Often, you'll find Walmarts in places where there aren't many other retailers to compete with. In smaller towns and more rural areas, Walmart may be one of the few places in town where it's possible to snag groceries.

Because the local population depends on the store, Walmart has a reliable customer base. This customer loyalty means that they don't have to charge quite as much for its food and other products.

However, some of the chain's affordability factor comes from the fact that it doesn't pay its employees very much. Human Rights Watch has outlined major issues with Walmart's labor practices , including encouraging employees to work off the clock and refusing to grant overtime.

Lidl is a grocery chain that was founded in Germany but can now be found in various towns and cities across the U. Like so many of the other chains on this list, this store keeps its prices low by limiting its name brand offerings and providing customers with store brands instead.

Additionally, it tends to stock products that people use on a regular basis — think pasta, canned tomato paste, and produce staples like cabbage and carrots — that often move in and out of the store pretty quickly. There aren't many products that are going to sit on the shelf for a long time, which means that the company isn't waiting around for a return on investment.

Plus, it takes less labor to run a Lidl than it would to operate a larger, more expansive grocery store. Fewer products means less need for a ton of workers, and the fact that the store displays its products in the boxes they're shipped in is just one of the ways the store cuts its labor costs.

For those with big families or just a lot of roommates , shopping at Costco seems like a no-brainer. The chain cuts down on costs by keeping its stores relatively simple — you'll notice the bare-bones design that's more about utility and function than it is about style and ambiance.

Meat and protein plus many prepackaged items are cheaper than average at Costco, even when you're opting for brand name items over the in-house Kirkland brand. If you know you're going to use these products anyway or you just remember to freeze them before you use them , doing a monthly shop at Costco might just save you some of your hard-earned cash.

Of course, we can't forget about the membership costs — you have to have a Costco card to shop at the retailer. But the savings you'll accumulate throughout the calendar year should more than make up for that cost. If you're lucky enough to live in the Northeast, you may just have a Market Basket near you.

The regional grocery chain is a fan favorite for those who love to save money on their grocery bill because of its surprisingly low prices.

One of the main ways the company keeps its prices so low is by making sure it stays debt-free. While this may seem like a logical move, it's one that most companies — including most grocery chains — don't stand by. Another way Market Basket offers such competitive prices is by offering pretty much the same goods at all of its locations.

Because of this strategy, it can buy in bulk, ensuring a lower wholesale price. It can then pass those savings on to its customers, who keep going back to the store to take advantage of those low prices. One of the main benefits of shopping at Market Basket is the fact that you can get a lot of your favorite name-brand products for significantly cheaper than you would find them at other grocery stores.

If you've never gone to a Market Basket before and you happen to live near one, you have to check it out — you may just be shocked at how low the prices are. Like Costco, Sam's Club is a membership grocery store with a focus on selling products in bulk. When you're shopping this way, you may be spending more upfront, but generally, you're going to save money in the long run as long as you use what you buy.

Of course, the membership cost of shopping at Sam's Club helps the company offer lower prices. Although Sam's Club offers its membership prices for less than Costco does, you'll generally find lower prices on goods at Costco. But that doesn't mean you can't get a good deal at Sam's Club too.

Particularly if you're a frequent shopper, you can save significantly on your annual grocery spending by shopping at Sam's Club. In fact, you can even save more than you would by shopping at Walmart, which is the parent company of Sam's Club. If you're looking for a Costco alternative, Sam's Club is a solid way to go.

WinCo is another celebrated low-cost grocery store with locations that can be found in the West and Midwest, with prices that are sometimes below what even Costco can offer. But why is the chain so cheap? First of all, the chain buys a lot of its products directly from producers.

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. You can avoid waste and overspending by going to the grocery store with a list based on what you intend to cook for the week.

Impulse buying can be one of the costliest habits at the grocery store. Crowds can have a negative impact on your grocery budget. Depending on where you shop, ground turkey or even ground chicken might come at a lower price point than ground beef.

Consider swapping your meat choice for one of the lower-cost options. If you normally purchase higher-end cuts of meat, consider reducing costs by swapping out some of it with more affordable alternatives.

