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Made our monthly trip to Costco and other stores on the west side yesterday and noticed everything was priced alot higher than usual. Even walmart prices have increased substantially on many items...as well as Safeway and KTA. I guess the fuel surcharge increase that Young Brothers agreed to raise for shipping things inter-island finally found its way to consumers wallets. You use to be able to find a few canned good items like soups, and vegetables for under a dollar......Not anymore!
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Safeway just lowered prices on almost EVERYTHING, they have the old price and new price still on the shelf on a special hang tag. Having said that, Safeway is my last choice of food stores. I only buy a couple of food items at Costco (Olive Oil, Wild Salmon, Prosciutto and bread flour)they have not gone up noticeably. But we are talking just 4 things. I don't buy canned food, so I cannot compare there.
Another reason to eat local foods as much as possible!
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
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My short experience so far on the island is that anything that's edible that comes from the mainland is either stale (cookies), heat-affected (canned refried beans) or has freezer burn (frozen breaded chicken, frozen pizza). Already this has improved my diet!
Really DT? I can't say I experience that with Safeway's stuff or Island Naturals, or Foodland. I don't buy frozen breaded chicken but I do use refried beans and they don't seem weird to me. Where are you getting the damaged stuff, from all the stores? I don't eat a whole lot of canned foods, but I do buy stuff in jars and bottles, and it seems fine, and the frozens seem fine. I'm not a fan of Costco stuff as far as quality goes, although they have some good things. I used to shop there quite a lot when I first moved here and lived in Waikoloa, but I began to feel that their stuff is largely second rate. One of my sons shops there and the stuff just doesn't seem as good as what Foodland or Safeway sells.
Walmart groceries do seem stale to me. The prices are great for what they do have in their crappy selection, but I do think it is old stuff. My cats won't even eat their high end brand cat food even though they might love the same brand and flavor variety when I buy it at Safeway. They just take a sniff and leave ... something is off.
I am not trying to argue your experience, but I am puzzled that I don't have the same complaint, after seven years of buying shipped stuff. I am quite sensitive to off taste, texture, staleness. Hmm.
Re prices, yes Safeway really has lowered them although not all across the board. (I don't buy my produce there, so I can't say about that.)
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Kathy,
My cat has allergies to certain foods and although she will eat them, she throws up afterwards. She has always eaten dry food from the vet. After she developed these allergies about a year ago he put her on another dry food (prescription)which she tolerates but cannot be found anywhere in Hawaii. I was paying huge prices to "import it" here and so started trying different canned food (which I hate because it is so stinky.)She still can only tolerate a few of them. She also eats my dog's dry food with no ill effects, though I know that is not ideal. I said all of that to say that I discovered that most higher end cat food and even some of the cheap brands like Friskies have "Best By" dates on the bottom of the can. I have not looked, but I would think that dry food also has this. I always check these dates now that I discovered they are there. I have found more old ones at Safeway and the KTA on 11 than any other stores, with Foodland in Waimea having the freshest. In general, these are the most expensive brands, so maybe it has to do with demographics. I know Walmart sells the premium cans for almost half the price of the grocery stores.
My vet told me that dry food develops "pantry mites" and sometimes "pantry moths" if not stored in air tight containers and many pets have adverse reactions to them as well.
There are some foods that the cat smells and will not eat, even pushing the dish away with her paws. They probably know something we don't!
quote:
Originally posted by KathyH
My cats won't even eat their high end brand cat food even though they might love the same brand and flavor variety when I buy it at Safeway. They just take a sniff and leave ... something is off.
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
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I have 3 cats...one with a sensitive stomach. We buy all our cat food at Petco in Kona because it has by far the cheapest prices on the island (even cheaper than walmart) and also has the best selection from high end specialty brands to cheap generic brands. I don't believe they have a food expiration problem there either.
No wonder Safeway has cat food with expiration dates that have passed. Who can afford to pay $1.10 for a little 4OZ CAN of fancy feast when you can get the same can for .45 cents at Petco.
