I did the math anyway to find out. The savings were honestly even bigger than I anticipated. Here's the full breakdown and how much you might save shopping at the beloved discount grocer. For more price comparisons, check out how much you can save by shopping at Costco , if it's cheaper to buy meal kits than groceries , if shopping for groceries online is less expensive than in the store , and how much you can save with streaming services vs.

First things first. In understanding the potential cost savings of shopping only at Trader Joe's, it's important to know where TJ's products come from, whether we're speaking of flour and butter or Unexpected Cheddar and Butter Chicken. Having previously brought you an analysis of store brand versus name brand products and finding massive potential savings in the grocery receipts, is it simply a matter of Trader Joe's only selling store brand items?

That is: Trader Joe's more or less only sells products under its own brand name, with few exceptions. Trader Joe's is definitely cheaper than the average grocery store, but you might have to wait in a longer checkout line to take advantage of them.

Trader Joe's isn't actually a manufacturer unto itself, and unlike some store brands, which are just name brands in disguise, Trader Joe's relationship with its vendors is a unique point in understanding its pricing structure.

Turns out there's actually merit to the "trader" element of Trader Joe's, which, according to its website , deals directly with manufacturers and growers, and cuts out the brokers and distributors, contributing to its lower-seeming prices.

Which exact vendors make those Trader Joe's items with cult-like followings is a closely guarded secret.

It also has an organic store brand line called Nature's Promise. Both the SB and Nature's Promise brands offer a wide variety of products in every department.

Using grocery shopping templates available online, I generated a list of 48 basic grocery items representing a wide range of price points from nearly all food and drink departments in October 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.

WinCo Foods boasts locations across the West Coast, and is almost entirely employee-owned—which means their staff receive better wages and benefits.

And yet the prices are still low. WinCo purchases directly from farmers and manufacturers and has a large quantity of bulk foods, which means their prices undercut many other low-cost retailers.

Another way to cut costs is by not accepting credit cards for payment. But fear not: they do allow payment with debit cards and federal food assistance cards. Market Basket is one of the smaller chains on this list, but their savings make it one of the most affordable places to shop in the U.

A recent study provided by the customer data firm dunnhumby revealed that the New England-based chain was the "top grocery retailer for inflationary times. She is a food writer, editor, recipe developer, and video host who resides in Los Angeles with her rescue dog, Miso.

Finding affordable groceries is becoming a bigger challenge every day with rising food prices, and it usually takes some shopping around to find the best deals. But it's another level of exhausting to check prices at multiple stores, whether you're filling up your tank with expensive gas to drive around or using up valuable hours hoofing everywhere on public transit.

You might spend more money trying to find the best deals than actually saving money on them. So, we did the hard work for you in December and went to three popular grocery stores that are known for their in-house generic brands and generally affordable prices: Trader Joe's, ALDI, and Costco.

They all have locations nationwide, but these prices were gathered from stores in or near Los Angeles, California, as well as comparison to local chain Ralphs which is owned by Kroger. Everyone's kitchen staples are different, but we went with 11 popular items that many people stock their pantries with or use on a daily or weekly basis.

Below, you'll see a cost comparison at Trader Joe's, ALDI, Costco, and Ralphs for: bananas, butter, eggs, a half gallon of milk, a block of cheddar cheese, boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen broccoli florets, extra virgin olive oil, all-purpose flour, granulated white sugar, and a loaf of white sandwich bread.

What did we find? You may be surprised if your favorite store is actually the best bang for your buck. The comparison: Price per pound. The comparison: 1-pound box, unsalted or salted, generic or store brand.

The comparison: 1 dozen large white eggs, generic or store brand. The comparison: ½ gallon whole milk, generic or store brand.

After this price comparison, I have a list of what I should buy at Aldi and what items I should buy elsewhere. I also used these prices to create a stock-up list of the best prices for each item — so you can watch for sales at any store to beat those every day prices.

That list is included in my printable grocery ebook. See below for more on that. If you are going to mainly shop at one store — make Aldi your go-to grocery store. But if you really want to save money? Start shopping at more than one store.

