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Business Insider
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
I took my family's grocery list to Walmart and Aldi. The latter saved me more money, but I'm not sold on going back.
At first, the produce prices and quality seemed comparable. My menu for the week included a beef and broccoli stir-fry, so I headed to the produce section first in each store. Prices for a head of broccoli, bell peppers, and mushrooms for the recipe were almost identical between the stores — and the quality seemed comparable, too. For example, a head of broccoli was two cents pricier at Walmart, and a three-pack of bell peppers was 27 cents more. However, the potatoes and Brussels sprouts were much cheaper at Aldi. Next, I grabbed some ingredients for a sheet-pan chicken and veggies dish. Although both chains are known for their low prices, a bag of small yellow potatoes was over $1 cheaper at Aldi. I was also surprised that a bag of Brussels sprouts cost me $1 more at Walmart. There wasn't an option to buy a single onion at Aldi, which I didn't like. I needed two red onions for the week. I could only buy a 3-pound bag of them at Aldi for $2.15, which roughly works out to about $.37 per onion. At Walmart, I found red onions sold individually. I paid $1.48 per onion. Even though it's cheaper to buy onions in bulk at Aldi, I preferred buying the exact quantity that I needed at Walmart. Not everyone would agree, but I'd rather spend more to know that everything will get used. Food from my bulk purchases has gone to waste in my house too many times. Skirt steak was next on my list — and it was way cheaper at Aldi. My local Aldi is much smaller than the Walmart I shop at, so I was surprised by its impressively wide range of meat options. The price points were great, too. I found skirt steak for $6.99 a pound at Aldi, compared to $11.42 a pound at Walmart. Throughout my trip, I continued to save on protein options at Aldi. I also needed salmon, ground turkey, and chicken thighs for this week's recipes. A pound of Atlantic salmon cost me $2 more at Walmart than it did at Aldi. The ground turkey was about 50 cents more a pound at Walmart. That said, chicken thighs were cheaper at Walmart. Chicken thighs are typically on my list because they're normally cheaper than the breasts, and I think they have more flavor. They were the only protein on my list that was cheaper at Walmart than Aldi, coming in at $1.58 a pound versus $2.19. I buy pasta every week, and both stores had a solid selection for the same price. My girls can be picky eaters, but they're always down for noodles with Parmesan cheese. So, I always pick up a box or two of pasta on my grocery trips. Aldi and Walmart both had a wide selection of pasta shapes with identical prices. My cereal options felt more limited at Aldi. I liked that Walmart had wider selections of cereals, including many recognizable name brands. There were only a handful of options to pick from at Aldi compared to almost an entire aisle at Walmart. Generally, the boxes of cereal were also smaller at Aldi. The price per ounce for the Honey Nut Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch was the same at both stores, but we'd run out of cereal sooner if we bought it from Aldi. Organic fruit snacks felt like a bargain at Aldi. Fruit snacks are a big hit in my house, so I always keep them around. I was surprised to see that Aldi had organic ones at an impressive price point. Each bag of snacks came out to $0.39. In comparison, the cheapest organic option I found at Walmart came out to $0.46 each. It's not a huge difference, especially since the Aldi fruit snacks were on sale during my trip. However, I would've had to spend more than double up front at Walmart, as the smallest pack had 22 bags of snacks in the box versus 12 at Aldi. I don't necessarily want to shell out $10 on fruit snacks during my weekly grocery-shopping trips. Prices aside, I generally preferred my shopping experience at Walmart. I felt shopping for groceries at Walmart was a bit easier in a few ways. First of all, shoppers have to insert a quarter into the carts at Aldi to use them. Although you get the quarter back when you return your cart, I don't usually keep change on hand. I spent nearly five minutes searching for a quarter in my purse and car, which really frustrated me. Although many Aldi locations have self-checkout options, mine does not. It usually only has one or two open lines staffed by cashiers. I find self-checkout to be more efficient, so I liked that I had this option (and tons of registers were available) at Walmart. Plus, Walmart stores tend to be much larger with a wider variety of brands and buying options, whereas Aldi primarily carries its own labels. I also preferred Walmart's system for bagging purchases. At Aldi, cashiers are usually focused on scanning groceries as quickly as possible — they don't usually place my items in bags. Although I appreciate the emphasis on speed, this means I have to pack up my groceries in the designated bagging area off to the side after checking out. This can be a time-consuming extra step. At Walmart, I bag groceries at the self-checkout station or the cashier packs them as they scan. This can result in a slightly slower checkout process, but I think it's worth it. My experience-related grievances seem small, but they add up when I go to the grocery store every week. Overall, I'd still shop at Walmart even though I spent more money there on this shopping trip. After going through my whole list, I spent about $27 more overall at Walmart than at Aldi. I spent $119.50 at Aldi and $146.27 at Walmart. Fortunately, at both places, I still came in slightly under my budget of $150. Of course, this isn't a perfect science. Grocery prices, sales, and the quality of different store locations can vary. Still, it seems I could save more by regularly shopping at Aldi. Even so, I'm more likely to go back to Walmart. I preferred my shopping experience there and was still able to stick to my budget. I'm fortunate to live close to both stores, so I'd probably only take my grocery list to Aldi if I really needed to pinch pennies. Luckily, my budget works at Walmart for now. (Although Walmart plans to raise prices over tariffs, so I'm not sure if that will stay true for much longer.)
