Kroger vs Save-A-Lot: Who is Cheaper for Groceries?
Kroger is part of the largest supermarket chain in the US and currently operates 1238 Kroger stores in 16 states. Save-A-Lot is a discounted grocery store chain that operates 900 stores in 32 states.
Both stores usually offer pretty good prices, so we will put them both to a test by comparing our weeklong grocery list side by side. Scroll to the end, to see which grocery store came out to be the cheaper option!
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Is Kroger cheaper than SaveALot?
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
- Bagels & Cream Cheese with Bananas
- Breakfast Casserole with sausage, hashbrowns, and cheddar cheese
- Hard Boiled Egg, Toast, and Orange Slices
- Scrambled Egg and Veggies (peppers, tomato, and mushrooms) Tortillas and Cinnamon Apples
Lunches
- Rice & Bean Burritos & Apple Slices
- Buffalo Chicken Dip (made with leftover chicken from leg quarters) with Carrots and Celery
- Leftover Pasta Bake & Salad
- Leftover Soup with Bread
- Homemade Hummus and Saltines
Dinners
- Fajita Chicken Breasts with Tortillas, Yellow Rice, & Refried Beans
- Pineapple Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli
- Cheesy Ground Turkey Potato Boats with Sauteed Cabbage
- Roasted Chicken Quarters with Mushroom Pasta and Green Beans
- Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake with Side Salad with Chickpeas & Tomato
- Ground Turkey & Vegetable Soup with Grilled Cheese
Snacks
- Carrots and Celery
- Orange Slices
- Hummus & Crackers
- Pineapple Chunks
- Apples
Sweet Treat
- Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 Week #10 (Kid-Friendly, Healthy, & on a Budget)“
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Kroger Price | SaveALot Price |
| Bananas x5 | $0.23 each= $1.15 | $0.24 each= $1.20 |
| Onions x2 | yellow onion $0.50 x2=$1.00 | yellow onion $0.37 x2=$0.74 |
| Oranges | 3lb Navel oranges= $3.99 *on sale* | 4lb Navel oranges= $5.49 |
| Bell Peppers x2 | green $0.67 x2= $1.34 *on sale* | green $0.99 x2= $1.98 |
| Mushrooms | 8 oz whole= $2.19 | 8 oz whole= $2.75 |
| Apples | 3lb Gala Apples= $2.97 *on sale* | 3lb bag of red delicious apples= $3.95 |
| Carrots | 1lb bag of carrots= $0.99 | 1lb bag of baby carrots=$1.55 |
| Celery | 1 lb celery hearts= $1.49 *on sale* | 1 count= $2.19 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of Idaho= $2.79 *on sale* | 5lb bag of Russets= $3.85 |
| Cabbage | 1 head= $2.23 | 1 head= $2.47 |
| Lettuce | 1 head= $1.99 | 1 head= $1.99 |
| Tomato | 1 large beefsteak= $1.29 | 1 red on the vine= $1.55 |
| Total: (12 items) | $23.42 | $29.71 |
Kroger came out cheaper in the produce section with a total of $23.42. This was $6.29 cheaper than SaveALot’s total of $29.71.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Kroger Price | SaveALot Price |
| Breakfast Sausage | Kroger 1lb roll= $2.49 | Purcell’s 1lb roll= $3.85 |
| Chicken Breasts (4-5 needed) | $2.99 a lb (4.72lbs)= $14.14 | $2.19 a lb (4lbs)= $8.76 |
| Chicken Quarters (need 2-3) | 10lb bag= $7.90 | 10lb bag= $7.69 |
| Pork Chops (need 4) | 6ct pork loin ribeyes= $5.00 | Center cut chops $2.19 a lb (2lbs)= $4.38 |
| Ground Turkey | Honeysuckle 85% lean 1lb roll= $3.29 | Honeysuckle 85% lean 1lb roll= $3.29 |
| Total: (5 items) | $32.82 | $27.97 |
SaveALot came out cheaper in the meat department with a total of $27.97. That was $4.85 cheaper than Kroger’s total of $32.82.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Kroger Price | SaveALot Price |
| Bagels | Kroger 6ct=$2.19 | Grissom’s 6ct= $2.09 |
| Baking Mix | Pearl Milling Co 32oz box= $3.00 *on sale* | Morning Delight’s 32oz box= $3.19 |
