Schnuck’s vs Fresh Thyme: Who is Cheaper?
Schnuck’s is a grocery store chain with about 100 stores in 4 Midwest states. Fresh Thyme is a mostly organic and natural grocery store chain with about 70 stores in 11 states.
To find out if Schnuck’s or Fresh Thyme is cheaper, we will do a price comparison of a week’s grocery list for a family of four. Scroll to the bottom to see the final verdict!
Is Fresh Thyme cheaper than Schnucks grocery?
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 Cheese & Toast
- Vanilla Yogurt with Strawberries and Leftover Pineapple
- French Toast with Syrup & Bananas
- Peanut Butter Toast with Bananas
Lunches
- Salad with Leftover Parmesan Chicken
- Pasta Salad with Hard Boiled Eggs and Tomato, Cucumber, and Parmesan Cheese
- Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
- BLT Sandwiches with Side Salad
- Dinner Leftovers
Dinners
- Orange Chicken with Pineapple over Brown Rice
- Sloppy Joe on French Bread with Cheese and Canned Corn
- Kielbasa, Potatoes and Green Beans in the Crockpot
- Tex Mex Pizza with Taco meat, Refried Beans, Salsa, and Cheese
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken, Butter Pasta, and Broccoli
- Breakfast for Dinner: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Bacon, Fried Potatoes, and Sauteed Apples
Snacks
- Chips and Salsa
- Peanut Butter and Apples
- Yogurt Bites
Sweet Treat
- Homemade Orange Popsicles
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in St. Louis, Missouri. 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 #7“
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Schnuck’s Price | Fresh Thyme’s Price |
| Strawberries | 1lb = $3.89 | 1lb= $4.29 |
| 6 Bananas | $0.22 each = $1.32 | $0.30 each= $1.80 |
| Lettuce | Iceberg head= $1.79 | Romaine head= $1.09 *on sale* |
| Tomato x2 | On the Vine $0.85 each= $1.70 | Beefsteak $1.52 each= $3.04 |
| Cucumber | $0.79 each | $0.89 each |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag Russets= $3.79 | 5lb bag Russets= $4.89 |
| Apples | 3lb bag Gala= $3.99 *on sale* | $1.99 a lb= $5.97 |
| Total: (7 items) | $17.27 | $21.97 |
In the produce section, Schnuck’s came in cheaper for a total of $17.27. This was $4.70 cheaper than Fresh Thyme’s total of $21.97.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Schnuck’s Price | Fresh Thyme’s Price |
| Bacon | Smithfield’s 16oz= $3.99 *on sale* | 1lb Deli Style Bacon= $4.29 *on sale* |
| 4-6 Chicken Breasts | $3.99 a lb (5.34lb)= $18.64 | $5.39 a lb (2.1lbs) x2= $22.64 *on sale* |
| Kielbasa Sausage | Eckrich 14oz = $4.79 | Fresh Thyme 14oz= $4.89 |
| 1 lb ground turkey | Perdue 1lb fresh= $4.49 *on sale* | Honest Turkey 1lb fresh= $6.99 |
| Total: (4 items) | $31.91 | $38.81 |
In the meat section, Schnuck’s came out cheaper with a total of $31.91. This was $6.90 cheaper than Fresh Thyme’s total of $38.81.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Schnuck’s Price | Fresh Thyme’s Price |
| Sandwich Bread | Schnuck’s 20oz white= $1.19 | Aunt Millie’s 22oz white= $3.29 |
| Canned Pineapple | Schnuck’s 20oz can = $1.74 | Dole 20oz can= $2.69 |
| Pancake Syrup | Schnuck’s 24oz bottle= $2.00 *on sale* | Log Cabin 12oz bottle= $3.79 |
| French Bread Loaf | 1 loaf= $1.69 | 1 loaf= $2.69 |
| Cinnamon | Spice Supreme 3.25 oz jar= $1.39 | Fresh Thyme 2.37oz jar= $2.69 |
| Peanut Butter | Schnuck’s 16oz jar= $2.29 | Fresh Thyme 16oz jar= $3.29 *on sale* |
| Italian Dressing | Schnuck’s 16oz bottle= $2.59 | Wish Bone 15oz bottle= $2.79 |
| Pasta | Creamette 16oz elbows= $1.64 | RACCONTO 16oz Rotini= $1.69 |
