Grocery Price Showdown: County Market vs Aldi
Our first showdown this week in Wausau, Wisconsion is between a very small local grocery chain and nationwide discount retailer Aldi. This will be an interesting comparison of grocery prices!
We like to use real grocery lists and real family meal plans for our comparisons because this is more accurate for a family trying to save money!
Key Takeaways
- Aldi did come out cheaper than County Market by about 19%.
- County Market did have a lot of sale items this week, but their prices were still a little higher than Aldi.
- Chicken Leg Quarter price at County Market really hurt them this week. If this had been much lower, they would have been very close!
Meal Plan and Grocery List
This week we have a $100 meal plan for all meals for a Family of 4! This includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and a sweet treat.
Here is our strategic grocery list that we will be using for our price comparisons:
This grocery list came out to $91.17 at the local Walmart in Wausau, Wisconsin, so let’s see how our stores compare to that!
Will both stores stay under our $100 grocery budget?
Is Aldi Cheaper than County Market?
I’m going to predict that Aldi will come out cheaper than County Market, especially in the produce and meat sections.
| Ingredient | County Market Price | Aldi Price |
| Bananas (x6) | $1.68 | $0.96 |
| Mushrooms (8oz) | $2.69 | $1.75 |
| Onion (x2) | $1.98 | $2.19 (1lb bag) |
| Potatoes (5lb) | $3.99 | $3.95 |
| Lettuce | $2.49 | $2.09 |
| Tomato (x1) | $2.79 | $2.19 |
| Cabbage | $2.97 | $2.37 |
| Carrots (1lb) | $1.99 | $1.45 |
| Celery | $1.99 | $1.85 |
| Oranges (4lb) | $6.76 | $4.75 |
| Bell Peppers (x2) | $3.38 | $2.05 (3 pack) |
| Chicken Leg Quarters (10lb) | $21.90 | $11.90 |
| Breakfast Sausage (1lb) | $3.99 *on sale* | $1.99 (12oz) |
| Pork Chops (4ct) | $4.03 *on sale* | $5.69 |
| Ground Turkey (1lb) | $3.19 | $3.05 |
| Bagels (6ct) | $2.29 (5ct) *on sale* | $2.15 |
| Pasta (1lb) | $1.25 *on sale* | $1.09 |
| Green Beans (14.5oz can) | $0.89 *on sale* | $0.69 |
| Baking Mix | $3.99 | $2.15 |
| Ranch Dressing | $2.29 *on sale* | $2.09 |
| Hot Sauce | $0.99 *on sale* | $2.19 |
| Pineapple (20oz can) | $2.19 *on sale* | $1.39 |
| Brown Sugar | $2.69 | $2.35 |
| Yellow Rice (16oz) | $2.98 *on sale* | $3.27 (substituted Spanish Rice) |
| Taco Seasoning | $0.67 *on sale* | $0.55 |
| Tortillas (20ct) | $3.98 (24ct) *on sale* | $2.15 (30ct) |
| Refried Beans (16oz can) | $1.79 | $1.09 |
| Flour | $2.50 *on sale* | $2.59 |
| Cinnamon | $1.59 | $1.25 |
| Sandwich Bread | $1.99 | $1.45 |
| Crackers | $2.50 *on sale* | $1.89 |
| Hashbrowns | $3.00 *on sale* | $4.29 |
| Frozen Broccoli (12oz) | $1.89 *on sale* | $1.25 |
| Cream Cheese (16oz) | $4.58 *on sale* | $3.90 |
| Eggs (18ct) | $3.29 | $3.98 (24ct) |
| Butter (1lb) | $5.29 *on sale* | $4.09 |
| American Cheese | $2.50 *on sale* | $2.15 |
| Milk (gallon) | $3.49 | $3.05 |
| Cheddar Cheese (16oz) | $3.99 *on sale* | $3.85 |
| Total: | $128.43 | $103.43 |
Aldi was able to come in cheaper than County Market with a total of $103.43. This was $25 less (about 19%).
Both stores did come out over our $100 goal though, so that was disappointing.
Food for Thought
Just for giggle, I do like to see if shopping both stores can save us some additional money, so let’s see how that would go!
If we only bought the cheapest items at each grocery store, our total would have been $98.00. That is an additional savings of $5.43 (about 5%).
Now I’m not sure if that would be enough to warrant going to both places, but if both stores were convenient and I had the time, then the savings would definitely be appreciated.
