Avoid This Wegmans Aisle If You're Trying To Stick To A Strict Shopping Budget

Convenience items, like Costco's rotisserie chicken and Trader Joe's meatball calzones, are made for when you don't have time to cook, or just don't want to. But if you're a regular Wegmans shopper and are on a strict grocery budget, you may want to avoid the pre-made meals aisle. Sure, these items are priced higher because people will pay more for convenience, plus the labor that went into making them costs something, but is the contrast between buying meal ingredients versus pre-cooked meals getting a little exorbitant? At Wegmans, it is. 

For example, a two-pack of Wegmans' fully cooked grilled lemon garlic boneless chicken breasts is priced at $13.95, or $19.99 per pound, while raw chicken breasts are only $2.49 per pound. Meanwhile, a family-sized pack containing six boneless, skinless chicken breasts only costs $11.96. Seasoning your chicken breast and grilling them with garlic and a squeeze of lemon does not add too much to the preparation. That means you're paying about 88% more to be able to simply heat the fully cooked chicken breasts.

Wegmans' small turkey sage meatloaf — which comes in at $10, or 63¢ per ounce, while raw ground turkey can be purchased for just 37¢ per ounce — is another example of how exorbitantly priced Wegmans' pre-made meals are. That's almost half the cost. Of course, meatloaf does require more ingredients and time to pull off, but still, if you're on a budget, it doesn't quite make sense. 

Customers have also noticed that the items in Wegmans' premade food aisle are overpriced. In a 2024 Reddit post, a Wegmans shopper shared a photo of a family-sized pan of mac and cheese priced at $42.00, or $8.10 per pound. Someone commented, "Can get that pan at Costco for $12-14 at $3.50/lb." In another thread, a regular Wegmans customer claimed, "I shop Wegmans weekly. I NEVER buy anything prepared because the prices are INSANE. If you shop basics, it's on par with other local stores." 

Photo evidence provided by another shopper in a Reddit post titled "Since we're posting overpriced Wegmans food, here's a $21 Quesadilla" showed a chicken and Monterey Jack quesadilla (three pieces plus a small side of salsa) priced at $15.27 per pound. Meanwhile, you can find a Costco quesadilla kit with the tortillas stuffed and ready to grill, accompanied by salsa, sour cream, and guacamole at $5.99 per pound. This hefty pack looks like it could feed a family for $14.86, while the Wegmans' is meant for one person at $21. What gives, Wegmans?

It's hard to say why Wegmans' prepared meal prices seem considerably higher than those of other stores. If you are truly on a strict budget, skip Wegmans best and worst prepared meals and look elsewhere. Tasting Table recommends 12 of the best Costco prepared foods to buy, and 10 to avoid.