Estimated learn time: 2-3 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Getting dinner on the desk was hardly ever easy earlier than excessive inflation hit the financial system, however for hundreds of thousands of households, it has grow to be a downright monetary battle.
The price of meals has jumped 10.8% over the previous yr. In keeping with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Shopper Worth Index, the price of meat, poultry, fish and eggs jumped even increased – 14.3%.
Many beleaguered customers have turned to greenback shops. These shops have numerous choices to make a hearty meal, however the query from a KSL viewer: Does buying there really save any cash?
Purchasing greenback shops
One such retailer the place constant pricing is constructed into its model is Greenback Tree. Step inside and most gadgets are the identical value, although not a greenback anymore. It’s now $1.25.
Whereas greenback shops should not recognized for contemporary produce, there may be stuff on the cabinets that may make a meal. We discovered spaghetti noodles and sauce, boxed mac and cheese, Scorching Pockets, soups, all types of drinks, snacks, and desserts. There was even some actual cheese and actual, albeit frozen, produce.
Sufficient for a meal, certain, however is it a greater technique to bust inflation than the grocery store?
The KSL Investigators did somewhat investigative buying. We bought precisely $40 value of meals at Greenback Tree that you simply may discover at any grocery retailer. Then we shopped the identical checklist at six different shops: Goal, Walmart, Smith’s, Harmons, Winco and Macey’s.
The very first thing we seen was Greenback Tree’s distinctive sizes. Its block of pepper jack cheese was about half the amount of equally priced cheeses we discovered at different shops. The frozen waffles got here six to a field – a smaller amount than we discovered on the different shops.
After somewhat cross multiplying and dividing to compensate for variations in sizes for an apples-to-apples comparability, we discovered there have been offers available and never available at every retailer.
Stretching the greenback
Greenback Tree carried the most cost effective taco shells ($1.25) however the taco seasoning, additionally $1.25, was the costliest of any retailer. Greenback Tree’s value for waffles, $1.25 for a field of six, was additionally increased than what we paid on the different shops.
Walmart offered the most cost effective canned tuna ($0.78) and canned beets ($0.58).
Harmons carried the priciest pepper jack cheese ($1.75).
Winco offered the most cost effective white rice ($0.94).
Macey’s provided our checklist’s priciest toothpaste ($2.88) whereas Harmons offered the priciest toothbrush ($1.69). Not precisely dinner, however you want it after consuming, so it made our checklist.
Smith’s costs had been smack dab within the center – no single merchandise was the most cost effective nor the costliest on the grocery retailer.
In the long run, the 32 gadgets that value us $40 at Greenback Tree had been, pound-for-pound, costlier (even when solely barely) all over the place else we shopped.
Backside line: Purchasing the greenback retailer for dinner possibly can prevent a couple of dollars.
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Matt GephardtMatt Gephardt has labored in tv information for greater than 20 years, and as a reporter since 2010. He’s now a shopper investigative reporter for KSL TV. You could find Matt on Twitter at @KSLmatt or electronic mail him at matt@ksl.com.
Sloan Schrage
