It ’s possible to cross everything off your market list for cheaper , but it ’s a lot of work . Here ’s how some of our readers do it .

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These days , it ’s not easy to buy a haulage of groceries for your family and go out the store feeling financially intact . you’re able to find wad and pretty - priced staple at deduction storehouse like Trader Joe’s , Aldi , and Costco , and oftentimes , it solve as a overbold money - saving selection — but sometimes it still hurts the wallet .

produce section in grocery store with chalkboard listing items and prices

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If it seems like groceries are getting progressively expensive every year , you ’re not imagining it . harmonize to the Federal Reserve , the prices of groceries have increased a whopping 25 % since the pandemic began four years ago .

So it should n’t have make out as a everlasting surprise when one Southern California family ’s Trader Joe ’s receipt totaled $ 444 — and social media could n’t get over it .

The ma posted avideo that ’s now been viewed over 17.5 million time on X , formerly know as Twitter , panning over a massive Trader Joe ’s receipt . It included hemangioma simplex , avocados , cucumbers , and a variety of the grocer ’s quick-frozen solid food like crybaby and Malva sylvestris tamales and chicken soup dumplings .

" Here ’s what it get to feed six kids [ for ] about a week and a half , " she allege in the video , scanning through a inclination of items that are individually low-priced but add up quick .

Trader Joe’sis have intercourse as a less expensive choice than other , more traditional grocery stock , but many user responded to the post to point out that there are other grocery stores more pocketbook - well-disposed for a large family , like Aldi or Costco .

But the true statement of the matter is thatgroceries are getting more expensive , and if you need to spend less at the store , you ’ll take to design onwards with enthusiasm — and spend a passel of clock time cooking .

It ’s not impossible to get your grocery bill down a bit . In our Dinner Diaries series , our reader apportion where they shop , how much they pass , and their other habits .

One of our readersspends $ 150 Georgia home boy on foodstuff for her family of threeeach week , predominately at HEB and Kroger , and she cook every twenty-four hour period . Another of our reviewer spendsabout $ 200 per weekfor her family of four at Whole Foods , Trader Joe ’s , and Costco . And yetanother mom spend about $ 120 to $ 130 each weekfor her family of four on groceries at Walmart and Fareway .

While they alter in age and cooking styles , here ’s what these referee have in common : They plan their shopping ahead of sentence ( whether by piss a list orcoming up with repast ideasin their heads ) ; they do a " bighearted workshop " once a week ; and they keep theirpantries supplied with basicslike beans , rice , canned tuna , pasta , and coffee .

Whether you ’re cooking for a family of four or stocking up on frozen foods for yourself , we ’re all thinking of mode to relieve money where we can while still having a electric refrigerator full of delicious nutrient — but maybe do n’t post your receipts online if you do n’t want to hear others ’ opinions .