Family Fare vs Hornbacher’s: Who is Cheaper?
Family Fare is a smaller grocery store chain that is part of SpartanNash and operates about 83 stores in the 6 states. Hornbacher’s is a very small grocery store chain that is part of Coborn’s Inc and has 8 stores in 2 states.
To determine if Family Fare or Hornbacher’s is cheaper for groceries, we will do a price comparison on a week’s worth of groceries. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
Is Family Fare cheaper than Hornbachers?
For this price comparison, I have made a meal plan for a family of 4 using “25 Cheap food that fills you up when you are broke!” as a guide. Our plan is to get groceries for a week that are healthy and cheap!
Here is our meal plan:
Breakfasts
- Pumpkin Smoothies
- Swiss Cheese and Tomato Toast w/ Scrambled Eggs with a Banana
- Ham and Cheese on English Muffins with a Banana
- Overnight Pumpkin Pie Oats
- Yogurt Parfait with Banana and Homemade Granola
Lunches
- Mexican Dip (refried beans, salsa, sour cream) with Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Cuban-ish Quesadillas (leftover pork, sliced ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles) and Carrot Sticks
- Fried Egg Grilled Swiss Cheese Sandwich with Leftover Soup
- Spinach Salad with Sliced Ham, Tomatoes & Cucumbers
- Dinner Leftovers
Dinners
- Beef Tamale Casserole with Sliced Cucumbers
- Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs with Potato Wedges and Green Beans
- Beef, Vegetable, & Rice Soup with Spinach Salad
- Chicken, Squash, and Carrot Rice Bowls
- Crockpot Ranch Pork Loin with Mashed Potatoes & Carrots
- Leftover Pork Pasta with Spinach & Tomatoes in Creamy Sauce
Snacks
- Carrot Sticks
- Popcorn
- Homemade Granola
Sweet Treat
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Fargo, North Dakota. I will be selecting items for our meal plan that are the absolute cheapest.
This means mostly generic store brand options and the smallest size needed. This may not be the best value, but we are going for the cheapest option.
We are assuming that we already have kitchen basics like cooking oil, seasonings, salt/pepper, and baking powder at home. Everything else needed for the meal plan will need to be purchased.
For a more in depth break down on how I would make this meal plan work, check out “Healthy Grocery List for Family of 4 on a Budget #8.”
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Hornbacher’s Price | Family Fare’s Price |
| Bananas x6 | $0.33 each= $1.98 | $0.25 each= $1.50 |
| Tomatoes x3 | On the Vine $1.05 each= $3.15 | Hydroponic $1.48 each=$4.44 |
| Spinach | Dole 8oz bag= $3.29 | Dole 8oz bag= $2.99 |
| Cucumber | $0.50 each *on sale* | $0.99 each |
| Carrots | 1lb bag= $1.29 | 1lb bag= $1.29 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of red potatoes= $2.99 *on sale* | 5lb bag of Russet Potatoes= $3.49 |
| Yellow Squash | $0.55 each *on sale* | *substitution* Zucchini $1.19 each |
| Total: (7 items) | $13.75 | $15.89 |
In the produce section, Hornbacher’s came out cheaper with a total of $13.75. This was $2.14 cheaper than Family Fare’s total of $15.89.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Hornbacher’s Price | Family Fare’s Price |
| Ground Beef (1lb) | $2.99 a lb/ 1lb 80% fresh= $2.99 *on sale* | $4.29 a lb/ 1lb 80% fresh= $4.29 |
| Chicken Thighs (6-8) | $1.49 a lb (3.17lb) = $4.72 | $1.49 a lb/(3.01lb) = $4.48 |
| Pork Loin | $3.29 a lb (2.75lbs) =$9.04 | Smithfield 27.2 oz =$9.99 |
| Ham Lunchmeat | Everyday Essential 9oz= $3.99 | Land O Frost 9oz= $3.29 *on sale* |
| Total: (4 items) | $20.74 | $22.05 |
In the meat section, Hornbacher’s came out cheaper with a total of $20.74. This was $1.31 cheaper than Family Fare’s total of $22.05.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Hornbacher’s Price | Family Fare’s Price |
| Pumpkin Puree | Essential Everyday 29oz can= $4.29 | Our Family 29oz can= $2.99 |
| Brown Sugar | Essential Everyday 2lb bag= $1.99 | Our Family 2lb bag= $1.99 |
| Sandwich Bread | Essential Everyday 24oz white= $2.09 | Our Family 20oz white= $1.49 *on sale* |
| English Muffins | Crystal Farms 6ct= $2.29 *on sale* | Village Earth 6ct= $3.89 |
