How Do You Save Money at Supermarkets?

LTrolleySaver on 11/06/2015 - 07:05
Last edited 11/06/2015 - 09:05 by 1 other user

Hi guys

Most of us are hypocrites. We complain about Coles and Woolworths but then support them in the name of convenience.

This convenience costs us:

  1. Increased price of products
  2. Less demand at local grocers / butchers

I'm conducting a survey and would like to find out:

  • Does saving money on groceries matter to you?
  • What are you currently doing to save money on groceries?
  • How often do you visit local grocers / butchers? What reasons do you choose local over supermarket chains?
  • Would you go local if the price was lower? What price difference would you accept?
  • Does product origin matter to you?
  • Does brand matter to you?
  • Are you happy to purchase in bulk if cheaper?

Would love to hear your thoughts. Please email me at [email protected]

In exchange, here are some grocery saving tips: http://wp.me/p6gf9Y-G

Thank you in advance

Sam

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • chill on 11/06/2015 - 07:21
    +5

    I eat SPAM

    • TrolleySaver on 11/06/2015 - 07:37
      +2

      Too bad - no Spam sales this week.

      Try Heinz Canned Chicken 85g

      • mskeggs on 12/06/2015 - 22:02
        +6

        Describing people as hypocrites in the first line is unlikely to get you many friends.
        Most people are on a spectrum where they shop for convenience at one end and quality at another, with value somewhere in between.
        My friend is a retired judge, and quite well off. He buys all his meat from the local butcher who prides himself on delivering outstanding quality and service. I buy a little bit of meat there, when I am after a specific cut or particular item that needs to be ordered in for a dinner party or similar.
        Another friend is a part time employed mum. She buys meat at Peter's meats mainly, as they will do a bulk discount on a set pack of mince, sausages, some chicken wings, a couple of steaks etc. I buy some particular items at Peter's that are cheap. They are the next suburb over, so if I go there I buy several times a single meal of, for example, chicken wings. I look for their weekly specials and buy the best value.
        My mum tends to buy routine meat at the supermarket, and some from the butcher.
        My work friend buys all her meat at the supermarket in pre-packed plastic shells, as she is uncomfortable with raw meat and blood and like the sterile look.
        I buy a fair bit of meat from the supermarket clearance section at 50% off or better.

        So just from a few people I know you seem to be mischaracterising most peoples habits and motivations.

  • CrazyMexican on 11/06/2015 - 07:49

    Yes, buying usually specials, sometimes visit local butcher/ veggies/fruits because freshness and a bit cheaper, yes would go local, anything over 20% ( including specials), not really as long as it looks eatable, depends on product, no bulk ( inconvenient)

    • TrolleySaver on 11/06/2015 - 07:53
      +1

      Thanks! One question - How do you know the price of local compared to price of supermarket? (Locals don't usually advertise prices)

      • CrazyMexican on 11/06/2015 - 08:00
        +1

        You have to go local and check the prices, same as you do for the supermarket … Although you need to do that often to check both specials… ( not online catalogue for locals)

  • Euphemistic on 11/06/2015 - 07:56
    +2

    A. L. D. I.

    • TrolleySaver on 11/06/2015 - 07:58
      -1

      Thanks - does this mean you choose price over product origin? Is there a benchmark (e.g. Buy Australian if within 10% of overseas product)?

      • Noblejoker on 12/06/2015 - 09:24
        +2

        At least half the regular products in aldi are made in Australia - well as much as any other products are made in Aust e.g. from imported prodcue or whatever.
        Milk, meat, and most fruit and vegies inc frozen are Aust made
        I am sure there are more foreign products in store than Coles & Woollies but I bet the difference is nowhere near as much as people think
        My guess Aldi = 50% Aust made Coles & Woollies 60% or 70% tops (halve all numbers for products that are completely Aust made)

        • dealman on 13/06/2015 - 14:25
          +1

          Hey yep,

          I hated that even things like frozen peas etc were imported from China in Coles, these are Australian made in Aldi

  • Euphemistic on 11/06/2015 - 08:02
    +7

    IMO there are two reasons to like shopping at Aldi, the obvious one is price, the second is that there aren't seventy different brands/sizes of each product that you need to compare prices with. If you want cornflakes you buy one box or two depending on how much you use.

