Grocery shopping is an integral part of our everyday lives. We go through those sliding doors to supply pantries, stock fridges, and keep homes running. It’s a chore that feels both essential and, sometimes, ritualistic. But beneath the façade of this everyday chore exists the potential to shop smarter. Grocery stores, with meager profit margins of 1% to 3% as recorded by Chron, tend to pad certain goods for increased revenue. These covert markups on staples and convenience items can silently accumulate. With a little planning and foresight, you can avoid these pitfalls, saving you thousands of dollars a year. The secret isn’t coupon clipping ad infinitum but rather an understanding of where to purchase certain goods. Here are 15 things to avoid at the supermarket to make your budget go further and protect your health.
1. Self-Serve Hot Bar Food
The tantalizing smells of a grocery store’s hot bar roasted veggies, hearty mains may be tempting at the end of a long day when every minute counts. These convenient options, though, are pricey. Hot bars produce profit margins of 50% to 70% pre-labor costs, significantly higher than the store’s single-digit typical margins, states Upside. One TikTok user, @via.li, posted spending $26 at a Whole Foods salad bar and reporting she could’ve eaten out or ordered delivery for less. Cooking at home or going to a restaurant tends to be less expensive. Prep meals in advance to skip these expensive impulse purchases and cook at home for a fraction of the cost.
2. Pumpkin Spice Products
When fall rolls around, grocery stores are lined with pumpkin spice everything cream cheese, treats, even Spam. Pumpkin spice nostalgia is full of nostalgia but includes a high markup. A MagnifyMoney 2022 study determined that pumpkin spice products averaged 14.1% more expensive, although some, such as Trader Joe’s pretzels, were 161% more, while Whole Foods rang up an average of 28% on products. Rather than shelling out the extra cash, mix your own at home using cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves or allspice. A home-blended mixture in minutes allows you to have the fall flavor any time in any menu item without the high price tag.
3. Pre-Cut Produce
Pre-cut produce, such as sliced apples or diced sweet potatoes, assures time savings and healthy eating with little effort. But this ease makes them one of the most expensive traps in the supermarket. Pre-cut products can be as much as five times more expensive than whole products. For instance, whole Pink Lady apples at Safeway may be $2.99 per pound, while slices cost $6.40 per pound. Whole sweet potatoes in Walmart are $0.98 per pound, but cubed ones are $3.28. Pre-cut produce also has a shorter shelf life because it is exposed to air. Alloow yourself an extra few minutes per week to clean and chop your own fruits and vegetables, keeping them in covered containers for easy grab-n-go access at a fraction of the cost.
4. Name-Brand Spices
Spices can dress up meals with ease, transforming plain ingredients into tasty meals without having to use fresh herbs or expensive condiments. But name-brand spices can be budget-busters. Price gaps are extreme: Whole Foods’ 365 brand ground ginger runs $2.89 per ounce and Frontier’s $5.81. Smoked paprika at Walmart’s Great Value is $0.97 an ounce, versus Frontier’s $2.45 or McCormick’s $6.67. With no definitive proof pricier spices enhance flavor considerably, use generic brands. To save even more, purchase bulk spices at neighborhood health food stores Central Market in Austin, for example, sells ground ginger at $0.55 an ounce and paprika at $0.99.
5. Bottled Water
Bottled water is one of the biggest budget busters and environmental issues. One bottle at a supermarket will cost anywhere from $1 to $3, and high-end brands up to $10. As of 20 Something Finance, $2.10 could buy 4,787 bottles of tap water. Advertising extols “natural spring water,” yet the difference in quality is frequently negligible, and bottled water poses threats such as microplastics while being highly unregulated by the FDA. Single-use plastic water bottles are bad for the environment, too. Spend money on a reusable water bottle and a tap water filter for an affordable, environmentally friendly solution that gets you hydrated without the premium.
6. Bakery Cookies and Muffins
Shoppers are positioned near entrances, where the aroma of freshly baked cookies and muffins teases appetites and produces an atmosphere of comfort. Both are, however, high-margin items. A dozen of the Trader Joe’s or Kroger muffins or loaf of bread costs $6, a high price for low-cost production items. Baking homemade muffins or cookies is a time investment of less than an hour and costs basic staples. Keep flour, sugar, and chocolate chips on hand to make fresh-baked, fragrant treats in your own kitchen for pennies on the dollar, conserving money and the impulse-buy temptation.
7. Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Chocolate-covered strawberries taste indulgent, particularly on holidays such as Valentine’s Day. But at $1 to $2 per berry $7.75 for six at Publix in Miami they’re too expensive for something so easy to prepare. A box of strawberries is around $5.53, and 12 ounces of chocolate is about $3.31. With these, you can have three times as much in 20 minutes. Do away with the grocery store’s pre-prepared versions and prepare your own for a cheap indulgence that tastes just as good.
