Cheaper kosher chicken?

naomi2

Mon, Jan 02 2023, 8:48 pm

I went to a non kosher grocery today to pick up a few dry goods and I saw the prices for chicken and meat were so much cheaper than kosher ones and I'm angry all over again about the crazy high kosher chicken and meat prices. It's not normal that food should cost so much. Is there any place I can buy in bulk for cheaper, maybe a website that sell wholesale

lkwdlady

Mon, Jan 02 2023, 8:53 pm

We are paying for the shochtim who kasher and shecht our chicken and meat. I’m not angry at them. Yes, there’s inflation all over unfortunately but not because it’s kosher.
Do you have a bingo store near you? It’s usually a little cheaper.

Amarante

Mon, Jan 02 2023, 9:56 pm

hair4u wrote:

costco frozen empire brand is cheaper

I think Trader Joe also has Empire kosher but I haven't bought recently so I am not sure of the price but definitely Costco bulk is always going to be cheaper than purchasing from a small store.

The only downside is that you need to factor in the cost of membership so you need to figure out whether it makes sense for you.

My neighbor is a member and I will sometimes go along with her and just pay cash or reimburse her right away if she puts it on her credit card.

She actually splits her membership with another neighbor so that is also something - I.e. split with a sibling or other family member.

gr82no

Mon, Jan 02 2023, 9:59 pm

Amarante wrote:

I think that is not allowed. Both cardholders need to be part of the same household

YounginBP

Mon, Jan 02 2023, 10:02 pm

I buy a bulk pack of cutlets at my local butcher. It's cheaper then the family pack but requires more cleaning/trimming Approx same weight. Inquire if yours has that.

Amarante

Mon, Jan 02 2023, 10:03 pm

gr82no wrote:

I think that is not allowed. Both cardholders need to be part of the same household

I don't know if it is technically correct. She has a different name but I think the membership cards are mailed to one place so Costco doesn't care. She has been doing this for years without any issues.

KinneretEK

Mon, Jan 02 2023, 10:06 pm

Re: Costco, if you use Instacart for your order, you don't need a membership card as the driver uses their business one. (Same goes for bulk buying from BJs/Sam's Club!)

Amarante

Mon, Jan 02 2023, 10:10 pm

KinneretEK wrote:

Re: Costco, if you use Instacart for your order, you don't need a membership card as the driver uses their business one. (Same goes for bulk buying from BJs/Sam's Club!)

Prices on Instacart are much more expensive than if you buy in the store - there is a huge markup.

I use Instacart and my neighbor will often pick up some fruit for me when he goes and so I know exactly how much I would pay for the same items if ordered through instacart.

KinneretEK

Mon, Jan 02 2023, 10:15 pm

Amarante wrote:

True, but if you don't have a membership to these stores, it can be helpful. It's better to do one large order than a ton of small ones with those fees, for sure. I find it's worth the mark-up to save hours of shopping time each week, but it's not for everyone.

Amarante

Mon, Jan 02 2023, 10:24 pm

KinneretEK wrote:

Large or small doesn't matter because the markup is on each item and the delivery and service charge are in addition to the markup.

I would urge people to be informed because after the markup on each item, there might not be cost savings - and then figure the tip, delivery fee and service charge as well. Because it is only appropriate to tip at least 15% to someone who shops, packs, drives and delivers to you.

Here are some examples from April when my neighbor got me a few items - as you can see, these are not insignificant markups when ordering through Instacart

Blueberries - $8.70 - $6.99 - $1.71 markup from Instacart

Strawberries 1 container - $6.83 - $5.49 - $1.34 markup from Instacart

Coffee - $17.40 - $13.99 - $3.41 markup for a 12 pack of cold brew cans

KinneretEK

Mon, Jan 02 2023, 10:31 pm

Amarante wrote:

Not disputing the mark-up. It's free delivery and reduced fees on all orders over $35 with the membership though, which is why I said a larger order would be more efficient (not that you're likely to get out of Costco's with less than a $35 cart, lol!).

shanie5

Tue, Jan 03 2023, 10:02 pm

lkwdlady wrote:

It's not just shochtim. It's mashgichim, tons of salt, and staff to do the salting. Theres also the extra packaging/simanim needed for kashrus. And not every chicken is kosher, there can be problems with the chickens that render them traif, so that has to be factored into the price. And extra machinery for the kashuring area. Also extra staff to remove feathers-traif companies spray their birds with hot water right after they are killed. This opens the pores and the feathers come out easy and leave them a clean chicken. Hot water cannot be used on kosher chickens as it can set the blood in the chicken. So our chickens are not as clean and staff is needed to remove extra feathers.