7 Aldi Canned Foods That Are Less Than $1

If you need pantry staples, it's a given — you head to your nearest Aldi for the cheapest groceries around. The German-based discount grocery store, which came stateside in the 1970s, is pretty much obsessed with offering the lowest-priced goods for every situation. The chain especially comes in clutch when you're down to your last $20 before next payday, thanks to its wide selection of canned goods. In times of financial duress, canned food is a lifesaver because it's shelf-stable and inexpensive. And at Aldi, you can find many cans for less than $1.

That's right — Aldi allows you to truly stretch your dollars and cents by selling some of the most popular and versatile canned goods for super-low prices. Whether you're restocking your pantry or need to get creative with struggle meals, Aldi has what you need without breaking the bank (though as always, prices may differ depending on your location).

The cheapest entry on this list, at a meager 55 cents, is Happy Harvest Tomato Sauce, which comes in an industry-standard 8-ounce can, so you can be sure you're not getting less just because you're paying less. Use this tomato sauce to enhance the flavor of not only pasta sauce, but also soup or stews.

Brookdale Vienna Sausage comes in a 4.6-ounce can, and at just 85 cents each,you can buy a handful to use as a secret ingredient to bulk up canned chili or serve in a sauce as an appetizer. Even better, the sausages are already cooked, so you don't even need to heat them up — you can eat them right out of the can if you want.

Another item that sells for 85 cents is the Happy Harvest Canned Cut Green Beans, which come in a 15-ounce can. They're a fantastic way to add some greens to your meal with very little prep. Just open the can, dump the beans into a microwave-safe dish, give them a spin in the microwave, and you've got an easy dinner side.

Aldi's Happy Harvest Canned Whole Kernel Golden Sweet Corn sells for 85 cents (for 15.25 ounces). It's 24 cents less than Aldi's frozen sweet corn, and if you're using it in a Southwestern pasta salad or dip, you don't have to wait for all those little kernels to defrost before using.

Ticking slightly upward in price is Aldi's Happy Harvest Tomato Paste, which sells for 95 cents for a 6-ounce can. Tomato paste is one of the unsung heroes of the culinary world, as its rich umami flavor adds depth and complexity to everything from taco meat to more nostalgic dishes. After all, one chef on "The Bear" turns Hamburger Helper into a gourmet meal with the help of tomato paste.

If you haven't "bean there, done that" where Aldi's Dakota's Pride line of beans is concerned, you're missing out. Full of both fiber and protein, these 15- to 15.5-ounce cans all clock in at between 85 and 95 cents. You can find great northern, black, garbanzo (also called chickpea), cannellini, kidney beans, and more on Aldi shelves.

Coming in at just under $1 — 99 cents, to be exact — Aldi's Northern Catch Chunk Light Tuna, of which there are two varieties (packed in either water or oil), is both delicious and nutritious. Some even find it to be better quality than other more expensive name brands. This seafood is terrific for combining with walnuts to take your tuna salad to the next level, adding to pasta salad, or making a killer (and cheap) tuna noodle casserole.