Monday, September 12, 2011

Food Shopping

Some of yall may be getting to that point in your college careers where you have a kitchen and are realizing that it does not cost over a thousand dollars to eat for a semester (via meal plans).  You may be thinking "Tommy Seahawk, can I really cook myself?  Will you give me cooking advice?"  And the answer to that would be no, don't take cooking advice from a bird that eats live fish and bunny rabbits.  There is a whole internet out there with cooking advice, you dummy.

But I can talk about grocery stores!  You've got some options down here yall.


If yall wanna drive all the way up 235 towards "town" (target etc.) you can check out Giant and a Food Lion.  Both of these are fine choices if you enjoy spending more money on your groceries.  Actually one nice thing about food lion is they sell large bags of shredded cheese, if you are into that.  Like several pounds of shredded cheese at once.

There's also a food lion closer to home in the St. Mary's Square shopping center on great mills road.  And there is a Shoppers around there somewhere.

But the clear choice is McKays.  McKays is godly.  The cheapeast store by far with a large selection.  They even have a tool section and a alcohol section.  One of the few grocery stores in the state that lets you buy alcohol!  It's also the closest store, being on Great Mills Road.  Just take 5 north and make a turn at Sheetz and it will be on the right, after Mike's Bikes.

If you go, be sure to get a rewards card.  Unlike most places, McKays forces you to use your own rewards card.  It has a very 90s vibe to it.

Also if you shop at wal mart, reevaluate your life.

10 comments:

  1. Giant looks the prettiest, but they're expensive as hell. Also, Shopper's has the added benefit of donuts the size of your face.

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  2. I disagree - Food Lion is by far the better value overall. Maybe they just have more sales, but I always walk out with a cart full of food amazed at how little I paid for it all. I prefer them over McKay's, but McKay's isn't bad I'll admit. Both need their club cards (I think Shoppers is the only one that doesn't have a card - why didn't you mention them? WHY DO YOU HATE THEM?).

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  3. In my experience you can just put in a phone number at Food Lion, and often they will scan their own card for you.

    Also I literally have no idea where Shoppers is, I need to check it out one day.

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  4. that cheese is pretty magnificently LARGE.

    for anyone looking to hibernate or become a hermit and never leave the room, don't forget BJs for buying in bulk.

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  5. "a alcohol section". you teach children. AN ALCOHOL SECTION. vowels ken. vowels.

    ps- shoppers has a bomb international section we should all reevaluate. its grand.

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  6. http://cooking-in-college.com/

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  7. So true about Walmart. Ugh.

    Shoppers is in "San souci plaza"... Off 235 near Thai Inter, Marshalls, Ross, Montereys, Taco Bell, etc. It and Target have some of cheapest grocery store prices. I find a lot of Mckay's packaged items (peanut butter, cereal, bread, any boxed/plastic items) to be more expensive... Same thing w/milk, orange juice, etc. What I do love about Mckay's is the hardware store like you said, and the awesome local produce right when you walk in--they've had peaches for weeks--99 cents/lb and amazing. Also local green peppers--99 cents/lb and delicious. Both these deals are cheaper than *any* store in town (even when other stores have sales) and for food that's tastier than any other grocery store-bought food.

    Also there's a local "homegrown" producers-only market w/fresh food right off 235... Only 10 min from campus, with a big red roof. It just opened and will be open on Saturdays starting in Nov (once the Sat. farmers market at BAE systems building ends). Right now it's open Tues & Thurs 11-3. Check it out on Facebook & the internets: http://homegrownfarmmarket.webs.com/

    Also, if you shop at Target often-- I just got a Target debit card--now I get 5% off all in-store purchases that I pay for using the debit card. The great thing is you don't apply for it like a credit card...there's no approval needed or any new account to open. Instead, you give Target the info to a bank account you already use. When you use the debit card, it deducts payment from that bank account. So no new accounts--just easy 5% off every purchase at Target.

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  8. McKay's has moved a few times but it's good to see businesses that actually started in the County thriving. Also they do wine tastings and stuff which is pretty cool and the produce ain't half bad. Tommy McKay ran for office a while back, I think he was running again in 2010; can't remember if he won or not. There's some interesting stories around that but it's not the kinda stuff I'd go into here for fear of someone giving me whatfer for being mistaken about the details.

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  9. But he does have a serious beef with [a] Randy Guy. Them dudes were at each other's THROATS last election. Partially because he kind of made up that whole part about how he went to college.

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  10. There is also a store south on 5 called Ridge Market.

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