Supermarket secrets that can save you hundreds on your next trip

With the rising cost of goods, it’s no surprise Aussies love a bargain, and honestly who doesn’t anyway? We love finding out ways to further stretch our dollars to every last cent and hopefully help us all save a bit of money.

According to CHOICE’s latest survey, 87 per cent of people are concerned about paying for food — a sharp increase from the 56 per cent of Australians who were worried about grocery costs in January 2021.


shutterstock_1181708167.jpg
Know what to look for when shopping, and you can save big! Image source: Shutterstock.




To help make things a little easier on the wallets of many people, CHOICE has compiled a list of tips and tricks consumers can use when grocery shopping.

CHOICE content producer, Liam Kennedy, said the first place to start is comparing unit prices.

Unit prices break down the cost of a product into units of measurement, such as per 100g, and allows consumers to compare ‘like for like’.


‘When you’re buying honey in the smallest sort of jars, you actually pay 40 per cent more per 100g than you would be if you’re buying the bigger containers.’

Prices can vary significantly depending on the size of the product, while the larger jar costs more upfront, this means that you’ll have more product and less waste in the long run.

He also encouraged consumers not to disregard home brand products, with a recent CHOICE survey showing shoppers could save up to 40 per cent if they made the switch.

‘Our recent test for things like peanut butter, baked beans, ice creams, chocolates, some of the top performers were home brand products and (they’re) now outperforming flagship items and ... often coming in at half the price.’


Blind taste tests done by CHOICE have also shown that in some cases, home brand products are often rated just as good or better than their name brand counterpart.

The consumer advocacy group also urged consumers to look out for products that can be refilled. They found that by switching to refillable products, such as cleaning products, can result in savings of 32 per cent on average.

Another top tip is to buy frozen out-of-season fruits and vegetables as fresh produce can be very expensive. Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious and can be stored for a longer period of time.

Kennedy said the most important thing for consumers is to not shop on ‘auto-pilot’ and instead be more thoughtful about the products they’re purchasing.


‘Autopilot is when we go into the shops and go straight to the products we always buy, the same brand, the same sizes ... which is fair enough, we all want to get shopping over and done with,’ he said.

Here at Seniors Discount Club, we encourage our shoppers to be mindful of their spending when buying groceries. We hope that in your next shopping trip you’ll be more conscious of the items you put in your cart and make sure that they are worth every cent spent!

Do you already take these precautions when doing your grocery shop? Maybe you have some other tips? Let us know in the comment section below!
 
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Make a list of things you are running out of and always shop with a list and don't purchase anything not on your list. I have started doing my shopping online, checking specials and having my shopping delivered that way I'm not tempted by displays in the supermarket and living 30kms from our nearest shopping centre, it works out cheaper to have my shopping delivered than to spend time and fuel in going to the shops in person.
 
make a list and buy ONLY the list. If you see an item that is not on the list ..write it down for the next shop(not this one) and buy it then..stick to the plan.If I only want milk I buy it from the corner shop or service stn .80c dearer but its all I buy(saves me about $15) and it helps to keep the little shops in business
 
With the rising cost of goods, it’s no surprise Aussies love a bargain, and honestly who doesn’t anyway? We love finding out ways to further stretch our dollars to every last cent and hopefully help us all save a bit of money.

According to CHOICE’s latest survey, 87 per cent of people are concerned about paying for food — a sharp increase from the 56 per cent of Australians who were worried about grocery costs in January 2021.


View attachment 26939
Know what to look for when shopping, and you can save big! Image source: Shutterstock.




To help make things a little easier on the wallets of many people, CHOICE has compiled a list of tips and tricks consumers can use when grocery shopping.

CHOICE content producer, Liam Kennedy, said the first place to start is comparing unit prices.

Unit prices break down the cost of a product into units of measurement, such as per 100g, and allows consumers to compare ‘like for like’.


‘When you’re buying honey in the smallest sort of jars, you actually pay 40 per cent more per 100g than you would be if you’re buying the bigger containers.’

Prices can vary significantly depending on the size of the product, while the larger jar costs more upfront, this means that you’ll have more product and less waste in the long run.

He also encouraged consumers not to disregard home brand products, with a recent CHOICE survey showing shoppers could save up to 40 per cent if they made the switch.

‘Our recent test for things like peanut butter, baked beans, ice creams, chocolates, some of the top performers were home brand products and (they’re) now outperforming flagship items and ... often coming in at half the price.’


