Grocery Price Showdown: Fresh Thyme vs Mariano’s
This week we will take a look at Fresh Thyme (health conscious) and Mariano’s (owned by Kroger) to see which one had cheaper prices.
We will be seeing how cheap we can make a whole meal plan for a week, so we will utilize a lot of store brands and any sales or coupons available.
My goal is always to keep our grocery budget below $100, so let’s see if either store can do it!
Key Takeaways
- Fresh Thyme had some good prices but was still $37.33 (about 25%) higher than Mariano’s.
- Mariano’s had lots of sale items, but they were still $20.12 (about 18%) higher than Walmart.
- Fresh Time did show that you can eat All Natural/ Organic for under $150 for a week!
Meal Plan and Grocery List
Instead of just comparing random items at each store, we will use the grocery list from this week’s meal plan. (click link for full plan with recipes & printable PDF)
This grocery list at the Walmart Supercenter in Chicago, Il came out to $90.29. So, let’s see if Fresh Thyme or Mariano’s can beat that!
Is Fresh Thyme Cheaper than Mariano’s?
Fresh Thyme claims to offer fresh and healthy foods at amazing value, so let’s see how they do with our list this week!
| Ingredient | Fresh Thyme Price |
| Apples (3lbs) | $ 4.47 *on sale* |
| Bananas (x4) | $ 1.40 |
| Tomato (x2) | $ 1.80 |
| Lettuce | $ 1.99 |
| Celery (1 bunch) | $ 1.99 |
| Carrots (1lb) | $ 0.99 |
| Potatoes (5lb) | $ 2.99 |
| Coleslaw Mix (16oz) <3.75lb cabbage> | $ 1.84 |
| Egg Roll Wrappers (20ct) <spring roll wrappers> | $2.99 |
| Kielbasa/Smoked Sausage (14oz) | $ 4.89 |
| Ground Turkey (1lb) | $ 4.89 |
| Chicken Breasts (5.5lbs) | $ 25.79 |
| Tortillas (10ct) | $ 3.29 *on sale* |
| French Bread (loaf) | $ 2.19 |
| Biscuit Mix (7oz) <2 packs 5ct grands biscuits> | $ 5.98 |
| Country Gravy Mix | $ 2.49 |
| Green Beans (14.5oz can) | $ 1.09 |
| Corn (15oz can) | $ 1.09 |
| Taco Seasoning | $ 1.89 |
| White Rice (1lb) <2lb bag> | $ 3.59 |
| Black Beans (15oz can) | $ 1.39 |
| Refried Beans (16oz can) | $ 2.19 |
| Pasta (16oz) | $ 1.49 |
| Chicken Breast (5oz can) <substituted “unmeat” 6.3oz tuna style> | $ 1.69 |
| Hot Sauce | $ 3.29 |
| Bacon Pieces (2.5oz bag) <2.14oz cooked turkey bacon> | $ 3.99 *on sale* |
| Pesto Sauce | $ 3.29 *on sale* |
| Soy Sauce | $ 4.29 |
| Ranch Seasoning <substituted Onion soup mix 2 pack> | $ 2.69 |
| Frozen Spinach (12oz) <10oz bag> | $ 3.49 *on sale* |
| Frozen Peaches (16oz) <10oz bag> | $ 4.29 *on sale* |
| Frozen Peas (12oz) <10oz bag> | $ 2.79 *on sale* |
| Broccoli Stir Fry (20oz) <10oz bag> | $ 2.99 *on sale* |
| Mozzarella (8oz) | $ 3.79 |
| Cheddar Cheese (32oz- two 16oz) | $ 13.49 |
| Eggs (18ct) <two 12ct packs> | $ 5.38 |
| Milk (gallon) | $ 3.79 |
| Cream Cheese (two 8oz blocks) | $ 5.78 |
| Total: | $147.74 |
Fresh Thyme came out with a total of $147.74. Considering that most of what they offer is all natural or organic, I think the total is actually pretty good!
Is Mariano’s Cheaper than Fresh Thyme?
Mariano’s is owned by the Kroger Corporation, so it will be interesting to see if they have low prices this week!
| Ingredient | Mariano’s Price |
| Apples (3lbs) | $3.49 |
| Bananas (x4) | $1.16 |
| Tomato (x2) | $2.24 |
| Lettuce | $1.99 |
| Celery (1 bunch) | $2.49 |
| Carrots (1lb) | $0.59 |
| Potatoes (5lb) | $2.99 |
| Coleslaw Mix (16oz) <14oz bag> | $1.99 |
| Egg Roll Wrappers (20ct) | $2.99 |
| Kielbasa/Smoked Sausage (14oz) | $3.99 *on sale* |
| Ground Turkey (1lb) | $4.99 *on sale* |
| Chicken Breasts (5.5lbs) <4.72 lbs> | $14.14 |
| Tortillas (10ct) | $2.79 |
| French Bread (loaf) | $2.99 *on sale* |
| Biscuit Mix (7oz) | $1.25 *on sale* |
| Country Gravy Mix | $0.99 |
| Green Beans (14.5oz can) | $1.09 |
| Corn (15oz can) | $1.09 |
| Taco Seasoning | $1.09 |
| White Rice (1lb) <2lb bag> | $1.99 |
| Black Beans (15oz can) | $1.33 |
| Refried Beans (16oz can) | $1.49 |
| Pasta (16oz) | $1.25 *on sale* |
| Chicken Breast (5oz can) | $1.99 |
| Hot Sauce | $1.79 |
| Bacon Pieces (2.5oz bag) <3oz bag> | $2.79 |
| Pesto Sauce | $3.00 *on sale* |
| Soy Sauce | $1.99 *on sale* |
| Ranch Seasoning | $1.59 |
| Frozen Spinach (12oz) | $1.99 |
| Frozen Peaches (16oz) | $4.39 |
| Frozen Peas (12oz) <10oz bag> | $1.25 *on sale* |
| Broccoli Stir Fry (20oz) <15oz bag> | $ 3.49 *on sale* |
| Mozzarella (8oz) | $ 2.79 |
| Cheddar Cheese (32oz- two 16oz) | $9.98 |
| Eggs (18ct) | $4.99 |
| Milk (gallon) | $2.99 |
| Cream Cheese (two 8oz blocks) | $4.99 *on sale* |
| Total: | $110.41 |
Mariano’s total came out to $110.41. Which was not bad, but it is over our goal of $100 weekly grocery budget!
Food for Thought
Now I always like to see if it is worth going to both stores to save extra money on our groceries. If I had just bought what was cheaper at each store, our total would have been $107.52.
That’s only a savings of $2.89 (about 2.8%) so I am not sure that would be worth my time. If both places were convenient and I had the time, I may do this to save money but it’s a toss up.
If you want to see how these stores compared to other local grocery stores in Chicago, IL, check out the showdown between Aldi and Jewel Osco!
