Costco Meats = Whole Foods Prices Now!

[canyonwalker]

I mentioned in our record-shattering Costco shopping trip yesterday that we spent several hundred dollar without buying any meat. One reason was that the prices were nothing special. I browsed everything in the butcher case and said, "Meh."

In the past I enjoying buying fresh steaks at Costco because of the quality. Costco sold USDA prime beef for prices similar to what supermarkets sell USDA choice cuts at. I was willing to deal with their large packages, which required splitting them into smaller portions at home (and freezing most of them) for our small household, because the premium quality was worth it. But now Costco is selling mostly choice-quality steaks and their prices have increased to match what I see at places like Safeway.

Today I saw a shocker, though. We went to Whole Foods for an Amazon return and decided to browse the store while we were there. "Whole Paycheck," people have called Whole Foods for years. We've avoided shopping there for years because of the premium prices even though most people in our socioeconomic demographic swear by the place. But as we browsed the meat department we saw... prices similar to Costco! And without having to buy huge packages!

I bought a one pound package of steak.... That's the perfect amount for a meal for the two of us. No need to split it into 3-4 parcels and freeze most of them!

I might just turn into a Whole Paycheck Foods shopper yet!

Comments

High quality, comparable prices at Whole Foods

[readingblogs]

I'm glad you guys happened to be at Whole Foods to see their meat prices aren't nearly as high as reputed. For higher quality meats and organic produce, their prices are competitive. You don't have to pay a membership fee, and, as you pointed out, you don't need to buy large quantities. You both work demanding jobs; I'm sure you'd rather do other things than put in extra food preparation time at home.

I assume you're managing your health for long-term comfort the way you manage your money for long-term security. Some fruits and vegetables soak up pesticides more than others. For the more absorbent produce, you may want to emphasize organic varieties. It's cheaper to buy organic at Whole Foods and Sprouts than elsewhere.

Another advantage of Whole Foods, at least in the Bay Area, is they're open until 10 p.m. daily. Costco annoys me with their 8 p.m. closing time.

Re: High quality, comparable prices at Whole Foods

[canyonwalker]

The thing is, Costco used to be way cheaper than Whole Foods for fresh meat. Unfortunately Costco has significantly raised its prices over the past ~16 months. The prices I saw last weekend (the ones that made me turn away empty handed) were more than 50% higher than what I saw for years before the current inflation cycle kicked in. Meanwhile Whole Foods seems not to have increased its meat prices. I wonder if they're reducing their prices in real terms with Amazon's backing.