(links and photos on my website)
I started to write another post this morning about our first day in Puerto Rico, but then we decided to take a “quick” trip to the store. It doesn't take one too long to figure out that there is no such thing as a “quick trip to the store” in Puerto Rico, much less three stores like we did today. Between traffic, parking, finding what you need and then paying for it, you are looking at an hour minimum per store. It doesn't help that every day is seemingly Black Friday here! 
In fairness, unfamiliarity with store layouts is still a factor for us. However, when you are finally ready to check out, more often than not your heart sinks when you see the long lines snaking out from the cash registers. I don't know if it's the ratio of open checkout lanes to customers or if the cashiers actually move slower, but for whatever reason, my experience so far is that in general, the stores here don't seem to be able move customers through the checkout process as fast as they do in the states.
For example, today at the Amigo grocery store in Aguadilla, the aisles weren't any busier than at the HEB grocery stores in Texas. If anything, there may have been less customers overall in the store. However, the checkout lines were a totally different story. We only had a handful of items, there were only maybe three or four people in front of us, but we STILL had to stand in line for over half an hour! It may not sound like much, but if you are someone who doesn't really care for shopping to begin with, it is positively painful. It seems like this could represent a business opportunity. Actually, I think all of the minor nuisances here could represent an entrepreneurial opportunity for someone willing to do the hard work and be different. I might try to compile and share some of the business ideas that have come to mind in a future post.
Anyway, one of the reasons for our “quick” shopping excursion was that some of the friendly and helpful folks on Expat.com had recommended stores that might carry the hard to find items we were looking for.
I ruled out a couple of the places mentioned because they are too far. The closest Costco in Bayamon is about 80 miles away. The closest CVS in Arecibo is still about an hour drive and the TJ Maxx in Hatillo is not much closer. One store was fairly close by so we wanted to check it out, Fresh Mart in Aguadilla.
The good news is that they have pretty much ALL of the hard to find food items we were looking for. Holly was impressed that they even had a decent supplements and body care section with Dr. Bonner's soaps and organic shampoos. It was like a mini Whole Food Market.
Unfortunately, the prices seem to match or possibly exceed the prices at Whole Foods or “Whole Paycheck” as it is sometimes affectionately referred to. I don't know for sure because in San Antonio, we could pick up most of these items at Costco.
I put prices from Fresh Mart for some of the items we were looking for below if you would like to compare:
– Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil 14oz – $13.29
– Bob's Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour 16oz – $9.19
– Tree of Life Avocado Oil 8oz – $9.89
– Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour 16oz – $13.39
– Shady Maple Farms Grade A Syrup 16.9oz – $21.19
– Chocolove 52% Dark Chocolate Chips 11oz – $6.99
– Dagoba Eclipse Organic 87% Dark Chocolate Bar 2oz – $2.79
All in all, we are THRILLED to have found a place where we can buy these products locally. Thank you victorlglass and skync!
Now our next challenge, find a source for natto…
David
A mini “paycheck”
Glad to hear that you found all of those provisions. Now, about those long lines at the cashier. Here are some strategies that I have tried:
Tap in to your inner Puerto Rican and start dancing to the music that is being played over the loud speakers.
If the person behind you has only one or two items, let them go ahead and start a conversation.
If I am purchasing fabric (a common occurrance) I show it to the lady next to me and tell her what I plan to make and start a conversation.
If I am Walmart, I think of Gaby's and the ice cream cone that will be my reward for surviving this long line.
On days when my blood sugar is low(usually an imagined state) I take my time to select one of the candy bars near the register, but take the higher ground by grabbing a cold Diet Coke.
I silently start singing 'Hey, good looking' by Hank Williams.
Or, when I really get pissed off, I just leave them damned shopping cart, walk out of the store, and curse the store managers who NEVER have all of the cash registers operating.
hahaha. This seems similar to experiences I remember. However not having visited PR itself yet, I'm surprised to read just how many items you would think would be cheaper there that are not. Now I know "specialty" items might be exponentially high, but what about some items that are staples there that are cheap and great?!
I haven't really read of anyone talking about road side fruit stands or food trucks or island-only items that are cheap and loved by all (with the exception of this Gaby's Ice Cream I keep hearing about 
). Anyone?
We get a lot of fruit/veggies from road side stands and they are delicious and inexpensive. In Rincon, there are a few different ones and then they have the farmers' market on Sundays so we have a few to choose from.
David, so glad you were able to find your items that you needed 
Lets put it this way, I pay $1 to $0.50 per Mango in the US. You can find mangos at fruit stands in PR for about $0.10 each. A mango tree will give you from 300 to 700 mangos a season and some mango trees have 2 seasons.
Avocado are also dirt cheap, green peppers, spices, etc. If it grows well in the island it will cost very little.
Even houses in "Urbanizaciones" have a little land on the side or back of the house and people plant. If you have extra of something you can trade with your the people around you so your cost is zero.
If all goes well with my house purchase, I will have close to an acre of land and there is plenty planted there besides what I may plant myself.