| Large can Tomato Soup | Schnuck’s 26oz can= $2.29 | Fresh Thyme 10.75oz can x2= $3.38 |
| Canned Tomatoes | Schnuck’s 14.5 oz can = $1.19 | Fresh Thyme 14.5 oz can =$1.09 |
| Orange Marmalade | Food Club 18oz jar of Apricot Preserves = $3.59 | St. Dalfour 10oz jar= $5.39 |
| BBQ Sauce | Schnuck’s 18oz bottle= $1.69 | Sweet Baby Ray’s 18oz bottle= $2.69 |
| Soy Sauce | Schnuck’s 10oz bottle= $1.00 *on sale* | Kikkoman’s 5oz bottle= $2.69 |
| Brown Rice | Schnuck’s 1lb bag= $1.19 | Tasty Bites 8.8oz =$2.69 *on sale* |
| Canned Green Beans | Schnuck’s 14.5oz can= $0.79 | Fresh Thyme 15oz can= $1.09 *on sale* |
| Taco Seasoning | Schnuck’s 1.25oz pack= $0.94 | Fresh Thyme 1.25 oz pack= $1.09 |
| Refried Beans | Schnuck’s 16oz can = $1.19 | Fresh Thyme Organic 16oz = $1.79 *on sale* |
| Salsa | Schnuck’s 16oz jar= $2.09 | Fresh Thyme 16oz jar= $3.29 |
| Worcestershire Sauce | Schnuck’s 10oz bottle= $1.00 *on sale* | Fresh Thyme 10oz bottle= $3.79 |
| Mustard | Schnuck’s 8oz bottle= $0.99 | Fresh Thyme Organic 14oz bottle= $1.69 |
| Canned Corn | Schnuck’s 15.25 oz can = $0.79 | Fresh Thyme 15oz can= $1.09 *on sale* |
| Mayonnaise | Schnuck’s 15oz jar= $2.59 | Boar’s Head 9oz jar= $4.99 |
| All Purpose Flour | Schnuck’s 5lb = $2.89 | Fresh Thyme 5lb bag= $2.69 |
| Dry Active Yeast | Red Star 3 pack= $2.09 | Red Star 3 pack= $2.19 *on sale* |
| Total: (24 items) | $40.84 | $64.55 |
In the dry goods section, Schnuck’s came in much cheaper with a total of $40.84. This was $23.71 cheaper than Fresh Thyme’s total of $64.55.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Schnuck’s Price | Fresh Thyme’s Price |
| Frozen Broccoli | Schnuck’s 12oz bag= $1.04 | Bird’s Eye 12.6oz bag= $3.79 |
| Total: (1 items) | $1.04 | $3.79 |
In the frozen section, Schnuck’s came out cheaper with a total of $1.04. This was $2.75 cheaper than Fresh Thyme’s total of $3.79.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Schnuck’s Price | Fresh Thyme’s Price |
| Eggs | Schnuck’s 12ct white= $2.39 | Penny Smart 12ct white= $3.29 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Schnuck’s 8oz bag= $2.79 | Fresh Thyme 8oz bag= $3.79 |
| Vanilla Yogurt | Schnuck’s 32oz tub= $2.99 | Stoneyfield 32oz tub= $2.59 *on sale* |
| American Cheese | Schnuck’s 16ct= $2.59 | Horizon Organic 12ct= $4.89 *on sale* |
| Parmesan Cheese | Kraft 6oz= $2.50 *on sale* | Fresh Thyme 8oz jar= $3.29 *on sale* |
| 2% milk | Schnuck’s gallon= $3.69 | Fresh Thyme gallon= $4.09 |
| Butter | Schnuck’s 1lb= $4.19 | Fresh Thyme 1lb= $4.69 |
| Total: (7 items) | $21.14 | $26.63 |
In the dairy section, Schnuck’s came in cheaper with a total of $21.14. This was $5.49 cheaper than Fresh Thyme’s total of $26.63.
Is Schnucks more expensive than Fresh Thyme?
Schnuck’s has come in cheaper in every section, so let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Schnuck’s Price | Fresh Thyme’s Price |
| Produce | $17.27 | $21.97 |
| Deli/Meats | $31.91 | $38.81 |
| Dry Goods | $40.84 | $64.55 |
| Frozen Foods | $1.04 | $3.79 |
| Dairy | $21.14 | $26.63 |
| Overall Total: (43 items) | $112.20 | $155.75 |
Overall, Schnuck’s was much cheaper than Fresh Thyme with a total of $112.20. This was $43.55 (about 28%) cheaper than Fresh Thyme’s total of $155.75.
If you currently shop at Fresh Thyme, you could potentially lower your grocery bill by 28% a month. That is a huge amount, and you could save even more by checking out the weekly sales ad and shopping the deals.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Aldi vs Meijer: Who is Cheaper?” and “Hy-Vee vs Fareway: Who is Cheaper?“
