Do you experience sticker shock these days at the grocery store? I know I do. I’ve learned some strategies, though, to save money, starting with the two staples we all run out to buy when the storm’s a-coming, milk and bread. Let’s talk about milk first.

Note: The grocery items here are from either Harris Teeter, where I do most of my shopping simply because it’s the store closest to my home, or the nearby Food Lion, which I pass on my way to Target. The prices are current as of March 10, 2026. As we all know, prices can change.

Now, back to milk. The gallon of 2% on the left is a brand called Highland Crest and is found on the bottom shelf of the milk cooler at my Harris Teeter. It’s 40 cents cheaper than the Harris Teeter brand found on the shelf above.

Unfortunately, there’s quite a bit more of a price difference with name brands. I say unfortunately because I am fond of the Maola company. My Uncle Norman used to work for this outfit years ago here in my hometown. But my loyalty doesn’t go so far as to pay $2.00 more at Food Lion for Maola milk that to me tastes the same as the Harris Teeter Highland Crest brand.

On to bread, another item where I save money. My one requirement for a loaf of sandwich bread is that it be 100% whole wheat. I want a loaf that’s fairly soft, but I tend to toast slices for most of my sandwiches, so I’m not locked into paying significantly more for a loaf of bread just because it’s the softest on the shelf.

The one-pound loaf of bread on the left is the Harris Teeter store brand, found on the top shelf of the bread aisle. Without the sale price, the Harris Teeter bread is $1.70 cheaper than the comparable Nature’s Own brand. With the sale price, there’s a savings of $2.09.

At $4.79, the price of a one-pound loaf of Sara Lee sandwich bread at Food Lion is even higher than Nature’s Own at Harris Teeter. The comparable Harris Teeter loaf of bread on sale is a whopping $2.29 cheaper than the Sara Lee brand.

Now there are items where I don’t buy a store brand but wait for a sale. Saltine crackers are an example. A box will last my husband and me for maybe three months, so it’s not something I buy every ten days or so, like milk and bread.

When I see a good sale on Zesta, the saltines I’ve always eaten, I’ll pay the extra cents. Currently, there’s such a sale at Harris Teeter. At regular price, there’s a significant $2.20 difference for a 1 lb. box of Zesta saltine crackers versus the comparable Harris Teeter brand. With the sale price, even on both, the difference is only 50 cents. Time to buy a box of Zesta saltine crackers!

The only grocery store cookie I purchase with any regularity is Stauffer’s ginger snaps. If you haven’t tried them, don’t–they’re addictive. If you’re already as hooked as I am, then watch for the frequent sale price on this delicious cookie at Food Lion.

I’ve never found the Stauffer’s brand of ginger snaps at Harris Teeter, and for me, this cookie has to be Stauffer’s.

I like to save money, and the grocery store is one place where it’s not that hard to do so.