Frugal Grocery Shopping 101: A Complete Budget-Friendly List
Last Modified: 8/5/2026
Well, as we have all seen lately with rising grocery prices, saving on groceries is more important now than ever before.
Frugal grocery shopping is harder now, as prices rise but minimum-wage stays practically stagnant.
But, hope is not lost! I have been able to keep my grocery budget the same despite the rising prices.
Keep in mind, if I can do it, a broke full-time college student, then you can too.
In this post, I want to share with you my typical grocery shopping strategies and the best grocery list for a tight budget.
So, if you are ready to save money and spend less that $80 dollars a week on groceries, read on!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means I will receive a small commission with no extra cost to you if you click through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Step One: Shop your pantry
Before you make your budget grocery list, and before you look at your stores sales ads, CHECK YOUR PANTRY!
One of the quickest ways to save money on food is to use what you already have! Check your fridge and pantry, and build a meal plan around the things you have that may be about to expire or need to be used.
Not only are you preventing food waste, but you are also avoiding unintentionally buying duplicates of things you already have.
So, before shopping at the grocery store, shop in your kitchen first!
Step Two: Check your stores weekly sales
Now that you have shopped your pantry, you can begin to build your budget grocery list!
This is a great time to pull up the sales ad for your local grocery store such as Aldi or Kroger and see what is on markdown. Try and build your meals around these products.
If pork roast is on sale, great! Plan one of your meals with that. Or if funds allow, go ahead and buy two and stash one in your freezer. This is a great tactic to build up your pantry and freezer.
Doing this will allow you to still have quality food on hand even if your budget is a bit tighter.
By shopping the ads and planning your meals around these foods, you can save so much money on your weekly grocery haul!
Step Three: Complete the List
Now that you’ve completed the first two steps, now you can round out your list with all the filler items needed.
One thing I like to do is build my list inside of the grocery store’s app. By adding all of my items to the online shopping cart, I am able to see how much everything will cost, and see if I can add items or need to cut down. Fun fact, Aldi just added a grocery list feature in the app that allows you to track your total grocery cost and you can check items off as you go through the store. This has been a game-changer for me!
The most IMPORTANT step here is actually sticking to your list. All of this prep means nothing if you go in hungry (yes I am guilty of this) and buy $30 dollars worth of snacks. No shame, I know this happens once in a while and that is ok.
But to truly lower your grocery budget, you need to impliment these steps and stick to your list.
How do I create a budget grocery list?:
How to grocery shop on a budget? I am so glad you asked. Below, I am going to list my top 20 budget friendly foods that are either in my pantry or on my shopping list EVERY WEEK!
These foods and pantry staples are easy to incorporate into meals and allow me to eat nutritious and healthy food on a budget. All of the prices I list here are based of of Walmarts prices as of 8/05/2026.
Essential grocery list for frugal shoppers: (Prices updated as of 8/5/2026)
- 5lb bag of Great Value (GV) Flour: $2.38
- 4lb bag of GV sugar: $2.97 (gone down $0.17 since August 2024!)
- 17 fl oz olive oil GV: $6.12 (yes I know this one is more expensive but it is a necessary staple in my kitchen.)
- 15oz can of black beans GV: $0.92
- 15oz can of corn OR green beans: $0.82
- Bags of frozen vegetables GV: $0.98-$2.74
- One gallon of 2% milk: $3.26
- 5lb bag of russet potatoes: $3.74
- Chicken Breast: $2.57 per lb or $11.92 for the average package. (Side note: I prefer to get chicken breast from Aldi and I can get a family pack for only $2.49 per lb.)
- Bananas: $0.50 per lb
- One loaf of white or whole wheat bread GV: $1.48
- 40 oz jar of peanut butter: $3.98
- 18 oz jar of GV grape jelly: $1.98
- 8 count burrito sized GV tortillas: $2.12
- 8 oz block of cheddar chesse: $1.87
- 3.75 oz jar of GV Chicken bouillon:$1.93
- 14.5 oz can of chili-ready diced tomatoes: $0.96
- Yellow onion: $1.48 per lb
- GV Sour cream 8 oz tub: $1.37
- Jiffy corn bread mix: $0.66
- 6-pack eggs: $0.96
Using Your Groceries:
Fun fact: if you bought one of everything on the list above and two of each of the canned veggies and two lbs of bananas, you’d pay right around $57 dollars! That is including the family pack of chicken breast and assuming a 1% sales tax on groceries.
This is a great price considering certain ingredients such as the flour, sugar, oil, and bouillon wouldn’t need to be repurchased for at least two weeks if not longer!
Here are a few examples of meals I’ve made using just these ingredients (plus a few spices.)
- Pb & J sandwich
- Black bean and cheese quesidillas
- Chicken quesidillas
- Baked chicken breast with broccoli and roasted potatoes
- Chicken chili with cornbread
- Eggs and Jellied Toast
- Simple chicken and Potato Soup with cornbread
It is possible to save money on groceries!
The bottom line is that it isn’t always easy to shop on a budget. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to get enough food to feed you and your family.
But, I know if you utilize these tips and stick to your list, you can save so much on groceries and learn to feed your family on a budget!
If you want to work on saving money in all aspects of your life and not just the grocery store, here are some of my top tips for saving money in 2025!
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