Grocery: Should We Venture More?

welcomeUniverseWorld on 15/12/2024 - 20:46

We are a family of three—myself, my wife, and our toddler son. Our weekly grocery spending typically ranges between $120 and $130.

We have been purchasing the same staples, as we are trying to cook more meals at home. Most of our shopping is done at Coles, where we benefit significantly from the Flybuys program. Over the past six months, we have earned $434, which we directly apply toward groceries.

Occasionally, we visit the nearby Woolworths for additional items, perhaps once or twice a month, spending approximately $150 per month there. For fish, we shop at a fish market in Parramatta, and we buy chicken from a local butcher. Both options are more cost-effective than Coles or Woolworths.

Considering the volume of food we consume, I am unsure whether a Costco membership would be beneficial, as we do not typically buy in bulk. Instead, we prioritize purchasing discounted or half-priced items whenever possible.

Aldi and IGA are relatively far from us, while Coles’ home delivery service adds convenience to our routine.

Would you consider our spending to be average, or do you believe exploring other options could help us reduce costs further? How much would you say a there person grocery typically is? We live in Sydney

Financial

Comments

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 15/12/2024 - 20:53
    +2

    Over the past six months, we have earned $434, which we directly apply toward groceries.

    What the… Am I doing something wrong? I don’t think I’ve earned that in 3 years in flybuys, and this year at least, averaged $180-200+ a week…

    Costco membership

    My in laws love Costco, we go maybe 2-3 times a year with them but don’t buy much if anything, most of the staples I’ve usually already stocked up on via Amazon s and s deals. (Slabs of monster ultra white for example)

    • original15 on 15/12/2024 - 22:03
      +4

      Earlier forum poll. OP has 4 flybuys accounts

  • Hybroid on 15/12/2024 - 20:57

    Over the past six months, we have earned $434, which we directly apply toward groceries.

    What? How? I've been collecting for 5 years, spend more than $120 weekly, plus thousands of litres of fuel, and still only have 50,000 points which is about $250…

    You can try local fruit and veg grocers to cut costs compared to Coles.

  • Daabido on 15/12/2024 - 21:05
    +1

    It sounds like what you are doing is working for you. There is a trade off between time saved and small savings.

    No need to Costco. You might consider the Everyday Extra for those Woolies trips to get 10% off.
    https://www.everyday.com.au/extra.html

    Other than that, you could purchase discounted Coles gift cards through Macquarie or similar to save another 3.5%.

    • welcomeUniverseWorld on 15/12/2024 - 21:10

      Yeah. I took the free trail of 1 month on woolies extra. Got 10% off. Probably will continue as it is $35/year.

      Didn’t venture into gift card. Will check that out

  • MS Paint on 15/12/2024 - 21:31

    We get it. You love flybuys and want to improve your super. FFS

  • sumyungguy on 15/12/2024 - 21:47

    Costco works for those who have plenty of freezer space.

    • welcomeUniverseWorld on 15/12/2024 - 21:48

      Wouldn’t things go rotten? I heard you have to buy in very big bulk ?

      • sumyungguy on 15/12/2024 - 21:49

        The pack sizes are large, but you can break them down and freeze. BTW, how have you achieved a 12% return from FlyBuys?

        • welcomeUniverseWorld on 15/12/2024 - 21:57

          What would u freeze?

          • sumyungguy on 15/12/2024 - 22:03

            @welcomeUniverseWorld: Costco does some hard to find beef cuts and I routinely freeze chicken and seafood. They also sell frozen seafood and excellent value (frozen) convenience foods, like CP Authentic Asia Prawn Wonton Ramen Soup qty=6 $3.80 per serve when on special.

            • welcomeUniverseWorld on 15/12/2024 - 22:08

              @sumyungguy: Oic.

              I get my fish from local fish shop in Parammatta westfield.

              And get three mid size chicken when needed for $30 ($10 / each) at local butcher.

              We cook as fresh as we can.

