In a viral TikTok video, a shopper shared a hack for getting spices at the grocery store for significantly cheaper.
In the clip, Adrienne (@adrienne1131) is seen filming from the spice aisle at her local grocery store, though it is unclear what grocery store she’s in.
She flips the camera over to show that Lawry’s garlic salt costs $3.49 for 3 oz and McCormick’s minced onion is $6.89 for 6.37 oz.
“If you head over to the ‘international aisle’ look what you can get,” Adrienne says. “So much more bang for your buck.”
The Badia garlic salt is only $3.19 for 11 oz, nearly quadruple the amount of the other brand and still cheaper. The chopped onion is also cheaper per ounce, coming in at $2.99 for 5.5 oz.
“This is one of my most favorite things I’ve learned on TikTok,” Adrienne says.
This is not the first time a shopper has made this discovery and shared it online. Earlier this year, The Daily Dot reported on a Walmart shopper who found that Badia, one of the spice brands sold in the Latino food aisle, was even cheaper than Walmart’s generic Great Value brand.
@adrienne1131 #inflation #savingsmoney #budgetshopping #lifeHack #yourewelcome ♬ original sound – Adrienne1131
The video has more than 200,000 views and over 270 comments as of Wednesday morning.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, grocery store prices have fluctuated due to several factors, including supply chain issues, global political events, and demand. The last year was a particularly difficult one for shoppers who saw 2022 grocery prices shoot up at a shocking rate.
In 2022, the cost of buying food for home increased by 11.4%, following a 3.5% spike in 2020 and 2021, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Prior to this, the last time food prices went up this much was in 2012, Bon Appétit reported.
Experts predict that grocery store food prices will begin to even out as overall inflation decreases. One stark example is the average price of eggs decreasing from $4.82 in January to $2.67 in May, Bon Appétit reported. The USDA predicts that 2023 food costs will increase by 6.3%, still high based on historical standards but less so than the double-digit 2022 increase.
Many commenters were up in arms about Adrienne sharing the shopping hack.
“Don’t share our secrets hahaha,” the top comment read.
“No no no. You don’t share this secret,” a person said.
“I couldn’t keep it to myself…Inflation is killing us,” Adrienne responded.
Others shared their own hacks for getting cheaper groceries.
“Dollar tree! Or dollar general… best place for spices,” a viewer suggested.
“We have a Mediterranean market near by. Olive oil, nuts, spices, are less expensive,” a commenter wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to Adrienne via TikTok comment.
