HOW WE SPLIT THE TAB - GROCERIES

acoupleofcooksig
Apr 27, 2022
2 min read

Andrew and I do not set a normal weekly/monthly budget for groceries. Instead, we set an expectation of how much food we should keep in the apartment and replenish as needed. Typically, Andrew shops at Safeway and I shop at Trader Joe's on a weekly basis. We take turns at buying from Costco since it's a less frequent trip - roughly once every two months.

We actively read the ads and closely compare prices at each of the 3 stores before planning out our trips. I've been a LOYAL Trader Joe's customer since 2009 (beginning of freshman year) so I've memorized all of their prices. This strategy may require Andrew or I to spend more at one store over the other, but ultimately saves us money across the board on all categories.

For example, bell peppers at Safeway vary: they're typically $1.99 each (sale price 2 for $3.00) but they're consistently $0.69 at Trader Joe's. A set of 6 avocados at Trader Joe's is consistently $3.99 but Safeway sells them at $1.99 each, sometimes even 2 for $5.00. Cereal at Trader Joe's is consistently $1.99-$2.99 but Safeway has a lot of deals. After applying coupons, Andrew sometimes buys cereals for as low as $0.50 each.