How to find out how much groceries will cost you in Silicon Valley

So how do you find out how much a litre of milk will cost you among the many factors in your decision-making about a potential relocation to Silicon Valley? It’s not easy.

Luckily I’ve been accumulating my Safeway receipts over the past few weeks in order to give my readers an idea of what they can expect to pay for their groceries when they move here. Eating is a vital part of life – so check these figures out below.

Remember, if you have a Safeway card (and you’d be crazy not to) you will get a discount on many products. The second price is the actual price I paid if the item was on sale. You can see I base my grocery purchases on those items! For my international readers, prices are in US$.

Grocery

Large Jar Applesauce 3.55 2.99

6 pack Schweppes Tonic Water 4.99

Bottle Martinelli’s Cider 3.49 1.79

13 oz jar Nutella 3.99

1 pack Wrigley’s Orbit Gum 1.49 1.00

Bag 14 large flour tortillas 4.25

Yellow Cake Mix 2.89 1.25

Devils Food Cake Mix 2.89 1.25

Bag semi-sweet choc chips 4.15 2.50

Safeway Cream of Mushroom Soup 1.39

2 lb Bag of Penne Rigate 2.29

2 lb Bag of Macaroni 2.29 1.79

Safeway Raisin Bran 3.99 2.50

Kellog’s Crispix 3.99 2.29

Kellog’s Rice Krispies  3.99 2.49

Safeway Marmalade  4.31 3.99

Pack Dole Fruit Bowls 3.69 2.99

Box Ghirardelli Brownie Mix 4.19 2.19

12 Pack Diet Coke 5.99

Box Safeway Chicken Broth 3.29 2.00

Box Barilla Orzo 1.99

Large bottle MUG Root Beer 1.99

Large Box Goldfish crackers  7.99

2 lb bag Safeway sugar 2.99 2.00

Small jar Safeway peanut butter  2.99 2.00

2 Boxes Tetley Tea Bags 11.98 5.99

Can Safeway Italian Diced Tomatoes 1.39 1.00

Grocery Non-Edible

12 pack Angel Toilet Paper 6.99

Bag 2ply napkins  3.49

Purina Dog Chow 20.49 17.99

Refrig/Frozen

Tub Lucerne Cream Cheese 3.19 2.99

2 boxes 18 each eggs 11.98 5.99

1 lb bag grated Mozarella/Cheddar 7.99 5.99

1/2 pt Lucerne Half n Half 1.79 1.59

Litre Milk 1% fat 3.19 2.35

Tub Lucerne Vanilla Yoghurt 3.29 2.49

Small tub blueberry Yoghurt 0.85 0.55

1 lb unsalted butter 3.99 3.00

box Breyer French Vanilla Ice Cream 3.99 3.00

Baked Goods

Loaf of French Bread 1.99

8 hot dog buns 1.99 1.79

6 ct croissants 4.79 3.00

Safeway Cinnamon Raisin Bagels 3.19 2.00

Loaf Safeway Whole Wheat Bread 2.99 2.19

Bag Tandoori Nan 2.19

Box Chocolate Chip Cookies 3.99

Meat

Ground Beef 80% Lean 3.5 lbs 4.99

4 lb bag frozen chicken breasts 12.49 8.99

1 bag Tyson Chicken Nuggets  7.99 5.99

Produce

Bananas 0.89/lb

Pink Lady Apples 2.49/lb

Red Bell Pepper 1.49/lb 1.11/lb

Yellow Jumbo Onions 0.89/lb

Avocado 1.99 1.49

Carrots 2.23/lb

Romaine Hearts 2.29

Green Beans 1.99/lb

Green Grapes  2.99/lb

Parsnips 2.49/lb

10lb bag potatoes  4.99

8lb bag Russett potatoes 4.99

English Cucumber  2.99 1.00

Deli

Roasted chicken 7.99

1 lb sliced cheddar 8.39

1 lb Mesquite Turkey Breast 8.99 7.99

8 oz Provolone Cheese 4.39 3.84

1 lb Virgina Ham 6.75 6.23

Liquor

12 pack Corona Light  16.99 15.49

6 pack Fat Tire  8.99

So, is there anything you’d like to know the price of at Safeway here or at any other store, for that matter?  Then leave me a comment below and I’ll do my best to find out for you.

About the Author: Tricia Lawrence is the CEO of California Concierges, relocation specialists in Silicon Valley. Check out their website at www.WeRelocate.com.

