Tulsa Grocery Stores And Coupon Savings Companys

[Conan71]

How much planning does it take when you are deciding what to purchase and where?  Is it just your needs as you stated or any other factors?

I'm not a great meal planner myself, I may have one or two things in mind when I go to the store, and go from there.  The only cooking I "plan" per se is usually weekends.  I'll be going down an aisle and think of something that sounds good and get the ingredients for it.  There's also certain staple veggies and fruit I like having around the house and some meats I like to have on hand at all times.

[DolfanBob]

Does reasors tend to have the best Sales ads? The only stores you did not mention are Target and Whole Foods any thoughts on them?

I have a new Target that I get all my prescriptions from because of how fast they are and how I am treated. The Grocery part of Target is not even a thought for me because I see no savings and for the love of Gawd they dont sell beer....lol
I have no idea who Whole Foods is so I cant think they are advertising enough to get my attention.
Yes Reasors is and has always been a sales monster when it comes to weekly sales. Larry Reasor the founder had the greatest goofy commercials when I was growing up, so I can only imagine that is why they continue their weekly blitz. A Daddy knew best kinda thing.

[DolfanBob]

I thought for a moment you were going to attribute your grocery bill increase from $250/week to $300/week to the use of coupons.  Good thing no one edited your post and took you out of context.  

I can probably attribute it to Obama care. Not positive but it has taken the hike about Two Years.   

[Empower Tulsa]

One other thing. The last Six Months or so. My Wife and myself print off online coupons and also clip them when we have access to a papers inserts.
Our grocery bill has went from 250 Dollars a week to now over 300. The coupons on a good shopping trip can save us the amount of the State tax. Not a bad trade off and not really that hard to do.

Do you use any of the coupon niche companies promoted by channel 6 and 2?

[Empower Tulsa]

I can probably attribute it to Obama care. Not positive but it has taken the hike about Two Years.   

I think that Gas prices increased the price of all items.... Just a un researched thought.

[Empower Tulsa]

I have a new Target that I get all my prescriptions from because of how fast they are and how I am treated. The Grocery part of Target is not even a thought for me because I see no savings and for the love of Gawd they dont sell beer....lol
I have no idea who Whole Foods is so I cant think they are advertising enough to get my attention.
Yes Reasors is and has always been a sales monster when it comes to weekly sales. Larry Reasor the founder had the greatest goofy commercials when I was growing up, so I can only imagine that is why they continue their weekly blitz. A Daddy knew best kinda thing.

Wonder if the commercials are still around...  I'll check youtube and give them a call.

[Empower Tulsa]

I'm not a great meal planner myself, I may have one or two things in mind when I go to the store, and go from there.  The only cooking I "plan" per se is usually weekends.  I'll be going down an aisle and think of something that sounds good and get the ingredients for it.  There's also certain staple veggies and fruit I like having around the house and some meats I like to have on hand at all times.

With No exact list are you able to stay within a certain budget?

[DolfanBob]

Do you use any of the coupon niche companies promoted by channel 6 and 2?

Yes we do. The Money saving Queen's web site just leads you to a national coupon site, and the coupons are kind of sorted by your zip code. So far we have not had any problems with Reasors accepting them.

[Empower Tulsa]

Yes we do. The Money saving Queen's web site just leads you to a national coupon site, and the coupons are kind of sorted by your zip code. So far we have not had any problems with Reasors accepting them.

Just read another post on the grocio site in it's start up stages.  I visited it and it seems to not be ready yet waiting for a response from them. Does that compare at all?

[Conan71]

With No exact list are you able to stay within a certain budget?

I don't really have a food budget per se, but it seems to run on average $40 to $60 per week, more if I'm doing one of my BBQ throw-downs or doing a special dinner for my GF and/or kids and their friends.

And in response to your other question:

I tend to eat more whole foods and very little processed food so I've got a pretty regular list of meats, veggies, fruits, and grains I tend to cook with.  Very little of what I eat comes out of a box or can, it's generally just off the stalk or off the hoof.

[guido911]

...some meats I like to have on hand at all times.

Must...resist...urge...Okay, momentary regression passed.

