Grocery Store Satisfaction

I have always enjoyed grocery shopping. I think it's because I like to spend money, and this is a way to do that without feeling guilty. In Pasadena I enjoyed when the grocery ads came in the mail Tuesday nights. I would look through all three or four of them and circle items that were a good deal. Then I would base my menu for the week on the ingredients that were on sale that week. I must say shopping at multiple stores for sometimes only three items each got to be pretty laborious once Brady was tagging along, but it was still worth it to me.

Here in Rocklin I've found that the grocery ads really don't have any prices that are more competitive than what I've found at WinCo, which is not only my new favorite grocery store, but also one of my favorite things about living here in general. I know, that's a bold statement to make about a grocery store.

By the way, another thing I don't miss about Pasadena is all the hoity-toity talk of Trader Joe's and their healthy food that's "competitively priced." I found two things in the whole place that I thought MIGHT be a better deal, but hey, I shop the sales, and just because I don't shop there doesn't mean I don't eat healthy food. Yes, a sensitive subject.

One thing I don't like about WinCo is that they have no weekly ad, and without knowing what will be on sale each week, it's more difficult to plan my menus. However, WinCo has many favorable things that make up for this flaw, such as:

1) huge selection, especially on generic items

2) lower prices, obviously

3) spaciousness of the building and the aisles

4) there are no candy bars tempting me at the check-out lanes

My favorite thing about WinCo is that they have a vast selection of bulk candy, and other food in bins. Some things that I've found to be good deals are chocolate/white choc/peanut butter chips, potato flakes, generic cereal (Brady has no idea they aren't actually Cheerios), blueberry muffin mix, and multiple types of dried fruit. In fact, just this weekend I'm making a recipe that calls for 1/3 cup dried cranberries. No need to buy a bag of Craisins for that!

If you don't already know this about me, you might be surprised to learn that I try to avoid eating sweets on weekdays (Friday is considered the weekend). Sugar-free Jell-o and Walmart's Great Value sugar-free drink mix (like Crystal Light) help take the edge off after a spicy meal.

The most exciting thing I recently discovered is that WinCo sells quite a variety of sugar-free candy in their bulk food section. I was so enthusiastic about it that I took a picture, but not before I filled a small baggie with sugar-free gummi bears. Hooray for WinCo and their sugar-free bulk candy!