Meijer vs Schnucks: Who is Cheaper for Groceries?
You may have heard price comparing is valuable tool when making large purchases, but it can also be really helpful for every day routine items as well like grocery shopping.
Today we will do a side-by-side price comparison of Meijer and Schnucks to determine who is cheaper for groceries. We will also see if going to just one store is a better savings option, or if it is worth going to both stores to buy our groceries!
Is Meijer cheaper than Schnucks?
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
- Spinach Egg Bites with Cottage Cheese & Bananas
- Cottage Cheese with Pineapple & Blueberries
- Egg & Cheese Biscuits with Apple Slices
- Mini Monkey Bread with Blueberries
- Scrambled Eggs, Pepperoni, and Apple Slices
Lunches
- Chicken Salad with Celery & Saltines
- Black Bean Hummus Quesadillas & Carrots with Ranch
- Leftover Dinners
Dinners
- Herb Chicken Leg Quarters with Sweet Potatoes & California Blend veggies
- Chicken and Rice Soup with Spinach Salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, & ranch dressing)
- Ground Beef and Black Bean Enchiladas with Cilantro Lime Rice & Canned Corn
- Ground Beef Chili with Red Kidney Beans (served with tortillas, sour cream, & cheese) and California Blend veggies
- BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches with coleslaw and baked beans
- Mini Pepperoni Pizzas with Spinach Salad
Snacks
- Apple Slices
- Celery & Carrots with Ranch Dressing
- Saltine Crackers
- Bananas & Blueberries
- Tortilla Chips
Sweet Treat
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Rockford, Illinois. 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 #11 (Really Cheap, Easy, and Toddler Friendly) .”
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Meijer Price | Schnucks Price |
| Bananas x5 | $0.28 each= $1.40 | $0.25 each=$1.25 |
| Blueberries | 1 pint=$4.19 | 1 pint= $2.50 *on sale* |
| Apples | 3lb bag of Gala apples= $3.99 *on sale* | 3lb bag of Pink Lady Apples= $5.39 |
| Carrots | 1lb bag of baby carrots= $0.89 *on sale* | 1lb bag of baby carrots= $1.29 |
| Celery | 1 bunch= $1.79 | 1 bunch= $1.99 |
| Spinach | Dole 8oz bag= $2.09 | Dole 8oz bag= $2.29 |
| Sweet Potatoes (need 4) | $0.52 each= $2.08 *on sale* | $0.59 each= $2.36 *on sale* |
| Tomato | Greenhouse= $0.94 | Tomato on the Vine= $0.89 |
| Cabbage (small) | Pearsons 8oz bag shredded= $1.49 | Dole 10oz bag shredded= $2.39 |
| Cucumber | $0.69 each | $0.84 each |
| Lime | $0.71 each | Italia Garden 4.23oz bottle of lime juice= $1.89 |
| Cilantro | 1 bunch $0.99 | 1 bunch $1.34 |
| Total: (12 items) | $21.25 | $24.42 |
In the produce section, Meijer came out cheaper with a total of $21.25. This was $3.17 cheaper than Schnuck’s total of $24.42.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Meijer Price | Schnucks Price |
| Chicken Leg Quarters (need 5lbs) | Tyson Gold 10lb bag= $9.99 | $1.99 a lb (4.32lbs)= $8.60 |
| Ground Beef (need 1 pound) | Meijer 81/19 1lb roll= $4.89 | 73/27 1lb fresh= $5.32 |
| Pepperoni Slices | Armour 5oz bag= $2.25 | Armour 5oz bag= $3.69 |
| Total: (3 items) | $17.13 | $17.61 |
In the meat section, Meijer came out cheaper with a total of $17.13. This was $0.48 cheaper than Schnuck’s total of $17.61.
