Thursday, January 19, 2012

WinCo Trip

What good is a blog if you can't post things that nobody really cares about?  Like my first trip to WinCo!

(But it's also good for posting things people DO care about.  Like this.  If you haven't already heard, I'm with child.  Thanks so much for all the well wishes!)

But mix the saucy with the sauceless, that's what I'm all about.  So here we go...

WinCo!  The grocery store chain that everyone loves so much.  It's supposed to be cheaper and better and blah, blah, blah.  So, as a gal always looking to slice my grocery budget, I thought I would give it a try.  I first posed the question of whether or not I should go to my magic eight ball. (facebook)  Nine comments later, it was a resounding "definitely."

The lowlights:

It was huge and warehousey.   If I'm going to grocery shop in a warehouse, I want to free samples around every corner.  

Because of the warehouse feel, there weren't a lot of smiling grocers ready to help you find things.  Which I also dig in a grocery store.

I had to bag my own groceries.  In the words of a friend I once tried to usher through a self-checkout, "I like to be served."

The highlights:

Decent bulk food section.  I was impressed.  All kinds of flour, grains, and good stuff.  Not bad.

I noticed some of the carts were rigged to fit THREE kids in belts.  Awesome.

As promised, there were great prices.  I'm sure overall, I saved some cash.  But there were a few items that really made me say, "wwwhhhhaat?"  (in a good way)
  • reverse osmosis water refills : .25 a gallon vs .39
  • big pack of fresh basil: .99 vs 3.19
  • Hebrew National hot dogs (my kids love hot dogs, these are the only ones I feel good about giving them on a regular basis) 3.49 vs 6.89
The jury is still out on the produce.  Nothing has seriously disappointed me, but I haven't had anything that tastes like it came straight from the farm.  

I do have a warning.  If you go, you may see random items in bins, like tiny soda bottles.  Tiny, 3 oz bottles for thirty-five cents.  You may think to yourself, "Hey!  What a great idea!  How many soda cans have I left half-full?"  You throw a couple in your cart.

Sigh.  Be careful.  I've put my experience in storyboard format.  It's an important lesson.


Ooo!  Can't wait to try my tiny soda!
Gulp, guzzle.
Gaaack!  


I want my thirty-five cents back.


















So there you have it.  My WinCo review.


Have you ever wrote a post and thought, whhhhhaaaaaat? (in a bad way)  Yet, I'm still going to post this silly thing.  


4 comments:

Karen said...

Well that is my number one reason why I don't shop at winco. :)

Carrie said...

i liiiiiiive for posts like this.

michael. mindy. dane. said...

glad you went! i love it. granola and produce are the things i go for. i don't know if it's overall less expensive or not, but the produce is always fresh. and, helLO! it's january! NOBODY's produce is going to taste like it's fresh of the farm! sheesh. and stop judging those of us who buy bar s hot dogs. those hot dogs have feelings too!

Kelsey said...

I agree on all points. I can't do their produce. I think because the store gives off such a "cheap" vibe, that my appetite has been lost by the time I leave. I couldn't go near the meat either. My motto: "Give me false promises of quality and charge me double for meat, please!" They are the only place I have ever found packaged gyro meat, however. So there is that!