Lots of Spices, Lemons, limes, oranges, Guava, Papayas, plantains, bananas, mangos, pineapples, avocados, coffee, bread fruit, Sugar cane, corn, green peppers, tomatoes, tubers like sweet potatoes, carrots, Yuca, and many others are available from your own backyard and the backyard of others and they are also available in farmer and road side markets for dirt cheap.
How do you think that people making less than 17,000 a year survive?
Apartment dwellers can always go to the farmer markets and road side stands.
Enjoy the island, it is a fertile land and can provide plenty to eat specially for a vegetarian.
For meat eaters, there is fresh and salt water fish, shell fish, crabs, you can raise chickens, pigs, cows for milk and meat, goats, sheep, and there are always iguanas which many in Central and South American find a dellicateszy.
You are in a financially poor paradise, but a paradise never the less.
Well said, Rey I have experienced a little of "gringo" pricing at the stands, though, but no biggy. I just don't buy it if I feel it really high.
Schuttzie wrote:Well said, Rey
In Farmer markets, road stands and private businesses there is usually room to haggle!!!!!
They would prefer you haggle than walk away, offer what is worth to you, best when they are not busy at the moment.
We still have a lot of searching to do. The cheapest advocados I've seen were $1.50 each at Amigo... imported from the US! At the Rincon Farmers Market they seemed to be going for about $2 each although one guy was trying to sell them for $4 each!
One thing we haven't been able to find anywhere is green coconuts. The only way to get them seems to be buying a coco frio for $2. It's hard to pay so much when you see them in the palm trees everywhere!
David
About the avocados from the USA versus PR. Yes controlling one's food expenditures is important. However I try to buy Puerto Rican when I am able. I would not buy avocados from the USA; think of the carbon foot print some of the cost does not go into the PR economy. Also I try to buy produce when it is season, when it is fresh and inexpensive. There is an avocado season during the winter. Tons of avocados; some people give them away.
A pet peeve of mine is garlic from China. It is hard to find garlic that isn't from China in the stores. Again think of the carbon foot print and what is the growing environment in China; who knows?
My food bill can be relatively expensive since I try to buy (1) organic, (2) local, (3) no processed foods (read the labels and be amazed). I am vegan so I eat no animals, but if I did my food bill might go down since beef, chicken, and pork are relatively cheap.
davidtx wrote:We still have a lot of searching to do. The cheapest advocados I've seen were $1.50 each at Amigo... imported from the US! At the Rincon Farmers Market they seemed to be going for about $2 each although one guy was trying to sell them for $4 each!
One thing we haven't been able to find anywhere is green coconuts. The only way to get them seems to be buying a coco frio for $2. It's hard to pay so much when you see them in the palm trees everywhere!
David
Hi David:
Have you asked around about local fruit trees?? I have found people very helpful and they have pointed me in the right direction. Here in the metro area, I've been told where to get avocados, mangos, coconuts, bananas, and recao ( a great cilantro-type herb that apparently grows everywhere here).
Good luck in your search!!!
Hi, Rey, I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to do that. We've been to Jamaica and it certainly is expected to haggle
Schuttzie wrote:Hi, Rey, I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to do that. We've been to Jamaica and it certainly is expected to haggle
There are 3 prices, the listed one, the gringo one, the haggled bottom line, sometimes there is no listed one or no gringo one, but there are always 2 at least.
Don't try to haggle at a restaurant or brand name store. At the market and side stands, go ahead and haggle. Offer the poncho stand less for two ponchos and see.
I even haggle when asking for an estimate on work on my house.
The more places around you where you can get what you want, the more likely they will take your offer since you can easily get it from competion. By the way they always say that you are taking food from their children, don't fall for that.
I would never haggle a store or restaurant price. But yes, I've heard many "lines", haha. Thank you, Rey!
Hi Victor.
It's admirable that you align your actions with your principles, regardless of cost. I too prefer local and in season because it is generally more nutritious and you'd think, less expensive. It blows my mind that imported avocados from the US would be cheaper than the ones grown here.
I do eat meat and it isn't really that cheap. I think beans and rice is the cheapest diet. However, the local chicken is fairly inexpensive and good.
Besides green coconuts and cheaper local avocados, we are looking for places we can get fresh fish, raw milk and pastured eggs.
I'm sure like Trekrider says, I need to get out more and talk to the neighbors, but language is still an issue. My wife is going to attend Spanish Immersion Rincon next month so that should help...
David
I will encourage talking to your neighbors, they may know someone that is selling produce in the neighborhood that you are not aware. Also, most neighbors will share fruits and vegetables from their garden since some fruits, like mangoes and avocadoes are in season and trees tend to have plenty of them.
You will be surprise how much the puertoricans can understand English, your neighbors may not speak the language but they may understand better than you think. English is taught in school from 1st grade in PR. Plus I always believe your neighbor will be your first line of help in case of an emergency.
They had a whole shopping cart full of Puerto Rican avocados at Econo today for 25 cents each! Now that's more like it.
David
davidtx wrote:They had a whole shopping cart full of Puerto Rican avocados at Econo today for 25 cents each! Now that's more like it.
David
Email me some of those Avocados. 
Ray,
2 more weeks and I will be eating them right out of my backyard tree!!
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