Forgot...

Philly Cream Cheese - $2.50/oz bar (6 = $15.00)
Sour Cream - $2.49/16 oz. tub (2 = $4.98)
McCormick Poppy Seeds - $4.49/1.25 oz. jar (3 = $13.47)

That makes my total $356 & I'm sure my standard recipes call for some ingredients I've left on these lists.

/t

I purchase everything within my $50/week food budget, and have what I need already - purchased on sale/clearance/manager's special/coupons... I bake all our baked goods, so these ingredients are normally found in my pantry, food storage, or freezer.

OMG...you certainly pay premium prices for namebrand choices!

- You are paying more than double what I pay for eggs ($1.19/dz.). I use powdered whole eggs when fresh eggs are more expensive per egg than powdered eggs.

- Aldi carries unsalted butter - $1.98/pound.

- King Arthur Flour/AP - We have Kansas-milled flour that is equally as good as KA. In fact, much of King Arthur Flour is milled right here in Kansas at our local mills. Well-respected brands like Hudson Cream, out of Stafford Co., KS and W-R out of McPherson, KS, are less than half the price of King Arthur. I mill my own flour at a fraction of the price. I just purchased 100-pounds of the same hard winter white wheat berries, from Farmer Direct Foods, Inc., that KA has milled for their white whole wheat flour.

- Sugar was on sale this week for $1.69/4#.

- I got Ghirardelli 100% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate Premium Baking Bar (4-oz.) for $1 each, on clearance 2 weeks ago at the grocery store - bought every bar they had. I use these (grated) in a homemade mix I can use either for hot cocoa or chocolate pudding. I also got Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet and Unsweetened Baking Bar Chocolate for $1/bar. Found Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips at Big Lots for $1/12-oz.

- Aldi carries Millville brand quick and old-fashioned oats that are much cheaper than Quaker - and equally as good.

- Aldi carries raisins (dark and golden) and dates much cheaper than most stores.

- Pecans, Walnuts & Almonds are cheaper at Sam's Club.

- Kroger Peanut Butter - $1.63/18-oz.
Aldi - Peanut Delight PB - $1.39/18-oz.
I make homemade peanut butter in a food processor from home-grown peanuts for pennies.

- Canned Pumpkin - Cheaper at Aldi

- Craisins - I dehydrate and make my own with discounted cranberries purchased after the holidays, vacuum seal them and keep them in the freezer.

-Grainlady

Tricia, do you have a Costco near you? I got eggs for $1.79 for 18 just the other day, and unsalted butter was $6.99 for 4#, bananas are 3# for #1.39. Perhaps not organic, but excellent quality just the same. I think that you can get many of the items on your shopping list for much better prices by shopping around a little.

I shop more like Grainlady does.

I buy my King Arthur 25# bag of flour at Costco. It is 12.99 there, I also get 25# bags of sugar there for a great price. Maple Meadow Farms Free Range eggs are $2.29 a dozen here, you won't find them locally but might be able to find a similar small scale local farm that is not as much as egglands.

-Robin

Butter here is $2.19 a lb (wegmans brand) I never buy Nestles chips anymore. I find the store brand is always better as it includes chocolate liquor as the main ingredient. Nestles does not.
I'll check other prices and report back.
Jo

No, I do not have Cosco nor Aldi's within 40 miles. I am handicapped. My driving limits are no highway driving (that pretty much eliminates Aldi's) & not more than 5 miles each way. I can't even get to New London because I'd have to get over the CT River & that requires getting on I-95.

CT, in general, is expensive. Mystic is ridiculous. More examples, back a couple months ago, gas in Middletown (inland) was $3.89/gallon. In Mystic, it was $4.49/gallon. I like a large Diet Coke from McDonald's on Saturdays. In Groton (about 7 miles away), I can buy the coke for $1.65. In Mystic, it's $2.25.

We have two grocery stores...A&P & McQuades (family owned with 2 stores, one in RI & one in Mystic). Or, PeaPod (Stop 'n Shop) delivery service. PeaPod is overall the cheapest; but they don't always have exactly what I want so still have to augment with the other two stores.

