40 Cheaper Options People Have Realized They Actually Prefer To The More Expensive Alternatives
Nowadays, my grocery shopping consists less of making a list and grabbing everything on it and more of simply buying whatever I can find on sale. And when it comes to staples, I’ve gotten used to purchasing the least expensive options available. But according to many Reddit users, the cheapest products can sometimes be the best choices!
Frugal individuals have recently been sharing some of the affordable items that they’ve learned to love due to inflation, so we’ve gathered their thoughts down below. Keep reading to find a conversation with Lydia Beiler of Thrifty Frugal Mom, and be sure to upvote the replies that will help you cut down on your weekly grocery budget!
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Using bar soaps again rather than shower gels and liquid hand soaps😊 The natural soap bars last a long time.
And you're not contributing so much to the growing plastic problem!
Unless there is a big noticible difference, i buy all almost store brand things when i shop. why spend more for things that are essentially the same.
Not a brand, but I’ve started buying my veggies at small local mom and pop fruit and veggie markets. I can walk down there and buy a couple of things I need, they may cost a bit more (and actually sometimes i find they’re the same/less), but I haven’t had to use my car to get there. And I’m not in a large grocery store where I’m going to buy a ton of different things I didn’t need while I walk through to get to the cash. And I’m supporting small local businesses. It’s a win for everyone, I’m so f*****g tired of the large grocery chains and their price gouging.
Edit: their/they’re
Most farmers markets I’ve been to in my area cost a LOT more than the grocery store
To learn more about how to save money amidst inflation, we reached out to Lydia Beiler, aka Thrifty Frugal Mom, to hear which affordable items she's realized she actually prefers.
"Whole chicken/bone-in chicken versus boneless chicken," Lydia shared. "The meat is so much more tender and moist. I bought them rarely before this but now buy them regularly!"
Liquid dish soap and laundry soap instead of pods. We had switched to pods several years ago and when proces started going way up last year, we switched back. I have no idea why we were ever paying for pods!
Same with k cups. We stopped using our Keurig and started buying ground coffee. Got a French press and even buying fancy ground coffee, we are still coming out ahead.
No Amazon Prime. Decided not to renew last year and haven't missed it; in fact, the temptation to just buy whatever, whenever is completely gone. We have to be more thoughtful with purchases now.
Keurig is just plain evil. It's like some evil bastard decided to find a way to make people kill the planet faster and feel good about it. Back when I drank coffee, it was always drip coffee or sometimes, when camping, cowboy coffee. Those plastic pods disgust me by their very existance.
Frozen veggies. They were always a staple but now I buy them in bulk and eat them daily!
Just to be clear, fresh frozen vegetables contain all the vitamins and nutrients as fresh vegetables. CANNED veggies on the other hand do suffer. HEAT breaks down vitamins, not cold. That's basic food chemistry. I know because I have a degree in food science. And misconceptions like that drive me crazy.
90% of my winter veggie intake is now cabbage related. I refuse to pay the high price for off-season produce anymore.
Off-season fruits and vegetables are some modern worl crazyness... we can survive without tomatoes during winter and nature handles it perfectly with different stuff for different seasons.
We were also curious what things Lydia purchases less frequently now that they've become so expensive. "I've stopped buying pastries as much," she shared. "I used to buy them pretty regularly as a family snack on the weekend, but have switched to other less expensive things. I do miss them, but not enough to make them a regular purchase again!"
"Also chicken broth!" the Thrifty Frugal Mom added. "It's way cheaper to buy a whole chicken and then use the carcass to make my own bone broth. I've started to do that as much as I can! I do miss the convenience of buying store bought all the time, but it feels like it's worth the extra savings."
We started shopping at our local Asian and Hispanic grocery stores. We go to Aldi's for bread, bagels and paper products. Fresh produce lasts a lot longer and is cheaper too. Our food budget has dropped from $200 a week to $125 consistently for two adults the last 10 months. We pack lunches, usually last nights dinner leftovers and we have saved a substantial amount of money.
