Author: sophiecls418

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Who Has The Best Prices: Kroger Vs. Walmart 2025

Back in February of 2020 I posted a price comparison between Walmart and Kroger to see who had the cheapest prices on groceries. As much as I’d rather not compare today’s prices to those from five years ago (ouch!) I thought it would be a good time to see if Kroger is still the winner.

Kroger vs. Walmart: The Plan

As I did last time, I created a grocery pickup list for each store. While our dietary needs have changed a bit over the past five years, for simplicity’s sake I kept the same list. It’s still pretty accurate representation of staples I regularly purchase. As much as possible, I matched brands at each store or chose the store brand at both. I used the normal price rather than the sale price where applicable. Due to previously being strictly gluten and dairy free, things like bread and milk that most people regularly purchase won’t be on my list.

The Food and Price Comparison

  • Coffee: Kroger Select Blend Medium Roast, 30.5 oz, $9.99. Walmart Great Value Classic Roast Medium Ground Coffee, 30.5 oz. $10.93. Winner: Walmart Kroger (Also, this one HURT. If you’re a big coffee drinker, too, you may not want to revisit the 2020 prices.)
  • Frozen Mixed Vegetables: Kroger Store Brand, 32 oz, $2.99. Walmart Great Value Brand, 32 oz, $2.48. Winner: Walmart
  • Bath Tissue: Kroger 1000 Sheets per Roll Bath Tissue, 12 rolls, $9.29, $0.77 per roll. Walmart Great Value 1000 Bath Tissue Rolls, 16 rolls, $11.62, $0.72 per roll. Winner: Tie Walmart
  • Cascade Complete Gel Dishwasher Detergent, 75 oz: Kroger $6.99. Walmart $6.44. Winner: Walmart.
  • Sugar, Store brands, 4 lbs: Kroger $2.99. Walmart $3.14. Winner: Walmart Kroger
  • Bananas: Kroger $0.49 per lb. Walmart $0.50 per lb. Winner: Walmart Kroger
  • Calidad Corn Chips, 11 oz*: Kroger $1.78. Walmart: $2.36. Winner: Kroger *This is downsized from 12 oz five years ago.
  • Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs: Kroger Heritage Farm, $3.49/lb. Walmart store brand, $2.96/lb. Winner: Walmart
  • Ground Beef, 3 lb 80% lean/20% fat, store brands: Kroger $15.49. Walmart $13.23. Winner: Kroger. Walmart
  • Honey Nut Cheerios, 10.8 oz: Kroger $4.29. Walmart $3.68. Winner: Walmart
  • Pinto Beans, 4 lb bag, Store Brands: Kroger $3.99. Walmart $3.76. Winner: Kroger. Walmart
  • Potatoes, Russet, 10 lb bag, Store Brands: Kroger $4.99. Walmart $4.97. Winner: Kroger. Walmart
  • Canned green beans, 14.5 oz, Store Brands: Kroger $0.89/can. Walmart $0.64/can. Winner: Walmart
  • Blue Diamond Almond Milk, 96 oz: Kroger $5.49. Walmart $4.56. Winner: Walmart.
  • Eggs, large, 12 count, store brand: Kroger $3.99. Walmart $4.17. Winner: Kroger

Overall Totals

Kroger: $69.33

Walmart: $64.54

Kroger vs. Walmart Price Comparison: Overall winner

Walmart is the winner this time around by $4.79. Depending on your budget, that’s significant. If I had gone by the sale price and used digital coupons at Kroger, I would have saved $3. Still not enough to overtake Walmart, but it would bring it close enough in my opinion to choose which store to go to based off convenience or preference.

My Take

Even before this side-by-side comparison, I’ve tended towards shopping at the Walmart Neighborhood Market closest to my house. It’s about a mile closer than Kroger, and it has a fuel center. There are some things I still find to be better quality at Kroger, though, and I prefer Kroger overall, so I will probably continue to pick based off of what I’m needing and if I know something is on sale at one of the locations.

I’ve also been going to Aldi more. They’re great for staples, the produce at mine is usually good quality, and they’re closer to me than the other two stores. If you’d like me to do a price rundown of a similar list from Aldi, let me know in the comments.

Like I said earlier, my shopping list may look nothing like your shopping list. With more and more stores offering online shopping for pickup or delivery, it’s worth it to periodically do a price comparison between your local stores. It’s so easy to do online, and you may learn ways to adjust your shopping habits and save money.

If you click through any of the Amazon links and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission. There is no added cost to you.

 

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New Adorable Vintage Figurines

I’ve recently added a ton of vintage figurines to my shop. There’s several David Winter Cottages. I absolutely love the detail on them.

David winter vintage cottage
David Winter Ivy Cottage 1982
The Bothy – 1983- David Winter

I also have a few Department 56 Snowbabies, most in the original boxes.

