If you live in the New England area and haven’t been living under a rock, you know that the region’s favorite discount grocery store, Market Basket, is undergoing some serious change. After the firing of Arthur T. Demoulas as CEO, employees have boycotted and refused to stock shelves. Sales have come to a screeching halt as thousands of employees and customers picketed and demonstrated their support for the beloved CEO.
But what does that mean for those of us who need to shop on a budget? Market Basket is known for significantly cheaper groceries, and here are a few tips for New England grocery shoppers who still want to avoid credit card debt.
There are only a couple of locations, but have you been to Wegman’s yet? The prices are fantastic, and the selection is out of this world. They even have a full cafeteria with all sorts of delicious (and affordable) foods for lunch, dinner, or a snack. The only caveat: the traffic can be horrendous around those areas.
Stop and Shop is making a concerted effort to be more affordable and compete with stores like Wegman’s and Market Basket. Here are a few great sales at Stop and Shop this week:
- Boneless and skinless chicken breasts, $1.99 a pound
- 80 percent lean ground beef, $2.99 a pound
- Cheerios, $1.77 a box
- Peaches, nectarines, or plums, $1.99 a pound
- Five pound bag of russet potatoes, $2.99
Shaw’s and Star Market are also trying to compete. Here is a selection of their sales this week:
- Pint of blueberries, $1.50
- Broccoli crowns, 88 cents a pound
- Bag of baby carrots, 88 cents
A good way to keep prices low is to shop through the flyer. Rather than making a grocery list first, look at the flyer and build your grocery list based on what’s on sale. This will force you to plan your meals ahead of time, making it less likely that you’ll go out to eat or order takeout.
With any luck, Market Basket will be up and running (for a full explanation of the unfolding drama, the Boston Globe put together this infographic). In the meantime, we’ll do our best to help you keep your grocery budget low.
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