Yahoo Finance 25 Extra Grocery Costs You’re Probably Forgetting About
Although inflation is beginning to slow, grocery prices continue to rise. Consumer price index data showed the cost of food-at-home rising 1.2% year-over-year in January 2024.
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Shopping with a grocery budget in mind and a list in your hand can help you save money and stretch your dollars. But it also pays to take a close look at those items on your list. Are you paying more than you have to for prepared or pre-packaged food that you could make from scratch? Are you paying extra for the convenience of things like pre-cut veggies or pre-shredded cheese? Are there items you can find cheaper at places like Dollar Tree instead of shopping at the grocery store?
If any of these 25 grocery items are on your list, you could be spending extra money that you don’t have to.
1. Shredded Cheese
At Safeway, for instance, you can purchase an 8 oz. block of cheddar cheese for just $2.99. But, if you opt for 8 ounces of the same brand of shredded medium cheddar cheese, you’ll pay $3.99 on sale, or $5.79 at the full price.
The hidden cost comes from the extra labor required to shred the cheese. It might be worth it to buy shredded cheese if you want a special mixture of cheese that you can’t get from a single block, or if you are making a dish that requires a ton of work and could use a shortcut.
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2. Baby Carrots
Baby carrots provide a crunchy snack that’s healthier than chips or pretzels. But baby carrots don’t grow straight from the ground. They are chopped and peeled in processing plants. And you’ll pay extra for the labor that’s used to make them.
To find out just how much more, consider that 2 pounds of prepacked organic whole carrots are just $2.99 at the supermarket, which is just 0.09 cents per ounce. A 1 lb. bag of non-organic baby carrots costs $2.79 if it’s not on sale or 17 cents an ounce. That’s nearly twice the price.
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3. Bag Fees
In an effort to reduce landfill waste and keep plastic out of our world’s oceans, many U.S. states have banned the use of plastic bags in grocery stores. Some have also instituted bag fees for single-use paper bags.
While most states charge between 7 and 10 cents for paper bags, the costs can add up over a month of shopping trips. Don’t throw away money along with those paper bags that often rip before you get them home, anyway. Bring your own reusable bags and keep larger items, such as cases of soda or gallons of milk, out of bags.
4. Jell-O Refrigerated Pudding Snacks
Jell-O refrigerated pudding snacks have a lot going for them. They’re the perfect portion size to satisfy a craving for something smooth and sweet. Plus, they come in a convenient cup with a peel-off lid. But again, you will pay extra for the convenience.
For a package of four Jell-O refrigerated pudding snacks, you’ll spend up to $3.99 if it’s not on sale — nearly $1 per serving. You can spend a whole lot less, however, if you make your own. A box of Jell-O instant pudding mix makes four 1/2-cup servings and costs $1.69. That means each serving is 42 cents, plus the cost of the 2 cups of milk needed for the recipe. Still, the pudding batch you make will cost considerably less than the pre-made refrigerated pudding.
5. Drinking Water
If you haven’t shifted from 16.9-ounce bottles of water to an at-home water filtration system or water filter pitcher, you’re throwing money away — along with plastic bottles that add waste to the environment.
Depending on the brand of bottled water you purchase and whether you buy it in bulk or single bottles, you can save up to $830 per year or more (depending on how much water you drink each day) using a Brita water pitcher for filtered water at home rather than drinking bottle water, according to CNET.com.
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6. Individual Cereal Cups
When you’re crunched for time in the morning, what could be better than having your cereal pre-portioned in a disposable bowl? All you have to do is open it, pour the milk and enjoy. The best part is that there won’t be a dirty bowl to deal with after. You simply can rinse it out and put it in your recycling bin.
If you don’t like to waste money, you might want to rethink your breakfast plan. For example, 1. 5 ounces of Froot Loops in a Cup retails for $6.49 for 4 — or $1.08 per ounce. But a 10.1-ounce box of Froot Loops sells for $4.49, which equals just a little over 44 cents per ounce.
7. Party Supplies
Although you might be tempted to pick up party supplies while grocery shopping, it’s not the cheapest option. You can find better-priced party supplies at discount stores or dollar stores. Dollar stores often buy in bulk, purchase overstocked items and sell less-durable items, which is why you often can find much better deals there.
To get an idea of how much you can save by buying party supplies somewhere else, Dollar Tree sells Happy Birthday banners for just $1.25 each. Discount retailer Five Below has birthday banners for $3, while birthday party banners at Kroger start at $10.
8. Cut-Up Fresh Pineapple
An average-sized pineapple, which retails for about $2.50 at the grocery store, yields approximately 4 1/2 cups of 1-inch pineapple cubes. In all, you’ll get about 6 ounces of pineapple in a cup, or a total of 36 ounces per pineapple at a cost of approximately 7 cents per ounce. Meanwhile, just 12 ounces of fresh cut-up pineapple at the same grocery store costs $4.49 or 37 cents per ounce.
