Re: Groceries
 

I made a comment on the weather earlier and how it might make online shopping more appealing.

However, what happens if you order Monday for Friday and on Thursday evening you discover that Thursday/Friday's forecast 10cm of snow has since been revised to 40cm of blowing snow and that your street is unlikely to be passable until late Friday night and even then you might be trying to climb over a snow bank because the city plow just passed.

Like this

Re: Groceries
 

One issue overlooked so far with pricing and availability is that commercial vegetable production and sales in BC (includes imports) is controlled. This controls price & supply and is written in legislation.

Growing a few veggies at home for personal use is not controlled.

BC Vegetable Marketing Commission

The purpose is prevent deep discounting and keep prices up.

I believe a lot of folks coming from overseas underestimate the geography and climate here. There is a reason Pattisons have it set up the way they do. Jimmy is a pretty smart guy.

Re: Groceries
 

How would you in turn get out of your house to go to a bricks and mortar supermarket?
But hmm lets see if snow van is a possibility???

Re: Groceries
 

And can't forget the portions of Canada not really accessible by land, if we are talking about the country as a whole the small northern communities could really use lower prices, but how would anyone get food there cheaper when air is the only viable transportation in and out?

Same with Alaska, some communities have no viable land route, everything comes in by air or in summer months by barge.....


I could see something working in heavily dense area's like central Vancouver and possibly the burbs of those city's, but not in the small rural places, let alone the isolated places.

Re: Groceries
 

Heck while it wasn't online back in the day and you ordered from a catalog and delivery was only once per week, we had grocery delivery in So. California when I was a teenager, even milk was delivered to us.

Was a specialty company doing it and not a mainstream grocer, but they were successful in their day, and if I could remember their name, they may very well still be around. They drove around in climate controlled 15' size truck.


At the hotel when I was still there, we got the Whistler price list once by mistake by a vendor, and oh my were the prices inflated, we thought we had it bad, but the premium to go the extra 50 minutes up the highway was insane.

Not food here, but hotel amenities are the same, buy from one of the limited Canadian suppliers, and you really get hosed. We did a great deal of ordering from US suppliers at the time since the exchange rate was favorable.

Whistler hotels seem to largely outsource their laundry based on all the laundry companies picking up towels, sheets etc and delivering clean ones, not sure if its the same out your way, but I am sure considering it's going to Vancouver they are charged a premium for it.

Re: Groceries
 

I've not used it as it's not offered at our local store, but Save On (Jimmy Pattison as everyone likely knows owns it, and he was mentioned up thread) does offer shop online and pick up in store in select stores. Not sure how long it takes them, and how far in advance you have to order.

I think Wal-Mart may also be testing shop online and pick up in store or lockers in Toronto, but can't recall 100%.

Save On is order by 12 noon and pick up same day after 4pm.

http://www.saveonfoods.com/shop/delivery-area-map

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Once walmart come in there is no competing on price. They seem to be willing to lose money to weed out competition.

Re: Groceries
 

I was partially right, but you don't need to go to a Wal-mart store, they have locations in places like 7-11 for pick up as well. But appears to be mostly if not exclusively for non-perishables.

Walmart.ca Help Centre: Grab & Go | Checkout

And from what I can tell, Wal-Mart has no issues losing money in the short term for long term gain, but they have failed a few times, most notably in Germany I believe it was. They adapt to local markets well. In the US they have over the last 18 years been building a chain of smaller grocery only stores, Neighborhood Market.

I think the have around 700 of those stores. They are betting big down there on groceries, and even seem to be holding ground in ultra competitive So. California against the long established players where others have failed, most recently Haggen, A Bellingham based grocer who for whatever reason decided to expand into California with 67 stores, and a smaller expansion into AZ and NV and nearly ruined the company and sent them into bankruptcy. But Wal-Mart will likely be the winner long term, if anything they have reduced prices, but of course also reduced wages to a point grocery stores are no longer a well paid career.

Amazon offers some sort of pick up service, but never tried it since it seems they only offer pick up at Canada Post, at least in this area.

Re: Groceries
 

One keeps an eye on the forecast and goes shopping the day before an expected storm. It's being prepared and flexible whereas booking delivery for a particular date and then discovering a forecast change makes it awkward isn't. :)

Re: Groceries
 

Haven't been doing much grocery shopping these days, but prices have gone up a bit, especially with veggies...