    I still top up at the big two, but it's a small percentage of our total spend and for products that Aldi don't stock.

    • TrolleySaver on 11/06/2015 - 08:05

      Haven't heard that second point as an Aldi advantage before - really interesting!

    • [Deactivated] on 13/07/2015 - 21:39
      +1

      I'm not a fan of Aldi. You always have to queue up for a register, you pay extra to use a credit card, and you have to pay for bags.

      At Woolies I buy half price specials using a gift card purchased at 5% off paid for with a credit card earning me 3 points per dollar stacked with everyday rewards points.

      • Euphemistic on 14/07/2015 - 13:16

        You also have to queue up for a checkout at our local Woolworths, Coles, that's no different. You don't have to pay for bags, just bring your own, I usually end up loading the trolley straight off the checkout and then loading into my own bags (reusable) at the car. You might think you are getting free bags at Woolworths, but you pay for them in other ways,

        As for the credit card/rewards thing that probably works, but I'd hazard a guess that our Aldi shopping still works out cheaper beqcause not everything is on sale when you want it. Yes I do stock up on specials from Woolworths, but if your list contains items that aren't on special then you can't win that way.

  • the-mal on 11/06/2015 - 08:07
    +6

    Shop on a full stomach. It'll avoid the impulse buys / chocolate / bad food that inevitably creeps into your basket when you shop hungry.

    Also, shop to a list. Apps like OutOfMilk make this easy to do, the whole family can add to the list on their phones when something runs out by just scanning a barcode or typing it in before chucking it in the bin. If it isn't on the list, it doesn't get bought.

    • TrolleySaver on 11/06/2015 - 08:11

      I don't know how you do it… I don't have the self control to stick to a list only =P

      • the-mal on 11/06/2015 - 08:14
        +3

        Ha, it helps to hate shopping. I hate it, so I want to do it as efficiently as possible so I'm in and out. I go in, get what's on the list, and get out ASAP. I need a list because my memory is terrible!

        • TrolleySaver on 11/06/2015 - 08:19

          That raises an interesting thought…. I ABSOLUTELY HATE shopping too (shopping centre e.g. clothes, electrical, etc)….but for some reason I don't mind browsing a supermarket. They must have figured out how to influence subliminally

    • Damnsmart on 11/06/2015 - 08:19

      I agree with you, i have experienced it myself

  • barginhunter11 on 11/06/2015 - 08:07
    +2

    We used to to do a full shop at Coles.

    • Does saving money on groceries matter to you?
      No , We buy from a Butcher and local vegie shop as we find it is fresher and lasts longer.

    • What are you currently doing to save money on groceries?
      Buying fresher product that lasts longer
      Don't buy what we don't need

    • How often do you visit local grocers / butchers? What reasons do you choose local over supermarket chains?
      once a week on a Sunday
      Local is Fresher

    • Would you go local if the price was lower? What price difference would you accept?
      Our Locals arn't that much more expensive than coles

    • Does product origin matter to you?
      Veges all come from the same market i hear
      Just buy what we feel like that week

    • Does brand matter to you?
      Same shit , different box

    • Are you happy to purchase in bulk if cheaper?
      Already do for items eg Coffee , Loo paper and more

    • TrolleySaver on 11/06/2015 - 08:10

      Thanks for this!

      I'm guessing that your local isn't more expensive than Coles 'normal' prices.

      Do you go to Coles when items you want are on special?

      • barginhunter11 on 11/06/2015 - 08:48
        +2

        We have never shopped between 2 supermarkets or rushed out for something is on special.

        we find they rotate anyway and comes up every few weeks

      • mskeggs on 12/06/2015 - 22:11

        I don't get this idea that non coles/woolies is a price premium. My local fruit & veg charges 50% less than the supermarket for potatoes, and typically has some fruit specials cheaper than coles/woolies. And coles/woolies has some fruit specials cheaper than them. It isn't a fight to the death on, for example, delicious apples. Some weeks coles is cheaper, some weeks the market, some weeks woolies.

