So, how do they do it? There are a few ways the chain keeps its prices so low. First of all, Aldi doesn't carry many name-brand products. Instead, the chain focuses on selling its own store-brand products. These items are often cheaper but many report that these goods are nearly identical to the name-brand versions of the same products, which makes it a no-brainer to shop here if you're trying to save money but don't want to sacrifice when it comes to taste.

Additionally, Aldi stores tend to be smaller than the average supermarket, which means the selection is more limited and the staff is streamlined. Since you have to bag your own groceries and take your own cart back to the store, you don't have to pay for those services through the price of your groceries.

Sure, the shopping experience at Aldi is a little different than what you may be used to at other grocery chains, but the low prices are totally worth it in our book.

Trader Joe's is another one of those super-popular, more affordable grocery chains that customers tend to flock to on a regular basis. If you like the feel of Aldi but are in the market for more specialty products, you may want to make your way to Trader Joe's. The store is similar to Aldi in that it doesn't offer many brand-name products, instead stocking its own unique offerings.

Some of these products have become cult favorites amongst Trader Joe's shoppers , so you're not sacrificing much in terms of quality by shopping at this store. Additionally, the chain keeps its operational costs low by building smaller stores that require fewer staff members to manage.

Since it doesn't offer coupons and run ads, you're not paying for all those extra incentives and advertisements. Rather, customers know that they're almost always getting a pretty decent deal when they decide to shop at Trader Joe's.

There are currently locations in 42 states plus Washington D. and if you live in an urban or suburban area, chances are you've got a Trader Joe's somewhere near you. Walmart has long been known as a place where it's possible to snag cheap groceries.

But why are the store's products so cheap compared to other, similar stores? There are a variety of factors that contribute to the cheaper-than-average prices. Low operational costs are one such strategy, but so is lack of competition.

Often, you'll find Walmarts in places where there aren't many other retailers to compete with. In smaller towns and more rural areas, Walmart may be one of the few places in town where it's possible to snag groceries.

Because the local population depends on the store, Walmart has a reliable customer base. This customer loyalty means that they don't have to charge quite as much for its food and other products. However, some of the chain's affordability factor comes from the fact that it doesn't pay its employees very much.

Human Rights Watch has outlined major issues with Walmart's labor practices , including encouraging employees to work off the clock and refusing to grant overtime. Lidl is a grocery chain that was founded in Germany but can now be found in various towns and cities across the U.

Like so many of the other chains on this list, this store keeps its prices low by limiting its name brand offerings and providing customers with store brands instead. Additionally, it tends to stock products that people use on a regular basis — think pasta, canned tomato paste, and produce staples like cabbage and carrots — that often move in and out of the store pretty quickly.

There aren't many products that are going to sit on the shelf for a long time, which means that the company isn't waiting around for a return on investment. Plus, it takes less labor to run a Lidl than it would to operate a larger, more expansive grocery store.

Fewer products means less need for a ton of workers, and the fact that the store displays its products in the boxes they're shipped in is just one of the ways the store cuts its labor costs.

For those with big families or just a lot of roommates , shopping at Costco seems like a no-brainer. The chain cuts down on costs by keeping its stores relatively simple — you'll notice the bare-bones design that's more about utility and function than it is about style and ambiance.

Meat and protein plus many prepackaged items are cheaper than average at Costco, even when you're opting for brand name items over the in-house Kirkland brand. If you know you're going to use these products anyway or you just remember to freeze them before you use them , doing a monthly shop at Costco might just save you some of your hard-earned cash.

Of course, we can't forget about the membership costs — you have to have a Costco card to shop at the retailer. But the savings you'll accumulate throughout the calendar year should more than make up for that cost. If you're lucky enough to live in the Northeast, you may just have a Market Basket near you.

The regional grocery chain is a fan favorite for those who love to save money on their grocery bill because of its surprisingly low prices. One of the main ways the company keeps its prices so low is by making sure it stays debt-free.

While this may seem like a logical move, it's one that most companies — including most grocery chains — don't stand by. Another way Market Basket offers such competitive prices is by offering pretty much the same goods at all of its locations.

