The price shift is most visible when you're making your weekly trip to the supermarket. However, not all stores were created equal. Minimizing your grocery bill starts by picking the stores with the lowest possible prices.

We've rounded up the top six low-cost grocery stores in the United States, from regionally specific chains to nationwide and even international brands. These stores have everything you may need for your grocery haul without the massive price tag. If you haven't shopped at Aldi yet, you're missing out on some of the cheapest groceries around.

According to YouGov , a market research and data analytics firm, Aldi is considered one of the most popular grocery stores in the country. Not only is the product quality top-tier, the German-based company's business model is designed to minimize the cost to the consumer.

According to Aldi , 90 percent of the products on their shelves are private-label brands. Other things, like the 25 cent returnable deposit to use the shopping carts, bagging your own groceries, and not listening to licensed music on the overhead speakers, decrease the store's overhead costs, which helps keep prices low.

And selecting produce out of the crates they came in rather than from aesthetically stacked displays is a small price to pay for cheap groceries. This four-letter German company also operates on a low-cost model, but it's not the same as Aldi.

Lidl has been offering affordable groceries since the s and is actively expanding across the East Coast of the U. Although there are fewer locations than Aldi, they're constantly in close competition for stocking the cheapest groceries.

The selection of items is curated to keep the essentials in stock, instead of the added expense of keeping every variety and brand on the shelf. Their private label brands also have a Love It Guarantee , which means if a product doesn't meet your standards you can get your money back and exchange the item for something else.

This big-box store has all of the appeal of members-only clubs like Costco or Sam's Club , but without the expensive fees. WinCo Foods boasts locations across the West Coast, and is almost entirely employee-owned—which means their staff receive better wages and benefits.

And yet the prices are still low. WinCo purchases directly from farmers and manufacturers and has a large quantity of bulk foods, which means their prices undercut many other low-cost retailers.

Another way to cut costs is by not accepting credit cards for payment. But fear not: they do allow payment with debit cards and federal food assistance cards. Market Basket is one of the smaller chains on this list, but their savings make it one of the most affordable places to shop in the U.

A recent study provided by the customer data firm dunnhumby revealed that the New England-based chain was the "top grocery retailer for inflationary times. For over years, Market Basket has maintained the fierce loyalty of their customers for the high quality food at low prices. You can find anything from international cheeses, freshly squeezed juices, to even handmade sushi without racking up a massive grocery bill.

Trader Joe's is one of our go-to spots for affordable essentials, some of the best frozen food around, and unique snacks.

Fresh produce that's delivered daily, fresh meats and fish, and an extensive line of organic, gluten-free and vegan foods can be found at Aldi stores throughout the US no stores in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington or Wyming.

You'll find the best deals on bread, milk, yogurt, cereals, baking essentials, fresh produce, canned goods, cheese and wine. Many products, such as coffee, grains, snacks and pastas are sold in bulk and can be purchased by the pound, and a good selection of herbs and spices can be purchased by the ounce.

You'll have to bag your own groceries and only cash and debit cards are accepted as payment. View specials and find locations at www.

Grocery Outlet has operates more than stores in California, Idaho, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington. This "extreme value" supermarket has been described as "the TJMaxx of grocery stores" and they keep their loyal customers returning for the warehouse store-like prices without the membership fees.

You'll find affordable groceries and big savings on brand name items, but you'll have to be flexible when it comes to your shopping list since Grocery Outlet is, in many ways, a salvage grocery store. Considered to be New England's bargain grocery chain, the motto at Market Basket is "more for your dollar.

Some locations have a "Market's Kitchen" serving up salads, sub sandwiches, pizza, burgers, chicken wings, fried chicken and more. Food4Less operates about 50 no-frills grocery stores in Southern California, Illinois, Indiana, and Nevada. A division of grocery giant Kroger, the company offers deeply discounted groceries, fresh produce, bakery and dairy items, ethnic foods, and meat.

Select locations also include gas stations, photo processing, pharmacies, and wellness services. According to research by Eat This, Not That , Food4Less is the most popular chain of grocery stores within California.