I discovered overnight oats. Holy cow! They're great. I also figured out that dried blueberries are cheaper than frozen or fresh blueberries, and taste identical in overnight oats. No more bran flakes. No more milk. Just water, oats, blueberries, a little cinnamon, and some sugar.
I stopped buying pine nuts. They're like $30 a bag now. I get sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds instead.
I'm making my own herb and spice blends from bulk ingredients plus things we can grow in our yard.
I'm cooking more beans and lentils from dry instead of buying canned beans or frozen prepared meals.
Lydia also shared some tips that might help you save money on groceries. "Don't be scared to try store brands. They often are made by the same company as the name brand, and we've discovered that for most products, we don't mind the cheaper option!" she told Bored Panda.
"Buying in bulk can be a great way to save on things you purchase a lot too," Lydia added. "Just be sure to check the cost per unit on the shelf price tag to make sure you really are getting a better deal!"
If you're looking for even more money-saving tips, be sure to visit Thrifty Frugal Mom!
I used to make chili with mostly meat and onion. Nowadays it's 50% beans, and I prefer it. Originally, when I would put beans in chili, I'd use red kidney beans. Nowadays I'll use anything bean related - I think red kidney beans are the least interesting you can find. I'll use tins of mixed beans, black beans, butter beans, chick peas. Heck, I've even added some (British) baked beans and thought they came out really well.
Secondly to that, this one was only mildly frugally related, but as we started to cut down on our meat consumption, we started to use a wider variety of vegetables. I had barely used "Chinese Leaf" (AKA Asian cabbage) before, and it works so well in a stir fry, as well as a variety of other things. It's given me a newfound appreciation for all things cabbage, including red cabbage in salads, sauerkraut and kimchi.
Where before I had only eaten cabbage as boiled cabbage, now cabbage is a big part of my weekly diet.
Indoor farming.
I work as a data analyst and fulfillment.
I have built entire spreadsheets around my indoor farming hobby and it is now cheaper to grow most of my produce at home hydroponically than to go shopping at anything owned by Loblaws, Sobeys, or Walmart.
All of my equipment has paid for itself in the first year in savings. The only time it becomes more expensive, is when something goes wrong, and I lose a portion of a harvest. Most of the time, I have so much extra I either have to try selling it off or give it away.
broccoli grown in pot on my balcony - better than those in the grocery
Steak, weirdly enough. The weekly ad steak is the same price or less than ground beef these days, so when I’m craving beef, screw it, steak it is!
I drop by the meat department every time I’m at the store just in case I spot a good sale
I wish I knew how amazing sardines were earlier in life!
Tofu. I eat it at least once a week now. Cheaper and more protein than meat. I never ate it pre-pandemic.
I'd like to remind everyone eatting tofu does not make your d**k fall off, well maybe if your masculinity is fragile enough.
Suave shampoo. I tried it in a summer rental and it was great, so my fancy stuff is sitting unused. I thought I might use it for a week or two and get tired of it, but it’s working great. I use the fancy stuff every few weeks and Suave most days now.
Bone-in cuts of meat
Added bonus is they are more nutritious in vitamins/minerals and taste a hell of a lot better than boneless.
Ok I am a sunscreen-every-damn-day girlie and DO NOT SLEEP on the Walgreen’s brand moisturizing one (in a yellow container.) My grandma let me use hers once and I loved everything about it so much I ran out to buy some. A lot of times they’re buy one get one 1/2 off or have coupons, too. I prefer it over any name brand sunscreen, including the neutrogena I used to use.
PS. Yellow container only, do not buy the blue “sport” variety, it separates and feels gross.
Already bought this pre inflation craziness but Kirkland (Costco brand) Zyrtec. Get a year’s supply for pennies compared to regular Zyrtec. 100% the same ingredients too
Isn’t it a bit weird that that plastic container is packed in another layer of plastic?
Meal planning and shopping online for pick up. I'm sitting on the couch when I order my groceries, so I can check if there is something I already have. I can price Check between stores. And I'm ordering nsded on a meal plan.
Instead of wondering and being tempted, I pull into my stall, message the ap and they bring them out.
