Smart and Final vs Fry’s: Who is Cheaper for Groceries?
Grocery shopping can become very routine and boring. Lately with prices going up, we really need to wake up and pay attention to our available grocery options to get the best prices.
Today we will do a side-by-side price comparison of Smart and Final and Fry’s to see who has the cheapest grocery prices. We will also determine if it is better to just go to one store, or if it is worth going to both stores to maximize our grocery budget!
Is Smart & Final cheaper than Frys?
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 Phoenix, Arizona. 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 | Smart and Final Price | Fry’s Price |
| Bananas x5 | $0.69 a lb (2.5lbs) = $1.72 | $0.27 each= $1.35 |
| Blueberries | 6oz container= $2.99 | 6oz container= $2.99 |
| Apples | 3lbs Granny Smith Apples= $2.97 *on sale* | 3lb bag of Granny Smith Apples= $4.49 *on sale* |
| Carrots | 1lb bag= $0.59 *on sale* | 1lb bag of baby carrots= $1.25 |
| Celery | 1 bunch= $1.49 | 1 bunch= $1.79 |
| Spinach | Dole 8oz bag= $2.49 | Kroger 10oz bag= $2.29 |
| Sweet Potatoes (need 4) | *substitution* 5lb bag of red potatoes= $3.99 *on sale* | $0.74 each= $2.96 |
| Tomato | Constellation Tomatoes=$2.49 *on sale* | Beefsteak= $1.29 |
| Cabbage (small) | Ready Pac 8oz shredded= $1.49 | 1 head= $1.73 |
| Cucumber | $0.50 each *on sale* | $0.50 each |
| Lime | $0.49 each | $0.59 each |
| Cilantro | 1 bunch= $0.49 | 1 bunch= $0.99 |
| Total: (12 items) | $21.70 | $22.22 |
In the produce section, Smart and Final came out cheaper with a total of $21.70. This was $0.52 cheaper than Fry’s total of $22.22.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Smart and Final Price | Fry’s Price |
| Chicken Leg Quarters (need 5lbs) | $1.69 a lb (5lbs)= $8.45 | *substitution* Chicken Thighs $1.79 a lb (5.5lbs)= $9.92 |
| Ground Beef (need 1 pound) | 80/20 1lb fresh=$4.79 | 85/15 1lb fresh= $4.97 *on sale* |
| Pepperoni Slices | Hormel 6oz bag= $3.99 | Kroger 6oz bag= $2.99 |
| Total: (3 items) | $17.23 | $17.88 |
In the meat section, Smart & Final came out cheaper with a total of $17.23. This was $0.65 cheaper than Fry’s total of $17.88.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Smart and Final Price | Fry’s Price |
| Canned Pineapple | First Street 20oz can= $1.89 | Kroger 20oz can= $1.49 |
| Brown Sugar | Zulka 1lb bag= $1.29 | Kroger 2lb bag= $1.89 *on sale* |
| Yellow Cake Mix | Duncan Hines 15.25oz box= $1.50 *on sale* | Pillsbury 15.25oz box= $1.39 |
| Tortillas | Calidad 8ct=$1.29 | Mission 12ct= $1.99 *on sale* |
| Black Beans (can) | First Street 15oz can= $1.29 | Kroger 15.25oz can= $0.79 |
| Ranch Dressing | First Street 16oz bottle= $2.39 | Kroger 16oz bottle= $2.39 |
| Hamburger Buns | First Street 8ct= $2.29 | Kroger 8ct= $1.99 *on sale* |
| Baked Beans | Bush’s 16oz can= $2.29 | Kroger 28oz can= $2.19 |
| Tomato Sauce | First Street 15oz can= $1.09 | Kroger 15oz can= $1.00 |
| Diced Tomatoes (can) | Del Monte 14.5oz can= $1.29 | Kroger 14.5oz can= $0.99 *on sale* |
| Chili Powder | First Street 3.1oz jar= $2.99 | Smidge & Spoon 2.19oz jar= $1.25 |
