The party's over

[BamaLady]

My beloved Food World now stands empty and silent. The lights have been turned off for the last time, and the doors are locked.

Mr. Murray, Kelly, and Gloria tied up loose ends in the office this morning. I met Amanda out in the parking lot. She'd come to get her umbrella, left there the day before.

I couldn't go in, so I sent a hug to Gloria via Kelly. She said Gloria had been crying. Amanda and I had a hug and a cry in the parking lot.

Where do we go from here? I have no enthusiasm to go grocery shopping any more. Or couponing. Doesn't matter where I go to try to shop, I feel like a Stranger in a Strange Land.

What are you guys doing, those of you who lost your Food World? Where are you going to grocery shop now?

[chris322]

My beloved Food World now stands empty and silent. The lights have been turned off for the last time, and the doors are locked.

Mr. Murray, Kelly, and Gloria tied up loose ends in the office this morning. I met Amanda out in the parking lot. She'd come to get her umbrella, left there the day before.

I couldn't go in, so I sent a hug to Gloria via Kelly. She said Gloria had been crying. Amanda and I had a hug and a cry in the parking lot.

Where do we go from here? I have no enthusiasm to go grocery shopping any more. Or couponing. Doesn't matter where I go to try to shop, I feel like a Stranger in a Strange Land.

What are you guys doing, those of you who lost your Food World? Where are you going to grocery shop now?

Bamalady, there is really nowhere left to go grocery shopping. I worked at the Foodmax store in Oxford, which was also a victim of the buyout. There is no reason that our stores couldn't have stayed open. We were hearing rumors all the way up to the last minute that someone was buying our store any day. But it never happened. I have heard that the Food World in Moody has been sold to Winn-Dixie, but I don't know for sure. I hope someone reopens these stores soon, but they will never be the same again!

[thickbluebug]

I am already missing them. Are all the liquidation list stores closed?

I am checking out piggly wiggly. All I can say is I have a stockpile and I am thankful I do. I would really hate to be dependent on just wm. After all the reports I have read about the prices going up w/o a store to compete w - my area is doomed.

I will continue to shop the deals at the other 2 grocery stores 30 / 40 minutes away just to keep my stock pile going.

My biggest concern is where I will buy my meat. I loved my fw meat.
They cut it fresh.
The wd around me has funny colored meat. Some days it's orange and somedays it's burgundy. Yep burgundy. I say it looks CO 2 treated and don't want to touch it.

The closest publix and their meat - I can't make it home w poultry or pork before it starts smelling bad. I have a cooler and usually grab a bag of ice and it still does it.

So I am trying to find a smaller store that still cuts their own meat.
I did find out piggy wiggly doubles q's and each store varies on the amounts.
Some stores it's .90 and some it's .99. I hope to ck out an ad tomorrow.

[BamaLady]

Hey, Bug, & Chris!

Bug, that's one of my dilemmas, too. Where to buy fresh meat? I don't trust WD or WM either one on meat, especially ground beef. I can go to the little IGA store in Ragland, they have a good reputation, and there is the IGA grocery store in Vincent, also with a good rep.

However, that takes planning and driving. Its not like a 5 minute drive to Food World.

I tried going to the Publix on 280 the other day, and got a headache from the stress of driving in traffic. (Sorry, I just can't stand it.) Now, I trust their meat, so I bought a couple of packages of extra lean and hurried home with it. But, I can't justify driving that distance for a pack of hamburger.

They do doubles on coupons, and I guess I could look for some deals to go for along with buying meat and bakery bread. BUT, the enthusiasm is not there, the game has lost its appeal. I've a large stockpile, also, thank goodness. (For the past 3 or 4 years, I spent every dollar of my payday in FW, knowing there would come a day when I would need the stuff. That day is here, I reckon.)

Publix also disappointed me with the small size of the cat food section. I am better served with going to WM for that, unless I can find a larger and more complete selection elsewhere. I haven't found it yet, after all these years, so I guess it ain't there. The old Western Supermarket behind Eastwood Mall had the most extensive selection of kitty food around back when they were in business. (1980's)

I have a new kitten, dropped off in my yard by someone. She was nearly starved, and is now catching up on her eating. That means I need more food for her, along with the others.

This whole store closing mess is depressing. I guess we're going to have to adapt to an entirely different paradigm. I won't be spending money buying groceries like I used to, that's for sure. Instead, I'll be eating out more. Buying only essentials, instead of cruising the aisles, looking for markdowns and deals.

One bright spot: Starting next week, Pell City will have a Farmer's Market every day down by the Post Office...fresh vegetables and goodies straight from the folks who grow them. I AM definitely looking forward to that! If they would just throw in some fresh, organic beef and chicken, it would be perfect.