Want Cheap Groceries? Our Ultimate Budget Grocery List Shows You How to Shop (2024)

Food shopping can be a real challenge these days — you carefully choose healthy staples that can feed your family through the week, scan the shelves for sales and buy in bulk. But then you get to the register, and ka-ching! You may feel like you need to take out a second mortgage just to pay for your groceries.

Thankfully, the rising prices of food have slowed down from their steep trajectory last year, but they are still expected to rise about 2% over the course of the year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

"It can feel really overwhelming trying to balance budget and nutrition for everyone in a family," says Jason Levee, R.D., C.D.N., a nutritionist and the founder of Whole Family Health. "Often, the biggest challenge families feel is a lack of planning or a lack of time to plan and then they end up scrambling to put a meal together." Prepackaged meals and processed foods often seem like the easiest way to throw a meal together in a hurry, but Levee points out that "convenience does not always translate to a well-rounded meal."

However, with a little planning and a healthy grocery list, you can find budget-friendly foods that are easy to prepare. By prioritizing seasonal items, frozen foods and certain cuts of meat and seafood, shopping strategically can help keep sticker shock to a minimum.

But before we get to the nitty-gritty of nickels and dimes, here are some expert tips to make grocery shopping an organized, money-saving adventure, including advice from our own food experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab.

1. Shop local and smart.

Start by identifying the closest supermarkets to you (hello, high gas prices!) and cross check the cost of your favorite items online before you shop. Think about what you spend the most on and prioritize finding the best price for those items.

You can also utilize local farmers' markets or sign up for a CSA (community supported agriculture) to save on items that may be more expensive in stores.

2. Don't go to the grocery store hungry.

You're much more likely to make impulse purchases if you do, so shop after a meal or grab a healthy snack before heading to the store. Another pre-shopping idea: "Take a photo of your fridge, freezer and pantry before you go to the store to see what you already have at home," suggests Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N., creator of BetterThanDieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It - Taking You from Label to Table. "This will prevent overbuying and reduce food waste."

3. Plan for the week.

"Sketch out the next several days of meals and look for ways to use/or repurpose ingredients," Levee suggests. "This helps you reduce food waste and stick to your budget."

4. Buy produce in season.

Not only does fresh, in-season produce taste so much better, it is often much less expensive than out-of-season picks. because it doesn't have to travel so far, lowering the costs for the supplier and the the grocery store lower, Levee explains. Here, a guide for buying seasonally:

Seasonal Fruits

• Spring: apricots, avocado, pineapples, strawberries
• Summer: blackberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, plums, watermelon
• Fall: grapes, kiwi, pears
• Winter: grapefruit, oranges

Seasonal Vegetables

• Spring: broccoli, artichokes, asparagus
• Summer: eggplant, green beans, tomatoes, summer squash, zucchini
• Fall: Brussels sprouts, parsnips, sweet potatoes and yams, Swiss chard, turnips
• Winter: potatoes, pumpkins, leeks, rutabagas, winter squash

5. Choose produce with a longer shelf life.

There's nothing worse than splurging on a pint of ruby-red raspberries only to find them covered with fuzz the next day. 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.

6. Go for ground meat.

Ground beef, chicken or turkey are super versatile, easily frozen and can be used in many different recipes — and are generally much more affordable than buying whole cuts. Other inexpensive cuts of meat include lamb shoulder, pork butt, chuck roast and flank steak. 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.

7. Better yet, eat less meat.

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. "This will help you save money while also providing a bonus side effect of helping you improve digestive health and reducing cholesterol and blood sugar levels," says Taub-Dix.

You can also make a healthy lunch or dinner out of eggs. While the price of eggs has increased, they are still a cheaper source of protein than meat and chicken. Check your local green market for farm-fresh eggs — the prices may be significantly lower (and they'll taste fresher).

8. Be selective with seafood.

Produce isn't the only thing on your shopping list that changes price according to the time of year: 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). You can also save money on seafood by buying frozen, choosing cheaper varieties with a similar taste (flounder instead of halibut, for example), and stocking up on canned seafood, which can be purchased in bulk and can stay on the shelf, unopened, for up to four years for cans or three years for pouches, according to the National Fisheries Institute.

