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The Best Stores for Saving Money on Groceries

We all know that different grocery stores offer different deals and discounts. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy your meat at one place and your veggies at another, or maybe you know just where to get fresh bread for a good price.

However, what we want to know is which stores are the best for saving money overall. Where should we be shopping if we want to keep our monthly grocery bills low without sacrificing on our favorite meals and snacks? 

According to data provided by consumers and researchers, these are the top places to stock up on your weekly ingredients if you're trying to save money. 

Aldi 

In a recent article, Mike Timmermann from Clark shopped three of the big grocery stores to see which had the lowest prices. His totals at Aldi ($33), Kroger ($38), and Walmart ($33) were all pretty similar, but there are some details to consider.

Aldi only carries a select number of items, so it's more difficult to get carried away buying things you don't need. Furthermore, they have organic foods at lower prices than your average store, and each week they offer crazy specials on select produce items. Maybe that's why it continuously wins polls as the best "value for money" grocery store in America.

Walmart, on the other hand, has repeatedly been ranked as one of the worst grocery stores in the country by consumers. Kroger ranks fairly high, but as you can see by Timmerman's research, its prices tend to be a little steeper. So, if you want to pocket a few extra dollars this month, stick with Aldi. 

Trader Joe's 

Let's be honest: most of us already adore this trendy, small grocery store chain, but let's cover a few more reasons to spend your money there. First of all, they honor third-party coupons for products they stock. That means you can clip coupons at other places for things like Amy's Organics and Lactaid milk, then use them in the store. Secondly, they have some of the cheapest wines on the market, but they're actually pretty good. Lastly, when The Penny Hoarder did an article on grocery store price comparisons, Trader Joe's came out on top in several staple categories, like eggs, peanut butter, cereal, and chicken.

An added bonus: if you want to try something at Trader Joe's, you can always ask an employee and they'll give you a sample. Maybe that'll keep you from splurging on desserts or snacks you don't need. 

WinCo 

Although this grocery store is often overlooked by locals and bloggers, this no-frills supermarket can actually save you a pretty penny. Consumer Reports put Winco right up there with Trader Joe's and Aldi, and with prices that can easily compare to Walmart, you can save big on monthly necessities. You can even buy items in bulk for a discount, and after a few trips to this store, you'll start to appreciate their simple, cost-effective methods. Because the store receives items directly from farms and factories, Winco is able to cut out the middlemen that lead to higher prices in other chain stores. That's a win-win situation for both customers and the store owners. 

Where do you love to shop for your groceries? Do you have other money-saving tips when it comes to buying and cooking food? Leave us some comments below! 

Wednesday, 08 August 2018