Vintage Department 56 Snowbabies Playing Games Is Fun 1990
Vintage Department 56 Snowbabies Penguin Parade 1989

You can find all of these and more in the Vintage section of my shop.

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Easy DIY Talc-Free Body Powder

DIY Body Powder SubEarthan Cottage

It’s hot outside. Like really sticky, sweaty hot. If you’re looking for a talc-free body powder to help you through it, I’ve got a recipe for you.

While you can purchase talc-free powder, making it yourself is simple, allows you to customize it, and is super inexpensive. Better yet, you probably already have everything you need.

Body Powder Recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of Cornstarch

1/4 cup of Baking Soda

10-ish Drops of essential oil (optional)

Make it:

Combine the cornstarch and baking soda in a bowl or jar. Give it a stir or shake to mix. If you’re using an essential oil, add it now, then stir or shake some more to distribute.

Use it:

I keep mine in a jar and use a fluffy makeup brush to dust it where I need it. It works great as an all-over dusting powder, deodorant and shoe deodorizer. You can also dust a little in your hair in place of dry shampoo. For that, I like to put it in my hair at night and then brush it out in the morning.

Customize it:

The basic recipe is 3 parts cornstarch to 1 part baking soda, so you can use that 3:1 ratio to make as much or as little as you need. 

Add more or less essential oil based on your preference. You can also use your favorite perfume to make a coordinating dusting powder.

If you find this formula too drying, reduce the amount of baking soda, or omit it all together.

Not a fan of cornstarch? Try using arrowroot. I personally haven’t tried it, so if you do, let me know how it works.

For babies, I recommend just plain cornstarch as baking soda might be too harsh. If you want to scent it, add a couple of drops of lavender essential oil. Essential oils aren’t generally recommended for babies under six months, so take that into consideration. 

If you like using this as a dry shampoo and have dark hair, you can add a little bit of cocoa powder to the mix to make it less noticeable if you don’t get it brushed out completely.

Re-purpose a shaker jar, such as a spice or Parmesan cheese jar, rather than using a brush or puff to dispense.



Find more of my tutorials here: Tutorials.

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2024 Solar Eclipse: I was in the Path of Totality!

Solar eclipse totality dark

Did you see it? I was in the path of totality this year. It was my first time ever seeing a total solar eclipse and it was AMAZING. My photography skills aren’t that great, especially when it comes to sky photos, but they’re not too terrible. 

Something interesting is that it never got pitch black like I saw in some areas on t.v. I’m guessing that the cloud cover we had reflected what little light there was to make it like dusk without the pinks and purples.

Solar eclipse before totality
Solar eclipse before totality
Solar eclipse totality dark
Solar eclipse totality.
Solar eclipse totality grey clouds.
Solar eclipse totality with grey clouds.
Me being nerdy.
Me being nerdy.

Okay, lovely readers. I’m a nerd, so if you have any awesome eclipse photos, (current or otherwise), or other cool nerdy photos, I would love to see them. I’m honestly not sure if photos can be shared in the comments. If not, feel free to drop a link to them on social media.

Here’s a link to all the big astronomical events for 2024. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sky-spectacles-to-watch-in-2024/

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Free Medicinal Herb eBook

Hi! There’s a free ebook today in my Freebooksy email that I thought might interest my readers. I haven’t read it yet, but I wanted to share before it’s no longer free. The title is Medicinal Herbs: The Essential Guide to Growing and Using Plants to Promote Healing and Physical Well-Being by Halle Malin. You can get it here: https://amzn.to/3RX2qBj (Note: If you use that link and then make a purchase, I will get a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you and helps me to maintain this blog. Thanks!)

Be sure to grab it ASAP. I’m not sure how long it will be free. If you read it, let me know what you think in the comments.

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Free eBooks and Resources

kobo e reader

Growing up, I was Belle from the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. I always had at least one book with me at all times. Most of the time, I was actively reading one of them, regardless of what else I was doing. Surprisingly, I am no more clumsy with my nose in a book than I am fully paying attention to what I’m doing, which is to say, I’m always very clumsy.

Anyway, one of the things I love about technology is that I can bring a library’s worth of books with me everywhere in my pocket. Or purse, really, since women’s clothing doesn’t have real pockets. Don’t get me wrong. I still love my hold-in-your-hand print books with their special book smell and feel. Knowing that I will always have a book or hundred at hand to read anywhere, though, is the best for a nerd like me.

The other cool thing about ebooks is that it is easy to get a whole library for free or cheap. Here are a few of my favorite resources.

Libraries

Did you know that most libraries now have a collection of ebooks and magazines to check out. My local library uses OverDrive to check out ebooks. All you need is a library card. I usually choose Kindle format, since I have an ancient Paperwhite and I use the Kindle app on my phone.

