Groceries

The State Farmer's Market in Raleigh is a great place to go!  You always get produce that is in season and fresh, considerably cheaper than any grocery store, the seller's are knowledgeable about the food and can offer preparation/storage/selection tips (and for many, when you talk to them and have good conversation, they'll throw a little extra in your bag).  The suggestion of doing a bulk purchase and sharing with people is a great idea, cuz sometimes it is hard to convince yourself to drive to South Raleigh (time & gas) just for apples, peaches, corn, etc...

It can also be a fun trip!  There is every cut of pork imaginable, fresh breads, people make homemade ice cream, all-in-all it can just be a fun trip (especially for out of town guests when you can't find anything to show them in Dur-ham). 

Oh yeah, and you're putting money back into the local economy :) 

Other people have had great advice! My girlfriend and I shop at Compare Foods (on Avondale Drive next to Big Lots) for our fresh fruits and veggies. The store leans towards foods prominent in Mexican and, more generally, Hispanic cuisine, but the price is right and the food is fresh.

For meat, it's a toss up what will be the best & cheapest at any given moment. We've had the best success with Kroger's and Harris Teeter's. Make sure to find out when their manager's special days are and stock up!

As for frozen foods, I'd say Super Target all the way.

I would definitely recommend the Raleigh Farmers Market (http://www.agr.state.nc.us/markets/facilities/markets/raleigh/). I especially like the "bulk" section, where many people come together to share a large quantity of produce. I drove away with a trunk full of fresh produce for around $30... If you don't have a car, ask friends to join you and carpool :). If you want cheap, though, I wouldn't go to the Durham Farmers Market, as it can be quite expensive (somewhat similar to Whole Foods prices - ugh!).

Wow -- I've actually found Kroger to be the cheapest option for groceries in Durham. I end up spending a lot more even at Food Lion, which is usually thought to be cheapest. I tend to spend about $70 for food for two people for two weeks at Kroger.

I have made some changes: for example, I always buy frozen bell peppers and canned tomatoes now, because fresh bell peppers and tomatoes are incredibly expensive.

Do you have a Kroger shopping card? If you don't, then you're paying artificially inflated prices. Any grocery store except Target or Walmart will have a store card that you need to get. In fact, that's why I usually get such good prices at Kroger -- they are always running excellent Kroger card specials. I don't like having them track my buying habits in exchange for decent prices, but it's the only game in town.

Super Walmart will definitely be cheapest, but I don't know how you feel about shopping at Walmart.

Costco is great for things like cleaning products, trash bags, frozen chicken, milk, eggs, soap and shampoo. I have a membership there.

For produce, I recommend Durham or Raleigh farmer's markets. That will be best and cheapest.

I would recommend checking out the Super Target on 15-501 or by Southpoint mall.  I have found that the produce, boxed/canned products, and other kitchen staples (flour, sugar, etc.) are cheaper than Kroger.  Generally there is some pretty good produce and they even have organic versions of most things.  The only downside is Target's selection is somewhat limited.

I know what you mean -- I've been having the same experience.  Next spring, I am going to plant a few veggies in the backyard.  In the meantime, I've found that by joining the "frequent shopper" programs at the supermarkets, and shopping around at a few Krogers and Food Lions, I can usually find prices on produce that are higher than what I would have paid back home, but nowhere near the ridiculous $2.50 for a pound of tomatoes that seems to be the norm here.  I also find that Costco has good prices on many other groceries (but, unfortunately, not produce).