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Budget shopper shares stunning spreadsheet comparing 2020 and 2025 grocery costs

Plus, an expert gives tips for cutting down your grocery budget.

Image via Canva/Vecteezy Images

Budget grocery shopper shares huge change in grocery costs from 2020 to 2025.

It's no secret to anyone buying groceries lately that food costs have skyrocketed—and data supports it. Food prices have increased 23.6% from 2020 to 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service.

One budget-obsessed grocery shopper shared personal proof of the insane increases in food costs with fellow frugal shoppers on Reddit.

"So, a few days ago I found this spreadsheet I made back in 2020 tracking the groceries I normally buy," a Redditor named ReNamed00d wrote. "Thought it'd be fun to update it for 2025... and wow. Just... wow."

food costs, grocery costs, grocery costs, grocery shopping, grocery prices Spreadsheet of food costs from 2020 vs. 2025.Image via ReNamed00d/Reddit

While noting that some costs had remained the same or gone down, the one food that increased the most was eggs. And the overall price difference over the years has been astounding.

"But looking back at the totals... back in 2020, my full list ran me $273. Now? $386. That's $113 more, or roughly 41% higher. And meanwhile, minimum wage hasn't moved an inch, it's still $7.25/hour!" they shared. "Just thinking about it makes regular grocery trips feel... brutal. Even without adding meat prices, it's clear that keeping a stocked kitchen on a fixed income is way harder than it was five years ago. Honestly, I don't even know what to say other than... be prepared for sticker shock next time you're at the grocery store."

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Other frugal shoppers shared their thoughts on current grocery prices. "Also, the prices may have stayed the same but packages got smaller. Shrinkflation is real," one wrote. Another added, "I went to get some store-brand non dairy creamer yesterday. Used to be about $1.15. Now it’s almost five dollars."

And another wrote: "I found my grocery tracking spreadsheet from 2012 recently and was SHOCKED by the differences. What surprised me the most is that the 'expensive' and luxury items didn't necessarily change. It's the cheap staples that went up drastically. The price of onions, dry pasta, tomatoes, olive oil -- those have doubled and tripled. It's especially jarring because the ways I learned to save money on groceries a decade ago don't even help today... My cheap proteins are now expensive, and ingredients that I used to buy at the end of the month to eke out the budget will now break it. I used to buy walnuts because pine nuts are too expensive, and now I'm trying to find cheap substitutes for walnuts. My grocery budget has doubled or tripled and I'm eating the same old crap."

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How to save money on groceries

Although food costs continue to rise, these tips can help keep you save money the next time you go grocery shopping, according to Joe Lytwyn, a personal finance expert at Thimbl.

Start by embracing 'ugly' produce.
"Ugly produce offers significant savings without compromising nutrition," says Lytwyn.

Explore ethnic markets.
"Ethnic markets offer cheaper staples like rice, beans, and spices, allowing you to stretch your dollar further," says Lytwyn.

Prepare before hitting the grocery store.
"Before you shop, plan your meals for the entire week, prioritizing versatile ingredients and making a detailed list to avoid impulse buys," adds Lytwyn. "Never go shopping on an empty stomach, to curb hunger-driven, unnecessary purchases!"

Make smart swaps.
"Instead of costly pre-made sauces, whip up your own vinaigrettes from scratch, which are both cheaper and healthier," says Lytwyn. "For snacks, ditch individually packaged items for bulk nuts, seeds, or dried fruit, portioning them yourself to save money and reduce waste."

Leverage your freezer.
"Don't underestimate the power of your freezer; buying meat or fish in larger quantities when on sale and freezing portions can lead to substantial long-term savings," Lytwyn notes. "When in the store, prioritize the perimeter for fresh goods and consider store brands for pantry items, as they often provide comparable quality at a lower price."

Master the art of couponing and diligently checking unit prices.
"Beyond traditional circulars, actively seek out digital coupons on store apps and manufacturer websites, combining them with loyalty programs for maximum discounts," says Lytwyn. "A less common but highly effective tip is to meticulously check unit prices; a smaller package might seem cheaper, but calculating the unit price often reveals that larger sizes offer better value. Stock up on non-perishable items when they're at their lowest price."

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This food is super-ugly, mega-delicious, and helping to fight food waste.

They look imperfect, but they're perfectly delicious.

Chances are, right now, your fridge is filled with beautiful fruits and vegetables.

These precious picks were hand-selected by you (or someone in your household) from piles at the grocery store. Before they got to the store, they were hand-selected by farmworkers to make sure only the best-looking, flaw-free produce made it from the fields to the store, to your grocery bag, and finally home to your fridge.

Image via BuzzFarmers/Flickr.

And that's a big problem. Because, just like people, not all produce looks flawless 100% of the time — and that's OK!

Some is misshapen or bruised. Maybe it didn't ripen perfectly. Maybe the stem isn't in the right place. Whatever reason, that produce generally doesn't make it to stores and instead gets shipped to processing plants or landfills.

One-third of American grocery store produce goes uneaten. That's about 133 billion pounds of perfectly good food.

And when millions of people around the globe aren't getting enough to eat, that's pretty bad news.

Fortunately grocery chains around the world are trying to change that.

In 2014, Intermarche, one of France's three biggest grocery chains, launched a campaign celebrating Inglorious Fruits and Veg. They sold the produce for 30% less than its more-attractive counterparts — and by all accounts, they sold a lot of it.

Last year, two Canadian grocery chains, Loblaws and Sobeys, launched their own campaigns selling less-than-pretty produce. Loblaws sells Naturally Imperfect peppers, apples and potatoes for 30% off, and Sobeys stores in Quebec ran a successful three-month campaign last summer selling lightly imperfect cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, carrots, peppers, and apples at a 30% discount.

“If you were to grow produce in your backyard there’s a lot that would grow that wouldn’t look as pretty as what you would see in a grocery store. And Mother Nature doesn’t grow everything perfectly,” — Dan Branson, Loblaw senior director responsible for produce, floral, and garden items.

There are grocery chains selling imperfect produce in the U.K., Australia, and Portugal. And, just last week, Whole Foods announced its plans to get in to the ugly food game.

The message is clear: It's time to break the stigma around ugly produce.

They're a smart addition to your grocery bag since they're up to 30% cheaper, and buying them helps keep unnecessary food waste out of landfills. Plus, it's hard to deny how beautiful they are:

This apple loves the skin it's in.


Image by Heather Libby/Upworthy.

This pepper is feeling it's look.


Image by Heather Libby/Upworthy.

These bruised pears know every scar tells the story of a life lived well.


Image via Keith Williamson/Flickr.

These heirloom tomatoes know beauty comes in every color.


Image via Sarah R/Flickr.

These carrots are gorgeous — inside and out.


Image via peem5ter/Flickr.

This strawberry is all about that taste, 'bout that taste, not bitter.


Image via ComedyNose/Flickr.

This tomato has had enough of your outdated beauty standards.


Image via Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr.

These cucumbers think being sizeist is your problem, not theirs.


Image via woodleywonderworks/Flickr.

This pineapple is too fruitylicious for you, babe.

Image via Atibens/Flickr.

Here's the great thing about imperfect produce: Once it's in chopped into a salad or cooked into a meal, it looks and tastes exactly the same as its pretty counterparts.

For lunch today, I had two apple halves with peanut butter. One fresh from my bag of "naturally imperfect" ones. The other from my handpicked stash of pretty, perfect ones. Can you tell the difference?

Image via Heather Libby/Upworthy.

Spoiler alert: Neither could I.

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