              We try to avoid processed

              • sumyungguy on 15/12/2024 - 22:11
                +2

                @welcomeUniverseWorld: I'd say you're not an ideal Costco member. Nor am I, live too far away, but I do support work so I get to visit with a client and stock up on cashews.

    • simplystu on 15/12/2024 - 22:49

      Or a large family who can share membership…

      My GF comes from a family of 8 other brothers/sisters, and they share the 1 Costco membership between all of them.

      Even still - don't expect to come home with much change from $350.

      But several 1kg mince packs / etc can be portioned + frozen

      • sumyungguy on 15/12/2024 - 22:53

        New photo ID check is being rolled out, no more membership sharing. Also need customer service ID check to use Shop Cards.

    • surfingedge on 16/12/2024 - 14:51

      Although you are then paying for electricity for the freezer (unless you have solar+battery)

  • jug123 on 15/12/2024 - 21:49
    +2

    youre doing well for 3 of you (even if 1 is a toddler) to only spend $120 - $130 a wk. Is that 3 meals a day, 7 days a wk?

    • welcomeUniverseWorld on 15/12/2024 - 21:56
      +1

      I usually have brunch. Yeah rest as u said. Sometimes we do takeout. We reduced substantially

      • mooseca on 16/12/2024 - 11:43

        Yeah I'm at $130 a week at ALDI just for myself. What do you eat?

        • mooseca on 16/12/2024 - 11:44

          Nevermind saw your comment below.

  • lgacb08 on 15/12/2024 - 22:03
    -1

    You're just being slack, being in middle of Sydney and complaining aldi too far away, but willing to waste money at Costco when they only have 3 stores across the whole 50km radius?

    • welcomeUniverseWorld on 15/12/2024 - 22:09
      -1

      I don’t even have Costco card. ?!

      Does Aldi do delivery? I find I end up spending more when at shop. When online, I can be on strict budget plus stay away from others. My nature

      • lgacb08 on 15/12/2024 - 22:44
        +2

        Well, you get ripped off big time by shopping online for perishable items, unless youre contend with weetbix for brunch and chicken kiyv with steamed frozen pea for dinner, there are way better options out there shopping grocery in person. It does sound you don't have a clue about Aldi, better spending some weekends going around those 3 stores and do a compare. Those half price specials are only useful for package frozen/dry food only, if you're doing your own cooking then you will miss out a lot on quality fresh item in season by just browsing the website.
        Also with that budget don't even consider Costco, a simple 5 min trip on their aisles will blow that budget.

  • Benoffie on 15/12/2024 - 22:28
    +3

    Honestly, thats cheap eating with a kid of any age.

    When you say grocery, is that just food or everything?

    Either way, 👍

    • welcomeUniverseWorld on 15/12/2024 - 22:40
      +3

      . Our food budget in Coles covers staples like potatoes, cauliflower, pumpkin, lentils, noodles, rice, onions, bananas, apples, mangoes, fruits, vegetables, eggs, milk, bread, and butter etc. We tend to make our own juice at home.

      We buy chicken from local butcher , about $30 for 3 mid size chicke cut in curry pieces.

      We get barramundi regularly from Parramatta Westfield fish store( maybe 1 big piece a week).

      And we get porota, chilli, long melon, corriander from local indian store maybe once a month.

      Non-food items, such as soap and personal care products, are managed under a separate budget. For example, we purchase Dove refill packs from a local chemist, which is often cheaper. We also use Amazon subscriptions for items like shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, Coca-Cola, Huggies for my toddler, baby wipes, paper towels, and shaving razors.

      I consistently monitor prices to ensure we are paying less on Amazon compared to Coles or Woolworths. If an item is cheaper at Coles or Woolworths, I skip the Amazon delivery for that product and purchase it locally instead.

      It does require effort to track prices. I just feel like we can do more. Price been going up.

      • Benoffie on 15/12/2024 - 23:48
        +2

        I wouldnt worry about Costco. Not worth it.

