If you’re looking to tighten your belt this year — and honestly, who isn’t? — your grocery cart is the first place to start.
The supermarket is loaded with overpriced junk masquerading as “convenience” or “premium quality.” But smart, frugal shoppers know better — and they’re not falling for it in 2025.
Here’s the rundown of seven grocery items that are draining your wallet for no good reason:
1. Precut Fruits and Veggies — You’re Paying to Be Lazy
Sure, slicing a watermelon takes a few extra minutes — but that convenience is costing you big. A tiny container of precut watermelon runs $4.58 at Walmart, while a whole one costs just $4.27. Plus, you get more fruit and less plastic. Stop being a sucker.
2. Name-Brand Spices — Same Stuff, Bigger Price Tag
Your fancy $7 garlic powder? It’s no better than the $4 store brand. Spices are spices. Save yourself the cash and grab the generic. Your spaghetti sauce won’t know the difference — and neither will your taste buds.
3. Single-Serve Snacks — Stop Paying for Tiny Portions
Little snack packs are cute. The price tag? Not so much. Bulk buys and reusable containers will save you a fortune. Your kid doesn’t care if their goldfish crackers came from a Ziploc bag.
4. Bottled Coffee Drinks — Brew It Yourself, Baby
Buying coffee outside your home is a fast way to bankrupt your budget. That $3.49 bottled Starbucks drink? Cute. You could make a dozen for that price with a $9.89 bag of beans. Get grinding.
5. Premade Smoothies and Juices — Blend, Baby, Blend
Fresh-squeezed juices and fancy smoothies cost a mint at the store. Do it yourself with frozen fruit and a $20 blender. Your wallet (and your waistline) will thank you.
6. Prepackaged Charcuterie — Fancy Snack, Foolish Spend
Charcuterie boards are the hottest thing since avocado toast. But buying them preassembled? Total ripoff. A prepackaged board at Walmart runs nearly $15. Build your own from blocks of cheese and salami, and get double the bang for your buck.
7. Trendy Superfoods — Expensive Hype
Collagen powder. Goji berries. Whatever TikTok is pushing this week. Newsflash: a normal diet packed with fruits and veggies does the job just fine. Save your cash and skip the overpriced health fads.
Bottom Line:
A little extra effort at the grocery store could save you hundreds — even thousands — this year. So put down the precut cantaloupe, and pick up your financial future.