Silicon Valley Safeway prices – annual comparison

A very grandiose title for the little research I’m about to put out there! After my last blog about current Safeway prices, I decided a comparison of a few items’ prices between this June and last (2007) would be more useful to you bloggers interested in these Silicon Valley issues.  However, as I had not thought this through scientifically in June 2007, I did not purchase the same items to compare so only 3 of these are on both lists, 2 of which are actually cheaper this year!

1 gallon 1% low fat milk 4.29   (2007)   4.59 (2008)  a 7% increase

Bananas .89/lb  (2007)   .79 (2008)  an 11% decrease

Red bell pepper 1.99/lb (2007)  .99/lb (2008)  a 50% decrease!

So there you have it.  I’ll try and pick up some more pertinent information/items next time I shop at Safeway to make a more valid comparison!

Safeway Prices in Silicon Valley – updated

According to Google Analytics, the second most popular blog I have ever written is….. Safeway Prices in Silicon Valley – over a year ago!  Interesting what you bloggers out there like to read about, but obviously a subject of some importance to many of you.

I therefore decided to update these figures, not only because they are over a year old and this blog is, if nothing  else, on the cutting edge of what’s happening in Silicon Valley, but also I was interested to see how much the figures have changed, increased since the last time I wrote about this.  The surge in fuel prices is just one factor which will have caused a leap in food prices in any store in this area, or indeed across the nation.

Bear in mind that many of these prices are NOT the actual price I paid thanks to my handy dandy Safeway card which reduced this total bill by 22%.  Of course, I gear my shopping to those items which are “Buy one, get one free” or on sale, every little counts, so many of these items were purchased at a lesser price than the regular one quoted.

(This from purchases made 6/11/08)

Groceries

Large jar Kraft Mayo            4.65

Small Safeway Macaroni Pasta  1.59

Large Bag Safeway Rotelle Pasta  3.18

Large bag Safeway Honey Nut Oats     3.49

Large box Kellogs Rice Pockets         4.15

Box Kellogs Rice Krispies   4.59

Box Post Cereal   5.29

Can Garbanzo beans            1.49

Can Safeway Black Beans  1.49

Smuckers Magic Shell Chocolate Sauce  2.99

Box Eating Right Yoghurt Snack Bars  3.29

Pack Safeway Napkins  3.39

Refrig/Frozen

Gallon 1% milk  4.59

Small yoghurt  .85

Lucerne Unsalted Butter  3.99

Box Popsicle IcePops 3.19

Deep Dish 9in frozen pie crust  3.69

General Merchandise

Bag Safeway Cotton Wool 3.09

Bottle Safeway Nail Polish Remover 1.69

Bottle Safeway Low Doseage Aspirin 4.99

Band Aids 5.89

Baked Goods

French Bread 1.99

Bag Tandoori Nan  2.19

Meat

5 lb 80% ground beef  13.68

Safeway Beef Franks 2.99

Tyson frozen Chicken Patties 8.49

Produce

Green Grapes 2.49/lb

Bananas .89/lb

Gala Apples 1.99/lb

Apricots 3.99/lb

Nectarines 1.99/lb

Strawberries 3.99/lb

Red Plums 2.99/lb

6 white corn 4.14

Red onions 1.49/lb

Red Bell Pepper .99/lb

Yellow Sweet Onion 1.69/lb

Tomatoes 2.49/lb

Happy Shopping!

I will be following this up with a Trader Joe’s list shortly so come back soon!

And of course you were wondering what my most popular blog is so far – it’s 2008’s Best Cities for Relocating Families. Check it out!

Stay away from the chain gangs!

Having just spent the 3-day weekend with the family up at Bear Valley in the snow, with large chunks of that time sitting in our van in a line of traffic going as fast as the slowest vehicle on the road – the one creeping along with chains on, I thought I’d try and spread a few words about Spider Spikes. This may just help speed up the traffic from 5 mph to ooh, maybe 20 (in fact we have been known to drive easily at 40 mph).

For those not in the know, Spider Spikes fulfill the same function as snow chains except they are SO much easier to put on. You basically fit your front wheels with a permanent lock in the central hub and each time you need to use the Spider Spikes, you just clip them onto the tires. This is as opposed to the chains scenario – pulling, pushing, tugging, getting in the car and going forward 6 inches, pulling, pushing and tugging again, whilst trying not to get frostbite and keeping the cursing at a low decibel level so the kids won’t hear. And then driving at an all-time slow speed and doing who knows what damage to your tires and the road when the snow isn’t really there but they still insist you put chains on.

