Fred Meyer or Walmart: Who is Cheaper?
Fred Meyer is a fairly common grocery store in the Pacific Northwest, and it’s hard to go anywhere without seeing a Walmart. We are going to make a simple meal plan for a family of four and then do a price comparison at both stores.
Let’s see if Fred Meyer or Walmart is the cheaper option for groceries! Scroll to the end to see the final verdict. (The results may surprise you.)
Is Fred Meyer more expensive than Walmart?
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
- Scrambled Eggs with Bacon and Toast
- Banana Pancakes with Syrup
- Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
Lunches
- Leftover Chicken Salad with Raisins Sandwiches
- Black Bean Hummus (using leftover black beans) with Homemade Potato Chips and Carrots
- Taco Salads (leftover taco meat)
- Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream, Cheese, and Bacon
- Dinner Leftovers
Dinners
- Lentil Veggie Soup (using dry lentils, canned tomatoes, chicken broth made from whole chicken, and frozen mixed vegetables)
- Baked BBQ Pork Chops with Carrot Raisin Salad (mayo, lemon juice, & maple syrup), and Baked Potato Wedges
- Chicken Carbonara-ish Pasta with Bacon and Frozen Peas (alfredo sauce with Italian seasoning) *using leftover chicken*
- Whole Baked Chicken with Brown Rice and Baked Carrots
- 1/2lb Ground Turkey and Black Bean Tacos (with lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream) and Brown Rice
- 1/2lb Ground Turkey Chili with Cornbread and Side Salad with lemon juice & oil dressing
Snacks
- Bananas
- Carrots
- Popcorn
Sweet Treat
- Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Portland, Oregan. 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 #3.”
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Fred Meyer Price | Walmart Price |
| 8 bananas | $0.59 a lb = $2.00 | $0.58 a lb = $1.84 |
| Potatoes | Russet 5lb bag = $2.29 | Russet 5lb bag = $2.57 |
| Carrots | $0.99 a lb = $0.99 | 1lb bag= $0.98 |
| Leafy Green Lettuce | 1 head = $1.99 | 1 head = $1.98 |
| 1 Tomato | $1.99 a lb = $1.12 | $2.48 a lb = $1.14 |
| 1 Cucumber | $0.79 each | $0.74 each |
| 2 lemons | $0.99 each x 2= $1.98 | $0.63 each x 2= $1.26 |
| Total: (7 items) | $11.16 | $10.51 |
I love a close race! Walmart squeaked in cheaper with $10.51, which was $0.65 cheaper than Fred Meyer at $11.16.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Fred Meyer Price | Walmart Price |
| Pork Chops | Thin Pork Loin chops (about 10) $3.77 a lb= $4.90 | Boneless Pork Chops (about 4) $5.24 a lb = $5.87 |
| Whole Chicken | $1.49 a lb (5.5lbs) = $8.20 | $1.32 a lb (5.5lbs ) = $7.37 |
| Precooked Bacon | Hormel 2.52oz box = $3.79 * on sale* | Hormel 2.52oz box = $4.48 |
| 1lb ground turkey | Jennie-O 1lb roll = $3.69 | Jennie-O 1lb roll = $3.66 |
| Total: (4 items) | $20.58 | $21.38 |
This time Fred Meyer came out cheaper with $20.58. That was $0.80 cheaper than Walmart at $21.38.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Fred Meyer Price | Walmart Price |
| Peanut Butter | Kroger 16oz = $1.74 | Great Value 18oz jar= $1.74 |
| Sandwich Bread | Kroger white bread 20oz= $1.33 * on sale* | Great Value white bread 20oz = $1.00 |
| Pancake Syrup | Kroger 24oz bottle = $1.99 | Great Value 24oz bottle= $2.14 |
| Oatmeal | Kroger 18oz container = $1.99 | Great Value 18oz container = $2.48 |
| Brown Sugar | Kroger 32oz bag = $1.89 | Great Value 32oz bag= $1.70 |
| Mayonnaise | Kroger 12oz jar= $2.99 | Great Value 18 oz jar = $2.48 |