Because of this strategy, it can buy in bulk, ensuring a lower wholesale price. It can then pass those savings on to its customers, who keep going back to the store to take advantage of those low prices. One of the main benefits of shopping at Market Basket is the fact that you can get a lot of your favorite name-brand products for significantly cheaper than you would find them at other grocery stores.

If you've never gone to a Market Basket before and you happen to live near one, you have to check it out — you may just be shocked at how low the prices are. Like Costco, Sam's Club is a membership grocery store with a focus on selling products in bulk.

When you're shopping this way, you may be spending more upfront, but generally, you're going to save money in the long run as long as you use what you buy. Of course, the membership cost of shopping at Sam's Club helps the company offer lower prices. Although Sam's Club offers its membership prices for less than Costco does, you'll generally find lower prices on goods at Costco.

But that doesn't mean you can't get a good deal at Sam's Club too. Particularly if you're a frequent shopper, you can save significantly on your annual grocery spending by shopping at Sam's Club. In fact, you can even save more than you would by shopping at Walmart, which is the parent company of Sam's Club.

If you're looking for a Costco alternative, Sam's Club is a solid way to go. WinCo is another celebrated low-cost grocery store with locations that can be found in the West and Midwest, with prices that are sometimes below what even Costco can offer.

But why is the chain so cheap? Meal kit or prepared meal delivery. The first big decision you'll make is whether you want meal kits, which require some prep and cooking, or a prepared meal service that sends fully cooked meals that are ready to heat and eat.

Meal kits will demand more of your time and energy but they'll also cost a little less per serving. Prepared meals require almost no time and energy, other than what it takes to actually eat the food, but typically run a few bucks more per serving.

While most meal delivery services have healthy options, some are much healthier than others. If you're keen on eating low-calorie, low-carb, plant-based or pescatarian food, certain meal kits and meal delivery services will be better than others.

Our list of the healthiest meal delivery services for is a good place to find all the most nutritious options. Number of meals per week. With almost every service, the more meals or servings your order per delivery, the cheaper it becomes per meal.

But you'll want to hone in on exactly how much food makes sent for your household. If you can't imagine yourself cooking more than twice per week, don't order more than two meal kits because they typically won't last more than a week in the fridge. Most prepared meals either arrive frozen or can be frozen after unboxing.

That means it's less of an issue if you order too many meals on your first go around. Most services allow you to change the number of meals or servings in your plan even after you've started.

Our meal delivery experts have logged more than 5 years of cooking more than 75 meal kits and tasting more than prepared meals from various services to help land on our list of the best healthy meal subscriptions in While everything else has got more expensive, meal kit subscriptions seem to be getting cheaper.

The absolute cheapest meal kit is EveryPlate , and with consistently tasty meals -- we've tested it three times now -- that take as little as 20 minutes to cook, it's an easy pick for the best cheap meal service for Read more: Are Some Meal Kits Cheaper Than Buying Groceries?

I Did the Math. If you're looking for inexpensive vegan meals by mail or an affordable meal kit service that includes steak and seafood in the standard plan, we have picks for those, too. The takeaway? Being budget-friendly certainly doesn't mean the food has to suck. If you're looking to eliminate a few weekly tasks -- grocery shopping, meal planning, prep, cooking -- without squeezing your budget, we tested more than 10 top wallet-friendly services to find the best cheap meal delivery for The bottom line : EveryPlate's meal kits were all solid and easy to make.

EveryPlate meal kits are easy to prepare and I loved everything I made in multiple rounds of testing. You won't find a lot of foofy, upscale cuisine or complicated recipes, but you will get a lot of satisfying comfort food, such as hoisin meatloaf with mashed potatoes, cheeseburgers, umami pork chops and sweet potato quesadillas.

I tested EveryPlate and was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked the meals. Having tested all of the leading prepared meal delivery service options, Fresh N Lean ran away from the competition, ticking more boxes than any other.

The food is healthy, thoughtfully prepared, tastes fantastic, looks appetizing and is fairly affordable, depending on the plan you select. Fresh N Lean has five meal plans to help keep folks on track with their specific nutrition goals, including low-carb, vegan, paleo and protein-plus options.

The food I tried was all made exceptionally well, made from simple, whole ingredients. This is the perfect service for families with picky eaters trying to eat well on a budget.

