I’m hoping you’ll take time to help me with grocery cost comparisons?
When I wrote this post to share about grocery costs that I’ve discovered that have NOT increased, some of your comments got me to thinking: What does inflation look like across the U.S.? Obviously I only know how it is affecting us here in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Will You Help Me with Grocery Cost Comparisons?
I know for sure that what I experience may not be what you are experiencing. So if you don’t mind taking some time to answer a few questions, I think we would all benefit. My goal is to always be helpful. I think I can be more helpful if I know more about how your grocery stores are behaving. :)
So to start with…
Those of you who shop at Costco and Sam’s:
- Can you get Chicken Legs for $0.98/pound like I can?
- Do they still offer Rotisserie Chickens for $4.99 where you live?
- Is your 1-pound package of Organic Spinach and Spring Mix $5.00 or less?
- Can you find Organic Hamburger Meat for $4.98/pound like we have here?
- Are the (in season) fresh fruits and vegetables relatively similar in price compared to what they used to be? I’ve found that berry prices have increased quite a bit. :( But apples, bananas, oranges, pears, and grapes (in season) are hanging in there at prices that don’t make me flinch.
At Walmart:
I mentioned here that I still see pasta for $0.98 for a 1-pound package. I see off-brands at other stores for this price too. Is this price the same from state to state? What have you found where you live?
I double checked my information and took this photo at Walmart last week:
I snapped this one too, showing that the Whole Wheat Pasta (what we prefer) is also a really good price at just $1.43 for a pound:
I’ve definitely seen prices jump quite a bit on many food items at Walmart, which makes me shop elsewhere for most of what we need. But there are some of these basic items (like pasta) that has stayed low in cost.
At every grocery store:
- Have you noticed that the price of processed/frozen prepared foods is OUTRAGEOUS? This has been my biggest jaw drop while shopping.
- Are your store’s weekly sales and loss leaders decent? Some of the ads I see make me cringe – like “THAT’s your sale price? Ouch!” But I also see prices that draw me in and make me feel like if I really pay attention, I can stock up on basics when they are sale at very reasonable prices.
An example: Last week one reader, Julie, let me know that our Nebraska/Iowa chain, Super Saver, was having a Mega Meat Sale and suggested that I check it out. I’d never been there before, but the meat prices they advertised were AMAZING and well worth the trip! ($1.18/pound for pork roast?! $1.58/pound for pork loin?! Yes please.)
Meanwhile, almost everything else I saw there was pretty high in price compared to what I pay at Costco, Sam’s, and Aldi. But the Super Saver loss leaders got me in the door and I saved a lot of money taking advantage of their extreme sale prices. I need to pay attention to their sale flyer in the future!
Store Markdowns:
Are you able to snag some mark-downs that make you happy? I’m still finding GREAT markdown items at all the stores I go to: Aldi, Sam’s, and Walmart (with some fun clearance items at Costco). Specifically, I always check the meat at these stores to see what might be marked down.
Chicken Breast for just $1.76/pound after mark down —>
Overall:
- Have you found that if you avoid high priced processed/prepared food and stick with basic, whole food, homemade meals – your budget isn’t taking too hard of a hit?
- Have you tried shopping around and trying new stores to see if something else works better for you now compared to what used to work for you before inflation hit us so hard?
I appreciate any questions you might take the time to answer so that we all might learn something new that works in our area. I’m very curious what you’ve found that works and what prices you’ve found that haven’t increased during the past few years.
While grocery prices have increased in some ways, we can still save and feed our families well!
Free Worshop!
This is great timing as I just came across a FREE Crush Inflation Challenge offered by Tiffany at Don’t Waste the Crumbs. She’s so practical and everything she shares is very doable. Sign up for this free challenge here.
Kristin says
Butter and eggs are both more expensive. As is costco peanut butter. Flour is more. I used to be about to get cheese for about $2 a pound, but that is really rare now. Costco rotisserie chicken is still the same. Wheat berries are maybe a little more. It’s hard for me to say overall, though, as we get a lot of food from gleaners/food rescue.
