Let’s face it, the grocery store is full of traps. Slick packaging, bright lighting, and sneaky pricing can trick even the savviest shopper into tossing overpriced or underwhelming items into the cart. You’re there for milk and cereal, but you leave with frozen pizza, bottled smoothies, and a hole in your wallet.
Some products are just not worth buying at the grocery store, especially when better or cheaper options are just a few clicks or blocks away. Here’s what to skip and what to grab instead, so your money stays where it belongs, with you.
Packaged Deli Lunches
You know those neat little boxes with crackers, meat, and cheese? Cute, but not cheap. Some of those snack kits can cost more than the sum of their parts. Get a pack of crackers, a hunk of cheddar, and some sliced turkey, and portion it out yourself. Same vibe, better value.
Pre-Cut Fruits and Veggies
Pre-cut fruits and veggies look convenient, but you’re paying a huge markup for someone else’s knife work. Pre-cut produce often costs more than whole fruits and vegetables. Plus, they spoil faster. Buy whole and slice at home. It’s cheaper, fresher, and your fridge won’t smell funky by day two.
Bottled Water
You’re paying for packaging. The average American spends about $100 per year on bottled water, even though tap water costs less than a penny per gallon. The Environmental Working Group says some bottled brands aren’t any cleaner than what comes out of your kitchen faucet. Grab a reusable bottle and a filter if you’re not into tap taste.
Spices in Small Jars
Tiny glass spice jars often carry a big price tag. Grocery stores charge a premium for brand-name spices with fancy labels. Try bulk bins at co-ops or international stores. You’ll get fresher, more flavorful spices for a fraction of the cost.
Name-Brand Cereal
You’re not paying for better cereal. You’re paying for advertising. Store-brand cereals are often made in the same factories as the name-brand ones and taste nearly identical. According to a study by the Private Label Manufacturers Association, shoppers can save more by choosing store brands over national brands, without noticing a difference.
Salad Kits
Salad kits are tempting, sure. But those bags of mixed greens with a sprinkle of nuts and a plastic pouch of dressing add up quickly. A DIY salad using bulk greens, your toppings, and a full-size bottle of dressing will give you five times the salads for the same price. You also skip the preservatives that keep those kits “fresh.”
Frozen Pancakes and Waffles
Pop them in the toaster and go, right? But you’re buying a lot of air and cardboard. A box of frozen pancakes costs up to three times more per serving than just making a batch at home and freezing the extras yourself. Use one Saturday morning to meal prep and skip the inflated price tag.
Premade Smoothies
They’re labeled “natural,” “organic,” or “green,” but many are packed with sugar. A report from Healthline found that some bottled smoothies contain as much sugar as a can of soda, up to 53 grams per bottle. Blend your own with frozen fruit, Greek yogurt, and a splash of milk. Cheaper. Healthier. Tasty.
Shredded Cheese
Pre-shredded cheese comes with additives like cellulose (a.k.a. wood pulp) to prevent clumping. It’s also more expensive on a per-ounce basis. Buying block cheese and grating it yourself saves money and melts better. Pizza night just got an upgrade.
Greeting Cards
The grocery store’s card aisle is a racket. Paying $6.99 for a folded piece of paper with glitter? No thanks. A report shows that Americans spend over $7 billion a year on greeting cards. Grab a pack from a dollar store or make one at home. People remember the message, not the price tag.
Diapers
Unless there’s a super sale, grocery stores are one of the most expensive places to buy diapers. An analysis by BabyCenter showed that online subscriptions like Amazon’s diaper deals could save parents up to 5% on purchases. That adds up fast, especially in the first year.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
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