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Many of us would be lying if we didn't say that budgeting has been on our minds. Especially these past few years. It certainly feels like nearly everything has gotten much, much more expensive. And if the price of food makes you wince at the store checkout, you’re not the only one.
The r/whatsinyourcart community invites people to share photos of their shopping carts and baskets, along with the price. We’ve collected some of the most interesting ones, mainly from the United States, to show you just how (in)expensive groceries can be in some places. Scroll down to check them out!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
510 Ksh $3.93 Local Market, Kenya
RELATED:
#2
$109 In Groceries: Naknek, Alaska
#3
$106.08 At Aldi, Midwest
The r/whatsinyourcart subreddit has been around for roughly 7 years now. In that time, the wholesome group has grown to 34k members from all around the globe. The founder and head moderator of the online community, u/JackalAbacus, once said that they didn’t expect the group to hit even 1k subscribers.
Sharing one’s shopping cart is a pretty good way to show what kind of person you are. Others can instantly tell what your dietary habits are like, how thrifty you are, and how large your budget is. It’s a very different kind of vulnerability than many of us are used to. (And we suspect some of us would feel embarrassed to share how many snacks and little treats we need just to keep going!)
#4
$192 USD In Wisconsin, Includes 48 Pounds Of Meat
#5
Aldi - Florida $78
#6
$51.08 Aldi Wisconsin
There’s a whole legion of macro-level factors why groceries have become so darn expensive over the past half-decade or so. The Covid-19 pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine, and rising global instability have had a knock-on effect on product costs in many parts of the world.
Meanwhile, extreme weather damaged crop yields in some parts of the world, while some businesses used the opportunity to raise prices for better profit margins.
#7
Kroger - Midwest $31.43
#8
When You Eat Mostly Veg And Produce $76
#9
$18.26 At Sprouts In Alabama
Supply chain issues and inflation have been buzzwords that we’ve been hearing practically non-stop on the news and on social media.
Many families have had to adjust their spending habits. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who didn’t make budget adjustments as prices ballooned. However, things might be changing for the better. Hopefully, for good.
#10
$117.43 At Safeway In Alaska (Used The App For Massive Savings)
#11
Just Moved Out On My Own. First Grocery Haul For Some Staples. $90
#12
6973 Ksh ($52.87) Naivas, Nairobi Kenya
CNN reports that grocery prices actually fell in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ recent data, prices dropped (an admittedly not-so-dramatic) 0.2% from March to April 2024.
While it might not sound like a huge deal, progress is still progress. If the trend persists, it should make many American shoppers feel more confident about the economy. And who doesn’t like their cash doing more for them than before?
#13
Am I Silly For Being Excited About Only Spending $119 On This?!
#14
It’s Friday Night Babyyyyy! Total $22
Rabbit Of ill Portent(she/her) 6 months ago (edited)
Omfg I need to hunt down that hot honey pepperoni and feta pizza 😲😲😲
#15
$193.18 At Aldi, Southern California
StrangeOne 6 months ago
I can't remember the last time I had a grocery haul like this. But on the positive side, we've had less spoiled food to go through.
However, not everyone is celebrating groceries getting (ever so slightly) cheaper. The cost of food at restaurants actually increased by 0.3% over that same period.
Meanwhile, if you zoom out a bit, you’ll realize that grocery prices are still 1.1% higher than a year ago. Though, to be fair, that’s still lower than the surge of inflation, which rose 3.4% over those same 12 months.
#16
$18 At Boston Haymarket
#17
$145 At Kroger
Jessica N 6 months ago (edited)
The toilet paper is 10$ but that organic hamburger is like 9$ a lb. Unless thats pork? was helping a neighbor use their United Healthcare food/toiletry benefit card and discovered you can only buy pre sealed meat. Nothing from regular butcher section, sigh. So for him to get hamburger he had to get that pre sealed organic and waste 5$/lb. Luckily it's often "on sale" bc noone buys it when the burger next to it is 4$/lb. BTW if anyone has that card, they fixed the scanner so you can use phone to make certain you can purchase items. Finally.
#18
Walmart - 11.29
Over the past year through April, ham in the US became 3.4% cheaper on average. The price of cheese fell a similar amount: by 3.3%. The cost of fish, seafood, and potatoes dropped 2.1%.
