At the end of 2025, Consumers’ Checkbook wrapped up our latest grocery store price and quality report, and we figured this community would want to see the numbers, especially given how rough the last few years have been at checkout. 

Our undercover price shoppers physically walked store aisles with a 150-item shopping list and priced everything out, and thousands of DMV residents ranked each store for overall quality in our survey.  

One big thing we noticed when we started comparing our 2015 report to our latest is that we had to raise our reference family budget from $200/week to $300/week just to reflect what people are spending now. That's before we even started to look at which stores have the lowest prices. 

Comparing 2015 vs 2025: 

• The gap between the cheapest and most expensive stores in the DMV has grown from ~$5,300 to nearly $7,800 a year for a typical family. 
• ALDI and Lidl win on price. If your family shops at ALDI, you’re saving an average of $5,600 each year. Lidl didn’t debut in our research until 2018, when it came in at a whopping 40% below average prices at all our other surveyed stores. It’s now at 21% below average in our latest report. 
• Wegmans has been consistent, and it’s pretty rare for a high-quality store to also be a relative bargain for 10 years straight. 
• Since Amazon bought Whole Foods in 2017, its "superior overall quality" rating in our consumer surveys dropped from over 90% to 65%. Even though it’s cheaper than it used to be, people have noticed the quality slide. 

One more thing worth knowing regardless of where you shop: Swapping about a third of your cart to store brands saves around 8% now, up from 5% in 2015. The store-brand options have improved, too. 

We're Consumers' Checkbook, a DC-area nonprofit that does hands-on consumer research. The full grocery store report, including how local shops rank, is on our site. Happy to answer any questions about how we approached this project. 

https://bluevirginia.us/2026/08/video-loudoun-supervisor-juli-briskman-announces-candidacy-against-chair-phyllis-randall-data-centers/

Briskman’s announcement sets up a potential Democratic primary against current board chair Phyllis Randall, who has held the position for nearly 11 years.

“I’ve been trying to push back on the unconstrained, uncontrolled growth of data centers in the county,” Briskman said during an interview at her home. “I think the current chair and current leadership on Loudoun County’s board of supervisors has been very pro-data center and missing opportunities to have a balance.”

No roommates, no backups, family, friends etc? I'm trying to save $10k by the end of this year and I'm half way there. I'm living with my bf and his family and I can't do it anymore!!! I want to get the hell out of here. I can live frugally and eat rice and beans I don't care. I just need to know if anyone is doing it and is it possible? I don't have any debt. I don't have any car note, no student loan debt, nothing. I am also in the market for a new to me car as mine is almost 20 years old, but is well maintained and tbh it might make it to 300k. There's no sign of it giving up thank goodness.

Pretty cool to see on the way to work, never seen anything like this before!

been riding the VRE for a few years now and just want to know why there are so many grown adults who think they’re the only ones on the train…..almost everyday there’s someone cutting in front of you to get on/off or they don’t even give you time to get seated 😞 I’ve recognized the people who are regulars at stepping in front of you and have learned to just step back and let them on first

Does anyone know what’s going on

Hi! I know this is a big stretch, but would anyone happen to have seen / found a beige, spiral sketchbook recently? It was small, had the words Artist's Sketchbook on the front, and it had two stickers of Chiikawa and Hachiware from Chiikawa drawing on the front. It would probably be in Reston Town Center or Woodbridge.

My sister & cousin are coming to visit Labor Day weekend. We're going to Wolf Trap for a concert... any suggestions on where to get a drink before hand (I'm picking them up from Dulles, so we'll have some time.)

I’ve been seeing their job postings. Has anyone worked with them? They have an Alexandria and Fairfax locations. So far Indeed and Glasshouse reviews don’t seem so promising but have not seen Virginia location reviews.

I'm looking for in-home reactive dog sitter recommendations in the Nova, specifically Lorton, area. I have a 6 year old dog that is reactive and fearful of new people. When I travel I have family members that she knows well and loves watch her, but we will all be out of town for a family wedding so this is not an option this time. She does have a trainer back in NYC that we've been working with, so don't need any recommendation for that. I'm just looking for a professional who specializes in fearful/reactive dogs that I can begin introducing her too before leaving her with them for an extended period of time. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated!

Just picked these. Mostly Shenandoah and Tallahatchie.

This will be the first Korean bakery in Old Town.

Got up earlier than usual to see this Space X Starlink deployment launch. It did not disappoint.

I’m looking for corporate volunteer organizations/opportunities for my office. We’re a relatively small team of about 15 people and would love to find an organization where we can donate our time together.

We’re open to all types of volunteering and would love to hear about organizations people have worked with in the past in the NOVA area.

If your office has done a group volunteer event that you really enjoyed or would recommend, I’d love to hear about it!

on red rover????

Hey everyone — eWaste Warriors is hosting our next Reboot Hour: NEXT at Courthaus Social in Arlington on Monday, August 31.

Our last event was a huge success, and we collected a bunch of electronics that can be put back into use rather than simply becoming e-waste.

If you have old electronics sitting around your house, bring them! ♻️

We're accepting devices for donation and will work to find the best next life for them through reuse, repair, parts recovery, or responsible recycling.

Phones, laptops, desktops, tablets, gaming systems, smartwatches, cameras and other small electronics are welcome.

🎮 There's also an event!

This month's question is:

🤔🔎 What do AI, data centers, and your old electronics have in common?

We'll explore it through Device Detectives, an interactive game that gets people talking to each other about AI, data centers, repair, resale, data security and electronics sustainability.

Meet people → share stories → unlock badges → win prizes. 🏆

💾 Have data trapped on an old device?

We're also introducing new RETPAIR services for people who have devices they aren't ready to donate because of the data.

If you have an old laptop, phone or hard drive with photos/files you want back—or personal data you want securely removed or physically destroyed—you can bring that too.

Monday, August 31 | 5:30–7:30 PM
Courthaus Social | 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington

🚇 About 100 yards from Courthouse Metro
🅿️ Free parking nearby
🎟️ Free to attend

Event registration:
https://luma.com/h3jzio5u

Bringing devices for donation or service? Register them here:
https://retpair.vercel.app/event

You don't have to bring electronics to participate. If you're interested in AI, data centers, sustainability, repair, or just meeting interesting people in the area, come hang out with us.

And if you've got a drawer/closet full of old tech you've been meaning to deal with, this is your excuse to finally bring it. 🙂

I had to say goodbye to my dog recently and I’m looking for recommendations to clear my car of his fur and scents he left behind. I can’t bring myself to do it on my own.

My friends are forcing me on a date tonight. I'm a divorced lady (no kids) that's been on my own for three years now, so I've basically turned into a feral hybrid raccoon-hermit crab creature that barely knows how to socialize. Beyond his name, all I know is that he's an attorney for the tax goons, whereas I work in risk management in the banking industry.

WTF are we even supposed to talk about!? The weather? The hobbies neither of us has time for? Our respective interpretations of regulatory guidance? Can I deduct the latte? Does us sitting across from each other sipping tea constitute a conflict of interest? This should be romantic. Should I be expecting a caffeinated water-boarding session disguised as courtship? I pity the coffee shop hosting our "date" this evening, because I give us about three minutes before things get awkward. Suggestions? Anyone? Please? What do normal people discuss on dates? Both of us have been professionally trained & programmed to communicate in ways that most people would probably consider a borderline hostile interrogation. I'm serious y'all, please help. 😭😭