It is worth noting that not only was Meijer cheaper, but we also bought twice as much chicken leg quarters.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Meijer Price | Schnucks Price |
| Canned Pineapple | Meijer 20oz can= $1.29 *on sale* | Schnucks 20oz can= $1.74 |
| Brown Sugar | Meijer 1lb bag= $1.79 | C&H 1lb box= $1.74 |
| Yellow Cake Mix | Jiffy 9oz box= $0.79 *on sale* | Jiffy 9oz box= $0.99 |
| Tortillas | Meijer 8ct=$1.49 | Guerrero 8ct= $1.99 |
| Black Beans (can) | Meijer 15.25oz can= $0.79 | Schnucks 15.25oz can= $0.99 |
| Ranch Dressing | Meijer 16oz bottle= $2.09 | Kens 16oz bottle= $2.50 *on sale* |
| Hamburger Buns | Meijer 8ct= $1.65 | Schnucks 8ct= $1.54 |
| Baked Beans | Meijer 15oz can= $1.19 | Serious Bean 15oz can= $1.99 |
| Tomato Sauce | Meijer 15oz can= $0.89 | Schnucks 15oz can= $1.39 |
| Diced Tomatoes (can) | Meijer 14.5oz can= $0.89 | Schnucks 14.5oz can= $1.24 |
| Chili Powder | Meijer 2.5oz jar= $2.49 | Schnucks 2.5oz jar= $3.19 |
| Corn (can) | Meijer 15oz can= $0.59 | Schnucks 14.5oz can= $0.89 *on sale* |
| White Rice | Meijer instant 14oz box= $1.65 | Schnucks 1lb bag= $1.29 |
| Taco Seasoning | Meijer 1oz pack= $0.45 | Schnucks 1.25oz pack= $0.84 |
| Kidney Beans (can) | Meijer 15.5oz can= $0.79 | Schnucks 15.5oz can= $0.99 |
| Tortilla Chips | Meijer 13oz bag= $2.19 *on sale* | Schnucks 13oz bag= $2.39 |
| Cornbread Mix | Jiffy 8.5oz box= $0.65 | Betty Crocker 6.5oz pack= $0.74 |
| Garlic Herb Seasoning Blend | Mrs. Dash 2.5oz jar= $3.19 *on sale* | McCormick 2.75oz jar= $3.19 |
| Barbeque Sauce | Open Pit 18oz bottle= $1.19 | Schnucks 18oz bottle= $1.25 *on sale* |
| Total: (18 items) | $26.05 | $30.88 |
In the dry goods section, Meijer came out cheaper with a total of $26.05. This was $4.83 cheaper than Schnuck’s total of $30.88.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Meijer Price | Schnucks Price |
| California Blend Veggies | Meijer 12oz bag= $0.89 | Schnucks 10.8oz bag= $2.39 |
| Garlic Bread | Meijer 8ct= $2.39 | Schnucks 8ct= $3.09 |
| Total: (2 items) | $3.28 | $5.48 |
In the frozen section, Meijer came out cheaper with a total of $3.28. This was $2.20 cheaper than Schnuck’s total of $5.48.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Meijer Price | Schnucks Price |
| Eggs | Meijer 12ct large white= $3.09 | Schnucks 12ct large white= $1.99 |
| Cottage Cheese | Meijer 16oz container= $2.05 | Schnucks 16oz container= $2.49 |
| Milk (1/2 gallon) | Meijer half gallon= $1.89 | Schnucks half gallon= $2.09 |
| Biscuits (can) | Meijer 10ct= $0.99 | Schnucks 8ct= $2.39 |
| Butter | Meijer 16oz = $2.49 *on sale* | Schnucks 16oz = $3.50 *on sale* |
| Cheddar Cheese | Meijer 8oz shredded x2= $3.76 *on sale* | Schnucks 16oz shredded= $4.69 |
| Mozzarella Cheese | Meijer 8oz shredded x2= $3.76 *on sale* | Schnucks 16oz shredded= $4.89 |
| Total: (7 items) | $18.03 | $21.84 |
In the dairy section, Meijer came out cheaper with a total of $18.03. This was $3.81 cheaper than Schnuck’s total of $21.84.
Is Schnucks more expensive than Meijer?
Meijer came out cheaper consistently in each section, but let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Meijer Price | Schnucks Price |
| Produce | $21.25 | $24.42 |
| Deli/Meats | $17.13 | $17.61 |
| Dry Goods | $26.05 | $30.88 |
| Frozen Foods | $3.28 | $5.48 |
| Dairy | $18.03 | $21.84 |
| Overall Total: (42 items) | $85.74 | $100.23 |
Overall, Meijer was cheaper than Schnucks with a total of $85.74. This was $14.49 (about 14%) cheaper than Schnucks total of $100.23.
I’m pretty happy that both stores came in right about $100, but I think we can still do better! If I had to choose only one store, I would definitely shop at Meijer for my groceries.
If I had the time to shop at both stores or do a curbside pickup, I could potentially save another $4.90. This is an extra 5% in savings just by buying the cheapest items at each store.
To take this even further, we could use the weekly ad and sale prices to help make our menu. This means we will choose in season and on sale items to create the menu instead of just picking dishes.
For more price comparisons of grocery stores, check out “Meijer vs Woodmans” and “Schnucks vs Dierbergs.”