Coffee enthusiasts also have something to be happy about, as the cost of that gem of a commodity fell by 2%. Among other food items that got cheaper for the American consumer were milk (down 1.2%) and rice (1% cheaper compared to 2023).
#19
$50.86 At Aldi’s In The Us
#20
$299.00 At Costco. I Feel Robbed
#21
Would Love To See More Grocery Hauls On Here So, Here’s Mine! $50 At Walmart
In_the_gorge 6 months ago
You’re actually going to cut your own pineapple! That saved you $63!!
Apple prices were down significantly in the US. They cost 12.7% less when compared to a year ago. Meanwhile, eggs, which were notoriously overpriced in recent years, also got cheaper. They’re 9% less costly compared to last year.
However, you can’t say the same about every grocery item.
#22
$130. This Will Feed Me For The Week
sturmwesen 6 months ago
I would be to cheap for the meat and berries. We pay 90-110€ for two people in Germany and it already pains me.
#23
Just Under $60 At Walmart (Saratoga Springs, NY)
Oy vey 🤨 6 months ago
A good bit of beef in the US is processed right here in Sioux City IA. Even though the meat is shipped as quickly as possible the myoglobin (?) gets drained out or absorbed by those pads in the packaging thus losing the fresh red colour. P.S. It's not blood, that got drained out at slaughter.
#24
$35 At Aldi, Ne Ohio
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 6 months ago
*grabs the package of baby weinies and dashes under the sofa for lunch*
For instance, the wildfires in Texas have made beef costs soar. Uncooked beef roasts now cost 10.1% more. Meanwhile, hot dogs are up 7.1%, and uncooked beef steak will set you back 6.5%.
Uncooked ground beef is up by 6%, too. In the meantime, the cost of fruits and veggies has risen by 1.7%. That’s just slightly less than the increase in the price of flour, which stands at 2.5%.
#25
$118 - Whole Foods Nc
#26
$70 United Grocery Outlet
#27
$130.30 Whole Foods, Md
Generally, if you want to save on food costs, you should be willing to do a bit of shopping around. Check out your local supermarkets, markets, and mom-and-pop stores. See what discounts they offer.
Buying food in bulk, on discount, focusing on seasonal items, and eating even slightly less red meat are all good ways to save some cash.
#28
$20.71 At Super King Market In Socal
#29
Bay Area, Ca Produce Only Haul $51.10
#30
$90 San Francisco, Ca
Perfumista Perfumista 6 months ago
What are the items just south of the carrots? Isn't ginger just wonderful.
What are your thoughts on grocery prices these days, Pandas? What tips would you give someone who’s new to cutting costs and budgeting? How do you keep food costs down? What's your fave go-to budget meal?
Feel free to tell us all about it in the comments! Now, if you'll excuse us, we need ourselves a little snack...
#31
$106 Aldi New York
doredde 6 months ago
ALDI Hamburg/Germany would be half of your bill. And this is a discounter... I don´t get it. But I do get, why so many US citizens seem to have at least two job (taking into consideration your rental prices as well and no or bad public transportation, no "free" healthcare). That can not be healthy. I feel really sorry for you.
#32
Here's What $46.34 Got This Person From Ralph's In Los Angeles
Der Kommissar 6 months ago (edited)
Buy Kroger (The Simple Truth), Amazon Basics or other generic brands. cheaper and just as good.
#33
$50 At Albertson’s
Mariele Scherzinger 6 months ago (edited)
How? Okay, maple syrup is expensive, so are strawberries (especially if they are out of season), and there are cheaper pasta brands. But still - $50 ??? Where I shop, this would be about € 20-25. (And here I thought prices have gone up in the EU.)
#34
Needed To Re-Up On Perishables. $49.07 At An Aldi In New Jersey
#35
$20.57 Total In Seattle
#36
$141 At Walmart, Ohio
Crystal Spencer 6 months ago
That is the WORST cat litter. The fresh step crystals aren't too bad, though.
