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"I don't look at prices when I go grocery shopping"

Shake Appeal said:
Yes, modern life is full of boring, stressful decisions, which is why recognizing the ones that are overwhelmingly a false economy across a lifetime of commerce is helpful. You should do everything you can to reduce the amount of thought and time you give to things you don't care about (and can reasonably choose not to care about).
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Why is it a false economy?
 
As someone who grew up poor, that's my definition of "rich." Being able to walk into a store, grab what you want and not have to worry about or even look at the price.
 
I know that my weekly trip to the grocery store is about $200. Unless something makes it shoot way up or down I never really look at the individual prices of things. I think most people I interact with do the same thing as me.
 
Jealousy is a hard feeling to tackle and you also seem to be feeling a bit uncomfortable(?), or disappointed by your life right now.

I suggest taking stock of the things in life that you do have and are grateful for.

For your friend the way you described him he seems to be good friend and this is the only thing that bothers you.

Besides this, examine the other aspects of your friendship and see if it is good for you, and if it is count your blessings, and not in the way that assumes he is arrogantly generous to be a "friend" to poorer people, but a real friendship in which how you treat each other.

It would be a shame for a friendship to be ruined because of a perceived difference over money.

Any way this is my small advice I hope you find it helpful.
 
I don't look at prices when I go grocery shopping and pretty much never have.

It's not that I can afford whatever (I can't), it's that I just naturally know what's expensive and what's cheap, what I can afford and what I can't. What's sensible to purchase and what isn't. I'd love that fancy antipasto platter and that 500g mozzarella but I know roughly that they're out of my league.

I know I can afford better than the cheap kraft macaroni but not the fancy artisan stuff at the deli so I get the middle ground stuff... I know the cheap cuts of meat from the middle ones from your fillet mignon... I'd love to eat Rao's spaghetti sauce vs shitty ass Ragu but Ragu it is. I don't know how much Ragu costs at all but I know it's less that a third of Rao's. Somewhere along the line I just picked up that info.

In the end I just don't need to know precisely what the shit costs so long as I know it's not expensive. Looking at the thread I see I'm not the only one.
 
That's baffling to me. I price compare the shit out of everything I buy, though I'm not on the coupon bandwagon like I should be.
 
I have a few things that I buy every week so I look at which store has those items on sale use that to determine where I'll go.
 
Wiped89 said:
Wow at the people in this thread who say they don't look at prices. You like wasting money? All of you are a shop owner's dream. They put prices up and you lap it up.

I earn a decent salary and I still keep a close eye on every single item. I can tell instantly when something has gone up by even 10p since my last shop. Or gone down in size.

The way I see it, the more money you save on these shops, the more 'good' food like fresh vegetables etc you can buy with the same money, and the more I have spare for games/trips/fun.

Why waste it?
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This is where I'm at, I want to be able to retire before I'm too old and broke down to enjoy it. I'm going to get there, I'll be a frugal, penny pinching mother fucker for as long as I have to.
 
Maoyama said:
I know that my weekly trip to the grocery store is about $200. Unless something makes it shoot way up or down I never really look at the individual prices of things. I think most people I interact with do the same thing as me.
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How many people are in your household?

I think I usually end up at about $100 per week on average for two people, but that includes all three meals per day as we always bring our lunches to our jobs.


Also wonder how many people claiming to be super thrifty on food end up buying video games at launch, collectibles, vinyl versions of albums, etc....
 
I don't care how much money I ever earn.

I'm not buying brand name just to buy brand name. If I absolutely have to take part in a capitalist system, the least I could do is not give in to unnecessary price inflation.

Great Value for life.
 
Alter_Fridge said:
You want more fiscal equity in the world yet by not caring where your money goes you're ok with lining the man at the top's pockets with even more cash.
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My choosing not to seek out the cheapest produce at the grocery store is not going to affect the "man at the top's pockets" much either way, I'm afraid. :(

(Although one way to reduce the power of the man at the top would be to buy more expensive organic produce from local farmers. And generally being willing to pay more at the register. Buying the cheapest generic items generally rewards large-scale, poor-quality production.)
 
I haven't bought groceries in about 8 years. My wife does this and she is a hawk for sales and will drive to neighboring cities to save money if needed. I just buy what I want and never check prices because I can afford that luxury.

This is why my wife does the shopping lol
 
I try to look at every price beforehand and then have a rough estimate in my head before I leave. So I know if I have 10 roughly $3 items it'll be about $30. Don't want to be too surprised when you get to the register. I'm lucky enough that I can afford to buy name brands and an expensive treat once in a while, but just not giving a shit about cost is an alien concept to me.
 
