http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,3717069.story



Grocery stores taking check use off shoppers' lists

In a cost-cutting move, Whole Foods may emulate Fresh & Easy in accepting
only cash and credit and debit cards at checkout.

By Jerry Hirsch

September 21, 2009

"Long before banks started locating branches inside supermarkets, grocery
stores acted as informal financial establishments, cashing payroll checks
and personal checks to provide ready cash for their customers. That's
starting to change.

Whole Foods Market Inc. is considering banning the use of personal checks at
its stores and this month stopped accepting checks at two stores in Los
Angeles County and one in Arizona as a test.

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the California division of British
retailing giant Tesco, won't take personal checks at any of the 70 stores it
operates in California.

"Supermarkets used to be a repository of checking, cashing payroll and
personal checks, but in an age of direct deposit and debit cards, that's not
something that is relevant to their customers anymore," said Mac Brand, a
Chicago food industry consultant.

The heads of these chains see check processing as a time-consuming and
expensive service at a time when the industry is looking to drive down
business costs, he said. But such a move carries risk.

"Every time you take something away, you run the risk of severing your
relationship with a customer," Brand said.

Such policies would irritate shopper Kerry Showalter of Newbury Park, he
said.

"Grocery stores are a dime a dozen. If the Albertsons where I shop stopped
accepting checks, I would just go to Vons," he said.

The computer industry sales executive said he uses checks to buy groceries
as method of keeping "a budget under control."

He said he's bothered by using debit and credit cards -- which he said are
not actual representations of money -- on perishables such as groceries. The
physical act of writing a check makes shoppers think more carefully about
their purchases, he said.

It would also be hard on many seniors, who have been slow to adopt the use
of debit cards, said Gail Hillebrand, a lawyer and financial services expert
for the nonprofit Consumers Union.

But a widespread move by the grocery industry to ban personal checks would
not upset other shoppers such as Sharon Fern of Placentia.

"I haven't written or carried a checkbook in many years," she said.
"Wouldn't bother me a bit." Debit cards are far more convenient, she said.

"The money comes right out of my account and saves a lot of time over
writing a check," Fern said.

Vons, Albertsons and Ralphs -- the stores most likely to have a bank branch
within their locations -- continue to accept checks.

They also cash payroll checks, although the chains typically charge a
service fee of about $1 to about 1% of the check, depending on the municipal
regulations of the city where the store is located.

Representatives of the chains said there were no plans to end the services,
and one supermarket industry executive questioned why, in an environment of
increasing competition for shoppers, a company would add a barrier to
potential sales.

Fresh & Easy, which started opening stores two years ago, has only
self-service checkout. It doesn't take checks or manufacturers' coupons.

"We keep our systems as simple as possible, keeping prices low for
customers. We do accept cash, credit and debit cards and also have an ATM in
store," said Brendan Wonnacott, a spokesman for the chain.

Bill Jordan, Whole Foods' regional vice president, said prohibiting personal
checks should improve service.

"Since most of our customers pay with cash, debit cards or credit cards, we
want them to be able to check out as quickly as possible. This pilot program
was put in place to see if personal check users would make the switch to
debit cards or another form of payment."

In little more than a week into the change, "the program is off to a great
start," he said.

So far only the stores in El Segundo, one in Los Angeles on 3rd Street near
Fairfax Avenue and a store in Tempe, Ariz., have stopped accepting checks.
The chain had already stopped cashing payroll checks.

Jordan said Whole Foods would evaluate consumer reaction before rolling out
the change to other stores.

A recent rise in bad checks also factors into the new policy, he said. "That
unfortunately makes it more difficult for the remaining customers who prefer
to pay this way. To help reduce fraud, we have a several-step personal check
approval process that can often inconvenience other customers in line,"
Jordan said.

The chain prefers cash, debit cards and credit cards because they can be
processed quickly and "come with added protections" that safeguard the
interests of the consumer and the retailer, Jordan said.

Many retailers prefer the type of debit cards that require the shopper to
punch in a personal identification number to complete the purchase. That's
because those have the best combination of low transaction fees and
security, said Adam Levitin, a law professor and consumer finance expert at
Georgetown University.

