Are you wondering how you can improve your budgeting when you are going grocery shopping?

Whether we are going grocery shopping or we are simply shopping for something we need, we are always keeping an eye out for possible deals we may encounter. This doesn’t mean that you have to buy things that are only cheap or that you find discounted, but rather that you should keep your mind open and not stay loyal to only one grocery store!

However, there must be one who is more successful than the rest! And when it comes to the most affordable grocery stores, the race is pretty tight. Even so, there are a few that have made their mark when it comes to being budget-friendly, and now only because they are relying on deals and special prices from time to time. Be it that they are known for bulk buying or general low prices, some of the most popular ones are on our list, but there are also some that are bound to surprise you!

Place your bets now! Will your favorite store end up on our list? Or will you find yourself changing your grocery habits in the next year?

#6 The nation’s grocery store: Costco

If there is one grocery store you have heard about from our list, then it is definitely Costco! When you are dealing with one of the biggest and most well-known wholesale retailers in the United States, you are expecting a certain level of price. And with how efficient they are, it would be surprising if they had not ended up on our list.

After all, a lot of people have ended up making this their go-to store, not minding the fact that they have to pay the membership fee, so that must mean a lot when it comes to how affordable it can get. In reality, some prices are offset because of the membership and because the products are placed in bulk on the shelves, saving the retailer the time and money they would spend making everything look pretty.

Another thing that makes Costco not only affordable but also a fan favorite among Americans is the fact that you can buy in bulk. This saves a lot of people money as the overall price per product will be lower than in other stores. Not to mention, their own brand, Kirkland Signature, is known to be one of the best grocery store brands out there. Their products are more affordable than big brand names, and sometimes you can even be surprised at just how high quality they are (their batteries are made by the same factory and brand that makes the Duracell ones!).

#5 Trader Joe’s

You may not have expected to see this store on our list of the cheapest grocery stores, but when you think about it, it actually makes a lot of sense. Trader Joe’s is known to sell most of its own brand of products, and this makes them one of the most affordable stores out there. They efficiently eliminate the middleman from this equation, making everything extremely affordable and establishing themselves in the homes of Americans!

This doesn’t mean that they don’t have other brands in their store either. They just made sure that they were cutting down on the supplier’s shelving fees, which in turn ensures that the vendors in their stores sell their products at a discount.

Despite this, the true star of the show is their own products, with a lot of their frozen or pre-made foods becoming staples in the lives of many Americans. Besides these, they also have some of the most unique offerings of foods and taste combinations, offering anyone who is willing to try a world of adventure when it comes to new cuisines, but adapted for a more western palate!

They do have one drawback, though: they are known to never ever have coupons. This is because the grocery store maintains that they have the lowest prices possible for all their products, so there is no way for them to offer them at an even lower price than they already are.

#4 Lidl

This store made it on the list of the cheapest grocery stores due to being extremely efficient, which also translated into how they managed to keep their prices so low. Lidl operated on the premise that they needed to get their customers in and out of the store as quickly as possible in order to sell products to more customers. What’s more, they have one of the effective strategies that other stores on this list employ, which is to cut any costs that they deem unnecessary; in their case, they do not pay employees to unpack produce.

Lidl has very affordable prices, and if you and your family are looking to have a healthy grocery list while also being money-conscious, they have some amazing shelf produce! What’s more, you will be able to buy quality spices for as little as $0.55, and you will find certified seafood on their shelves—not only good for your wallet but also friendly to the environment and the planet!

A good tip is to make sure you visit their stores on the weekend. We know it is one of the busiest times, but it is also the time when they come out with super deals. You can check them out on the shop’s app ahead of time so you know what you may want to buy and even meal plan accordingly! Even better, they have a lot of offers all week long; you just have to keep an eye out for them!

#3 WinCo Foods

If you happen to live in the Pacific Northwest, then you are probably very accustomed to seeing these huge grocery stores around. And while they may not be as popular as other warehouse stores that may come to mind when you think of such stores, they are still managing to differentiate themselves and bring up even more perks than their “cousins.”

What we mean by that is that WinCo Foods manages to reach third place in affordability due to a number of different things. One of them is the idea behind the store itself: these 90,000-square-foot stores are employee-owned and function as big grocery stores with bulk sections that are just as big as one can imagine. They also manage to cut costs and be appealing to customers because they do not charge for a membership to be able to shop there!

They do not advertise, employ baggers (something others are known for as well), or accept credit cards either! They cut a lot of costs that would otherwise rack up the prices, and this continuously growing Idaho-based chain just keeps on getting more and more successful. If you’re in the area, stop by and get some of the best deals on organic products and bulk purchases you’ve ever seen!

#2 Surprising grocery store! Market Basket

If you happen to not be a New England resident, then this supermarket may not sound familiar to you. Yet, for locals, this is just one of the regular shops that they hit up for grocery shopping! And time speaks for itself; Market Basket has been running for more than 100 years, and it doesn’t seem like it will go out of business anytime soon.

This is demonstrated by the fact that, despite being a New England institution, it managed to rank second among the most affordable grocery stores! According to Consumer Reports, Market Basket is known for being budget-friendly and having high customer satisfaction in part due to their great customer practices and friendly staff!

How do they manage to do this? The chain store is committed to running the whole place debt-free, which means that they do not have to make a bigger profit and thus make the prices go up. What’s more, they also make sure to have a small corporate staff, despite their size, which means fewer expenses. These come in addition to making sure they stock up on the same products all across their stores, which allows them to streamline purchases for all stores, which just means more savings both for them and their customers!

#1 Aldi: The best grocery store

If you are a frequent Aldi shopper, it will not come as a surprise that it ended up at the top of our list. After all, they have the best prices overall, and they do have a commitment to cutting costs where they can so that they can offer the cheapest groceries you can find. If anything, the German retailer had made a name for itself by being excellent at devising cost-cutting strategies.

This is in part why, if you do not come with your own bags, you will be expected to pay for either the plastic or paper variety. Or you could go down the route of not using one if you do not need it. Not only is it more environmentally friendly, but it is also a way in which the retailer doesn’t spend a lot of extra money on bags that customers are then just going to throw away.

What’s more, you will have to bag your items yourself. While it may appear strange to some, it is not to those who have become regulars at this store. In the end, it is a small price to pay for the best-priced groceries you will find.

And just because they have cheap products doesn’t mean they aren’t of good quality! People have been raving about their fresh produce, wine, cheese, baking supplies, and chocolate, just to name a few. When you add in the great variety of gluten-free products they offer, you have an amazing spot!

Add in the fact that they have special deals and even days when you can get a great discount on special products, and it makes sense why everyone else couldn’t beat them!

And if you are looking for online shopping tips, no matter if they are groceries related or not, you are going to love this article about ways to save money on Amazon!