The Best Grocery Store Chains For Budget Shoppers

Love it or hate it, grocery shopping is a necessary task that we all must undertake. If you're anything like us, you probably value saving money and would love the opportunity to purchase more food and toiletries for less.

Still, with a different store lining every corner, it can be difficult to know which market will save you money and which will sap your wallet. In this article, we're detailing the grocery store chains that have proven to be the best for budget shoppers. We'll look at the unique aspects of each store, note where you can find them, and what makes each an ideal pick for the money-saving shopper. From popular retail giants to lesser-known neighborhood grocery marts, you'll walk away with confidence, knowing where you can fill your cart with the food you need for less. Join us as we explore the best grocery store chains for budget shoppers.

You probably aren't surprised to find Aldi on our list of budget-friendly grocery stores. Founded in 1961 as a German discount mart, Aldi has since crossed over into the U.S. and become an American money-saver's favorite. According to the Aldi website, the store prides itself on offering customers top-quality items at low prices. Currently, there are over 2,400 locations in the United States alone, with at least one Aldi store in more than 35 states.

Aldi is a great place to shop for food for more reasons than savings. There are a slew of ingredients you'll never find in Aldi brand products as the company took proactive steps to phase out certain ingredients in years past. In addition to better ingredients, people love that they can grab items even outside of what they have on their grocery list and not feel like they're blowing their budget while doing it.

To prove Aldi's low prices, we compared a 3-pound bag of Aldi yellow onions to the same onions at Walmart. Aldi indeed came out cheaper, at only $2.45 per bag at the time of publication, versus Walmart's $2.98 per bag. Of course, not everything you buy at Aldi will prove cheaper at Walmart, but when it comes to budget-friendly groceries, Aldi offers some of the the best — just don't forget to bring a quarter to unlock your cart and your own grocery bag if you don't want to have to buy theirs.

The motto at Market Basket is "More for your dollar," and it is indeed one of the more budget-friendlier grocery stores out there. Having made its debut in the 1920s, Market Basket continued to serve the local public during The Great Depression, allowing struggling families to purchase groceries on credit. Since then, the grocery chain has opened additional locations. Though popular, you'll only find this budget-saving market in Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

After perusing Market Basket's weekly flyer, we found bananas selling for 39 cents per pound, which is pretty good considering that Walmart and Meijer bananas hover between $0.50 to $0.60 per pound. Love Rao's pasta sauce? Though typically expensive compared to other jarred pasta sauce types, Market Basket had Rao's pasta sauces on sale for only $5.99 at the time of publication. And while we can't detail every sale item featured on Market Basket's flyer, we can attest that the shop runs several great deals, making it obvious why the locals love this place. If you find yourself lucky enough to live near a Market Basket, it might be worth checking out, especially if you find modern-day inflation affecting your grocery spending habits.

WinCo Foods is a grocery store that differs slightly from other budget-friendly grocery stores. WinCo is employee-owned, features bulk bin buys, and even has locations that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. At WinCo, you'll bag your own groceries, which, like a few other money-saving markets on this list, helps keep prices nice and low. Be advised that this popular food market doesn't accept credit cards; you'll need to use a debit card or cold hard cash, instead.

Unlike some of the more popular inexpensive grocery stores on this list, you won't find WinCo Foods in every state. This budget market mostly checkers the West Coast, with only a handful of locations found in other states like Texas and Oklahoma.

How low is low when it comes to pricing at WinCo Foods? We tried comparing prices using the Winco online ad, but alas, WinCo boldly declares not to have one. This is yet another way the market keeps costs low for frugal shoppers. We'd tell you more about its online coupons, but even this is reserved for "registered users" only — sigh. Even without seeing prices for ourselves, the folks over at Reddit insist that WinCo is a shop worth frequenting, with some claiming to do as much as 90% of their shopping there because of the ridiculously low prices. WinCo might feel offly secretive to some of us outsiders, but according to its loyal fanbase, its worth a visit.