Business Insider
14-05-2025
- General
- Business Insider
I compared brand-name cereals to Walmart's cheaper generic versions. I'll never buy some pricier options again.
A box of name-brand cereal may not seem like an especially luxurious purchase, but when you're trying to buy enough for a hungry family of four, the cost can add up. Luckily, Walmart offers generic alternatives to practically every popular cereal brand under its Great Value label. These "dupes" tend to be cheaper, and I wanted to see if I could save money on groceries in the future while keeping my 7-year-old and 4-year-old just as satisfied. So, we did blind taste tests to try five famous cereals alongside their respective generic alternatives. Here's how they stacked up, and which were worth the savings. Prices may vary by location. Great Value Honey Nut O's were way cheaper than Honey Nut Cheerios. To start, we compared General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios to Great Value Honey Nut O's. The 10.5-ounce box of Honey Nut Cheerios cost $3.68, or $0.35 an ounce. Walmart's version was significantly cheaper at $1.87 for a 12-ounce box, or $0.16 an ounce. Out of the box, it was fairly easy to tell the difference between the two. The generic O's were a bit larger and had a lighter color than the Honey Nut Cheerios. The brand-name version also appeared to have a shiny, sugary sheen that the generic lacked. Most of us preferred the brand-name Honey Nut Cheerios. Of the five cereal pairs we tasted, these two options seemed the least similar. The generic version was a bit crunchier and a touch less mushy after a few minutes in milk. However, it had a starchy texture that verged on chalkiness. Overall, the General Mills cereal had more honey flavor and a heartier, oaty taste than the generic. My 4-year-old couldn't tell the brand from the generic by taste for most of the cereals we tested. With this one, however, she had no problem distinguishing the two. She actually preferred the generic to the Honey Nut Cheerios, possibly because she doesn't really like the taste of honey. My 7-year-old also had no trouble telling the difference, but he and I both preferred the original. Honey Bunches of Oats seemed to have a better mix of ingredients than the generic alternative. This was actually my first time trying both the Post Honey Bunches of Oats and its generic alternative. I picked up an 18-ounce box of the brand-name version for $4.93, or $0.27 an ounce. The Great Value alternative cost $2.67 for an 18-ounce box, which broke down to $0.15 an ounce. At first glance, I could tell the Honey Bunches of Oats had a better mix of cornflakes and granola. The granola in the Walmart alternative was harder to find and clumped together. I think brand-name Honey Bunches of Oats are worth paying extra for. Here, too, all three of us could consistently tell the difference between the brand name and generic cereals. The Honey Bunches of Oats were distinctly sweeter than the Walmart alternative, which I thought tasted bland and mostly reminiscent of Corn Flakes. In this case, we all preferred the brand-name Honey Bunches of Oats and were surprised by how much we enjoyed them. The flakes were nice and sweet, and the granola added some light crunch. Of the five cereals we tried, this one built the strongest case for paying more for the name brand. We could easily distinguish between Cinnamon Toast Crunch and the Walmart version. Next, we tried General Mills' Cinnamon Toast Crunch against Great Value Cinnamon Crunch. The General Mills version cost $2.97 for a 12-ounce box, which is about $0.25 an ounce. The Great Value option was $2.98 for a larger 20.5-ounce box, or about $0.15 an ounce. This pair was the easiest to distinguish visually among the five cereals we compared. The brand-name offering was noticeably smaller and darker, with "swirls" of cinnamon sugar on each piece. I preferred Walmart's cinnamon cereal. These options also tasted distinctly different to me and my 7-year-old, though my 4-year-old thought they tasted the same. The 7-year-old preferred the Cinnamon Toast Crunch, which was a bit sweeter, crunchier, and denser. It held up a little better in milk and didn't get soggy as quickly. In this case, I liked the generic better because it felt airier and less sweet. The Great Value Rice Crisps were much cheaper than Kellogg's Rice Krispies. Next up was Kellogg's Rice Krispies versus Great Value Rice Crisps. The Kellogg's version cost me $4.98 for an 18-ounce box, making each ounce $0.28. I purchased a 12-ounce box of the Walmart version for $1.98, or $0.17 an ounce. I noticed the generic cereal consisted of larger crisps that appeared more yellow than their brand-name counterparts. Kellogg's Rice Krispies were a bit sweeter than the generic alternative. I thought these two cereals tasted very similar. To me, though, the brand name was a touch sweeter, and the generic had a slight aftertaste of cardboard. However, neither of my kids could tell the difference and I