        My local fruit market almost always beats coles/woolies non-special prices by a small margin.
        So I tend to shop the specials at each depending on which I happen to get to, and visit the fruit market once every week or so for items that have not been on special anywhere that I can't do without.

    • Adz81 on 12/06/2015 - 09:29

      ^^ This is great. Supporting local markets and small producers and enjoying the benefits :D

  • loulou1 on 11/06/2015 - 08:13
    +1

    My two cents. Some brands do matter. There are particular items that go on the shopping list that are the brand name eg Coke, Panadol,Glad wrap. Other products brand doesn't matter eg flour, sugar.
    I would like to buy Australian only but in reality I don't even look at origin, except for frozen berries!!!
    Saving money definitely matters, every dollar saved goes off my mortgage. I have a budget for groceries each pay, any leftover gets saved (or gets me some extras I wouldn't normally buy).
    I generally shop from supermarkets as I buy discounted gift cards and I can't use those at the butcher grocer etc
    I go through ALL catalogues and make shopping lists from that (Coles, Woolworths, only buy from IGA etc if the special is really good).
    I love the convenience of click and collect option which means no impulse purchases either and u can see my total before paying, can remove things if over budget or add a treat if under budget.
    Would I purchase in bulk if cheaper? You should take a look at my toilet paper supply thanks to a ridiculously good deal.

    • TrolleySaver on 11/06/2015 - 08:23

      From your examples regarding brands - is it actual and/or perceived quality that drives you to specific brands?

      LOL @ toilet paper

      • loulou1 on 11/06/2015 - 11:16

        I think it is actual. Coke tastes better than home brand cola. Glad wrap sticks better than home brand plastic wrap.

    • mskeggs on 12/06/2015 - 22:13
      +1

      Panadol? Wow. That is something I would never pay extra for as the generics are guaranteed to be identical in every way.
      Also, generic brand glad wrap is 100 times better than it was in the 1990s (when it was unusable). We buy woolies home brand or select and it is fine.

      • loulou1 on 13/06/2015 - 07:08

        Not guaranteed to be identical in every way, just guaranteed to have the same active ingredient :)
        I have a friend who is a pharmacist and it is a very subtle difference.
        I might have to try the generic glad wrap again.

      • O O on 06/07/2015 - 20:03

        [@mskeggs]: I'm with you.

        For pain killer, I go for generic, as they are just paramcetamol for me. I can't tell if one is dissolved faster in my stomach then the others.

        For some products, I insist on particular brand, e.g. peanut butter, I insist on Kraft peanut butter, as you can tell the different from other brands.

  • c64 on 11/06/2015 - 08:27
    +1

    don't buy junk food?

    • TrolleySaver on 11/06/2015 - 08:45

      I suppose… but then I would be sad.

      • c64 on 11/06/2015 - 12:22

        you will be even sadder when you reach your 40s and have to pop pills and medicines to control your weight, blood pressure & diabetes

  • Jase1 on 11/06/2015 - 08:33
    +2

    I go through all catalogues each week.
    I will put off buying products if they are NOT on sale.
    I will buy extra's of the 'Better than half price' specials if they are long life.
    Majority of products will get me through until the next specials are on.
    I always aim to buy Aus made (and Aus origin).
    Fruit and Veges are more often than not on special at local fruit markets, so will buy here instead of the big 2.
    I shop lots @ local Supa IGA where I can support local, gain good buys and have a loyalty card.

    • mskeggs on 12/06/2015 - 22:28

      I agree with everything except the IGA point, as I don't have one anymore, and I am not a nazi about Australian origin. I like to know where my stuff is made, and who and how it is made, but some green and gold kangaroo stuff is over-priced or otherwise poor value, and some overseas stuff is better quality.
      For example, NZ Mainland Cheese is outstanding, Australian made frozen potato products from Simplot are universally dreadful.
      I will pay a small margin (under 20%) if I have good reason to know the Australian offering is as good as the cheaper international option. But I won't pay a premium if the quality isn't as good (example, yet to find an Australian mayonnaise as good as Thomy or ALDI's german brand).
      And won't pay more at all unless the quality is at least as good.
      If your local peanut butter tastes the same as made in Thailand Kraft, but costs twice as much….

