Why you should buy groceries at Target

Yesterday afternoon we were out and about, and decided to stop at Target to pick up some things like allergy medications, Q-tips, etc.  We often buy things like that at Giant Eagle, mostly out of sheer convenience, since we go to the grocery store once a week and don't want to make a second trip.

But this time I suggested that we stroll through the grocery section of Target, since I have long believed - but never really tested my theory - that groceries at Target were significantly less expensive than they were at Giant Eagle. 

And WOW! How right I was!!!

Stuff at Target was soooo much cheaper, we were both blown away.  The low-fat organic yogurt that Dave likes is $3.39 at Giant Eagle. At Target it was a $1.14.  I am not kidding.  Giant Eagle charges 198% more for the same product than Target.  Unbelievable.  Dave bought three of these, for a grant total of $3.42.  We basically got 2 of them for free by not buying them at Giant Eagle.

Everything that we compared was cheaper, although not by as much of a margin as the yogurt was.  The whole grain pasta that we usually pay $1.79 for was $1.32 at Target.  The big box of Goldfish crackers that Dave likes to get for a snack was $5.99 at Target instead of $7.49 at Giant Eagle.  I could go on and on.  We didn't buy too much this week, so it's hard to say exactly how much we saved, but I already know that it's significant enough that it's very likely that we'll make 2 stops each weekend when we go shopping, simply because we know we'll save a ton of money. 

Of course, Target doesn't have everything.  Namely, produce and fresh meats, but we're ok with going to Giant Eagle for those couple of things.  I also realize that not all Target's have big grocery sections.  We just so happen to live within about 5 miles of 3 different Targets, 2 of which have fairly substantial grocery sections including large dairy and freezer food sections. 

We used to like Giant Eagle because of the Fuel Perks, but now we're realizing that the Fuel Perks aren't such a great deal if you're paying between 30% and 200% more for your groceries just to get those Fuel Perks.  So if you haven't tried to already, I highly recommend that you try to do some of your grocery shopping at Target.  Then, go to your favorite grocery store with your Target receipt and compare the price at the store with what you paid at Target.  I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised!