House Hold Consumables on a Budget

I've just recently moved out and have never really bought many house hold items for myself before. Wanting to know what the best bang for buck for regular consumables are.

Please list your preferred product along with how much you can expect to pay for it (including normal sale prices), cost per use etc, where to buy it. Want to be as economical as possible. You can even suggest alternative products or DIY options that are not off the shelf.

Here are a list of following items I would need on a regular basis, please list any I may have forgotten:

  • Dish washing liquid
  • Washing Machine powder/liquid
  • Toilet Paper
  • Paper towels
  • Spray and wipe for kitchen
  • Bathroom cleaner (spray?)
  • Bin liners
  • Sponges/dish rag
  • foil/baking paper/cling wrap

Thanks!

Comments

  • +4

    bulk buy your foil/gladwrap in the large catering packs of 200 or 300 meters. you will save a stack of money on buying smaller rolls.

    • Only problem is storage! Make sure ur kitchen draws can fit, friend got the large one but it doesn't fit in the draws or cupboard and is left on the kitchen bench lol

  • +4

    Shop at Aldi first before going to Coolies.

  • +6

    Some stuff is best not to go too el-cheapo, and the difference is negligible if it's more effective

    • Dish washing liquid - Have found Coles brand isn't as good as Morning Fresh
    • Washing Machine powder/liquid - Coles
    • Toilet Paper - Keep an eye on specials - Sorbent/Quilton etc
    • Paper towels - El Cheapo good enough, but really do you want to store more than 2 or 3 rolls?
    • Spray and wipe for kitchen - Check what's on special - Again, don't need to stockhold more than 2
    • Bathroom cleaner (spray?) - As above
    • Bin liners - Coles
    • Sponges/dish rag - Coles brand disintegrates more, go name brand
    • foil/baking paper/cling wrap - Multix brand normally
    • Awesome. Looks like coles needs to be in the weekly shop. How do woolies branded products stack against the coles ones?

  • +2

    Coles brand toilet paper in the 18 pack I think is the cheapest at 11c.

  • +3

    We are using more and more coles branded items. They seam to be upping their quality.

    A Tip if your dishwashing tablets don't dissolve. Place them in the cutlery basket, rather than the compartment that you would normally put them in. We found this out with ASKO dishwashers, it even says it in the manual.

  • +1

    I like Aldi for all these products.
    Dish washing liquid- Tamil Ultra
    Washing Machine powder/liquid-Trimat

  • +3

    With paper towel I don't like the cheap stuff - I end up using more because it's not as absorbent. But it depends what you use it for. Usually it won't matter unless you're cleaning up spills

  • +2

    Dish washing liquid. Woolies on special, 900ml 3.47 stock up that's cheap. 4 bucks is a good price too
    Washing Machine powder/liquid, depends on preference, use Omo, 5 dollars a kilo is ok, 4 dollars a kilo best
    Toilet Paper, quilton, big w is normal price 18 rolls for 8 bucks, anything below 50 cents is good
    Paper towels, usually get viva, 1 dollar a roll is cheap
    Tissues, prefer Kleenex, 1 cent for 1 is cheap, Coles had the 250 jumbo for 1.5 a few weeks ago
    Spray and wipe for kitchen, I use the wipes, can't help here
    Bathroom cleaner (spray?), usually on sale around 4 bucks, no preference on brand
    Bin liners, use the woollies and Coles bags
    Sponges/dish rag; which ever brand is cheap, usually 5 bucks for 8
    foil/baking paper/cling wrap: foil, use homebrand, prefer glad for cling

    Usually just wait for it to be on special and stock up, Coles and woollies usually cycle the special, I a month, everything will eventually be on special

    • Thanks so much. This gives me a great base line for each product to work off and know what's cheap.

      • No worries. Woolies and coles are pretty good for sales. Aldi is cheaper in some, but depends if your ok with the products. Costco is bot always cheaper, unless they have coupon sale's, their normal prices are usually more expensive than coles and woolies sales price.

  • +2

    try the Aldi versions, usually pretty good and heaps cheaper than similar quality.

    but BioZet washing machine powder is good, get it when its on sale at Woolies. per wash the price is fine and wash quality great.

    and always look at the per sheet, per ml, per gram price to compare . sometimes larger sizes are more expensive than the smaller.

  • Aldi

  • For effective MOO Make Our Own cleaning products subscribe to cheapskatesclub.net Just scroll down home page to enlist for their really good free newsletter with lots of hints on how best to save money on household expenses. Is Australian group and costs about $35 a year for full subscription. Really valuable resource covering many budgetting and useful household hints on many issues.

    I always check out NQR stores in Victoria. Usually have lots of cheap dairy products, frozen foods and household and body care products at really great prices.

    • +3

      Spending $35/year to save money?

      Umm… Ok

    • Interesting. Not really keen on signing up to another thing.

      However home made household consumables does sound good. I've been told to put equal parts vinegar and warm water to clean the tiles with. Tried it last night and it seemed to do a pretty good job and also very cheap $2.50~ for 5 litres of white vinegar. The only thing is the house smells a bit like salt and vinegar chips afterwards

      • I use vinegar for most cleaning now. Once it dries you can not smell it.

        Bathroom, vinegar bleach and water, same with floors and windows
        Vinegar and baking powder for laundry.
        Apple cider vinegar, water and soap for cat.

  • Costco.

  • I always peruse all the aisles on my weekly shop (generally woolworths), and just stock up on anything on sale. Generally there's a 50% off or more special worth getting for the stuff you have listed, one week it might be toilet paper (boom, 72 rolls of sorbent for $18), next week it's toothpaste (they had 50% off the big tubes of colgate last week, I have a shitload of toothpaste now).

    Just keep mindful of what you have in stock at home.

  • Kogan also have many of these on really good price. Delivered to your doorstep.

  • Bin liners can be found for free in your mailbox curtesy of commercial clothing recycling companies.

    I buy cold power liquid when it is on sale @ $7.5 per 2L, saves on hot water.

    With sponges the Aldi variety are cheap but fall apart very quickly, I was buying Chux but the last ones were falling apart sooner than they used to so now I've switched to Scotch Brite. Just stock up when they go on sale at Woollie/Coles.

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