Cost of Living Carnival
ET at Titus 2:3-5 is interested in knowing what grocery prices are everywhere else, since she feels like she spends a lot compared to other people. You can go to her blog to see other people who are sharing their prices. But here are the ones that I know for sure in my area of Idaho. Keep in mind that these prices are THE lowest that I can find in my area– I could spend a lot more if I shopped more expensive stores.
Milk: $2.75/ gallon
Eggs -$4.50/5 dozen (we go through lots of eggs–extremely affordable protein)
5lbs potatoes -$2.49
Apples -$1.29/lb usually…I buy them sparingly at this price, not at all at higher prices
Oranges–I only buy them when they are $1/lb or less, usually in the wintertime.
Bananas- $.44/lb (we almost always have bananas around)
12 oz salad greens- $1.99 –I buy cabbage instead, which is healthier anyway, then finely shred it for a fresh coleslaw type salad (minus the mayo)
Cucumber-2 for $1 (I rarely buy these)
Tomatoes- $1.29/lb or so (I use my own, or do home-canned, or skip them)
Carrots- $.50/lb (these are a staple at my house
Ground beef- I stock up when it is $1.80/lb or less. I occasionally find it for $1.29/lb. I also mix it half and half with ground turkey, which is usually $1.25/lb
Chicken– I buy boneless skinless breasts only when they are $1.79 or less. I stock up on bone-in breasts or thighs when they are $1/lb, which happens often.
Pork chops– I don’t buy them, but have seen them for around $2.00/lb on sale
Ham- $5 for 2 lbs thin-sliced
Roast beef- I don’t buy this, so I don’t know
Cheese-$6 for 2 lbs medium cheddar, $13 for 5 lb grated pizza mix cheese
1 lb of butter- $2.10 (I stock up when it is this price or less– butter can be frozen)
box of mac and cheese like KD– I make homemade, so I don’t know
pkg of cookies like Oreos- maybe $4? I buy them once a year at most
can of beans–(chili beans?) $.80/can (I use dry beans and cook them myself)
can of tomatoes– I don’t know since I grow these in the garden
pkg of pasta– 1 lb is about $.75/lb at the dollar store (lowest price anywhere!)
pkg of frozen veggies like peas or corn- $1.50/lb
tin of coffee- $8 for 2 lb of good coffee
12 double roll toilet paper- $6
If you’d like to help out ET with her survey go check out her blog.
Ten kids from three countries. 
10 comments
Wow - those prices are great! I’m thinking we should move to your neighborhood. Are there any good law schools there?!!
I’ll have to go check her site out.
I wish I lived in Idaho. The lowest sale price here on ground beef is $1.99- and that is RARE! Bananas are cheap at .69 c/lb, they are usually higher than that. And the cheapest I usually find milk is about $3.99 a gallon. Crazy!
I didn’t see bread on the list. Do you make your own? And if so, would you share the recipe? I couldn’t finding one in your recipe catagory.
your prices are pretty comparable to what we pay in IN. I love the idea of using cabbage to make salad instead of lettuce. Unless we have it fresh out of the garden, lettuce is expensive and very short-lived. I hate buying something that is unedible within two days.
Girl, you know how to shop! The prices I listed are at the local (least expensive) grocery store. A few of the items I might be able to find for less, but we DEFINITELY cannot find meat for the crazy prices you’ve listed. Wow!
Thanks for joining in.
Oh, BTW, your link in Mr. Linky doesn’t want to work…
So glad you mentioned mixing ground turkey with ground beef. Hubby and I do that, too. It’s not only more cost effective, but healthier, too. I DESPISE ground turkey alone (gag me!) but when it’s mixed with beef, there is enough beefy flavor that I could not tell there was any turkey. Another money saving tip that we do to save a penny or two is when we’re dividing up our ground meat, we weigh it out here and at home on our kitchen scale (obviously) and only put 12-13 ounces in a “pound” package. So, for every 5 pounds of meat you buy, you get a “free” (extra) pound/meal doing it this way. We have yet to notice the missing 3-4 ounces of meat in any recipe we’ve made since dividing up meat this way.
You look like a great shopper and those are good prices. I can never find butter for less than $3.
what a cool idea! I wrote it out on my blog. I’ll though on the way home today i had to buy milk… $5.99 a gallon! (gulp!)
“sorry I don’t think I heard you right. How much was the milk again?”
Will you post your coleslaw type salad? We’ve got a LOT of cabbage to use from the garden!
Wow! Those are cheap groceries! Everything on your list is more expensive here just outside of Nashville - and I shop around and buy generic!
Thanks for taking time to comment! I love hearing from you.