But probably the biggest advantage for grocery stores looking at stopping
accepting checks is the labor savings of taking and processing the checks,
he said.

Showalter, the Ventura County shopper and frequent check-writer, said he
understood the rationale but didn't like the policy.

"If I was a shareholder I would say yeah," Showalter said. "But I'm not a
shareholder, I'm a shopper."



Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times

Gregory Morrow wrote:
>
> http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,3717069.story
>
> Grocery stores taking check use off shoppers' lists
>
> In a cost-cutting move, Whole Foods may emulate Fresh & Easy in accepting
> only cash and credit and debit cards at checkout.
>
> By Jerry Hirsch
>
> September 21, 2009
>
> "Long before banks started locating branches inside supermarkets, grocery
> stores acted as informal financial establishments, cashing payroll checks
> and personal checks to provide ready cash for their customers. That's
> starting to change.
>
> Whole Foods Market Inc. is considering banning the use of personal checks at
> its stores and this month stopped accepting checks at two stores in Los
> Angeles County and one in Arizona as a test.
(snippers)
>
> Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times

It's when banks start refusing to 'honor' checks drawn on "their" own
funds/accounts when one needs to start worrying, and I don't mean "due
to insufficient" funds of the account holder, either! No business has
ever been 'required' to accept checks, at least that's how I understand
it.

Sky, who easily misunderstands

--
Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice!!

Good - maybe the lines'll move a bit faster.

On Sep 21, 6:35 pm, Kalmia > wrote:
> Good - maybe the lines'll move a bit faster.

That's for sure!

N.

Kalmia wrote:
>
> Good - maybe the lines'll move a bit faster.

Ikea has debit/credit only lanes and they have faster
checkout lines for it. Several grocery stores I go to
have signs on each line listing what they will accept
in that line and the number that list checks continues
to drop.

On 2009-09-21, Gregory Morrow > wrote:

> In a cost-cutting move, Whole Foods may emulate Fresh & Easy in accepting
> only cash and credit and debit cards at checkout.

Gee! Whole Paycheck screws its customers yet again. Big surprise.

nb

In article > ,
"Gregory Morrow" > wrote:

> In a cost-cutting move, Whole Foods may emulate Fresh & Easy in accepting
> only cash and credit and debit cards at checkout.

The older I get, the sicker of change I become. It took my Raley's store
accepting checks, doing something with them and giving them back to me
before I left the checkout to kick me into the twenty first century.
That was about six months ago. I'm starting to like not carrying a
checkbook to the grocery store. Plastic rules, and the bank says I'll
get a kickback of some sort for credit transactions. If those are
airline miles coupons, I'll use them in the bathroom instead of
corncobs. I'm always thinking green.

leo

Leonard Blaisdell wrote:
> In article > ,
> "Gregory Morrow" > wrote:
>
>> In a cost-cutting move, Whole Foods may emulate Fresh & Easy in
>> accepting only cash and credit and debit cards at checkout.
>
> The older I get, the sicker of change I become. It took my Raley's
> store accepting checks, doing something with them and giving them
> back to me before I left the checkout to kick me into the twenty
> first century. That was about six months ago. I'm starting to like
> not carrying a checkbook to the grocery store. Plastic rules, and the
> bank says I'll get a kickback of some sort for credit transactions.
> If those are airline miles coupons, I'll use them in the bathroom
> instead of corncobs. I'm always thinking green.

