Where to Buy CPGs in NYC (or, The Modern Day Manhattan Market)

Manhattan has a well-deserved reputation for being one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in.  Even though rents have decreased a bit over the past two years as a result of the national real estate bubble and overall recession, it can still be difficult to make sure you have a positive balance at the end of the month once you’ve paid for ALL your expenses.  What many aren’t aware of, however, is that Manhattan, in some respects, is only as pricey as you allow it to be.  Let me share with you how the Frugal Bachelor is “beating the system” by purchasing consumer packaged goods only where they are most reasonable.

Surprisingly, the best place to buy cereal is NOT at a supermarket, but at a large pharmacy chain such as CVS or Duane Reade.  I could (and may) write an entire article on how CVS is tha bomb digs, but the point here is that grocery stores expect you to blindly purchase necessities such as laundry detergent without looking at the price tag, while you could be paying half that at a pharmacy chain.

Items you might intuitively think you should buy at a supermarket, but in reality are almost always cheaper at CVS or Duane Reade:

• Cereal
• Toilet Paper (buy the largest pack they have for the best value)
• Paper towels
• Detergent

Grocery stores in the city do, of course, play their role.  Personally, I make the rounds in my neighborhood between Food Emporium, Gourmet Garage, and Gristedes every few days.  Not only does this allow me to score the things I like that are on sale at each store in a given week, but living in a 5^th floor walkup, I never really want to buy more than four bags of groceries at a time anyways.  Being the Frugal bastard that I am, I of course sign up for a rewards program at every store I frequent that offers one (you should do this at the pharmacy chains as well!).  By buying only things that I like that are on sale (unless, of course, I really need a particular item), I generally save 30% or more off the retail price.

Items you should buy at the grocery store:

• Orange Juice.  You can almost always find a “2 for $7” or “2 for $6” deal.
• Ice cream (Ben & Jerry is often 2 pints for $5 at Food Emporium)
• Bread
• Yogurt.  It ALWAYS seems to be on sale at grocery stores.  Probably because it will expire next week, but who cares if you are planning on eating it tomorrow?

I’d also like to give an (unpaid) shout out to Gourmet Garage.  With 6 locations around NYC, this place is a hidden gem.  Peep the store locator here, and check it out.

Finally, if all else fails, go to Queens.  Only a few subway stops away, buying an identical item from someone that doesn’t need to pay Manhattan rent for their store location can instantly knock 30% off of any price.  Diminishing returns if you need to then transport a large item back to the city by subway (schlepping a Costco-sized package of toilet paper up to the apartment you’re illegally subletting will surely raise suspicion from neighbors and landlords).  There are other great local ethnic food markets all around Queens, especially Astoria (Greek/European), Elmhurst (All types of Asian), Corona (All types of Latino), and Flushing (Chinese/Korean).  And last but not least, frozen dinners (a sad but very true reality of Manhattan single life) can run up to $6.00 a meal in Manhattan, but are only $2 a piece in Queens supermarkets!

What other cost-cutting moves do you make on your grocery runs?  Manhattan or not, share your own frugal tips below!