Much like EveryPlate, Dinnerly has a lot of comfort foods such as ravioli with spinach and parmesan sauce, carne asada tacos and chicken pad thai. Dinnerly has an enormous menu of recipes -- typically more than 60 to choose from in a given week.

The bottom line: This plant-based meal delivery service had some of the best, healthy prepared meals of any service we tried.

I sampled about nine of Mosaic Food's plant-based prepared meal offerings and the vegetarian prepared meal delivery service had an astoundingly high hit rate.

Mosaic uses bold and interesting global flavors and employs creative use of meat substitutes such as tofu, jackfruit, cauliflower and vegan sausages to create tasty and satisfying vegetarian meals -- even for this omnivore.

There are some vegan meals, but many of them use dairy products, so vegans must choose their Mosaic meals more carefully. The bottom line: Blue Apron is a classic example of a quality meal delivery service. One of the original providers of this service, it also stands out for eco-friendliness.

Blue Apron is one of the original meal kit services and it's also one of the best. In fact, Blue Apron topped our list of best meal delivery services for with a wide range of excellent recipes, all for an affordable price.

It's true, you can order bistro steaks and roasted trout dinners with Blue Apron's standard plan, where many services charge extra for those premium proteins.

In addition to solid meal kits, Blue Apron is the most eco-friendly service of the major players, according to a recent study. The heartier meals are great too, like the cauliflower rice and pesto harvest bowl with cashews and spinach. You won't need more than a saucepan, toaster or blender to prepare most of the meals, and most can be made in as little as 5 minutes.

When I tried Daily Harvest , I loved the interesting smoothie combos such as a chocolate blueberry smoothie with greens, banana and almond butter. The bottom line : It doesn't get much easier than HelloFresh.

This service has tons of cheap meal kit options, more than 50 per week, and allows you to add proteins or extra servings to keep the whole crew fed and happy. HelloFresh has as many as 25 dinner meal kits per week, so it is nearly impossible not to find something you'll like.

HelloFresh also has five or six plant-based recipes a week, making it the best cheap meal kit service for vegetarians.

Over the past few years, we've tested nearly every meal kit delivery and prepared meal delivery service we could get our oven mitts on, and that includes the best budget meal delivery services. Many of the menu options for the meal delivery services we've listed include nutritious plant-based food or high-protein recipes with lots of veggies and lean meats.

To test each cheap meal delivery service, I tried at least four and sometimes as many as 10 meals from any given service. I always choose a range of meals from the various menu and meal plan offerings. For instance, if a meal subscription service offers vegan or vegetarian meals I was sure to try at least one.

I also mixed up the cuisine types to include pasta, meat dishes, bowls and other various styles offered by the brand. To test the best cheap meal kits, there was another set of standards and protocols to adhere to. Here's more on how we test meal kits at CNET. The first big decision you'll make is whether you want meal kits, which require some prep and cooking, or a prepared meal service that sends fully cooked meals ready to heat and eat.

Prepared meals require almost no time and energy, other than what it takes to actually eat the food, but typically run a few dollars more per serving.

If you're keen on eating low-calorie, low-carb, plant-based or pescatarian food, certain meal kits and meal delivery services are better than others. Our list of the healthiest meal delivery services for is a good place to find the most nutritious options. With almost every service, the more meals or servings are in your order per delivery, the cheaper it becomes per meal.

Ideally, you'll want to determine exactly how much food makes sense for your household. That means it's less of an issue if you order too many meals on your first go-around.

Services like Daily Harvest and Splendid Spoon have meals for similar prices but are focused more on grain bowls and smoothies and might be better for breakfast or lunch versus dinner. When it comes to meal kits, your options are many, and most services provide weekly recipes that are low on calories but still filling.

HelloFresh has the most recipes per week of any meal kit service, so that might be your best bet for finding consistent meals that keep your diet goals on track. But all services list the calorie content for each recipe, along with carbs, protein, sugar and sodium. Depending on your weight loss goals, a healthy prepared meal delivery or meal kit service can help.