(laughing) You're too funny. Me too, I'm all about the plastic.
And I don't even have to write a check at the end of the month,
a couple of clicks and it all goes away.

nancy

On Sep 21, 6:20�pm, "Gregory Morrow"
> wrote:
> http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,3717069.story
>
> Grocery stores taking check use off shoppers' lists
>
> In a cost-cutting move, Whole Foods may emulate Fresh & Easy in accepting
> only cash and credit and debit cards at checkout.
>
> By Jerry Hirsch
>
> September 21, 2009
>
> "Long before banks started locating branches inside supermarkets, grocery
> stores acted as informal financial establishments, cashing payroll checks
> and personal checks to provide ready cash for their customers. That's
> starting to change.
>
> Whole Foods Market Inc. is considering banning the use of personal checks at
> its stores and this month stopped accepting checks at two stores in Los
> Angeles County and one in Arizona as a test.
>
> Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the California division of British
> retailing giant Tesco, won't take personal checks at any of the 70 stores it
> operates in California.
>
> "Supermarkets used to be a repository of checking, cashing payroll and
> personal checks, but in an age of direct deposit and debit cards, that's not
> something that is relevant to their customers anymore," said Mac Brand, a
> Chicago food industry consultant.
>
> The heads of these chains see check processing as a time-consuming and
> expensive service at a time when the industry is looking to drive down
> business costs, he said. But such a move carries risk.
>
> "Every time you take something away, you run the risk of severing your
> relationship with a customer," Brand said.
>
> Such policies would irritate shopper Kerry Showalter of Newbury Park, he
> said.
>
> "Grocery stores are a dime a dozen. If the Albertsons where I shop stopped
> accepting checks, I would just go to Vons," he said.
>
> The computer industry sales executive said he uses checks to buy groceries
> as method of keeping "a budget under control."
>
> He said he's bothered by using debit and credit cards -- which he said are
> not actual representations of money -- on perishables such as groceries. The
> physical act of writing a check makes shoppers think more carefully about
> their purchases, he said.
>
> It would also be hard on many seniors, who have been slow to adopt the use
> of debit cards, said Gail Hillebrand, a lawyer and financial services expert
> for the nonprofit Consumers Union.
>
> But a widespread move by the grocery industry to ban personal checks would
> not upset other shoppers such as Sharon Fern of Placentia.
>
> "I haven't written or carried a checkbook in many years," she said.
> "Wouldn't bother me a bit." Debit cards are far more convenient, she said..
>
> "The money comes right out of my account and saves a lot of time over
> writing a check," Fern said.
>
> Vons, Albertsons and Ralphs -- the stores most likely to have a bank branch
> within their locations -- continue to accept checks.
>
> They also cash payroll checks, although the chains typically charge a
> service fee of about $1 to about 1% of the check, depending on the municipal
> regulations of the city where the store is located.
>
> Representatives of the chains said there were no plans to end the services,
> and one supermarket industry executive questioned why, in an environment of
> increasing competition for shoppers, a company would add a barrier to
> potential sales.
>
> Fresh & Easy, which started opening stores two years ago, has only
> self-service checkout. It doesn't take checks or manufacturers' coupons.
>
> "We keep our systems as simple as possible, keeping prices low for
> customers. We do accept cash, credit and debit cards and also have an ATM in
> store," said Brendan Wonnacott, a spokesman for the chain.
>
> Bill Jordan, Whole Foods' regional vice president, said prohibiting personal
> checks should improve service.
>
> "Since most of our customers pay with cash, debit cards or credit cards, we
> want them to be able to check out as quickly as possible. This pilot program
> was put in place to see if personal check users would make the switch to
> debit cards or another form of payment."
>
> In little more than a week into the change, "the program is off to a great
> start," he said.
>
> So far only the stores in El Segundo, one in Los Angeles on 3rd Street near
> Fairfax Avenue and a store in Tempe, Ariz., have stopped accepting checks..
> The chain had already stopped cashing payroll checks.
>
> Jordan said Whole Foods would evaluate consumer reaction before rolling out
> the change to other stores.
>
> A recent rise in bad checks also factors into the new policy, he said. "That
> unfortunately makes it more difficult for the remaining customers who prefer
> to pay this way. To help reduce fraud, we have a several-step personal check
> approval process that can often inconvenience other customers in line,"
> Jordan said.
>
> The chain prefers cash, debit cards and credit cards because they can be
> processed quickly and "come with added protections" that safeguard the
> interests of the consumer and the retailer, Jordan said.
>
> Many retailers prefer the type of debit cards that require the shopper to
> punch in a personal identification number to complete the purchase. That's
> because those have the best combination of low transaction fees and
> security, said Adam Levitin, a law professor and consumer finance expert at
> Georgetown University.
>
> But probably the biggest advantage for grocery stores looking at stopping
> accepting checks is the labor savings of taking and processing the checks,
> he said.
>
> Showalter, the Ventura County shopper and frequent check-writer, said he
> understood the rationale but didn't like the policy.
>
> "If I was a shareholder I would say yeah," Showalter said. "But I'm not a
> shareholder, I'm a shopper."
>
> Copyright � 2009, The Los Angeles Times