probably couldn't either without trying them side-by-side. I preferred the Great Value version for rice-cereal treats. I'm not usually a huge fan of Rice Krispies in a bowl of milk, but I love them in treat form. So, after tasting both cereals, we turned them into bars using marshmallows and butter. The marshmallow flavor was strong enough to negate any difference between the two cereals. The sticky treats tasted almost exactly the same. If I'm shopping at Walmart the next time I want to make a batch, I will definitely go with the generic option to save money. The Great Value Frosted Flakes were significantly cheaper than the Kellogg's version. Though Walmart's generic answer to Kellogg's Frosted Flakes goes by the same name, it represented one of the biggest discounts of the group on a per-ounce basis. The 12-ounce box of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cost $3.98, or $0.33 an ounce. The 13.5-ounce Great Value version cost $1.93, or $0.14 an ounce. They looked very similar, though the generic one again appeared slightly more yellow in color. We couldn't tell the difference between the Great Value and brand-name Frosted Flakes. These two cereals tasted almost exactly the same to us: sugary, crunchy at first, and mushy after a couple of minutes in milk. Of the five generic cereals we tried, the Great Value Frosted Flakes were the only ones that we couldn't distinguish from the original by taste. I thought the brand name might have had a slightly more assertive sweetness to it, but I wasn't able to pick it out reliably in our blind taste test. In this case, I think buying the cheaper Walmart version is a no-brainer.
Miami Herald
21-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
General Mills Boycott: Full List of Products Organizers Say to Avoid
Organizers have called for a week-long boycott of General Mills products, targeting the American multinational company that owns popular brands like Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, and Betty Crocker. The protest has been organized by People's Union USA, an activist group known for promoting shopping boycotts that target major corporations across the country. The General Mills boycott is scheduled to begin on April 21 and end on April 28. Newsweek reached out to General Mills via email on Monday. Below is a full list of General Mills-owned brands and products listed by organizers to boycott. Pet Food Blue Buffalo Ice Cream Häagen-Dazs ice creams Breakfast Cereals Cheerios: Honey Nut Cheerios, Multi-Grain Cheerios, and moreChex: Rice Chex, Corn Chex, Wheat Chex, and other flavorsCinnamon Toast CrunchLucky CharmsWheatiesTrixCocoa PuffsKix: Original, Berry Berry, and Honey KixTotal: Whole grain flakes with various vitamins and minerals Snacks and Bars Nature Valley granola bars and snacksLarabar Energy BarsFiber One BarsFruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot, Gushers Baking Products and Mixes Betty Crocker baking productsBisquick pancake and baking mixesGold Medal Flour Dairy and Yogurt YoplaitGo-GurtLiberté Frozen and Prepared Foods Totino's pizza rolls and frozen pizzasOld El Paso products, including taco kits and saucesProgresso soups and brothsGreen Giant's frozen and canned vegetablesAnnie's Homegrown products This is the latest in a series of consumer boycotts aimed at large corporations over concerns about corporate influence, exploitative practices, and environmental impact. General Mills is one of the largest food companies in the country, and People's Union USA has accused it of wielding unchecked corporate power, driving unhealthy food choices, and contributing to environmental harm. In recent months, People's Union USA has also called for boycotts of Walmart, Nestle and Amazon, as well as general actions targeting big-box stores, instead encouraging consumers to support local businesses. The group writes on its website that it uses boycotts as a tool because "money is the only language the system understands." John Schwarz, founder of People's Union USA said in a video posted to Instagram: "We instantly go into our week-long General Mills boycott—not just for their toxic ingredients, or the fact that they dodge their fair share of taxes, but because General Mills represents everything that is wrong with the corporate grip on our food system. "This is a company that owns half the cereal aisle, floods our stores with ultra-processed garbage and targets our children with sugary poison. They have spent millions lobbying against GMO [genetically modified organism] transparency and better food labeling, just so we stay blind to what we're really feeding our families. "This company has exploited farmers, drained our soils with unethical farming and done nothing to fix their role in the plastic pollution crisis. Their executives rake in millions while factory workers struggle to make ends meet." The General Mills action ends on April 28. The People's Union USA has several other boycotts scheduled for the coming months, including of Amazon, Walmart, Target and McDonald's. Related Articles List of Companies Being Boycotted in April as Walmart 'Blackout' EndsEconomic Blackout Tour: Which Stores Face Boycott After WalmartList of Stores Being Boycotted in 2025 as Walmart 'Blackout' BeginsLawsuit Claims 'Addictive' Food Deliberately Sold to Kids by Industry Giants 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