Kind of describes me. Well, technically I look at the prices—usually—but I don't really keep track. It's something I need to get better at.

By contrast, when I buy the same items online I'll comparison shop between five different sites in order to save a few cents, for reasons I don't understand.
 
Shake Appeal said:
My choosing not to seek out the cheapest produce at the grocery store is not going to affect the "man at the top's pockets" much either way, I'm afraid. :(

(Although one way to reduce the power of the man at the top would be to buy more expensive organic produce from local farmers. And generally being willing to pay more at the register. Buying the cheapest generic items generally rewards large-scale, poor-quality production.)
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That's what I'm getting at too. You choose where every dollar you spend goes.

I'm not advocating buying the cheapest of every thing by a long shot, but be mindful where you shop and always be mindful of what's on special and when you get stuff in bulk cheaper. Don't be brand loyal when you don't need to just because of habit. Always check receipts, always.
 
I don't look at the price (except when I go with cash), at least for essential things. When it comes to things like sodas, booze, or junk food, I do pay attention. What I do is sum the things on a calculator as I grab them, leaving for the end the non essential stuff (sodas, junk food, booze). Which I may not get if I reach the budget before them.


What I look at, is which products have a "reward". The ones in my usual supermarket that will add a bit of money to a virtual wallet. It's not a lot, but when you save enough to pay for groceries without real money, it's quite satisfying.
 
Alter_Fridge said:
That's what I'm getting at too. You choose where every dollar you spend goes.

I'm not advocating buy ign the cheapest of every thing by a long shot, but be mindful where you shop and always be mindful of what's on special and when you get stuff in bulk cheaper. Don't be brand loyal when you don't need to just because of habit. Always check receipts, always.
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What does red have to do with it? We're talking about food. I don't need to buy things that taste better to me, but I choose to.

People need to get over the idea that there is ever an objectively correct or best way to spend money.
 
The continuing bringing up of brands and cans of sauce and such has lead me to believe this is an inner aisle thing.

I don't compare brands of romaine because there's organic and regular and I just buy the regular every time. And as it's a staple I know what it will be all together.
 
Wowfunhappy said:
Kind of describes me. Well, technically I look at the prices—usually—but I don't really keep track. It's something I need to get better at.

By contrast, when I buy the same items online I'll comparison shop between five different sites in order to save a few cents, for reasons I don't understand.
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It's not strange, you want the best return for your money every time, no matter what.

No different to those who gamble or play the stock market.
 
I'm not a penny pincher, nor am I an extravagant spender. I feel like I split the middle. There are situations where I will spend more to purchase a higher quality cut of beef, but I do notice the price of items I purchase.

I had a co-worker who constantly bragged about their monetary value and all the extra money they have all thet time to spend on house upgrades, trucks, vacations, etc. I'm no longer friends with this person. Not my style to brag about money and all that.
 
KHarvey16 said:
What does red have to do with it? We're talking about food. I don't need to buy things that taste better to me, but I choose to.

People need to get over the idea that there is ever an objectively correct or best way to spend money.
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Red?

There is an objective way of spending your money best, it's called Economics and Universities offer a degree in it.
 
I have a fairly good idea of what things should cost. So I do check prices. The downside is that buying stuff while at the office (NYC) inevitably feels like I am being ripped off.
 
Alter_Fridge said:
Red?

There is an objective way of spending your money best, it's called Economics and Universities offer a degree in it.
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Should be "need."

There isn't an objective way of spending your money best. "Best" is an inherently subjective measure when we talk about food. There is no best pasta or cereal or tomato.
 
Klotera said:
I don't think not looking at prices at the grocery store is that uncommon. Most people have a general idea of what things generally cost.
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This assumption, that's where they get you. Stores actually manipulate prices quite a bit in the aggregate with sales, rewards cards and other techniques so they can have low-priced items to draw people into the store and make people feel like they've gotten a good value. They depend on the fact that most people are indiscriminate shoppers to make up the difference. If everyone penny-pinched and focused on the deals I guess they'd go out of business or at least go back to flat pricing. But this state of affairs does mean a smart shopper can ride the wave of indifference and come out on top.
 
I look at the price of everything I buy, and will prioritise price:quality over actually wanting anything. It's just one of the many facets of my life that make it a perpetual misery.

Not that I buy cheap stuff... I just don't enjoy the liberation implicit in having a decent budget.
 