Well, I liike this idea , but am probably in the minority. Generally ,
I use the Credit card for everything that I can. At the end of the
month, it is all paid off, I have a good record of what and where I
bought everything and....it is faster and easier..

I get miles too, and like that..

Rosie




Rosie

In article
>,
rosie > wrote:

> On Sep 21, 6:20?pm,

> > http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,3717069.story
> >
> > Grocery stores taking check use off shoppers' lists

> > He said he's bothered by using debit and credit cards -- which he said are
> > not actual representations of money -- on perishables such as groceries. The
> > physical act of writing a check makes shoppers think more carefully about
> > their purchases, he said.

Please mentally change the word "shoppers" in the paragraph above to
"stupid shoppers". Credit and debit cards are just as much actual
representations of money in my mind, as checks. I used to be a bank
auditor, and I and bank employees were always astounded by how many
people didn't understand that paper checks were only to be used when you
had money in the bank. It's like that old joke, "What do you mean I'm
out of money in my checking account? I still have blank checks!". In
the old days, people used to deposit their Friday paycheck on Friday,
after the bank was closed, using the ATM. They would then write checks
all weekend long against the deposit that the bank hadn't processed.
That was OK, since they didn't process the checks, either. On Monday,
after the banks closed, they would process all the activity from the
weekend. The deposit was processed first, so all the checks were good.
Now, if you deposit your paycheck after the bank is closed and try to
use your ATM card against that money, it bounces. You don't have that
money in your account yet.

> Well, I liike this idea , but am probably in the minority. Generally ,
> I use the Credit card for everything that I can. At the end of the
> month, it is all paid off, I have a good record of what and where I
> bought everything and....it is faster and easier..
>
> I get miles too, and like that..

I don't think you are in the minority. However, I think it will take a
long time before checks disappear, even though my personal opinion is
that they are obsolete for most purposes right now. I suspect that we
will gradually eliminate checks and go for plastic for those who are
willing, and cash for those who aren't.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

On Sep 22, 12:07*pm, Dan Abel > wrote:
> In article
> >,
>
> *rosie > wrote:
> > On Sep 21, 6:20?pm,
> > >http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,3717069.story
>
> > > Grocery stores taking check use off shoppers' lists
> > > He said he's bothered by using debit and credit cards -- which he said are
> > > not actual representations of money -- on perishables such as groceries. The
> > > physical act of writing a check makes shoppers think more carefully about
> > > their purchases, he said.
>
> Please mentally change the word "shoppers" in the paragraph above to
> "stupid shoppers". *Credit and debit cards are just as much actual
> representations of money in my mind, as checks. *I used to be a bank
> auditor, and I and bank employees were always astounded by how many
> people didn't understand that paper checks were only to be used when you
> had money in the bank. *It's like that old joke, "What do you mean I'm
> out of money in my checking account? *I still have blank checks!". *In
> the old days, people used to deposit their Friday paycheck on Friday,
> after the bank was closed, using the ATM. *They would then write checks
> all weekend long against the deposit that the bank hadn't processed. *
> That was OK, since they didn't process the checks, either. *On Monday,
> after the banks closed, they would process all the activity from the
> weekend. *The deposit was processed first, so all the checks were good. *
> Now, if you deposit your paycheck after the bank is closed and try to
> use your ATM card against that money, it bounces. *You don't have that
> money in your account yet.


My credit union doesn't operate that way - if I use the auto teller to
make a deposit, I can withdraw that money or use my debit card against
it right away.

N.

