Hosting a July 4th BBQ, Treasure Valley? Here are prices on 9 last-minute items

Fireworks, flags, and family barbecues: the Fourth of July is here and so is the hunt for the best grocery deals.

Whether you’re grilling hot dogs, passing the chips, or slicing into a juicy watermelon — your holiday bill can vary widely depending on where you shop.

To help Treasure Valley shoppers save, the Idaho Statesman visited four local grocery stores on Wednesday, July 2 to check prices on classic cookout supplies.

Here’s our shopping list:

• Aluminum foil (30 ft.)
• Napkins (40 count)
• Paper plates (44 count)
• Mustard (20 oz)
• Ketchup (20 oz)
• Corn (per ear)
• Watermelon
• Hot dog buns
• Party-size Lay’s chips

Grocery prices at Treasure Valley stores

Where did we go? We skipped membership-only stores like Costco and Sam’s Club, focusing instead on places where anyone can shop. Our check included WinCo, Albertsons, Fred Meyer and Walmart, all in the Boise area.

Here are the specific locations we visited:

• Walmart Supercenter, 8300 W. Overland Road
• Fred Meyer, 5230 W. Franklin Road
• Albertsons, 1219 S. Broadway Ave.
• WinCo Foods, 110 E. Myrtle St.

A note on pricing: Some stores sold watermelon by the pound (WinCo at $0.48/lb, Albertsons at $0.59/lb), while Fred Meyer and Walmart priced whole watermelons ($3.99 and $4.68 each, respectively). For comparison, we used an average 8-pound watermelon weight to estimate cost.

Which Boise grocery store was cheapest?

Here’s what our Fourth of July cart cost at each store (approximate totals):

• WinCo: ~$23.00 (lowest overall)
• Fred Meyer: ~$31.42
• Walmart: ~$33.72
• Albertsons: ~$34.94 (highest overall)

WinCo was the clear bargain winner this year, with prices roughly a third lower than the highest competitor.

Bottom line? If you’re looking to save on your Independence Day spread, WinCo offers the lowest prices by a solid margin. Still, price isn’t everything — location, convenience and your brand preferences matter too. No matter where you shop, here’s wishing you a fun, safe and delicious Fourth of July!

Note: This is not a scientific study, but it is a real reflection of items’ prices at grocery stores in Boise during the first week of July 2025.