We switched to Aldis 3 years ago and have never looked back. We never paid that much attention to prices as we assumed it was pretty much the same everywhere. Not even joking, we cut our grocery bill nearly 200 a month by shopping at Aldis.
 
I definitely check, but I plan far more around where I shop in the first place, particularly since moving up to New England from the south. If I'm setting foot in Price Chopper or Big Y, it's only for a sale or a specific item I can't get elsewhere. I'm not touching a single additional thing on the shelf for regular price knowing it's going to be anywhere from $1 to $3 higher an item compared to, say, Target or the generic options at Aldi or Trader Joe's. I'm not gonna pay $4.29 for a bag of chips when it's $2.50 just down the block. But I don't have kids -- which means I can happily drive around to a couple stores close by and not go crazy. If I had a brood following me around, I'd probably limit the damage to one spot and not ask questions.
 
Culex said:
We switched to Aldis 3 years ago and have never looked back. We never paid that much attention to prices as we assumed it was pretty much the same everywhere. Not even joking, we cut our grocery bill nearly 200 a month by shopping at Aldis.
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Same. Save so much shopping there. To the point where Walmart seems expensive now.
 
Culex said:
We switched to Aldis 3 years ago and have never looked back. We never paid that much attention to prices as we assumed it was pretty much the same everywhere. Not even joking, we cut our grocery bill nearly 200 a month by shopping at Aldis.
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This is how monopolies start
 
I'm by no means rich, but I make enough money where its more of a hassle to compare prices, shop around, coupon clip, etc than to save a couple bucks on my groceries. Because now I've wasted time and gas driving to other stores, and time comparing prices. That time is better spent having fun with my son.
 
Honestly I know how much things cost and don't really look unless it's something I've never bought before.

I still tend to spend sub $50 for my weekly groceries on a regular basis.
 
cartographer said:
The continuing bringing up of brands and cans of sauce and such has lead me to believe this is an inner aisle thing.

I don't compare brands of romaine because there's organic and regular and I just buy the regular every time. And as it's a staple I know what it will be all together.
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This is where I am as well. As someone who eats a veggie diet, I don't see alot of coupons for vegetables, nor wide fluctuations in pricing.
 
Culex said:
We switched to Aldis 3 years ago and have never looked back. We never paid that much attention to prices as we assumed it was pretty much the same everywhere. Not even joking, we cut our grocery bill nearly 200 a month by shopping at Aldis.
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It's Aldi not Aldis. :) Most everything is great at Aldi, except the stress I feel when checking out there. They rush you down the line and expect you to swipe your card with ninja-like speed and efficiency to keep the line moving. It stresses me out.
 
Alter_Fridge said:
One of my greatest pleasures in life is comparing items to try and get the best value.

Paying ridiculous amounts of money for items that could be had for less isn't impressive, it's stupid.
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You say that like the more expensive item is just the same thing but with a higher cost. I definitely always check what I'm buying and compare but I'll happily pay more for something I know tastes better and that I'll enjoy more.
 
A great deal might lure me to purchase but if there is something I really want I also don't really focus on the price much. Not going to drive to another store or wait because my juice of choice is 50 cents more than I wanna pay.
 
TAD said:
You say that like the more expensive item is just the same thing but with a higher cost. I definitely always check what I'm buying and compare but I'll happily pay more for something I know tastes better and that I'll enjoy more.
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Sorry if it came across that way but I didn't mean that, and I agree with you. But for most products there's a very close equivalent in quality and many times there will be an option to get it on special. That's when you should pounce.
 
You can easily save 50%+ on many products by looking at flyers and shopping around. People paying inflated prices, like OP's friend, are subsidizing those great deals for the rest of us.
 
I used to track my grocery shopping spending, but after awhile, I just started to get what I needed and just budgeted on a per item basis. I know if I go to ALDI or Trader Joe's, I'll always check out with a reasonable bill if I'm getting essential foods. I shop at Whole Foods, but for specific items. I buy rice, frozen veggies, and yogurt in bulk from Costco. I don't eat organic meat unless I need it for a specific recipe, and my diet revolves around whole fruits, veggies, lean protein, and grains, which cost less overall than pre-packaged foods. I usually wind up spending $350-$375 a month.

Honestly, I feel bad for people who do not know how to cook or just chooses not too. Food tastes much better, you save a shit ton of money, and you have a much better idea of what ingredients are in your meals.
 
I don't look at prices myself, but I stay away from everything but the basics and I always guy generic except for a few one off items.

After all, that generic pasta and the brand pasta is usually made/packaged in the same place. I don't have a need to literally throw away money.
 
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