Knowing the cheap prices on the staples you buy, allows you to stock up your pantry staples, knowing these are the lowest food costs available. The best way to use this information is to combine every day cheap food items with great sale purchases.

Stacking every day low prices with amazing sales is a great way to stretch your food budget. My plan? I plan to grocery shop at Aldi more regularly, stocking up on their cheap groceries, and supplement with sales at Kroger.

I will occasionally shop the meat sales especially ground beef! at Meijer. Walmart will still be my go to when I need a low price pick-up because their prices are close to Aldi on quite a few things.

I will shop where the prices are the lowest to save me money. Fortunately, I have all these stores very close to me, allowing me to take advantage of the different deals. I will also be using the store apps more regularly to check prices.

That is incredibly helpful and convenient! I compiled way too much information to share in one blog post. This blog post is already quite long, but there is still more I could share. If you want a copy of all my charts with prices and statistics, you are welcome to it!

I compiled all my research into a 51 page printable PDF ebook — with lots of detailed lists! I hope this price comparison helps you save money next time you are shopping!

Will it change where you shop? What is the cheapest grocery store near you? Hello and welcome! Check out how we're thriving when our income has been cut in half , take a look at some of my custom, Biblical books with free printables or learn how to build a stockpile that works for your family.

You can sign up for blog updates with my email newsletter here. Thanks for stopping by! I wish that the tables were labeled. I see Walmart 68, Kroger The tables are labeled…as it says just above the chart. All numbers and percentages are out of the items I calculated.

Good morning Kristen, I enjoyed your article, lot of effort on your part! The one item I did not see was QUALITY. Have you tried their meats? I gave them a chance. Not for my family. I use Aldi for canned goods, bread great selection , crackers, cereal, cheese, snacks, etc.

Great insights, Greg! I agree with you. I skip the produce at Aldi as well. It never lasts for me. And meats? I go to Meijer or Kroger where I get a much better quality meat than at Walmart or Aldi.

I agree that price is not the only important factor. Sometimes, you have to weigh in other factors as well. Thanks for taking the time to read and share your insights as well!

I have learned to shop the weekly and 5X digital sales at Kroger. They also frequently have markdowns. I brew my own kombucha and kefir and I can anticipate the sales on fruit juice and milk where I buy multiple items to last me until the next sale. Aldi rarely has lower meat prices.

I basically shop the sales for my needs and avoid processed foods and sugary items. I also bake my own keto bread which, in turn, generates keto breadcrumbs. I freeze in bulk as well. Good points! I buy ahead on the Kroger sales too. They really make for some fabulous deals!

As for meat, the sales at Kroger often beat Aldi for me too. Taking into account as well, the viability of travel distance and time required. Kroger knows this and thus often has the biggest and most diverse inventory…as does WallMart.

This study is great, but only if you have all four options fairly close to each other. Using coupons for items you are going to buy anyway is still a good option, and you are helped by stores like Kroger and Meijer that often mail you coupons for such items.

Presently I find myself shopping at Aldi and supplementing with Kroger along with coupons. Hi, Daniel! No, I have not, as Costco is exclusive to members and does not publically share prices on their website. If I ever add those two stores to my price comparison, I will let you know! Walmart has equal or higher prices than Meijer.

Meijer has very good sales that Walmart never has. While I agree that Meijer has good sales that Walmart does not have and I shop those regularly!

This was true where I lived in Chicagoland. Both areas had other stores that were known to have higher prices. Sometimes I could even get a nice toy almost free when combining a coupon with clearance. I would just go to Aldi once per month to stock up on stuff that was always cheapest there.

Thanks so much for the info. I have always wondered about Aldi. I will certainly take your advice! I find your article very interessting I think that two years has made a major change in pricing. We only have two local stores Piggly Wiggly and Dollar General Market. 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.

WinCo Foods boasts locations across the West Coast, and is almost entirely employee-owned—which means their staff receive better wages and benefits. And yet the prices are still low.

