WHAT IS THE CHEAPEST GROCERY STORE?

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Food, Glorious Food

It seems like the easiest place to start trimming a budget is usually the food expenses. Probably because it’s also the one we’d all like to spend a little more on.

I won’t lie, this is a struggle for me. I love a good impulse drive-thru order or grabbing a snack something at the gas station when getting gas. But, with some intentionality and focus, my wife and I have been able to make serious headway here.

It took some experimenting, by we finally figured out that by shopping for groceries almost exclusively at Walmart using their preorder grocery pickup service, we could save a ton on food.

Let’s take a look at some more prominent grocery store options, and see how much bang for your buck you can expect to get.

Cheapest Grocery Store Contender #1: Publix

If you’ve ever done any shopping here, you probably already guessed that Publix will not be today’s victor. However, I do want to give it a mention for the purpose of understanding why.

(Publix is a regional chain, and may not be in your area, but I’m sure you can take and apply this information to a similar store in your region.)

I heard Rachel Cruze (finance expert) discuss her reasons for where she chooses to shop for groceries on her podcast. Although she didn’t mention Publix outright, I couldn’t help but immediately think of the store. Rachel said she chose to pay a little more for her groceries because of the experience she got when shopping at her chosen store.

I thought of Publix when I heard this reasoning because Publix really does stand out when compared to other grocery stores when it comes to experience and customer service. Unlike some less expensive options, Publix stores tend to be well-lit and feel more welcoming. There is less of a sense of walking around a warehouse and more of the feeling of an actual shopping center.

So, if you’re looking to seriously spend the absolute least amount of money possible and the experience you are getting there doesn’t matter at all to you, Publix probably isn’t your place.

If you value the experience of shopping in a clean, well-lit store with a friendly staff over rock bottom pricing, you can still get decent deals at Publix by buying generic.

Cheapest Grocery Store Contender #2: Aldi

If you have never shopped at an Aldi, it’s certainly worth trying out. Aldi’s prices are incredibly low. But, there’s a reason why…

Aldi primarily sells their own brand of products. And, occasionally, that can be limiting. That’s not to say you’ll never find a name brand product in the store, it just tends to be hit and miss in my experience. You really just have to learn what they carry and what they don’t, and expect a trip to another store to fill in the gaps.

For that reason, my wife and I have pretty much stopped shopping here. We’ve just found that although the prices are incredibly low and the service is awesome, the need to constantly supplement from another store to fill out our weekly groceries ends up making grocery shopping too much of a project.

So, if you really want the lowest imaginable price and are willing to spend a little bit of time filling in the gaps at other stores, Aldi would be a great fit for you. Just make sure you bring a quarter for a shopping cart (you get the quarter back when you return the cart) and your own bags (or be ready to pay a few extra cents to buy some).

Cheapest Grocery Store Contender #3: Walmart

The last store I want to mention here is, of course, Walmart. For us, Walmart provides exactly what we need to keep our grocery budget trim and our shopping experience simple.

Walmart has a generic item for just about every brand name item you can think of, and their pricing on these generics is extremely low. Even if you do choose to go name brand, I’ve found their pricing to typically be significantly lower than other stores. And this is why we put Walmart ahead of Aldi in our preference list. They have great, low priced generic items AND a huge selection.

I also highly recommend ordering ahead online and picking up for free. This allows you to stick to your plan without the temptations that come from walking the aisles. And, you can watch the price go up as you add items to your cart so you will know if you need to make adjustments to your plan.

Walmart provides a winning situation for anyone looking to get great prices on a huge variety of options!

Conclusion

When it’s all said and done, each person has to decide what they value in their grocery shopping experience.

If you’re a hands on person who’s going to want to pick your own produce and browse the aisles some, Publix might be for you. Yes, you’re probably going to end up paying more, but that extra cost goes towards the experience of a well kept store and a friendly staff.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for the cheapest groceries money can buy, it’s my experience that a good Walmart grocery order based on an agreed upon plan is the only way to go. They’ll probably have everything you need in one stop, you won’t even need to go in, and the prices are incredibly low.

Regardless of your money goals, you can “Bank on a Budget” to get you from where you are to where you want to be!

It took some experimenting, by we finally figured out that by shopping for groceries almost exclusively at Walmart using their preorder grocery pickup service, we could save a ton on food.

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Alex

Hello, my name is Alex! I'm a public school teacher who has achieved some big financial goals just by getting control of my money using some simple strategies like using a monthly budget. Now I'd like to share what I've learned with you. Welcome to "Bank on a Budget!"