Blind taste tests done by CHOICE have also shown that in some cases, home brand products are often rated just as good or better than their name brand counterpart.

The consumer advocacy group also urged consumers to look out for products that can be refilled. They found that by switching to refillable products, such as cleaning products, can result in savings of 32 per cent on average.

Another top tip is to buy frozen out-of-season fruits and vegetables as fresh produce can be very expensive. Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious and can be stored for a longer period of time.

Kennedy said the most important thing for consumers is to not shop on ‘auto-pilot’ and instead be more thoughtful about the products they’re purchasing.


‘Autopilot is when we go into the shops and go straight to the products we always buy, the same brand, the same sizes ... which is fair enough, we all want to get shopping over and done with,’ he said.

Here at Seniors Discount Club, we encourage our shoppers to be mindful of their spending when buying groceries. We hope that in your next shopping trip you’ll be more conscious of the items you put in your cart and make sure that they are worth every cent spent!

Do you already take these precautions when doing your grocery shop? Maybe you have some other tips? Let us know in the comment section below!
Hi - I’ve been “shopping shrewdly” my whole life when it comes to groceries. I’ve always bought plain brand, bought things in bulk on special, make my own meals from scratch - I lived through high interest rates and a mortgage, 3 little kids,one wage etc - we had no choice. I think our generation also learnt from our parents and grandparents who lived through recessions and war - they taught us to be frugal. One tip I’d like to add here - when I buy a roast - it’s too big for the 2 of us - so I ask the butcher to cut it half or even 3 (Ie lamb beef silverside etc) - I then have 2-3 roasts - from one
Especially in winter when we often used to waste the cold meat (dog got it)
I also buy mince in bulk - mix up and freeze multiple serves of rissoles and meat loaf. I have a million things I do to save $$ - not cause I’m poor - I think cause I was taught to be careful 😊
 
I shop on line , I find it's easier to find what's on sale.

I only buy certain items when 50% off and stock up knowing I won't run out items like washing detergent, dish washing detergent ect .

Shopping on line you get to see the total if your shop before paying so no shock.

If you get something that is nearly out of date or damaged then you call and get a refund
 
With the rising cost of goods, it’s no surprise Aussies love a bargain, and honestly who doesn’t anyway? We love finding out ways to further stretch our dollars to every last cent and hopefully help us all save a bit of money.

According to CHOICE’s latest survey, 87 per cent of people are concerned about paying for food — a sharp increase from the 56 per cent of Australians who were worried about grocery costs in January 2021.


View attachment 26939
Know what to look for when shopping, and you can save big! Image source: Shutterstock.




To help make things a little easier on the wallets of many people, CHOICE has compiled a list of tips and tricks consumers can use when grocery shopping.

CHOICE content producer, Liam Kennedy, said the first place to start is comparing unit prices.

Unit prices break down the cost of a product into units of measurement, such as per 100g, and allows consumers to compare ‘like for like’.


‘When you’re buying honey in the smallest sort of jars, you actually pay 40 per cent more per 100g than you would be if you’re buying the bigger containers.’

Prices can vary significantly depending on the size of the product, while the larger jar costs more upfront, this means that you’ll have more product and less waste in the long run.

He also encouraged consumers not to disregard home brand products, with a recent CHOICE survey showing shoppers could save up to 40 per cent if they made the switch.

‘Our recent test for things like peanut butter, baked beans, ice creams, chocolates, some of the top performers were home brand products and (they’re) now outperforming flagship items and ... often coming in at half the price.’


Blind taste tests done by CHOICE have also shown that in some cases, home brand products are often rated just as good or better than their name brand counterpart.

The consumer advocacy group also urged consumers to look out for products that can be refilled. They found that by switching to refillable products, such as cleaning products, can result in savings of 32 per cent on average.

Another top tip is to buy frozen out-of-season fruits and vegetables as fresh produce can be very expensive. Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious and can be stored for a longer period of time.

Kennedy said the most important thing for consumers is to not shop on ‘auto-pilot’ and instead be more thoughtful about the products they’re purchasing.


‘Autopilot is when we go into the shops and go straight to the products we always buy, the same brand, the same sizes ... which is fair enough, we all want to get shopping over and done with,’ he said.

Here at Seniors Discount Club, we encourage our shoppers to be mindful of their spending when buying groceries. We hope that in your next shopping trip you’ll be more conscious of the items you put in your cart and make sure that they are worth every cent spent!