If you’re looking for a specific book or new releases, this is your best bet. You may have to wait a bit because there’s a limited number of digital copies to check out, just like books in a library.

assorted books on book shelves
Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

Amazon

Yes, you can get free ebooks on Amazon. You’ll need a basic (free) Amazon account and the Kindle app, or you can read on a pc. The link above will take you to the Kindle ebook store where I’ve searched for free ebooks. That gives you about a bajillion results to weed through. You can narrow down your search to, something like, “free kindle classic books literature” or “free kindle Sherlock Holmes books” or “free kindle sewing books” and have fewer results to sort through.

If you happen to have a Prime account, there’s some ebook perks with Prime Reading and First Reads, so make sure you check those out, too.

Quick note: I am an Amazon Associate, so if you click on an Amazon link on my blog and then make a purchase on Amazon, I will receive a tiny commission. The price for you is the same either way, so if you are going to be shopping on Amazon anyway, I would appreciate it.

grayscale photo of e reader ebook
My Paperwhite ebook reader is this old. Photo by Caio on Pexels.com

Free Booksy

Free Booksy basically lets you know about free books in your chosen genres in a daily email. They’re books that are free for a limited time, so not the same things you would find in a free Amazon search. Most days there’s at least one book I want in the email. Right now, I tend to read more nonfiction, however if you like reading fiction series, Free Booksy often has the first in a new series for free, so it’s a great way to discover new authors. Sign up here. I’m not an affiliate, I just love the free books.

eBook Bundles

Occasionally you’ll find free or cheap ebook bundles online based on a theme, such as crafting or health and wellness. Ultimate Bundles is one site that offers them regularly. I’ve purchased bundles from them in the past that were very useful. Usually it’s something like $27 for hundreds of dollars worth of ebooks, courses, printables, etc. When I purchase one, I always make sure that there are at least three ebooks/resources included that I would purchase on their own, no question, AND they would cost me more than the total price of the bundle if purchased separately.

It doesn’t currently look like they’re promoting a bundle right now, but you can check out the website and see if what types of bundles they offer are of interest to you.

These are all resources I’ve personally used for free ebooks. I’m sure there’s plenty more out there. If you know of any, please share them in the comments. 🙂

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5 Healthy Benefits of a Slower Morning Routine

5 Healthy Benefits of a Slower Morning Routine

As we let go of the idea of “hustle culture” and embrace a simple, slower lifestyle, the topic of slower morning routines has naturally come up. This doesn’t mean every morning needs to be slow-paced and gentle. The more often you can add it into your life, however, the less stressed and anxious you will feel overall.

Here are some of the many benefits of having a slower morning.

Your Day Starts Calm and Peaceful

One major benefit to having a slower morning is that your day starts so much calmer. When your day starts like this, the rest of the day tends to be stress-free as well. Think about the days when something bad happens right when you wake up. Your alarm didn’t go off and you’re now running late, or you wake up to a sick kid in your bed. Everything is just complete chaos. You feel that stress for the entire day. It feels like when one bad thing happens, all the bad things happen. It’s because your mindset is already in a negative, stressful state.

Imagine how different your day would be if you woke up calmly, happy and relaxed. A slow, intentional morning routine makes all the difference.

Slower Mornings Give You More Energy

Slow mornings actually give you more energy, not less. People often think of them as lazy, but really when you get up slowly and naturally, your body adjusts to the day at a more balanced pace. In turn, your energy picks up naturally as well.

You Prioritize and Focus on What Matters

With a slow morning routine, you don’t have time for 10+ habits anymore. This is actually a good thing, because it allows you to prioritize your habits and only include what is necessary and what benefits you. Chances are, even if you currently have a long morning routine, many those habits aren’t benefitting you as much as you think.

We tend to do what other people are doing, so when we see someone who does yoga in the morning or always drinks matcha tea, we want to do that too. Everyone is unique with different needs, though, so what works for one person, might not work for you. This is why prioritizing tasks during a slow morning routine is so helpful.

filled teacup with saucer beside good morning card and pen and macaroons benefits of a slower morning routine slow morning
Photo by George Dolgikh on Pexels.com

Everything You Do is With Intention

Similar to prioritizing your habits, a slow morning allows you to do more things with intention. You know that every step you take in your morning is something you thought a lot about, and know is going to benefit you greatly. It isn’t just mindlessly checking items off a list. You put a lot of thought into each step of your morning routine.

You choose to no longer rush through a dozen tasks every morning. Instead you pick a few of the most important ones, and each one is done with intention.

A Slower Morning Makes You Feel More Productive

People choosing a slower morning often report being more productive. With a more intentional and mindful approach to your morning habits, you increase your focus and energy. This helps you feel ready to take on the day’s tasks. Just like a chaotic morning, an intentional, slow morning’s energy follows you throughout the rest of the day.

If you want to be productive, don’t try to do too much within the first couple minutes of waking up. Give yourself time to wake up, go through some healthy habits, make your bed, have breakfast, and then focus on working.

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