On Sep 21, 6:20 pm, "Gregory Morrow"
> wrote:
> http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,3717069.story
>
> Grocery stores taking check use off shoppers' lists
>
> In a cost-cutting move, Whole Foods may emulate Fresh & Easy in accepting
> only cash and credit and debit cards at checkout.
>
> By Jerry Hirsch
>
> September 21, 2009
>
> "Long before banks started locating branches inside supermarkets, grocery
> stores acted as informal financial establishments, cashing payroll checks
> and personal checks to provide ready cash for their customers. That's
> starting to change.
>
> Whole Foods Market Inc. is considering banning the use of personal checks at
> its stores and this month stopped accepting checks at two stores in Los
> Angeles County and one in Arizona as a test.
>
> Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the California division of British
> retailing giant Tesco, won't take personal checks at any of the 70 stores it
> operates in California.
>
> "Supermarkets used to be a repository of checking, cashing payroll and
> personal checks, but in an age of direct deposit and debit cards, that's not
> something that is relevant to their customers anymore," said Mac Brand, a
> Chicago food industry consultant.
>
> The heads of these chains see check processing as a time-consuming and
> expensive service at a time when the industry is looking to drive down
> business costs, he said. But such a move carries risk.
>
> "Every time you take something away, you run the risk of severing your
> relationship with a customer," Brand said.
>
> Such policies would irritate shopper Kerry Showalter of Newbury Park, he
> said.
>
> "Grocery stores are a dime a dozen. If the Albertsons where I shop stopped
> accepting checks, I would just go to Vons," he said.
>
> The computer industry sales executive said he uses checks to buy groceries
> as method of keeping "a budget under control."
>
> He said he's bothered by using debit and credit cards -- which he said are
> not actual representations of money -- on perishables such as groceries. The
> physical act of writing a check makes shoppers think more carefully about
> their purchases, he said.
>
> It would also be hard on many seniors, who have been slow to adopt the use
> of debit cards, said Gail Hillebrand, a lawyer and financial services expert
> for the nonprofit Consumers Union.
>
> But a widespread move by the grocery industry to ban personal checks would
> not upset other shoppers such as Sharon Fern of Placentia.
>
> "I haven't written or carried a checkbook in many years," she said.
> "Wouldn't bother me a bit." Debit cards are far more convenient, she said..
>
> "The money comes right out of my account and saves a lot of time over
> writing a check," Fern said.
>
> Vons, Albertsons and Ralphs -- the stores most likely to have a bank branch
> within their locations -- continue to accept checks.
>
> They also cash payroll checks, although the chains typically charge a
> service fee of about $1 to about 1% of the check, depending on the municipal
> regulations of the city where the store is located.
>
> Representatives of the chains said there were no plans to end the services,
> and one supermarket industry executive questioned why, in an environment of
> increasing competition for shoppers, a company would add a barrier to
> potential sales.
>
> Fresh & Easy, which started opening stores two years ago, has only
> self-service checkout. It doesn't take checks or manufacturers' coupons.
>
> "We keep our systems as simple as possible, keeping prices low for
> customers. We do accept cash, credit and debit cards and also have an ATM in
> store," said Brendan Wonnacott, a spokesman for the chain.
>
> Bill Jordan, Whole Foods' regional vice president, said prohibiting personal
> checks should improve service.
>
> "Since most of our customers pay with cash, debit cards or credit cards, we
> want them to be able to check out as quickly as possible. This pilot program
> was put in place to see if personal check users would make the switch to
> debit cards or another form of payment."
>
> In little more than a week into the change, "the program is off to a great
> start," he said.
>
> So far only the stores in El Segundo, one in Los Angeles on 3rd Street near
> Fairfax Avenue and a store in Tempe, Ariz., have stopped accepting checks..
> The chain had already stopped cashing payroll checks.
>
> Jordan said Whole Foods would evaluate consumer reaction before rolling out
> the change to other stores.
>
> A recent rise in bad checks also factors into the new policy, he said. "That
> unfortunately makes it more difficult for the remaining customers who prefer
> to pay this way. To help reduce fraud, we have a several-step personal check
> approval process that can often inconvenience other customers in line,"
> Jordan said.
>
> The chain prefers cash, debit cards and credit cards because they can be
> processed quickly and "come with added protections" that safeguard the
> interests of the consumer and the retailer, Jordan said.
>
> Many retailers prefer the type of debit cards that require the shopper to
> punch in a personal identification number to complete the purchase. That's
> because those have the best combination of low transaction fees and
> security, said Adam Levitin, a law professor and consumer finance expert at
> Georgetown University.
>
> But probably the biggest advantage for grocery stores looking at stopping
> accepting checks is the labor savings of taking and processing the checks,
> he said.
>
> Showalter, the Ventura County shopper and frequent check-writer, said he
> understood the rationale but didn't like the policy.
>
> "If I was a shareholder I would say yeah," Showalter said. "But I'm not a
> shareholder, I'm a shopper."
>
> Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times

