Always Shop The Cheapest Store First

I'm throwing a Jamaican-themed bash for some of my Cursillo brothers tonight, so yesterday I was running hither and yon (mostly hither), picking up ingredients. Among many other stops, I drove to K'nB to pick up some good Caribbean rum. Right next door was Windmill Farms, a specialty grocery store, akin to Whole Foods and Sprouts.

I needed some Chayote for a pickle dressing and since I've never bought it before, I wasn't sure if the Albertsons near my house (my planned last stop) would carry it. I went into Windmill Farms and before you knew it, I was picking up a lot of the fruits and vegetables on my list, fearing Albertsons wouldn't have them or would have unripe ones.

Big mistake. Not only did Albertsons have them all, they had them at much lower prices. For example, I bought mangoes at 2 for $4 at Windmill Farms, only to find them at Albertsons at 2 for $1. Argh! That was almost $10 thrown away right there.

If you shop at the cheap place first, you guarantee spending the least amount. If, by chance, they have everything you need, you won't end up having to go anywhere else. If I was doing it again, I'd have gone in this order:

1. Costco
2. Albertsons
3. Puerto Rican Specialty Market
4. K'nB

I would have saved a lot of time and money right there.