It seems like inflation has affected all aspects of our lives, and this is especially true for food. The price shift is most visible when you're making your weekly trip to the supermarket. However, not all stores were created equal. Minimizing your grocery bill starts by picking the stores with the lowest possible prices.

We've rounded up the top six low-cost grocery stores in the United States, from regionally specific chains to nationwide and even international brands.

These stores have everything you may need for your grocery haul without the massive price tag. If you haven't shopped at Aldi yet, you're missing out on some of the cheapest groceries around.

According to YouGov , a market research and data analytics firm, Aldi is considered one of the most popular grocery stores in the country. Not only is the product quality top-tier, the German-based company's business model is designed to minimize the cost to the consumer.

According to Aldi , 90 percent of the products on their shelves are private-label brands. Other things, like the 25 cent returnable deposit to use the shopping carts, bagging your own groceries, and not listening to licensed music on the overhead speakers, decrease the store's overhead costs, which helps keep prices low.

And selecting produce out of the crates they came in rather than from aesthetically stacked displays is a small price to pay for cheap groceries. This four-letter German company also operates on a low-cost model, but it's not the same as Aldi. Lidl has been offering affordable groceries since the s and is actively expanding across the East Coast of the U.

Although there are fewer locations than Aldi, they're constantly in close competition for stocking the cheapest groceries. The selection of items is curated to keep the essentials in stock, instead of the added expense of keeping every variety and brand on the shelf.

Their private label brands also have a Love It Guarantee , which means if a product doesn't meet your standards you can get your money back and exchange the item for something else. This big-box store has all of the appeal of members-only clubs like Costco or Sam's Club , but without the expensive fees.

In the end, Walmart nabbed the top spot as the cheapest place to buy groceries online. If it's rare ingredients and gourmet goods you're after, these are the best places to buy specialty items online. For budget basics and staples at affordable prices, look below for the full breakdown of Walmart, Target and Amazon Fresh to find the absolute cheapest groceries online.

Walmart is well-known for having some of the lowest prices of any national retail chain. In this analysis of the cheapest online grocery delivery operations, its budget-friendly reputation held up. Many of Walmart's cheapest items come courtesy of its in-house brand, Great Value. To find the cost of buying groceries online at these three retailers, I first generated a list of 37 popular grocery items -- some name brands, some generic -- on the same day and in every grocery category including bread, snacks, dairy, produce, meat, fish, beverages and pantry staples.

I mostly avoided specialty items and organic ingredients for this exercise. For each product, I chose the cheapest available option from all three retailers: Amazon Fresh, Target and Walmart.

If an item wasn't available at one retailer, I selected the next closest thing, since that's what a shopper would likely do. In some cases, a product was only available in a larger or smaller size.

In those instances, I prorated the amount and price to ensure it was an even cost comparison. While there are other places to order groceries online , Amazon Fresh, Target via Shipt and Walmart are three of the most popular US grocers with a national presence and the option for online delivery.

You'll also get Amazon Prime Video and a few other perks. As of Feb. All three offer free in-store pickup in some form, although Amazon has fewer locations than Walmart and Target. Target-owned Shipt will send groceries to your door in a matter of hours but there are some staples, including meat, not available for delivery.

While I tried to use only items that were available for delivery, it wasn't always possible. Stores typically run all sales on a cycle. You might be surprised by how much they knock off the price or offer you in coupons. You can locate specific brand coupons online through sites like Coupon Sherpa or PromoCodeWatch, said Woroch.

A strategy is key to saving on groceries. So, put your grocery store coupons to work. Feel free to combine coupons, as well. People can miss the biggest savings when it comes to grocery coupons. If you can master combining them, you can really make the magic happen, said Elledge.

This is called coupon stacking. The best way to find out which of your local grocery store chains offers these double coupon days and when is to call them directly and ask about their policies. The extra leg work can end up helping you score major grocery deals. Tips: The Simple Trick That Helps My Family Spend Less on Food.

Jill Cataldo, the founder of the nationally syndicated newspaper column Super-Couponing Tips, recommends Flipp — a free app that gathers all of the store circulars in your area in one easy-to-use space. Find out which supermarkets offer these programs before your next shopping trip. This might take some time to do, but careful comparison shopping at different grocery chains can help you find the best deals on specific products.

The cheapest grocery stores for some items will be different than the cheapest grocery stores for other times.

You'll find the best deals on bread, milk, yogurt, cereals, baking essentials, fresh produce, canned goods, cheese and wine. Many products, such as coffee, grains, snacks and pastas are sold in bulk and can be purchased by the pound, and a good selection of herbs and spices can be purchased by the ounce.

You'll have to bag your own groceries and only cash and debit cards are accepted as payment. View specials and find locations at www. Grocery Outlet has operates more than stores in California, Idaho, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington.

This "extreme value" supermarket has been described as "the TJMaxx of grocery stores" and they keep their loyal customers returning for the warehouse store-like prices without the membership fees. You'll find affordable groceries and big savings on brand name items, but you'll have to be flexible when it comes to your shopping list since Grocery Outlet is, in many ways, a salvage grocery store.

Considered to be New England's bargain grocery chain, the motto at Market Basket is "more for your dollar. Some locations have a "Market's Kitchen" serving up salads, sub sandwiches, pizza, burgers, chicken wings, fried chicken and more.