21-04-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
General Mills Boycott: Full List of Products Organizers Say to Avoid
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Organizers have called for a week-long boycott of General Mills products, targeting the American multinational company that owns popular brands like Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, and Betty Crocker. The protest has been organized by People's Union USA, an activist group known for promoting shopping boycotts that target major corporations across the country. The General Mills boycott is scheduled to begin on April 21 and end on April 28. Newsweek reached out to General Mills via email on Monday. Full List of Products Affected by the Boycott Below is a full list of General Mills-owned brands and products listed by organizers to boycott. Boxes of General Mills cereal are displayed on a grocery store shelf on December 20, 2023, in San Anselmo, California. Boxes of General Mills cereal are displayed on a grocery store shelf on December 20, 2023, in San Anselmo, Food Blue Buffalo Ice Cream Häagen-Dazs ice creams Breakfast Cereals Cheerios: Honey Nut Cheerios, Multi-Grain Cheerios, and more Chex: Rice Chex, Corn Chex, Wheat Chex, and other flavors Cinnamon Toast Crunch Lucky Charms Wheaties Trix Cocoa Puffs Kix: Original, Berry Berry, and Honey Kix Total: Whole grain flakes with various vitamins and minerals Snacks and Bars Nature Valley granola bars and snacks Larabar Energy Bars Fiber One Bars Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot, Gushers Baking Products and Mixes Betty Crocker baking products Bisquick pancake and baking mixes Gold Medal Flour Dairy and Yogurt Yoplait Go-Gurt Liberté Frozen and Prepared Foods Totino's pizza rolls and frozen pizzas Old El Paso products, including taco kits and sauces Progresso soups and broths Green Giant's frozen and canned vegetables Annie's Homegrown products Why It Matters This is the latest in a series of consumer boycotts aimed at large corporations over concerns about corporate influence, exploitative practices, and environmental impact. General Mills is one of the largest food companies in the country, and People's Union USA has accused it of wielding unchecked corporate power, driving unhealthy food choices, and contributing to environmental harm. What To Know In recent months, People's Union USA has also called for boycotts of Walmart, Nestle and Amazon, as well as general actions targeting big-box stores, instead encouraging consumers to support local businesses. The group writes on its website that it uses boycotts as a tool because "money is the only language the system understands." What People Are Saying John Schwarz, founder of People's Union USA said in a video posted to Instagram: "We instantly go into our week-long General Mills boycott—not just for their toxic ingredients, or the fact that they dodge their fair share of taxes, but because General Mills represents everything that is wrong with the corporate grip on our food system. "This is a company that owns half the cereal aisle, floods our stores with ultra-processed garbage and targets our children with sugary poison. They have spent millions lobbying against GMO [genetically modified organism] transparency and better food labeling, just so we stay blind to what we're really feeding our families. "This company has exploited farmers, drained our soils with unethical farming and done nothing to fix their role in the plastic pollution crisis. Their executives rake in millions while factory workers struggle to make ends meet." What Happens Next The General Mills action ends on April 28. The People's Union USA has several other boycotts scheduled for the coming months, including of Amazon, Walmart, Target and McDonald's.
Buzz Feed
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
People Are STILL Arguing Over Which Cereal Rightfully Deserves The Title Of "GOAT"
Cereal — the only food that can be eaten at any time of day (or night!) and still be good. But which cereal is the ultimate cereal? Are you a Lucky Charms fiend? Or maybe you grab for Honey Nut Cheerios? Let's come to a unanimous, no matter how hard that might be, decision on the best cereal on the shelf RN: BuzzFeed Want more conversation (and drama) starters like this? Welcome to Buzz Chat, a new destination for sharing your opinion on, well, everything! From your favorite TV shows to your hot take on the latest celeb drama, we want to hear it. Plus, join live discussions on the biggest nights in pop culture, from the Oscars to the Love is Blind reunion. Check it out now!