I HATE the store's own brand of eggs. Won't use them. Eggland's Best are good...always. I buy organic dairy & only have a choice of two brands.

I'm not in a position to store grain & grind my own anymore. No basement for storage...water table sometimes bubbles up in my hosta garden after a good rain like we've had the past few days! Less than a football field length from LIS.

/t

Wow, prices in CT are really high compared to the middle of the country!

I get my large/jumbo eggs fresh from local farmer for $1.25 a dozen.
Unsalted butter is $1.50 a lb. when on sale here in town, I buy it by the case and freeze it.
Cream cheese is $.99-$1.17 a lb. on sale.
Sugar 5# $1.28 on sale, usually buy 25#
Confectioners sugar $1.72 4#
Walnuts and pecans $6.99#
Costo's Kirkland Peanut Butter 2/28 oz. jars $7.45
Sweetened condensed milk $1-$1.50 a can, store brand
I buy my baking powder, cocoa and chocolate chips in bulk at a local health food store, don't have a receipt handy, but they are much cheaper than the grocery.
Flour, store brand, as low as $1.19 5# on sale.

But, I can't find any good, fresh seafood here in the middle of the country!

I love seeing these prices. It's always so amazing to me what others spend for the same product. I had extreme sticker shock when we moved from CO to NH back in '88.

I'm not really looking for another place to shop. The quality of produce, meat, seafood here is very good & I'm conditioned to our prices. I was just wondering about other parts of the country after reading Eileen's post.

/t

Tricia,
We have a summer cottage in Guilford, not too far from you. I am always shocked at the prices which are right in line with yours. Our stores there are either the Big Y, Super Stop and Shop, or a farmy store called Bishops. The prices are so high that I try to bring staples with me, although it is hard with 4 kids, 2 dogs and a guinea pig in the car.
I feel your pain.
Jo

Poppy seeds are a lot cheaper at Smart and Final where they come in a big plastic jar (8 oz maybe?) for only a bit more than one of the little supermarket jars.

Maybe you have a friend who drives to Costco anyway and could take you along.

I dont know about the rest of California but where I am, Kern County, the prices are just about in line with Mystic and some are higher. I almost bought some Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips at our local VonÂs the other day but remembered to ask how much first. I was totally shocked when told they were $6.99 for an 8 oz bag. They are now on my list for Trader JoeÂs they have to have a better price than that.

KA flour is $6.49, unsalted butter is $4.99, LibbyÂs pumpkin $2.29 and lemons were dollar each the last time I looked. I paid $2.36 for a pack of 18 eggs at Wal-Mart last Friday. Our Costco changed and now sells 2 18 count cartons of eggs for $5.79. They used to sell the single carton of 18 for $2.25. My local tourist market sells a dozen for $3.79.

Claudia

Check your local WalMart candy aisle for dark chocolate. The stores here in Ontario sells these almost 1 lb. bars of Belgian made chocolate, dark, hazlenut, milk, etc for $3.88 each and surprisingly it's good stuff, not artificial tasting at all. For baking all you'd need to do is grate or chop it in the FP. I just can't think of the name at the moment but it's sort of an exclusive to Walmart brand. No, not Great Value LOL

Jo,

It's amazing how the minute you cross the state line prices jump across the board no matter what the purchase. On one of our trips to White Flower Farm we stopped at a grocery store to see if the western part of the state was any different. Nope, the Litchfield Hills are, if anything, higher. Yeah, I'm sure Guilford has to be pretty similar to Mystic; maybe, even higher since you're closer to the City.

Cloud swift,

I just checked the Costco website to see if they perhaps had a new store but, alas, there's no store within 50 miles of Mystic. :(

