Let's face it, life is getting more expensive by the minute. From rent to the cost of utilities, everything from buying groceries to paying the bills is becoming increasingly costly. It's enough to make you want to cling to your hard-earned cash for dear life!

But don't worry, you're not alone. We all want to save as much money as possible, and that includes when we're buying groceries. So, where can you get the best deal? Which supermarket offers the most bang for your buck?

Luckily, Mary Madigan from news.com.au has done the hard work for customers. With $50 worth of budget in hand, she put Australia's top three supermarkets to the test to find out which one would give her the most value for money.

So, are you ready to find out which supermarket came out on top? Grab a cuppa, sit back, and let's see who wins - ALDI, Coles, or Woolworths?

With prices shooting up everywhere it's hard to know where to shop - is ALDI, Coles or Woolies the best value for money? Credit: Pexels/Anna Shvets.

In order to make the test more straightforward, Madigan made a list of basic food items she wanted to get, as well as groceries and other items she would need to make a simple pasta recipe.

These food items included milk, butter, bread, eggs, Weetbix, pasta, pasta sauce, mince, cheese, strawberries, tomatoes, coffee and dishwasher tablets. 'I had $50 and a dream to make it stretch as far as possible,' she wrote in her post.

To make sure there was no favouritism, she chose the least expensive option at each of the supermarkets, only buying the basics and nothing too fancy.

'I was going budget, not boujee,' she added. 'Sadly, food isn't typically sold in round numbers, but I kept as close to my $50 limit as possible, and the goal was to get as much on my list without blowing out my budget.'

A simple test at the local supermarket reveals what $50 worth of groceries can get the average Aussie. Credit: Mary Madigan/news.com.au.

So, which supermarket won out?

Time to reveal the results of Madigan's epic supermarket showdown! Drumroll, please...

After hitting up ALDI, Coles, and Woolworths, it turns out that ALDI was the winner - by half a dollar! Yes, you heard that right. All the items on her list cost her only $50.50, breaking the budget slightly but still coming out on top.

Coles put up a good fight but came in second with a bill of $52.85. Sure, Madigan had to sacrifice a few items on her list (goodbye dishwasher tablets and mince!), but she still managed to whip up a tasty pasta dish (she made it vegan instead).

Unfortunately for Woolworths, they came in last place with a total cost of $50.90. And that's not all - Madigan had to cross off eggs, dishwasher tablets, and mince from her list. Tough luck, Woolies!

Key Takeaways

• Mary Madigan of news.com.au designed a list of basics and a simple pasta recipe and tested out Australia's biggest supermarkets - ALDI, Coles, and Woolworths - to see which one would give the most bang for your buck.
• ALDI came out on top, with Madigan getting everything on her list for $50.50.
• Coles came in second at $52.85, with Woolworths coming in last at $50.90, however, both required items to be left out of her trolley.

Madigan's shopping results come after we recently reported on a shopping haul that went viral on social media, showing just how expensive groceries have become.

A simple purchase of cheese, mince, cordial, eggs, and wraps ended up costing a whopping $78! No wonder many Aussies are feeling the squeeze.

The grocery haul made the rounds on social media after it was revealed that it cost the shopper $78. Credit: Reddit.

But it's not all doom and gloom. There are still ways to make your dollar go further at the grocery store, as proven by a Centrelink recipient who recently shared her fortnightly haul.

She managed to score 39 items on a tight budget, mostly store-brand items like milk, veggies, bread, and canned goods. And of course, she didn't forget the all-important toiletries and cleaning products (nobody wants a dirty house, right?).

All in all, her haul cost $94.62. Sure, it's not the cheapest grocery run out there, but it goes to show that with some careful planning and budgeting, you can still feed yourself and your family without breaking the bank.

As the costs of living continue to rise and so it's more important than ever to look for the best value for money. So next time you're doing your grocery run, keep these results in mind and see how much you can stretch your budget. Who knows - you may just be surprised!

Here at the SDC, we understand that it's not all about the competition. At the end of the day, we all want to save a few bucks and make our money go further.

Have you done any grocery shopping comparison tests? What were your results? Share your tips and experiences in the comments below!

 

[Trudi]

how is this a comparison when it's different items? And dishwashing tabs should be on Aldi's list as well and then they would also have had to leave items off. And this comparison was only about a $2 difference! that really is not a valid comparison at all.

The photos depict dishwashing tablets on the Aldi purchase, but not on the other two.

 

[Jennylolo]

The photos depict dishwashing tablets on the Aldi purchase, but not on the other two.

regardless they should have identical items in each group to make a valid comparison

 

[LynneM]

Looking forward to the extra $37.50 in our pension soon. Will make up for the extra $30 per week that our groceries are now costing.

Do pensioners get a rise soon, I did not know. $37.50 will help a bit, pay my gas bill installments.

 

[Skeeta22]

If I read and understood the article correctly, not all of the items on the list were purchased from each supermarket.
A better, and more accurate, comparison would be to show how much the total at Coles and Woolworths would have cost if everything on the list were purchased. Mary Madigan's results cannot be taken seriously.
As it stands, readers would think that there is only a minor difference between the three, and not worth switching for.
A very poor and misleading report - not up to your normal standard ! And what about Mary not including IGA in the exercise?

I pretty much agree with you. I think she should have had a list and bought the same items at each store, regardless of their price, and then compared 'apples with apples' so to speak as leaving items off her list does not give an accurate comparison