[Red Arrow]

WalMart, Food Pyramid, and Aldi's get most of our business because they are closest to 111th & Memorial. WalMart is usually the least expensive but better meat and produce choice and quality often take us to the others. A shopping loop will allow shopping at all three for the best choice and price.  Reasor's is out of the way for most purchases but they have things that other stores don't have, like buffalo meat, Campbell's Pepper Pot Soup, and pearled barley.  Reasor's has a decent deli section including some prepackaged, difficult to find items like Prosciutto and Capicola (Italian hams) required for a real Philly Hoagie (not just a sub).  For fresh sliced (or spiced rather than sweet Capicola), you have to go to Seigi's or Petty's.  Seigi's is closer to us.  That stuff is expensive so it's a treat rather than a regular purchase, as were the Amoroso hoagie/cheesesteak rolls that I had sent FedEx from Philly.  I'm originally from suburban Philly and hadn't tasted a real hoagie in a L-O-N-G time.

Sam's is good for bulk purchases like toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, trash bags and some large containers of spices we use a lot.  Meats like chicken (Tyson's cheapest) at Sam's usually have a lot of added salt so we check labels for sodium at Sam's.

Veggies are a mix of frozen or fresh depending on what looks good and isn't way too expensive.  A trip down the produce aisle frequently determines dinner for a few days.

Coupons.  Most of the ones I see aren't for things I would normally buy, at least not the brand. If one is readily available and I remember to take it with me, I will use coupons.

We are fortunate to be able to mostly put quality above price on food.  For stuff that's the same everywhere like Yoplait yogurt, a stop at WalMart is usually in order, especially if there are some other national brand items to buy on that trip.

[custosnox]

The only store that i'm aware of the specialize in meat is Meat Market.  Which I read through a previous chat.  What is the difference with Reasors and Warehouse Markets Meat?  I assume they are both local not sure if Wal-Mart is or not.

"Specialty Foods" are these can products, Produce.....

Reasors, as far as the meat goes, seems to have fresher meat, and simply better quality.  Not sure what their chain of supply is, but it is something that makes a noticable differance when prepared. 
With the 'specialty foods' it varies.  One thing that I pick up at Reasors is a chili mix that I like to scavange for it's spices.  I'll also drive the extra distance to pick up produce on those often occasions when Wal-Mart does not have them.  It's amazing how evertime I want to kick back with a Corona, that is when the Neighborhood Market runs out of limes.
There are also a few select things that can be picked up at Whole Foods that can only be found there, but it is costly enough that I generally is a rare trip to head out there.  Beyond that specialties will really depend on what it is, such as asian from Nam Hai.  But places like that generally require some specific need that I go there looking for.

[swake]

We also shop at a combination of stores and spend 150-200 a week on groceries. We shop primarily at Target and Reasors and fill in with Sams and Whole Foods. Price is secondary to me to quality and service. I don't shop at Wal-Mart if I can help it because of a lack of both.

For price reasons we buy most non-food items at Target. We buy most of our produce at Reasors, it's less expensive, better quality and they have a larger selection. But I will go against the grain here and say that I am not always happy with the meat at Reasor's. I think the meat at Target is better and a little more expensive. If Target doesn't have what meat we want we will hit a meat market. Reasor's overall has a better selection than Target, especially in seafood and ethnic foods, but Reasors is overall a little more expensive.  Both Reasors and Target stores are clean and the service is good. I really am happy with both stores.

For the other two stores, first off I will say I don't think that Whole Foods is really that much more expensive overall than other stores when comparing the same item. It's just that Whole Foods doesn't carry the less expensive non-Organic version and therefore seems much more expensive. They aren't at all convenient to where I live so we don't shop there much, only maybe once a month, but it's a really good store and they carry things that no one else does other than Petty's, and Petty's is truly expensive. As for Sam's, I won't buy any meats or produce from them, but we do go there maybe once a month for bulk items. They actually also have a decent cheese selection at really good prices. Service at Sam's is fine with regards to the employees but there are not enough people working the stores, they are often dirty and the lines are just simply ridiculous. If the service at Sam's was better, we would probably shop there more but it's just obvious that Wal-Mart Inc doesn't give a crap about their customers.

My wife loves to clip coupons, we have a whole drawer full in the kitchen, and we nearly never use them.

[Conan71]

Price is secondary to me to quality and service. I don't shop at Wal-Mart if I can help it because of a lack of both.

Kind of like Wal Mart's "house" brand, Great Value.

It's neither.

Badda bing!