12 Items You Pay More For at the Grocery Store — And How To Save in 2025

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If you’ve been grocery shopping in the last year, you’ll have noticed that the prices of many of your regular food items have risen. Though inflation is leveling out according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI), supermarket prices might still hurt your pockets on certain items.

Here are a few key takeaways from the most recent CPI report from Nov. 2024:

• The seasonally adjusted CPI for all urban consumers rose 0.3% in November.
• It rose 2.7% over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted.
• The index for all items less food and energy increased by 0.3% in November and was up 3.3% over the year.

Even if you don’t have to worry about higher inflation around the immediate corner, your monthly budget could benefit from knowing which food items will still cost you a pretty penny when bought at your local grocery store. Find out which grocery store goods you should steer clear of and how to save money on the items your family needs. 

Prepared Meats

If you’d rather skip a few steps in making dinner by buying cubed steak, marinated chicken, or strips of salmon, then you’ll pay the extra price. Prepared meats are often marked up by at least 60%. Plus, pre-marinating could hide some discoloration that cuts into the store’s bottom line. 

In an interview with Doctor Oz, a butcher named James Peisker shared that grocery stores might choose to pre-marinate meats to disguise imperfections.

“Nobody’s going to sell you rotten meat knowingly,” Peisker stated. “It’s bad for business and it’s not going to work out very well in the long run. Mostly, what is being hidden is ‘oxidization’ and ‘little bit of colorization’… nothing that will harm the flavor or you as a consumer.” 

If you’re looking to save money when buying meat, consider buying larger cuts that store well in the freezer. Bulk stores like Costco and Sam’s Club typically have deals on large portions of beef, lamb and fish that could save you money compared to a standard grocery store.

Pre-Cut Produce

In the same way, prepared meat gets up-charged, so does pre-cut produce. If you don’t want to do the work of cutting up fruit yourself, you’ll pay for the convenience. So, cutting your fruit at home could stand to save you from a markup of about 40%. 

If you are trying to add fresh items to your grocery cart, consider that the fruits and vegetables index rose 1.1%. To take your savings to the next level, you could also grab some frozen fruit, which typically retails for about 30% cheaper than fresh fruit. 

Beauty and Hygiene Products

Restocking on soap or shampoo at the grocery store means you’ll make one less stop during your errands, but it could mean you’re paying a premium for your beauty and hygiene products.

For example, if you were to buy a 33.8-ounce bottle of Nexxus Therappe Shampoo Ultimate Moisture from Safeway, you’d pay $25.99. Getting the same product in a larger volume (42 ounces) from Walmart will cost $27.99, but you’ll be getting more for your money. At Safeway, you’re spending 77 cents per ounce while Walmart only charges 65 cents per ounce.

Cooking Tools

We’ve all been there — running through the grocery store trying to gather ingredients for a new recipe when you realize you don’t have a whisk, baking pan or other cooking tool that you need. Grocery stores are counting on you to grab that extra tool from them in a rush because those items have a high markup. 

Instead of getting a garlic press for an absurd price at the grocery store, stop by your local Dollar Store instead to find the same tools for a deep discount. If you have time to plan ahead, order your tools from Amazon or Walmart for a better deal. 

Organic Items

When you want the best quality food for your family, buying organic is likely your first choice, but it’s an expensive eating habit to stick with. You’ll be paying far more at regular grocery stores to eat organic.

To save money, switch where you’re shopping. Go to stores like Lidl, Aldi or Trader Joe’s to find organic produce for less. 

Name-Brand Over-the-Counter Medications

Although most grocery stores have the over-the-counter medications you need, it might be better to get them somewhere else or choose the store brand instead. These medicines can cost 15% to 30% more in the grocery store than other places.

Keep some money in your wallet by going for the store-brand version or checking the prices at your local independent pharmacy.

Paper Goods

Overall, household paper products have gone down in price since last year, but these items could still be a larger line item on your receipt. Here are some ways to save: 

• Clip coupons. Usually, there are regular coupons for big brands like Charmin and Bounty, which can give you a break on the price. 
• Buy in bulk. Going to Sam’s Club or Costco might keep you from buying paper towels or toilet paper for the next few months while saving you money per roll. 
• Shop by the unit price. Instead of buying the cheapest sticker price, do a little math to find out which option is cheaper by volume. 

Pet Food

The convenience of picking up pet food during your weekly grocery store run might seem like a good move until you realize that grocery stores often mark up their pet food since they don’t carry a large selection of it.

To save money on your furry friend’s favorite kibble, you’ll find better deals by subscribing to a pet food delivery service like Amazon or Chewy. You may even qualify for a deeper discount depending on how often you have the food delivered. 

Laundry Detergent

Nothing beats the smell of freshly washed laundry, but you don’t have to shell out big bucks for clean clothes. Getting laundry detergent from the grocery store is much more costly than other options.

Whether you get it from Amazon or buy it in bulk at Costco, you’ll save money. And to add to the savings, it never hurts to clip a coupon or two. 

Lightbulbs

If you’re walking through the grocery store with your list in hand and remember that the bedroom lamp needs a new lightbulb, you’re likely just to grab it while you’re in the store. But did you know that light bulbs could have a 60% markup compared to other stores?

To keep from spending too much on lightbulbs, add it to your Amazon cart instead or buy a few in bulk from Home Depot. 

Name-Brand Spices

Spices help you add flavor to every dish, but buying the name-brand could mean dishing out extra money. At a markup of 100%, spices are often one of the highest markups in the store. Finding the store brand or going for a lesser-known brand of spices could help you cut costs. Consider buying spices in bulk from natural markets. 

Baking Supplies

One alternative to overpriced store-baked goods is to make your own. But if you’ve gone through the process of baking your sweet treats, you’ll know that off-brand flour, butter or sugar can sometimes change the flavor or consistency of your bake.

Rather than dealing with a potential 30% markup at the grocery store, try grabbing your baking supplies, like flour and sugar, from a baking supply store. You’ll typically get access to better prices and a wider range of essentials.

Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.

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