Budget Grocery Haul

We live in the Central District area of Seattle and are fortunate that there are numerous grocery stores ranging from specialty markets, major chains, discount grocery stores, and co-ops all within a few miles of our home. This diversity of options really helps us be able to get the ingredients we need for our day-to-day meals as well as special recipes.

This week, we shopped at Grocery Outlet - a discount grocery chain here along the West Coast. For folks in other parts of the country, it is similar to Aldi, but rather than having their own brands of staple and specialty items, Grocery Outlet has major brands at discount prices. Often, you'll find a unique or seasonal version of a common cereal or pre-packaged snack (see the Pizza Cheese-Its below...). We've found that Grocery Outlet is not the best option if if you have a very specific list, but if you are keeping your shopping list general, you can find staples and produce at a great price.

Check out what we've got for the week down below. I've included prices for reference. Stay tuned for recipes using these discount staples in following posts.

Produce

The bulk of our groceries this week were from the produce isle. Summer in the Pacific Northwest means tons of fresh fruits and vegetables to choose from. This week we got:

• Baby spinach

• Sweet Kale Salad Kit (kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cranberries, sun flower seeds)

• Chopped cabbage/slaw

• Corn

• Potatoes

• Carrots

• Green Beans

• Tomatoes

• Pears

• Frozen Mango (not pictured)

Total Cost: $27.91

Protein

When it comes to protein, we eat everything - plant based proteins, chicken, seafood, eggs/dairy, and red meat. We try to mix up our protein options throughout the week for our health and the environment. This week we got:

• Roasted Deli Turkey

• Jalapeno Chicken Sausage

• Shrimp (frozen)

• Eggs

• Hummus

Total Cost: $25.95

Pantry Items

We love going to discount grocery stores for pantry staples. We are not picky about brands for baking ingredients, dried goods (cereal, crackers etc), or canned goods. Grocery Outlet almost always has some version of the staples we need at a good price. This week we got:

• Seattle Sourdough Bread

• Flour Tortillas

• Peanut Butter

• Chickpeas

• Crackers

• Cereal

• Sugar

• La Croix (not pictured)

Total Cost: $23.91

Let's chat!

What is your go-to discount grocery store? Any staple items you recommend?