And even though I personally tend to eat like a 5-year-old, you healthy eaters will be happy to know Walmart now has organic, keto and gluten-free items. Food 4 Less is an affordable grocery chain you knew that already—it made the cheapest grocery store list! with stores scattered throughout the West Coast.

When you visit a bright yellow Food 4 Less, you could be going into an independent store or one operated by Kroger. Not only are they budget friendly, but some also have Mexican-style carniceria meat departments. A Mexican deli? Take all my dinero! Expect to bag your own groceries. Food 4 Less is a warehouse-style supermarket, where efficiency is king.

Shop at Food 4 Less for your basic grocery, health and beauty items. I also hear they have a surprisingly affordable organic produce section and wide selection of gluten-free items! With more than stores in Texas and Mexico, grocery giant H-E-B will hand you a tortilla to snack on while you shop.

H-E-B sells the Texas way of life through their Totally Texas regional products. Not kidding! Have you seen these? Hello, teacher gifts! Trying to get in and out fast? This is exactly how my family keeps our groceries under control every week.

What are you waiting for? Take the stress out of grocery shopping! Rachel Cruze is a 1 New York Times bestselling author, financial expert, and host of The Rachel Cruze Show. Rachel writes and speaks on personal finances, budgeting, investing and money trends.

Through her shows, books, syndicated columns and speaking events, Rachel shares fun, practical ways to take control of your money and create a life you love. Learn More. Learn how to create a meal plan that works for your life.

Aldi and Walmart are both known for low prices. Since it doesn't offer coupons and run ads, you're not paying for all those extra incentives and advertisements. Rather, customers know that they're almost always getting a pretty decent deal when they decide to shop at Trader Joe's.

There are currently locations in 42 states plus Washington D. and if you live in an urban or suburban area, chances are you've got a Trader Joe's somewhere near you.

Walmart has long been known as a place where it's possible to snag cheap groceries. But why are the store's products so cheap compared to other, similar stores? There are a variety of factors that contribute to the cheaper-than-average prices. Low operational costs are one such strategy, but so is lack of competition.

Often, you'll find Walmarts in places where there aren't many other retailers to compete with. In smaller towns and more rural areas, Walmart may be one of the few places in town where it's possible to snag groceries.

Because the local population depends on the store, Walmart has a reliable customer base. This customer loyalty means that they don't have to charge quite as much for its food and other products.

However, some of the chain's affordability factor comes from the fact that it doesn't pay its employees very much. Human Rights Watch has outlined major issues with Walmart's labor practices , including encouraging employees to work off the clock and refusing to grant overtime.

Lidl is a grocery chain that was founded in Germany but can now be found in various towns and cities across the U. Like so many of the other chains on this list, this store keeps its prices low by limiting its name brand offerings and providing customers with store brands instead.

Additionally, it tends to stock products that people use on a regular basis — think pasta, canned tomato paste, and produce staples like cabbage and carrots — that often move in and out of the store pretty quickly.

There aren't many products that are going to sit on the shelf for a long time, which means that the company isn't waiting around for a return on investment.

Plus, it takes less labor to run a Lidl than it would to operate a larger, more expansive grocery store. Fewer products means less need for a ton of workers, and the fact that the store displays its products in the boxes they're shipped in is just one of the ways the store cuts its labor costs.

For those with big families or just a lot of roommates , shopping at Costco seems like a no-brainer. The chain cuts down on costs by keeping its stores relatively simple — you'll notice the bare-bones design that's more about utility and function than it is about style and ambiance.

Meat and protein plus many prepackaged items are cheaper than average at Costco, even when you're opting for brand name items over the in-house Kirkland brand.

If you know you're going to use these products anyway or you just remember to freeze them before you use them , doing a monthly shop at Costco might just save you some of your hard-earned cash. Of course, we can't forget about the membership costs — you have to have a Costco card to shop at the retailer.

But the savings you'll accumulate throughout the calendar year should more than make up for that cost. If you're lucky enough to live in the Northeast, you may just have a Market Basket near you.

The regional grocery chain is a fan favorite for those who love to save money on their grocery bill because of its surprisingly low prices. One of the main ways the company keeps its prices so low is by making sure it stays debt-free. While this may seem like a logical move, it's one that most companies — including most grocery chains — don't stand by.

Another way Market Basket offers such competitive prices is by offering pretty much the same goods at all of its locations. Because of this strategy, it can buy in bulk, ensuring a lower wholesale price.