| Corn (can) | First Street 15.25oz can= $0.99 | Kroger 15.25oz can= $0.89 |
| White Rice | First Street 28oz box= $2.99 | Kroger 2lb bag= $1.89 |
| Taco Seasoning | McCormick 1oz pack= $0.99 | Kroger 1.25oz pack= $0.49 |
| Kidney Beans (can) | First Street 15oz can= $1.29 | Kroger 15.5oz can= $1.00 |
| Tortilla Chips | Calidad 11oz bag= $1.99 | Kroger 10oz bag= $1.99 |
| Cornbread Mix | Jiffy 8.5oz box= $0.79 | Jiffy 8.5oz box= $0.65 |
| Garlic Herb Seasoning Blend | McCormick 2.75oz jar= $2.89 | McCormick 2.75oz jar= $2.89 |
| Barbeque Sauce | Kraft 18oz bottle= $1.79 | Kraft 18oz bottle= $1.79 |
| Total: (18 items) | $33.32 | $28.95 |
In the dry goods section, Fry’s came out cheaper with a total of $28.95. This was $4.37 cheaper than Smart & Final’s total of $28.95.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Smart and Final Price | Fry’s Price |
| California Blend Veggies | First Street 12oz bag= $1.49 *on sale* | Kroger 12oz bag= $1.69 |
| Garlic Bread | First Street 16oz loaf= $4.99 | Kroger 8ct= $2.29 |
| Total: (2 items) | $6.48 | $3.98 |
In the frozen section, Fry’s came out cheaper with a total of $3.98. This was $2.50 cheaper than Smart and Final’s total of $6.48.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Smart and Final Price | Fry’s Price |
| Eggs | First Street 12ct white eggs= $3.49 *on sale* | Kroger 12ct white wggs= $3.79 |
| Cottage Cheese | First Street 16oz container= $2.49 | Kroger 16oz container= $1.67 *on sale* |
| Milk (1/2 gallon) | First Street half gallon= $2.59 | Fry’s half gallon= $2.69 |
| Biscuits (can) | Pillsbury 8ct= $2.99 | Kroger 8ct= $1.79 |
| Butter | First Street 16oz= $4.99 | Kroger 16oz= $4.49 |
| Cheddar Cheese | First Street 16oz block= $5.29 | Kroger 16oz block= $4.29 |
| Mozzarella Cheese | First Street 8oz shredded x2 ($2.99 each)= $5.98 | Kroger 16oz shredded= $4.29 |
| Total: (7 items) | $27.82 | $23.01 |
In the dairy section, Fry’s came out cheaper with a total of $23.01. This was $4.81 cheaper than Smart & Final’s total of $27.82.
Is Fry’s more expensive than Smart & Final?
Both stores came out cheaper in different sections, so let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Smart and Final Price | Fry’s Price |
| Produce | $21.70 | $22.22 |
| Deli/Meats | $17.23 | $17.88 |
| Dry Goods | $33.32 | $28.95 |
| Frozen Foods | $6.48 | $3.98 |
| Dairy | $27.82 | $23.01 |
| Overall Total: (42 items) | $106.55 | $96.04 |
Overall, Fry’s was cheaper than Smart & Final with a total of $96.04. This was $10.51 (about 9%) less than Smart & Final’s total of $106.55.
I was pretty happy that both store’s had a total around $100, but if I had to only shop at one store, I would pick Fry’s for the lower overall price.
If I had the time to go to both store or order a curbside pick-up, I think it would be worth the effort. If I only bought what was cheapest at each store, my total would have been $89.17.
This would have saved me another $6.87 which was about 7% more in savings. If my grocery budget is $100, that gives me $10.83 to stock up for future weeks!
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Smart & Final vs Safeway” and “Albertsons vs Fry’s.”
