Is it Cheaper to Make or Buy Microwave Popcorn?
I recently came across some information about making your own microwave popcorn with a brown paper bag. My family is a huge fan of popcorn, and we always have the microwavable bags in the pantry!
This was definitely an option I wanted to try and see if making my own version of microwave popcorn was cheaper and if it was worth my time! Let’s look at the costs of the homemade version, store bought microwave popcorn, and if this will save us money on our grocery bill!
How much does it cost to make your own microwave popcorn?
The formula for making your own microwave popcorn is pretty simple and you can actually customize it into a million different flavor combinations. For this breakdown we are going to do a very basic popcorn with salt.
| Homemade Microwave Popcorn | Total Cost: | Cost for this Recipe: |
| 2 tbsp Popping Corn (kernels) | Great Value 32oz bag= $2.28 | $0.08 |
| 1/2 tsp vegetable oil | Great Value 48oz bottle= $3.84 | $0.02 |
| 1/4 tsp salt | Great Value 26oz container= $0.72 | $0.01 |
| 1 brown paper bag | Great Value 100ct= $2.28 | $0.02 |
| Total Cost: $9.12 | Cost for Recipe: $0.13 |
Let me tell you, I am shocked to find out that I can make a bag of microwave popcorn myself for only $0.13 a bag!!! This formula is set to make 4 cups of popcorn, so we will use that amount to compare prices at the grocery store.
How much is microwave popcorn at the grocery store?
Now let’s head out to a bunch of different grocery stores to get some prices on microwave popcorn.
| Microwave Popcorn & # of Servings | Store & Price | Cost per 2 tbsp Serving |
| Great Value, 24 servings | Walmart, $4.82 | $0.20 |
| Act II, 15 servings | Safeway, $3.99 | $0.27 |
| Kirkland, 110 servings | Costco, $18.65 | $0.17 |
| Signature Select, 16 servings | Albertsons, $4.99 | $0.31 |
| Pop Secret, 13 servings | Dollar Tree, $1.25 | $0.10 |
| Market Pantry, 16 servings | Target, $3.89 | $0.24 |
| Orville Redenbacher’s, 7 servings | Big Lots, $2.79 | $0.40 |
| Food Club, 17 servings | Food City, $4.59 | $0.27 |
| Clancy’s, 24 servings | Aldi, $5.19 | $0.22 |
| Publix, 12 servings | Publix, $4.75 | $0.40 |
| Food Lion, 15 servings | Food Lion, $3.69 | $0.25 |
| Bowl & Basket, 9 servings | ShopRite, $2.21 | $0.25 |
| Average Cost per 2 tbsp Serving: | $0.25 |
So, after checking prices at multiple places, we were able to find microwave popcorn for as cheap as $0.10 (Dollar Tree) and as expensive as $0.40 (Publix and Albertsons).
Overall, the average cost per 2 tbsp serving of store-bought microwave popcorn is about $0.25. That is twice the cost of making it ourselves!
Is homemade microwave popcorn worth it?
Just from a cost perspective, I think the homemade version of microwave popcorn is totally worth it. Not only is it half the cost of the store-bought kind, but it also gives you the opportunity to make whatever flavored popcorn you want!
I love popcorn as a cheap and easy snack, and I swear by microwave popcorn just for the convenience of ready in less than 3 minutes. Now that I know that I can make my own for less and still take the same 3 minutes, I will be doing the homemade version for now on.
I typically buy microwave popcorn when it is on sale and stock up, but now I will just keep an eye on popping corn kernels prices and use those!
