Cheapest Grocery Stores in Illinois Revealed: Walmart Isn’t #1

If your grocery shopping strategy is more about finding the cheapest store instead of the most convenient, you may not like the information I'm about to share with you.

Worst Household Chores

It doesn't matter if you own your own home or rent an apartment, there are certain household chores no one can avoid.

Many people may say cleaning toilets is their most dreaded household chore, but for me, it is grocery shopping.

From making shopping lists and meal planning for my picky-eater children, to dealing with crowds and sticker shock at the register, I loathe every single minute I spend at the grocery store.

When Walmart began offering pickup service, it was like a dream come true for me. Now, I typically do a Walmart pickup for the BIG list and an Aldi run for snacks and other favorites in between. Turns out, one half of my grocery routine is smart for my wallet, while the other half is not.

Cheapest Grocery Stores in Illinois

Consumer Reports recently conducted a study comparing prices at popular grocery stores, in six different regions (Chicago was one of them) all across America.

Consumer Reports says:

The comparisons were based on the total price of grocery baskets that included packaged goods, produce, and meat, but differed in size depending on which items were available in each store. The comparisons were most robust for mainstream retailers carrying a wide selection of identical national-brand goods that could be compared across supermarkets.

Ready for the real shocker? Walmart is not the cheapest, or even the second cheapest, in Illinois.

So, the big question now is: will you be changing your typical grocery-shopping routine to save the most money? I will not be.

It may cost a little more, but at least I will continue to survive grocery shopping with my sanity mostly intact, and my kids' favorite snacks fully stocked.