Money Mom Podcast

84: Which Grocery Store Should You Shop At?

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Which Grocery Store Should You Shop At? (And Why It Might Not Matter As Much As You Think)

If you’re trying to spend less on groceries every month, where you shop does matter, but not nearly as much as how you shop.

In this episode, Rachel breaks down the pros and cons of different types of grocery stores. From discount stores like Aldi and WinCo to big box retailers, warehouse clubs, and organic markets and reveals which ones can truly help you save. You’ll learn why the secret to slashing your grocery bill isn’t about chasing the lowest prices, but about creating a simple, sustainable system that fits your family’s lifestyle.

If you’re ready to grocery shop smarter (not harder), this episode will help you find your perfect store strategy without the stress or overwhelm.

👉 Learn The SHOP Method in Rachel’s free training here: [CLICK HERE]

xoxo,
Rachel

Where to find me:
Instagram: @heyrachelcoons

Join me for my next LIVE training 'Save $600 On Groceries'!: REGISTER HERE

SPEAKER_00:

If you are trying to spend less on groceries every month, where you grocery shop matters. So in today's episode, I'm gonna break down the different options you have when shopping for groceries and which ones I recommend and which ones I think you should probably stay away from. So stay tuned. Welcome to the Money Mom Podcast, the show where we empower moms to take control of their finances, break free from money stress, and build a life of freedom, confidence, and abundance for their families. I'm your host, Rachel Coons, mom, money mentor, and your personal cheerleader on this journey. Whether you're here to save money, pay off debt, or dream bigger for your family's future, you're in the right place. Here, we believe that being a mom is already a full-time job. But your role in shaping your family's financial success is just as important. And the best part, you don't need to sacrifice everything to start winning with money. Let's get started. This is the Money Mom Podcast. Hey friends, welcome back to the Money Mom Podcast. I'm your host, Rachel Coons, and I'm excited about today's episode because this is one of the questions that I get asked all the time is which grocery store should I shop at? And I really love that question because it means that someone is getting intentional with their grocery spending and really making sure that they are being pause and really making sure that they are being smart about where they grocery shop. Now the truth is where you grocery shop does matter. But what matters more than where you grocery shop is how you grocery shop. The whole system behind how you plan, shop, and cook for your family. So when we go through this episode, I want you to remember that yes, it does matter which store you choose to shop at because prices vary between different grocery stores. But at the end of the day, if you're going to focus on one thing when you grocery shop, it's not where you should shop. It's incorporating a plan, a system that actually works. And that's why I teach the shop method. Inside the shop method, I never ever tell you where to shop. In fact, I don't even tell you what to buy. That's actually not my job. You, as the mom and CEO of your household, you get to decide what your family needs, what priorities you have, what specific things you value, which is why I'm not going to come in here and say, you should shop at this store, you should buy these foods, and you should spend this amount of money, because you may not have the same values that I have. And in budgeting and controlling our money in general, when we try to take other people's values frameworks and apply it to our own, we run into a lot of trouble. And that's what I see so often in the budgeting world is if I gave you a specific number or a specific item to buy and to stay in that specific pause. If I gave you a pause. If I gave you specifics in how much you should spend, where you should shop, what you should buy, you are going to fail because you don't have the same life that I do. You don't have the same schedule that I do. You don't have the same needs that I do. You don't have the same kids' ages that I do. So there's so many variables we have to account for. And if you really want to be successful, I want to empower you to figure out what kind of things do I value? Do I value buying organic produce over non-organic? Do I value, you know, maybe going gluten-free or specific dietary needs or health priorities? Because when we can align our spending with our values, that's where we find true magic. We have to create a game and we have to create rules to follow with that game. But everyone's game is different. And so when I share some of these grocery stores that I kind of recommend or ones that I don't recommend, I want you to come back to what feels right for me, what feels right for my family, and how do I start to build and incorporate our values with where we grocery shop and where we buy our food. Still, there are big differences between different grocery stores and knowing what they are and how to shop them strategically can help you save hundreds of dollars every month. In fact, I recently posted a reel on Instagram that went viral because I was comparing a grocery cart at one grocery store versus another grocery store and how literally building out the exact same grocery cart, buying the exact same ingredients. I think there was like a total of 10 ingredients on in the grocery cart. Shopping at one store ended up being like$50 more than shopping at a different store. So today I'm gonna break down all of that for you the pros, the cons, and how to find your best fit grocery store for your family's budget, lifestyle, and sanity. Pause. And