Nowadays, my grocery shopping consists less of making a list and grabbing everything on it and more of simply buying whatever I can find on sale. And when it comes to staples, I’ve gotten used to purchasing the least expensive options available. But according to many Reddit users, the cheapest products can sometimes be the best choices!
Frugal individuals have recently been sharing some of the affordable items that they’ve learned to love due to inflation, so we’ve gathered their thoughts down below. Keep reading to find a conversation with Lydia Beiler of Thrifty Frugal Mom, and be sure to upvote the replies that will help you cut down on your weekly grocery budget!
#1
Using bar soaps again rather than shower gels and liquid hand soaps😊 The natural soap bars last a long time.
198points
#2
Unless there is a big noticible difference, i buy all almost store brand things when i shop. why spend more for things that are essentially the same.
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165points
#3
Not a brand, but I’ve started buying my veggies at small local mom and pop fruit and veggie markets. I can walk down there and buy a couple of things I need, they may cost a bit more (and actually sometimes i find they’re the same/less), but I haven’t had to use my car to get there. And I’m not in a large grocery store where I’m going to buy a ton of different things I didn’t need while I walk through to get to the cash. And I’m supporting small local businesses. It’s a win for everyone, I’m so f*****g tired of the large grocery chains and their price gouging.
Edit: their/they’re
Edit: their/they’re
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136points
To learn more about how to save money amidst inflation, we reached out to Lydia Beiler, aka Thrifty Frugal Mom, to hear which affordable items she's realized she actually prefers.
"Whole chicken/bone-in chicken versus boneless chicken," Lydia shared. "The meat is so much more tender and moist. I bought them rarely before this but now buy them regularly!"
#4
Liquid dish soap and laundry soap instead of pods. We had switched to pods several years ago and when proces started going way up last year, we switched back. I have no idea why we were ever paying for pods!
Same with k cups. We stopped using our Keurig and started buying ground coffee. Got a French press and even buying fancy ground coffee, we are still coming out ahead.
No Amazon Prime. Decided not to renew last year and haven't missed it; in fact, the temptation to just buy whatever, whenever is completely gone. We have to be more thoughtful with purchases now.
125points
#5
Frozen veggies. They were always a staple but now I buy them in bulk and eat them daily!
116points
#6
90% of my winter veggie intake is now cabbage related. I refuse to pay the high price for off-season produce anymore.
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110points
We were also curious what things Lydia purchases less frequently now that they've become so expensive. "I've stopped buying pastries as much," she shared. "I used to buy them pretty regularly as a family snack on the weekend, but have switched to other less expensive things. I do miss them, but not enough to make them a regular purchase again!"
"Also chicken broth!" the Thrifty Frugal Mom added. "It's way cheaper to buy a whole chicken and then use the carcass to make my own bone broth. I've started to do that as much as I can! I do miss the convenience of buying store bought all the time, but it feels like it's worth the extra savings."
#7
We started shopping at our local Asian and Hispanic grocery stores. We go to Aldi's for bread, bagels and paper products. Fresh produce lasts a lot longer and is cheaper too. Our food budget has dropped from $200 a week to $125 consistently for two adults the last 10 months. We pack lunches, usually last nights dinner leftovers and we have saved a substantial amount of money.
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101points
#8
I discovered overnight oats. Holy cow! They're great. I also figured out that dried blueberries are cheaper than frozen or fresh blueberries, and taste identical in overnight oats. No more bran flakes. No more milk. Just water, oats, blueberries, a little cinnamon, and some sugar.
88points
#9
I stopped buying pine nuts. They're like $30 a bag now. I get sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds instead.
I'm making my own herb and spice blends from bulk ingredients plus things we can grow in our yard.
I'm cooking more beans and lentils from dry instead of buying canned beans or frozen prepared meals.
77points
Lydia also shared some tips that might help you save money on groceries. "Don't be scared to try store brands. They often are made by the same company as the name brand, and we've discovered that for most products, we don't mind the cheaper option!" she told Bored Panda.
"Buying in bulk can be a great way to save on things you purchase a lot too," Lydia added. "Just be sure to check the cost per unit on the shelf price tag to make sure you really are getting a better deal!"
If you're looking for even more money-saving tips, be sure to visit Thrifty Frugal Mom!
#10
I used to make chili with mostly meat and onion. Nowadays it's 50% beans, and I prefer it. Originally, when I would put beans in chili, I'd use red kidney beans. Nowadays I'll use anything bean related - I think red kidney beans are the least interesting you can find. I'll use tins of mixed beans, black beans, butter beans, chick peas. Heck, I've even added some (British) baked beans and thought they came out really well.
Secondly to that, this one was only mildly frugally related, but as we started to cut down on our meat consumption, we started to use a wider variety of vegetables. I had barely used "Chinese Leaf" (AKA Asian cabbage) before, and it works so well in a stir fry, as well as a variety of other things. It's given me a newfound appreciation for all things cabbage, including red cabbage in salads, sauerkraut and kimchi.
Where before I had only eaten cabbage as boiled cabbage, now cabbage is a big part of my weekly diet.
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75points
#11
Indoor farming.
I work as a data analyst and fulfillment.
I have built entire spreadsheets around my indoor farming hobby and it is now cheaper to grow most of my produce at home hydroponically than to go shopping at anything owned by Loblaws, Sobeys, or Walmart.
All of my equipment has paid for itself in the first year in savings. The only time it becomes more expensive, is when something goes wrong, and I lose a portion of a harvest. Most of the time, I have so much extra I either have to try selling it off or give it away.
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73points
#12
Steak, weirdly enough. The weekly ad steak is the same price or less than ground beef these days, so when I’m craving beef, screw it, steak it is!
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69points
#13
I wish I knew how amazing sardines were earlier in life!
67points
#14
Tofu. I eat it at least once a week now. Cheaper and more protein than meat. I never ate it pre-pandemic.
62points
#15
Suave shampoo. I tried it in a summer rental and it was great, so my fancy stuff is sitting unused. I thought I might use it for a week or two and get tired of it, but it’s working great. I use the fancy stuff every few weeks and Suave most days now.
54points
#16
Bone-in cuts of meat
Added bonus is they are more nutritious in vitamins/minerals and taste a hell of a lot better than boneless.
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52points
#17
Ok I am a sunscreen-every-damn-day girlie and DO NOT SLEEP on the Walgreen’s brand moisturizing one (in a yellow container.) My grandma let me use hers once and I loved everything about it so much I ran out to buy some. A lot of times they’re buy one get one 1/2 off or have coupons, too. I prefer it over any name brand sunscreen, including the neutrogena I used to use.
PS. Yellow container only, do not buy the blue “sport” variety, it separates and feels gross.
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50points
#18
Already bought this pre inflation craziness but Kirkland (Costco brand) Zyrtec. Get a year’s supply for pennies compared to regular Zyrtec. 100% the same ingredients too
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48points
#19
Meal planning and shopping online for pick up. I'm sitting on the couch when I order my groceries, so I can check if there is something I already have. I can price Check between stores. And I'm ordering nsded on a meal plan.
Instead of wondering and being tempted, I pull into my stall, message the ap and they bring them out.
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48points
#20
Lidils brand of margherita pizzas are only 5.5$ for 3 700 cal pizzas. I buy some Romano cheese to top them with and some sausage and it’s really great for the price
Honestly getting bidet to stop buying toilet paper was cool
46points