If you, like most of us, have to grocery shop on a budget, you’ve probably already noticed grocery prices are rising and they are likely not going to get any better.
If you are wondered “where can I find cheap grocery stores near me?” then we’ve got you covered.
In this post, we’ll be showing you the cheapest stores to grocery shop at and even some deals you can find at these stores.
In 2019, the United States Department of Agriculture predicts that:
- Food prices will increase between 1% and 2%
- Dairy prices will increase by 3% to 4%
- Vegetable prices will rise by 2.5% to 3.5%
- Fresh fruit will rise 2% – 3%
- Cereal and bakery prices will increase by 2% to 3%
- Beef and veal will rise by 1% to 2%
- Poultry prices will rise by 1% to 2%
What does this mean for you? Your grocery bill is destined to go up unless you can find a sufficiently affordable grocery store to shop at.
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Best Places to Grocery Shop on a Budget
There are tons of national and regional grocery stores in the country. Where I live, for example, Dierbergs and Schnucks (one of the more moderately priced places to buy groceries) are two of the most popular stores, but their prices are not exactly budget friendly, especially Dierbergs’! I actually think Dierbergs is one of the most expensive grocery stores even though I still shop there from time to time since a few of my favorite items are only carried by them.
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Thankfully, there are a lot of low cost grocery stores where you can buy fresh produce and quality food at affordable prices.
Here are the cheapest grocery stores you can find in America.
Some of these have digital and printable grocery coupons and apps on their websites, so before you go shop at them in person, check online for some deals!
1. Aldi
If you are in one of the 35 states ALDI operates in, then you probably have seen one of their 1,600 stores. ALDI is one of the most affordable grocery stories in the US. Plus, there are so many ways to save money at Aldi that makes shopping at Aldi a no brainer.
You can save up to 50% on your grocery budget just by shopping at ALDI.
They also have exclusive brands imported from Europe that don’t cost any more than US goods.
- Find a store near you: Aldi locations
2. Amazon Fresh
This is a fairly new grocery service that takes place entirely online. Many people don’t realize you can actually use Amazon to get your groceries.
With Amazon Fresh, you can:
- Shop for meat, fresh fruits and veggies, and even organic food
- Schedule a delivery time that’s convenient for you
- Get your food hand-delivered to you and enjoy!
Don’t forget to use these Amazon hacks to save money on Amazon products.
3. Costco
This is a membership-based grocery warehouse club with hundreds of locations around the world.
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They have brand-name merchandise and a high-quality selection without the huge price tags.
In order to shop there, you do need to purchase a membership (although there are ways to shop at Costco without a membership!), which can be done online or in person.
To join online, simply select a membership type and add it to your cart. Once you’ve made your purchase, your new member number will be emailed to you. After that, you just bring your email to any Costco membership counter to pick up your card.
- Find a store near you: Costco locations
4. County Market
This is a midwestern grocery chain in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri. They have groceries, pet food, hardware, pharmacies, and even gas stations.
Some deals that you can find in their grocery stores are:
- Yellow Onions (3 lb. Bag) for $1 .99
- Ripe Roma Tomatoes for $0.88
- Whole Boneless Pork Loin for $1 .77
- County Market 8 Piece Fried Chicken for $7 .99
County Market also has mobile apps to help you save more money and plan your grocery shopping on the go. The apps are available on: iOS and Google Play.
- Find a store near you: County Market locations
5. Dollar General
When it comes to dollar stores, Dollar General is one of the biggest brands out there.
There are over 15,000 Dollar Generals in 44 states in the US. You can find tons of products at low prices.
Types of products they sell are:
- Food
- Beauty products
- Cleaning supplies
- Apparel
- Housewares
- Office supplies
If you are someone who trusts brand name products, then you’re in luck too.
This store sells well-known brands like:
- Clorox
- Energizer
- Procter & Gamble
- Hanes
- Coca-Cola
- Unilever
- Nestlé
- Kellogg’s
- General Mills
- PepsiCo
Dollar General also has a mobile app that can help you find deals on the go. It’s available on: iOS and Google Play.
- Find a store near you: Dollar General locations
6. Food4Less
This is a great grocery store chain that has affordable prices and even printable coupons. They have over 500 coupons on their website, which you can find here.
Food4Less also has a mobile app that you can access for their weekly deals. The apps are available on: iOS and Google Play.
- Find a store near you: Food4Less locations
7. H-E-B
This is a southern located grocery chain that sells affordable products. If you aren’t happy with a product you bought, they’ll refund you your money.
The website also has a coupon section, where you can find deals like:
- Save $1.00 on Charmin Toilet Paper Product
- $3 off H‑E‑B Meal Simple Shredded Chicken with White & Dark Meat
- Save $2.00 on Tide PODS
- $1.00 off Totino’s Party Pizza Pack
- $1.00 off Starbucks
This store has a mobile app you can use to get deals on the go and look at their weekly ads. You can find the apps on: iOS and Google Play.
