I’m a Frugal Shopper: 4 Food Items I Avoid All Together and You Should, Too
Written by
J. Arky
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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There is no escaping the hard fact that groceries are one of the most expensive cost of living items that everyone has to pay for. It’s not just in America, but in many other nations as well.
“Although overall inflation is starting to cool, shoppers haven’t seen much relief in terms of grocery prices, which were up 11.8% in December compared with a year earlier,” according to Time Magazine, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data that just about every single food group costs more than it did at this time in 2024. This includes spaghetti and macaroni noodles (up 31.3%), all-purpose flour (up 34.5%), sticks of butter (up 38.5%), margarine (up 43.8%) and the most expensive of them all, grade A eggs (up 138%).
Being a frugal shopper is nothing new, however, it has never been a better time to be one. What you might have to drop from your shopping list will end up saving you money in the long run.
Here are top food items that frugal shoppers avoid.
Meat
If you are a carnivore, there’s some bad news ahead: meat can often be one of the most expensive items on your grocery list, so reducing or cutting it out of your meal planning experience all together is going to save you money in the long term.
“Even for meat eaters, reducing your consumption can save a lot of money, or even things like making chili with beans and beef stock rather than beef,” said Reddit user Aleriya. “For most of us, our grandparents and great-grandparents didn’t eat meat as often as we do in modern times. It just wasn’t affordable to eat meat at every meal.”
Seafood
There’s a certain kind of meat that certainly is more expensive than others. George Haberberger, frugal shopper from Imperial Missouri, shared that he and his family have cut some seafood items from their grocery shopping list, mostly things like salmon and tuna steaks.
“There really isn’t a comparable replacement for those,” Haberberger said. “In fact, we only want fresh caught salmon, not farm raised, (because of the drugs and additives used) and fresh caught salmon has become very expensive.”
Fresh Produce
It might sound like you are missing out on nutritional value by not shopping for your veggies and fruits in the produce aisle, but in actuality, you can save money by purchasing the same produce items canned or frozen.
“I am eating mostly frozen veggies and fruits. I literally have all kinds of frozen fruits (berries, peaches, pineapples and even cherries!),” said Reddit user qingywingy. “I had no idea how much food I had piled up in the house so it’s more of a once in a while ‘cleanse.’ I will start just planning our meals and not over-buying in the future.”
Snacks and Sweets
Limiting your sugar cravings and munching impulses is one of the best ways to not only save money; it can help you be healthier as well.
“Limit your snack foods and desserts,” said Reddit user ProtozoaPatriot. “If you can, try to use fruits as snacks. They can be cheaper than [Doritos] and have nutrition.”
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