      Aussie companies that I consider make world leading brands for value (that is price/quality maximised) include Natures Organics, Sanitarium, Norco, Don Smallgoods, Arnott's (OK, foreign owned) and a very small number of others. Many , many Aussie brands make very good quality products, just so much more expensive that I can't find the value.

  • purplelady on 11/06/2015 - 09:06
    +4

    I never buy full price from Coles/Woolworths, unless it's store brand i.e. flour, salt, sugar. If they are full price, then go to the other shop and we should be able to find it on special there lol

    I don't care about brand i.e. Smith's chips vs kettle. I just buy whatever on special.

    Vegies and fruit usually from local shops, simply because they look cheaper. My parents check prices so they know they are cheaper, but i'm lazy, so if woolies/coles vegies and fruit looks cheap then I buy it.
    I don't care if it's oz made or origin, but I tend to buy fruit and vegies that are on season, so I guess they are oz?

    Oh and Aldi, I find baking ingredients cheaper there, so I compare Aldi and Woolies before buying.

    And yes if it's long lasting, I buy more. But if it's constantly on Special i.e.toilet paper, I can control myself from buying too much.

    Does saving money on groceries matter to you?
    Yes since I was born thrifty. I used to think that I'm stingy, but people say I'm thrifty, not stingy *phew…

  • Diji1 on 11/06/2015 - 09:36
    +3

    I have written about my experience before but anyhow … a while back i thought I was doing well in the campaign to liberate my cash from confines of my wallet that supermarkets wage.

    Well turns out I was seriously mistaken: only way I found out was for some reason (maybe to test myself or something?) I decided to make a loose "rule" of only buying items listed on the MyGroceries list. Long story short I noted that I was spending about half of what I normally spent so i concluded that the supermarkets have really got my measure. Not only were they causing me to spend more money than I could be they were actually leaving me thinking I was doing well. ;)

    No one can actually rate themselve properly unless they compare themselves to others but I suspect I wasn't a great bargain hunter to start with but who knows.

  • retiredfeline on 11/06/2015 - 09:44
    +2

    Start with greengrocers and butchers for veggies, fruit and meat, they are usually cheaper and better.

    Groceries, start with Aldi, some of their brands are just as good, e.g. wheat biscuits.

    Other items I can't get as above or like the taste of a particular brand, e.g. ketchup, buy from Coolies, but wait for specials. And buy enough then to last through high prices.

    Exceptions are when Coolies have a special on some items.

    Keep an eye for marked down items. Also end of day specials.

    Convenience is not an issue as all the shops are easy to reach.

    Bake my own bread. Avoid junk food.

  • akd on 11/06/2015 - 09:50
    +4

    I have slightly different experience than others while shopping at Coles/Woolworths vs Costco vs Aldi vs local.
    •Does saving money on groceries matter to you?
    Yes it matters but I always prefer quality than price. I am happy to spend more on quality food and compare quality products from different supermarkets. I don't compare Aldi unknown brands with branded products from supermarkets because quality is different for sure. But I do shop for specific products at Aldi like bread, weekly specials etc.

    •What are you currently doing to save money on groceries?
    For regular items like milk, sugar, oil etc, I follow Costco, Woolies/Coles and then Aldi. For bread Aldi gets preference because kids like it. Biscuits for Aldi are hit and miss. check for specials and add them in shopping lists from Coles/Woolies app and then compare on the go with Costco.

    •How often do you visit local grocers / butchers? What reasons do you choose local over supermarket chains?
    I do visit Local grocers fortnightly but only for fruits and vegetables. But I found that in ACT local fruit markets have frozen fruits and chicken quality is hit and miss. Aldi gets my preference for Chicken from last few months.

