Norwood, MA.

I'd second the idea of getting a BJs or Costco membership... buying in bulk (at least certain items) can save a bunch when it comes to feeding hungry boys.

Finally, there's a Trader Joes in Warwick RI so you could make a stop on your way home from work in Providence. It's a little out of the way, but parking is a LOT easier than going to to Brookline.

Hope the move went well and you're enjoying your first snowstorm! Just think spring.

[RemiJP]

The TJ's in Brookline really does have a horrible parking situation, and the store is well aware of it. There are even little signs by the exit about braving the parking lot! Somehow I still went there about 3-4 times a month - NEVER on the weekends, though. :/ I would usually park in the adjacent lot for Nina's. There is also a TJ's in Cambridge on Memorial Drive with a much larger parking lot. The Hanover location is the most peaceful though! For produce and bulk items I liked Harvest Co-Op, because I prefer organic food. Harvest has locations in Jamaic Plain and Central Square, but the parking isn't exactly easy for either of those two places. In the spring and summer, I received deliveries of fruits and veggies every other week through Boston Organics. There are also a number of MA CSAs that you might want to look into.

[Molly829]

Hannaford in Norwood is definitely the store that consistently has the best prices. You can sometimes find good 2 for 1 sales at Big Y in Walpole and sales on produce at Roche Brothers in the Islington section of Westwood. It's worth looking at the flyers each week. I think Big Y and Roche Brothers have the freshest seafood.
I like Trader Joe's on Rt. 9 in Framingham because it has a wine section. Whole Foods is moving to Legacy Place, the big shopping area being built off Rt. 1 in Dedham.

[professorsenator]

You might check out Pricerite in Brockton. Pricerite has a limited selection of things and their stores are very plain and no frills. But they have some low, low prices.

[Leilani Vasquez]

Originally Posted by professorsenator

You might check out Pricerite in Brockton. Pricerite has a limited selection of things and their stores are very plain and no frills. But they have some low, low prices.

I shop Price Rite all the time and save tons of money. The things I can't find there, I usually go somewhere else where there's a sale on those items.