SM says
I wanted to add that we stopped by the Costco peanut butter a few months ago. In addition to price increases, there was not enough oil to make it spreadable.
Julie says
I feel famous! ?
I’ve been reading your blog for about 14 years .
Actually, I just bought vodka at Costco a few weeks ago and had to tell the cashier it was for making vanilla extract. My husband smiled but he didn’t think the cashier cared.
Supersaver is where we get our yellow popcorn kernels (last I checked they were less there than at Walmart) and just a handful of other things.
Laura says
Hopefully we can meet in real life sometime!! I also always feel like I need to explain to the cashier when I’m buying vodka in large quantity to make vanilla. They usually don’t care, just as your husband suggested. Really? They think buying vodka in bulk is normal?? :)
Julie says
Yes, that would definitely be fun! I am guessing we have some mutual friends or at least acquaintances .
Jennifer Brown says
I can still get the Rotisserie Chicken for that price at Costco. Peanut Butter, Rice, Flour, Olive Oil, Mayonnaise, Butter, Whipping Cream, Eggs, Oats, Salsa, Olives, Sour Cream, Cheeses( Cheddar, Feta, Blue, Cream Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Mozzarella), Bacon, Trash Bags, Paper Towels, Toilet Paper and,Feminine Care Products all have significantly increased at Costco since 2000. Some have increased in price a few times, some several and some sizes have reduced (Olive Oil, Toilet Paper). I’m shopping reduced produce, meat markdowns and the occasional loss leader at other stores. Bountiful baskets is still at a great price point for produce if there is a coop near you.
Jennifer Brown says
Should have said 2020 prices.
Leanne says
I live near the TN/KY state line. Our prices seem to be the same as yours. One thing I have been doing to save money is really shopping the loss leaders even if it means going into more stores. Also, the thing that is helping the most is I am getting my groceries in KY. There is no sales tax on food items in KY whereas TN has a 9.25% sales tax on food. That alone saves a large amount each month.
Heather says
Eggs, cheese, butter, and flour are more expensive – by enough $$$ to make me cringe. Safeway used to have butter on sale for $2 with a limit of 4, but lately it is on sale less often for $2.50-$3 with a limit of 2. For processed foods, our one main thing we love is Tillamook ice cream. The size decreased in the past year or so. Lately we’ve noticed there are less add ins in the ice cream too. The sale price is typically $.50 to a dollar more than it used to be at Safeway. Our Walmart does still carry their store brand pasta for $1, but the pasta section itself is much smaller there than it used to be. I am in a rural area of SE Colorado, so Safeway and Walmart are my only options here. Safeway does have enough of a sale about every other week do draw me in just for those items and to look for clearanced items. We also have an Azure Standard drop though, and I find I am ordering more and more from them as the regular store prices increase and the quality decreases.
Deb says
https://www.foodandwine.com/walmart-restoring-pre-inflation-prices-8603913
Here in central FL, our prices are about the same as yours. We don’t have Costco (it is an hour away), so just Sam’s, WM, Publix, Aldi and Winn Dixie. Publix is definitely the MOST expensive, unless it is BOGO, (which is a particularly good deal on ice cream which is not much cheaper at WM). We have Kroger delivery too, but I have not seen that to be a great deal.
We don’t have sales tax on groceries which is nice. I have found good deals on markdowns on meat at Sam’s and WM, Publix has Prime Rib on sale at Christmas for $5.98 and we cut that into steaks, so we eat steaks once a year! ;)
We travel to Houston frequently where our son lives and prices are basically the same there.
We love the rotisserie chickens too and with just two of us, they last for several meals.
We rarely eat out, unless it is with my parents or in-laws who enjoy it, but I think that the price of eating out has gone up more as a percentage than groceries.
