11 Groceries That Save You the Most Right Now
With grocery prices still rising and even basic staples expensive to stock up on, shoppers are having to think outside the box to get their shopping lists taken care of without spending an insane amount of money. By cutting back on non-essentials and getting creative with cooking and storage, you can actually enjoy a healthy, filling diet without feeling deprived. So what are customers stocking up on to get the most value for money? Here are 11 budget-friendly groceries that can save you hundreds of dollars.
Potatoes
Shoppers who are appalled at the high prices on chips are switching back to the cheap, humble, delicious potato. Depending on where you shop, a bag of organic Russet potatoes can be cheaper than a bag of potato chips. "It's harvest season, I'm finding 10lb bags of potatoes for $2 each," one Redditor shared. "Nothing wrong with a tasty baked potato," another said. "Fry potatoes with onions and freeze what you're not going to use. Any leftovers can be used to make potato tacos (These are one of my favorites!)," another recommended.
Off-Brand Cereal
Cereal doesn't have to be massively expensive—shoppers are experimenting with private label options and saving a lot of money. "I go to Aldi, not name brand but $2-3 a box and it keeps the kids happy. Same with the off brand Pop Tarts. They eat mostly fruit for breakfast though so I'm lucky 😂," one shopper shared. "I buy the Walmart equivalent to honey bunches of oats. It's about 6 bowls for $3," another said.
Whole Chicken
Shoppers suggest buying and roasting your own whole chicken, and then making several meals out of it. "Things that I do – cook my own roast chicken or buy one. Be creative. You can use the chicken breast, sliced up thin & fried with sliced peppers and onions to make enchiladas or just simply put it all over rice with beans. Then you have another meal of chicken legs and the wings," one shopper suggested.
Rice
Rice is cheap, versatile, and convenient, shoppers say. "In practical terms it is free. Buy a good rice cooker (Zojirushi) and it'll pay for itself within weeks. Making stir fries and other Chinese veggies / chicken is cheap and tasty. Once you get better get into Indian food: butter chicken, dal, curries. Then you have all kinds of Caribbean foods that rice and beans accompany," one Redditor shared.
Pasta
Pasta is another cheap, versatile, and delicious food to keep on hand. "For instance, if you make a big pot of pasta and sauce and have enough for a pound of meat, you can cook another two cups of carrots and a cup of lentils into the sauce. The carrots and lentils are filling, healthful, very affordable by comparison, and make the sauce seem very 'meaty'," one Redditor recommended.
Meat on Clearance
Waiting for meat to go on clearance before buying it can save you a huge amount of money, customers say. "I almost exclusively buy meat and chicken that is on clearance and that has been a lifesaver. Usually, I only spend around $3 per lb, easily feeding 2 people with leftovers. The only meat I don't buy on clearance is salmon, which I buy in bulk and cut into servings before freezing," one shopper shared.
Vacuum Sealer
Investing in a vacuum sealer can help save you money on groceries, shoppers say. "I'm lucky enough to have a vacuum sealer so I only buy meat when it's on sale and buy it in bulk, even though I'm single. It was $90 and paid for itself over the last 2 years. So if I find a sale for chicken thighs for $0.99 a pound I'll buy 20 lbs but freeze it. My local Kroger sometimes does 3 lbs of ground beef for 9.99… so I'll buy 4 tubes, break all but one off into 1lb size portions, pack and freeze those," one Redditor said.
Refried Beans
If you see a staple item on sale, get as much of it as you can. "If it's something that you always use, and you know that you'll go through the quantity that you're buying way before it's expiration, then yes, buy a ton of it. Stock up," one shopper recommended. "For example, I use Rosarita refried beans for making burritos. I have them regularly. Not once a week, but probably once every ten days. Well, if I see cans of Rosarita beans on a really good sale, then I'm going to really stock up. For example, I recently bought 15 cans of Rosarita Beans because the price was 88 cents a can. The lowest price that I've seen on them in about 2 years."
Canned Tuna
Canned tuna is a cheap and convenient source of protein. "Chunk tuna is about a buck, maybe a little more for brand name," one shopper shared. "They've been on sale on and off on Amazon for $1.60 (via subscribe and save) for a 4 pack lately. (Been buying some boxes for donations when they go on sale). Maybe not the best quality of tuna, but solid protein source and can't really beat .40 cents a can. Easy to drain, stir in some mayo, and have a quick tuna melt that tastes decent."
Pork Shoulder
Pork shoulder tends to be significantly cheaper than beef or chicken. "Pork shoulder is the cheapest meat on offer usually. Cook in slow cooker with lots of root veggies and lentils to make a rich soup. Carrots and cabbage are cheap and sometimes potatoes on special. Any veggies on special can go in. Sometimes they will sell pork shoulders in « steaks » so you can get only one or two for very cheap to flavour the whole pot," one Redditor said.
Tortillas
Tortillas are another delicious, reasonably-priced food to keep stocked up. "Tortillas are cheap and versatile. You can make plain quesadillas, tacos or tostadas with refried beans, cheese, chicken and a can of rotel or salsa… Try eating bread in other ways. Grilled cheese or 'pizza toast'," one shopper suggested.
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