| Raisins | Kroger mini boxes (6oz) =$1.59 | Great Value mini boxes (6oz) = $1.64 |
| Black Beans dried | La Preferida 16oz bag= $1.69 *on sale* | La Preferida 16oz bag= $1.86 *on sale* |
| Lentils (dry) | Kroger 16oz bag = $1.99 | Great Value 16oz bag = $1.34 |
| Canned tomatoes x 2 | Kroger 14.5 oz $0.79 each x2= $1.58 | Great Value 14.5oz can $0.72 each x2= $1.44 |
| BBQ sauce | Kraft 18oz bottle = $1.25 * on sale* | Great Value 18oz bottle = $1.34 |
| Alfredo Sauce | Kroger 16oz jar = $1.99 | Great Value 16oz jar = $1.74 |
| Brown Rice | Kroger 16oz bag = $1.09 | Great Value 16oz bag = $0.78 |
| Taco Seasoning | Kroger 1.25oz pack = $0.39 | Great Value 1.25oz pack = $0.42 |
| Flour Tortillas | Mission 12ct = $1.99 * on sale* | Great Value 10ct = $1.98 |
| Kidney Beans | Kroger 15.5 oz can = $0.79 | Great Value 15.5 oz = $0.78 |
| Chili Powder | Smidge & Spoon 2.19oz = $1.25 | Great Value 3oz = $1.00 |
| Cornbread Mix | Jiffy 8.5oz box = $0.65 | Jiffy 8.5oz box = $0.47 |
| Microwave Popcorn | Pop Secret 6ct 3.2oz = $2.50 * on sale* | Great Value 3ct 7.67 oz = $1.36 |
| Total: (18 items) | $30.68 | $27.69 |
Walmart won this round in the dry goods section with a total of $27.69. That was $2.99 cheaper than Fred Meyer with $30.68.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Fred Meyer Price | Walmart Price |
| Frozen Mixed Vegetables | Kroger 12oz bag = $1.00 | Great Value 12oz bag= $0.84 |
| Frozen Peas | Kroger 12oz bag = $1.00 | Great Value 12oz bag= $0.84 |
| Total: (2 items) | $2.00 | $1.68 |
Walmart was just barely cheaper at $1.68. This was only $0.32 less than Fred Meyer at $2.00.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Fred Meyer Price | Walmart Price |
| Eggs | Kroger large 12ct = $2.19 | Great Value large 12ct = $1.49 |
| Sour Cream | Kroger 8oz tub = $1.39 | Great Value 8oz tub = $1.16 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Kroger 8oz bag= $2.00 * on sale* | Great Value 8oz bag = $2.22 |
| Shredded Mozzarella Cheese | Kroger 8oz bag= $2.00 * on sale* | Great Value 8oz bag = $2.22 |
| Butter (sticks) | Kroger 1lb = $3.79 | Great Value 1lb = $3.98 |
| Milk | Kroger 2% gallon= $3.49 | Great Value 2% gallon = $3.72 |
| Total: (6 items) | $14.86 | $14.79 |
Wowsers that was close! Walmart came out to $14.79, and Fred Meyer came out to $14.86. That is a difference of only $0.07!
Is Fred Meyer or Walmart cheaper?
This is such a tight race that I can’t wait to see the overall totals!
| Section | Fred Meyer Price | Walmart Price |
| Produce | $11.16 | $10.51 |
| Deli/Meats | $20.58 | $21.38 |
| Dry Goods | $30.68 | $27.69 |
| Frozen Foods | $2.00 | $1.68 |
| Dairy | $14.86 | $14.79 |
| Overall Total: (37 items) | $79.28 | $76.05 |
Super close one with Walmart and Fred Meyer! Walmart came in cheaper with $76.05. Fred Meyer was only $3.23 more expensive with $79.28. That means Walmart potentially could save you about 4% on your grocery bill.
If you were to make a solid meal plan each week based on the sales flyer for Fred Meyer, I bet you could save even more than the prices at Walmart!
A solid plan can make a huge difference in your grocery budget each week, so make sure you make a plan to use what you already have and just buy what you need. If you have a little extra in the budget, then stock up on pantry staple and any good meat deals!
For more grocery store comparisons, check out “Cheapest Grocery Store in Eugene Oregon (Side by Side Comparison).”
