Mon. I even used bottled water to make coffee, because that’s how intensely bitter the taste from the tap water was. I’m not sure that I’ve ever walked to a grocery store in the USA – it’s usually not safe or feasible unless you’re in a large city. Edeka, Rewe, Lidl, Aldi, Carrefour, Kaufland). Seasonal items are generally cheaper, so buying them is a good way to save. A few chains are actual supermarkets, while a growing number of stores are rather categorized as discounters. These vary in worth, usually from five to 20 cents, and you get your deposit back when you return your empty containers to the store. The average grocery store is much smaller than a typical grocery. It was definitely an adventure to go food shopping and made us appreciate our U.S.A. grocery stores! Use of own shopping bags when shopping in Germany 2017. If we forgot a bag or didn’t bring enough of our own reusable bags, then we’d have to purchase a plastic or paper bag for 10-30 cents each from the store. Find hundreds of authentic recipes, contemporary meal ideas, and guides to the region’s diverse food cultures. While I did not enjoy all aspects of grocery shopping in Germany, I greatly applaud their efforts to improve the environmental and health aspects as a whole. A loud “Bitte” or “Entschuldigen” is generally effective in this situation, although you might want to prepare for an angry glare. You can save up your loyalty points and use the awarded value against the price of your food shopping. It was hard water – deposits would build up in our shower every few weeks. I’ve always lived in a state in the US where there are bottle deposits, so that part isn’t unusual to me. and usually get home delivery for heavy/bulky items. Click one of our representatives below to chat on WhatsApp or send us an email to [email protected] This encourages people to recycle (and to annoy you at the train station by asking if they can have your empty bottles). Family of four estimated monthly costs: €3,577; Single person estimated monthly costs: €1,884; Cost of living in Germany is cheaper than in 61% of countries in Western Europe (11 out of 18) Cost of living in Germany is more expensive than in 72% of countries in the World (22 out of 74) Grocery e-commerce is yet to take off in Germany because the country has a high density of food stores and the dominant discounters Aldi and Lidl have been slow to go online. They will hold onto it for dear life until they can heavily scrutinize your current signature and the one on the card to make sure they match. We also have a 300 sq.mt shop in Berlin, Germany where we welcome everyone! The kindness in the USA is definitely something I’m grateful for. Find the best German Grocery Store near you on Yelp - see all German Grocery Store open now. For example, in Germany soda is made with sugar instead of corn syrup. The tap water in the place we lived tasted terrible. I am a German expat in the U.S. and shopping here requires getting used to. The grocery cart token, you can use instead of a coin was given to me by a helpful attendant. Sure, it's fake, but at least they don't leave you feeling like a little kid getting reprimanded by a teacher. I think the bugs were more prevalent during the summer – maybe because we lived further south? German Groceries and Stores. Familiarize yourself with the Pfand scheme. I am a native German speaker that has lived in the US for almost 70 years. GermanShop24. Knackwurst: Snack A sausage type of northern German origin from the mid-16th century. Yes, I do love how environmentally friendly it is. GermanShop24 USA P.O. Since we could only carry so much per trip, we went shopping often and purchased a minimal amount of items on each trip. The cashier will ring up your items at a blazingly fast speed since they do not have to unload them or bag them – simply slide them across the scanner. This turned out to be a regular occurrence – with the bananas as well as other items. The few times I’ve been there I’ve forgotten to do that and it’s so frustrating! (I don’t like Kaufland in general, it’s too huge and confusing. You’ll be amazed at just how many types of bread, cakes, and pastries your neighborhood grocery … Something no one mentions is how good German cashiers are at math and will often ask for five cents or whatever change makes the most sense with your bill to bring it to a more even number. 10 Things I Didn't Realize Would Happen After I Was Diagnosed with Lupus. This is certainly an adjustment since nearly all US grocery stores bag your groceries for you and provide bags for free. Most of the time, I found grocery shopping in Germany to be a physically intimidating experience. (I think some claim that there are more minerals in bottled Mineralwasser than in regular tap water, but I’ve seen studies that refute that. On my first visit to Kaufland, a few days after moving to Germany, I unintentionally made a cashier very angry because I didn’t weigh my bananas before checking out. The first part of going grocery shopping in Germany is typically returning your beverage containers – almost every container you purchase will have the pfand symbol on it. We know that the lack of digitization and personalized support can make navigating German bureaucracy a very frustrating process. One of my favorite things about grocery shopping in the USA is that I can buy things in bulk. I wish Germany had something like that. It is the positive and not negative to me. It sounds a bit like shopping in Australia although our supermarket staff sound friendlier and the stores are open later. I also totally know what you mean about it being hard to exit the store without buying anything. If you can make savings on your food budget, then your monthly income will go a lot further. There are pfand machines at the entrance of most grocery stores (although sometimes they are inside the store) where you exchange your bottles for a receipt that you can use when paying for your groceries. However, when we visited other places in Germany we were able to drink tap water often. Several times I’ve purchased a small item or candy bar so that I won’t feel like a criminal as I’m trying to leave. How much do groceries cost in Germany? I like that most grocery stores have an area after the register with little tables where you can bag your stuff in peace. Very polite person and he wasn't pushy about a handout. Yes, I totally understand! Luckily, shoppers enjoy a relatively low cost of groceries in Germany, thanks to plenty of homegrown produce and competitive discount supermarkets. And I know how you feel about finding items – I used to make trips to Rewe just for spinach and the good peanut butter.