cheapest place to get groceries? (Seattle, Federal Way: 2015, how much, neighborhood)

[415_s2k]

HT Oaktree Market on Aurora in Greenwood: HT Oaktree Market - Greenwood - Seattle, WA

Very inexpensive Asian supermarket. Tough to beat the prices on produce, and lots of interesting little things... excellent selection of vegetarian meat substitutes, too, which was a godsend for me.

Whole Foods does not have to be expensive! Its possible to get 3 meals, 2-3 fruits, milk, and some dessert for $15-20 a day.

My favorite food supermarket in Seattle is the Whole Foods on Westlake and Denny, in the northern edge of Downtown.

I also love the Whole Foods near the University District, and the Whole Foods in Queene Anne.

Other great food supermarket chains in Seattle: PCC Natural Market(Especially the one in Fremont), Trader Joes, and Metropolitan Market.

I also need to try out the Uwajimaya(sp?) Asian food supermarket in the International District soon. I hope its like Whole Foods with indoor seating.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by NaturalUrbanBalence

I also need to try out the Uwajimaya(sp?) Asian food supermarket in the International District soon. I hope its like Whole Foods with indoor seating.

Not quite comparable. But it is definitely worth the trip! If you're really looking for a bargain, pick up the packaged sushi after 5 or 6 pm. ... they start slapping 50% stickers on them then. Or at least they did a few years ago when I was scraping by in the I.D. If you're broke, it goes well with a $4.00 bottle of Sake (pour it in a coffee mug and nuke it).

[godhead]

Yeah, good ol' freddy's
I like they have a health food area with bulk stuff by the pound (buy what you need) and a scan your own check-out.
I'm also able to pick up that spackle or the gym sox I need while I'm there.

[415_s2k]

Originally Posted by NaturalUrbanBalence

I also need to try out the Uwajimaya(sp?) Asian food supermarket in the International District soon. I hope its like Whole Foods with indoor seating.

Nah, they aren't very similar. Whole Foods has a focus on natural, healthy, organic foods; Uwajimaya's focus is

1) Japanese groceries
2) Korean groceries
3) American groceries
4) Other "Asian" Groceries
5) Japanese housewares

I loved Uwajimaya, I just didn't get there before it closed most of the time, and it was just far enough that it would have taken my entire lunch break at work just getting to and fro

And as the above poster noted: yes, the sushi is still marked down heavily in the evening! It was great, I'd be able to get like 20 pieces of inari for less than ten bucks. You can get pretty impressive bento boxes cheap as well. The only problem is that a lot of people specifically wait for it to be late enough for it all to be marked down.

Also, they tend to have really awesome deals on alcohol. For awhile, they had the massive cans of Asahi that usually for for $4 elsewhere for two bucks, and I got a 750ml of ume wine with plums in it for $6, marked down from $14!

[Ira500]

Uwajimaya is a good place for produce, meat, and especially seafood. They have a pretty decent place to get a filling and delicious meal for not a lot of money. The half chicken ( in the bone) teriyaki really stands out, juicy, tender, lots of it, a slightly sweet , slightly salty, altogether delicious sauce, soooo much better than the typical teriyaki at the many teriyaki joints all over the Seattle area. I practically lived in their restaurant when I worked nearby.

[415_s2k]

Yeah, their food court is pretty awesome.

[backdrifter]

Definitely recommend Uwajimaya. I live on the east side of Portland and drive all the way out to Beaverton to go there.

But yes, Fred Meyer is going to be the cheapest major store for your day-to-day necessities, while Trader Joe's is a good bet for specialty items. Safeway is a bit spendy, and QFC is just as bad, maybe worse, but they offer basically the same things that Fred Meyer offers, IMO.

To 415:

Does Uwajimaya offer great Indian and Thai groceries in particular? What about Indian kitchenware? Is their indoor seating awesome like the three Whole Foods in Seattle?

Also the three Whole Foods in Seattle offer plenty of great Asian food someone could find in Uwajimaya, but Ill definitely check it out soon.

[LookinForMayberry]

Originally Posted by pika_sil

...what grocery stores are relatively less expensive. I was at Whole Foods the other day and their stuff seems soo overpriced!

Also, anyone know if I have to change my driver's license and plates if I am here on a 1 year working Visa? Do I have to take the driving/written exam?
Thanks!

Whole foods is generally expensive, because it panders to people that generally like to spend more, thinking cost indicates quality -- and it sounds more impressive to say they shop there.

Saying that, I still think that you do need to buy healthy food, and it does cost more than over-processed, dead food that you buy in cardboard, or plastic wrap.

My favorite store in the region is PCC (Puget Sound Co-op). They take the time to find local food growers, offer a great selection of organic foods, including those in bulk, and they are price sensitive to their patron on a limited budget. Still, they are not "cheap."

For cheap, probably Safeway or Albertsons, if you are near the suburbs. I googled and found there's an IGA in town.