OK, so you might remember that last week I did a bit of a cross-border shopping spree in Colville, Washington, where there is a great dollar store and a humungous Wally World.With an OK-but-not-terrific Canadian dollar, is it still worth it? Well, let's take a little look with a smattering of price comparisons from my latest receipt.
Butter in USA: 2lbs/$4. Butter in Boonieland Canada: 1lb/$4 - if you're lucky; unsalted is more.
Eggs @ Colville Wally World: 18 for $2.38 (and they're nice, too). Eggs @ my local overpriced grocery store: $2.99/1 doz.
1kg brown sugar @ Colville WW: $1.82. Same here in Boonieland : $2.49 on sale.
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts @ Colville WW: $4.50. Same at my local overpriced grocery store: about twice that - if I'm lucky, which I'm not, so I don't buy them anymore.
1lb Tillamook medium cheddar: $5.58. Here @ home: unavailable in my local stores, so I buy whatever is on sale, and an equivalent amount is rarely under $7.
1kg icing sugar @ Colville WW: $1.38. Here: $2.49 on sale.
See where I'm going with this? Yeah.
The other thing is the sheer amount of variety unavailable to me here in my rural corner of Canada. I counted about 20 different flavours of Ben & Jerry's ice cream in the WW freezers; here, you might see five or six, if that - and they cost over twice the price. I saw about the same number of flavours of Dreyer's ice cream, which I've never seen in Canada, including a pumpkin one that I just had to have - and it was fan-frakking-tastic, too (BTW, the chocolate sauce you see in the picture adorning my pumpkin ice cream is Hershey's and it was about half of what I'd pay up here, too). 1.98L Island Farms premium ice cream goes for about $7.99 here and this Dreyer's was $3.50! And the varieties of Hershey's Kisses! We don't get all those up here. Nor do we get Chex mix! I don't get it!So, is it worth it? Yep, IMHO, it is - as long as the dollar doesn't slide any more.
10 comments:
Wow! that is something!
I'm sorry to inform you but the dollar is going to tank even more soon.
Thumbbook: hi, and welcome! Yes, it is something, isn't it?
Dr. Monkey: Yes, I'm sure it will...And when it does, it'll no longer be worth it to shop down south...Which is fine with me. I just want the best deal I can get for my buck.
My hubby was comparing prices of cameras in the states and in Canada. He said because of the decline in value of the Canadian dollar camera prices in Canada jumped as well.
I remember when I took a trip to Niagara Falls, I got a fudgesicle for like $3.50 at a tourist shop. I mean, it's just a fudgesicle for crying out loud!!
I am just shocked at the price of things. I always complain about how high the price of groceries is here.
I tried pumpkin ice cream a few years ago and hated it. I think I'd like it A LOT more with chocolate sauce. Good idea!!
Joie: that doesn't surprise me at all. I only hope the dollar stays higher.
Joanna: well, that place IS a tourist trap; they'll overcharge for anything at Niagara Falls! But, I do get your point. Things are way more up here.
Wow! Very interesting!
Wow, I thought I was getting ripped off paying $5.68 for 2 lbs. of Tillamook medium cheddar cheese. I'd better stop complaining, eh.
That ice cream and chocolate sauce is calling me!
I still say that you should start a chicken ranch in BC. You'd make a fortune!
totally. i make monthly trips to WA for my cr. cheese/eggs/yogurt/dairy/ice cream. they have a $20/person limit but i always far exceed that! lol
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