Deb says
I should add that you can look up prices in other places and even check for items online either on the Sam’s or WM website. I have ordered groceries delivered in other places for my kids or other relatives and you can see the difference if there is any by zip code.
Erin says
We are in SE GA and our prices seem about the same here. We have Sam’s, Walmart, Harris Teeter, Publix, Winn Dixie. Sam’s mostly has the best prices on the things we use the most. When the grocery stores do BOGO free on items we use I purchase them there instead. Harris Teeter is the fanciest and most upscale store we have, but they also run the best sales. Some of the best deals they do are buy 2 get 3 free (yes you read that right). Walmart has the lowest everyday price, but the sales at the other stores are still a better value. I’ve noticed Walmart’s canned goods have almost doubled in price over the last few years. As a side note, I have taken Tiffany’s Grocery Budget Boot Camp and it was worth every penny! Laura and Tiffany are the two biggest blessings in my inbox.
Jana says
I’m aghast at these amazing prices! Though I realize that groceries are a whole different picture in the US. Here in Canada it’s been said that grocery prices have increased by 40% over the last couple of years.
Most people here are struggling to buy food these days. So I just checked Instacart for the chicken legs and organic ground beef at Costco (keep in mind prices are slightly higher on Instacart vs in store), and regular chicken legs are around $4.30/lb, while organic ground beef is around $11/lb. I’m on the west coast of Canada and our prices here are some of the most expensive in the country. The rotisserie chickens are $9.99 (I think it’s $8.99 in store). Costco is the only place butter is affordable these days, and they usually have it for around $5.99/lb. It’s usually over $8/lb at regular grocery stores. And this is just regular, conventional butter, nothing fancy. Organic milk is $10 a gallon, even at Costco, and the gluten free bread that we buy (Little Northern Bakehouse) is $8 or $9 per loaf, although you can get a two pack of the whole grain one at Costco for $12.49. I’m thinking of trying to start baking my own but gluten free flour is terribly expensive so that might not help.
My parents live in Colorado and they tell me the prices there have gone up considerably as well.
Stacey says
I’m in Canada too. I have found that I can still find some good sales. I buy very little at Costco because it isn’t always the best price. We do have to keep in mind the exchange rate. So when you look at American prices, multiply that by 30-40% to get the Canadian equivalent. That makes it a little less painful on our end!
I find that using the FLIPP app helps me to find the best deals. I buy almost everything on sale. For example, Walmart had butter on last week for $4.97 limit of 4. I went two days in a row to pick up 4 pounds so now I saved a bunch of money on butter for the next month or so. My local Co-op grocery store had cheese on a four day sale, starting yesterday. $6.99 for 700 grams. Limit of 2. So I bought 2 blocks of cheese. Saved me a good chunk of change. Keep your eyes on the flyers using the FLIPP app. Hopefully it will help you bring down your grocery bill too.
Stacey says
Oh, and I was just reading Laura’s email and noticed she shared Tiffany Crumb’s free grocery budget challenge. Sign up for it! She is so incredibly helpful when it comes to saving on groceries. I’ve done her extensive class and I’ve also joined most of her challenges in the past few years. 100% worth your time!
Miriam says
Hi Jana,
I’m in Central Canada and the prices you mentioned are pretty much the same at my local small town grocery store. A gallon of regular (not organic) milk is pretty close to $8 and a pound of the cheap butter is almost $9. I think the closest Superstore sells 2L organic milk for $8.
A suggestion for gluten free bread: make waffles! Not quite the same as bread, but you can save money by making your own gluten free oat flour and using that for waffles. They don’t need gluten to rise. Works for muffins too.
