View Full Version : Cheapest Supermarkets
DominicHayhoe
11-12-2011, 16:59
Food seems very expensive this time round in Kissimee.
What the best shops to buy your weekly shop in?
Also what are the best health food shops in the Kissimmee area?
Thanks.
You will probably find that Walmart is one of the cheapest although I love Publix and would rather shop there than Walmart.
sammibabe
11-12-2011, 21:19
We tend to between the 2. Bulkier and basics from Walmart (cheaper but further from where we stay) day to day, bread, milk and the few meals we eat at the villa (round the corner at Champions Gate) My DH would go to Walmart all the time because he just looks at the bill at the end!
DominicHayhoe
11-12-2011, 21:39
Thanks for your replies.
Is there anything here that is obviously more expensive than the UK to watch out for, or could it be anything?
The shopping bill seems very high!
Philomena
11-12-2011, 22:03
Just got back and agree - food prices have increased. Do most of our shopping at Walmart but also have a Winn Dixie card (both of these supermarkets just outside the gates of Southern Dunes and in walking distance of the Villa). They have a special offer leaflet each week and you can make great savings with the card - when we called in last Thursday they had BOGOF deals on pork steaks, steak and chicken breasts which are great value. There is also deals like salad bags at half price with the card. You just register for one at the checkout with your name, villa address and telephone number and you are good to go.
Publix in the main is far too expensive - although a member of staff packs yours bags for you as opposed to the checkout operator so I suppose someone has to pay for the extra staffing costs!!
Still some real bargains to be had if you look around.
Have a great holiday
luckylady
11-12-2011, 22:58
Sweetbay Supermarket has to be my favourite They have some great offers in the meat department and the bread is the best I have tasted in Florida
But I mainly shop at Publix at Champions Gate only because it’s the nearest and they do have quality cooked meats.
If I go to Lowes on the 27 then I do shop at Wal-Mart next door. But not keen on their bread, cooked meats or the fresh fruit and vegetables, but they are the cheapest.
I guess the best way is to buy the essentials at Wal-Mart and buy what you like from other supermarkets.
We live in Greece and I am always amazed how cheap it is in Florida compared to home, I love it! We tend to buy the bulk items from Walmart, but I do prefer the meat and fresh produce from Publix and the bread from their bakery is excellent. I find some of the meat much better quality in Publix, but it is priced higher.
I also find Target have a good range of meat and fresh produce and their prices are often similar to Walmart on many items.
I haven't tried Sweetbay Barbara, I must have a visit there.
Newhomebuyer
12-12-2011, 06:58
We arrived last night and went to do a very quick, essentials, shop. We did notice an increase in prices. It gives me a wonderful excuse to eat out more as there are lots of coupons and bargains to be had at some of our favourite eating places. I always ask for a box to bring home any appropriate leftovers.
I will be off to Costco later today for a shop of toilet rolls, washing powders, pancake mix etc and to see what other bargains they have. Other than that my main shops will be Publix for cooked meats ( Boars Head) and Supertarget for fresh meat, veg and fruit (not oranges will get those from Citrus outlets) . If we were here for 2 weeks I would be seriously thinking that eating out most of the time, is the most cost effective way to go.
Katys Grandad
12-12-2011, 07:27
I know this is a regular debate but is it really more cost-effective to eat out?
I suppose how many people are in your party and where you actually go to eat are the most important factors but I find it very hard to believe that it's better value than buying groceries and making your own meals.
We found that prices were generally lower in Walmart, but Publix have multi-buy savings every week and those items work out cheaper. Publix website has the weekly special offer leaflet. One thing we noticed was that DollarTree sell many of the same brand, same size items as the main supermarkets, but obviously cheaper ($1). Bread (Bunny brand which isn't sweet), bagels, mini pizzas etc.
I know this is a regular debate but is it really more cost-effective to eat out?
I suppose how many people are in your party and where you actually go to eat are the most important factors but I find it very hard to believe that it's better value than buying groceries and making your own meals.
I suspect it would be difficult for most of us to do a direct comparison, depending on our shopping habits. Unlike going to a restaurant, which can be a one of transaction, the grocery bill can either include additional items which the undisciplined amongst us find just happen to jump from the shelves into the cart, or they can also span several days worth of eating and include snacks/fruit/drinks which would not be associated with just a single meal. Plus, to do a real comparison, you could be really pedantic and ensure that the food items were comparable and that you also allocated a figure for both your time used in preparation and clearing up and any utilities and resources used.
Or ... you could just say, nyah, we're on holiday, let's go out to eat.
Lesley S
12-12-2011, 16:51
We do our main shopping in Walmart and then go to Costco for our meat (buy in bulk and put in freezer), but we tend to have lots of BBQ's and eat in more than most holiday makers.
Anyone can apply for a Winn Dixie card which is free and it then entitles them to the special offers - we have saved quite a lot of money on different items over the years.
It's a mistake to think that Walmart are always the cheapest. On our recent trip we found that milk, for example, was 16c a gallon cheaper at Publix. We also have a Winn Dixie card, and with the card, prices there are sometimes much better than Walmart.
For fruit and veg we also use the local market in downtown Haines City on Wednesday mornings - usually better and cheaper than the supermarkets.
Hi
We have just returned from Florida and I would agree that everything seems to be much more expensive than last time, but that was 9years ago so can't complaint too much!
