The Grocery Giant That's Even Cheaper Than Walmart

Walmart is a well-known leader in affordable everything, from tires to jeans to groceries. And, with over 4,000 stores nationwide having some kind of grocery department, it's a common choice for grocery shopping on a budget. Although Walmart's reputation for affordability is well-earned, there's another grocery chain that tends to be even cheaper.

With around 2,600 American locations, Aldi doesn't have quite as many stores as Walmart, but shoppers with access to both have generally noticed that Aldi has lower prices, especially if you rely on its high-quality store brands. For instance, a 13-ounce package of Aldi's knockoff Chips Ahoy cookies currently costs $2.75. Walmart's corresponding cookie product? $3.00. 

When it comes to variety of inventory and keeping products in stock, Walmart wins the day. It's a much larger company with significantly bigger stores, meaning more money to buy inventory and more space to keep things stocked. And some products are cheaper at Walmart. But saving the most money possible will mean some trips to Aldi as well.

When we put Aldi vs. Walmart in a grocery shopping comparison, we appreciated that Aldi had a good selection of fresh produce and individually-wrapped steaks. A three-pack of romaine lettuce hearts will currently run you $3.29 at Aldi, compared to $3.86 at Walmart. And for a seasonal comparison, butternut squash is $1.54/pound at Walmart, which sounds reasonable until you see that Aldi has the same for 89 cents per pound.

Beef is an essential grocery item for many American households, and Aldi has historically had cheaper beef than Walmart. The trend seems to endure as well: grass-fed New York Strip is currently $13.99/pound at Aldi (and the only kind it carries) compared to Walmart's $20.94/pound for the same.

But just because Aldi tends to be cheaper for groceries than Walmart doesn't mean that's always the case. Eggs tend to be more affordable at Walmart than Aldi, which can be critical for big families. A dozen cage-free white eggs at Walmart cost $1.97, compared to $3.55 at Aldi. And Great Value Italian Bread is less than half the price of its Aldi equivalent. It's another reminder to shop around for the absolute best prices possible, even if one store tends to have the less expensive prices.