The Cheap Grocery Store That Will Save Retirees A Ton Of Money

The price of groceries in the last few years has risen considerably, creating a lot of frustration amongst Americans. According to the USDA, grocery prices rose by 9.9% in 2022 alone, which was the largest single year increase for that category in over 40 years. What's worse is that, for 2025, the USDA predicts grocery prices to increase another 3.4% — further adding to the frustration that many Americans are experiencing when making their weekly trip to the store. While it once used to be that keeping a well stocked pantry could save you money, at this point, it can be hard to tell the difference, price-wise, between eating in or out.

Since retirees are living on fixed incomes, and therefore only have so much to spend, it's important that they take advantage of any money saving strategies they might come across. While you should always employ certain grocery shopping strategies that can save you money, knowing where, exactly, to go in the first place can also be a significant trick to saving money. The type of grocery store you do your shopping at can make the biggest difference to your total expenses. That being said, there's one cheap grocery store in particular that will save retirees a ton of money: Aldi.

When it comes to saving money on groceries, no store does it better than Aldi. With over 2,000 stores in 38 different states, even if you don't have an Aldi in your hometown, making the drive to wherever a nearby store is located can definitely be worth the trip. According to a 2024 comparison study from AARP, purchasing a typical basket of 30 of the most popular items that consumers normally buy during a weekly grocery trip totaled around $66 at the register when shopping at Aldi — cheaper than the other grocery stores they compared baskets against. 

Plus, there is no guarantee that the study utilized these 13 clever tricks to save you money at Aldi, so you could walk away for even less when shopping at Aldi. The popular cheap grocery store chain also announced they were reducing prices on over 250 items back in 2024. Knowing this, it's likely that in 2025 the savings that retirees can experience by shopping at Aldi will be even greater.

With food-at-home prices up as high as 25% since the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, grocery shopping has become much more of a chore for retirees. However, the good news is that with an abundance of options as far as places to do your weekly grocery shopping, it doesn't have to be this way. If you find yourself in a geographic area without an Aldi, there are other options to consider.

In 2024, Target cut their prices on over 1500 items, groceries included, which can make it a more affordable option for retirees. That being said, overall, AARP found their groceries to be more expensive than competitors like Aldi and Walmart so it might be the best choice depending on what other options are available in your area. Speaking of which, as long as you avoid these huge mistakes that can cost you money at Walmart, the mega retailer can be a particularly affordable alternative for grocery shopping, with AARP even finding that Walmart's grocery prices where very close to that of Aldi.