Affordable Parmigiano Reggiano?

I love this cheese, and not simply because Mario Batali calls it "the indisputable king of all cheeses" every time he mentions it. For about a year now, I've been making sure to always have a wedge of it in the fridge. It's simply a perfect condiment, like sriracha, or truffle oil, ranch dressing, or grey poupon, or spicy mayonnaise (hope you're into at least one of those). It makes bad food good and makes good food truly memorable. (and I'm gonna need it, since we're having spaghetti on Christmas) But, this cheese ain't cheap!


The last time I went to Kroger, they were charging $19.99/lb for two year aged parmigiano reggiano. Now, I'm used to biting the bullet on this ingredient. I accept the sacrifice where I otherwise wouldn't (yall know I'm cheap, right?). But there is no way in hell I'm paying that price. I looked online and found $15.99/lb at igourmet.com, but they wanted $13.99 for standard shipping (because it's food and has to be packed just so). Surely there must be a better deal out there? I asked at Belmont Butchery and they don't carry the stuff. Where do you buy yours?

Update: after writing those two paragraphs, I found myself at the new BJs near Regency Mall. I've bought parmigiano reggiano at BJs in the past, but never scrutinized the price. This time, it was $12.99/lb!!!! I bought 1.5 pounds and ran home to tell you all about it. So, here's my confession. Even though I just found a deal that was $7 cheaper per pound, I'm still not satisfied. That's an $18 block of cheese. Luckily, it'll probably last me a month or two.