Get coupons, view specials and find locations at www. Lidl has an excellent fresh produce selection as well as a very impressive fresh bakery where you'll find ciabattas, focaccias, and rustic loaves made on site that can be sliced to order along with muffins, croissants artisan breads, oversized cookies, yeast doughnuts, and more.

Since Lidl is an international grocery store, they bring in lots of products from other countries: pasta from Italy, chocolate from Germany and cured meats from Spain.

They also carry familiar brands like Jif and Coca-Cola, but availability will vary and name brand product availability won't be consistent. Lidl also has an award-winning wine department that has won more than industry awards. Most of the stores offer about 80 wines at any given time.

When shopping at Lidl be sure to bring your own bags, otherwise you'll have to pay for them or go without. Save-A-Lot keeps their prices low by selling only the most purchased items and selling their own brands.

In the words of Save-A-Lot communications manager Dan Kimack: "We carry one size and one variety of each item. If it's a can of whole-kernel corn, it's going to be one size and one variety — and it's going to be the most popular size and variety. Price Rite Marketplace is a chain of supermarkets found in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

Owned by the same corporation that owns Shop Rite stores, Price Rite is a limited-assortment, deep-discount supermarket meant to compete with no-frills grocery stores such as Aldi, Lidl, and Save-a-Lot. The older Price Rite stores don't have the service departments found in most conventional modern supermarkets, such as Deli, Bakery, Meat, and Seafood — these departments are replaced by pre-packaged offerings prepared at centralized facilities which reduces costs.

Walmart is the largest food retailer in the US, with over 3, supercenters across the country. You'll find the best deals on items sold under its Great Value brand, name brand cereals and snacks, frozen produce, paper goods, pantry staples, toiletries, laundry detergents and cleaning supplies.

According to Consumer Reports, Walmart consistently ranks toward the bottom of their listing of supermarket chains in terms of the quality of fresh foods and vegetables, meats, store-prepared foods and baked goods.

Dollar general, Save a lot, Aldi, Dollar Tree and and many more discount markets. Using coupons Publix and Walmart can be very cheap as well Walmart has the most consistently good prices. Aldi always has the best prices for meat Missing

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Cost-effective supermarket deals - These Are the 7 Cheapest Grocery Stores in the U.S. · 1. ALDI · 2. Woodman's Markets · 3. WinCo Foods · 4. Lidl · 5. Market Basket · 6. Grocery Outlet Dollar general, Save a lot, Aldi, Dollar Tree and and many more discount markets. Using coupons Publix and Walmart can be very cheap as well Walmart has the most consistently good prices. Aldi always has the best prices for meat Missing

Dollar stores sell national name brands of your favorite snacks for only a dollar, and they're also great places to find unusual imported foods, discontinued items, and exclusive products — usually at cheap prices.

Some of the products you buy at these stores might be close to or past their expiration date, but will still be safe to eat.

Read the article Food Product Dating for more information about expiration dates. Wherever there's an Amish community, you're almost guaranteed to find an Amish grocery store that sells bulk foods.

Grains, beans, spices, candies and other dry goods are packaged in bags and containers and sold at bargain prices. Salvage grocery stores and dollar stores have a limited selection of products and their inventories can change on a weekly or daily basis. It's very unlikely that you'll be able to find all of your weekly grocery needs at any one of these stores, so you'll have to do at least some of your shopping at a traditional grocery store.

The stores listed below are the cheapest places to do your grocery shopping and are listed in order from lowest priced store at the top to the highest priced store at the bottom. Aldi comes in at first place as the food retailer with the lowest prices for the sixth year in a row.

Fresh produce that's delivered daily, fresh meats and fish, and an extensive line of organic, gluten-free and vegan foods can be found at Aldi stores throughout the US no stores in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington or Wyming.

You'll find the best deals on bread, milk, yogurt, cereals, baking essentials, fresh produce, canned goods, cheese and wine. Many products, such as coffee, grains, snacks and pastas are sold in bulk and can be purchased by the pound, and a good selection of herbs and spices can be purchased by the ounce.

You'll have to bag your own groceries and only cash and debit cards are accepted as payment. View specials and find locations at www. Grocery Outlet has operates more than stores in California, Idaho, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington.