Lidl makes some pretty big claims concerning its in-store products, and we must admit, we're intrigued. Like Aldi, Lidl started in Germany and has since expanded to 31 countries, including the United States. According to the company, about 80% of its foods are private label, all of which are subject to rigorous standards. Lidl also partners with local and regional farms to ensure quality and strives to cut costs for customers by removing everyday conveniences such as grocery store bags and neatly itemized products on shelves. Instead, Lidl asks shoppers to bring their own bags and to pick their products from the cardboard boxes and containers they came in.

As far as where to find the beloved mart in the U.S., Lidl stores currently encapsulate the East Coast, with many locations found in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and several other states. Don't forget to sample the mart's deliciously European snacks and treats, while also keeping watch for hilariously funny bizarre versions of American food some locations sell. We also took a quick peek at the ad of the week at the time of publication and were immediately impressed with a sale on fresh chicken wings priced at only $1.99 per pound. At Walmart, Perdue Chicken wings family pack was priced at almost $1 more per pound. There were also dollar deals on items like beans, soup, rice, and tortillas, making us wish Lidl was available in all states across the U.S.

Trader Joe's is one of the more popular budget-friendly grocery stores, and if you haven't visited one yet, you're in for a treat. Trader Joe's refers to itself as a "national chain of neighborhood grocery stores" that features many unique items branded specifically for Trader Joe's markets. Unlike some of the other grocery stores on the list, you won't find many popular food brands here. Instead, you'll find high-quality store-branded items including these Trader Joe's products we love buying every time.

Love buying organic food? Trader Joe's often sells its own versions of name-brand organic foods for cheaper. Take organic pizza, for example. At Pick 'n Save, you'll pay $8.99 for Amy's Roasted Vegetable Organic Pizza. At Trader Joe's, you'll find a similar roasted vegetable organic pizza for only $4.99.

And while Trader Joe's locations may not be as plentiful as Walmart, you can find them in several states throughout America, including Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio, California, and New Jersey. In fact, at the time of publication, there were over 500 U.S. locations, making your chances of coming across one that much greater. Yay!

Costco is a well-known wholesale warehouse that often attracts shoppers looking to save on cash. Its stock features a mixture of store-brand and brand-name goods sold in bulk, perfect for feeding large families and stocking freezers. Costco is a popular market and as such, has many locations across the U.S. Still, you'll need a membership to purchase groceries in-store. At the time of publication, Costco memberships were priced between $65 to $130 annually, with each membership offering different benefits.

While many assume that bulk buying always saves money, the truth is that it's wise to compare prices before shopping at Costco over other grocers. For example, when comparing Costco vs Walmart for the best prices for popular food items, you'll quickly see that both marts offer competitive pricing, but which is truly better will depend on what you purchase and when. Walmart, for instance, tends to be the better shop for peanut butter lovers when comparing price per ounce, while fresh nuts often go for cheaper at Costco. Either way, Costco is still a solid option for people looking for more options for grocery store bargain buys — just be sure to cop your membership before planning your grocery trip.

Though we wanted to include lesser-known money-saving stores on this list, there's no way we could ignore Walmart as a budget-friendly option. As an international grocery store chain boasting of over 5,000 locations worldwide, Walmart is often thought of as the place to shop the hottest deals. Whether you're looking for inexpensive Walmart fast food dupes or the latest video game console, Walmart seems to offer low prices on just about everything.

Is everything Walmart offers high-quality? Not quite. Still, despite the shady things about Walmart's grocery department you've likely heard, there are still a ton of great brand-name grocery grabs as well as cheaply priced store-brand offers to save you even more cash.

When it comes to pricing, Walmart's prices are typically lower than those of other national grocery store competitors. At Kroger, for example, a dozen of its store-brand Grade A white eggs cost $3.29, while Walmart sells its Great Value eggs at only $2.66 per dozen at the time of publication. The same goes for ground beef: at the time of publication, Kroger-brand ground beef was going for $6.49 per pound, while Walmart featured the same amount of meat for only $5.63. Of course, you'll always want to shop around when it comes to snagging the best deal while grocery shopping, but because of its availability and consistently low prices, Walmart remains a strong contender in the world of grocery store budget buys.

