Whether you’re scrambling to buy groceries with leftover change or you’re trying to save money for a bigger goal, knowing which cheap foods to buy is important.
So many people assume they’ll be limited to bologna, ramen, and gas station burritos. And sure, you can eat that, but then you’ll likely spend a lot on medical costs in the future.
When looking for better quality cheap foods to buy at the grocery store, you actually have a lot of options. You’ve got fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables, multiple kinds of protein, and many whole grains available to choose from. It’s also important to get at least one kind of seasoning, healthy fat, and some kind of sweetener to add variety and flavor to your meals.
Of course, even steak goes on sale. Using a price book to know when sales are coming is one of the best ways to save money on groceries. However, the foods listed here are the best budget food options regardless of sales, stores, or location.
Cheapest Foods
Do you have a completely bare-bones budget? Do you want to eat something besides spam and toast? These are the foods to start with. Eating a good combination of foods from every food group will keep you full, reasonably healthy, and energized for the day.
The cheapest foods are those least altered from their original form. A dozen eggs and homemade bread are cheaper than pre-made breakfast sandwiches, after all. So you won’t see any $1 frozen dinner packs here, since the actual amount of food-per-dollar is less compared to making your own.
When you get a little more wiggle room in your budget, you can scroll down to the next section. There, you’ll find foods that are still good to buy on a budget but give you more variety.
| Dairy & Eggs | Fruits & vegetables | Grains |
|---|---|---|
| Milk Yogurt Eggs Sour cream | Bananas Potatoes Onions Whole carrots Iceberg lettuce Cucumbers Cabbage Frozen vegetables Canned vegetables Applesauce Tomato sauce | Rice Pasta Oats Cornmeal Plain popcorn Flour Whole wheat bread Tortillas |
| Proteins | Fats & sugars | Spices, flavorings, and baking supplies |
|---|---|---|
| Dry or canned beans Peanut butter Lentils or split peas Canned tuna fish Whole chicken Frozen chicken leg quarters | Vegetable/canola oil Shortening Olive oil Granulated sugar | Salt Pepper Chili powder Cinnamon Garlic powder Paprika Chicken bouillon Yeast Imitation Vanilla Extract Baking soda |
Bare-Bones Budget Meals
With just the above foods you can make vegetarian or fish tacos, pizzas, stir fry, omelets, plus various soups, casseroles, baked or overnight oats, frittatas, and beans & rice dishes. I cover a few of these in my article on dirt cheap meals for large families, if you’d like specific recipes and ideas to get started.
You can also make mug cakes, rice pudding, and even brownies if you want a sweet treat. Budget foods don’t have to be boring or gross!
Of course, it can feel limiting when you don’t have much meat, cheese, or fresh fruits. Let’s look at a few other options.
Other Cheap Foods to Buy at the Grocery Store
If you’ve bought what you wanted from the above list and still have a little cash left over, you’ve got way more options. The next tier of cheap food includes more pork and beef options (instead of mostly beans, chicken, and fish), plus more fresh fruits and vegetables and some flavor-adding favorites.
| Dairy | Fruits and Vegetables | Grains |
|---|---|---|
| Butter Block cheddar cheese Parmesan cheese | Apples Oranges Spinach Squashes Bell peppers Garlic Lemon | Plain, generic cereal Pretzels Crackers |
| Proteins | Fats & sugars | Spices, flavorings, and baking supplies |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken legs & thighs Pork chops Ground beef Ground turkey Chuck roast | Molasses Honey Brown sugar | Oregano Italian seasoning Baking powder Cocoa powder Soy sauce Worcestershire sauce Hot sauce |
Meals to Make with Cheap Foods
I’ve compiled a few lists of budget meal ideas to help get your creative juices flowing:
- 40+ Dirt Cheap Meals for Large Families to Save Money
- Cheap Breakfast Ideas Under $1.05
- 25 Best Freezer Meals for New Moms: One-Handed, Nutritious, and Easy!
There’s a great book option, too. Leanne Brown, author of Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/day, gives away the FREE copy of her book in PDF format on her website. (You can also support her efforts to fight food insecurity by buying a copy of Good and Cheap for $10 on Amazon.)
Where to Buy Budget Groceries
If I could only shop at one grocery store for the rest of my life, it would be Aldi’s. They have a wide enough variety, good enough quality, and excellent prices to keep me happy. But I don’t just shop at Aldi’s, and I’ll tell you why.
No single store (not even Aldi’s!) will have the best prices on literally everything. So, you have two options. One, you can shop at a different store every week to pick up each store’s best deals. Or, you can choose a store that has the MOST best prices and accept that you’ll pay more for other items, but at least you won’t have to drive around.
Meat
I have an entire article on how and where to buy cheap meat, which you should check out. But I’ll repeat: you get the best prices on meat if you shop at stores that advertise huge sales. Stores like Kroger, Albertson’s, and Piggly Wiggly operate this way, and offer massive discounts on weekly specials to get you in the door. I have a chest freezer primarily because I bulk buy meat on sale and freeze it for later.
Produce
When buying fresh produce, ethnic food stores often have the best prices. Asian, hispanic, and halal markets usually have great produce for pennies on the dollar compared to bigger stores, since that’s what most of their target customers want. Aldi’s produce section isn’t bad, either.
Non-perishables
For non-perishables like pasta, rice, spices, and baking supplies, I find the best prices at Aldi’s, but Walmart is a close second. When I compare their prices in my price book, they’re usually neck and neck, price-wise. Dollar stores can also work for these products, but be careful about the package sizes. You might get more rice for your dollar, for example, at Walmart or Aldi’s.
Final Thoughts
These are all, of course, generalizations. I haven’t been to every grocery store in every state to compare the price of every food. You might have access to salvage stores, community supported agriculture programs, or very regional grocery chains with better prices (or even free food). But I do keep close track of prices in my own area and compare with those nationally, so I feel comfortable sharing my expertise to give you a starting place.
It’s important for you to go see the cheap foods out there for yourself and get familiar with your local grocery landscape. If you don’t have time, try buddying up with others in your area and have everyone scope out one store each.
Finally, there’s no shame in getting help when you need it. One of the kindest men I’d ever met was the guy who brought three bags of food to the food pantry every week during the summer I volunteered there. He shared that he relied on the same pantry during a rough patch in his life months before, and he vowed to give back when he was able to. So he did. I eat this kind of inexpensive food all the time because I choose to, but I know everyone has a different story.
In the comments, feel free to share the cheap foods, meals, and recipes you love to help everyone reading this find new ideas and hope.
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