Do you already take these precautions when doing your grocery shop? Maybe you have some other tips? Let us know in the comment section below!
I always check the "per 100g" price on items. I also check the weekly half price items on my usual grocerie items and even if I don't need it, I will buy it at half price. The savings add up and for my biggest monthly shop, I take advantage the 10% off with woolies. I usually also buy the big ticket items on my monthly big shop. I can saved an average of $70 plus a month by doing this. It's a no brainer if you ask me.
 
Buying home brands is definitely cheaper. I buy Coles avocado oil which costs less than half of the other major choice $6 per 250ml against $12.50 and Coles or Woolworths flour which is less than half the cost of most brands. Biscuits are another product where the home brands are a lot cheaper than the major brands.
I would like to see a lot more home- branded products, especially when these products are as good, if not better, than named brands.
 
Buying home brands is definitely cheaper. I buy Coles avocado oil which costs less than half of the other major choice $6 per 250ml against $12.50 and Coles or Woolworths flour which is less than half the cost of most brands. Biscuits are another product where the home brands are a lot cheaper than the major brands.
I would like to see a lot more home- branded products, especially when these products are as good, if not better, than named brands.
Just "sometimes" you need to buy the branded products because the home brand items just don't cut the taste
 
Make a list of things you are running out of and always shop with a list and don't purchase anything not on your list. I have started doing my shopping online, checking specials and having my shopping delivered that way I'm not tempted by displays in the supermarket and living 30kms from our nearest shopping centre, it works out cheaper to have my shopping delivered than to spend time and fuel in going to the shops in person.
You are lucky they will deliver. I live 45 kms from my closest WW & they will not deliver.
 
I am like Timandy above. Always have been careful of what I buy. We also had young ones and one wage
I did my own cooking and baking so no bought biscuits or cakes. One son became a chef.
Now we are older and only the two of us I still do all the same things but with an occasional packet of Granita biscuits. I am not keen on going out for meals but love to have my friends over for a meal.
I buy some items that are the larger size such as Vegemite but I find that some will be wasted as when it gets quite low it becomes fairly dry so that is a waste but to buy the smaller container it is expensive.
 
With the rising cost of goods, it’s no surprise Aussies love a bargain, and honestly who doesn’t anyway? We love finding out ways to further stretch our dollars to every last cent and hopefully help us all save a bit of money.

According to CHOICE’s latest survey, 87 per cent of people are concerned about paying for food — a sharp increase from the 56 per cent of Australians who were worried about grocery costs in January 2021.


View attachment 26939
Know what to look for when shopping, and you can save big! Image source: Shutterstock.




To help make things a little easier on the wallets of many people, CHOICE has compiled a list of tips and tricks consumers can use when grocery shopping.

CHOICE content producer, Liam Kennedy, said the first place to start is comparing unit prices.

Unit prices break down the cost of a product into units of measurement, such as per 100g, and allows consumers to compare ‘like for like’.


‘When you’re buying honey in the smallest sort of jars, you actually pay 40 per cent more per 100g than you would be if you’re buying the bigger containers.’

Prices can vary significantly depending on the size of the product, while the larger jar costs more upfront, this means that you’ll have more product and less waste in the long run.

He also encouraged consumers not to disregard home brand products, with a recent CHOICE survey showing shoppers could save up to 40 per cent if they made the switch.

‘Our recent test for things like peanut butter, baked beans, ice creams, chocolates, some of the top performers were home brand products and (they’re) now outperforming flagship items and ... often coming in at half the price.’


Blind taste tests done by CHOICE have also shown that in some cases, home brand products are often rated just as good or better than their name brand counterpart.

The consumer advocacy group also urged consumers to look out for products that can be refilled. They found that by switching to refillable products, such as cleaning products, can result in savings of 32 per cent on average.

Another top tip is to buy frozen out-of-season fruits and vegetables as fresh produce can be very expensive. Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious and can be stored for a longer period of time.

Kennedy said the most important thing for consumers is to not shop on ‘auto-pilot’ and instead be more thoughtful about the products they’re purchasing.


‘Autopilot is when we go into the shops and go straight to the products we always buy, the same brand, the same sizes ... which is fair enough, we all want to get shopping over and done with,’ he said.

Here at Seniors Discount Club, we encourage our shoppers to be mindful of their spending when buying groceries. We hope that in your next shopping trip you’ll be more conscious of the items you put in your cart and make sure that they are worth every cent spent!