Food 4 Less is a grocery store that can help you save more money if you can find one nearby. Though the mart is known for offering customers more groceries for their buck, they're only found in a limited number of states. At the time of publication, Food 4 Less had the most stores in California, with only a few other locations checkering Illinois and Indiana. The store is currently a part of a plethora of other stores owned by Kroger, many of which also tend to offer shoppers good deals.

We did a little research and compared the prices found at Food 4 Less to prices at Walmart and were impressed. At the time of publication, Food 4 Less was offering Creamette pasta noodles at 4 for $5.00 making each package $1.25. At Walmart, Creamette pasta noodles, though not on sale, were being sold for $1.48 per pack. Will Food 4 Less always come out cheaper than Walmart? Probably not. Without a sale, other grocery marts, including Walmart, may win out price-wise, but that's true for most marts on this list. All in all, if you're looking for another good budget-friendly grocery store to explore, Food 4 Less is a great one to try, especially for those of you living in California.

Like Costco, Sam's Club is another wholesale retailer that requires a membership to take advantage of bulk buy deals. How much each membership costs isn't quite as straightforward as Costco's, though at the time of publication, a basic Sam's Club membership was $20, and the Pro membership was $70. Sam's Club has its own "Members Mark" brand that features plenty of high-quality foods at low prices and tons of great deals on brand-name food items. Not only are prices relatively low at Sam's Club, but people especially love Sam's Club's Scan-and-Go app, which allows you to scan your groceries in real time before quickly cashing out with a Sam's Club clerk on your way out.

With all of its similarities to Costco, you may wonder whether Costco or Sam's Club is better in terms of pricing. Most would agree that the answer to this question largely depends on what you're buying and what kind of membership you have. As always, you'll want to research prices at either mart prices ahead of time and watch for sales to get the best deals.

Originally founded by Walter and John Wegmen in 1950, Wegmen's has since become a popular place to purchase groceries at a discounted price. Most people who live near a Wegmen's can attest that it tends to be cheaper than "regular" grocery stores in the area, provided that you aren't purchasing pre-prepared or convenience-style foods. Wegmen's stores are mostly found along the East Coast, with many locations in New York and Pennsylvania.

As always, we were curious to see how Wegmen's fared in terms of pricing when compared to a "regular" grocery store competitor, so we compared groceries sold at Wegmen's against those sold at Kroger to see just how budget-friendly Wegmen's would be. We found that Wegmen's offers its store-brand 2% milk cheaper at only $2.89 per gallon versus Kroger's $2.99 per gallon. Wegmen's also has a stealthy gluten-free and organic selection, with many tasty baking mixes, snacks, and drinks offered at very affordable prices.

The last wholesale retailer on our list, BJ's is yet another great place to purchase groceries for less. According to the website, most of the prices on manufacturer-branded goods at BJ's are slashed by 25% or more. Like the other wholesale retailers mentioned, you'll need a membership to get access to its low bulk buy deals. The BJ's Club+ Card Membership goes for $110 per year, while the standard Club Card Membership typically goes for $55.

People who frequent BJ's typically love the market for stocking up on essentials. Basic items like diapers, paper towels, toilet paper, kitty litter, crackers, cookies, and more often are a part of great deals. You can also enjoy impressive fuel savings when you become a member at BJ's, especially if you're a part of the Club+ Card Membership. Aside from specials on bulk buys and fuel, one thing that sets BJ's apart from other wholesale retailers is that it allows its members to use manufacturer coupons at already low prices. Both Costco and Sam's Club deny their members such perks, making BJ's an even more attractive option when compared to other wholesale retailers. Thus, if you've got a BJ's in your area, it might be wise to consider its membership perks alongside those of its competitors before making a decision about which to join. Because of its leniency with coupons, it might end up with a better deal.

The best grocery store chains for budget shoppers were determined by careful analysis of pricing on the goods sold at each store mentioned and the firsthand experiences of shoppers, including those on The Takeout staff. Though there are certainly more budget-friendly grocery stores available nationwide than those mentioned here, we tried to include a good mixture of some of the most popular marts and those that are lesser known. Keep in mind that not all grocery stores will feature prices lower than competitors on a consistent basis; prices and availability are subject to change, and budget-friendly options may change from week to week, depending on what is on sale.