For those relocating from England, as I did to Silicon Valley, you may have no thoughts about the snow when you purchase your first car here. Even if you have and don’t think it’s worth getting a 4-wheel drive as you’re only going to be going up to the slopes once, maybe twice a year, good for you! They’re gas guzzlers and we don’t need any more of those on the road. So you may well end up with a vehicle that will need chains or Spider Spikes when you get to the snow.

Where do you purchase these? Well, they’re made in Switzerland and there is at least one distributor in the US, but instead of paying premium prices that way, you can go to Ebay and bid on them, which is how we found ours – and have been extremely happy the few times we’ve had to use them. I think we paid around $200, well worth every cent. Just make sure when you’re looking for ones for your car, that you have checked in the vehicle handbook for the size of the wheel and tires so you get the exact fit – not all tires are created equal!

And with our nifty Spider Spikes, we’ve been able to keep up with the 4-wheel drive vehicles – it’s certainly not us who are causing the long lines! We’ll see you on the slopes! Snow chain people, get with the program!

Hannukah – between Thanksgiving and Christmas

So, we’ve all got through Thanksgiving, and now we’re veering towards the next celebration in the American calendar. No, it’s not Christmas – it’s Hanukkah which this year begins at sundown on December 4th and ends at sunset December 12th.

Actually, I was reminded of this fact when I read a Silicon Valley Mom’s blog on the hardship she faced hunting for presents and wrapping for this Festival of Lights celebration. I say, reminded, because, if like me, you were not born here, you may easily jump to the conclusion, that after the madness and turkey stuffing that Thanksgiving is made of, our next uphill battle is shopping for Christmas. And if you’re reading this and about to relocate to the States, or indeed Silicon Valley, where I reside, you would be wise to read up on Hannukah. Everything I know about this celebration, I have learnt in the 12 years since I moved here from the UK and you will hear about it from the friends you make here and your kids’ friends. Best to know what they’re talking about.

Not sure if I just didn’t have many Jewish friends in England, or those that I did have, didn’t celebrate that much, but for sure it’s here and depending on where you live, there may be just a few or loads of blue and white twinkling lights on the houses next door to the Christmas icicle lights. According to Leslie in her sympathetic comment to the Silicon Valley Mom’s blog :

“Unfortunately for you retailers are doing their holiday buying based on demographics. Christians make up over 75% of the US population; Jews about 2%. In California it’s not much higher — a little over 3%”

explaining why it’s hard to find that Hannukah gift wrap in Target.

I would like to add that when I was in my Lucky’s yesterday (formerly Albertson’s) there were at least three aisles totally devoted to Kosher food, so maybe the Jewish celebration focuses more on eating than opening presents.

I’m all for that!

Thanksgiving debrief

Aarrgghh! Much as I love the Mercury News on Wednesdays for the Cooking Section, (and I have the huge folder of cut-out recipes to prove it) this time of year makes me flip as I read everything I need to know from cooking that damn turkey vertically to laying the table, to choosing the right wine, to eating out (fine idea to me!)

But please, cookery editors, spare a thought for all those people who have relocated here from another country (and I’m sure there’s just a few of those among your readers?!!) and don’t have the foggiest of what this Thanksgiving thing is all about or what you’re supposed to do for it.

In the meantime, that job falls to me so listen up, all you who are new or fairly new to Silicon Valley and the USA in general!

Thanksgiving happens on the 4th Thursday in November so it’s always aThursday but not always the same date. Americans try and get together with families for this annual celebration. Given that, as we are of course a very transient population in Silicon Valley, many of us have families in another country and many in a different state so we do not all have this cosy picture of 20 people sitting around a dining table with Dad poised with carving knife in hand above the humongous brown bird. And so, if Thanksgiving means nothing to you, YOU DON’T HAVE TO CELEBRATE IT! Take advantage of the fact that you and the family have 4 days off (Friday is always a holiday as well) and get out and enjoy yourself – no guilt allowed for no turkey. I have friends who always used to go to Sausalito on Thanksgiving Day and drink some fine beer, gazing out to the sea. Sounds good to me!

