Arizona food costs higher then national average

If you currently live in Tucson then you already know this fact, but if you don't and are thinking about moving to Tucson, it's important to know that food costs are higher in Arizona. According to a study done by the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation, our state's food prices have increased about 15% over the last nine months. One reason is the high transportation costs for food products like eggs and beef that need to be transferred in to Arizona. When comparing the costs of sixteen basic grocery items like eggs, white bread and pork chops, Arizona's prices were about $6 more then the national average.

For more info on the Tucson food cost comparison visit AZ's "marketbasket" is $5.87 higher then U.S. average

My husband tends to be the cook in our house as he's very creative in the kitchen. That's why he's generally the one in charge of the grocery shopping. Like anyone that shops for the family meals, he's found that no one store has the best of everything. Usually he'll find that produce is great at one store while the meat selection is better somewhere else. Often we can only find one store that sells the types of bread we like; otherwise we go to a bakery. Since we live in Oro Valley we tend to travel to the same grocery stores for our purchases. In Oro Valley you basically have your choice of Safeway, Fry's, Trader Joe's or Ike's Farmers' Market. There is also a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market down the road, but we just don't shop there. Since we frequent all these stores quite a bit we tend to know their quality and value, so I'm passing on our personal observations.

• Safeway - is the closest for us, about 5 minutes away, so we tend to just go there because it's convenient. It's not always our favorite as food prices tend to be higher and the quality of their produce is very inconsistent. They do have a better selection of artisan breads then anywhere else we shop, but they sell out of everything quickly so you need to shop early to get what you want. If you're a Club member the sale prices at Safeway might be better then other grocery stores. Example - Fresh Atlantic Salmon fillets are priced at $4.98 lb at Safeway this week for Club members, while at Fry's they're priced at $5.99 lb for a VIP member.

• Trader Joe's -they have so many unique specialty items and their prices are pretty inexpensive. In the past year they've really expanded their selection in fresh meats, cheeses and organic products. If you've never been to Trader Joe's you should check them out as they have quite a following. I've had clients that made it clear that they must live within a five mile radius of a Trader Joe's. And did I say that they're cheap? Example - Trader Joe's makes a cheap bottle of wine that actually tastes good! "Two-Buck Chuck" as it's called, is a Charles Shaw wine and is actually priced at $2 a bottle. It's received national recognition and has only increased Trader Joe's following.

• Fry's - my husband likes Fry's because they have a good selection of meats and their produce tends to be better quality then Safeway. It's not as "fancy" as Safeway, but their everyday prices tend to be lower so you save on your over all bill. Example - This week Fry's is selling Gala apples for 47 cents while Safeway's cost is 50 cents.

• Ike's Farmers' Market - Not our favorite spot to shop as the selection on things like produce, meat and bread is minimal and prices are pretty high. They have a lot of specialty and organic items so for those that are looking for something unusual this might be your best bet. Example - Ike's price of Gala apples (organic) $1.47 lb. Price on Non organic Gala apples at Fry's is 47 cents lb.

Everyone has their favorite place to shop when it comes to where they buy their groceries, but it pays to look around since there are some significant savings to be found, especially when you're a "club member" at the various stores.

The Arizona Daily Star has a great article about price comparisons among various Tucson grocery stores. For more information about this check out the Tucson annual grocery price survey