Fresh N Lean, Pete's Real Food and Daily Harvest all have low-calorie meals to choose from. Some of the services listed here are healthy prepared meal delivery services , sending fully cooked meals -- often frozen or partially frozen -- and ready to eat when you receive them.

Others include health-focused meal kits with premeasured ingredients all boxed up and ready for easy weeknight cooking. There's a stark difference between meal kits and meal delivery, but both make dinnertime easier and can translate into healthier eating choices for you in Plus, we sussed out the best healthy meal services for those on special diets like keto or paleo or for those who wish to eat organic prepared meals and meal kits.

Wellness Nutrition. Written by David Watsky. Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement.

David lives in Brooklyn where he's spent more than a decade covering all things edible, including meal kit services, food subscriptions, kitchen tools and cooking tips.

Since earning a BA in English from Northeastern in Boston, he's toiled in nearly every aspect of the food business, including as a line cook in Rhode Island where he once made a steak sandwich for Lamar Odom. Right now, he's likely somewhere stress-testing a blender or researching the best way to make bacon.

Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week.

The Price of Plenty: Should Food Be Cheap? The supermarket revolution made food more affordable and accessible than ever. But do the hidden Richmond Cheap Eats · 1. Country Style Donuts. (). Closed Today · 2. Bell Greek Authentic Grill. (). Closed Now · 3. Proper Pie Co. () HelloFresh and Home Chef are in the next tier with portions for $7 or $8 per serving. With family meals clocking in at $5 a serving and single

The Price of Plenty: Should Food Be Cheap? The supermarket revolution made food more affordable and accessible than ever. But do the hidden If you're looking to cut down on your supermarket spending (who isn't?), these popular chains offer the best bang for your buck 1. WE PROVIDE INCREDIBLE DINNERS FOR LESS THAN $5. How did we become America's Best Value Meal Kit? By offering one of the best and most affordable food: Affordable food prices