    •Would you go local if the price was lower? What price difference would you accept?
    May be. I do shop for value for money with good quality and do not tend to loyal to anyone.

    •Does product origin matter to you?
    Yes, absolutely. Australian products gets preference and then European followed by Asian. I avoid Chinese food of origin even at half price.

    •Does brand matter to you?
    very much to me. As mentioned above, I do not compare Aldi brands with branded products from supermarket. there is no comparison. We have experimented Aldi for different biscuits brands. Even same brand Aldi biscuits have different taste in different lots. For good consistent quality biscuits, Arnotts is the best and I stock them when on specials.

    •Are you happy to purchase in bulk if cheaper?
    I do, thus shopping at Costco. But I do cost analysis comparing it with Coles/Woolies/ Big W. Follows simple principle anything at 40% Coles is comparable with Costco. So if the product is 50% at coles, then buy from Coles.

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 11/06/2015 - 15:37
    +3

    Avoid Coles & Woolworths.

    I have a friend that works for a company that supplies a product to Coles/Woolworths/IGA & Aldi. He said it is exactly the same. Aldi sells it for $1.99, whereas Woolworths sell it under his companies name at $3.79.

    He said the difference was that Aldi pay within 14 days. Woolworths pay anywhere between 30 to 60 days, then you have to factor in shelf space, advertising, markdowns etc. Woolworths & Coles are continually trying to reduce Margins etc

    • TrolleySaver on 11/06/2015 - 15:38

      The exact same product but different packaging?

      • BewareOfThe Dog on 11/06/2015 - 15:38
        +3

        Correct.

        • noskich on 17/06/2015 - 12:52
          +1

          While there are few inferior products at Aldi, vast majority is very high quality for a fraction of the standard price. I think that for many people it comes more to brand perception than to quality when judging Aldi.

          They also pay their staff more.

    • Diji1 on 11/06/2015 - 16:08

      This is a far more common situation than many people may realise.

      "Woolworths & Coles are continually trying to reduce Margins etc" - they are?

      • BewareOfThe Dog on 11/06/2015 - 18:31

        Sorry, I meant Supplier Margins. ;-)

  • [Deactivated] on 11/06/2015 - 16:24
    +4

    I'll throw my 2 cents in:

    Does saving money on groceries matter to you?

    Yes. The more I save the more I can spend. Better money in my pocket than theirs.

    What are you currently doing to save money on groceries?

    I try to always research which stores have the best price for product X. Planning your grocery run can save you money. I rarely go into a store without knowing for certain why I am going in there. You can save a significant amount of time and money with a littler preparation.

    How often do you visit local grocers / butchers? What reasons do you choose local over supermarket chains?

    I generally know the prices of the things I want. If I see that it is cheaper or the same price as a local I will give the local my business.

    Would you go local if the price was lower? What price difference would you accept?

    Hard to say. I guess it would depend on the product.

    Does product origin matter to you?

    Yes. Every time I can I buy product of or made in Aus. There are some country of origins I simply won't buy from, China is pretty much at the top of that list. Maybe it is an incorrect perception but I don't trust Chinese authorities to strictly monitor food standards. I know it can happen anywhere in the world but I needn't take the risk. I wish it was clearer to tell where products come from but apparently having origin information is information we aren't allowed to see. Heaven forbid a consumer is given all of the necessary info to make a decision.

    Does brand matter to you?

    Sort of. Sometimes I think there are brands which make a product is superior to its competitors. It isn't always the most expensive one, mind you.

    Are you happy to purchase in bulk if cheaper?

    Yes. Non-perishable food or things that have no best before or use by date (e.g. tissues, toilet paper, detergents, etc.)

  • altomic on 12/06/2015 - 22:32
    +1

    If it has a high sugar % and/or low nutritional value then I usually don't buy it.

    • mskeggs on 12/06/2015 - 22:35

      Unless I am shopping for a kilo bag of castor sugar.

