Grocery Aisle Smackdown: What's Worth It, What's Not

Vegetables: Precut in a Microwavable Bag vs. DIY

Our choice: DIY

Why: We knew the convenience of neatly chopped vegetables in microwave-ready bags came at a price, but we were surprised to see just how much the extra help costs: 99 cents for a regular bag of carrots versus $3.99 for a ready-to-cook package.

The only drawback: More time in the kitchen. It takes about three minutes longer to peel and slice carrots yourself, put them in a bowl, cover it with a lid and put it in the microwave.