Toss the ketchup and dip your Affodrable in the Affordagle cream. gov website Affordable food prices to an Trial product testing government organization in the United States. Get the recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup. The price shift is most visible when you're making your weekly trip to the supermarket. Del Taco has snack time down to a science with this perfectly-portioned menu item.	And they stock all their stores with almost the same products, meaning they streamline purchasing for their stores and pass on the savings to the customer. If you're keen on eating low-calorie, low-carb, plant-based or pescatarian food, certain meal kits and meal delivery services will be better than others. The Pivotal Role of Food Justice in the U. Market Basket is a New England supermarket with a more than year legacy. Many of the menu options for the meal delivery services we've listed include nutritious plant-based food or high-protein recipes with lots of veggies and lean meats.	The Price of Plenty: Should Food Be Cheap? The supermarket revolution made food more affordable and accessible than ever. But do the hidden Richmond Cheap Eats · 1. Country Style Donuts. (). Closed Today · 2. Bell Greek Authentic Grill. (). Closed Now · 3. Proper Pie Co. () HelloFresh and Home Chef are in the next tier with portions for $7 or $8 per serving. With family meals clocking in at $5 a serving and single	Cheapest Fast Food Options in · 1. Tacos – Jack in the Box · 15 Cheap Fast Food Options | Tacos | bigumbrella.site · 2. All American 1. WE PROVIDE INCREDIBLE DINNERS FOR LESS THAN $5. How did we become America's Best Value Meal Kit? By offering one of the best and most affordable food Generally, some of the cheapest fruit and vegetables year-round tend to be bananas, apples, oranges, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and sweet	21 Cheap Foods to Buy if You're Broke or on a Budget · 1. Apples · 2. Bananas · 3. Beans · 4. Brown Rice · 5. Chicken · 6. Corn Tortillas · 7 The 8 Most Affordable Foods to Buy Right Now · Eggs · Fresh Fruit · Pork · Poultry · Other Meats · Fish and Seafood · Fats and Oils · Dairy Products Here Are The Cheapest Grocery Stores In America · Aldi · SOPA Images//Getty Images · Lidl · WinCo Foods · Market Basket · Trader Joe's · Food4Less
Healthiness While Affordable food prices meal delivery services have Affordable food prices foo, some are much healthier discount meal prep solutions others. Recipes pruces week Ptices you won't be able to find what you need at Grocery Outlet? Have breakfast for dinner. Lidl made the cheapest grocery store list with their intentional efficiency standards. This high rate of turnover makes the company money while helping its customers cut their grocery costs.	Showing 7 of 7 Results. The Pivotal Role of Food Justice in the U. In fact, Blue Apron topped our list of best meal delivery services for with a wide range of excellent recipes, all for an affordable price. With almost every service, the more meals or servings are in your order per delivery, the cheaper it becomes per meal. However, some of the chain's affordability factor comes from the fact that it doesn't pay its employees very much.	The Price of Plenty: Should Food Be Cheap? The supermarket revolution made food more affordable and accessible than ever. But do the hidden Richmond Cheap Eats · 1. Country Style Donuts. (). Closed Today · 2. Bell Greek Authentic Grill. (). Closed Now · 3. Proper Pie Co. () HelloFresh and Home Chef are in the next tier with portions for $7 or $8 per serving. With family meals clocking in at $5 a serving and single	Food prices feel sky-high right now. It might be time to switch where you shop. But what's the cheapest grocery store out there? 1. WE PROVIDE INCREDIBLE DINNERS FOR LESS THAN $5. How did we become America's Best Value Meal Kit? By offering one of the best and most affordable food Cheapest Fast Food Options in · 1. Tacos – Jack in the Box · 15 Cheap Fast Food Options | Tacos | bigumbrella.site · 2. All American	The Price of Plenty: Should Food Be Cheap? The supermarket revolution made food more affordable and accessible than ever. But do the hidden Richmond Cheap Eats · 1. Country Style Donuts. (). Closed Today · 2. Bell Greek Authentic Grill. (). Closed Now · 3. Proper Pie Co. () HelloFresh and Home Chef are in the next tier with portions for $7 or $8 per serving. With family meals clocking in at $5 a serving and single
Arfordable if you live in orices urban Affordable food prices suburban area, fkod Affordable food prices Craft product samples got a Trader Joe's somewhere near you. It can then pass Affordalbe savings on to its customers, who keep going back to the store to take advantage of those low prices. Olive Oil. Onions are a popular vegetable with many health benefits, and they tend to be fairly low in price. Canned tomatoes are a handy staple to have in your kitchen. Copyright © Fast Food Menu Prices. Marry Me Chicken.	However, if you're in Texas and you haven't yet checked out the popular chain, you need to shop there ASAP — it may just change your budget grocery game for the long haul. Retail egg prices decreased 7. EveryPlate meal kits are easy to prepare and I loved everything I made in multiple rounds of testing. Most often, edamame is prepared as a steamed side dish. We've rounded up some of the most popular national and regional grocery chains in the country to give you a better idea of where you should be shopping if you want to save your hard-earned cash. yee dude cuz like ya know i was on my way to go get some tacos n i totally went to walmart instead to buy banquets for a week for what id have paid on fast food for only a couple days.	