When prices keep rising

Groceries cost more every trip. How do I buy for less?

Q: Are frozen and canned vegetables cheaper than fresh?

Usually. In USDA Economic Research Service data from 2023, a cup of canned or frozen corn, spinach, or green beans cost less than fresh. Whole fresh carrots were the exception and cost less than canned or frozen.

Q: How much should a family of four spend on groceries?

USDA's Thrifty Food Plan, a nutritious diet with all meals made at home, cost $236.30 a week or $1,023.70 a month for a family of four (two adults 20 to 50, two children 6 to 11) in August 2026.

Q: What are the cheapest foods to buy?

In Bureau of Labor Statistics average price data for September 2026, white rice cost $1.12 a pound, dried beans $1.67 a pound, whole chicken $2.06 a pound, and large eggs $2.27 a dozen.

You can usually eat the same meals for less by changing what lands in the cart. The savings come from a few habits, not from clipping every coupon.

This page gives you a benchmark from USDA, the one number on the shelf tag that settles most choices, and the staples that stretch a budget furthest.

By Dan Whelan, founder of New World Survival

Researched from government agencies, university extension services, and other published sources. See our sources

01 · The benchmark

How much should a household spend on groceries?

USDA publishes the answer every month. Its Thrifty Food Plan, a nutritious diet with every meal and snack made at home, cost $236.30 a week, or $1,023.70 a month, for a family of four in August 2026: two adults aged 20 to 50 and two children aged 6 to 11.

Treat that as a floor to plan against, not a target to hit. Most households spend more, and that is fine. The point is to know what a careful week can cost, so you can see how far above it you are and choose where to close the gap.

For more on using the number, read what a household actually needs to spend on groceries.

02 · The shelf tag

How do I know which one is actually cheaper?

Read the unit price, the small number on the shelf tag that shows cost per ounce, pound, or count. It is the only fair way to compare a big box with a small one, or a name brand with the store brand beside it.

Then try the store brand. Rutgers Cooperative Extension notes that store brands are often packaged in the same plants as national brands, and the main differences are the label and the price. If your household cannot tell the difference, the savings are yours every trip.

Grocery shopping and unit prices walks through reading the tag, units that do not match, package sizes that shrink, and when convenience is worth paying for.

03 · Frozen and canned

Is fresh produce always the expensive choice?

Often, but not always. USDA's Economic Research Service prices fruits and vegetables per cup as eaten, after trimming and cooking, which is the fair way to compare forms. Here is what a cup of four common vegetables cost in its most recent data, from 2023.

Average price per cup of cooked vegetable by form, USDA 2023
Vegetable, per cup	Fresh	Canned	Frozen
Corn	$1.42	$0.68	$0.69
Spinach, cooked	$1.93	$0.96	$1.19
Green beans	$0.87	$0.54	$0.72
Carrots, cooked	$0.39	$0.65	$0.66

Canned and frozen corn, spinach, and green beans cost well under fresh. Whole fresh carrots are the exception: cheaper than either packaged form. That is why the unit price beats any rule of thumb.

Frozen and canned produce also keep. Less of it goes bad in the drawer, and food you throw away is the most expensive food you buy.

04 · Staples that stretch

What are the cheapest foods to build meals around?

Rice, dried beans, eggs, and whole chicken sit near the bottom of the price list. Here are the national average prices for September 2026 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, next to two common proteins.

$1.12

White rice, per pound

$1.67

Dried beans, per pound

$2.06

Whole chicken, per pound

$2.27

Large eggs, per dozen

$5.45

Boneless ham, per pound

$6.79

Ground beef, per pound

You do not have to give up meat. Stretching a pound of ground beef with a pound of beans, or roasting a whole chicken instead of buying parts, lowers the cost of the same dinner.

Scratch meal prep shows how to turn these staples into real meals, and the grains and proteins pantry guides cover what to keep on hand.

05 · Buying habits

Which habits save the most?

Four habits do most of the work. Each one has a guide on this site.

Plan the week before you shop

Decide the meals, then write the list from them. Build the plan around what is on sale and what you already have.

Shop from the list

Impulse buys are where a careful budget leaks. A list keeps the cart to the plan.

Buy in bulk only what you use

A 25-pound bag of rice saves money only if your household eats it before it goes stale.

Use the oldest first

Rotating the pantry stops food from expiring behind newer cans, so nothing you paid for is wasted.

06 · Where this fits

If the grocery bill is only part of it

Cheaper groceries help most when you cook from them, and they help more alongside a look at the rest of the budget. If money is already short, start with the guide written for that.

Feeding the household when money is short

This week's meals, food assistance, and SNAP.

Frugal tips

Small household moves, each with the math and when it is not worth it.

The other two moves against rising prices

Cook at home

The biggest single saving. What a home meal costs and where to start.

Spend less

Find where the money goes, trim the recurring bills, and keep what you save.

07 · Common questions

What people usually ask

Are store brands as good as name brands?

Often they are the same food in a different package. Rutgers Cooperative Extension notes that store brands are often packed in the same plants as national brands. Try one and let your household decide.

Are frozen and canned vegetables cheaper than fresh?

Usually. In USDA's 2023 price data, a cup of canned or frozen corn, spinach, or green beans cost less than fresh. Whole fresh carrots were cheaper than either. Check the unit price to be sure.

How much should a family of four spend on groceries?

USDA's Thrifty Food Plan put a careful, home-cooked diet at $1,023.70 a month for a family of four in August 2026. Use it as a floor to plan against, not a target.

What are the cheapest foods to buy?

Rice ($1.12 a pound), dried beans ($1.67 a pound), whole chicken ($2.06 a pound), and eggs ($2.27 a dozen) were among the lowest national average prices in September 2026.

08 · Sources

Where these numbers come from

USDA, Food Plans: Monthly Cost of Food Reports, Thrifty Food Plan, August 2026.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Barbara O'Neill, Tips to Beat Inflation and Save Money, April 2023.
USDA Economic Research Service, Fruit and Vegetable Prices, 2023 data.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average Price Data, September 2026: rice, dried beans, whole chicken, eggs, boneless ham, and ground beef.

Last reviewed: October 15, 2026. Prices are national averages, so your store will differ. The produce comparison uses USDA's most recent per-cup data, which are from 2023 and are not meant for comparing one year with another. This page is not financial or nutrition advice.

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Food