9. Become best friends with the frozen goods.

"Frozen fruit and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh, and in some cases even more," says Levee. "They're picked and frozen at the peak of ripeness, which locks in their nutrients." They can be stored safely in your freezer for months, so consider buying in bulk when frozen products are on sale. Items worth stocking up on include:

• Berries and mango (both great in smoothies or overnight oats)
• Edamame (a healthy plant-based protein)
• Cauliflower, broccoli, mixed and riced veggies
• Fish and meat

10. Remember: Beans, beans, they're good for your ... wallet.

When it comes to cheap groceries, pantry staples such as oatmeal, brown rice, nuts, flour, and chicken or vegetable stock are the big winners. 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.

11. Print coupons (and clip paper ones!).

Search for printable coupons at Coupons.com and check out services such as Ibotta which offers cash-back rewards and includes a mobile app that allows you to locate your favorite grocery store and browse items ahead of time. You can also receive cash-back earnings through Ibotta at some larger retailers including Walmart Grocery and Instacart.

Plus, paper coupons are still a thing! The newspaper's weekend section may offer a larger selection. Many grocery stores now also offer digital coupons. Just stick to coupon clipping only for items already on your list if possible.

12. Pick store brands over name brands.

Most of the time there is no difference in ingredients (but compare the labels to double check).

13. Try a subscription.

Many online retailers, such as Amazon, offer discounts when you set up recurring subscription orders. This strategy can work well for pantry items. Also look into loyalty programs and membership cards. Most grocery stores have programs that offer additional savings for members, which can substantially add up.

14. Shop mid-week.

"That's when grocery stores tend to restock their shelves and mark down items that didn't sell from the week before," says Stefani Sassos, M.S., R.D.N., C.S.O., C.D.N., director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab.

15. Buy in bulk.

To avoid waste, buy groceries in bulk only if you can freeze them or they have a long shelf life. These include beans, legumes, rice, oatmeal, dried pastas and coffee.

16. Try private label stores.

You may find great deals at these stores, such as GH Seal Star ALDI. They tend to offer deeper discounts on some higher priced items such as seafood, fish and dairy.

17. Shop online.

Avoiding the grocery store altogether may help prevent impulse shopping. In addition to larger retailers that may offer this service, there are many independent discounted services that can help you save as well including: Misfits Market, Boxed, Thrive Market, Imperfect Foods.

We challenged dietitian Jason Levee, who specializes in helping families plan nutritious, affordable meals, to come up with a one-week shopping list that won't break your budget. Here is his plan, with estimated prices based on national averages and online prices at Walmart.com:

• Chicken breasts, 3 pounds, $9
• Chicken thighs, 2 pounds, $6
• Ground turkey, 1 lb, $5
• Tofu (1 block), $2.50
• Eggs (2 dozen), $5.40
• Tuna, canned in water (2 cans), $2.50

• Milk, 1 gallon. $3.80
• Shredded cheese (8 oz bag), $3
• Feta cheese (1 pack), $4.25

• Oatmeal (1 large container), $5
• Whole grain bread (1 loaf), $3.50
• Whole wheat spaghetti, 1 lb, $1.84
• Brown rice, 2 lbs, $1.64
• Tortillas, 1 pack, $3

• Bananas, 1 bunch, $2
• Mixed berries, frozen, 1 bag, $3.50
• Spinach, 1 bag, $2
• Carrots, 1 lb, $1
• Bell peppers, 2, $2
• Broccoli, 1 heads, $1.50
• Sweet potatoes, 3 lbs, $3
• Green beans, 1 lb, $2
• Cherry tomatoes, 1 pack, $2.50
• Cucumbers, 3, $2
• Lettuce. 1 head, $2
• Apples, 6, $5

• Chickpeas, 2 cans, $2
• Marinara sauce, 1 jar, $2.50
• Salsa, 1 jar, $2.50
• Peanut butter, 1 jar, $3

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.