Worked Examples
Theory is great, but let’s put these principles into practice. How do these strategies translate into an actual shopping cart and real dollars saved? Here are two concrete examples.
One-Week, $50 Basket for Two
Let’s imagine a weekly grocery run for a two-person household with a tight budget of $50. The goal is to cover breakfasts, lunches, and at least four dinners, relying on store brands for nearly everything. At Walmart, our basket would be built on Great Value staples. We start with a large container of old-fashioned oats and a dozen Great Value eggs for simple, filling breakfasts. For lunches, a loaf of store-brand whole wheat bread, a large bag of carrots, and a can of chickpeas to make homemade hummus provide a base. The core of our dinners comes from a large bag of frozen Great Value chicken tenderloins, a bag of brown rice, and a few cans of black beans and diced tomatoes. For produce, we grab a bag of onions and a large bag of frozen broccoli florets, which are often cheaper and just as nutritious as fresh. With these components, we can build four distinct dinners: chicken and broccoli stir-fry over rice; black bean and chicken rice bowls with a bit of salsa; shredded chicken sandwiches on the whole wheat bread; and a simple chicken and vegetable soup using the remaining ingredients. The total cost, relying heavily on low-cost generic brands, should comfortably come in at or under the $50 mark.
Is It Cheaper to Cook This? A Pancake Breakfast Cost Breakdown
Let’s compare the cost of a simple weekend breakfast using store brands versus national brands. Our meal is pancakes, syrup, and eggs for a family of four. We’ll compare Walmart’s Great Value against popular national brands.
First, the pancake mix. A 32-ounce box of Great Value Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix might cost around $2.00. The equivalent Pearl Milling Company (formerly Aunt Jemima) mix could be $3.50. Next, the syrup. A 24-ounce bottle of Great Value Original Syrup is often priced near $1.80, while a similar-sized bottle of Mrs. Butterworth’s could be $3.75. Finally, the eggs. A dozen Great Value large eggs might be $2.50, whereas a dozen from a specialty brand like Eggland’s Best could be $4.50. Let’s assume we use about a quarter of the mix and syrup, and four eggs.
For the store-brand breakfast, the cost is roughly $0.50 for the mix, $0.45 for the syrup, and $0.83 for the eggs, for a total of $1.78. For the national-brand breakfast, the cost is about $0.88 for the mix, $0.94 for the syrup, and $1.50 for the eggs, totaling $3.32. The national-brand meal is nearly double the price. Over a year of weekly pancake breakfasts, that single swap saves over $80. This illustrates the compounding power of choosing generic brands for basic pantry staples where the quality is often indistinguishable.
