Urged on by readers to check out WinCo, I took a field trip on Sunday to the Roseville outlet. It was a dangerous journey because it meant I had to drive past the Galleria without stopping. Once inside the store, I was pleasantly surprised. It's well-stocked with major brands and their own labels. If you like shopping for essentials and buying in bulk, this is the place for you. But be forewarned: This is no-frills grocery shopping. You must bag your own items and cart them out to the car. One plus, you get 6-cents per bag if you bring your own.
Tale of the (cash-register) tape: The produce section is huge and offers lots of variety. Navel oranges cost 58-cents lb.; apricots were $1.48lb. Fuji apples were $1.47lb - all significantly cheaper that most supermarkets. Other highlights include: tortillas at $2.40 a package; fresh bagels 35-cents each; whole wheat sandwich bread $1.58 a loaf; Barilla pasta 98-cents per box; a gallon of non-fat milk $2.45 and Kozy Shack tapioca pudding at $1.98 is more than $1 cheaper that most supermarkets. One of my favorites - Martinelli's sparkling cider (all varities) is $1.78 a bottle and a case of the WinCo brand (American Falls) of bottled water is $2.98 per case.
WinCo has a large selection of bulk items, too. You can purchase everything from jelly beans to granola to almonds by the pound.
Overall, it was worth the trip and definitely a way to Shop Cheap. To learn more about the company and locations in our area, go to www.wincofoods.com.
On my way home, I stopped at Trader Joe's to pick up a copy of the "Summer Guide 2008," which is only available at the store. More on that tomorrow.
And if anyone shops at ULTA, the salon/fragrance/cosmetics store, your reward points are going to expire on June 30. That's what I was told, anyway, when I was there over the weekend using my coupon.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.