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Thanks guys, I read all your tips carefully and appreciate them. Sorry everyone for taking the topic OT to cat food. Although in truth I spend a significant amount of money on cat groceries, and the prices matter.
macuu, Petco sounds great, but I only get to Kona once or twice a year and then I have five times the things I want to do in the limited time. It costs me some 40-50 bucks in gas to drive over, so I'd have to buy a lot of cat food to make any savings. Maybe one will open over here someday. Sigh. Meanwhile, it's on the list for my next Kona trip, whenever that might be. (I do go to the west side, but I am so busy trying to see friends and family in North and South Kohala, that I don't have time to add a run to Kona.)
FYI, the Walmart brands I've had trouble with are the Sheba - which sells really cheap there - and the FF Elegant Medley (but on that they mostly sell primavera, which is my cats' last choice). I know about date codes and I checked the rejected food and the date was good for a year. Yet the cats wouldn't even try a bite.
Have had no trouble with the Safeway offerings, but will begin checking dates there. The few flavors of FF my cats like are generally nearly sold out. Perhaps the odd flavors hang out on the shelf too long.
My stupid cats don't like any of the brands sold at vets shops or Stacey's pets, or Island Naturals. They like the greens added healthy varieties of regular store brands. Purina Healthful life, Purina Naturals, and Fancy Feast Gourmet Gold (ocean flavors only). I buy small bags, one pound or 3 pound at most, because they don't like stale kibble. I am religious about pushing the air out and rolling and clipping the bag shut because the kibble stays fresh longer. I prefer the bags over jars because a jar will have air whereas I can roll the bag tight. I haven't had any bugs that I know of.
My calico is the one who insists on wet food. My husband spoiled her from kittenhood with fresh poke ... sigh. I can't afford that. Although, if it's on sale, it's more bang for the buck by weight than high end cat food, and makes a great treat (getting the previously frozen ahi with no shoyu or seasonings). Anyway, I am lucky that the one that craves wet food has a cast iron stomach (also eats rats), and is not very picky compared to mama cat who mostly likes kibble.
Because that cat is not picky, I know there is something off with the cat food I got at Walmart because she sniffed and bolted out the door and refused to touch it even when she didn't eat all day (she loves to eat). So ... I save money on the can but have to throw it all out 50% of the time, so I think I'm done!
As it wasn't the date, and the packaging wasn't visibly punctured, and the food didn't smell spoiled, I am stumped why the same flavor is acceptable from KTA or Safeway or Foodland.
btw, the KTA downtown has way better prices on the wet food than Safeway, and sometimes I stop there. I won't go in the KTA Puainako, hate the speed bumps and crowds. Foodland is excellent but I rarely have time to stop there leaving Kohala, usually trying to get home before dark. (Makes mental note to budget some time).
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Very aware of prices, practically everything has gone up ]
Rarely shopped at Safeway, but since they are having some great sales, go there often. There are many times they will run out of specials, but Safeway usually has extra containers come in on Monday to restock the sale items. Rainchecks are also good for 3 months.
KTA, I am upset about, have shopped there for years, I think the quality has gone down, have found wrong labeling/pricing on meat and chicken, outdated meat at the back of refrigerator, bread/rolls that are mouldy, outdated jar and canned items, outdated dairy products, could go on! If I find anything wrong I just take it to the managers, let them deal with it.
Sack N Save same problem, lot of outdated items, wherever you shop, check expiration dates.
Kathy, I have given up buying petfood from Walmart, talked to other pet owners who have had the same problems. So far buying cat food at Safeway and KTA has worked out ok. Have a feeling when Walmart brings in all those shipping containers, most are not refrigerated so everything stays locked inside until they get around to unloading, heat is going to affect any canned or packaged items, also stores tend to leave pallet loads of items sitting out in the hot sun which does not help!
hikatz, very interesting, that explanation makes much sense.
By Foodland, do you mean Sack N Save? I know it is part of the same chain, and I agree about S&S, but Foodland in Waimea seems stellar to me.
Re Safeway, I buy almost entirely sale items there. If it's not on sale, I don't buy it until it is. The exception is I like their bran muffins, which are never on sale. And yes, I know I should make my own, but ...
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