Jen says
In Delaware I shop Aldi a lot. Just in the last two weeks dairy has jumped! Eggs $2.78, heavy cream $5.19, cream cheese $1.75, sour cream 2.69! From pre-covid the jar spaghetti sauce has about doubled from .89c to $1.59 now. Family pack boneless skinless chicken breasts used to always be $1.99 lb now that’s only when it’s on sale. I tend to get my meat at Food Lion. Pre-covid New York strip and ribeye would go on sale for $4.99 lb now sale price is $8.99. A good sale price on chuck roast used to be $2.99 now sale price is $5.99. Ground beef prices seem to stay between $4 and $6 no matter the fat percent. Produce prices are higher than a few years ago but not as drastic as meat and dairy. Bagged apples are generally a little over a dollar a pound. Broccoli was often .99c lb and now usually $1.79 lb. Bananas are .59c lb at Food Lion. Junk food – Food Lion “oreos” used to be $1.29, now $2.89. Food Lion’s cheapest house brand potato chips used to be .99c, now $2, (Aldi chips $2.19). Thanks for asking. : )
Jen says
I live in Southeastern PA and mostly shop at Aldi and Trader Joe’s. Aldi prices have gone up a little, but are still much better than other grocery stores. The price of frozen convenience foods SHOCKED me…like $9 for a frozen pizza? Might as well just get takeout. Produce and staples tend to be ok prices, but there aren’t as many sales on them. What I have mainly noticed is shrinkflation…prices stay the same but the packages are all either slightly or significantly smaller :/
Leti says
Hello from California! I enjoy being subscribed to this blog so much! It is such a blessing! I was on a quick Costco trip yesterday, so I did not get the chance to look up everything, but I did get to look at the rotisserie chicken!
Although the cost of living is quite high here in California, I was pleasantly surprised that the rotisserie chickens are still $4.99! I was also able to purchase a 1LB of organic spinach for under $5.
And yes, it has helped our household grocery budget abundantly to limit the purchases of processed food and instead make food from scratch!
I hope that helps!
The Lord bless you, and the Lord bless you all!
Csandst1 says
BJ’s and Costco still sell rotisserie chickens at $4.99. I can’t stand chicken legs ?. Sometimes Aldi has them on sale for 98 cents. BJ’s sells them for $1.29 per pound. Spring mix at BJ’s is $4.49. Pre Covid it was $3.49 at Aldi. Aldi charges $4.89. Apples sale price is 99 cents a pound. Used to be 59 cents pre Covid. Bananas are 50 cents a pound at BJ’s. Aldi charges 57 cents a pound. Pre Covid was 34 cents a pound. Pre Covid pasta store brand was 49 cents. Now it’s 99 cents. I’d say I’m spending 30% more now than I did in 2020. Pre Covid Aldi charged $1.29 for a case of water. Now it’s $3.89. I rarely find decent markdowns. Likely because I go shopping in the afternoon and everyone is looking for markdowns. When I have time, I go to a grocery close out store. The past 6 months they’ve primarily been getting prepared foods and candies and cereals. Produce sells out over weekends and not restocked until Saturday. Prepared foods are significantly more than homemade in my area. I’m in Tampa, fyi.
Christine says
My husband is the Costco/Walmart shopper for our household deep in the heart of North Texas. We have both noticed that Walmart prices have gone up. The example he gave me was hot sauce. His favorite brand had gone up so much that he tried the Walmart store brand, which was less money, but it didn’t taste as good and didn’t have as much in the bottle. He said prices at Costco are roughly the same. I shop at Trader Joe’s, but only for a few items that I can only find there or they cost less there. I’ve noticed their prices have stayed roughly the same. Their eggs have gone up in price, and when I asked the manager, he said that the price of that item has gone up universally, in all stores, and when the prices go back down, they (TJ’s) will lower their prices again. That is the first time I’ve heard a store do that!
