Interesting article about a hot topic of late! LOL
https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-a...51733a019c2bce084a1ef0ee6ddcc88f9938e4db85731
https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-a...51733a019c2bce084a1ef0ee6ddcc88f9938e4db85731
Wondering How Much Cheaper Costco Groceries Are? I Did the Math......
- Thread starter ibglowin
- Start date
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Thanks for posting that. It's a good illustration that we need to do price comparisons as well as package size comparisons, e.g., we don't use enough mayo in a year to justify a 64 oz jar (plus we need room in the fridge for it).
I was looking at his consumption for one year. We are a family of two now. I don't think we could go through that much mayo, ketchup etc. even when we had 3 kids at home! We do have the Executive membership and even with the $135 membership fee they send us a check for a LOT more than that each year somehow!
Bulk has always been cheaper. One observation on foods is that we can’t really get consumers to buy more calories per capita. As a tool to increase profits innovation as cool whip has been done, reducing the home labor ie providing a service is done, and reducing the package to a single serving. , , , The last product I worked on was designed to sell for $2.99, my cost for caloric content calculated out at $0.29,the rest is packaging, marketing cost, profit, store markup, warehouse distribution costs etc
Mayo & ketchup we don't fool with, rather get it at HEB. Meat is definitely cheaper at Costco, and generally of higher quality. (Choice vs Select). We will buy the big bags of rice, then we potion it into smaller bags and vacuum seal those. Non-fresh vegetables are usually frozen as my wife prefers to find low and no-salt versions. We also get a big check from Costco every year, and one from Visa also.
Wow! I have to say that "Stop and Shop" is a ripoff and a half. Their pricing, assuming what is shown is accurate, are ridiculously high and I can beat every one at my local super market in spades.
I shop Costco for major bulk items, e.g. paper products, Al foil. plastic wrap, meats, etc. but I avoid almost all fresh fruits and vegetables. Some of their clothing items are a good deal as are some household items. But shopping Costco for most items on that list would be more expensive here in Central Ohio.
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Shopping is shopping. You need to do price comparisons, and look for the best deal on each type of item you want to purchase. I don't think that there is one single store that is the best place to buy everything.
I use both Costco and Sam's. Both carry different products that we use. Costco has better meats and TP. BUT..Sam's has better items we like and use. For meat, we have a butcher friend and several times a year we coop with him and others and slaughter a steer and hogs. Also deer is processed and shared.
Speaking of grocery prices, what do those of you who use olive oil think of the currently pricing? I wish I had invested in Italian olive oil instead of some of my stocks. We use both EVOO and OO in all of our cooking, salads, and other Italian dishes. The EVOO we use is the Costco 1.5 Liter Italian Extra Virgin and not long ago (a year or two) it cost less than $10. It is now $22. I have heard people refer to Olive Oil as "liquid gold" and now I see why.
winemanden
Senior Member
In the UK, supermarkets, have products on the shelf in smaller packs at one price alongside a larger pack at a price that is less than two small ones. They look cheaper, but if you check the weights or the price per Kg. or Ltr., they actually are more expensive. The law says the price per Kg must be displayed, but lots of people can't be bothered to check, thinking they are getting a good deal.
As for Mayo, if you have a stick blender, pop an egg, oil, a dab of mustard, salt and oil into a tall jar and blend. Hey presto! Fresh Mayo made to your taste. Easy!
Follow me for more cooking tips. Another 9999 and I might get paid
As for Mayo, if you have a stick blender, pop an egg, oil, a dab of mustard, salt and oil into a tall jar and blend. Hey presto! Fresh Mayo made to your taste. Easy!
Follow me for more cooking tips. Another 9999 and I might get paid
Record drought conditions all through the growing region for the last couple of years......... Supply (down) Demand (up)
https://joint-research-centre.ec.eu...e-critical-impact-mediterranean-2024-02-20_en
https://joint-research-centre.ec.eu...e-critical-impact-mediterranean-2024-02-20_en
Mike is right.
Perhaps this is only anecdotal, but I heard on a radio program that the recent harvest in Spain was extremely good. So much so that prices are dropping a lot there.
Climate is always changing. Just in different places. The point is adaption of the species.
We have a dozen olive trees in our yard - five of which are 75+ years old according to the local olive tree expert - and the others we planted a couple years ago… we harvest the olives typically in December and take them to a local mill for processing.
One thing that is interesting is that olive trees alternate big crop year followed by little crop year. So 2023 was a massive year for us with 1400 pounds and 2024 was 1100 pounds. I was surprised that everyone seems to be in the same cycle. The mill was running multiple shifts - 20 hours a day to allow for some cleaning and maintenance in 2023 - and had only two producers coming in the week we picked in 2024.
So Costco’s suppliers may be running into some of the same up and down year problems.
One of our mature trees… zoom to see olives.
One of three bins we took to the mill this year. Easier to handle part way full.
Final product - the mill gives you one clear bottle so you can check clarity, color etc. the rest gets bottled in dark green glass.
One thing that is interesting is that olive trees alternate big crop year followed by little crop year. So 2023 was a massive year for us with 1400 pounds and 2024 was 1100 pounds. I was surprised that everyone seems to be in the same cycle. The mill was running multiple shifts - 20 hours a day to allow for some cleaning and maintenance in 2023 - and had only two producers coming in the week we picked in 2024.
So Costco’s suppliers may be running into some of the same up and down year problems.
One of our mature trees… zoom to see olives.
One of three bins we took to the mill this year. Easier to handle part way full.
Final product - the mill gives you one clear bottle so you can check clarity, color etc. the rest gets bottled in dark green glass.
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Very cool to have your own source of EVOO! Also interesting is that Olives do basically the same thing as nut trees do in that some years production is off the charts and others are down years. Do you have to irrigate them in order to produce or is it strictly dry farming and up to what Mother Nature provides?
