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Pre-sliced fruits and vegetables -

If you can cut and prepare your own produce, it's best to not pay the premium on pre-sliced produce. It isn't worth the money or the toll on the environment.

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Bottled water -

Unless you're dealing with unsafe drinking water, bottled water is an unnecessary expense. Instead, get a reusable water bottle and keep it filled with tap water.

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Salad dressing -

It's far easier and cheaper to prepare your own dressings. Plus, you're ditching all the added fat, sugar, and calories that come in the bottled brands.

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Your prescriptions -

It might be far easier to pick up your medications while doing your groceries. But grocery stores charge higher even for the most common prescription drugs. Head to the pharmacy instead.

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Boxed baking mixes -

Boxed baking mixes seem easier and more convenient, but in reality it's just a mix of flour, sugar, baking powder, and a bunch of preservatives. The healthiest and cheapest way to bake is to buy baking staples and mix them up yourself.

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Cut-up meat -

You might feel tempted to purchase a tray of cut-up meat or poultry. Don’t. These have been marked up since they were already cut for you. Just buy the chunk of meat and cut it yourself.

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Shredded cheese -

Buying a block of cheese and grating it yourself is cheaper. Plus, there are countless additives sprinkled into the pre-shredded packages. It's best for your health and wallet to just shred it yourself.

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Premade salads -

Grabbing a salad for lunch at the grocery store is pretty pricey. And on top of that, the quality is also questionable, as you don't know how old those veggies are. Plus, there's also plastic waste.

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Pet food -

Most grocery stores are stocked with pet food, but unfortunately it's not typically of high quality. Your best bet would be to pick up your usual brand from the pet store.

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Diapers -

Grocery stores know that exhausted parents still have to get supplies for the week. That's why they mark up diapers. Instead, buy them in bulk from warehouse stores.

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Baked goods -

Walking past the bakery section is tempting, but you should skip the sweet stuff. It's far cheaper to make your own, plus you can cut some extra sugar and calories.

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Minced garlic -

Minced garlic in a jar isn't exactly expensive, but it costs more than fresh garlic. Also, it comes packed with other ingredients to keep it from going bad.

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Baby food -

For baby food, you can likely find better deals and purchase them in bulk online, or even on the brand's website. Also, if you're able to, making your own baby food is much cheaper.

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Organic fruits and vegetables -

Most produce that's labeled "organic" at the grocery store is typically marked up. If you really want organic produce, consider checking out a local farmers' market for the freshest and most organic options.

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Herbs and spices -

Spices and fresh or dried herbs can be super pricey at the grocery store, but you can get them in bulk at a warehouse store for a cheaper price. Also, instead of buying fresh herbs, you can plant them yourself.

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Frozen dinners -

When it comes to frozen dinners, you're spending too much money on meals that are rife with salt, fat, and calories. Just do yourself a favor and avoid them.

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Batteries -

Like many other non-food items in the grocery store, batteries are also overpriced, and they're also not available in bulk. Buy them at a warehouse store instead.

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Pre-packaged deli meats -

Ask for fresh cuts if you absolutely have to buy your deli meats at the grocery store. But if you can, head to a real butcher shop instead.

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Books -

Some grocery stores sell a small selection of books, which can be very tempting. However, books are marked up at the grocery store, and you can get them for a much better price online or even in an actual bookstore.

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Name brand cereal -

Most grocery stores will sell all the big name brand cereals, but they'll also sell generic versions of those cereals. Opt for these instead. They're cheaper and typically taste just as good.

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Party supplies -

It's really convenient to pick up balloons, candles, and streamers at the grocery store along with the snacks and cake. But you're better off heading to the dollar store or ordering these items in advance online.

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Coffee -

Coffee at the grocery store is often expensive, and they don't even have the best options. If you're purchasing pods, you're better off ordering those from the brand websites for better deals.

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Cooking wine -

Don't be fooled by the bottles of cooking wine in the grocery store aisles. They're expensive and don't even taste that good. Just use an actual bottle of wine that you have lying around your house.

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Cosmetics -

It might be tempting to grab a new lipstick while at the grocery store, but you'll save money in the long run by opting for a trip to the drugstore instead.

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Tomato sauce -

Considering it's mostly crushed-up tomatoes and spices, you could easily skip the plastic or glass container and make your own tomato sauce. You'll be doing the environment a huge favor!

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Food containers -

Not only are containers more expensive at the grocery store, but the options are also limited, and you probably have to buy them individually rather than in a package.

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Shampoo, soap, and other toiletries -

It's best to skip the grocery store unless you want to pay twice as much for smaller sizes of your personal care products. Grab your toiletries and other necessities at big-box department stores instead.

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Packs of instant oatmeal -

Packets of instant oatmeal are pricier than a container of oatmeal, and that's because you're paying for the convenience of on-the-go breakfast.

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Seasoning blends -

You'll find tons of different seasoning blends in the spice aisle, but these are often pretty pricey. If you have a basic array of spices and dried herbs at home, you can easily mix these together yourself.

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Snack-sized bags -

Those smaller sized bags of chips and cookies make it easy to grab a snack and go, but in the end it's a waste of money. It's cheaper to just get the bigger bag and divide the snacks yourself.

Sources: (Best Products) (Woman's Day)

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