The Price of Produce
As someone who has cared for a lot of bunny rabbits, we buy a lot of produce. On average, we’ll get a few heads of Romaine lettuce, some red and green leaf lettuce. We switch it up sometimes and get escarole. We’ll also get herbs like cilantro and parsley (both Italian and curly).
Let’s just say that I know my prices. And I know there’s fluctuation when it starts getting colder outside, and things get more expensive in the winter.
But $3.29/lb for red leaf lettuce? And $4.99/lb for Boston? This is just craziness to me. Are the prices like this for others in the Midwest, or is it just Chicago? Just Hyde Park?
Things have always seemed a bit more expensive at Treasure Island in Hyde Park, due to there not really being tons of other options nearby. Liz recalls seeing a jar of peanut butter go for over a dollar more than what it might fetch at other stores.
From time to time, I’ll get shocked at prices at Treasure Island… and then retreat to a Google Spreadsheet I set up. I’ve got a list of common items, and the prices based on where we might shop (Treasure Island vs. Instacart vs. Peapod).
In my head, there’s got to be some way to determine whether shopping via another service (plus their fees) would be cheaper than buying groceries at Treasure Island.
It’s tricky, as there’s no clear cut way to measure that I’ve found. One place that’s cheaper on produce items is more expensive when it comes to canned goods. That sort of thing.
The good news is that there will be a new grocery store opening up soon nearby, a few blocks away. The bad news is that it’s going to be a Whole Foods, which is notorious for being more expensive.
I’m still really curious about these prices. For those who buy produce in Chicago… are you seeing the same kind of prices? Is it a seasonal or regional thing?
Related:
Sudden Showers Inside Treasure Island Supermarket
Using Instacart for the First Time
A Balanced Diet
Waiting for Liquor
Columbus Foods: New Discoveries in Vegetable Oils
Moments after hitting the “Publish” button, I realized I’m an old man yelling into the Internet void about food prices.
I do think about food shopping and automation, and how for the most part we usually know what we want/need at the store. And how rarely we think about “browsing” the aisles looking for inspiration. I feel like most of us want to be in/out as quickly as possible, so that we can get on with our lives and evenings.
So there’s the nerd factor in all this.
But still. Yelling. About vegetable prices. Yeah.
avoision (January 22, 2016 at 3:33 pm)