If the prickly exterior of this tropical fruit is what’s keeping you from cutting up your own pineapple, don’t worry. Online tutorials can have you slicing and dicing like a pineapple pro in no time.
9. Prepared Guacamole
According to Posh Plate, the average cost of homemade guacamole, following a basic recipe, is 20 cents per ounce. If you opt for the prepared version of grocery store guac, you could pay as much as $11.99 per pound.
Meanwhile, 23 oz. of guacamole using the recipe at ProFamilyChef.com costs just $5.32 to make from scratch.
Another reason to make your own guacamole is to avoid the unwanted extras that store-bought versions might contain, such as larger quantities of salt, artificial flavorings or added sugar.
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10. Coffee Pods
Sure, coffee pods are convenient, but you’re not getting anywhere near the bang for your buck when you opt for these over a bag of grounds.
Starbucks recommends 2 tablespoons — or 10 grams — of ground coffee per 6-ounce cup, and a 12-ounce bag of coffee equals 340 grams. You could get 34 cups from a 12-ounce bag, maybe more if you don’t use 2 tablespoons per cup.
A 12-ounce bag of Starbucks Pike Place Roast is $9.99. A 22-count package of Pike Place Roast K-Cups costs $16.99, or $1.75 per ounce. You’re paying more money for fewer servings, not to mention the waste that comes with using disposable coffee pods.
11. Baked Goods
It’s easy to pick up bakery muffins to enjoy in the morning or as an afternoon snack. But at what cost? You might be surprised to find out just how many more muffins you could get for your money by baking them.
A 12-count package of mini-muffins from the grocery store bakery costs $6.09. One box of Krusteaz 18.6-ounce box of muffin mix yields roughly 24 to 30 mini muffins for $3.19. Even with the cost of adding your own eggs and vegetable oil to the mix, you can get more than double the muffins at about the same price if you make them yourself.
12. Snack-Size Bags
Although no one can argue that snack-size bags aren’t convenient, you’ll have to decide how much the convenience is worth to you. A package of 18 single-ounce bags of assorted chips costs $11.99, or approximately 66 cents per ounce. A 13.5-ounce bag of Lay’s chips costs $5.69, or about 37 cents per ounce.
And if you fear you’ll miss the smaller, more convenient portions snack-size bags provide, go ahead and buy the bulk package. Then, portion it out into ultra-cheap, snack-size zipper-seal bags.
13. Canned Beans
A 2-pound bag of dry pinto beans will yield about 12 cups of cooked beans, according to The Bean Institute, and costs $4.09. A 16-ounce can of Bush’s Best cooked pinto beans costs $1.33 at HEB and provides only two cups of cooked beans. It would take six cans of pinto beans — which would total $7.98 — to yield the same amount of beans as a 2-pound bag. By buying cooked beans, you nearly double the price for the same quantity.
It’s true that opening a can of beans and heating them on the stovetop takes less time and effort than picking through pintos to make sure there aren’t any bad beans, soaking them, seasoning them and keeping watch while they cook. But you can cook the beans in a slow cooker and effectively set it and forget it. Plus, you’ll be able to freeze the leftover beans for another time.
14. Refrigerated Orange Juice
A can of frozen orange juice concentrate costs anywhere from $2.85 to $3.40 for Minute Maid brand. It makes 48 ounces of juice, which equals roughly 5 to 7 cents per ounce. A 64-ounce carton of chilled orange juice from concentrate costs $6.99, which equals about 11 cents per ounce, roughly twice the price.
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15. Brewed Tea
A box of 22 teabags for cold-brew iced tea costs roughly $3.67, and it takes four teabags to make 1 gallon of tea. Each box of teabags will make 5-1/2 gallons of tea.
A gallon of bottled tea costs roughly $3.48. The cost, then, for 5-1/2 gallons of bottled tea is about $19, roughly five times the price of making your own.
16. Premade Uncooked Hamburger Patties
A package of 85% lean ground beef is $6.49 per pound, and a 1-pound package of raw lean hamburger patties is $6.99 per pound. It’s only 50 cents more to save a few minutes and pull perfectly formed burgers out of the package.
However, if you eat burgers a few times a week, you could shave dollars off your grocery bill. Plus, when you make your own patties, you can form them into the size and type you prefer (smash burgers, anyone?) and add your own seasonings — or even cheese or bacon bits — inside. Buying ground beef instead of burgers also gives you the flexibility to easily whip up a casserole, spaghetti with meat sauce or tacos instead of burgers.
17. Hard-Boiled Eggs
Hard boiling your own eggs takes time. First, you have to wait for the water to boil and then cook them for roughly 11 minutes. Then, the eggs need to cool a bit before you can peel them.
A handy, counter-top egg cooker can streamline the process. But if you want the really easy way: Buy pre-boiled eggs from the grocery store. The catch is that you’re paying someone else to do the work.
