For years, I’ve chosen Superstore as my grocer of choice based on one primary point: price.

As someone who cooks something different every day and uses mostly fresh ingredients, my grocery bill is pretty steep from month to month as it is, but for a couple of weeks, I tried buying the same stuff from one of the other major grocery chains to see what kind of difference it would make.

To say I was shocked when I tallied the two weeks would be a major understatement.

Shopping elsewhere nearly doubled my budget.

Doubled.

That’s just plain crazy.

Sure, if I paid better attention to the flyers and only bought ingredients that were on special, the result would’ve been much different.

But I don’t shop that way–I can’t.

When I go grocery shopping, my mind is completely open.

I may be thinking I’m making chicken tonight, but if there’s beautiful red tomatoes and fresh basil, I might do some kind of pasta.

Maybe with meat sauce. depending on what piques my interest in the meat section, or perhaps it turns into a fish stew based on tomatoes.

The point is, if there’s better ingredients in the store when I get there, that’s what I’m going to buy and make for dinner.

You can’t do that at a lot of the other places.

You must buy cheese when it’s on sale, and only on sale.

Just remembered you’re out of your favourite cereal or snack food? Don’t you dare buy it when it’s not advertised in the flyer–it’s sheer folly.

Yes, I am fully aware of the argument that price isn’t everything–service and support count a great deal.

For those in that camp, all I can say is game, set, match.

A good chunk of the employees who work at Superstore look like they’d rather spit on you than give you a hand.

Heaven forbid you ask one of them where something is–they’ll look at you as if you’ve just urinated on their leg.

That may be a little extreme, but I’ve personally been greeted with the look of, “what–are you stupid?” when I couldn’t find something on my list.

But now I know the place like the back of my hand and can get in and out pretty darn quick.

I know, I know, I have to bag my own groceries too. Don’t get me started on that.

Sometimes it feels as if you’re in the race of your life to get everything in your bag before the next person’s weekly purchases comes rolling down the ramp.

Still, the end result is this–I can buy more and I can buy what I like, when I like, without being gouged.

But now, there’s another reason I think the store of Super has pulled ahead–their Black Label line.

Just so it’s clear, in no way have I been paid to endorse Superstore and the bespeckled dude from the commercials is not behind me holding a Smith & Wesson to my head–I’m actually impressed with this line.

From their cheese and pasta to salsa and San Marzano tomatoes, it’s pretty tasty stuff–really.

I prefer to make the majority of stuff I eat but when I can’t, I choose the best I can find.

And this folks, has made the top of my list.

What do you think? Have you tried this line and think differently?