WinCo purchases directly from farmers and manufacturers and has a large quantity of bulk foods, which means their prices undercut many other low-cost retailers. Another way to cut costs is by not accepting credit cards for payment.

But fear not: they do allow payment with debit cards and federal food assistance cards. Market Basket is one of the smaller chains on this list, but their savings make it one of the most affordable places to shop in the U.

A recent study provided by the customer data firm dunnhumby revealed that the New England-based chain was the "top grocery retailer for inflationary times. For over years, Market Basket has maintained the fierce loyalty of their customers for the high quality food at low prices.

You can find anything from international cheeses, freshly squeezed juices, to even handmade sushi without racking up a massive grocery bill.

Trader Joe's is one of our go-to spots for affordable essentials, some of the best frozen food around, and unique snacks. Beyond the adorably kitschy decor and friendly staff, it's also one of the best grocery stores to visit when you're on a budget. Maxwell Shukuya is a staff writer at Cheapism covering tech, travel, product reviews, and personal finance.

Based in California, his work has previously been featured in Capital Public Radio, Submerge Magazine, and City on a Hill Press. Have you noticed that prices continue to climb at the grocery store? Prices are so elevated that more consumers are shopping at multiple retailers to find the best deals.

Grocery Benchmark Study. MarketForce surveyed 6, U. consumers to come up with the data, asking shoppers which retailer offered the best value for their money.

We've also included a list of tips for maximizing savings regardless of where you get groceries, including why you should sign up for loyalty programs and shop online. Although Karl and Theo Albrecht opened their first location in the s, it took another decade for the German grocer to expand to the U.

Consumers pay a deposit to use a shopping cart, for example, which encourages people to return their own carts. Cheap private label items also abound, another attraction that could save you a lot at the register.

This employee-owned , Wisconsin-based chain is a regional operation , one that consumers hardly know outside of the Midwest. To begin with, the warehouse-style store keeps its prices low by buying in bulk directly from manufacturers. Back in the s, two Idaho businessmen founded an affordable, warehouse-style grocery store called Waremart.

After the founders died in the s, employees took ownership of the no-frills retailer, eventually renaming it in as WinCo Foods. The store is able to undercut competitors — yes, even Walmart — by buying products directly from farms and factories.

Customers are asked to bag their own groceries. Lidl went from a small German supermarket to an international brand that employs more than , people across 32 different countries. That said, the retailer is relatively new in the U. Shopping at Lidl is a lot like shopping at its competitor store, Aldi.

Instead, Lidl sells private-label brands in small, no-frills stores that cut costs on things like lighting and labor. When Athanasios and Efrosini Demoulas opened The Acre in , a grocerette that catered to the immigrant community, they could have never predicted that it would be around years later.

And yet, their legacy lives on under the name of Market Basket, a chain of nearly stores that operate in the New England area. You might find Halloween-themed cereal in November alongside coveted name-brand products. For more shopping guides and roundups, please sign up for our free newsletters.

Related: Costco Prepared Meals That'll Feed Your Whole Family. Related: Sam's Club vs Costco: Who Has the Best Bakery?

Trader Joe's has built a small empire on daffy branding and cheap groceries that rival the quality of those at much more expensive supermarkets.

TJ's loyalists -- you either are one or know one -- rave about the chain's specific items, many of which can be found only at Trader Joe's, but the store's low prices are what really keep the fervent fanbase coming back.

So is Trader Joe's really that much cheaper than a typical grocery store? I did the math anyway to find out. The savings were honestly even bigger than I anticipated.

Here's the full breakdown and how much you might save shopping at the beloved discount grocer. For more price comparisons, check out how much you can save by shopping at Costco , if it's cheaper to buy meal kits than groceries , if shopping for groceries online is less expensive than in the store , and how much you can save with streaming services vs.

First things first. In understanding the potential cost savings of shopping only at Trader Joe's, it's important to know where TJ's products come from, whether we're speaking of flour and butter or Unexpected Cheddar and Butter Chicken. Having previously brought you an analysis of store brand versus name brand products and finding massive potential savings in the grocery receipts, is it simply a matter of Trader Joe's only selling store brand items?