  • mskeggs on 12/06/2015 - 22:34

    The one pricing issue that really annoys me in Australia is the absence of staples loss leaders at the supermarkets. In the UK, for example, you can buy a kilo of flour for 18p, a can of baked beans for 9p, and other generic brand staples for next to nothing.
    In AU, the $1 milk and 85c bread were revolutions, not normal for the last 15 years as they have been at Tesco and Lidl.
    It helps that when I shop I buy mostly fresh produce and the staples that are super cheap in Europe. Little in the way of processed food. So I very much want the loss-leader staples to come here too.
    Of course, as a rule fresh food was much dearer in Europe, and I don't want that the change!

  • rgr on 12/06/2015 - 22:57

    shit i wanted to build an app just like that.

  • [Deactivated] on 13/06/2015 - 00:05

    How Do You Save Money at Supermarkets?

    Stealing.

    :(

  • Marcsie on 13/06/2015 - 00:12

    Just another silly question :)

  • captobvious on 13/06/2015 - 01:16

    Does saving money on groceries matter to you?
    Depends on what im getting. Sometimes convenience means more. Like walking to the corner shop to get milk.

    What are you currently doing to save money on groceries?
    Specials

    How often do you visit local grocers / butchers? What reasons do you choose local over supermarket chains?
    Local butcher, hes friendly and can give advice on what would suit what dish. Same as id rather pay the premium to go to a local pharmacist to get good sound medical advice and the right drug.

    Would you go local if the price was lower? What price difference would you accept?
    Local doesnt stock everything. Its only good to supplement things that have run out or forgotten during the grocery run
    Does product origin matter to you?
    Yes i support australian where possible
    Does brand matter to you?
    Yes
    Are you happy to purchase in bulk if cheaper?
    Only if eneloop batteries

  • rotoclock on 13/06/2015 - 02:41

    Does saving money on groceries matter to you?
    I guess? It's not always the most important thing. If I'm picking up stuff to take to a party or whatever I'm not necessarily going to worry too much about the price

    What are you currently doing to save money on groceries?
    Biggest thing for us is stocking up on things we use regularly when they're 40-50% off. But then we have the pantry space to do this.

    How often do you visit local grocers / butchers? What reasons do you choose local over supermarket chains?
    We've got a local small family-owned supermarket nearby where we buy our produce because it's cheaper and better quality. And we do convenience shopping there (milk, bread etc) because it is closer than Colesworth and we do like to support them. But they don't stock a lot of stuff we buy and so we can't do all our grocery shopping there.

    Would you go local if the price was lower? What price difference would you accept?
    See above, price is generally less important to us than availability of products.

    Does product origin matter to you?
    Yes. We buy product of Australia as much as possible and usually only buy imported if Australian is not available. This is often more expensive but as our grocery spend is overall pretty low we can afford to shop this way.

    Does brand matter to you?
    For some products. Mostly snacks, actually - for example I love licorice and will only buy Darrell Lea. For ingredients, not so much. Sugar is sugar, kind of thing. Lots of the things we buy aren't branded at all - e.g dried beans and legumes.

    Are you happy to purchase in bulk if cheaper?
    Yes. We also buy in bulk for convenience - fewer shopping trips (and as a bonus, fewer impulse purchases)

    • rotoclock on 13/06/2015 - 02:46

      Oh, and if by local you mean IGA, I won't shop there because I know full well my local IGA pays adult workers $12/hour. No way, no how am I supporting that.

  • [Deactivated] on 13/06/2015 - 08:04
    +1

    I shop at the nearest place that is also somewhat relatively affordable.

    Where I stay, it happens to be coles (I do not find woolies meat worth the price). The nearest local butcher or greengrocer would be more than twice/triple the distance away and likely to have shitty parking too.

    I plan my meals according to what coles has on sale and simply do a one-stop shop at coles. I do not check catalogues as it does not really cover every single item on sale so most of my decisions are made there and then. I guess this is quite hard to beat unless I know both the butcher and greengrocer has routinely cheaper prices compared to even the lowest price that coles may have on offer.