Lidils brand of margherita pizzas are only 5.5$ for 3 700 cal pizzas. I buy some Romano cheese to top them with and some sausage and it’s really great for the price
Honestly getting bidet to stop buying toilet paper was cool
I know this is meant to be food related but tinting my own eyebrows. I used to get expensive treatments at the salon at $50 per month, now I get Just for Men beard eye and use that with a q-tip. Works amazing and I have way more control over the colour/darkness/frequency of it, not to mention time saved by just doing it 5 minutes at home instead of allocating an hour in my day to go to the salon.
Microfiber cleaning cloths instead of paper towels. You can catch them on sale for less than $0.40 per cloth. They pay for themselves after 8 uses, and can easily last 100 uses.
They are superior to paper towels in every way, except for cleaning up tomato sauce or dog vomit. For that, you should stick with paper towels.
Only downside is having to fold them when the dryer is done. That part gets old pretty quick.
I cannot stand the feel of microfiber it's the grossest feeling material imo
I’ve started making my own snack bags of trail mix. I found them so handy since I’m breastfeeding and always need a snack in my bag. Trader Joe’s have some affordable options, but then I moved and there isn’t one close by. Publix has a sale right now for BOGO Blue Diamond Almonds and Walnuts so I stocked up with some dried cranberries and snack-size sandwich bags. Voila!
Just got done with a large container of homemade Chex mix. Fill sandwich bags, take them. No muss, no fuss.
I don't buy milk. I buy whole powdered milk, about 3 lbs for $15 for adding to my coffee. So instead of spending $4/5 a gallon a week, this lasts 6 months at least.
I don't think it foams the same as oat milk in my cappuccino maker? This is the hill I'll die on life is to short for s**t coffee.
I love refried beans from better (not all) Mexican restaurants. I don’t like canned. I’ve tried making from scratch but they’re not as good. But I found a brand that Walmart sells in a plastic pouch that is very good, and also inexpensive. The brand is La Sierra. The only kind I’ve tried is the regular, but there’s also a chorizo flavor.
I used to buy Gardein beef crumbles until I realized that they're just TVP, which is exceptionally cheap. Same with buying mung bean to make vegan egg substitute instead of shelling out for JustEgg. So much easier to customize when you make both of these things at home
In my twenties i was all about vegetarianism and veganism, now looking back i can see how most of the products are chemicaly induced and horribly made and farmed with more harm to the nature. Eat local, avoid mass production, thats about best what you can do. When i eat keto i personally feel the best I've felt in years
Bought a soda stream instead of buying seltzers. My seltzer habit was getting a little much for how expensive even off brand seltzers were getting
A plumber told me to fill a jug from the tap and keep it on the side in the kitchen. Chlorine and other tastes seem to evaporate and it tastes like it comes out of a filter jug.
Popcorn over chips and crackers. I made a great batch last night by popping kernels in veg oil, adding a bit of melted butter and then some cheese powder.
Granola over cereal too if you have extra nuts, trail mix or can make nut-free.
ETA: Check out Hoosier Farms for cheese powder.
Seriously so good. That or flavacol with coconut oil.
Make your own granola. Not only is it cheaper, but it tastes better and your can control the amount of sugar/salt in it.
Unflavored creamer for my coffee. Like heavy whipping cream or half and half.
I stopped using the sweetened or flavored creamers and now I can't stand them. The after taste is so horrible to me.
I buy cream for cooking so always have some on hand, I don't buy different cream just for my coffee anymore.
Same with flavored coffee. I will now and then get a certain brand as a treat, or see a flavor that sounds interesting and I want to try but I usually regret it. Lol Plain coffee is preferred.
I've always shopped generic/cheapest so can't say inflation has been the main cause of most of my preferences or maybe it's the only cause for my generic preferences. Lol
Drinking water and meatless dishes. I have cut out meat, alcohol and coffee. I didn't consume them much before so it wasn't hard to cut out. I do buy some meat but a lot less. I don't miss them. I prefer water now too.
4lb bag of sliced frozen strawberries at Sam’s Club instead of fresh berries. So convenient, no waste, DEELISH. $9
Lookup farmer market or outlets in your area. Just got large strawberries for a dollar each container same I got blackberries and cut up cantaloupe in a large container. They were all dollar each and they were not expired
Aldi brand Oreos are considered far superior to brand name Oreos in my household
Give up on Car dealers for maintenance.
