How to save money with groceries
Save money on groceries with these smart hacks.
The problem has been resolved
As grocery prices rose, Samantha Black cut budgets elsewhere to feed her family of five.
“You can’t cut out groceries,” said Black, who lives in Dallas with her husband and three children. So they cut back on eating out. The family spends around $600 a month on groceries, starting from about $400 last year.
A new Wallethub study analyzed the US cities where people spend the most on groceries. The study reviewed 26 common items in 100 cities and compared them to median household income to determine where Americans spend their largest percentage of their food income.
Detroit shoppers spend the most while Fremont, California shoppers spend the most. Dallas ranked 39th.
Shopping customers surprised at the high price
Food is an inevitable cost, and some people go to the grocery store once or twice a week, so shoppers are enthusiastically sensitive to fluctuations in grocery prices.
Higher prices hit all pocketbooks, but the pinch is often felt more by low-income shoppers, he said.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ September consumer price index, grocery stores’ food prices rose 0.6% between July and August, the fastest change in monthly groceries in three years. According to CPI statistics, it was 29% higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prices also vary regionally, according to Balagtas. For example, beef prices are high nationwide due to small beef herds and strong demand. In some places, beef prices are even higher than others. He said it was 24% higher in the West of the United States in 2024, according to government data.
“Part of that is the cost of delivering and cost of retail space, and the cost of workers,” he said. “If retailers have to pay higher rents in New York City… we know that higher costs will be passed on to consumers than in rural Indiana.”
Which cities spend the most on groceries?
The results of the Wallethub analysis are ranking the top 100 cities in the US. Top ranked cities had the most expensive foods as a percentage of monthly median household income.
- Detroit (3.78%)
- Cleveland (3.77%)
- Birmingham, Alabama (3.28%)
- Newark, New Jersey (3.16%)
- Toledo, Ohio (3.09%)
- Hialea, Florida (3.00%)
- Buffalo, New York (2.98%)
- Cincinnati (2.90%)
- Milwaukee (2.89%)
- Memphis, Tennessee (2.87%)
Detroitians spend the most on groceries, not because food is the most expensive, or because the city’s median annual household income is $39,575. Cleveland has the lowest household income in the country at $39,187.
Some of the most expensive cities were full of rusty belt cities and previously flourished…The city where factory jobs have left,” Rupo told USA Today.
Which cities spend the least amount of groceries?
The cities where shoppers spent the least on groceries were:
90. Chandler, Arizona (1.45%)
91. Scottsdale, Arizona (1.40%)
92. Huntington Beach, California (1.33%)
93. Santa Clarita, California (1.33%)
94. Plano, Texas (1.33%)
95. Seattle (1.32%)
96. Gilbert, Arizona (1.24%)
97. Irvine, California (1.23%)
98. San Francisco (1.22%)
99. San Jose, California (1.16%)
100. Fremont, California (0.96%)
Lupo said California’s food costs are high, incomes are high, and the cost of living is high.
How families can save money on groceries
To save money with groceries, Black recently started shopping at the Costco Business Center, which is open to Costco members, but items are on sale in large quantities.
In June, Black created content on social media about daily life as a working mom, documenting how she bought 120 pounds of chicken for $160.
“It really helped us because we had chicken for at least three months,” Black told USA Today. The disadvantage was that while the meat was already cut out, the family had to package 303 wings, 108 drumsticks and 40 large chicken breasts before putting the meat in the deep freezer.
Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA Today. Contact her at blinfisher @usatoday.com or follow her on X, Facebook, or Instagram @Blinfisher, @Blinfisher.bsky.social.. Sign up for our free daily money newsletter that breaks down complex consumers and financial news. Please subscribe here.