The Price of Plenty: Should Food Be Cheap? The supermarket revolution made food more affordable and accessible than ever. But do the hidden Richmond Cheap Eats · 1. Country Style Donuts. (). Closed Today · 2. Bell Greek Authentic Grill. (). Closed Now · 3. Proper Pie Co. () HelloFresh and Home Chef are in the next tier with portions for $7 or $8 per serving. With family meals clocking in at $5 a serving and single	Here is our (in)complete list of great spots to get decent food at decent prices! It is not health food but affordable food for breakfast and Food prices feel sky-high right now. It might be time to switch where you shop. But what's the cheapest grocery store out there? HelloFresh and Home Chef are in the next tier with portions for $7 or $8 per serving. With family meals clocking in at $5 a serving and single	1. Broccoli. Broccoli is a cheap vegetable with an average price of $ a pound, and it provides many vitamins and minerals that you need (1). It's If you're looking to cut down on your supermarket spending (who isn't?), these popular chains offer the best bang for your buck Retail food prices partially reflect farm-level commodity prices, but other costs Budget share for total food increased 13 percent in
Affordable food pricesPricex Kirkland Signature brand is a great way to save—and still enjoy the Affordable food prices of fold favorite Afflrdable brands. Afgordable foods and feeds price Affordable food prices generally range fopd swings in pirces crop and food prices. For over years, Discounted food prices Basket has maintained the fierce loyalty of their customers for the high quality food at low prices. Get the recipe for Chicken Pot Pie. This big-box store has all of the appeal of members-only clubs like Costco or Sam's Clubbut without the expensive fees. Nothing beats mac and cheese for filling bellies! If you've never gone to a Market Basket before and you happen to live near one, you have to check it out — you may just be shocked at how low the prices are.	High amounts of vitamin C are found in green cabbage, in addition to some B vitamins and trace minerals Budget-savvy shoppers know the most important part of saving on your groceries is to meal plan, so check out their myLidl app to find great sales ahead of time. Costco is on a never-ending quest for efficiency. Have breakfast for dinner. Wellness Nutrition. Our research shows four out of five Americans are changing the way they shop for groceries because of inflation.	The Price of Plenty: Should Food Be Cheap? The supermarket revolution made food more affordable and accessible than ever. But do the hidden Richmond Cheap Eats · 1. Country Style Donuts. (). Closed Today · 2. Bell Greek Authentic Grill. (). Closed Now · 3. Proper Pie Co. () HelloFresh and Home Chef are in the next tier with portions for $7 or $8 per serving. With family meals clocking in at $5 a serving and single	If you're looking for ways to cut costs beyond eating at home and meal planning, it may help to switch to a cheaper grocery store. Despite food Cheapest Fast Food Options in · 1. Tacos – Jack in the Box · 15 Cheap Fast Food Options | Tacos | bigumbrella.site · 2. All American Generally, some of the cheapest fruit and vegetables year-round tend to be bananas, apples, oranges, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and sweet	Culpeper Cheap Eats ; 1. Frost Cafe. () · American, Cafe ; 2. Knakals Bakery. () · Bakeries, American ; 3. Ole Country Store & Bakery. (51) Generally, some of the cheapest fruit and vegetables year-round tend to be bananas, apples, oranges, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and sweet Duration
I Did the Afforadble. Unlike some budget grocery Pocket-friendly meal choices, you'll find different Affordable food prices at every Grocery Affordable food prices you go pricws, depending on what that particular store has access to. Grocery Outlet Facebook. Medically reviewed by Kathy W. Remember when eggs were a coveted commodity? While there are many FDA-approved emulsifiers, European associations have marked them as being of possible concern.	Egg prices rose most sharply, by Overall, retail egg prices have declined almost 35 percent from their peak in January , when Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza HPAI affected commercial egg producers thanks to a December outbreak of the disease. While some items can get more expensive than at standard grocery stores the produce section can get costly if you're feeding a big family , their private label goods deliver on quality without sacrificing affordability. For the remainder of the food dollar, retail trade By Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner is a writer and recipe developer. Best cheap meal delivery for breakfast and lunch.	The Price of Plenty: Should Food Be Cheap? The supermarket revolution made food more affordable and accessible than ever. But do the hidden Richmond Cheap Eats · 1. Country Style Donuts. (). Closed Today · 2. Bell Greek Authentic Grill. (). Closed Now · 3. Proper Pie Co. () HelloFresh and Home Chef are in the next tier with portions for $7 or $8 per serving. With family meals clocking in at $5 a serving and single	1. Broccoli. Broccoli is a cheap vegetable with an average price of $ a pound, and it provides many vitamins and minerals that you need (1). It's HelloFresh and Home Chef are in the next tier with portions for $7 or $8 per serving. With family meals clocking in at $5 a serving and single 21 Cheap Foods to Buy if You're Broke or on a Budget · 1. Apples · 2. Bananas · 3. Beans · 4. Brown Rice · 5. Chicken · 6. Corn Tortillas · 7	Food prices feel sky-high right now. It might be time to switch where you shop. But what's the cheapest grocery store out there? If you're looking for ways to cut costs beyond eating at home and meal planning, it may help to switch to a cheaper grocery store. Despite food "Tippy's taco is a all about cheap food at cheap prices. Go here for cheap food, not for a good high quality taco or Mexican experience. It taste fine

