Whether you live in the dorms or off-campus, we all take trips to the grocery store. Which store do you choose? Do you go to Meijer because your friends are already going? Do you go to D&W because it’s close to campus? Maybe you need some new notebooks from Target and grab groceries for convenience. There are plenty of options. However, you may not know that all of these stores sell the same or similar items you want for very different prices. Choosing a grocery store to shop at is actually an important financial decision and understanding their differences can help you save money. I’ve made a grocery list of a few favorite items, so we can compare prices and visualize the cost of a trip to each of five stores: Aldi, Meijer, Target, D&W, and Fresh Thyme. For each item, I found the cheapest brand sold at each store for comparison purposes.
Cheez-its (12.4oz)
Aldi Savoritz: $1.65
Meijer: $2.89
Target: $3.39
D&W: $3.59
Fresh Thyme: $3.99
Analysis: If you don’t mind buying an alternative to Cheez-its, Aldi is the way to go. Their off-brand Savoritz crackers are only $1.65 a box. If you want actual Cheez-its, then buying at Meijer for $2.89 is best. You save over a dollar per box of Cheez-its when buying at Meijer instead of going down the road to Fresh Thyme for $3.99.
Peanut Butter
Aldi 18oz: $1.29
Meijer: $1.39
D&W: $1.65
Target Jif: $2.29
Fresh Thyme: $2.49
Analysis: All of these stores have different brands of peanut butter. If you believe all peanut butter tastes the same, head to Aldi. Aldi sells 18 ounces of peanut butter for $1.29, a cheaper alternative than all other 16 ounce peanut butters at competing stores. Once again, buying at Fresh Thyme will be the most expensive option at $2.49.
Popcorn (6 bags)
Aldi: $1.89
Meijer (2×3 bags): $1.29×2 = $2.58
Target Pop Secret: $4.19
D&W Orville Redenbacher’s: $5.09
Fresh Thyme (2×3 bags): $2.99×2 = $5.98
Analysis: Although the type of popcorn you buy may be a personal preference, you should be aware that six bags of popcorn purchased at Aldi is much cheaper than buying popcorn at any other store at a price of $1.89. Meijer is also comparatively cheaper, but Fresh Thyme’s popcorn ($5.98) is nearly a dollar a bag!
Soda (12 cans
Meijer: $2.69
Aldi Summit Cola (Off-brand): $2.75
Target Coca-Cola: $4.99
D&W Coca-Cola: $5.69
Fresh Thyme (2×6 Hansen’s): $3.99×2 = $7.98
Analysis: Aldi and Meijer have their own brands of soda, Meijer’s being the cheapest by a few cents for $2.69. You can save a good amount of money by buying these brands if you don’t care about drinking the actual name-brand soda. Fresh Thyme doesn’t have these name brands or cheaper alternative brands, so they have the most expensive option again for nearly $7.98. However, if you buy La Croix, the price is the same as buying soda at Target ($4.99).
Chocolate Chip Granola Bars (8 bars)
Target: $1.19
Aldi (10 bars): $1.29
Meijer: $1.79
Fresh Thyme Quaker: $2.29
D&W Quaker: $2.99
Analysis: Target has the cheapest granola bars with their store brand Market Pantry bars for a price of $1.19, but you can get two more granola bars for only 10 cents more if you shop at Aldi. The most expensive option is sold at D&W ($2.99).
Trip Totals
Aldi: $8.87
Meijer: $11.34
Target: $16.05
D&W: $19.01
Fresh Thyme: $19.74
It’s shocking how the total costs for such a short grocery list can vary so widely depending on which store you choose to shop. Even with just five items, more expensive prices add up fast. In addition, your tastes have a price—if you are willing to consume the store brands or generic brands of Aldi or Meijer, the cost savings are significant. If you’re worried about saving money while grocery shopping, the results here overwhelmingly support shopping at Aldi. Meijer is also relatively cheap, especially when taking into consideration its many options. Shopping at Target, D&W, and Fresh Thyme, however, could prove to be bad for your budget. Next time you need a few snacks, think about saving your wallet by choosing the right store. Remember, even these small everyday choices we make can have significant implications on how well we steward our resources.
Calvin NEXUS Financial Coaching 