    That said, I do know some good butchers and greengrocers at certain suburbs where I routinely go to take part in sports or visit friends. These places receive my patronage almost every single time I am there. I also make it a point to stretch my groceries till when I visit those locations if possible.

    Country of origin matters to me, I love local fresh produce. Dried/canned food on the other hand, as long as it is from a country with good food safety reputation that is fine by me. I usually go with the brand that makes a product that I have tried and favour (not always the cheapest or the most expensive).

    I am not really a hypocrite as I have never complained about coles. I love the convenience that it brings. To me time is money and if there is a minimart next to my house with prices that mirror's coles exactly (does not have to be cheaper), I will gladly make most of my purchases from there.

  • Donaldhump on 13/06/2015 - 08:09

    my tip. everytime i fill up at woolies servo i get extra 4c of a liter when spen 5 bucks. i get 3 x 2 liter milks. i only have small 30l car but i basically get one milk for 80c

  • Baysew on 13/06/2015 - 14:43

    Your small car must be really a fuel miser Unclesnake. Didn't the ACCC cap discounts to 4c a litre and stopped the extra in store discount in 2014 ?

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/125927

  • Falchoon on 17/06/2015 - 05:52

    unclesnake - the milk costs more at the servo than the supermarket so you are ripping yourself off. This never used to be the case before the $1/lt milk came out. I buy my mobile phone recharge voucher at Woolies servo to get my extra 4c discount, these are the same price everywhere.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/06/2015 - 21:42
    +1

    Saving money on groceries is important to me.

    I keep track of my prices on regular items at both Woolworths and Coles. I buy some items at Aldi but only ones which I can't get at a reasonable price at the two main supermarkets.

    I use Flybuys and Everyday Rewards to get as many discounts as possible off my total shop. I also use discounted Wish cards purchased from RACV,

  • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2015 - 20:33
    +1

    Does saving money on groceries matter to you?

    I breathe. So that's a yes.

    What are you currently doing to save money on groceries?

    When Aldi have an item it's nearly always the same or cheaper price, than WW/Coles - even when the last two have it on sale. In fact in the last 9 months or so, I've only seen TWO items cheaper than Aldi. Aldi eventually dropped their price to match the other two though.

    Aldi mark meat down if it's date is running out, but they don't have sales. So sometimes you'll see WW/Coles have cheaper chicken breast or thigh fillet, for example. That's happening much less the last couple of years though. e.g. Around here at least, I noticed the cheapest sausages are the same price at all three stores, varying by only 1 cent/kg.

    Whole raw chickens have been cheaper at Aldi for - well, years. But I think WW (temporarily) had them cheaper recently. Don't expect to see that again/often though.

    So when shopping, a quick walk through each store, note anything particularly cheap, do your shopping in the reverse direction.

    How often do you visit local grocers / butchers?

    Rarely even look, because they are never cheaper, but…

    Fruit/grocer:

    If they are cheaper it can often be because the fruit is going off, an odd size, or over-ripe - so no-one wants to buy it. Such prices will be chalked on signs outside - and they're always bait to get you inside the store - hoping you'll buy the doubled/tripled prices of everything else. So on those rare occasions, I buy only the couple of cheapies. If I don't see such signs outside (99 cent bananas for example), I never even walk into such stores because I already know the other prices will be too high.

    Butcher:

    Butcher prices are just ridiculous. Every time I stop and look, I wonder why I bothered.

    What reasons do you choose local over supermarket chains?

    I don't. It's been my experience that the claim, "no local independants means higher prices from Coles/WW" - is false. I've only found it applies if only ONE of WW/Coles are in the area. If both are there, the do drives each other's prices down - but the local grocer/butcher has no impact.

    There's an IGA a few minutes walk from me. Their prices are laughable. If I bought just 1 or 2 items there, driving 10 minutes to WW/Coles/Aldi instead, makes up for the fuel cost. And I don't care that IGA keep promoting that they support local communnity on their in-store radio… It only makes me resent shopping there. Because if they can afford to give money away to the local public school - then stop doing it and lower your prices for the local community instead!

    Would you go local if the price was lower?

