CINCINNATI — With just a few weeks until Christmas, families are looking to save wherever they can.
Every Wednesday, I compare prices on five grocery staples. But this week, I decided to let shoppers set the shopping list. I walked through Walmart, talking with customers about which items seem to be creeping up in price.
Kathy Martin helped choose our lineup, highlighting the products hitting budgets hardest: "Toilet paper, milk, cereal, even meat. Meat's really high."
WATCH: Where to save big on weekly staples
1. Toilet paper
To keep things consistent, I looked at a 12-mega-XL pack of Charmin Ultra Soft. And I've got good news — there are deals out there.
Kroger has a digital coupon bringing it to $17.99, and Walmart has a rollback at $17.96.
Aldi doesn't carry Charmin, but their Willow brand — also a 12-pack — is just $11.55 for shoppers willing to try a different brand.
2. Milk
For a gallon of 2% milk, this one's an easy win. Aldi comes in lowest at $1.89 a gallon, significantly undercutting competitors.
Do you want me to look at different items? Let me know!
3. Cereal
I checked Honey Nut Cheerios across all stores. Meijer has the best price this week: 2 for $5, so $2.50 each.
Walmart has a rollback at $2.97, and at Kroger, a box is $3.99, but there's a digital deal that takes $2 off each when you buy 3 or more.
4. Ground Beef
Kathy's right — meat prices have been up. Ground beef in particular has been running high, so I compared a 1-pound 80/20 tray.
Meijer has the best price this week at $5.49.
5. Holiday Hosting Deal
If you're hosting for the holidays, Kroger has a spiral hickory ham for 89 cents a pound with a $25 purchase.
And if you're a Kroger shopper, their "12 Merry Days of Deals" runs through Sunday. Be sure to clip the daily digital deal.
Wednesday's offer features a $5 Kroger shrimp platter. Any deal you clip can be redeemed through December 16.
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