18. Onions

Onions are another vegetable that you can get for a pretty good price most of the time. And because of the awesome way that it enhances the flavor of many dishes, it is a great staple to keep on hand all the time.

19. Broccoli

You can also generally get broccoli for a pretty good price. Often the crowns are more expensive, but occasionally they are the better deal because you are not paying for the stalk. (However, we slice up the stalk and include it in some of our dishes. If you can do that, then that makes the whole broccoli heads even more affordable.)

20. Salsa

Salsa is particularly helpful if you are getting low on fresh produce before your next scheduled trip to the grocery store. It is a great item to keep on hand all of the time because it lasts longer (once opened) than most fresh vegetables, too.

21. Chicken

When money is tight or when you just want to be able to buy the most economical foods, chicken is definitely your friend. Much of the meat that we buy is chicken because it is generally less expensive than beef and pork and other kinds of meat. We can also get skinless, boneless chicken breasts for a $1 a pound, and so I tend to stock up when that happens until the next time they go on sale. Occasionally we can even get ground chicken for a great price, and it is excellent for dishes like tacos and enchiladas in place of ground beef.

Chicken thighs are generally less expensive than breasts, so if you want chicken and cannot get breasts at a great price, consider getting the thighs. Some people don’t like the thighs as much, but personally, for flavorful dishes, I actually like the thighs better sometimes because I feel they can be more moist and tender than the breasts. And if you don’t mind the extra work, buying the whole chicken can be a great way to purchase chicken on the cheap.

22. Ground turkey

Sometimes ground turkey is on sale for a better price than ground beef, and since it is also a healthier option than ground beef, when it is, we will sometimes buy several pounds of it and freeze it to use in various dishes where we would normally use ground beef.

23. Green salad

You will usually get a better price if you buy the ingredients for an inexpensive salad yourself rather than buying premade salads. However, sometimes the premade salads are on sale for a great price. We generally keep our salads pretty economical by making them ourselves using spinach or romaine lettuce, tomatoes, sliced or chopped carrots, cauliflower (if it can be bought for a good price), and broccoli.

24. Spinach

Spinach isn’t generally the cheapest vegetable you can buy, but it is a great way to (relatively) inexpensively increase the nutritional value of other inexpensive dishes such as egg omelets, meat sandwiches, salads, stir fry dishes, pasta dishes, quesadillas, and more.

25. Peppers

Green peppers are another good option if you are making a cheapest groceries list—when they are in season, that is. When they are not in season, look at lettuce, cabbage, and the other vegetables included in this list for cheaper options.

26. Frozen vegetables

Frozen vegetables can be an economical option, as well, particularly when other favorite vegetables are not in season. And despite what you may have heard, from what I have read, vegetables lose little if any nutritional value when frozen. Frozen vegetables are great in casseroles, soups and stews, omelets, and more. To know when frozen vegetables are a better deal, do a rough comparison of serving sizes.

27. Peanut butter

When looking for the cheapest groceries you can buy, peanut butter is a good value because it is high in protein. Especially if you just stick to regular peanut butter and not the sugar free kind (even though I admit not having the extra sugar is a healthier option), you can make a ton of sandwiches from one large jar of peanut butter!

In the 40 ounce jar (typically the largest standard size, at least at the stores where I shop, that is about 80 tablespoons of peanut butter, and if you eat the standard serving size suggested, that is 40 sandwiches that you can make from a jar that costs (in our area) about $4 or less.

So for about 10 cents for the peanut butter and another 10 cents for the two slices of bread (if you get the cheap bread) and another 15 cents or so per serving for the inexpensive jelly or jam, you are spending well under 50 cents for a PB&J sandwich. Eat an inexpensive apple with it, and you have a light lunch for well under a buck.

28. Tuna fish

Tuna has definitely gotten more expensive over the last 10 or 15 years, but it is still more economical than most meats. Tuna salad sandwiches are more expensive than PB&J sandwiches, for sure, but a simple tuna salad sandwich of tuna and mayo is generally a little less expensive than a simple homemade ham (luncheon meat) and cheese sandwich.

29. Hot dogs

I know that the cheap hot dogs aren’t necessarily super healthy, but this is an article about the cheapest groceries, not the most healthy ones.  And hot dogs are an inexpensive option when money is short. You can put a hot dog on a slice of bread with a little ketchup for less than 20 cents (with the prices in my area, anyway).

30. Macaroni and cheese

This is another cheap option. Even though mac and cheese has also gotten more expensive in recent years (which is true for many foods), you can still make a box of mac and cheese (the inexpensive, store-brand kind) for less than 50 cents where I live. In our house we like to make what we call “more better mac and cheese,” where we add vegetables like broccoli, carrots, onions, and green peppers, as well as sometimes polish sausage or even hot dogs or hamburger. I also like to top mine with salsa to add even more vegetable goodness.

31. Ramen noodles

This one has little nutritional value, I know, but it’s about as cheap a meal choice as you can get. We add vegetables and chicken to make this not so healthy choice healthier (and tastier!).

Summary of the Cheapest Food to Buy When Money Is Tight

In case it is helpful, I also want to include a streamlined list of these 31 cheapest foods to include on a cheapest groceries list. And if you want this list as a handy printable, be sure to grab the cheat sheet offered below! And keep reading, because in the next section I am going to talk about some of the cheap and easy meals that you can make with this list of cheapest groceries!

Here is a condensed list of the 31 cheapest foods discussed in this article:

1. Oatmeal
2. Cream of wheat
3. Eggs
4. Bread
5. Cereal
6. Bananas
7. Apples
8. Zucchini
9. Onions
10. Broccoli
11. Squash
12. Potatoes
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Carrots
15. Canned tomatoes
16. Salsa
17. Green salad
18. Spinach
19. Peppers
20. Frozen vegetables
21. Beans
22. Lentils
23. Rice
24. Pasta
25. Macaroni and cheese
26. Ramen noodles
27. Chicken
28. Ground turkey
29. Hot dogs
30. Tuna fish
31. Peanut butter

Examples of meals that you can make with these cheapest foods are discussed just below!