3 tomatoes $6.10

2 broccoli crowns 6.54

3 zucchini 4.71

celery sticks 2.99

celery stalks 2.87

sandwich meat, turkey 6.39

loaf of brad 2.49 (I remember the previous price, up from 1.99)

1lb carrots 2.49 (I think they used to hover around 1.99)

12 eggs 4.99

4 liters milk 4.69

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Expensive compared to UK. I'll put £ in for comparison, just double to get C$.

Those must be big tomatoes!

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They are not very big.... The price of the buggers have just gone through the roof.

Price was 8.80/kg it looks like from the receipt.

The little cherry tomatoes that were 2.99/pack 6 months ago were on sale for 4.49, the sale price 6 months ago was 2 for $5.

The one thing that never seems to increase in price is banana's, still the reliable 0.78/lb...lol

Re: Groceries
 

Just had a look online and the price here goes from £2 kg for standard tomatoes to £12 kg for the most exotic ones! These days I only get baby plum tomatoes (smaller than cherry tomatoes) and I guess they are about £3-4 kg. Tomatoes are the one item that I must have at all times!

Re: Groceries
 

I don't think these are exotic, but I am no tomato expert. Just your normal usual hothouse variety.

Looking online which isn't the most useful since our local store isn't included and the Vancouver/Fraser Valley area seem to pay a bit less, roma and field are in the 6-7 per kg range.

I don't see any other varieties offered.

Re: Groceries
 

Will you have a garden when you move to the Wack? Maybe you can grow your own toms?!

Re: Groceries
 

We will have a patio and will be able to grow a couple pots of tomatoes. I tried last summer in this place as we are ground level and have a little spot in front, but not enough sun, the large pines on the lot next door blocks the sun, and we also face west so no sun until pretty late in the day.

The new place will have a lot of sun, so I think will do better this summer.

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Maybe some produce will be cheaper out there, since there is more farmland around.

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This is worth a try if you like tomatoes. They grow great in hanging baskets just let them fall over the side and they need no support. We had a great crop from a small area. You can buy "proper" upside down growing bags but we didn't bother.

Re: Groceries
 

I never thought of that. Good idea and will givw it a try this spring. Would be easier and less cluttering of the ground.

Thanks for the idea....

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Cost of veggies has gone mental. Cauliflowers are about 7 bucks for a small one. Celery was $5.49. I've got to get groceries tomorrow. I'll try to remember to post some of the prices.

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Indeed. A barrel of oil has dropped so much & cauliflower gone up so much that we can talk about a barrel of oil being worth 5 cauliflowers!

Although I did manage to buy two for $6 last weekend as Dominion (Superstore) had 'em on special.

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Don't move to Newfoundland. Groceries are expensive here!

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That they have, I don't see eating much vegetables in the near future, takes up too much of the food budget leaving nothing left for the other things....


The celery stalks are the ones with the leafy part on the top, and the sticks have been processed and cut into halves. They didn't have much of either in stock so I got a bit of both since we snack on them. Usually I buy the cheaper stalks and cut them myself, but had to take what they had.

As prices have gone up the stores seem to be stocking less produce, and out of stock a lot more often, suppose at the higher cost they are trying to reduce waste, and I imagine the higher prices is reducing demand.

We are staying in BC, at the end of the day it's too risky not having the safety net we have here for the times when health issues prevent working or working enough.

Re: Groceries
 

I did some shopping the other day at Walmarts for my son, as he wasn't feeling well, stocking up on a few bit and pieces. Not a typical shop but I'll try and remember to post next time I go.

Pkt of 5 chicken breasts - $10.00
Villagio bread - $3.38
Heinz Tomato Soup - $0.78
Can Tuna fish - $1.88
Dry pasta - $1.24
Cheese - $7.97
Phili cream cheese $3.97
Carrots - $1.97
Bag of Onions - 1.97
Bananas -$1.02 (1.48kg)
Teabags (own brand) $1.97
Digestive Biscuits - $2.00
Baked Beans (Heinz) $0.76
Folgers Coffee - $10.97
Ginger - $0.18
Ham - $5.00
Eggs - $2.85
Salad dressing - $2.77
Frozen Fries - $1.97
Dads Cookies - $1.97
Marmite - $3.56
Iceburg lettuce - $2.97
Tomatos - $2.42 ($6.55 kg)

Re: Groceries
 

That is cheap marmite- I paid $4.99- either one is a rip off tiddly pot of it- way cheaper and plastic squeezeable large containers in the UK

Re: Groceries
 

Why have the price of veggies gone up?

