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We shop at Target for dogfood, Safeway, KTA, but only for sale items. Amazon is a great resource for us. Food, Organic everything, buttermilk powder, Kind bars for half what they cost here on sale, powdered peanut butter, our generator and wiring, tarps, dog treats, whistles, collars, bells, medicines, pectin for jelly (half the cost of Hilo) Vitamins, beautiful music box for Mom's Xmas gift, wind chimes for everybody else, organic mosquito spray, electronic gadgets, house phones, Jason products,(huge selection)that you can't find here in any health food store, rat bait boxes that the dogs can't get into, you name it. Lots of the things we like and use are often sold out here, and Amazon almost always has what we need at half the price of Hilo Stores. If there's a problem, they fix it. Beats all day shopping in Hilo. Also makes checking the mail enjoyable. There's more than bills in the box....
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at Target, you get an additional 5% coupon with every 5 prescriptions you fill there.
if you use Smile.Amazon, they donate to your chosen charity, at no extra charge to you. At least, I've compared prices between Smile and regular Amazon, and they're the same on what I checked when I checked it. There is more than one Puna charity enrolled. smile.amazon.com
><(((*< ... ><(("< ... ><('< ... >(>
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I often wonder how businesses can make a profit in these tough times. While at the laundramat recently, I noticed the guy servicing the change machine.
I had to ask him; Look, I put one dollar bill in there, and get one dollar back in quarters. Where is the profit in that for you?
He paused for a second, looked me in the eye, and solemnly replied; "volume".
I now have a better understanding of economics, and plan to start my own business soon.
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Safeway gas prices are beating every place else I'm aware of by a good margin. Target has the best prices on stuff like bagels, cereal, bread, apples, probably laundry detergent and such. Kost U Less prices are very good on many things too (not bread and bagels--target beats everyone). Foodland, on Thursdays, has a senior discount day, if you are a member of the 60 year old club like I am. Ross can have good prices on clothes. Don't forget the Sunday Makuu Market, the daily Keaau Karket. We like both of these better than the Hilo Market, but your mileage may vary.
Jon in Keaau/HPP
Jon in Keaau/HPP
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When is this "welfare week" when the stores are crowded and the prices are up - first week of every month?
I read recently about 5 Dollar Fridays at Safeway, not sure what that is but I'll try it out.
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How long have you lived here?
EBT (aka food stamps) get credited to the accounts on the 3rd and 5th of the month. Government welfare payments are the same, and then of course, SS checks come out on the 1st. I generally avoid trips to Hilo the 1st week of the month, and also avoid trips on Tuesdays which are boat days - Pride of America every Tuesday..
Link to 2015 Hilo Port Schedule:
http://hidot.hawaii.gov/harbors/files/20...-02-14.pdf
I have never really noticed prices going up on the first week of the month - generally they seem to actually be lower. The stores are trying to lure in all the EBT users, who seem to have a mentality of "I must spend this free money immediately after I get it."
Those Safeway ads are in the newspaper, in your mailbox (they are sent to every PO box, and sent to every residential address that gets home delivery, always list the $5 Friday specials. You can also view them on-line. Here is the link to the Hilo store specials:
http://weeklyspecials.safeway.com/custom...lash=false
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Actually SS checks are spread throughout the month based on birthday. Mine is the last week of the month, usually deposited the last Wed.
Both HPM and Home Depot have veteran discount, need to show card.
HPM has a senior discount, Thursday I think.
David
Ninole Resident
Please visit vacation.ninolehawaii.com
Ninole Resident
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Interesting -- the above posts imply that "affording to live here" means buying everything from big-box mainland chains (Safeway, Target) and mail-order (Amazon), along with the "drive to Hilo" that implies.
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Trips to town supplement what we can grow or get from the Framer's Markets or trade with friends and neighbors who have surplus home grown foods. I haven't found a way to grow tp yet, unless I use banana leaves. I save them for emergencies.
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quote:
Originally posted by kalakoa
Interesting -- the above posts imply that "affording to live here" means buying everything from big-box mainland chains (Safeway, Target) and mail-order (Amazon), along with the "drive to Hilo" that implies.
No, it means that when we do buy from those places we want the discounts.
Right now if you want to buy groceries and you live in Lower Puna your choices are the Farmers Markets for produce that may or not be locally grown, Island Naturals, and Orchidland Store, unless you want to drive all the way to Keaau and shop at Foodland. There is no Cash 'N Carry, Malama Market or Longs now. Once you do that you might as well go on to Hilo, at which point most people are going to look for the best prices they can find.
Maybe Kalakoa is able to live without TP, Laundry Soap, Cereal or Milk, but we can't, and I refuse to pay twice or three times as much as I have to for those things at either Island Naturals or Orchidland store. Many people on this forum are retired on fixed incomes, or raising families, both of which mean you are watching every penny. Any concrete practical suggestions for how to change that reality Kalakoa?
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