Many stores in my area, grocery stores, big lot stores, etc., are
accepting checks in the same way they accept debit cards - when you
write a check, the money comes directly out of your account as a
debit, and the cashier returns your check along with the receipt. I
forget what this is called - but it stops the "check float" phenom for
sure.

N.

"Gregory Morrow" > wrote in message
m...
>
> http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,3717069.story
>
>
>
> Grocery stores taking check use off shoppers' lists
>
> In a cost-cutting move, Whole Foods may emulate Fresh & Easy in accepting
> only cash and credit and debit cards at checkout.
>
> By Jerry Hirsch
>
> September 21, 2009
>
> "Long before banks started locating branches inside supermarkets, grocery
> stores acted as informal financial establishments, cashing payroll checks
> and personal checks to provide ready cash for their customers. That's
> starting to change.
>
> Whole Foods Market Inc. is considering banning the use of personal checks
> at
> its stores and this month stopped accepting checks at two stores in Los
> Angeles County and one in Arizona as a test.
>
> Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the California division of British
> retailing giant Tesco, won't take personal checks at any of the 70 stores
> it
> operates in California.
>
> Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times
>


Regarding the question of how long it takes for a cash transaction versus
writing a check (the topic of several messages in this thread)...I stood in
line behind a lady today who paid a $8.09 bill in cash. She dug for several
minutes in her *very large* purse until she finally found exactly 9 cents to
go with her $10 bill. I could have written three or four checks in the
amount of time it took her to find the exact change she wanted.
Fortunately, I wasn't in a hurry.

MaryL

On Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:40:30 -0500, MaryL wrote:

> "Gregory Morrow" > wrote in message
> m...
>>
>> http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...,3717069.story
>>
>>
>>
>> Grocery stores taking check use off shoppers' lists
>>
>> In a cost-cutting move, Whole Foods may emulate Fresh & Easy in accepting
>> only cash and credit and debit cards at checkout.
>>
>> By Jerry Hirsch
>>
>> September 21, 2009
>>
>> "Long before banks started locating branches inside supermarkets, grocery
>> stores acted as informal financial establishments, cashing payroll checks
>> and personal checks to provide ready cash for their customers. That's
>> starting to change.
>>
>> Whole Foods Market Inc. is considering banning the use of personal checks
>> at
>> its stores and this month stopped accepting checks at two stores in Los
>> Angeles County and one in Arizona as a test.
>>
>> Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the California division of British
>> retailing giant Tesco, won't take personal checks at any of the 70 stores
>> it
>> operates in California.
>>
>> Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times
>>
>
> Regarding the question of how long it takes for a cash transaction versus
> writing a check (the topic of several messages in this thread)...I stood in
> line behind a lady today who paid a $8.09 bill in cash. She dug for several
> minutes in her *very large* purse until she finally found exactly 9 cents to
> go with her $10 bill. I could have written three or four checks in the
> amount of time it took her to find the exact change she wanted.
> Fortunately, I wasn't in a hurry.
>
> MaryL

exactly. i don't think the method really matters if you're dealing with
poky people.

your pal,
blake

"blake murphy" > wrote in message
>
> exactly. i don't think the method really matters if you're dealing with
> poky people.
>

This morning we went to a local farm store. One lady wanted her items
weighed and costed before he made her decision. Small tomato was 34¢. small
cucumber was 18¢, etc. This was not a case of having to be sure she had
enough money as she paid with a $10 bill on the less than a dollar bag of
produce.

On Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:14:28 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski" >
wrote:

>
>"blake murphy" > wrote in message
>>
>> exactly. i don't think the method really matters if you're dealing with
>> poky people.
>>
>
>This morning we went to a local farm store. One lady wanted her items
>weighed and costed before he made her decision. Small tomato was 34¢. small
>cucumber was 18¢, etc. This was not a case of having to be sure she had
>enough money as she paid with a $10 bill on the less than a dollar bag of
>produce.
>

Last I looked only pickling cukes sold by weight, kirbys were about a
buck a pound... regular salad cukes cost more than a dollar each, and
not all that good, was a poor season. For 18¢ it musta been a very
tiny kirby. And tomatoes too are all well over a dollar a pound, a
tiny container of grape tomatoes cost $2.49... same for those on the
stem, and a small container of cherry tomatoes too. I think for 34¢
all I'd get is a slice of tomato. So for 52¢ she's got a great salad!
LOL

I don't think I can make a decent salad for four for under $10, in
fact I know I can't... not even if I have a good crop of home grown
veggies, because those can easily cost triple store bought... anyone
tells you that a garden saves money never tried... I can get much
fresher but at a much higher cost.

Sm. head iceberg - $1.99
Sm. head looseleaf - $1.69
Bell pepper, one ea. grn/red - $3
Cuke - one/$1
Celery/sliced - 3 stalks/30¢
Carrot curls - 1 med. 10¢
Grape tomatoes - 1 cont./$2.49
Scallions - 0ne bunch/89¢
Garbanzos - 1 can/$1.19
Parsley - home grown/free
Total - $12.65
No fancy schmancy ingredients, and don't even have dressing yet...
1 cup of homemade vinaigrette/$1~~ probably much more with good olive
oil, fancy wine vinegar, and quality herbs/spices.
Now I'm up to $13.65... and typically I'd grate in like a cup of good
parm, dice in a cup of pepperoni/genoa salami, and a cup of decent
cheese... perhaps a half dozen hard cooked eggs, sliced... that'll add
at least another $5... probably much more, and if I toss in a bunch of
good olives. Add a decent loaf of bread ($4), a stick of butter
(75¢). Got a pretty good lunch serves four for a bit over $5 each.
But now we need beverages, can easily double the cost.

"brooklyn1" wrote

>>weighed and costed before he made her decision. Small tomato was 34¢.
>>small
>>cucumber was 18¢, etc. This was not a case of having to be sure she had
>>enough money as she paid with a $10 bill on the less than a dollar bag of
>>produce.

> Last I looked only pickling cukes sold by weight, kirbys were about a
> buck a pound... regular salad cukes cost more than a dollar each, and
> not all that good, was a poor season. For 18¢ it musta been a very

*sigh* I kniw your area is exensive but it's not that bad.

> I don't think I can make a decent salad for four for under $10, in
> fact I know I can't... not even if I have a good crop of home grown
> veggies, because those can easily cost triple store bought... anyone
> tells you that a garden saves money never tried... I can get much
> fresher but at a much higher cost.

You must be having some issues. I spend 5$ in seed, another 5 in fresh
soils, and possibly 5 in fertilizers.

> Sm. head iceberg - $1.99
> Sm. head looseleaf - $1.69

Free here

> Bell pepper, one ea. grn/red - $3

Free here and they dont cost more than .89lb in stores

> Cuke - one/$1

Need some? The 3 plants are taking over the yard. Tomatoes too.

I can make your salad, even with store bought for 5$

Using just my own garden, I'd use chives and green onions, bell peppers and
bannana peppers, butter and head lettuce, cucumbers and fresh yellow squash,
tomatoes.

I can not fathom why you can't grow a garden for less than cost at grocery.
You seem to want to high tech it or something.