It's a zoning thang...Mystic doesn't even allow fast food restaurants except the one McDs at the entrance to I-95 & that's because of the large numbers of tourists visiting the Seaport & aquarium (McDs is basically right across the street from the aquarium). Walmart tried to get a store in...holy cow, you'd have thought it was a adult toy store the way voters responded! So, even our closest Wally World is a good ten miles away...over in the inland part of Groton. Doesn't really matter 'cause DH & I don't shop there anyway...personal protest thing. New England zoning laws discourage competition from large national stores...it interfers with the Norman Rockwell'ness of the area. There was a fire in downtown Mystic about six years ago & we lost an entire building. An out-of-state developer purchased the shell with the intent of rebuilding with the first floor retail & the upper floors high-end condos. Every plan they've submitted has been shot down by either the voters or the Historical Committee. I 'almost' feel sorry for the developers...they seriously underestimated the power of the New England Town Meeting! :) The whole issue revolves around windows. The developer wants to put large windows in the back of the building that overlooks Mystic River & the Seaport. They say buyers want large windows. The Historical Commitee & the voters say, "We don't care what your buyers want. Large windows are NOT appropriate to a first quarter 19th century New England building. They must be small." (So small...you can't meet fire code!) So, the building sits boarded up. I understand there's another "plan" to be presented sometime next spring. We'll see...

It's not just groceries or gas or housing costs...once you get the flour home then the electricity rates to bake the bread are the 3rd highest in the nation behind only Hawaii & our dear neighbors Rhode Island. All of New England has a high cost of living. We used to ask about it when we first moved here but were always met with a blank stare & a response of, "Yeah, and your point is???" So, we don't ask anymore. We've just adjusted.

When I look at these electric rates it's almost funny how much cheaper they are outside New England. All that said, I love living in New England & I wouldn't leave easily. So, maybe after living here for twenty years I finally understand all of those blank stares about the cost of living followed by the, "And your point is???"

/tricia

Claudia, TJ's in my area has Chocolate Chips in Semi and Milk for 1.69 for a 12 oz bag. And they are tasty!
I buy Hershey's Chocolate chips in the 64oz bag at Costco for around $8-9. You can also buy another brand of cchips at costco in a larger bag for about the same "oz" price, may a few pennies cheaper..but I find I that the 64oz bag lasts me about a month..so I know my stock is pretty fresh. LOL

PKguy, the brand is Sam's. I agree not bad tasting chocolate. But I much prefer Trader Joes Bittersweet Pound n half bars for baking...(oh and snacking!) LOL

Well let's see where I weigh in.

Eggs, naturally nested 2.99/doz or organic free range brown 3.99/doz on sale.
Sugar, Costco 25lbs around $12, otherwise the stores sell 5lbs for around $3.
Flour, I buy Bob's Red Mill Organic White for just under $5/5lbs.
Butter, for baking it's Costco's 4lb sticks for just under $7, and Organic for spreading, just over $6 for 2lbs.
Oats, Bob's Red Mill Organic steel cut about $3 for 1.5lbs.
Cream Cheese, Costco 5lbs for around $3-4
Vanilla, Costco big bottle around $5-6
Baking Powder, Bob's Red Mill $2.50 for a bag (about twice the amount in a small canister)
Lemons, I buy organic through my co-op, about 89cents each.
Cocoa, again organic $5-6 for about a lb.
Banana's, 89-1.09/lb because I buy organic
Nuts, costco 3lbs pecans about $13 (I think that's what I just payed.) Walnuts were around 16 or 17, but you got 5lbs??
Raisins, Trader Joes, about $2 for a cup...same for craisins.
Sour cream, I use only Daisy or Knudsen, because it's SOURCREAM, no perservatives or fillers..which I can get the big tub on sale for about 2.50.
I don't buy Canned pumpkin. Or Poppy Seeds..(I have enough poppy seeds to populate all the earth's dirt! LOL)

Oh and for baking Jif Peanut butter is 2 giant jars for around $4-5 at Costco.
But I use their organic..which costs about the same for 1/2 as much.

I live outside NYC - I probably could get better prices if I wait for some of the items to go on sale. (Usually baking stuff will go on sale before the holiday)