Food4Less operates about 50 no-frills grocery stores in Southern California, Illinois, Indiana, and Nevada. A division of grocery giant Kroger, the company offers deeply discounted groceries, fresh produce, bakery and dairy items, ethnic foods, and meat.

Select locations also include gas stations, photo processing, pharmacies, and wellness services. According to research by Eat This, Not That , Food4Less is the most popular chain of grocery stores within California.

Get coupons, view specials and find locations at www. Lidl has an excellent fresh produce selection as well as a very impressive fresh bakery where you'll find ciabattas, focaccias, and rustic loaves made on site that can be sliced to order along with muffins, croissants artisan breads, oversized cookies, yeast doughnuts, and more.

Since Lidl is an international grocery store, they bring in lots of products from other countries: pasta from Italy, chocolate from Germany and cured meats from Spain. They also carry familiar brands like Jif and Coca-Cola, but availability will vary and name brand product availability won't be consistent.

Lidl also has an award-winning wine department that has won more than industry awards. Most of the stores offer about 80 wines at any given time. When shopping at Lidl be sure to bring your own bags, otherwise you'll have to pay for them or go without. Save-A-Lot keeps their prices low by selling only the most purchased items and selling their own brands.

In the words of Save-A-Lot communications manager Dan Kimack: "We carry one size and one variety of each item. If it's a can of whole-kernel corn, it's going to be one size and one variety — and it's going to be the most popular size and variety.

Price Rite Marketplace is a chain of supermarkets found in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

Owned by the same corporation that owns Shop Rite stores, Price Rite is a limited-assortment, deep-discount supermarket meant to compete with no-frills grocery stores such as Aldi, Lidl, and Save-a-Lot.

The older Price Rite stores don't have the service departments found in most conventional modern supermarkets, such as Deli, Bakery, Meat, and Seafood — these departments are replaced by pre-packaged offerings prepared at centralized facilities which reduces costs.

Walmart is the largest food retailer in the US, with over 3, supercenters across the country. You'll find the best deals on items sold under its Great Value brand, name brand cereals and snacks, frozen produce, paper goods, pantry staples, toiletries, laundry detergents and cleaning supplies.

According to Consumer Reports, Walmart consistently ranks toward the bottom of their listing of supermarket chains in terms of the quality of fresh foods and vegetables, meats, store-prepared foods and baked goods. Marc's Stores is a discount drugstore and grocery chain with stores in northern and central Ohio.

Food4Less operates about 50 no-frills grocery stores in Southern California, Illinois, Indiana, and Nevada. A division of grocery giant Kroger, the company offers deeply discounted groceries, fresh produce, bakery and dairy items, ethnic foods, and meat. Select locations also include gas stations, photo processing, pharmacies, and wellness services.

According to research by Eat This, Not That , Food4Less is the most popular chain of grocery stores within California. Get coupons, view specials and find locations at www. Lidl has an excellent fresh produce selection as well as a very impressive fresh bakery where you'll find ciabattas, focaccias, and rustic loaves made on site that can be sliced to order along with muffins, croissants artisan breads, oversized cookies, yeast doughnuts, and more.

Since Lidl is an international grocery store, they bring in lots of products from other countries: pasta from Italy, chocolate from Germany and cured meats from Spain.

They also carry familiar brands like Jif and Coca-Cola, but availability will vary and name brand product availability won't be consistent. Lidl also has an award-winning wine department that has won more than industry awards.

Most of the stores offer about 80 wines at any given time. When shopping at Lidl be sure to bring your own bags, otherwise you'll have to pay for them or go without.

Save-A-Lot keeps their prices low by selling only the most purchased items and selling their own brands. In the words of Save-A-Lot communications manager Dan Kimack: "We carry one size and one variety of each item.

If it's a can of whole-kernel corn, it's going to be one size and one variety — and it's going to be the most popular size and variety. Price Rite Marketplace is a chain of supermarkets found in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

Owned by the same corporation that owns Shop Rite stores, Price Rite is a limited-assortment, deep-discount supermarket meant to compete with no-frills grocery stores such as Aldi, Lidl, and Save-a-Lot. The older Price Rite stores don't have the service departments found in most conventional modern supermarkets, such as Deli, Bakery, Meat, and Seafood — these departments are replaced by pre-packaged offerings prepared at centralized facilities which reduces costs.

Walmart is the largest food retailer in the US, with over 3, supercenters across the country. You'll find the best deals on items sold under its Great Value brand, name brand cereals and snacks, frozen produce, paper goods, pantry staples, toiletries, laundry detergents and cleaning supplies.

According to Consumer Reports, Walmart consistently ranks toward the bottom of their listing of supermarket chains in terms of the quality of fresh foods and vegetables, meats, store-prepared foods and baked goods.

Marc's Stores is a discount drugstore and grocery chain with stores in northern and central Ohio. Marc's targets the value conscious family shopper. Marc's closeouts is one of the store's most popular departments and features the best buys that Marc's buyers can find worldwide.

The chain has over 60 stores in the Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Columbus, and Dayton areas. SAVE MONEY. SAVE FOOD. SAVE EARTH. US Map Page Find a Salvage Grocery Store Near You. SAVE MONEY SAVE FOOD. Save Money.