13 Groceries I’m Not Buying Anymore

Feeding a family of six on a budget is no small task—especially with grocery prices climbing higher every time we shop. But this year, I took a hard look at what we’re buying and asked, Is there a smarter or cheaper way to do this? The answer: yes. In fact, there are 13 things I’m not buying anymore, not because we don’t use them, but because I’ve found better options that save us hundreds of dollars.

If you’re looking for practical ways to lower your grocery bill without sacrificing quality or taste, I hope this list gives you a few new ideas to try too.

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1. Store-Bought Bread

Even generic sandwich bread now costs $1.50+ a loaf. I can bake homemade bread for $0.50–$0.75 a loaf—and it tastes better too. I often use my bread machine to mix dough and bake it in the oven. I bake two loaves at the beginning of each week and freeze one. Here’s a tried and true classic bread recipe that anyone can make.

I am still buying tortillas and buns… for now. But both are on my list to make soon!

2. Pre-Shredded Cheese

Shredded cheese is convenient but more expensive per ounce and coated with additives. I stock up on cheese blocks when they’re on sale ($1.50 for 8 ounces is my target price), shred it myself, and freeze the cheese. It’s fresher, cheaper, and tastes better.

3. Canned Tuna

No one in my family really eats it except me, so it ends up sitting in the pantry. If your family doesn’t enjoy something anymore, stop buying it—no matter how frugal it seems.

4. Store-Bought Yogurt and Go-Gurt

Yogurt is full of added sugars and costs $3 for a quart. I make two quarts at home in my slow cooker for about $1.50—half the price for double the amount. Yes, you read that correctly. I make yogurt in my slow cooker! Here’s the incrediby easy homemade yogurt recipe.

I have also bought mini disposable plastic ziploc bags / popsicle tubes that I now fill with our crockpot yogurt to make homemade go-gurt. It’s cheaper, without all the extra ingredients, and my kids love it! Win-win! You can also freeze them for homemade gogurt popsicles which my kids enjoy too.

5. Full-Price Meat

We still eat meat regularly, but I only buy it on sale or clearance. I stock up around holiday sales (like 30–40 lbs of ground beef at once!) and freeze it. My target price for ground beef is around $2.50–$3/lb or less.

If you want to learn more about how I save on meat, check out 4 of my tips here.

6. Frozen Broccoli

It always turned mushy and went uneaten, which meant wasted money. Instead, I buy the 2 lb bags of fresh broccoli florets at Sam’s Club. It’s already washed and trimmed, and we actually eat it – especially when I cook it in the air fryer.

7. Vegetable and Canola Oil

I’ve switched to avocado oil and olive oil for health reasons. While they cost more, I buy them in bulk at Sam’s to save. I also use butter and even bacon grease for cooking when I can. Because bacon grease is basically free when you are already making bacon anyway!

8. Cooking Spray

Instead of buying canned spray, I use a refillable oil spray bottle with olive oil. It’s cleaner, reusable, and saves money over time. I was surprised how affordable the glass spray bottles are, and after using it for over a year? This definitely became one of my easiest and favorite switches!

9. Sugary Cereals

We don’t eat nearly as much cereal anymore. The kids prefer muffins, pancakes, toast (from my homemade bread), or homemade yogurt. These are all more filling options than cereal. I still keep Rice Krispies around, and I may buy a sugary cereal as a treat if I find a really good sale—but that’s it. It’s healthier for us and saves us money too.

10. Microwave Popcorn

Buying plain popcorn kernels in bulk and popping them on the stovetop (or in the air popper) saves a lot. We use olive oil, or bacon grease I have saved to cook it on the stove. Then, we flavor it with butter and salt ourselves. It’s cheaper, healthier, and tastes better too.

11. Brownie Mixes

Store-bought mixes aren’t worth it now that I’ve found a homemade brownie recipe that’s gooier, richer, and turns out perfect every time. Plus, I always have the ingredients on hand so it’s never a problem to whip up quickly for a yummy treat.

Want the recipe? Here’s the link to my favorite homemade brownies! Everyone who tries them absolutely loves them, and I think you will too!

12. Eggs (as much as I used to)

Egg prices have been ridiculous. I still buy eggs, but I’ve also started using egg substitutes like:

• Flax eggs (1 tbsp flax + 3 tbsp water)
• Aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)
• Egg Replacements (purchased just for this purpose)

In baking, these work really well—and cost just $0.06–$0.10 per egg vs $0.35+. Huge savings when you bake as much as I do! You can read more about different egg substitutes and how well they work (with price break downs) here.

Don’t worry. I still eat eggs and bake with them, but I buy LESS now thanks to using egg substitutes occasionally.

13. Laundry Detergent

This one isn’t edible, but it’s still in my grocery budget. I realized I had THREE unopened 215-load tubs of powdered detergent stockpiled in the basement. Until I work through the laundry detergent I have, I’m not buying more. It’s a reminder to shop your shelves before heading to the store.

Small Changes = Big Savings

Individually, these may seem like minor tweaks, but added together? They’re saving our family hundreds of dollars this year. If you’re just getting started, pick one or two items and start there. These changes are like baby steps—and every step adds up.

I’d love to know…what’s something YOU stopped buying to save money this year? Let me know in the comments!

And if you want to see what I am still buying, be sure to subscribe and check out my weekly Thursday grocery hauls on YouTube. I share the sales, clearance finds, and budget-friendly ideas that are feeding our family of six for under $525 a month.