35 Cheapest Food Items to Buy at the Grocery Store in 2024
I’m sure you’ve noticed inflation has caused your grocery bill to soar in recent months. It’s been rough, let’s be real. Every time I check out at the grocery store, I don’t even want to look at the receipt. It feels like no matter how hard I try to shop smart, the cost of groceries continues to rise.
So, in an effort to save money and combat the inflation of food prices, I’ve been doing a little research on the cheapest food items I can buy at the grocery store to save money. And because I love to share money saving tips here on the blog, I’ve compiled these cheap food items into a post for you all. I hope you find this list helpful. If you do, save it for later, and share it to Pinterest or to a friend so we can all save a little more money at the store.
Cheapest Food Items to Buy at the Grocery Store in 2024
(not in any particular order based on cost)
- Eggs
- Butter
- Bread (especially the cheapest simple loaves, although I love Dave’s killer bread)
- Potatoes
- Seasonal Fruits and Veggies (and shop sales!)
- Bananas
- Apples (on sale or the cheapest kind)
- Oranges
- Spinach
- A head of lettuce instead of bagged lettuce
- Carrots
- Snap Peas
- Onions
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Broccoli
- Potatoes
- Ramen noodles
- Rice
- Pasta
- Popcorn (especially if you buy corn kernels and make your own)
- Substitute Frozen veggies for fresh veggies when you can
- Substitute canned goods for fresh when you can, such as canned fruits and veggies, beans, etc
- Tortillas
- Oats
- Peanut Butter
- Frozen berries instead of fresh
- Ground Meat
- Meat such as chicken thighs & breasts that will expire soon so it’s cheaper, but freeze the day you buy it and thaw it on the day you want to use it
- Sausage
- Canned fish like Tuna
- Plain yogurt
- Yogurt in bulk containers instead of individual containers
- Cottage Cheese
- Block cheese instead of pre-sliced
A few rules of thumb to keep your grocery bill as low as possible
- Shop generic over name brand
- Shop sales
- Use ibotta (get $10 cash back free using this link) and fetch rewards (get 2,000 points free using this link) for cashback on your groceries
- Use coupons
- Use eggs and beans as protein sources instead of meat when you can, or aim for at least once per week. Meat is generally the most expensive grocery cost.
- Buy bulk items that have a long shelf item when you can, such as rice, oats, dried beans, ramen noodles, pasta, etc
- Buy bread in bulk when you can and freeze. I always buy bread at Costco and freeze the loaves I’m not currently using
Which Grocery Store to Shop to Save the Most Money
I find Grocery Outlet to have the best variety of foods for the cheapest prices. I also shop at Costco about once a month for bulk items such as toiletries, household products, diapers and wipes, bulk frozen goods, and bulk snacks. I’ve also heard great things about ALDI, but we don’t have one close by.
Alright friends, I hope this post will help you save money on your trips to the grocery store. Keep these food items and tips in mind when meal planning. Meal planning is a fabulous way to save money as well, so you’re not making last minute expensive purchases or eating out. Have anything to add to this post, such as cheap food items you purchase or tips to save money on groceries? Commend below!
