Finding cheap mason jars isn’t hard, but if you’re looking for where to buy mason jars cheap, your location matters.
Whether you’re shopping locally or through national retailers online, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting a bargain on canning jars. Here’s your ultimate guide on where to buy mason jars.
Prices may vary and are for a 12-pack of jars or lids unless noted.
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1. Buy either Ball or Kerr mason jars — same company.
Ball and Kerr are both owned by Newell. It doesn’t matter which brand you buy for quality. However, you may find a difference in prices.
2. Canning jars at Walmart cost about $1 – $1.30 a jar.
You can pick up Kerr canning jars cheap at Walmart or online at Walmart.com. Here’s the pricing I found:
- Half-pint jars: $12.97 or $1.08 each
- Pint jars: $11.99 or $1 each
- Quart jars: $15.49 or $1.29 each
3. Target canning supplies include half-pint jars for $0.21 cheaper apiece than Walmart.
Target carries aggressively priced Ball mason jars, and you can save a few bucks buying there instead of at Walmart.
- Half-pint jars: $10.49 or $0.87 each
- Pint jars: $10.99 or $0.92 each
- Quart jars: $14.99 or 1.25 each
TIP: Use your RedCard for an extra 5% off for even more savings.
4. Menards canning jars are a steal at about $2 – $3 cheaper per case than national retailers.
If you’re lucky enough to have a Menards nearby, it’s the place to scoop up cheap mason jars.
- Half-pint jars: $9.99 or $0.83 each
- Pint jars: $10.99 or $0.92 each
- Quart jars: $12.99 or $1.08 each
5. Buy canning lids at Walmart for up to $0.08 less per lid versus Target and Menards.
Walmart has the lowest price on a 12-pack of canning lids with bands at $0.50 each. Here’s the comparison between the top three retailers for cheap canning jars:
- Walmart: $5.97 or $0.50 each
- Target: $6.59 or $0.55 each
- Menards: $6.99 or $0.58 each
6. Pay $0.12 – $0.20 more per canning lid at WinCo Foods but about the same price for jars as other retailers.
Although you can buy canning jars for about the same price as national retailers, skip the lids with bands at $8.38 or $0.70 each.
- Half-pint jars: $12.94 or $1.08 each
- Pint jars: $11.73 or $0.98 each
- Quart jars: $15.49 or $1.29
7. Buy half-gallon mason jars at Ace Hardware for about $3.
Looking for larger jars for pickles or drinks? Ace Hardware has the half-gallon jars at a bargain price of $19.99 for a six-pack or $3.33 each.
TIP: Sign up for Ace Rewards and download the Ace app and get a $5 bonus that you can use on your jars.
8. Buy Meijer mason jars individually (only) if you’re in a pinch.
Only need a jar or two? Meijer sells mason jars by the 12-pack like other retailers. However, they also sell them individually.
- Half-pint jar: $1.99 each
- Pint jar: $2.19 each
- Quart $3.19 each
9. Skip canning supplies at The Home Depot and Lowe’s.
Yes, you can get canning supplies at Home Depot and Lowe’s when they’re in stock, but they can’t compete with other retailers. They carry off-brands like Kilner with unique sizes at way more than you can find elsewhere.
Kilner brand:
- 6 pk, 12 oz $43.96 or $7.33 each
- 3 pk, 12 oz $24.20 or $8.07 each
- 3 pk, 17 oz $17.86 or $5.95 each
10. Forget Sam’s Club and Costco canning jars, too.
Not only are canning jars difficult to find at Sam’s Club and Costco, but when they are in stock, they aren’t any cheaper than other places.
After searching both I was only able to find quart-size jars in a 24-pack at Sam’s for $29.98 ($1.25 each). Not a bad price — if you can find them.
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11. Aim to spend no more than $1 each on canning jars with lids.
More specifically, never pay more than $1 for pint-size jars and never, ever go over $1.30 per quart-size jar, since you can get these prices every day at Walmart.