Kelly says
I’m in California. Here’s what we’ve got…
Costco:
-yes, rotisserie chicken is 4.99
-64oz whole milk yogurt, 6.99
-10lbs oats 10.99
-large bag frozen skinless boneless chicken breasts 23.99
-eggs (I think 2 dozen?) 5.99
-two-pack gallon of 2% milk 5.99
-three pack of large cucumbers, 5.99
-25lb all purpose flour 7.99
-6lb organic carrots 4.49
-grape tomatoes (maybe a quart?) 6.79
Regular grocery store:
-obviously you don’t want to show up and pay non-sale prices, but that’s true everywhere; these are all sale and coupon prices
-provolone cheese slices 8oz, 2.00
-1.5 qt Dreyers ice cream, 3.49
-honeycrisp apples 0.95/lb
-1lb dry red beans, 1.99
-ground beef (conventional, 80% lean) 2.88/lb
-a beef roast will go down to 4.99/lb, very occasionally 4.50/lb; tri-tip (which needs a lot of trimming) will go down to 3.50/lb
-8oz spinach 2.49
-46oz unsweetened applesauce 3.29
-pasta here is 1.29, I think; at Walmart it’s 1.18
For us it’s not so much that we have to spend more, but that we pay a higher penalty for not optimizing, if that makes sense. It used to be if I wanted to get milk somewhere other than Costco, I’d pay an extra $0.50 per gallon. Now, I’d have to pay an extra $1-2. If I wait for a sale on ground beef, I can get $2.88, which isn’t much worse than the old sale price of $2.50, but if I want to buy some and it’s not on sale, we’re not looking at $5.00 anymore, but $7-8.
Loy says
I am chiming in here from the NW. There is just me and my husband, we are in our 80s and rural. I don’t drive anymore so my daughter picks up most of my groceries unless I am in town for appointments. I check the ads and prices online and make my list from items on sale. Safeway and Walmart are the closest stores to us. Fred Meyer (Kroger) is near my doctor’s so I sometimes shop for sale items there when I am in town. Most everything has gone up at least a little. Eggs were down but are now at least $2.99 a dozen since a new law started in Jan. that only “cage-free” eggs can be sold in Washington State. I try to keep my food costs around $300 a month. I rarely buy anything at regular price. I can get 80/20 ground beef for 2.99 a lb or under on sale. Chicken breasts I only buy if they are 1.99 lb or less. I always check the marked-down meat section and buy what was already on sale and then marked down. Recently I was able to get top sirloin steak, stew meat, and two chuck roasts for around $30 which was around $76 regular price at Safeway. I do Safeway’s “Just for You” which gives me special coupons and points that I can use to get free selected groceries. The best one is to use 4 points, get $8 off an $8 meat purchase and can be used on sale and marked-down meat. Walmart pasta is .98 lb. for most shapes, canned veggies are holding at .64, and frozen veggies are at .98-1.16 for 12 oz. Roma tomatoes run from .99 to 1.29 lb. often. Both Safeway and Fred Meyer offer weekly digital coupons on items that are already on sale. I always check for those. By doing all these things our grocery bill has stayed pretty steady the last year or so. Oh, and we do eat leftovers.
Jennifer Brown says
Costco in MT
Spring Mix 5.99
Spinach 5.49
Rotisserie Chicken still 4.99
4 lbs butter 12.99
Tammy says
Wow, these comments make interesting reading! I, too, calculate prices in my head as I shop, cook, or serve food, lol.
I live in SW Ontario, Canada; our prices are lower than BC. From reading here over the last few months, I would say some prices in parts of the US are definitely less; but we are not population dense in Canada and do import a lot of our food, so that makes sense to me. And with 40% exchange rate, a lot of prices are about the same if I look when I am shopping in MI. (Random note of interest, but I found both Ontario and MI prices at Dollar Tree are $1.50 for identical items, except that when you add the exchange, Canada is actually 40% cheaper.)
Best sale prices in London, Ontario this past weekfrom my grocery list, all in Cnd dollars….
