27 Grocery Items Your Wallet Will Thank You To Avoid
Groceries are getting wildly overpriced these days. Between inflation and the rising cost of goods, going to the store for the necessities is costing people more than ever! Although there are plenty of ways to save money while grocery shopping, there are also items you should just steer clear from all together at the grocery store. Whether it be because of impracticality or simply because there are cheaper options, here are 27 items to avoid buying at the grocery store:
1. Bottled water
As helpful as it is to get your bottles of water right at the store so they’re ready when you need them, it’s far more expensive than simply refilling a reusable bottle with filtered or tap water. Save your money and use that water jug for your hydration.
2. Greeting Cards
Even the cheaper brands run you about $4 for a simple card these days. Cards are easy to make yourself, print, or get in cheaper value-packs.
3. Kitchen Utensils
Save this purchase for amazon, or kitchen stores. The Kitchen utensils in the baking aisle of the grocery store are going to be subpar quality for top-notch prices.
4. Salad Dressings
Salad dressings are simple enough to be able to make yourself at home far cheaper than the store bought options.
5. Pre-Sliced Produce
Sometimes you are paying 50% more in cost to simply have someone slice your produce for you ahead of time. Unbelievable! For the simple effort of cutting your own produce, you can save a bunch of money. An added plus to buying the whole fruit and vegetable is that you can make sure that your produce is washed correctly ahead of time.
6. Shampoo, Conditioner & General Toiletries
Grocery stores are going to upcharge a good amount for the convenience of getting your toiletries right where you are already shopping. Do yourself a favor and shop at the big brand stores for your shampoo, conditioner, shaving supplies, and other toiletries that don’t expire quickly.
7. Diapers
There’s a reason diapers always seem to be slightly on sale and right at the front of the store on an aisle end. Diapers are far more expensive at grocery stores than big box stores or online subscriptions. They know sleepy parents are going to fall victim to over priced diapers just to get back home to their baby as quick as they can.
8. Vitamins
Vitamins are going to be more expensive at the grocery store than they would be at a big box store, where they are sold in larger quantities. If you know which vitamins you need and will be taking for a while, don’t be afraid to get a big batch of them next time you make a grocery run at your local bulk store
9. Makeup
The convenience of grabbing that new stick of mascara before running out of the store is very enticing, I know. But if you end up buying your make-up at the grocery store, know you’re paying top dollar for something you can get cheaper at a drugstore.
10.Tomato Sauce
For a food that is mostly just crushed tomatoes and spices, tomato sauces are expensive these days! Simply make the tomato sauce yourself with a couple of cans of crushed tomatoes and some spices from the baking aisle. All ingredients you can use again and again far cheaper than that single bottle of tomato sauce.
11. Magazines and Newspapers
If you opt for the subscription of your favorite magazine or newspaper, you’ll save a bunch of money. At the grocery store, you’ll be charged whatever list price is on the literature, which is quite the hefty price for something you’ll read once and recycle.
12. Pet Food
There are so many cheaper options for pet food these days than the local grocery store. Subscription options on Amazon or Chewy can help you with your money saving goals and keep your furbabies happy.
13. Herbs and Spices
Herbs and spices are easy to grow so you can have them all season long. If you MUST buy dried herbs and spices at the store, don’t go to the baking aisle. Go to the international aisle. There, you will find the same spices as the baking aisle at a fraction of the price (but no one seems to know they’re there!)
14. Seasoning Blends
What are seasoning blends other than a mix of a bunch of spices you already own? Why double buy the same spices you have? Simply by taking the time to mix your own seasoning blends, you’re saving yourself from buying that additional packet of taco seasoning, or bottle of italian seasoning. Plus, you can mix only the amount you need instead of having a crammed spice rack of a multitude of seasoning blends.
15. Shredded Cheese
Similarly to pre-sliced produce, pre-sliced cheese is going to have an up charge for the effort of slicing it ahead of time. It’s more time to get the block of cheese and slice or grate it yourself, but your wallet will thank you for the cost savings!
16. Batteries
Another great big box store buy, batteries have a long lifespan, so don’t be afraid to get these in bulk!
17. Baked Goods
As beautiful as those pre-made cookies and cakes look, your wallet will be far happier with you if you were to make those baked goods yourself. It’s cheaper, as well as healthier, as there aren’t any unnecessary fillers in homemade baked goods.
18. Baking Mixes
In the same line of thinking, baking mixes are an unnecessary buy. What are baking mixes other than a mix of flour, sugar, and other flavorings? Cookies, brownies, cakes, and virtually anything else can be made for cheaper if you make them from scratch.
19. Premade Salads
Again, this is another example of paying money for someone doing a little bit of work ahead of time. Those premade salads are just a mash-up of ingredients you can get yourself much cheaper. Instead of the $10 for the one salad, for the same price you can get the ingredients for many salads!
20. Pre-Sliced Deli Meats
Far too often, deli meats that are close to expiration are simply repackaged with a new sticker date to extend the shelf life and avoid being thrown out. Simply ask for fresh cuts of meat at the deli counter to save yourself the possible stomach ache.
21. Pre-cut meat
Anything pre-cut ahead of time is going to have a good upcharge to account for the extra effort. That pack of pre-cut stew meat looks like a convenient choice, but it is far cheaper to get the large chunk and cut it up yourself. If you’re at the big box store, you can also get large cuts of meat and cut it into the smaller sections yourself for big savings.
22. Food Containers
Although you’re hard pressed to find a tupperware party to go to these days, avoid buying your food containers at the grocery store. You’ll find the big box store or amazon has much better prices.
23. Toilet Paper
Toilet paper doesn’t have an expiration date and is an easy item for grocery stores to charge big bucks for. Check out your local big box store for better prices on Toilet Paper. This is a great item to buy in bulk
24. Paper Towels
Similarly, paper towels are a great bulk item to get at your local big box store. Unless your grocery store is having mega deals, you won’t find the grocery store is competitive in their pricing.
25. Laundry Supplies
(One more and I’ll quit it with the big box store, promise!) Grocery stores are notorious for overcharging on laundry supplies. This is a great item to get in bulk. You can also find some very competitive options online with subscription services if you don’t want the hassle of storing all your big box store purchases.
26. Organic Produce
The best way to get produce, usually for your wallet and for your nutrition, is to buy local. Any produce labeled “Organic” at the grocery store is going to be upcharged with a fancy price tag to match the fancy label. Check out local farms and offerings for better organic options.
27. Party Supplies
As much fun as those balloons and streamers are, it is not fun to pay almost twice the cost for them. Those are great buys from the dollar store or amazon.
With a bit of planning, you can save a ton of money by simply buying the right products at the right stores. Between your local farms, drug stores, big box stores, and online subscription options, there are other avenues for buying your household necessities outside of the grocery store. Your wallet will thank you for taking the time to coordinate your purchases and buy your groceries at the right price!
