Aussie food shopping prices vs UK food shopping

[ClaudiaSchiffer]

Ok, now I know this means that I am the most boring person EVAH, but after years of arguing with (aussie) dh about where has the cheapest shopping I finally got around to doing an on-line comparison . . .

The results of a basic weekly shop were . . .

Wait for it . . .

Coles $136.86

Sainsburys $102.14

So over TWENTY POUNDS cheaper to shop at evil Sainsbo's than marginally less evil Coles.

Quite significant don'tcha think?

eidsvold, your dh is prob right (I think i'm too dense to figure it out correctly), but dh's wages are less here than in London, and in the UK I was working too. Now I work part time so the sums are way to tricky for my small and atrophied brain .

I will deffo swap my veg buying to the green grocers. Seeing as you lot nag recommend them so highly.

And Central Markets (in Adelaide) ROCKS. But I always end up spending heaps more than I intend to as the quality and selection of scrumptious foodstuffs is so amazing. And I'm a greedy pig and can't resist the nuts/chocs/cheese etc etc

Claudia, I am exactly the same. I can only go to central markets with cash and no cash card otherwise I go mental.

The first Christmas we were here our house looked like a deli as I had gone bonkers on loads of cheese, meat, bread, pickles, nuts etc.

In a way that's the good thing with Coles. I rarely go off list because there's just not that much exciting stuff.

When we were in London we lived in Canary Wharf so I used to shop at the amazing Waitrose there, which was a kind of flagship one, and I regularly used to spend 100 pounds a week because everything was so freaking tempting and delicious. They even had an oyster and champagne bar in the shop!

Good times.

Food prices are shocking here and it's largely thanks to Coles and Woollworths having such a stranglehold on the market. The difference between what they pay the farmer and what they charge us is extraordinary. The demands they place on food suppliers just to agree to stock their products verge on being corrupt.

www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2008/s2348906.htm

my dh loved woolworths until they changed there card system over. he now goes to coles! however i do like the dollar dazzlers at the moment!
i tend to go to local shops like spudshed as there food is cheaper. they don't always have the things you want but are alot more seansonable( hardly any strawberries at the moment but lots of root veggies etc). i love this as you try other fruit and veg. i can get 2 weeks worth of meat and some fruit and veg for $130

AvidDiva - same problem in the UK with Tesco et al. re the farmers being done over; but Tesco don't then charge such high prices for their stuff.

I was quite shocked to discover a few years back that the suppliers have to cover the costs of the BOGOFs and other special offers, not the retailers. I don't know why, I suppose it makes commercial sense, but it never occurred to me that it worked that way.

I am not sure that your comparisons are 100% valid, as it is not cheap to shop online - my DH won't let me do it despite the convencience, as you just don't get access to the same specials.

AND if you go into a store, it really depends where it is as to how much the items cost - if it is a posh suburb they figure you can afford to pay more .

Also there is Franklins (which is owned by woolies - and while I wouldn't buy my fresh meat, fruit and veges there the other products are exactly the same but cheaper - and then there is Aldi - which is in a league of its own cost wise.

When I lived in Germany and would buy fruit for my fruit bowl - I found if I hadn't eaten it all within a few days it was ruined, whereas over here I get a week or more easy out of my fruit bowl - to your DH's point about goods not being imported and handled so much.

Well I managed to get upto my grocers today & got some bargins. Paid $1.20 for 6 bananas...just past ripe, not too bad. They don't last long in this house, so they won't ruin. I'll make a banana loaf if I have to! But yes, they are cheaper than the supermarkets.

As an aside, does any one else think $14 for razor blades is a bit much? I am sure I have never paid that before now, and if dh didn't need them, wouldn't have got them! But I can't stand the bristles!

Depends whether or not they're something like Gillette Mach 3s or not- I seem to remember a 3 pack of new heads for that cost around the £8 mark, so $14 would be about right.

AussieSim - the fruit I used to buy in the UK lasted a hell of a lot longer than the stuff here, I've noticed; and some of the veg too. Green beans drive my DH mad - here, they're mouldy inside of a week so we can't buy large amounts like we used to, we have to pretty much buy what we need for each meal. It means we end up in Coles at least 3 times a week - thankfully we live very close (within walking distance) so it's not exactly a mission to go there.

There sensor excell & I guess that makes sense! Just don't remember paying that much before...

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