Grocery prices in Chandler and the East Valley in general are up massively, but bargains sometimes can be found.
Milk prices in Chandler and Gilbert are through the roof. We recently saw the Walmart house brand Great Value at $3.50 per gallon. Only a few short months ago people moaned in pain when prices for the same item passed $2.50.
The price for the same item at Aldi Chandler at Alma School and Queen Creek is currently $2.49. At Aldi Gilbert, near Pecos and Val Vista Drive, the price is currently $1.99.
Prices for yogurt and other dairy also are up, in some cases by 50% compared to the beginning of the year. Higher end baby formula brands are in low or out of stock in a number of stores, although we spotted some stock of cheaper brands such as Parent's Choice on some Walmart shelves.
The cheapest true/pure orange juice we could find is also at Aldi. Up until a few weeks ago it could sometimes be had for $1.99 per 59 fl oz container. It has since gone up to $2.49, a 25% increase in just a few short weeks. The corresponding product at Walmart is now $2.59.
It is theoretically possible to hop from grocery store to grocery store to pick off the most affordable products in each store. However, high gas prices make this difficult as some or all of the savings would be eaten up by having to pay for gas to get from store to store. Inflation really is a like a female dog...