Make my own pizza or little Caesar’s vs the other pizza place where one pizza was $30-35.
Haircuts.. just cut my own.
Starbucks
Diet Pepsi
Packaged/processed food
Hibachi bowls. I like going to the hibachi grill but is an expensive treat. But when I don’t want to spend the money I can create some at home.
Same for form sushi bowl. I make with salmon, white rice, cucumber, avocado, yum yum sauce I diy myself, and some sriracha. Then eat with some seaweed wraps
Ooh! I have one! Chinese BBQ pork (char siu). The stuff is so expensive pre-made, but it's super easy to make! And it uses pork shoulder, which semi-frequently goes on sale for cheap (last time I bought it for $0.89/lb). I buy a large bone-in piece, cut the bulk of the meat off the bones (don't work too hard at this!), and then make soup with the bones (gotta leave enough meat on to keep in the soup). We eat the char siu in bowls like this, and it's so good!
Ground meats. They're a lot cheaper than other boneless cuts and can be used in a lot of the same applications. I use ground pork for my stir-fry & rice bowl and it's amazing -- crispy and soda soft, soaks up the sauce and you get a little with every bite.
Plant-based protein. Meat is way too damn expensive
Beans. It's all about the beans. If you can nail down how to cook beans, you got your protein set.
Whey protein prices increased like crazy. Protein from MyProtein tastes the same as big name brands and it's almost half the price. Supplements from Bulk Supplements are actually pretty cheap. I get their creatine and it has a bitter taste, but if you mix it with something you don't notice it. I also am realizing how many of the name brands I used to buy are exactly the same as the name brand. Just with different colors on the packaging.
Indeed - most different brand products are made/sourced by the very same 1 company/factory, but different packages and aromas makes the price
Lamb instead of steak.
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These posts are useful but also depressing. I bet most people here works 40h/week if not more, yet we see them giving up meat or fresh produce. I'm having French Revolution ideas.
I buy the family pack of meats then wrap or bag them and freeze them. I even do that with frozen fries and tater tots. Saves a bundle.
Keep an eye out for a used vacuum sealer. I live alone so I freeze leftover portions of food to cut back food waste. I preseason some meat before sealing. And soups and sauces are frozen flat in small plastic containers before transferring to vacuum bags. Also keeps me from eating the same leftovers all week if I can just thaw out a bowl of chili or 2 cups of pasta sauce!
Load More Replies... Some of these suggestions are so big city oriented. If you live in smaller cities with little choice these are just not available. When your area has 2 grocery stores, plus Walmart, and Dollar General there is only so much you can do with grocery costs. Forget lamb, maybe you can get it around Easter but chances are not good. Farmers market? 1 day a week downtown with little choices since this is a cotton and cattle producing semi arid region. You really can't afford the water to grow your own vegetables some years when we are under water restrictions. If you are in an area with that kind of variety go for it.
These posts are useful but also depressing. I bet most people here works 40h/week if not more, yet we see them giving up meat or fresh produce. I'm having French Revolution ideas.
I buy the family pack of meats then wrap or bag them and freeze them. I even do that with frozen fries and tater tots. Saves a bundle.
Keep an eye out for a used vacuum sealer. I live alone so I freeze leftover portions of food to cut back food waste. I preseason some meat before sealing. And soups and sauces are frozen flat in small plastic containers before transferring to vacuum bags. Also keeps me from eating the same leftovers all week if I can just thaw out a bowl of chili or 2 cups of pasta sauce!
Load More Replies... Some of these suggestions are so big city oriented. If you live in smaller cities with little choice these are just not available. When your area has 2 grocery stores, plus Walmart, and Dollar General there is only so much you can do with grocery costs. Forget lamb, maybe you can get it around Easter but chances are not good. Farmers market? 1 day a week downtown with little choices since this is a cotton and cattle producing semi arid region. You really can't afford the water to grow your own vegetables some years when we are under water restrictions. If you are in an area with that kind of variety go for it.