| Sandwich Bread | Kroger 20oz wheat bread= $1.79 *on sale* | Aunt Millie’s 22oz white bread= $3.29 |
| Cinnamon | Smidge & Spoon 2.25oz jar= $1.25 | Marcum 1.5oz jar= $1.45 |
| White Sugar | Imperial 2lb bag= $2.19 | Ginger Evans 4lb bag= $3.29 |
| Tortillas | Mission 30ct =$1.89 *on sale* | Tio Santi 10ct= $2.19 |
| Yellow Rice | Mahatma 5oz pack= $0.99 | Vigo 9oz pack= $1.09 |
| Refried Beans | Kroger 16oz can= $1.19 | Senora Verde 16oz can= $1.09 |
| Hot Sauce | Valentina 12.5oz bottle= $1.49 | Kurtz 12oz bottle= $1.65 |
| Ranch Dressing | Smart Way 16oz bottle= $1.25 *on sale* | Kurtz 16oz bottle= $2.55 |
| Canned Chickpeas | Kroger 15.5oz can= $0.79 | Wylwood 15.5oz can= $1.29 |
| Saltine Crackers | Kroger 16oz box= $1.49 | Newbury Mills Butter Rounds= $2.75 |
| Canned Pineapple | Kroger 29oz can= $1.49 | Libby’s 20oz can= $2.19 |
| Brown Sugar | Kroger 32oz box= $2.19 | Ginger Evans 16oz bag= $2.19 |
| Dry Pasta (Penne) | Kroger 16oz box= $1.33 | Mantias 16oz rotini= $1.39 |
| Canned Green Beans | Kroger 14.5oz can= $0.89 | Pickwell 14.5oz can= $0.99 |
| Total: (16 items) | $25.41 | $32.68 |
In the dry goods section, Kroger came out cheaper with a total of $25.41. This was $7.27 cheaper than SaveALot’s total of $32.68.
At SaveALot, I substituted butter round crackers because they were much cheaper than saltines.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Kroger Price | SaveALot Price |
| Frozen Hash Browns | Kroger 30oz bag= $3.29 | Countryside Station 30oz bag= $3.29 |
| Frozen Broccoli | Brid’s Eye 10.8oz bag= $1.49 *on sale* | Pickwell 12oz bag= $1.29 |
| Total: (2 items) | $4.78 | $4.58 |
In the frozen section, SaveALot came out cheaper with a total of $4.58. This was $0.20 cheaper than Kroger’s total of $4.78.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Kroger Price | SaveALot Price |
| Cream Cheese (two 8oz blocks) | Kroger 2 pack= $3.49 | Dutch Farms $2.55 x 2= $5.10 |
| Cheddar Cheese (16oz) | Kroger 16oz block= $4.29 | Coburn Farms 8oz block $2.75 x 2= $5.50 |
| Eggs | Kroger 12ct white= $2.79 | Good Natured 12ct white= $3.29 |
| Milk | Kroger gallon= $2.79 | Coburn Farms gallon= $3.49 |
| Sliced Cheese | Kroger 16ct American= $2.29 | Save Today 16ct= $1.65 |
| Total: (5 items) | $15.65 | $16.28 |
In the dairy section, Kroger came out cheaper with a total of $15.65. This was $0.63 cheaper than SaveALot’s total of $16.28.
Is Kroger more expensive than SaveALot?
Kroger was cheaper in more sections, but let’s take a look at the overall totals.
| Section | Kroger Price | SaveALot Price |
| Produce | $23.42 | $29.71 |
| Deli/Meats | $32.82 | $27.97 |
| Dry Goods | $25.41 | $32.68 |
| Frozen Foods | $4.78 | $4.58 |
| Dairy | $15.65 | $16.28 |
| Overall Total: (40 items) | $102.08 | $111.22 |
Overall, Kroger was cheaper than SaveALot with a total of $102.08. That was $9.14 (about 8%) cheaper than SaveALot’s total of $111.22.
I am pretty happy with both of these totals because while I did make a meal plan, I didn’t look at any sales flyers. If I had looked at what was on sale and used that as my guide, I am sure that my total would have been easily under $100.
For more savings at Kroger, I could have looked at their digital coupons as well as cash back offers. If you shop Kroger regularly, you may want to check out their Boost plan for more savings and free next day delivery on groceries.
SaveALot doesn’t currently offer their own online shopping, but they are connected to Instacart for delivery. Instacart will not only accept EBT/Food Stamps, but they also offer promotions like free delivery and savings off your order. (just put in your zip code to find local offers.)
For more grocery store comparisons, check out “Save-A-Lot vs Walmart” and “Kroger vs Publix.”
