A new round of weekly price tracking at three Fort Wayne grocery stores has revealed some unexpected twists — with staples like milk, eggs, and butter seeing notable shifts, some up, some down, and some just plain weird.

The 21Investigates: Grocery Tracker is back for another Wednesday update, and this week’s numbers paint a mixed picture of what it actually costs to feed a family right now — no coupons, no loyalty cards, no gimmicks.

Not Your Average Week at the Grocery Store

If you’re used to grocery runs feeling like routine math, this week might’ve thrown you off.

Milk? It’s down at one store but nudged up at another. Eggs? Holding steady — but not everywhere. And butter? Let’s just say it depends where you’re shopping.

There’s no clear trend across the board. And that’s what makes this week’s update a bit more interesting than usual.

The 21Investigates team checked the price tags at three major stores in Fort Wayne, comparing the 10 most common items people toss into their carts each week. All prices were taken straight from the shelves — no app deals, club cards, or digital coupons.

What you see is what you’d pay walking in off the street.

Here’s What They Tracked This Week

At the heart of this whole thing is a simple question: How much are the basics?

These are the 10 items checked at all three stores:

• A dozen store-brand grade-A large eggs

• One gallon of store-brand 2% milk

• One pound of Land O’Lakes butter sticks

• One loaf of white sandwich bread (store-brand)

• One pound of 80/20 ground beef

• One bag of baby carrots (1 lb)

• One box of store-brand corn flakes

• One pack of store-brand spaghetti noodles

• One jar of store-brand marinara pasta sauce

• A bunch of bananas (per pound)

It’s the stuff that makes dinner, lunchboxes, and Saturday pancakes happen.

And while prices vary week to week, what stood out this time was how inconsistent some shifts were.

One Product, Three Prices

The variation in butter alone is enough to make your head spin.

At Store A, it was $4.99 — about what you’d expect these days. But at Store B, it dropped to $4.49, thanks to a quiet shelf markdown that wasn’t part of any big weekly circular. Then Store C? A full dollar more at $5.49.

That’s a 22% price difference between two aisles in the same city. For butter.

Same thing with eggs. One store held steady at $2.29, while another jumped to $2.79, and the third brought it back down to $1.99.

Now imagine that over 10 items, once a week, every week.

Full Table Breakdown: This Week’s Grocery Tracker (July 30, 2025)

Store B had the lowest total overall this week. But not by much.

What It Means for Shoppers

For families doing math in their heads every trip, it’s clear: shopping around still matters.

Sure, nobody wants to hit three different stores to save 40 cents on eggs. But if you’re doing a full list and don’t mind checking ads or shifting habits week to week, you might save a solid $6–$10 depending on where you shop.

Also worth noting: some stores fluctuate prices more than others. Store A, for example, tends to hold steady from week to week, but their base prices are a little higher. Store B? Discounts are more frequent — but items also tend to bounce around more dramatically.

What This Doesn’t Include

Let’s be honest — most people aren’t walking in without a loyalty card. And coupons? They’re everywhere.

But the idea behind this tracker is to show the real-world, walk-in price. No rewards, no bundling, no hidden app tricks. That way, everyone — whether they coupon or not — gets a clear look at what the cost of living really feels like right now.

And it’s not just about prices. It’s about consistency. Families want to know what to expect.

This week? That expectation might be a bit off.