We used Walmart to buy a few gifts, disney gift items, but overall the shopping experience and quality of food is better at Publix
In my opinion for a holiday that costs thousands and thousands you want to treat yourself to a bit of quality and shopping at Publix is generally more convenient, not that busy, and the extra cost is not that much
I did notice that the cost of fruit/veg was high for example cucumbers were $1.99 + tax in both publix and walmart, which is more than here in the Uk
In my opinion as a family of four it was much cheaper to cook in the villa, or buy takeway and eat at the villa, as my kids are young ( 3 & 5) this was also much less stress!
we were dissapointed with some of the restaurants that we tried (Bob evans and chillis) and to have to pay $60 or so for a meal that you are not happy with is not good. Some of the places we tried were good for example Perkins, Bonefish grill and even Dennys
regards
Nadim
AllthingsFlorida
14-12-2011, 12:16
We get on really well with the Publix own brands for example their own deli ham and turkey are on offer regularly and really good quality - we also love their yoghurts and cheese and bakery items.
for really fresh well priced fruit and veg try the Celebration farmers market on a sunday morning.
For health foods and treats you can't beat the Wholefoods market - their hot/cold buffet is great too
MJ
I agree that Wal-mart can be a bit cheaper, but the quality is not nearly as good as at Publix. Also the staff at Publix are so helpful and pleasant, whereas at Wal-mart they, mostly, couldn't care less.
We find that the regular staff at Publix recognise us when we come back and we always get asked how long we are staying and are welcomed, that certainly would not happen at Wal-mart. The few pence extra is worth it for the service and the quality.
Andrena
We have found there are several farmers markets in and around the area and love to buy from them, there is normally a large selection of fresh foods on offer.
In some ways comparing Publix and Walmart is a bit like comparing Waitrose and Asda but after seeing the top 10 supermarket satisfaction list last week, which makes interesting reading, perhaps we should also start looking at Aldi who came 2nd behind Waitrose
The Which? survey rankings are:
1. Waitrose 83%
2. Aldi 72%
3. Lidl 68%
4. Marks & Spencer 67%
5. Morrisons 60%
6. Sainsbury's 57%
7. Asda 51%
8. Tesco 46%
9. The Co-operative 46%
ujpest doza
19-12-2011, 11:18
Walmart on the 27 definately cheaper than Publix on the 27.
However, Publix at the end of the 192 was also cheaper than Publix on the 27 and a man we were speaking to in their said the one at Berrytown Centre on the 27 was known to be more expensive due them cashing in on the number of tourists who shop there due to the high number of vacation homes on the 27.
I prefer Publix mind, Walmart is just too big.
ujpest doza
19-12-2011, 11:21
I know this is a regular debate but is it really more cost-effective to eat out?
I suppose how many people are in your party and where you actually go to eat are the most important factors but I find it very hard to believe that it's better value than buying groceries and making your own meals.
We found it much cheaper to eat out than buy food from the supermarket in October.
We were over in October and yes noticed an increase in the price of food in the supermarkets. Walmart have always been the cheapest, I compare to Asda in the UK. Publix is always good quality but like over in the UK look for bargains and special offers.
Val
We don't need much of an excuse to eat out, but the jump in food prices in the supermarket this year is breathtaking. I would say it's definitely now markedly more expensive than the UK. We bought our Christmas dinner stuff at Publix at Champions Gate, and were really surprised at the cost. We have gone out to eat more as a result.
Haven't really done much supermarket shopping this year as we are only at the villa for 10 days before heading to Vero Beach to meet up with friends, so we just have to tick all the favourite restaurants off of the list! The restaurant prices don't feel as hiked as they did at the visit we had maybe about 1-2 years ago, definitely felt they were pricier then. Best deal so far has to be a meal at Sweet Tomatoes for two adults and 3 children, with 5 fountain drinks, total came to $32. This was with a voucher from their Club Veg, definitely worth signing up for some of these clubs before your visit.
Susan Knows-All
31-12-2011, 05:09
I live in Kissimmee and I shop at Kissimmee Produce for my meats and veg. Very cheap there for your basics and I use the dollar tree for my cleaning products.
letournerie
05-01-2012, 11:03
We are going in 4 weeks time and plan on buying stuff like toilet paper, shower gel, toothpaste etc. at the Dollar Tree. They are the cheapest. For other stuff we go to Walmart and Publix. But we don't buy much as we DO NOT cook when on holiday. Brekkie at Sizzler every morning ($ 29 for 5 adults), cheap lunch combos (around $ 7 p.p.) and take out in the evenings.
We found that buying groceries (even back in 2008) was more expensive than we thought esp. since you need to get basics that you only partly use.
steph_goodrum
05-01-2012, 13:41
We are going in 4 weeks time and plan on buying stuff like toilet paper, shower gel, toothpaste etc. at the Dollar Tree. They are the cheapest. For other stuff we go to Walmart and Publix. But we don't buy much as we DO NOT cook when on holiday. Brekkie at Sizzler every morning ($ 29 for 5 adults), cheap lunch combos (around $ 7 p.p.) and take out in the evenings.
We found that buying groceries (even back in 2008) was more expensive than we thought esp. since you need to get basics that you only partly use.
I was going to suggest Dollar tree can save a fair bit on things like dishwasher tablets, soap powder if you are not tied to a particular brand, sauces etc that you may end up throwing half of them away. We always get the basics on arrival at Publix then go to the Dollar Tree at Posner Park the following morning before we do a proper shop. They have quite a bit in the chilled and frozen dept they didnt use to carry as well.
It also depends on your budget and party size as to the economics, even $30 for a party of five, who in our case would mostly be happy with a bowl of cereal or toast and pancakes wouldonly cost a couple of dalloars , if you multiply that $30 even for 10 days that's a fair whack. Also not everyone wants to eat at the same time and whenever you have to sit and be served your time soon gets eaten away in the day.
Whole Fooods near Sand Lake may not be the cheapest but they seem to have a good selelction.