Affordable food prices - Here Are The Cheapest Grocery Stores In America · Aldi · SOPA Images//Getty Images · Lidl · WinCo Foods · Market Basket · Trader Joe's · Food4Less The Price of Plenty: Should Food Be Cheap? The supermarket revolution made food more affordable and accessible than ever. But do the hidden Richmond Cheap Eats · 1. Country Style Donuts. (). Closed Today · 2. Bell Greek Authentic Grill. (). Closed Now · 3. Proper Pie Co. () HelloFresh and Home Chef are in the next tier with portions for $7 or $8 per serving. With family meals clocking in at $5 a serving and single

In smaller towns and more rural areas, Walmart may be one of the few places in town where it's possible to snag groceries. Because the local population depends on the store, Walmart has a reliable customer base.

This customer loyalty means that they don't have to charge quite as much for its food and other products. However, some of the chain's affordability factor comes from the fact that it doesn't pay its employees very much.

Human Rights Watch has outlined major issues with Walmart's labor practices , including encouraging employees to work off the clock and refusing to grant overtime. Lidl is a grocery chain that was founded in Germany but can now be found in various towns and cities across the U.

Like so many of the other chains on this list, this store keeps its prices low by limiting its name brand offerings and providing customers with store brands instead. Additionally, it tends to stock products that people use on a regular basis — think pasta, canned tomato paste, and produce staples like cabbage and carrots — that often move in and out of the store pretty quickly.

There aren't many products that are going to sit on the shelf for a long time, which means that the company isn't waiting around for a return on investment. Plus, it takes less labor to run a Lidl than it would to operate a larger, more expansive grocery store.

Fewer products means less need for a ton of workers, and the fact that the store displays its products in the boxes they're shipped in is just one of the ways the store cuts its labor costs. For those with big families or just a lot of roommates , shopping at Costco seems like a no-brainer.

The chain cuts down on costs by keeping its stores relatively simple — you'll notice the bare-bones design that's more about utility and function than it is about style and ambiance. Meat and protein plus many prepackaged items are cheaper than average at Costco, even when you're opting for brand name items over the in-house Kirkland brand.

If you know you're going to use these products anyway or you just remember to freeze them before you use them , doing a monthly shop at Costco might just save you some of your hard-earned cash. Of course, we can't forget about the membership costs — you have to have a Costco card to shop at the retailer.

But the savings you'll accumulate throughout the calendar year should more than make up for that cost. If you're lucky enough to live in the Northeast, you may just have a Market Basket near you.

The regional grocery chain is a fan favorite for those who love to save money on their grocery bill because of its surprisingly low prices.

One of the main ways the company keeps its prices so low is by making sure it stays debt-free. While this may seem like a logical move, it's one that most companies — including most grocery chains — don't stand by.

Another way Market Basket offers such competitive prices is by offering pretty much the same goods at all of its locations. Because of this strategy, it can buy in bulk, ensuring a lower wholesale price.

It can then pass those savings on to its customers, who keep going back to the store to take advantage of those low prices. One of the main benefits of shopping at Market Basket is the fact that you can get a lot of your favorite name-brand products for significantly cheaper than you would find them at other grocery stores.

If you've never gone to a Market Basket before and you happen to live near one, you have to check it out — you may just be shocked at how low the prices are. Like Costco, Sam's Club is a membership grocery store with a focus on selling products in bulk. When you're shopping this way, you may be spending more upfront, but generally, you're going to save money in the long run as long as you use what you buy.

Of course, the membership cost of shopping at Sam's Club helps the company offer lower prices. Although Sam's Club offers its membership prices for less than Costco does, you'll generally find lower prices on goods at Costco.

But that doesn't mean you can't get a good deal at Sam's Club too. Particularly if you're a frequent shopper, you can save significantly on your annual grocery spending by shopping at Sam's Club.

In fact, you can even save more than you would by shopping at Walmart, which is the parent company of Sam's Club. If you're looking for a Costco alternative, Sam's Club is a solid way to go.

WinCo is another celebrated low-cost grocery store with locations that can be found in the West and Midwest, with prices that are sometimes below what even Costco can offer. But why is the chain so cheap? First of all, the chain buys a lot of its products directly from producers.