        But just with what you've mentioned, and obviously this starts to come down to a frugality vs lifestyle thing:

        • cut or swap the juices
        • only eat season veg etc. Apples will be pricey. Berries are getting cheap.
        • fish is ridiculous in this country for reasons it shouldn't be. Unless Barra is on special, try a more local option
        • change to hard soap or hand wash, goes further than Dove
        • only buy coke on a treat night
        • switch to an electric razor (best investment, even for women)
        • what is the weight of the chooks? For $10 id want a 2kg bird each.

        Look, you can always do cheaper. Trust me. But if what you're doing is comfortable then sometimes a few $ here and there isnt worth chasing

  • Bruceflix on 15/12/2024 - 22:44

    I am unsure whether a Costco membership would be beneficial

    Do you have cars that run on petrol/diesel? If yes, fuel savings alone will pay for your costco membership. Then there are the hotdogs.

    • lgacb08 on 15/12/2024 - 22:47

      If you're frugal, 7 eleven chopper lock will beat Costco 95% of the time, Costco is never about savings.

      • Bruceflix on 15/12/2024 - 22:47

        We dont have 7 eleven in SA

        • CurlCurl on 17/12/2024 - 07:22

          We dont have 7 eleven in SA

          That's great to now, but useless for OP as he is at Parramatta NSW with an Aldi 3.7km away.

      • welcomeUniverseWorld on 15/12/2024 - 22:48

        What is 7 eleven chopper lock? Is it the price u pay on any random day? Or do you have to do anything special or track something?

    • welcomeUniverseWorld on 15/12/2024 - 22:47

      Hmm. Good point. How are the petrol cost there

      • Benoffie on 15/12/2024 - 23:51

        If local to CostCo in Adelaide then yes, for fuel its worth it. But its by 5c maybe…

        Just checking…

        156.7 vs 164.9 next door. OK 8.2c. MNRd is price matching.

        Worth the drive across town? 🤷‍♀️

      • CurlCurl on 17/12/2024 - 07:32

        Hmm. Good point. How are the petrol cost there.

        Think you should get out more.

        Wentworthville is usually has cheap fuel. Today unleaded is 161,1 at APW cnr Jones st and GWH Wentworthville.

  • iand on 15/12/2024 - 23:01
    +1

    I mainly shop at Aldi but always check to see whats on special,and if it's not I try and wait for the next week and check again, also the biggest money saver I have found is to leave the wife at home

    • welcomeUniverseWorld on 15/12/2024 - 23:06

      Haha..

      Yeah me and wife went yesterday just to buy two items. Ended up with way more.

      I will check Aladi in near future

  • kerfuffle on 15/12/2024 - 23:51
    +1

    How can you claim that ALDI is too far away, but also claim that you buy barramundi from Westfield Parramatta regularly? ALDI is in Westfield Parramatta.

    • welcomeUniverseWorld on 16/12/2024 - 01:24

      We usually do deliveries every week . Aldi would mean we have to go and shop in store. That usually ends up us spending more somehow….so it kinda out of our way right now…

      We pick up barra when we want and just walk out.

      I found that was a way to get cost down for our family. Sticking to budget …

      I will be checking out aldi. Heard about it

  • MahjongKing on 16/12/2024 - 07:32
    +1

    Have you checked Asian grocers? If you don't mind substituting, the veggies are usually cheaper. Noodles are cheaper with a lot more variety. Snacks as well. Check your local fruit and veg shop, they might be cheaper than Coles and Woolies. I get it, Coles is convenient because it has everything in one store. But you'll need move around. Being in Parra, it shouldn't be too hard I would imagine. I think the other side of church St on the car dealer side has all these stores.

  • CurlCurl on 16/12/2024 - 07:39

    Aldi and IGA are relatively far from us,

    Aldi on the highway at Wentworthville is 3.7 kilometres from Parramatta.

  • geekcohen on 16/12/2024 - 08:22

    IGA

    Often more expensive than Coles/Woolies/Aldi. I rarely go to an IGA unless its in a rural town and its the only thing available. Generally most have a Foodworks, which can be just as bad.