    Yes, but it rarely happens. We moved to a new area a couple of years ago. Went to IGA often for a while. But we were always walking out without anything. We wanted to shop there because it's so close. But we started going elsewhere for price, which formed new shopping habits - and soon we NEVER went there. So the store has to sack staff. But then doesn't lower prices - and even if they did - it's too late - customers have already formed new habits. Or, less customers means they put prices up to stay in business - so more customers stop coming… and the store struggles or closes. Good riddence too. They shouldn't been so greedy in the first place. (If you could see the IGA prices here you'd understand. I think last time I looked it was something like $8 for 2L of nasty homebrand ice-cream.)

    What price difference would you accept?

    Cheaper is cheaper. Anything. Such stores never manage even the same price though, let alone cheaper.

    Does product origin matter to you?

    It used to. But after a while you realise you're fighting a losing battle. Australian manufacturers don't seem to be serious about staying in business. e.g. I noticed the other day, Dick Smith version of vegemite (I think it was) was the most expensive on the shelf. It was double the price. And I'm not talking about comparing it to a no-name brand either. It was compared with one of the bigger ones - Marmite or Vegetmite. If they really need to double the price to stay afloat, then they either need to find a new product to make, or, become a not-for-profit business after all wages are paid.

    Manufacturers have been dishonest for so long, I largely now ignore "Australian Made" labelling anyway. e.g. Stating "Australian Made" on the front, but their fine print on the back says, "Made in Australia from imported ingredients." (If something is made in Australia and there's anything imported in it - then they should be forced to say BOTH clearly on the front - or - NEITHER.)

    Does brand matter to you?

    If taste is close then price always comes first. If not, then choose a product the next step up in price, until you get an accetable taste. Brand is the last concern - unless two items were the same price - then I always take the 'better' brand name - just for a change.

    Are you happy to purchase in bulk if cheaper?

    It may be months before that meat comes on sale again. So if you have the space it's silly not to. It translates to savings in lots of ways. Less fuel wasted from making less trips - things are already at hand when you're in a hurry…

  • loiloi on 02/07/2015 - 12:38
    +1

    Does saving money on groceries matter to you? Definitely. Being a young adult and trying to pay my mortgage off as quickly as possible – all dollars count!

    What are you currently doing to save money on groceries? To save money, I always buy my meat at the meat clearance bay at my local Woolworths – I will buy a heap of meat at 50% off and then base meals around whatever items I have in my freezer at home. I always (this is a must) shop with a list. I buy bulk on items that are on sale and have a long shelf life (ie – toilet paper, canned items etc). For items such as almonds and dates, I purchase these in bulk from Aldi as I find them much cheaper than Woolworths.

    How often do you visit local grocers / butchers? What reasons do you choose local over supermarket chains? I shop weekly and tend to do all my shopping in Woolworths simply because of costs. I find my local butchers and fruit shops much more expensive and they do not provide any loyalty programs – ie: Qantas frequent flyer points. The Woolworths I shop at is located in a shopping centre with various meat/chicken shops out the front – I find the meat/chicken shops will try and match Woolworths price on say chicken breast however the quality is much lower for this particular item than what I get in Woolworths.

    Would you go local if the price was lower? What price difference would you accept? I would be happy to shop at local shops if the price was only a small difference (say $1 per kilo on items more) and the quality was good. My local IGA’s are terrible. The items on shelf are generally out of date and the fruit is hideous. On top of that, they don’t sell meat.

    Does product origin matter to you? I do try and purchase Australian items and I am happy to pay a little extra. I will always purchase Australian canned pineapple even though it is twice the price. I buy bulk on Australian chick peas etc to try and save money.
    Does brand matter to you? On items such as sugar, flour, pasta etc I am not particularly worried. There are some items I will only buy brand name – toothpaste; spaghetti bolognese sauce; dish washing liquid; peanut butter; yoghurt; cheese; tuna.

    Are you happy to purchase in bulk if cheaper? Definitely. I have a storage cupboard filled with half price tuna; toilet paper; mouth wash; toothpaste; dishwashing liquid etc.

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