Do you already take these precautions when doing your grocery shop? Maybe you have some other tips? Let us know in the comment section below!
Been doing these things mentioned in the article for years.
Online grocery shopping & delivery seems to assist me with budgeting & saving me money (can switch or remove items from cart before clicking to purchase.

Powdered milk is also a godsend here
 
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With the rising cost of goods, it’s no surprise Aussies love a bargain, and honestly who doesn’t anyway? We love finding out ways to further stretch our dollars to every last cent and hopefully help us all save a bit of money.

According to CHOICE’s latest survey, 87 per cent of people are concerned about paying for food — a sharp increase from the 56 per cent of Australians who were worried about grocery costs in January 2021.


View attachment 26939
Know what to look for when shopping, and you can save big! Image source: Shutterstock.




To help make things a little easier on the wallets of many people, CHOICE has compiled a list of tips and tricks consumers can use when grocery shopping.

CHOICE content producer, Liam Kennedy, said the first place to start is comparing unit prices.

Unit prices break down the cost of a product into units of measurement, such as per 100g, and allows consumers to compare ‘like for like’.


‘When you’re buying honey in the smallest sort of jars, you actually pay 40 per cent more per 100g than you would be if you’re buying the bigger containers.’

Prices can vary significantly depending on the size of the product, while the larger jar costs more upfront, this means that you’ll have more product and less waste in the long run.

He also encouraged consumers not to disregard home brand products, with a recent CHOICE survey showing shoppers could save up to 40 per cent if they made the switch.

‘Our recent test for things like peanut butter, baked beans, ice creams, chocolates, some of the top performers were home brand products and (they’re) now outperforming flagship items and ... often coming in at half the price.’


Blind taste tests done by CHOICE have also shown that in some cases, home brand products are often rated just as good or better than their name brand counterpart.

The consumer advocacy group also urged consumers to look out for products that can be refilled. They found that by switching to refillable products, such as cleaning products, can result in savings of 32 per cent on average.

Another top tip is to buy frozen out-of-season fruits and vegetables as fresh produce can be very expensive. Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious and can be stored for a longer period of time.

Kennedy said the most important thing for consumers is to not shop on ‘auto-pilot’ and instead be more thoughtful about the products they’re purchasing.


‘Autopilot is when we go into the shops and go straight to the products we always buy, the same brand, the same sizes ... which is fair enough, we all want to get shopping over and done with,’ he said.

Here at Seniors Discount Club, we encourage our shoppers to be mindful of their spending when buying groceries. We hope that in your next shopping trip you’ll be more conscious of the items you put in your cart and make sure that they are worth every cent spent!

Do you already take these precautions when doing your grocery shop? Maybe you have some other tips? Let us know in the comment section below!
The way prices are at the moment, perhaps the easiest way of ensuring that you can halve your grocery bills is to take a pair of scissors
 
I mainly buy my staples when they are on special, but always check the unit price. Quite often the smaller packing is on special, you buy two of these and pay less than for the bigger packet. Luckily I m old enough to do my calculations without the need of a mobile phone etc😉
 
Hi - I’ve been “shopping shrewdly” my whole life when it comes to groceries. I’ve always bought plain brand, bought things in bulk on special, make my own meals from scratch - I lived through high interest rates and a mortgage, 3 little kids,one wage etc - we had no choice. I think our generation also learnt from our parents and grandparents who lived through recessions and war - they taught us to be frugal. One tip I’d like to add here - when I buy a roast - it’s too big for the 2 of us - so I ask the butcher to cut it half or even 3 (Ie lamb beef silverside etc) - I then have 2-3 roasts - from one
Especially in winter when we often used to waste the cold meat (dog got it)
I also buy mince in bulk - mix up and freeze multiple serves of rissoles and meat loaf. I have a million things I do to save $$ - not cause I’m poor - I think cause I was taught to be careful 😊
There's a word for today "FRUGAL" , look it up in the dictionary, or Google Frugal. :geek:o_O:unsure::LOL:
 
Looks like everyone has control over this subject but another thing to consider is the country of origin. I check all products especially home brands to see where they are made. I will only buy Australian-made products as it helps our economy.
 

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News, deals, games, and bargains for Aussies over 60. From everyday expenses like groceries and eating out, to electronics, fashion and travel, the club is all about helping you make your money go further.

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