South Jersey checking in here..my local Shoprite is always crammed with food and other things, and it's a very good deal IF you shop the sales which i always do! Aldi's is good too, but you can get meat and some groceries much cheaper at Shoprite when it's on sale. Aldi's is great for banannas (always 39 cents a lb.), fancy european chocolates and cookies etc., and staples such as trash bags, food storage bags and so forth.Also frozen food. For the rest of what the Jersey lady said, she's pretty much on target, but i only recently started shopping at walmart, so i'll have to investigate what folks are saying about it. (EDIT)


I might assume you were referring to my post, however, the major thing to realize is that I am not a female poster, rather, a recently let-go senior level healthcare executive (male).

This should not be construed into some warped male/female issue, as what I am about to say has nothing to do with genger.

My reporting in NJ, has to do with my personal interactions with many people, male and female alike, as I am used to talking to complete strangers with ease.

The one fact I reported was that what appeared to be a high influx of male shoppers doing their homework and figuring out how to almost "make money" shopping by doing diligent research on their coupons. Not sure if these folks were bankers, investers, etc, but certainly, they were keen on their math. The only reason likely that they were so frank and open with me is because I was ONE OF THEM. Just another DAD shopping and trying to find a good deal. Just as I am sure many multitudes of Moms do every day.

I will also add this, now that another has posted it, that checking expiration dates on meats, dairy and canned items is imperative. More than a few times, in major food suppliers, I had to report out of date items. I thought little of it then, as it is likely easy to have outdated items pop up as I am sure there are no "date checkers" for each and every item in every supermarket. However, I am willing to bet that this is not an anomaly, rather, a way to sell outdated goods without the public knowing.

Now, I look at each and every item. If I buy 20 of the same thing (such as canned tomatoes, etc) you bet I am looking at the dates on each can as well as for dents, etc.

For those "survivalists" out there.... here's a little tip:

1. Whole grain products like "real" brown rice and whole wheat pasta are usually a good deal if you know where to look. And, as unpleasant as one might think, you can chow down on the stuff uncooked in the even water becomes an issue. The good news: You will be fuller longer, the carbohydrates in these complex starches will burn off slower and keep a steady blood-glucose level, and, even better, the by-product of the human body burning CHO3 (Carbohydrates) is H20 (water).

2. You will need to invest in canned nuts... no joke. Or bottled.. either way, you will need a complete protein source, and nuts will do it, along with the "good" fats as well. They will also trigger your hunger-center to register as full pretty quick, so, a few ounces of nuts go a long way and will give you the nutrients you need.

3. Cheap Multivitamins: Buy em now.... don't wait. You can easily go to Dollar General and get generic multivitamins to last you 4 years for less than $20.00

4. Canned Beans: Another complete protein... stock up... they are generally cheap, filling and will give you all you need without the need for cooking should that be the case.

5. Bleach. It's cheap... it kills nearly everything, and with the proper research, you can sterilize nearly everything with it and make it edible.