before we die into pause. And before we dive into some of these store compar comparisons, let me say this. You can overspend anywhere. Even at a store that is really low cost like Aldi. You can also learn to save money anywhere. If you shop at Whole Foods, we can still save you money. What makes the difference is having a system, and that's what we call the shop method. When we use that system, the grocery store becomes a tool to support your plan, not a source of stress or temptation. So instead of asking yourself which store is the cheapest, start asking which store best supports my family's rhythm, time, and goals. Because saving money isn't just about spending less, it's about spending smarter and more intentionally. So let's start with some of the different types of grocery stores. The first type of grocery store is a discount grocery store. This would be a place like Aldi or Winco or I kind of put grocery outlet in that, in that umbrella, but I actually really don't recommend grocery outlet because they don't have everything you need. And I don't think they're any cheaper than other grocery stores. So that's just a caveat for that. But these discount stores, if your top priority is cutting costs, places like Aldi, Winco, pause. So let's start with the discount grocery stores. If your top priority is cutting costs fast and saving as much money as possible, I recommend probably starting at these stores. These are stores like Aldi, Winco, Walmart, I would even include in that. And maybe even Grocery Outlet, which I don't really love grocery outlet at all. I think it's more expensive than it should be. But those stores are going to be your best bet. Now, the reason I like these stores is because they have lower prices on most basic items, like produce, like pantry staples, like your dairy. And they tend to be a little bit smaller, grocery stores in general, which means you can get your stuff fast and get quicker groceries pause and do a quicker grocery trip, which means less impulse buys, less random things ending up in your grocery cart. And the thing that I really love about these stores is they offer a wide variety of generic items. So most generic items are almost identical, if not very close, to most name brand items. And so I like these stores because they offer a really good generic option. And so that's one of the reasons I like to shop at those stores. I, in including in this, when you're looking, pause. Now I will say that a lot of these discount stores, Aldi and Winco included, they do not offer online ordering or pickup options. That's not something that they're going for. And the prices reflect that. They're not charging more per each item. So you kind of have to take that with a grain of salt. I highly recommend Walmart because it does allow online grocery ordering and pickup options. That doesn't cost you more. It's not like Instacart where they're gonna cost you more per item. You can just do a big order pause. Okay. So let's start with the first type of grocery store, which is a discount grocery store. So if your top priority is cutting costs fast, this is probably where you may want to start and look at. And these types of stores include Aldi, Winco, and potentially grocery outlet, although sometimes I think grocery outlet tends to be more expensive than it should be. But these are gonna be your best friends. And the reason I really like these stores is because they offer much lower prices on your basics, like produce, pantry staples, and dairy items. They also tend to be smaller grocery stores, which means you can do it quicker. So you jump, jump in, grab the stuff you need, and get out less impulse buys, just getting the things you need. And the other thing that I really like, especially about Aldi and Winco, is that there is a ton of store brand items that are very similar, if not identical, to the name brand items, but tend to be much cheaper in cost. Now, if you're gonna go purchase a name brand can of beans at Winco, we're looking at like 50% cheaper for the store brand, the Winco brand. So that's one of the reasons I really like Aldi and Winco is they offer that generic brand at a much affordable price. Some of the cons that I uh reasons I don't love these grocery stores is that there is a limited selection, specifically at Aldi. If you are picky about brands or specific ingredients, you might need to supplement elsewhere. You might have to go to another store, which can get really dicey when you're trying to spend less on groceries. Anytime you walk into a grocery store, you're probably gonna spend money. So the less amount of stores that you can shop at, the better. If you do shop at these grocery stores, just be really intentional about the items that you buy and then make sure you get your items at the other grocery store, but not over shopping or really decreasing the impulse buys if you can. Another thing that I don't love about these stores, specifically Winco, I'm not 100% sure about Aldi because I don't have one local to me, is that they don't often pause. They don't take credit card payments. So you have to use a debit card, cash, or check. And that is just kind of sometimes annoying. Like there's been multiple times where I've gone to Winco and and like grabbed groceries and gone to the front and I didn't have a debit card or cash on me. And so I had to leave my grocery items there. Kind of annoying. It's not a huge like reason to not shop there, but you do have to be careful of that and what types of forms of payments they accept. Now, one of the other things that I don't love about these grocery stores is that they don't have an online ordering with pickup options. Um, they're just not something that they're prioritizing right now. And it's one of the reasons why they tend to be a little bit more