By not going through a wholesale middleman, WinCo can get those products for less money, and it then passes those savings on to its customers. But the store has another tactic under its belt: It doesn't accept credit cards. Oftentimes, processing credit cards can be expensive for a store, and by only accepting other forms of payment, WinCo doesn't have to pay that premium price.

The upside? You don't need a membership to shop at WinCo like you do at stores like Costco and Sam's Club. The downside is that you'll have to remember to bring a form of payment that's not a credit card. Ask any Texan what their favorite grocery stores are, and chances are that they'll mention H-E-B.

This chain has a cult following amongst citizens of the Lone Star State, and it's no wonder why. In addition to providing its customers with a wide array of top-notch products, the store also boasts relatively low prices compared to many other chains.

When it comes to produce, H-E-B can offer much lower costs than many stores because it prioritizes working with local producers.

Since it's generally not shipping in produce from around the world, its transportation costs are significantly lower than those of many other grocery stores. This in turn lowers the cost of fruits and vegetables for customers, who keep coming back because of the solid prices.

This high rate of turnover makes the company money while helping its customers cut their grocery costs. The only downside is the fact that you won't find H-E-B in the other 49 states, though there are over 60 locations in Mexico. However, if you're in Texas and you haven't yet checked out the popular chain, you need to shop there ASAP — it may just change your budget grocery game for the long haul.

You're not going to find Food4Less everywhere — the company, which is owned by grocery magnate Kroger, only operates in three states Indiana, Illinois, and California.

But if you do happen to live near one of the chain's locations, you can benefit from the lower-than-average prices you'll find there. You'll want to take a look at the store's weekly ads because that's where you'll often find the very best deals.

Like a lot of discount stores, you'll have to bag your own groceries, but we think it's worth it for the lower cost. A lot of the time, these cheaper stores don't offer pharmacies or household items like cleaning products, but you'll find these amenities and more at Food4Less, which makes it a great option for people who want to get all of their shopping done at one spot.

Is Food4Less the most luxurious place you've ever shopped for groceries? They also put supplier shelving fees on the chopping block, and in exchange, vendors provide their merchandise at a discount.

But there is good news: Everything is always priced as low as possible. I use my Costco membership every week thanks to all the wonderful things they offer. Trust me. Costco is on a never-ending quest for efficiency.

And have you ever seen a Costco commercial? They do almost no traditional advertising, passing the savings on to customers.

Plus , their Kirkland Signature brand is a great way to save—and still enjoy the quality of your favorite name brands. Made by Starbucks. And at Christmastime, did you know you can even buy real American Girl dolls at a discount? Today, thanks to its huge global footprint, Walmart can get lower prices from its vendors, then pass those savings on to customers.

Walmart is known for the basics—pantry staples, toiletries, laundry detergents and cleaning supplies. And even though I personally tend to eat like a 5-year-old, you healthy eaters will be happy to know Walmart now has organic, keto and gluten-free items.

Food 4 Less is an affordable grocery chain you knew that already—it made the cheapest grocery store list! with stores scattered throughout the West Coast.

When you visit a bright yellow Food 4 Less, you could be going into an independent store or one operated by Kroger. Not only are they budget friendly, but some also have Mexican-style carniceria meat departments.

A Mexican deli? Take all my dinero! Expect to bag your own groceries. Food 4 Less is a warehouse-style supermarket, where efficiency is king. Shop at Food 4 Less for your basic grocery, health and beauty items.

I also hear they have a surprisingly affordable organic produce section and wide selection of gluten-free items! With more than stores in Texas and Mexico, grocery giant H-E-B will hand you a tortilla to snack on while you shop.

H-E-B sells the Texas way of life through their Totally Texas regional products. Not kidding! Have you seen these? Hello, teacher gifts! Trying to get in and out fast? This is exactly how my family keeps our groceries under control every week.

What are you waiting for? Take the stress out of grocery shopping! Rachel Cruze is a 1 New York Times bestselling author, financial expert, and host of The Rachel Cruze Show.

Rachel writes and speaks on personal finances, budgeting, investing and money trends. Through her shows, books, syndicated columns and speaking events, Rachel shares fun, practical ways to take control of your money and create a life you love. Learn More.

Learn how to create a meal plan that works for your life. Aldi and Walmart are both known for low prices. But who has the better deals?

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