I digress, so back to the traditional Thanksgiving. A few days beforehand, Americans flock to their Safeway or Lucky’s or to the more upmarket Whole Foods, to buy their turkey, so they can spend several days preparing their dinner comprising of – said turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, some hideous pink mixture which my good friend Carol tells me is Cool Whip (sweet manufactured cream…) mixed with fruit (now there’s a nutritious side dish for you) , sweet potatoes (like ordinary potatoes but orange and sweet) and a selection of vegetables. Dessert is usually some form of pumpkin pie.

The reason they have Thanksgiving is something to do with the Pilgrims coming over from England and thanking the resident Indians for their help with growing crops – I may well have this slightly wrong but just ask one of your kids at school about it or maybe you already have when they asked you to help them dress up like a pilgrim…

So we and our families get to spend some time being thankful for what we have which is a very good idea, considering that four weeks later, those same kids are tearing into Christmas presents.

And on the subject of Christmas, for all of you who have come from the UK, isn’t it sad that we end up eating turkey twice a year here, and both times within a month of each other? Turkey is so good it would be nice to space it out a little more. For those not from the UK, a little background – traditionally the Brits have turkey at Christmas and that’s it, the one and only time. So when Christmas comes around here, you could opt for something else, as you may have just recently finished the last of your turkey from Thanksgiving. Can’t remember what the Americans do, maybe have ham or beef, anything but turkey.

Hope this helps to understand this quaint American custom. Let’s just be thankful it’s only once a year!

Halloween or Thanksgiving or Christmas?

Forgive me if I’m stunned, but as an English person who’s moved to Silicon Valley, I am constantly amazed by the obnoxious commercialism surrounding these events.  No sooner is summer showing just small signs of coming to an end, ie the temperatures are now in the 80’s, not 90’s, then Halloween is ushered into the supermarkets in glorious technicolor displays and I have to stop myself and ask “What month are we in?”

Almost hypnotised into thinking we have to buy more orange and black decorations, and even more massive bags of not-nutritious candy, we are coerced into adding goodies to our cart that we never really need.   And for the first time, I think, I saw massive storage boxes in Target, ORANGE ones, so that you don’t confuse your boxes of Halloween decorations with your huge green and red storage boxes for Christmas decorations.   What color are the Thanksgiving ones?

Putting all those spooky spiders and manic monsters and whispy webs and orange and infra-red lights outside – is this necessary? Though I have to say our house is the best decorated on the street – amazing how my husband finds the time to do it all – he doesn’t read my blog anyway.  Just sad it all has to come down the next day.

And I know Macy’s has their Christmas tree and decorations all set up – not sure when that happened but who wants to think about Christmas in September?

We are in such a frenzy of buying, do we really ever have time to enjoy (or even think about why we’re doing this?

Lucky Prices

First of all, Lucky used to be Albertsons and at the time of this blog, I see no more Albertsons in my neighborhood, Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, but that may not be true everywhere. Secondly, their products’ brand name is Sunnyside. And thirdly, and most importantly, they have the BEST chocolate chip cookies – you could easily turn up with them at the school fundraiser and people would think you’d baked them yourself – look for them in a bag in the bakery section. So yes, I had to go there and do a price comparison for my blog and of course had to buy some, all in the name of research! Again, no plastic discount card, but instant in-store savings as listed below. So, some more prices for you :

Can Chaok Coconut Milk 1.19
Pack chopped walnuts (1/2 cup) 1.99
6-pack Dole Fruit Bowl Punches sale 2.00 (usually 3.65)
6-pack Dole Mandarin Bowls sale 2.00 (usually 3.65)
Large bag Faraon rice sale 3.49 (usually 5.19)
Glass Magic 16 oz 3.99
General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios 2 bags 6.79
Sunkist Albacore Tuna 4.79
Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread 3.99
Sara Lee Multi Grain Bread sale 2.99 (usually 3.99)
12 Brown and Serve Rolls 2.28
6-pack Sunnyside Apple Sauce with Cinnamon sale 1.50 (usually 2.39)
1 bottle Sunnyside Club Soda .98
1 box Sunnyside Dark Brown Sugar sale .79 (usually .95)
1 box Sunnyside Light Brown Sugar sale .79 (usually .95)
1 jar Sunnyside Raspberry Jam 3.39
1 bag Starbucks Breakfast Blend Coffee 9.49
1 small tub Daisy Sour Cream 1.49
2 Marie Calendar Pastry Shell 4.99
Large tub Mountain High Fat Free Vanilla Yoghurt 3.29
Small tub Sunnyside Fruit Yoghurt sale .50 (usually .59)
Sunnyside Unsalted Butter sale 2.89 (usually 3.59)
Sunnyside Lactose Free Milk 2% 3.09
Sunnyside Lite Whipping Cream small 1.99
Large Tub Sunnyside Plain Yoghurt 2.69
1 tub Sunnyside sliced frozen strawberries 2.50
1 bag Sunnyside frozen white corn sale 1.50 (usually 3.59)
1 Tony P Frozen Cheese Pizza sale 2.50 (usually 4.79)
1 box Tyson Chicken Nuggets sale 2.50 (usually 3.89)
Bananas .69/lb
Green Cabbage .79/lb
Small bottle lime juice 1.19
Oranges 1.69/lb
Box Delacato Chardonnay sale 16.99 (usually 18.99)
1 bottle Foxbrook Chardonnay 1.99
1 bottle Foxbrook Merlot 1.99
1 bag yummy chocolate chip cookies sale 3.49 (usually 3.99)

