Comment by BizarroLand

My local co-op is stupid expensive, like $8 for a box of cereal that costs $4 at my normal grocery store, $7 for a dozen eggs, $8 butter, $8/lb chicken thighs.

There are non-coop but organic and "fancy" grocery stores in the area as well that decimate them on prices.

Admittedly, these items are all very high quality, organic, small batch, hand crafted, local, minority-owned, protecting the rainforest etc. type products, but as a single man living alone, my grocery bill would be probably $800 a month if I bought all of my food from them.

There is something to be said for the power of group purchasing power though. For instance, you can buy a cow for much less than the cost of the individual cuts and have it butchered and split for like, $2-$4/lb of meat you receive.