| Quick Oats | Essential Everyday 18oz= $3.79 | Our Family 18oz= $2.69 |
| Refried beans | Essential Everyday 16oz = $1.69 | Our Family 16oz = $1.29 |
| Tortillas | Essential Everyday 10ct= $1.59 | Mission Street 12ct= $2.29 |
| Pickle Slices | Essential Everyday 16oz= $2.29 | Pampa 12oz= $1.25 |
| Salsa | Essential Everyday 16oz=$2.99 | That’s Smart 15.5oz= $1.68 |
| Canned Corn | Essential Everyday 15.25oz=$1.39 *on sale* | That’s Smart 15.25 oz= $0.75 |
| Cornbread Mix | Jiffy 8.5oz box= $0.89 | Betty Crocker 6.5oz pack= $0.75 |
| Enchilada Sauce | Essential Everyday 10oz can= $1.39 | Our Family 10oz can= $1.59 |
| Taco Seasoning | Essential Everyday 1.25oz pack= $0.79 | Our Family 1.25oz pack= $0.85 |
| Canned Green Beans | Essential Everyday 15.25oz=$1.39 *on sale* | That’s Smart 15.25 oz= $0.75 |
| Beef Boullion | Essential Everyday 3.25oz jar= $2.99 | Pampa 3.52oz jar= $1.19 |
| Diced Tomatoes | Essential Everyday 14.5oz can=$1.39 | Our Family 14.5oz can= $0.79 *on sale* |
| White Rice | Essential Everyday 1lb bag= $1.39 | Our Family 1lb bag= $1.59 |
| Soy Sauce | La Choy 10oz bottle= $2.00 *on sale* | Pampa 10oz bottle= $1.25 |
| Ranch Powder | Essential Everyday 1oz pack= $1.19 | Simply Organic 1.1oz pack= $1.29 *on sale* |
| Microwave Popcorn | Essential Everyday 3bags= $2.29 | Our Family 4bags=$1.99 |
| Honey | Essential Everyday 12oz bottle= $4.39 | That’s Smart 12oz bottle= $3.19 |
| Raisins | Essential Everyday 6ct mini boxes= $2.29 | Our Family 9oz box= $2.29 |
| Cinnamon | Essential Everyday 2.37oz jar= $2.39 | Our Family 2.37oz jar= $1.79 |
| Pasta | Essential Everyday 16oz Rotini= $1.49 | Our Family 12oz rotini= $1.19 |
| Total: (23 items) | $50.67 | $40.81 |
In the dry goods section, Family Fare came out cheaper with a total of $40.81. This was $9.86 cheaper than Hornbacher’s total of $50.67.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Hornbacher’s Price | Family Fare’s Price |
| Mixed vegetables | Essential Everyday 6oz bag= $1.99 | Our Family 2oz bag= $1.00 *on sale* |
| Total: (1 items) | $1.99 | $1.00 |
In the frozen section, Family Fare came out cheaper with a total of $1.00. This was $0.99 cheaper than Hornbacher’s total of $1.99.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Hornbacher’s Price | Family Fare’s Price |
| Vanilla Yogurt | Yoplait 32oz tub= $3.99 | Our Family 32oz tub= $4.09 |
| 2% Milk | Hornbacher’s gallon= $4.29 | Our Family gallon= $4.69 |
| Sliced Swiss Cheese | Crystal Farms 10ct= $3.00 *on sale* | Sargento 11ct = $3.00 *on sale* |
| Eggs | Wild harvest 12ct brown= $2.99 | Eggland’s best 12ct white= $3.59 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Kraft 8oz bag= $3.00 *on sale* | Kraft 8oz bag= $3.29 *on sale* |
| Cream Cheese x2 | Essential Everyday $2.19 each= $4.38 | Our Family $2.09 each= $4.18 |
| Total: (6 items) | $21.65 | $22.84 |
In the dairy section, Hornbacher’s came out cheaper with a total of $21.65. This was $1.19 cheaper than Family Fare’s total of $22.84.
Is Hornbacher’s more expensive than Family Fare?
There was no clear winner, and each store came in cheaper in different sections. Let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Hornbacher’s Price | Family Fare’s Price |
| Produce | $13.75 | $15.89 |
| Deli/Meats | $20.74 | $22.05 |
| Dry Goods | $50.67 | $40.81 |
| Frozen Foods | $1.99 | $1.00 |
| Dairy | $21.65 | $22.84 |
| Overall Total: (41 items) | $108.80 | $102.59 |
Overall, Family Fare came out cheaper than Hornbacher’s with a total of $102.59. This was $6.21 (about 6%) cheaper than Hornbacher’s total of $108.80.
To maximize grocery budget savings, I would probably buy my produce, meat, and dairy at Hornbacher’s but stay away from their dry goods and frozen foods.
Family Fare had much better prices for dry goods and frozen goods, so I would shop there for those. (If we had shopped this way, our total would have been $97.95!)
I would also utilize the weekly sales flyer to fill in the gaps in my meal plan. This would easily get my grocery costs down each month.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Sprouts vs Publix: Who is Cheaper?” and “Hy-Vee vs Woodman’s: Who is Cheaper for Groceries?“