affordable. Um, but as someone who is a huge proponent of online ordering, I would rather shop at a store that offers online ordering that's a little bit more expensive than having to shop in store because I save time and money by online ordering. Another reason that one of these stores might be a con to someone is that they don't have a lot of options for dietary restrictions or organic produce and ingredients. If you have, if you need specialty items, these can be harder stores to find that at. So I understand why someone wouldn't shop at these stores. But I do really like these stores for main halls, things like eggs, bread, snacks, canned goods, and produce. And then you can always go to another store to get your specialty items if needed. Okay, next is the big box stores. These are stores like Walmart and Target and places that are like supermarkets where they offer things other than just groceries. These are great if you value convenience and consistency. One of the things I love about Walmart, and I don't really shop at Target that often, but they do have groceries there, is that it's a one-stop shop. You can grab groceries, you can grab toiletries, you can grab household items all in one trip. And a lot of these stores tend to be consistent. Grocery prices across most locations. Depending on where you shop, they're gonna be the same price. Um, and a lot of these pause. And these stores do offer price matching options and online pickup options, which ding ding ding. Love that because it saves me time and money. So you can always go onto the Target app, you can go onto the Walmart app, you can order your groceries, pick them up outside the store. And then they even have an option. Walmart and Target both have options for delivery as well, which I'm a huge, a huge fan of because I love not having to even go to the grocery store and getting my groceries delivered to my house. Some of the pause. One of the pros I would say at shopping at Target is that there are a lot of coupon options when you shop at Target. Um, Walmart doesn't have quite as many coupon options, but sometimes you can get really good BOGO deals in the Target app. And it's pretty easy to scroll through and see what things are on sale for that week. The cons of these stores would be that they, it's really easy to get distracted and add, you know, some home decor and extra sweater into your cart, which then can destroy your budget, obviously. Um, and then I would say another con to these two stores would be that sometimes the produce and the meat quality isn't as high as people would like. And so it's kind of hit and miss depending on the store and where you live. So that can be a huge negative to some people uh and a reason not to shop there. So if you do shop at these stores, order online, keep yourself disciplined, stick to your lists, and use that grocery pickup if you can. That's my favorite hack for avoiding temptation. Okay, the next type of store would be your warehouse stores. Uh, these are places like Costco, Sam's Club, or BJ's. And these are tricky stores because they're really easy to spend way more than you were expecting because of the nature of the layout of these stores. You can you either like swear by them or you can just be like totally overwhelmed and not know what to do inside these stores. I am a huge proponent of Sam's Club over Costco, and I have a whole podcast episode or you can go back and listen to on why I am really careful about how I shop at Costco, because it's a dangerous place if you don't know how to do it correctly. The reason I like Sam's Club and I don't very often shop in store for Sam's Club because of all the things that I don't like about Costco or the same at Sam's Club. I really like that Sam's Club offers online ordering with pickup or delivery options. So that's what I do to keep all of the cons that I don't like about those stores out of my, out of my way. And online ordering is really the easiest way to overcome some of the cons that I'm going to share with you. The pros of these stores are that they're great for bulk options, things like toilet paper, paper towels, you know, pro meat options, cheese, things like that you can get in bigger bulk. I always get my eggs, my milk, my cheese, my produce items all at Sam's Club. They have higher quality than my local Walmart and they tend to be more affordable. These are really good stores if you are a meal prepper or you have a large family that you're trying to feed. Tends to be a little bit more affordable at these big fox stores. And I do like that these stores offer gas discounts and um you can get your gas much cheaper at these stores than you would at like a local Chevron or uh or another gas station. Now, the cons for these stores are that you can easily overspend, right? Buying in bulk is great if you're actually going to use the food that you're gonna buy. But sometimes buying in bulk can feel like you're saving, but you're only saving if you use it before it expires. If you're buying in bulk and saving and then the food expires, it ends up as food waste and you're wasting money that way. And the other thing that it gets really tricky at these stores is if they don't offer a good generic option in a certain ingredient, then you're gonna buy the name brand option, which is going to cost you more in the long run. Not every deal at the store is cheaper than other local grocery stores. Um, and another thing that can be a con about the big box stores is that you may need a little bit more space to house all that food. So you need the freezer space, you need more fridge space and storage to really make it worthwhile. So if you're a family of four or more, warehouse stores can be really great, but only if you plan your meals around what you buy in bulk and really be smart around