8. Diapers
For parents, diapers are a never-ending necessity babies go through an average of 2,700 in the first year, according to Consumers’ Checkbook. Grocery stores take advantage of this, charging high prices for diapers. A 29-pack of size two Huggies at Safeway is $0.41 per diaper, or $1,107 a year. Walmart’s Parent’s Choice brand is $0.13 per diaper, or $351 a year, and Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark is $0.16. Bulk purchases at big-box retailers or subscription services such as Amazon Prime, Dyper, or Hello Bello (with diapers at $0.36 to $0.39 each) saves a lot. Buy in advance to not have the grocery store convenience markup.
9. Batteries
Batteries are a last-minute need consider dead remotes or shavers at the most inconvenient times. Grocery stores take advantage of the urgency and charge more. A pack of eight Duracell AA batteries at Safeway is $1.12 per battery, whereas Costco’s 40-pack is $0.45, 60% off. Batteries have a shelf life of five to ten years if kept properly, so purchase in bulk at warehouse clubs and have them on hand (some people store them in the refrigerator) so as not to pay below cost when in an emergency.
10. Vitamins
Half of all Americans take dietary supplements, thinking they improve health. However, research by Harvard Health Publishing and Johns Hopkins Medicine indicates that most, such as fish oil or multivitamins, don’t do much better than placebos and could even cause harm (such as mercury in fish oil). Safeway sells a jar of 140 multivitamins for $26, and 60 capsules of probiotics can be over $40. The open market enables aggressive claims with slender evidence. Focus on a balanced diet and consult a doctor for specific needs to save money and avoid overhyped products.
11. Name-Brand Cereal
Cereal evokes childhood nostalgia, from Tony the Tiger to generic polar bears. But name brands carry a premium. A box of Honey Nut Cheerios or Lucky Charms at Safeway costs $6.88 per pound, totaling $715 yearly for weekly purchases. Walmart’s Great Value brands are $1.93 and $2.28 per pound, saving money yearly at $219. Generic cereals usually taste very close to one another because they have similar ingredients. Try switching to in-store brands to reserve your budget for other daily needs or occasional indulgences.
12. Prepared Foods
Aside from hot bars, ready-to-eat foods such as made-for-you meals entice harried consumers. A 2022 PYMNTS survey discovered 37% of consumers purchased prepared foods in the past few weeks, a 7% increase in nine months. Prepared foods have 60% to 100% price markups, according to ex-Whole Foods manager Jeff Campbell, primarily appealing to more affluent shoppers. Convenient for busy nights, frequent purchases add to your tab. Basic home cooking, prepared in advance, is less expensive and more likely to be healthier, allowing you to dictate ingredients and expenses.
13. Name-Brand Hair and Skin Cosmetics
Moisturizers and shampoos claim glossy hair or perfect skin, but convenience markups are found on store prices. Kroger sells Nexxus shampoo in a $0.83-per-ounce bottle, but Sam’s Club sells the same amount in bulk for $0.46. Generic products, such as Trader Joe’s $9 facial sunscreen (a copycat of Supergoop’s $36 product), work just as well for cheaper, Cheapism points out. Shop store brands or bulk purchases at warehouse clubs to keep your habits without going broke.
14. Greeting Cards
Greeting cards are a lifesaver when you remember one the day before an occasion, but grocery stores make you pay for that kind of urgency. Kroger charges $5 for a generic birthday card, with more elaborate ones almost reaching $10. A homemade card is pennies, and bulk purchases online (as cheap as $0.40 per card) or in stores like Dollar Tree, Target, or Walmart provide better value. Buy cards by the pack for different occasions so you don’t have to pay exorbitant last-minute prices.
15. Gift Wrap
Gift wrap is another emergency buy when you’ve got the perfect gift but no wrapping. At Safeway, a gift bag costs $4.99, and tissue paper adds $2.69 nearly $7.68 for one gift’s packaging. Online, six sheets of wrapping paper cost about $14, enough for multiple gifts. Discount stores like Dollar Tree sell rolls or bags for $1.25, and Target or Walmart beat grocery store prices. Organize your wrapping requirements to beautifully display gifts without the luxury.
Grocery shopping is not just loading up your cart it’s about making smart decisions. Diapers, batteries, or wrapping paper are items stores price high in anticipation that you will pick them up out of convenience. Moving purchases to big-box stores, online retailers, or specialty stores will save you big time. Making these slight adjustments will add up and free your budget for the important things. Use informed shopping to make your home budget excel.