Butter 4.95 (Costco)
Homo Milk 4Litre 6.89 (No Frills)
Cheese, I can almost always find this for $4.54/lb (sales at different stores)
Rotisserie Chicken 1.2kg 7.99 (Costco)
Ground Pork 6.6lbs 19.99 (Costco–I use this for quick homemade sausage)
Chicken Burgers 2kg 12.99 (great price for about 16 large breaded burgers–Costco)
Ground Beef, Conventional, Lean 4.50/lb (Costco)
Sirloin Tip Roast 4.49/lb (super sale)
Bacon 1lb/4.49
Generic Whole Wheat Bread 2.49
Generic Bagels 6pk/2.49
Generic Hamburger Buns 12pk/3.49
Generic small soft tortillas, 10/2.00
Apples 1.29-2.49/lb (though a nearby farmer sells them $10/10lb bag)
Oranges .99/lb
Grapes 1.29/lb (supersale–usually 2.49/lb)
Bananas 1.69/3lb (Costco)
Iceberg lettuce 1.99
Romaine Hearts 3pk 3.98
English Cucumbers .99
Cantaloupe 2.99
Yellow potatoes 10lb/4.99
Eggs 3.89/dz
French fries 1.85/lb overall
Cheerios 500gr x 2, 7.99 (Costco)
Peanut butter 4.4lb/10.49 (Costco)
Campbells soup .99
Catelli Garden Select Pasta Sauce 680ml $1.49
Generic white pasta, various shapes, 2lbs/2.00
Generic tricolor rotini pasta 4lbs/4.00
White Rice 22lbs/20.00
Que Pasa tortilla chips 2lbs/6.39 (Costco)
White sugar 8.8lbs/5.39 (Costco)
Brown sugar 4.4lbs/3.69
I have seen the biggest increases on things like french fries, hamburgers, frozen pizza, condiments (mayo? Yikes!), breads, orange juice, and everything dairy. For produce, I rely heavily on price matching the best ads while shopping one store plus Costco, for both gas and time saving. The regular prices of many things force me to wait for the sales, but are also restricting the prepped/processed food options (a sad good?!?).
I am grateful for the variety available, and the ability to still find good sales and fill my cart. On average, I spend $300/week to feed 9 people (2 adults, 5 teens, 2 kids). God has blessed and provided, always. Reading through this, we can all be so thankful for the first-world problem of WHAT (not IF) we will eat!
Cathie says
Here in NJ, Costco prices seem to be the same as yours. But to be fair, the only meat I buy consistently at Costco is Rotisserie chicken, and our Costco is remodeling the rotisserie area, so none of that for a little while. I have found that the meat that I get from the actual butcher (local stand alone butcher shop!) is very reasonably priced, and my guys think it tastes great. (I’m a vegetarian.) I went to Costco last Thursday, and one of the items on my list was the House Blend whole bean coffee, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it for $10.99 – I’m pretty sure I paid $15.99 the last time I bought it.
I buy flour in bulk and have a little less than 50 lbs at the moment. I bought it at Costco when they had 20 lb bundle for $17. Butter is the only thing that I’m compromising on now, buying non-organic.
I think Walmart has a few items that are priced differently in different areas. I don’t really shop Walmart, but we used to buy our coffee there because of price, and I noticed in North Carolina and West Virginia (while traveling) that prices were higher or lower in some cases.
We are empty nesters; our youngest is away at college. I hardly shop at all anymore, compared to when I had 5 kids at home. I really only shop at Costco and Trader Joe’s with very few exceptions, and most of them quick stops for half and half at a local supermarket, or some such immediate need. Butcher about once every other month.
Cathie says
Also, I’ve gotten KILLER deals on pork tenderloins at Costco. Check for that every time.
Cathie again says
Oh man; don’t hate me for the multiple comments. I just remembered something about our Costco: You can buy shredded mozzarella in the aisle with all the specialty cheeses, and I think it’s 2 lbs for $12.99. BUT you can buy a 4 lb pack of shredded mozzarella in the refrigerated aisles (where the milk is in our store) for $17.99 for 4 lbs. I didn’t see any descriptive words to inform me of the superiority of the more expensive cheese, so we’ve been fine with the “bargain” cheese.