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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!

#1

510 Ksh $3.93 Local Market, Kenya

510 Ksh $3.93 Local Market, Kenya

cmband254 Report

#3

$106.08 At Aldi, Midwest

$106.08 At Aldi, Midwest

Inevitable-Mix-2983 Report

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!)

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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

Kroger - Midwest $31.43

Ok_Ranger7756 Report

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Elle Lian
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They got the drumsticks for 95 cents and the wings for a bit over a dollar! Wow!

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#8

When You Eat Mostly Veg And Produce $76

When You Eat Mostly Veg And Produce $76

Woodycrazy Report

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Supply chain issues and inflation have been buzzwords that we’ve been hearing practically non-stop on the news and on social media.

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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)

$117.43 At Safeway In Alaska (Used The App For Massive Savings)

brainfogfordays Report

#11

Just Moved Out On My Own. First Grocery Haul For Some Staples. $90

Just Moved Out On My Own. First Grocery Haul For Some Staples. $90

AlekBiH Report

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?!

Am I Silly For Being Excited About Only Spending $119 On This?!

Conscious-Parsnip35 Report

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#14

It’s Friday Night Babyyyyy! Total $22

It’s Friday Night Babyyyyy! Total $22

quartz222 Report

#15

$193.18 At Aldi, Southern California

$193.18 At Aldi, Southern California

icecreamsandwichgirl Report

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StrangeOne
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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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.

#17

$145 At Kroger

$145 At Kroger

brightviolet Report

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Jessica N
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#18

Walmart - 11.29

Walmart - 11.29

furthian Report

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Data1001
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Eggs, bananas, rice, store brand frozen veggies, store brand oatmeal -- all great options to get a big bang for your buck.

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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%.

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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).

#21

Would Love To See More Grocery Hauls On Here So, Here’s Mine! $50 At Walmart

Would Love To See More Grocery Hauls On Here So, Here’s Mine! $50 At Walmart

FishCultLuci Report

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

$130. This Will Feed Me For The Week

GasPacNick Report

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sturmwesen
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would be to cheap for the meat and berries. We pay 90-110€ for two people in Germany and it already pains me.

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#23

Just Under $60 At Walmart (Saratoga Springs, NY)

Just Under $60 At Walmart (Saratoga Springs, NY)

StrawberryDreamers Report

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Oy vey 🤨
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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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%.

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.

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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

$20.71 At Super King Market In Socal

LePetitPrince_33 Report

#29

Bay Area, Ca Produce Only Haul $51.10

Bay Area, Ca Produce Only Haul $51.10

crabstravaganza Report

#30

$90 San Francisco, Ca

$90 San Francisco, Ca

disgruntledchef Report

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

$106 Aldi New York

AccountDepleted Report

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doredde
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#32

Here's What $46.34 Got This Person From Ralph's In Los Angeles

Here's What $46.34 Got This Person From Ralph's In Los Angeles

houndizzle Report

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Der Kommissar
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Buy Kroger (The Simple Truth), Amazon Basics or other generic brands. cheaper and just as good.

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#33

$50 At Albertson’s

$50 At Albertson’s

waanderlustt Report

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Mariele Scherzinger
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.)

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#34

Needed To Re-Up On Perishables. $49.07 At An Aldi In New Jersey

Needed To Re-Up On Perishables. $49.07 At An Aldi In New Jersey

midwest-ginger Report

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Michael Walker
Community Member
5 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

You might want to clean your stovetop when you get a minute

#35

$20.57 Total In Seattle

$20.57 Total In Seattle

Saritachiquita Report

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Data1001
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I see Keto on those labels, but holy cow there's a lot of carbs in that photo.

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#36

$141 At Walmart, Ohio

$141 At Walmart, Ohio

snarkaluff Report

#37

This Is For One Meal (Plus A Few Extra Things) In NYC. $47.72

This Is For One Meal (Plus A Few Extra Things) In NYC. $47.72

lavenderived Report

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David
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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#38

Grocery Outlet - Socal $74.78

Grocery Outlet - Socal $74.78

Playboy97k Report

#39

$125 Trader Joes In NYC (Recite Included)

$125 Trader Joes In NYC (Recite Included)

CoffeeMilkLvr Report

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Justin Tyme
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What are you going to recite? How about The Gettysburg Address? That is always a good one.

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#40

$50.45, Walmart, Se U.S

$50.45, Walmart, Se U.S

kokirikokoro Report

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Hey!
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've never seen diced avocado before. Are these frozen or just cold?

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#42

550$ 5 Hours And 5 Stores Later

550$ 5 Hours And 5 Stores Later

Accomplished_Fish960 Report

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In_the_gorge
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

5 hrs, 5 stores, and over $500 doesn’t seem like a sustainable shopping experience.

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#43

Movie Snacks To Avoid Crazy Prices. $10 From Whole Foods

Movie Snacks To Avoid Crazy Prices. $10 From Whole Foods

Bulky_Ad_4390 Report

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Isabella
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To avoid crazy prices you buy a pound of kernels for 2 bucks and make your own popcorn for half a year.

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#44

$107 At Costco

$107 At Costco

kirklandtriathlete Report

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Mystery Kitteh
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah. I can't leave Costco without spending $200-$300 and coming out with 1/2 a shopping cart of stuff

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#45

$185 Shoprite Upstate NY

$185 Shoprite Upstate NY

rissshit Report

#46

$80.13 Grocery Outlet

$80.13 Grocery Outlet

serpents_sword Report

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Carl Roberts
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#47

$60.29 At Woodman's In Wisconsin

$60.29 At Woodman's In Wisconsin

bigsam06 Report

#48

$75 Safeway In Us, Or

$75 Safeway In Us, Or

Moni_16 Report

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Miranda Patterson
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#49

Went To Whole Foods For Some Snacks…. $50.87

Went To Whole Foods For Some Snacks…. $50.87

iamwatered Report

#50

$44 At Trader Joes In NYC

$44 At Trader Joes In NYC

Frosty-Spare-6018 Report

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karen snyder
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Too bad you can't eat all that plastic. Trader Joe's is the biggest offender of unnecessary plastic packaging.

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Note: this post originally had 80 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.