- Find a store near you: H-E-B locations
8. Kroger
Kroger is an affordable grocery store that offers many ways for you to shop. You can go in person, shop online and pick up at the store, or even have your groceries delivered to your home. They also have a Shopper’s Card to reward you for loyalty.
On their website you can find:
- Digital Coupons
- Weekly Ad
- Promotions
- 5X Event
- Big Packs
- Fuel Rewards
- Kroger Community Rewards
Kroger does have an app that will let you view their weekly in-store deals. You can find the app on: iOS and Google Play.
- Find a store near you: Kroger locations
9. Lidl
Get high-quality products for low prices at Lidl. The store is designed to keep your grocery shopping process short and simple.
You can also find coupons on their site.
Here are some of the offers they have up:
- Save 30¢ on queso blanco dip
- Save 30¢ on salsa con queso
- Save 10¢ on yellow mustard
- Save 20¢ on organic black beans
- Save 30¢ on country style baked beans
They have an app available on: iOS and Google Play.
- Find a store near you: Lidl locations
10. Market Basket
At this grocery store, you can find deals on items like:
- Golden Ripe Bananas
- Vine Ripe Crimson Tomatoes
- Old Croc Australian Cheddar
- Thomas’ English Muffins
- Oreo Cookies
Just check out their weekly flyer to find out the deals of the week!
- Find a store near you: Market Basket locations
11. Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club is an American chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs. They are owned and operated by Walmart. They have 599 membership warehouse clubs in 44 U.S. states.
You can buy items in bulk to get them for cheaper than it would cost to buy one at retail price.
- Find a store near you: Sam’s Club locations
12. Save-a-Lot
Save-A-Lot is a discount grocery store that costs on average 40% less than normal grocery stores, according to their site.
They offer various meat, fruits, vegetables, and more.
Check out the best grocery deals near you in your store’s weekly ad.
- Find a store near you: Save-a-Lot locations
13. Save Mart
Save Mart Supermarkets are American grocery stores that operate under the names of Save Mart, S-Mart Foods, Lucky and FoodMaxx. Any of these stores will have cheap groceries that are affordable but still high quality.
Here are some of the brands they sell:
- Sunny Select
- Market Essentials
- Valu Time
- Sunnyside Farms
- Bayview Farms
- Pacific Coast Selections
- Pacific Coast Café
- Full Circle
- Master Cut
- Maxx Value
- Master Catch
- Top Care
- Paws Premium
- Bohemian Hearth
- Lucky California
They may have other brands as well, but these are the most popular ones.
Find a store near you: Save Mart locations
14. SuperValu
There are over 3,000 SUPERVALU stores across the country. As the name implies, they give you super value for the price you pay on groceries.
- Find a store near you: SuperValu locations
15. Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s is unique because it rarely sells brand name products. This means that you don’t have to pay a premium price for something just because it has a well-known brand name slapped on it.
80% of goods sold by Trader Joe’s are under the Trader Joe’s brands.
You can get:
- Gourmet food
- Organic food
- Vegetarian good
- Frozen food
- Imported food
- Wine and beer
- Fresh produce like veggies and fruit
- And much more!
While most grocery stores stock over fifty thousand items, Trader Joe’s actually prides itself on keeping a smaller stock. These stores normally carry about four thousand items. That way, you can simply buy what you need without worrying about a dozen other options, all while paying an affordable price.
- Find a store near you: Trader Joe’s locations
16. WinCo
Get low prices every day on your basic groceries. Most of these stores are located on the west coast, but you can find a few of them in the midwest.
Use their handy store locator to find the nearest grocery store to you.
- Find a store near you: WinCo locations
17. Walmart
Almost everyone has heard of Walmart, and almost everyone knows that it’s prices are actually pretty affordable when it comes to groceries. They also have a special grocery section on their website so you can do all your grocery shopping online and then pick it up or have it delivered.
By the way, if you’re frequent Walmart shopper, don’t miss our tips for saving money at Walmart.
Walmart does have an app so you can access their weekly ads. The app is available on: iOS and Google Play.
- Find a store near you: Walmart locations
18. Wegmans
There are more than ninety Wegmans stores across six states in the US. They offer 50 thousand to 70 thousand products in their stores, which is double the national average according to the Food Marketing Institute.
Wegmans has:
- Fresh produce
- Artisan loaves of bread
- Fresh meat
- Fresh seafood
- Imported cheese
- International foods
- Staple grocery items like bread, eggs, and so on
If you are looking for a source of imported foods without paying a lot, Wegmans is pretty affordable for most items.
- Find a store near you: Wegmans locations
Final Thoughts
After reading this article, you should know exactly what cheap grocery store near you to shop at. You don’t have to buy cheap, low-quality food when you shop at one of these stores. You can eat something nice without worrying about the money it costs.
Have you shopped at one of these stores? Is there a grocery store near you that you love? Let us and our readers know about your experiences in the comments below!
Brenda
My # 1 store is Aldi, then Walmart and Food Lion when the sales are good!! They have the MVP card where when offered you can buy one get one free card!!