A half-dozen hard-boiled eggs from Eggland’s Best cost $3.49. A dozen similar raw eggs cost between $2.99 and $3.19 depending on where you shop. You can also find uncooked eggs for less than $1 at Aldi.
18. Batteries
It might be convenient to pick up batteries while you do your grocery shopping, but, as with so many items on the list, you’ll pay more for the convenience. For example, one package of four Duracell AA batteries costs $6.39 at the grocery store, regularly priced. You may find them on sale for $4.99, or $1.25 per battery.
Walmart has an 8-pack of Duracell AA batteries for $9.18, or $1.15 per battery. Even better, pick up a 48-pack of Duracell batteries for $30 at BJ’s wholesale club, which is just 62 cents per battery. Between all the remote controls, video game controllers, and other household electronics that use AA batteries, it never hurts to have that many on hand.
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19. Refrigerated Mashed Potatoes
When you’re yearning for a home-cooked meal but you just don’t have the time to boil and mash potatoes, you might toss a tray of prepared mashed potatoes into your shopping cart. But you might not want to make a habit of doing so.
You’ll pay up to $5.29 at the grocery store for a 24-ounce tray of prepared mashed potatoes, which is approximately 22 cents per ounce. But bagged russet potatoes are around 4 cents per ounce. That’s nearly 18 cents per ounce less than the prepared potatoes.
20. Precut Veggies
Although precut veggies are super convenient when hosting a party, you’ll pay considerably more for not having to prep. A 12 oz. bag of store brand washed and ready-to-eat broccoli florets costs $2.99 or 25 cents per ounce. On the other hand, a broccoli crown, which weighs roughly 1 pound, costs just $2.07 at the same store. You’ll save nearly $1 and get 4 oz. more of fresh vegetables.
And, let’s face it. You’re probably re-washing that pre-washed broccoli from a bag before you serve it, anyway, so you’re not saving that much food prep time.
21. Gift Cards
When you’re running short on time to shop, having the option to grab a gift card while you’re picking up a cake can be the perfect solution. But grocery stores aren’t known for discounting their gift cards.
You can, however, get bulk discounts at warehouse clubs such as Sam’s Club or Costco. A paid membership is required to shop at both stores, but in many cases, it’s worth it.
22. Toiletries
Picking up your toiletries or makeup during a grocery store run isn’t the wisest choice in most cases. Although you might get lucky and find an in-store special for your favorite toothpaste or shampoo, you generally can save if you opt to buy these items at a discount store such as Walmart.
For example, you’ll pay up to $9.29 for an 8.5-ounce bottle of L’Oreal sulfate-free Color Care shampoo at the grocery store, or $1.09 per ounce. But if you make a trip to Walmart, you can get L’Oreal EverPure sulfate free shampoo and conditioner — each in 8.5 ounce bottles — for $13.97 for both, or 82 cents per ounce.
If you’re willing to experiment with different brands and don’t require sulfate-free hair care products, Dollar Tree has the best deals with brands like White Rain in 22.5 oz. bottles for just $1.25.
23. Cookware
It can be tempting to grab some shiny new cookware as you stroll the supermarket aisles. But you’d be wise to walk on by.
Stop & Shop’s store brand Smart Living non-stick 11.75-inch saute pan retails for $20, although you can get it on sale for $16. On the other hand, Walmart offers its Mainstays non-stick, ceramic-coated 12-inch frying pan for just $12.77.
24. Herbs and Spices
Taco seasoning is a great pantry staple to have on hand for quick weeknight dinners. But if you’re buying national brands like Ortega, Old El Paso, or McCormick, you’re paying more than you have to. These seasoning mix packets sell for $1.29 to $1.39 at the grocery store, while Nature’s Promise Organic sells for $1.09 for the same size, a savings of 20 to 30 cents per ounce.
Even better, buy the large size of Old El Paso taco seasoning mix and use what you need for each meal. You’ll pay just $4.59 for a 6.25 oz. can, enough for six taco dinners, at just 73 cents per ounce.
25. Cleaning Products
If you have cleaning supplies on your grocery list, you might want to cross them off and wait until you visit a discount store. For instance, a four-count package of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser cleaning pads costs $5.69 at the grocery store, while you can get a 9-pack at Target for $8.49, which is less than $1 per pad.
Meanwhile, Dollar Tree has an entire array of cleaning products, including disinfectant spray and glass cleaner, for $1.25, while similar products retail for $3 and more at grocery stores. Lysol Crisp Linen Disinfecting Spray goes for nearly $9 for a 19 oz. can at Stop & Shop in New York. The Dollar Tree version is only 7.5 oz., but you’re still getting a tremendous deal, as you can buy 3 cans to get 21 oz. and still pay less than half the price of the grocery store.
Laura Beck and Cynthia Measom contributed to the reporting of past versions of this article.
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