Columbus, Ohio, residents are fed up with the cost of groceries, and they’re getting creative about how and where they shop. Across Reddit threads this fall, hundreds of Ohioans shared frustration over climbing food prices and swapped strategies for saving money, painting a picture of a city adapting to a new era of expensive living.
“I don’t know how anyone can afford to shop at Giant Eagle,” one commenter wrote, summing up a sentiment echoed throughout the discussions. Many shoppers said they’ve abandoned traditional chains like Giant Eagle and Kroger, instead favoring discount grocers like Aldi, Costco, and Meijer, where prices stretch further, even if it means juggling multiple stops or sacrificing convenience.
Aldi Leads the Pack
If Columbus had a grocery mascot in 2025, it would be Aldi. The German discount chain earned near-unanimous praise for offering the lowest prices in town, with one shopper claiming their grocery bill “was cut in half” after switching.
A Reddit user’s recent price comparison backs that up: a cart of twenty everyday items cost $66.82 at Aldi versus $105.41 at Giant Eagle, a savings of nearly $40. “A cucumber is a cucumber,” the post read. “Assuming quality is equal, Aldi wins every time.”…