In fact, some generic products are exactly the same as name-brands but with a smaller price tag. You can often find hygiene products for less at places like Walmart, Target or one of the dollar stores.

Grocery rewards credit cards offer cash back or points on purchases at the supermarket. Getting a little bit back from each shopping trip will help offset the costs of inflation. These cards typically pay between 3 and 6 percent in cash back or other rewards.

Some also offer rewards on money spent in other categories, including restaurants, gas and home improvement stores. Use either your smartphone or a handheld calculator to add up the cost of your groceries as you go through the aisles.

A lot of stores will also have discounts specifically for loyalty members as well. Many stores let you choose between picking up your order curbside or having it delivered. You may find curbside pickup to be more cost-effective, since delivery fees can be expensive. Some foods are significantly cheaper when purchased in bulk.

This can apply to bread, meat, cheese and more. This practice can be especially useful during certain sales. For instance, you may find a deal that applies when you purchase two loaves of bread or two packages of cheese.

Rather than trying to use it all at once, freeze the spare for later. This is an age-old tip for grocery shopping. Bulk bins allow you to scoop into a bag the exact amount you need of things like grains or nuts. It might not make sense to do too much running around to get all of your groceries, but perhaps a couple different days of the week can be reserved for visiting a couple of different stores.

A good motivator to decrease your grocery spending can be rewarding yourself for a job well done.

Then you will start to notice a pattern to the sales prices, and also what's even a good price. for example Aldi's cereal sale price is only $x For produce, snacks, and frozen goods its Trader Joe's all the way. Harmons isn't bad for meat and produce honestly. The stuff at smiths and Missing

Video

Cost-effective grocery deals - 1. ALDI · 2. Woodman's Markets · 3. WinCo Foods · 4. Lidl · 5. Market Basket · 6. Grocery Outlet · 7. Costco Then you will start to notice a pattern to the sales prices, and also what's even a good price. for example Aldi's cereal sale price is only $x For produce, snacks, and frozen goods its Trader Joe's all the way. Harmons isn't bad for meat and produce honestly. The stuff at smiths and Missing

Here are 17 ways to save money on groceries. You can avoid waste and overspending by going to the grocery store with a list based on what you intend to cook for the week. Impulse buying can be one of the costliest habits at the grocery store. Crowds can have a negative impact on your grocery budget.

Depending on where you shop, ground turkey or even ground chicken might come at a lower price point than ground beef. Consider swapping your meat choice for one of the lower-cost options. If you normally purchase higher-end cuts of meat, consider reducing costs by swapping out some of it with more affordable alternatives.

In fact, some generic products are exactly the same as name-brands but with a smaller price tag. You can often find hygiene products for less at places like Walmart, Target or one of the dollar stores. Grocery rewards credit cards offer cash back or points on purchases at the supermarket.

Getting a little bit back from each shopping trip will help offset the costs of inflation. These cards typically pay between 3 and 6 percent in cash back or other rewards. Some also offer rewards on money spent in other categories, including restaurants, gas and home improvement stores.

Use either your smartphone or a handheld calculator to add up the cost of your groceries as you go through the aisles.

A lot of stores will also have discounts specifically for loyalty members as well. Many stores let you choose between picking up your order curbside or having it delivered. You may find curbside pickup to be more cost-effective, since delivery fees can be expensive. Some foods are significantly cheaper when purchased in bulk.

This can apply to bread, meat, cheese and more. This practice can be especially useful during certain sales. For instance, you may find a deal that applies when you purchase two loaves of bread or two packages of cheese.

Rather than trying to use it all at once, freeze the spare for later. This is an age-old tip for grocery shopping.

Bulk bins allow you to scoop into a bag the exact amount you need of things like grains or nuts. It might not make sense to do too much running around to get all of your groceries, but perhaps a couple different days of the week can be reserved for visiting a couple of different stores.

A good motivator to decrease your grocery spending can be rewarding yourself for a job well done. This can be as small as an occasional trip to the gourmet coffee shop or as large as taking your accumulated savings over time and devoting it to a vacation.

It often starts with planning your meals and creating a shopping list. How to save for college. How to save money in your 20s.

