Hello Again,
As I mentioned in my first post, I like to be really thorough when I take on a project. It was not enough for me to simply buy the ingredients from the list. I actually traveled to all three stores with a notebook in hand and wrote down prices for over fifty different items that I buy for our family all the time. I have obsessively price compared so you don’t have to! Are you feeling grateful yet? Before I start the results, I have a few disclaimers. I know that many of you are probably thinking that Walmart and Aldi may have cheaper prices, but I could only take so many people giving me weird looks so I kept my comparing to three locations. If you know of any products that are a lot cheaper elsewhere, please feel to share in the comments. Also, we always buy the store brand if it’s an option, so if you’re still name brand shoppers after having kids(why?) then these prices may be a little lower than what you pay.
Buy These at Trader Joe’s
Organic butter-2.99 8 oz.
Bananas-.19 cents a piece
Peaches-.79 cents a piece
Sweet potato-.49 each
Tempeh-1.99/8 oz.
Tofu-1.99/15 oz.
Pitted dates-2.99/1 lb.-These are crazy cheap at TJ’s! I love them in smoothies as a healthier form of sugar.
Natural peanut butter-2.29/16 oz.
Kalamata olives-1.99/8.8 oz. bag
Tortilla chips-3.49/36 oz.
Bread-Trader Joe’s Brand Whole Wheat-2.79/24 oz.-This bread also has 5 g of protein and 3 g of fiber, per slice!
Frozen whole grain waffles-1.99/8
Frozen brown rice-2.99/3 10 oz. bags
Frozen turkey burgers-4/2.99
Wine-3.29/bottle-Can’t beat the Charles Shaw!
Trader Joe’s will be your best bet for lower prices on healthier options and delicious frozen meals!
Total Cheaper Items: 15
Buy These at Kroger
-Unsweetened almond milk-2.79
-1/2 and 1/2-1.99 quart
-Yogurt pouches-1.89/8
-Cucumbers-50 cents each
-Plum tomatoes-.19 cents each
-Bag of baby carrots-99 cents/lb.
-Dill pickles-1.49/24 oz.
-Pasta noodles-88 cents/16 oz.
-Pasta Sauce-Kroger marinara-1.19/24 oz.-I’m half-Italian and I actually think this sauce is delicious for the price.
-Pretzels-1.19/15 oz.
-Broth-I swear by the Better than Bouillon concentrated broth and Trader Joe’s and Costco don’t carry it. It’s not cheap, but each jar makes 38 cups of broth.
-Canned beans-between .59-.69 cents per can
-Gallon and Quart bags-1.59/19 and 4.19/38-For all those freezer meals
-Toilet paper-5.99/12 rolls-Kroger soft and strong
-Paper towels-6.49/6-These are the select-a-size that I require at our house. You can find cheaper without.
Another major benefit of Kroger shopping is the ClickList. I can order my groceries while watching Netflix and then pick them up at a time that’s convenient for me. Someone will load them into my car for me and I never have to take my kids out! Also, our Kroger is right next to Brewville, a growler filling store with so many beer options! Score one for mom!
Total Cheaper Items: 16
Buy These at Costco
Organic eggs-5.99/2 dozen
Greek yogurt-2/32 oz. 5.89
Shredded cheese-2/40 oz. 11.99
Avocado-5.99/6
Romaine hearts-3.99/5 heads
Organic spinach-3.79/1 lb.
Organic strawberries-5.49/2 lbs.
Yellow onion-4.99/10 lbs.
Stoplight peppers-5.99/6
Minced Garlic-4.79/48 oz.
Hummus-5.99/32 oz.
Almond Butter-7.89/27 oz.
Berry jam-7.89-2/23 oz.
Maple syrup-10.49/33.8 oz-almost $10 less than Kroger!
Welch’s fruit snacks-10.99/80 small bags
Granola bars-7.99/60 chocolate chip
Canned tuna-13.99/8 cans
Salsa-7.69-2/38 oz. jars
Olive oil-14.99/2 liters
Spices-all different $$, but definitely more spice for your $
Canned tomatoes-6.49/8 cans of 14.5 oz.
Tomato Sauce-7.99/12 cans of 15 oz.
Tomato Paste-6.79/12 cans of 6 oz.
Beer-9.99 for a Kirkland 24 pack-This beer is actually pretty good and we’re a little snobby about beer.
Frozen fruit-8.39 for a 3 lb. tropical mix
Frozen veggies-6.89 for 3 lb. of riced cauliflower-I didn’t know Costco had this!
Frozen pre-cooked shrimp-15.49/2 lbs-Our 7 year old eats this all the time so we go through it fast!
Black bean burgers-10.79/12
Sandwich bags-8.99 for 4/125 count boxes
Dog food-Kirkland brand healthy weight-24.99/40 lbs.
As you can see, Costco has about as many of the cheapest options as Trader Joe’s and Kroger have combined! After discovering this, we wondered why we haven’t been shopping there more often! We had thought Costco was really only for large bulk purchases like trash bags or toilet paper, but it turns out it’s the best place for certain items in every food category. To enhance our savings we’re also planning to get a Costco Visa card to earn 4% cash back with every purchase made there and possibly switch our membership to an Executive Membership. The yearly membership fee raises from $60 to $120, but with it you earn an additional 2 % cash back every year, up to $1,000.
Total Cheaper Items: 30
Hopefully my obsessive research will help you save and maybe someone will even find it as fun and interesting as I did. Happy Shopping!
🙂 Erin