This "extreme value" supermarket has been described as "the TJMaxx of grocery stores" and they keep their loyal customers returning for the warehouse store-like prices without the membership fees.

You'll find affordable groceries and big savings on brand name items, but you'll have to be flexible when it comes to your shopping list since Grocery Outlet is, in many ways, a salvage grocery store. Considered to be New England's bargain grocery chain, the motto at Market Basket is "more for your dollar.

Some locations have a "Market's Kitchen" serving up salads, sub sandwiches, pizza, burgers, chicken wings, fried chicken and more. Food4Less operates about 50 no-frills grocery stores in Southern California, Illinois, Indiana, and Nevada.

A division of grocery giant Kroger, the company offers deeply discounted groceries, fresh produce, bakery and dairy items, ethnic foods, and meat.

Select locations also include gas stations, photo processing, pharmacies, and wellness services. According to research by Eat This, Not That , Food4Less is the most popular chain of grocery stores within California. Get coupons, view specials and find locations at www.

Lidl has an excellent fresh produce selection as well as a very impressive fresh bakery where you'll find ciabattas, focaccias, and rustic loaves made on site that can be sliced to order along with muffins, croissants artisan breads, oversized cookies, yeast doughnuts, and more.

Since Lidl is an international grocery store, they bring in lots of products from other countries: pasta from Italy, chocolate from Germany and cured meats from Spain.

They also carry familiar brands like Jif and Coca-Cola, but availability will vary and name brand product availability won't be consistent.

Lidl also has an award-winning wine department that has won more than industry awards. Most of the stores offer about 80 wines at any given time. When shopping at Lidl be sure to bring your own bags, otherwise you'll have to pay for them or go without.

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With grocery bills up nearly 6. Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, any savings can help, even if it means going somewhere new. AARP Membership. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.

Join Now. The variety on store shelves, the quality of the food , handling and labor costs, competition and the demographic of the shopper all play into the prices a particular retailer charges.

Stores that cater to lower-income shoppers tend to keep prices lower, while supermarkets that have a lot of variety may have higher prices as a result. There are discount stores where you can get big bargains on select items, traditional grocery stores that amp up the savings by offering generics and loyalty programs, and one-stop shops where you can get everything from bread to batteries in one place.

Proximity to the store and the type of food you purchase will play a role in how much you save. But all things being equal, in some categories, location is everything when it comes to getting a deal. The totals are based on non-sale prices and do not include coupons, loyalty discounts or taxes.

Here are our results. Walmart has been a part of American culture since , when the first store opened in Rogers, Arkansas. Today there are 4, stores across the U. Walmart is known for its low prices, and that is true of its groceries.

Across most categories, Walmart came in first or second when it comes to price. The ability to buy everything under one roof on the cheap appeals to many consumers, including Robert and Sherri Evans.

The 74- and year-old retirees say they shop at Walmart for the convenience and to save. Privacy Policy. But by and large, they are drawn to Walmart because of the pricing and selection. The key to saving is to know your prices and be willing to compare, the couple say. Shopping Tip : Know your prices and be willing to comparison shop.

Hailing from Germany but now headquartered in the U. It also focuses on keeping costs down so that it can pass on the savings to its customers.

Coupons for Local Stores. Save on clothing, gifts, beauty and other everyday shopping needs. Popular with Aldi shoppers is its weekly Aldi Finds.

Every Wednesday the retailer puts out new discounted food items, small kitchen appliances, seasonal decor, outdoor furniture, gardening tools, apparel and other items. It's a big draw for Victor Sukhai, who started shopping at Aldi on the recommendation of his brother.

Sukhai comes for those Aldi finds and to purchase peanuts and other food items he knows he can get for cheap. The key to really saving at Aldi, as Sukhai sees it: Get there early. But they were sold out. Shopping Tip: The early bird gets all the deals. The grocer has been around for more than years, hawking everything from produce to specialty cheeses.

After all, as a regional chain it offers a huge selection of both name-brand and generic items. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

She racks up reward points that she applies to her bill. She has spent over two decades writing and covering news for several national publications including The Wall Street Journal , Forbes , Investopedia and HerMoney.

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