grocery shopping habits

Our grocery shopping options around here are limited. We have Sprouts for our deli meats and specialty items. Stater Bros. is our go-to store, where they have a full-service meat department and quality produce. Then there is WinCo with its warehouse environment and low prices where you bag your own groceries. (As far as we’re concerned, Walmart does not exist, even though we have two full-sized stores and one Neighborhood Market in the valley.)

There are a number of Staters stores in the San Jacinto valley, but the one near us is the newest and the nicest. It’s only three years old, but even so they just did a mini-remodel, adding faux-wood floors. It makes for a very pleasant shopping environment and is a much more enjoyable shopping experience than the other Staters stores in the valley. Not that they’re bad, it’s just that ours is a lot nicer.

When I compare prices, however, WinCo is much cheaper. So we’ve been adjusting our routine. We go to Staters for produce and fresh meat. We tackle WinCo for the grocery aisles, as well as the refrigerated section and frozen foods.

It takes a little more time, but the cost savings make it worthwhile.