That's where I do 90% of my shopping. For the last 14 years.
It has about 9 aisles. I think. Produce and meat/deli counter included. Plus you can get your morning coffee or a lunch there too. Or pick up some fried chicken for supper. Or something for the potluck-dinner that you need to bring-a-dish-to-share.
It's the only grocery store here in my small town. I know a lot of people who shop the big supermarkets which are about a 20 minute drive from here. Some things would be cheaper to buy at, like, walmart. And Hyvee definitely has more produce and choices.
But I prefer my small-town grocery store--Jeff's Market. And my system for shopping here has actually saved me some money over the big stores. Here's my TOP 10 REASONS why I love my small-town-grocery-store over the big super-centers:
10. I SAVE $:
Let's face it...sometimes the bottom line is about the bottom dollar. I get that. Actually, much of my life is like that. Here is how I save money at Jeff's Market:
They have a weekly flier and coupons in the mail. I plan my grocery list every week around this.
I have actually thought about sharing recipes here based on things I buy on sale at Jeff's Market. I've got some good ones. Anyone interested?
9. WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE SOMETHING I NEED, I ASK:
When my babies were actually babies, I remember going through the check-out line and mentioning that if they sold "Luvs diapers in size 4" I would never need to leave town. (that was the only thing I really needed that I couldn't get at the store). The next week, there were the exact diapers I needed on the shelf.
Now I ask for my favorite bread (nature's pride, nutty oat) and when I need a certain cut of meat....they cut the meat.
8. LESS IS MORE:
Sort of going back to #1 here....9 aisles doesn't hold as much as the big grocery stores in town....but I find what I need and I don't spend as much as I do when I am in town.
7. IT'S GOOD FOR MY DIET:
One of the kids came home from school full of nutrition/health/diet information. She asked me what "diet" we were on in our house. I explained we were on the "Jeff's Market" diet. Whatever is on sale at Jeff's Market fits in to our diet. You won't find this in any diet book, but it works.
6. IT'S OKAY IF YOUR KID PUKES IN AISLE 9:
I have 4 kids. Sometimes one of them gets sick, but you still need to feed everyone else. I have been at walmart and had a kid throw up. It was okay....they don't make you clean it up or anything. They just loud-speaker "clean up in aisle 9" and you walk out of the store with no food and a sick kid.
I have also had a kid puke in the last aisle at Jeff's Market. That means my cart is full of food...but I have to leave it there because my kid got sick all over the floor. (i'm sorry) I took my girl home and cleaned her up. Less than an hour later I get a knock on my door. Someone from Jeff's Market is standing there with her car filled with my groceries. She carries them in to my kitchen and tells me to stop in the store later on and pay my bill.
Walmart didn't do that.
5. SPEAKING OF BILLS AT THE STORE:
So there was this time when I was in a hurry to run to the store and get a few items. I put my debit card in my pocket and ran out the door and into the store.
At least I thought it was my debit card.
Turns out my debit card looked a lot like my victoria's secret credit card.
Unfortunately I didn't realize this until I was at the check-out counter with all of my things scanned. I doesn't really work to buy groceries with your underwear credit card.
I'm not sure if this sort of thing happens all the time at Jeff's Market....but they acted like it did. I took my stuff and ran home and grabbed the right card and ran back to the store and paid my bill.
Don't think hyvee does that.
4. MY GROCERIES ARE IN MY CAR BEFORE THEY ARE EVEN PAID FOR:
Even after having #5 and #6 in my history of shopping here.....often times one of the high school kids who works at the store will start carrying bags of groceries out to my car even before all of them are scanned and paid for. If one of the kids are not available, sometimes Jeff (as in Jeff-from Jeff's Market) will carry them out.
3. THEY KNOW WHEN TO LAUGH AND WHEN TO NOT SAY A WORD:
I love the cashiers here. They get me. They know when I show up at opening minute to pick up 4 boxes of fruit snacks or cereal bars. This means that I forgot about snack day at school and laugh.
And they know when a candy bar, a bottle of wine and a box of kotex crossed the scanner that I may not speak without tears.
Both scenarios happen on a regular basis. They get me.
2. IT'S GOOD FOR MY EGO.
I like to visit with people that I grew up with, am neighbors with and do business with. I like it when I pick up a loaf of bread and someone who is there having a cup of coffee tellS me that they read the article I wrote earlier in the week for the newspaper and they loved it....and they are wondering when I'm gonna write a book.
Admittedly, it is hard to fit my ego out of normal sized doorways after this....but I still love it.
1. THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY I LOVE SHOPPING AT MY LOCAL GROCERY STORE: EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME:
Can I get the "Cheers" theme song into your head here? Because it is totally appropriate.
When my youngest child was the only one home, I decided to take her with me to Hyvee. She got to ride in one of those fun carts. I even took a picture of her because it seemed like such a huge outing for her! We finished shopping and were in line at the checkout when she got all nervous and needed to talk to me.
She said: Mama, what if they don't know our name?!
and she was worried about this.
Because everybody at the local grocery store....the place she had been used to shopping since she was born (and vaguely remembers puking in)......they always knew us and addressed us by name.
So that's my top 10 for "Why I Love My Small Town Grocery Store." I'm not kidding when I say that I could add to this list and start mentioning people by name.....
....but not without the "cheers" theme song playing in the background.
Need to add "MOVIE MONDAYS" to the list.
ReplyDeleteEvery monday, movie rentals are only 99 cents.