Eggland's Best Grade A Large Organic Eggs - $3.29/dozen Store Brand $1.79 :Organic 4.29
Nature's Promise Unsalted Butter - $4.49/lb. (10 lbs. = $44.90) Store Brand 2.50
King Arthur AP Flour - $4.79/5 lbs. (25 lbs. = $23.95) KA 4.99 Heckers 2.79
Generic Granulated Sugar - $2.99/5 lbs. (15 lbs. = $8.97) Store Brand 2.39
Quaker Rolled Oats - $4.59/42 ounce cardboard tub (2 = $9.18) 3.99
McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract - $7.99/2 oz. bottle (2 = $15.98) Generic 2.79 or Kosher 3.79
Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips - $3.19/12 oz. bag (15 - $47.85) 2.99
Ghirardelli Baking Chocolate (Semi-Sweet) - $2.79/4 oz. bar (6 = $16.74) 2.49
Ghirardelli White Chocolate - $2.70/4 oz. bar (4 = $10.80) 2.99
Rumford Baking Powder - $1.99/10 oz. can (2 - $3.98) 2.99 Clabber Girls 1.59
Hershey's Cocoa - $3.49 (1 = $3.49) 3.59
Diamond Chopped Pecans - $5.99/8 oz. bag (6 = $35.94) 5.99 Store Brand 4.29
Diamond Chopped Walnuts - $6.49/14 oz. bag (6 = $38.94) 6.99
Lemons (Fresh) - $.69/each (10 = $6.90) .33
Sun Maid Raisins - $3.29/15 oz. tub (1 = $3.29) 2.79
Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter - $4.19/28 oz. jar (1 = $4.19) 4.29
Libby's Canned Pumpkin - $1.50/15 oz. can (6 = $9.00) 1.39
Banana's (Fresh) - $.39/each (10 = $3.90) .40
Ocean Spray Craisins - $2.50/6 oz. (6 = $15.00) 2.19
Philly Cream Cheese - $2.50/oz bar (6 = $15.00) 2.49 store brand 1.25
Sour Cream - $2.49/16 oz. tub (2 = $4.98) 1.33
McCormick Poppy Seeds - $4.49/1.25 oz. jar (3 = $13.47) 3.99

One more reason I'm not planning a trip to Connecticut, I couldn't afford to eat there!

Anyway, the prices, I made sure these are not sale prices, I can actually get them much cheaper if I watch for the sales or buy in bulk at Sam's.

My own Organic Eggs: About 39 cents a dozen, but when I buy them locally they're $2 a dozen from any number of local farms.
Land O Lakes butter, $2.49 lb.
King Arthur AP Flour - $3.29 5 lbs.
Locally produced Pioneer or Big Chief sugar $1.28 4#
Quaker Rolled Oats $1.99
Penzey's Pure Vanilla Extract: $5.29/2 oz.
Chocolate Chips - $1.49 12 oz. bag store brand (I don't notice much difference when used in fudge, etc.) OR
$1.99 for Hershey's
Baker's Baking Chocolate (Semi-Sweet) - $2.29/4 oz. bar White Chocolate - $1.29/4 oz. bar (from the Amish Store, unbranded)
Rumford Baking Powder - $1.39/10 oz. can
Hershey's Cocoa - $2.79
Diamond Chopped Pecans - Beats me, I don't buy many
Diamond Chopped Walnuts - $4.99 12 oz.
Lemons (Fresh) - $.69/each up to over $1
Sun Maid Raisins - $3.19/15 oz. tub
Peter Pan Creamy Peanut Butter - $2.88/28 oz. jar
Libby's Canned Pumpkin - $.99 store brand is even cheaper
Banana's (Fresh) - $.59 per pound, I seldom buy them
Ocean Spray Craisins - $1.99
Philly Cream Cheese - $1.39
Sour Cream - $1.39/16 oz. tub
McCormick Poppy Seeds - darned if I know, I never buy them either.

It appears that the worst damage done by my holiday baking would be to my waistline, but I think I'll plead higher prices when asked why I didn't do as much baking. (grin)

Annie

I bought all the chips I will need for my holiday baking yesterday. Jewel Foods has a sale on the Hershey's baking chips. The milk, semi-sweet, special dark, and Reeses Peanutbutter chips are all 10 for $10, and when you buy ten bags you get a $3 instant rebate, so that is 10 bags for $7. The Heath Toffee chips are also $1, but not part of the instant rebate. Butter is about $4 a lb. King Arthur flour is $4 for a 5 lb bag. I did get lucky and got a 4 oz bottle of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla for $7 at World Market the other day. That would cost me $15 locally so I have been using Trader Joes Tahitian Vanilla which is not as strong but much cheaper.