what you're what you're shopping for. Pause. Episode number 66 is the one where I break down Costco and or my true thoughts about Costco and how to shop smart there. Okay, and our last type of grocery store that we'll focus on is our specialty and organic stores. These are stores like Trader Joe's, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Local Co-ops, things like that. If you are focused on clean ingredients, organic foods, places like Sprouts or Whole Foods can be your main go-to. But it's gonna come with a price. And that price is that you're going to spend more than you would at a different grocery store. Again, I'm not gonna tell you where to grocery shop, but I do think it's important to realize that if you value saving money over maybe certain specific items, then you may be really careful about what you buy at these stores and how often you shop there. The pros to stores like this are that they do have really good quality produce, meats, and allergy-friendly items. Um, a lot of these stores offer really incredible sales if you know when to shop and how to shop for them and you follow the deals. Now, the shop method does not include couponing at all. I don't teach couponing. I'm not about couponing, I don't believe in it. But if you do like to coupon and it's something that you're good at and you want to take the time to do, you may be able to save a lot of money by couponing at these some of these stores. And let's be honest, when you walk into a Whole Foods and into a sprout store, it's high-end. It's a better overall experience. You're gonna get really good quality, you're gonna get really good employees that are really helpful. It's just a it's a it's a higher price tag because you're paying for that higher quality experience. And again, if that's something that you value, there's nothing wrong with that. But the cons are that they're expensive, period. Yeah, you're gonna find certain items that may be cheaper at those stores than other stores, but overall, if we price compare, most items are gonna be quite a bit more expensive at these types of stores. And I see it a lot, and I and I don't want to shame anyone, but it's really easy to justify your overspending if you have dietary restrictions, you want to eat healthy, you have certain health needs, it's really easy to say, I'm spending so much because I have these needs. But then if we go and we buy those same exact ingredients at a different grocery store that tends to be more affordable, you can still fulfill whatever needs you have, but you're gonna spend a lot less while doing it. And so if you're someone who is overspending a lot and you're saying, oh, it's because I have blank, it's because I have a gluten-free child or I have certain dietary needs, or we want to eat only organic, great. You can still do that at any grocery store. You don't necessarily need to shop at some of these specialty stores. But if you love these stores, more power to you and you're okay spending a little bit more. There's nothing wrong with that. Just use them strategically and be smart about how you do it. Shop, maybe shop your staples or things that you can at a big box store or discount store and then fill in the gaps with the items that you need at Sprouts or Whole Foods. You'll still get the quality, but without the markup on everything like you would at those stores. So, with though that in mind, with all of these different grocery stores broken down, you can kind of pick and choose which ones you want to try out or start to compare between the two. Um, but here's something I want every mom to hear. Saving money should never cost you your peace. It should never make you feel overwhelmed. It should never make you feel stressed. If you're running to four different grocery stores every week and it's making you miserable and spend hours doing it, it is not worth it. Sometimes convenience is the savings that we're seeing, but pause. Sometimes convenience is the savings. Sometimes it's the most important thing as long as it helps you stay consistent. But the goal is not to spend as little money as possible. It's to build a system that is sustainable, intentional, and aligned with your life. So, what I recommend is picking one or two of the stores that fit your routine. Learn how you shop there, know what their best value items is, and then master that and build a routine around that, and you'll save without even thinking at it about it. Pause. And you'll save without even thinking about it. So, which grocery store should you shop at? You should shop at the best grocery store for you that aligns with your values and one that helps you stay on the plan that you're on. Not necessarily the one that's cheapest, but the one that works. Pause. Not necessarily the one that's cheapest, but the one that works for your life and ticks the most boxes when it comes to your values. If you would like to learn the system behind how I plan, shop, and cook for my family, and how I've taught thousands of other families to do the same, I'm gonna link my free training below where you can learn the shop method in 45 minutes. And as we wrap up this episode, remember grosh pause. And as we wrap up this episode, one more thing to leave with you is that when you learn to shop with intention, you're not just gonna save money, but you're creating more peace, more freedom, and more abundance for your family. So thanks for tuning in today. If this episode did help you, pause. Thanks for tuning in today. If you enjoyed this episode, feel free to share it with another mom or tag me on your Instagram stories and let me know what your favorite part about the episode was. I'll see you guys next week.

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Rachel Coons

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