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No expert on this one, but it would seem that in Canada, since out of season veggies are imported from the USA, the fact that the Canadian dollar has dropped, veggie prices are more expensive, a reason to increase prices to whatever folks will pay or the greedy distributor can profit.

Re: Groceries
 

It's partly down to exchange rates and partly down to climatic conditions (drought) in agricultural bits of the USA.

As I mentioned in a previous post, people could mitigate the rising cost of groceries by not buying stuff they won't use.

As an example, my wife decided to make a curry last night (she'd picked up some chicken on sale). We had several jars of curry sauce in the pantry. Having checked the dates on them, they all went in the bin. That's about $20 of wasted food.

Re: Groceries
 

Sharwoods, VH, those sorts?

I thought I was the only one that used 'cheats' like that. :unsure:

I just found a couple with December on. I was surprised at that as I thought they all went some way ahead. I must have used some past their dates before with no ill effect.

Re: Groceries
 

That sort of stuff, yes.

December would have been OK. Stuff with a 2014 date, probably not.

That's just an invitation to :sick:

Re: Groceries
 

That's essentially it.

The other mitigation strategy is to eat seasonable vegetables & fruit rather than expecting to eat strawberres & salad 365 days of the year. So root vegetables are the thing for the winter!

I keep meaning to research a better vegetable storage solution - other the the fridge. Back in the day, root vegetables were kept for months in root cellars. Yet potatoes in a bag in the garage sprout in a month or so. Some sort of dark, insulated storage box vented to the outside air is what I'm thinking of.

Re: Groceries
 

We looked at buying some land on which there was a root cellar. The owner had created it by digging a big hole, maybe 20' diameter, and then lining it with tyres filled with earth. The tyres continued above the ground, leaning in to form a roof. It was large enough to stand up in. He gave us some garlic that he said had been in there for two winters; it was fine.

So, if you happen upon a couple of hundred tyres and are inclined to dig ...

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I neither have 100 tires nor the inclination to dig. (Although I do have a friend with all kinds of excavation equipment). No I'm thinking of something I can build in one of the garages.

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Brown paper bags seem to be the thing. Mustn't let stuff freeze through.

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We ate vegetables from the garden up to the end of November, I believe one presevation trick was to use buckets of sand for carrots and parsnips. I'll ask.

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Yes. Plastic seems to be the root (no pun intended) cause of vegetables going rotten, even in the fridge, Of course everything bought (we're long through what we've grown in the short growing season here) comes wrapped in plastic, presumably so that it does rot & you have to buy more!

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Such as an old fashioned vented wooden box as sold in junk stores and antiquey places? ;)

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Apparently, you shouldn't wash the potatoes and they need to be 'cured' before storage and stored in single layers.. interesting article on storing potatoes and other root vegetables here: How to Grow and Store Potatoes, Onions, Garlic and Squash, Keeper Crops: Gardener's Supply and specifically potatoes here: http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edib...n-potatoes.htm

Supposedly russets are particularly good for storing.

:)

Re: Groceries
 

I can't imagine keeping spuds that long.

My local shop sells 50lb bags but the saving equates to only about 60c per 10lb bag which lasts us about a week.

I went to Superstore this morning, advertising Russets @$5.99 for a 15lb bag. Not a great price but would save an additional trip out on foot in the cold.

But when I got there they were selling 10lb bags of two other kind, including good Reds for $2 each. So I got 20lbs for $4 instead of 15lbs for $6. That works out a better deal than the $50lb bag.
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Other highlights:
Some salad dressings @ $1.88 (normally $2.99)
Trop OJ carton @ $2.99 ($4.49)
PC extra old cheese @ $4.48 (6.99)
3lb carrots $2.50
Broc @$2.99
Various nice cheeses 2/$8
Pate's @ 99c

Re: Groceries
 

On curry additives/mixture, from the bulk store or on super special from the ethnic shop I get the dried ready to go blended spice of 'Madras as well as the Jamaican curry powder', works out to about a third of the cost of the jar or canned variety.

Even though its dried spice that will last forever, i only buy enough what will be used within 3 months,