But if you find a deal that puts these more in the $0.50 – $0.75 range (new, with lids), stock up!
12. Bed Bath & Beyond mason jars will cost you about $0.04 more per jar than other retailers.
The cheapest way to get canning jars at Bed Bath & Beyond is to use a 20% off coupon on a single item or become a BBB Beyond+ member to get 20% off every purchase (the membership costs $29 a year).
That 20% discount lowers their canning jar prices, but they’re still about $0.04 more than Walmart, Target, and Menards.
- Pint jars:
- Non-member: $15.99 or $1.67 each, Beyond+ member: $15.99 or $1.33 each
- Quart jars:
- Non-member: $20.99 or $1.75 each, Beyond+ member: $16.79 or $1.40 each
13. Look for canning jar newspaper coupons in the fall.
It’s rare, but I’ve seen deals like $2 for a 12-jar case of Kerr or Ball pint-size jars in the newspaper around November.
If you’re on the hunt to save money buying canning jars, I recommend you check the Sunday newspaper from here on out. If there’s a coupon for canning jars, buy enough newspapers that you can stock up on jars.
14. Don’t bother with canning jars at Amazon — they’re double Target and Walmart’s prices!
Count this as one of the rare times Amazon doesn’t beat out the competition on price.
Here are the not-so-good canning jar prices I recently found on Amazon:
- Half-pint jars: $24.02 or $2 each
- Pint jars: $17.99 or $1.50 each
15. Buy mason jars in bulk at Fillmore Container.
If you or your canning buddies plan on canning a ton, you can buy canning jars through Fillmore Container for about the same price as wholesale customers.
Although the canning jars are cheap, they don’t come with lids or bands, so you’ll have to buy those separately — plus pay for shipping.
- Half-pint jars: $7.65 or $0.64 each
- Pint jars: $7.85 or $0.65 each
- Quart jars: $8.85 or $0.74 each
TIP: Sign up for Fillmore Container emails and get $5 off your order.
16. Don’t assume you’ll get a good deal on canning jars at thrift stores.
In fact, most of the time, you’ll walk away paying more for secondhand jars than you would for brand new ones. Plus, you’ll still need to buy new lids and rims.
Always double-check for cracks, chips, or glass thinness, and pass on any jars that aren’t perfect.
17. Grab some cheap canning jars at garage sales.
While you may not find cheap canning jars at thrift stores, you may get lucky and scoop some up for next to nothing at garage sales.
I bought two dozen for $0.25 each, still in the box. Of course, you’ll still have to buy new lids and rings if yours are used.
18. Look for canning jar clearance deals at Kroger and other grocery stores after fall.
Kroger and other grocery stores tend to have limited space for seasonal items like canning jars. Once fall is over, they’ll be eager to get rid of their inventory, so you may find a clearance discount after the fall.
19. Buy black mason jars or generic jars from Hobby Lobby and Michaels for craft projects — not for actual canning.
Your local Hobby Lobby or Michaels might sell black mason jars or generic canning jars, but don’t bother with them if you’ve got actual food to can.
Generic brand jars don’t handle pressure canning and warp after processing. So, you’ll end up replacing them with Ball or Kerr brand, anyway. Really, black mason jars (painted with chalkboard paint) are meant for decorative uses.
On the other hand, they can be a great buy if you only need them for DIY craft projects or as drinking glasses.
20. Avoid Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar General for cheap canning jars.
Although dollar stores often have low prices on items, canning jars aren’t one of them; they’re no cheaper than other retailers. When you can find canning jars, they’re pretty limited in what they have in stock:
- Dollar General: Anchor Hocking pint, $1 each
- Dollar Tree: Generic 24-pack pint, $30 or $1.25 each
21. Only buy personalized canning jars at CVS and Walgreens.
The only canning jars I would buy at CVS and Walgreens would be those you can personalize through their photo departments.
When you need actual canning jars and supplies, shop elsewhere.
If you have a favorite place to find cheap canning jars that other KCL readers should know about, please share in the comments below. Thanks!