Karen Bennett. Written by Karen Bennett Arrow Right Senior consumer banking reporter. Karen Bennett is a senior consumer banking reporter at Bankrate. She uses her finance writing background to help readers learn more about savings and checking accounts, CDs, and other financial matters.

Nell McPherson. Edited by Nell McPherson Arrow Right Former Banking editor. Nell McPherson is the former banking editor at Bankrate, where she led a team of reporters dedicated to helping readers make the best decisions about their savings and checking accounts, CDs and money market accounts.

Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise. Copyright by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. SmartShopper Where can I find the best prices on grocery staples this week?

Posted p. Feb 8 — Updated p. Feb 8. Updated Feb. Russet potatoes, price per pound usually in a 5 to 10 lb bag Carrots, baby cut and peeled, 1 lb. Bananas, price per pound Iceberg lettuce, price per head Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, fresh often sold in value packs.

We'll report the price per pound. ALDI Food Lion Harris Teeter Lowes Foods Walmart Wegmans. Cut your grocery bill right now with these 12 techniques. Suggest A Correction. More On This.

Related Topics SmartShopper grocery prices grocery deals lifestyle. Here are the UNC, NC State and Duke players invited to the NFL Combine. UNC falls to No. Pittsburgh Steelers release former UNC QB Mitch Trubisky. Ohio State climbs to No.

CDC to ease COVID isolation guidance. watch · WRAL Late News. WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast.

Cost-effective grocery deals - 1. ALDI · 2. Woodman's Markets · 3. WinCo Foods · 4. Lidl · 5. Market Basket · 6. Grocery Outlet · 7. Costco Then you will start to notice a pattern to the sales prices, and also what's even a good price. for example Aldi's cereal sale price is only $x For produce, snacks, and frozen goods its Trader Joe's all the way. Harmons isn't bad for meat and produce honestly. The stuff at smiths and Missing

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.

Beyond the adorably kitschy decor and friendly staff, it's also one of the best grocery stores to visit when you're on a budget.

Even amidst the current egg-price hike, the cartons at Trader Joe's remain inexpensive. While some items can get more expensive than at standard grocery stores the produce section can get costly if you're feeding a big family , their private label goods deliver on quality without sacrificing affordability.

If you need shopping inspiration, check out our favorite items here. When you're hunting for low-cost, high quality groceries, Food4Less is an obvious choice.

It's literally in the name. Owned by Kroger, this no-frills grocery chain sacrifices a few amenities to save you money.

From bagging your own groceries to using the steep discounts offered in their weekly ads, you're sure to find what you need and pay less. Unlike some of these other affordable grocery stores, Food4Less offers at-home delivery, a pharmacy, and a wide variety of household essentials.

But there's a catch: they have locations, but they're only in California, Illinois, and Indiana. What grocery stores in your area have the lowest prices?

Let us know in the comments. What Is Hop Water? Taylor Swift Took Her Parents Clubbing. Ben Affleck Is Getting A Drink On The Dunkin' Menu. Taylor Swift Chugs Drink On Super Bowl Jumbotron. The Top Drink Picks For Super Bowl. If the grocery store you shop at offers fuel rewards, be sure to take advantage of the additional savings.

Copyright by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

SmartShopper Where can I find the best prices on grocery staples this week? Posted p. Feb 8 — Updated p. Feb 8. Updated Feb.

Russet potatoes, price per pound usually in a 5 to 10 lb bag Carrots, baby cut and peeled, 1 lb. Bananas, price per pound Iceberg lettuce, price per head Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, fresh often sold in value packs. We'll report the price per pound. ALDI Food Lion Harris Teeter Lowes Foods Walmart Wegmans.

Cut your grocery bill right now with these 12 techniques. Suggest A Correction. More On This. Related Topics SmartShopper grocery prices grocery deals lifestyle. Here are the UNC, NC State and Duke players invited to the NFL Combine.

UNC falls to No. Pittsburgh Steelers release former UNC QB Mitch Trubisky. Ohio State climbs to No. CDC to ease COVID isolation guidance.

watch · WRAL Late News.