It can then pass those savings on to its customers, who keep going back to the store to take advantage of those low prices. One of the main benefits of shopping at Market Basket is the fact that you can get a lot of your favorite name-brand products for significantly cheaper than you would find them at other grocery stores.

If you've never gone to a Market Basket before and you happen to live near one, you have to check it out — you may just be shocked at how low the prices are. Like Costco, Sam's Club is a membership grocery store with a focus on selling products in bulk.

When you're shopping this way, you may be spending more upfront, but generally, you're going to save money in the long run as long as you use what you buy. Of course, the membership cost of shopping at Sam's Club helps the company offer lower prices.

Aldi continues to grow in the U. Aldi anchors three Phillips Edison shopping centers, including Upper Deerfield Plaza in Bridgeton, N. Sprouts Farmers Market. Its store count is at and growing—Sprouts announced it will open 12 locations in Q1 , including in California, Georgia, Colorado, Texas, Tennessee, and Missouri.

The grocer anchors four Phillips Edison shopping centers, including Arcadia Plaza in Phoenix; Broadway Plaza in Tucson, Az. Fresh Thyme. The emerging grocer stocks a core offering of reasonably priced, fresh produce, in addition to other healthy and organic foods.

Fresh Thyme has concentrated its growth in the Midwest. It will be opening three locations in the Chicago area on Oct.

Seasonal Fruits. Seasonal Vegetables. Another way to save money on produce is to opt for fruit and vegetables that have a longer shelf-life.

For example, to help extend your grocery dollars, choose apples over berries or carrots or celery over leafy greens. Generally, some of the cheapest fruit and vegetables year-round tend to be bananas, apples, oranges, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and sweet potatoes.

Meat can be the most expensive category for most food budgets, and can account for a large portion of the overall grocery bill. To save money, opt for the ground variety of your favorite protein.

Ground beef, chicken or turkey are super versatile, easily frozen and can be used in many different recipes. Larger cuts of meat will usually cost less per pound, but they may require marinating, braising and slow cooking to bring out the tenderness.

If you do prefer to include cheaper cuts of meat, consider including:. Buying a whole chicken instead of pre-portioned cuts can also save money and the leftovers, including the bones, are great for making chicken soup or bone broth.

Consider cutting costs even further by implementing Meatless Monday or meatless dinners a few nights a week. Swap out meat for healthy plant-based meat alternatives such as tofu, tempeh, beans and legumes, as your protein source.

The cost of fresh seafood may also vary seasonally. According to the Seafood Nutrition Partnership , fresh Alaskan salmon is less expensive during the summer when the fish are more abundant. Other popular choices that may be worth buying seasonally include Albacore tuna in season July-October and halibut in season March-November.

Other ways to save money on seafood:. Whether you prefer dairy or non-dairy, you can find competitive prices due to the sheer number of products on the market. While non-dairy milks may be more expensive than dairy, some non-dairy brands offer shelf stable options that can be bought in bulk when they're on sale.

Just note that many dairy and non- dairy milks and yogurts contain added sugars and sometimes saturated fats. Always check the label before purchasing. More ways to save:. When it comes to cheap groceries, pantry staples are the big winners.

This category includes dry and canned goods such as flour, oatmeal, chicken stock, nuts, nut butters and seeds. Among the cheapest staples are dried and canned beans — they're also easy to prepare and provide a great source of plant-based protein and fiber, two very important nutrients that are often only available in more costly foods.

Grains like brown rice and oatmeal also score high in cost-effectiveness and nutrition. Frozen foods can be stored in your freezer for months. Again, consider buying in bulk when frozen products are on sale. Items worth stocking up on include:.

More ways to save money on groceries. Here are a few other simple tips from our experts to food shop on a budget:. Even in tough times, it's possible to find affordable and healthy groceries with a few smart strategies.

The best ways include buying in bulk when items are on sale, shopping seasonally and loading up on pantry staples. Compare prices online when you can look for coupons while you're there and stick to grocery stores nearby.

With a little planning, your meals will be healthy and nutritious without breaking the bank. And if you need a week off, consider ordering from one of the more affordable cheap meal delivery services. According to a PYMNTS Intelligence study done in collaboration with Splitit , nearly one-third of U.

consumers used an installment plan to pay for their grocery expenses, this being the second category among all retail products. It has been over two years of hardship for the pocketbook due to high prices. During this time, consumers have adopted various strategies to stretch their budget and have found that they are effective, making it challenging to abandon them from one day to another even if inflation eventually ceases.

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