#37
This Is For One Meal (Plus A Few Extra Things) In NYC. $47.72
David 6 months ago
I live in NYC, where the heck are you shopping. The chains and Stop and Shop are affordable, but my local independent grocery this haul would be under $30 And you bought expensive nuts and an expensive brand goat cheese, swap those with affordable brand alternatives, and it would be about $20. This isnt because of NY, this is because you went to a pricey store and got overpriced items
#38
Grocery Outlet - Socal $74.78
#39
$125 Trader Joes In NYC (Recite Included)
Justin Tyme 6 months ago (edited)
What are you going to recite? How about The Gettysburg Address? That is always a good one.
#40
$50.45, Walmart, Se U.S
#42
550$ 5 Hours And 5 Stores Later
In_the_gorge 6 months ago
5 hrs, 5 stores, and over $500 doesn’t seem like a sustainable shopping experience.
#43
Movie Snacks To Avoid Crazy Prices. $10 From Whole Foods
#44
$107 At Costco
Mystery Kitteh 6 months ago
Yeah. I can't leave Costco without spending $200-$300 and coming out with 1/2 a shopping cart of stuff
#45
$185 Shoprite Upstate NY
#46
$80.13 Grocery Outlet
Carl Roberts 6 months ago
If you go to Grocery Outlet at the right time, you can get bonkers deals. My last trip, I got over $100 of meat for about $15. Including 5 pounds of polish sausage for 50 cents.
#47
$60.29 At Woodman's In Wisconsin
#48
$75 Safeway In Us, Or
Miranda Patterson 6 months ago
That's about right for Safeway in Oregon. Especially in the major towns, Salem, Portland, and Bend. Smaller towns the prices are a tiny bit cheaper, but then again Safeway is one of the most expensive stores here.
#49
Went To Whole Foods For Some Snacks…. $50.87
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What do you think ?
Overloaded ball of anxiety 6 months ago
I’m actually amazed at the amount of processed food In some of these. I understand a bit, but some of them have no fresh foods.
Tempest 6 months ago (edited)
Yes that’s what I noticed after the first several photos. I understand the convenience factor of such food but imagine the effect on one’s health from eating so much of that! Is it really impossible for people to buy some fresh produce and cook a meal once in a while? You can’t just blame it on lack of time. Where I’m from we all work 9-5 jobs just like everyone but we rarely eat processed foods. In fact stores don’t even sell so much of them because no one buys them. When there’s time we cook fresh dishes but on days when it’s hard to, we plan ahead and meal prep (like cook the weekday lunches over the weekend).
Load More Replies... Mariele Scherzinger 6 months ago
To create more effective comparisons, wouldn't it be more helpful to collect pictures of different grocery purchases which all cost the shoppers about €50 each?
Mammie 6 months ago
I'd be curious to know what the same stuff costs outside of the US. I only looked at about half of them but they were all from the states.
doredde 6 months ago
I´m from Germany and what irritated me the most is your ALDI prices. Here you would pay 50% or less for the same groceries at the same store. Why is that so? Is food really so overpriced in the US, taking into consideration, that you probably have larger areas for agriculture as we here and lots of your processed food contains a lot more (cheaper) additions like corn starch syrup and other things?
Load More Replies...
Overloaded ball of anxiety 6 months ago
I’m actually amazed at the amount of processed food In some of these. I understand a bit, but some of them have no fresh foods.
Tempest 6 months ago (edited)
Yes that’s what I noticed after the first several photos. I understand the convenience factor of such food but imagine the effect on one’s health from eating so much of that! Is it really impossible for people to buy some fresh produce and cook a meal once in a while? You can’t just blame it on lack of time. Where I’m from we all work 9-5 jobs just like everyone but we rarely eat processed foods. In fact stores don’t even sell so much of them because no one buys them. When there’s time we cook fresh dishes but on days when it’s hard to, we plan ahead and meal prep (like cook the weekday lunches over the weekend).
Load More Replies... Mariele Scherzinger 6 months ago
To create more effective comparisons, wouldn't it be more helpful to collect pictures of different grocery purchases which all cost the shoppers about €50 each?
Mammie 6 months ago
I'd be curious to know what the same stuff costs outside of the US. I only looked at about half of them but they were all from the states.
doredde 6 months ago
I´m from Germany and what irritated me the most is your ALDI prices. Here you would pay 50% or less for the same groceries at the same store. Why is that so? Is food really so overpriced in the US, taking into consideration, that you probably have larger areas for agriculture as we here and lots of your processed food contains a lot more (cheaper) additions like corn starch syrup and other things?
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