Whole Food Prices

Wow! We have the most gorgeous Whole Foods just opened in our very own Silicon Valley – Cupertino, Stevens Creek Ave to be exact, fairly near Target. You could take away a yummy dinner every night and never have to cook again! They even sell clothes – organic ones of course! I ventured into there with my 15 year old daughter today and we spent a LONG time shopping together! My main excuse for going there was so I could relay some of the prices to you. I didn’t shop across the board – it’s definitely more expensive than my Safeway – but I had to buy some stuff in the name of blogging! SoI did buy things there I couldn’t get at Safeway as well – ready-cooked smoked chicken (just eaten for dinner – excellent) and smoked trout pate for lunch on Tuesday. Their French bread seemed a little stale and boring – nothing can replace the Safeway French bread straight from the oven! And no plastic discount cards here! Anyway, here’s what I bought :

Sandwich bags 50 ct 1.49
Reynold Aluminum Foil 12in 3.79
Soy Chocolate Milk 1.69
Bananas .79/lb
French Bread 2.79
Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal 3.99
Kashi Brown Maple Oatmeal 3.00 (on sale)
Performance Power Bar .99
Orange Bell Pepper 3.99/lb
Yellow Bell Pepper 3.99/lb
Cantaloupe .79/lb
Nectarines 1.99/lb
Gala Apples 1.49/lb
Organic Strawberries 2lb 6.99
White corn .50 each
12 xlarge while eggs 2.49
Smoked Whole Chicken 8.99
1 gal 1% low fat milk 4.79
Austin Original BBQ Sauce 5.49
Small tub smoked trout pate 3.49
Pork backribs $7.99/lb
Cod Fillet $8.9/lb
Tub Silk Live Soy Yoghurt 6 oz .69

And I managed to spend $122!

Trader Joe’s prices in Silicon Valley

Trader Joe’s provides an eclectic and exclusive mix of groceries and is always somewhere I enjoy shopping.  Their success has stems from their exuberant staff, their reasonable prices and their wholesome and interesting variety of goods that appeals to many of our Silicon Valley inhabitants.  And I go there particularly for their Charles Shaw wine at $1.99 a bottle (commonly known as 2 buck Chuck). I’ve got another price list for you from my last shopping spree there (no plastic discount cards here either – they’re only at Safeway and Luckys (formerly Albertson’s) :

Hawaiian BBQ chips                                    1.69
Organic Ketchup                                          1.99
Bag freeze dried strawberries                    2.69
Bag frozen blueberries                                 2.99
Valrhona Bar Chocolate                               2.99
Vanilla Soy Milk 1/2 gal                               3.29
Chicken Enchiladas                                       1.49
Bag of lemons                                                1.49
Arizona Green Tea 42 oz                             1.39
Fettuccine Pasta                                             .69
Bolognese Pasta Sauce                                 2.99
Minisweet Bell Peppers                               1.99
Nature’s Granola Pumpkin Flax                 2.29
Sausages – Chicken Mango                          3.99
Bruschetta Sauce  12 oz                               2.29
Babybel Mini                                                 2.99
Baby Bok Choy                                              1.79
Pack Green Beans                                         2.49
Mushrooms 8 oz                                            1.69
Spinach Salad                                                 1.99
Organic Spring Salad                                     1.99
Organic Red Onions                                       1.69
Homestyle Red Salsa                                      2.79
Yoghurt 1/2 pint                                               .79
Laundry Detergent  5lb                                  4.99

Happy Shopping!  Let me know what you think.