  • freefall101 on 16/12/2024 - 09:41
    +2

    Check out whatever local fruit and veg stores you have and buy in season. Try to avoid any big name ones (I don't know if there's a Sydney equivalent of Queen Vic Market) and find local ones.

    For example, I went to the market yesterday and mangoes were $4/kg (not each, per kg), red capsicum were $3/kg, hot/sweet peppers were $3/kg (they are top quality too), roma tomatoes were $3/kg, 5kg bag of washed potatoes was $8, cherry tomatoes for $5/kg, way cheaper than buying by the punnet. Key thing is to be flexible, which with fruit and vegetables just takes a little getting used to but is incredibly easy. You can substitute pretty much any kind of stone fruit for each other, any kind of onion (just don't replace raw red onion with white onion), starchy vegetable, etc.

    • welcomeUniverseWorld on 16/12/2024 - 11:22

      good idea

    • welcomeUniverseWorld on 18/12/2024 - 11:01
      +1

      Thanks mate. I bought our weekly vegetables from a local grocery store. It was cheaper than coles. Really appreciate your suggestions. Gods bless

  • ATTS on 17/12/2024 - 14:24
    +1

    What bonus points you usually get on your fly buys card? And is it every week?

    I get only a couple times a year i only get spend 60$ get $10 in points.

    • welcomeUniverseWorld on 17/12/2024 - 14:55

      I suspect there’s an algorithm behind these card offers. When a user spends $x, the spending threshold increases. Typically, offers like “spend $x per week for 4 weeks and receive $50 worth of points” are frequent throughout the year. Personally, I’ve received these offers around 6–8 times this year about 50/60$ spend a week for 4 weeks , get $50

      If you use multiple cards, it may be a thought to rotate between them. Use one card for a few months, then switch to another. This strategy may lower the spending threshold on those $x offers over time.

      While some offers are straightforward, like “spend $y and earn points,” I’m particularly interested in the multi-week deals that yield significant rewards, such as $50 worth of points. I also use the Coles Trend and Woolies Trend Chrome extensions to decide whether it’s better to buy now or wait.

      Moving forward, I’ll be on the lookout for:
      - Gift cards to reduce costs further.
      - Chinese grocery stores/ local fruit and veg stores as an alternative to save more.

      The rising cost of living is hitting our bottom line hard. My focus is on reducing expenses without compromising the quantity or quality of food consumed.

      • ATTS on 17/12/2024 - 15:14
        +1

        Thanks. For the tip Yeah we mainly go costco.

        We take up the deals when we would normally buy stuff at coles..but dont feel to swayed to take up the offer just for the sake of getting the bonus/ reaching threshold

        • welcomeUniverseWorld on 17/12/2024 - 15:23

          Algo will always try to steer us to buy more. That is the goal from the algo.

          Our goal is to shop normally while increase returns.

  • welcomeUniverseWorld on 17/12/2024 - 16:47

    The whole discussion was really great for me. I learnt a few things or realized a few.

    1. I will try to organize more gift cards to reduce cost
    2. I will try to venture out towards Chinese grocery stores/ local fruit and veg stores comparing where things are cheaper rather than rely more on Wollies/Coles alone

    I am not entirely certain about Aldi/Costco yet.
    Appreciate everyone inputs here. Cheers

    • welcomeUniverseWorld on 18/12/2024 - 11:00

      Thanks to those who suggested local grocery stores. I had visited them before but never directly compared their prices with Coles or Woolworths.

      Today, I went to one with a list of groceries I planned to buy this week from Coles. Using the Coles app to keep track of prices and quantities, I walked around the local store comparing costs. I found that most vegetables were cheaper. Interestingly, I ended up buying a few extra vegetables that I probably wouldn’t have picked if I had ordered from Coles.

      The only item I found slightly more expensive was cauliflower.

      Thanks again for the suggestion. I’ll continue shopping around. This approach will also help trigger better Flybuys offers in the future since Coles and Woolworths may notice reduced spending on our end.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join