That is: Trader Joe's more or less only sells products under its own brand name, with few exceptions. Trader Joe's is definitely cheaper than the average grocery store, but you might have to wait in a longer checkout line to take advantage of them. Trader Joe's isn't actually a manufacturer unto itself, and unlike some store brands, which are just name brands in disguise, Trader Joe's relationship with its vendors is a unique point in understanding its pricing structure.

Turns out there's actually merit to the "trader" element of Trader Joe's, which, according to its website , deals directly with manufacturers and growers, and cuts out the brokers and distributors, contributing to its lower-seeming prices. Which exact vendors make those Trader Joe's items with cult-like followings is a closely guarded secret.

The variety on store shelves, the quality of the food , handling and labor costs, competition and the demographic of the shopper all play into the prices a particular retailer charges. Stores that cater to lower-income shoppers tend to keep prices lower, while supermarkets that have a lot of variety may have higher prices as a result.

There are discount stores where you can get big bargains on select items, traditional grocery stores that amp up the savings by offering generics and loyalty programs, and one-stop shops where you can get everything from bread to batteries in one place.

Proximity to the store and the type of food you purchase will play a role in how much you save. But all things being equal, in some categories, location is everything when it comes to getting a deal.

The totals are based on non-sale prices and do not include coupons, loyalty discounts or taxes. Here are our results. Walmart has been a part of American culture since , when the first store opened in Rogers, Arkansas.

Today there are 4, stores across the U. Walmart is known for its low prices, and that is true of its groceries.

Across most categories, Walmart came in first or second when it comes to price. The ability to buy everything under one roof on the cheap appeals to many consumers, including Robert and Sherri Evans.

The 74- and year-old retirees say they shop at Walmart for the convenience and to save. Privacy Policy. But by and large, they are drawn to Walmart because of the pricing and selection. The key to saving is to know your prices and be willing to compare, the couple say.

Shopping Tip : Know your prices and be willing to comparison shop. Hailing from Germany but now headquartered in the U. It also focuses on keeping costs down so that it can pass on the savings to its customers.

Coupons for Local Stores. Save on clothing, gifts, beauty and other everyday shopping needs. Popular with Aldi shoppers is its weekly Aldi Finds. Every Wednesday the retailer puts out new discounted food items, small kitchen appliances, seasonal decor, outdoor furniture, gardening tools, apparel and other items.

It's a big draw for Victor Sukhai, who started shopping at Aldi on the recommendation of his brother. Sukhai comes for those Aldi finds and to purchase peanuts and other food items he knows he can get for cheap.

The key to really saving at Aldi, as Sukhai sees it: Get there early. But they were sold out. Shopping Tip: The early bird gets all the deals. The grocer has been around for more than years, hawking everything from produce to specialty cheeses. After all, as a regional chain it offers a huge selection of both name-brand and generic items.

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End of Life How to Cope With Grief, Loss. One could argue you get what you pay for, as Whole Foods is still committed to stocking only good-for- the-planet stuff — organic, GMO-free, Fair Trade, eco-friendly, and responsibly farmed. This makes it easy to shop with a conscience without having to study every label.

The boutique-y stores tend to be lovely places to shop, and the employees get higher than average wages. For those who see grocery shopping as a hassle—schlepping to the store, cart-jousting with other customers, lugging bags home— online shopping is definitely the way to go.

It even doubles manufacturer coupons. But chains like Kroger are great at operating in the in-between. With nearly 3, stores in 34 states, Kroger has big-time buying power, and that means low everyday prices and great sales, plus you can use manufacturer coupons.

Prices on organics, however, can feel like extortion. The organic power greens in this bag are even more expensive than at Whole Foods. Tiny ice cream cones! Tubs of cookies! Mini peanut butter cups! So cheap I can buy them all! Those working at least 30 hours get benefits, including a k and a tuition reimbursement.

No wonder why the staff is always so friendly. Think cavernous stores, pallets for shelves, and mobs of people—half of whom are blocking the aisles with giant flat-bed carts.