Insider tips to help you save money on groceries

Who better to get tips on how to save money on groceries than the supermarkets themselves? Check out their tips.

The weekly trip to the supermarket is taking a fair chunk of cash out of our bank accounts. Aussie households spend on average $160 per week on groceries, according to Canstar Blue’s August 2023 survey of supermarket shoppers, with a family of four forking out more than $200 a week on average!

While groceries are essential, it doesn’t mean we should pay any more than we have to. I thought I’d go to the supermarkets and ask for their best tips to save at the checkout. Here’s what they shared.

Coles

Download the app

Customers who link their Flybuys account to the app can see personalised Coles offers with the click of a button. These can include money off their shop, bonus Flybuys points on specific products or entire categories and even free products.

Take advantage of sign-up bonuses

If you’re looking for a credit card, check out the Coles No Annual Fee Mastercard before 31 October 2023 and you could get 30,000 Flybuys bonus points when you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within 90 days from approval. That equals $150 off your shop.

(Editor-at-Large’s note: Just make sure you pay off any debt before the interest-free period ends so you aren’t hit interest charges. If you think this will be too hard then this may not be a good option for you.)

Consider not-so-perfect-looking produce

The best value and quality fruit and vegetables are always at the front of the store and if you don’t mind not-so-perfect-looking produce, you can save up to 20% by shopping the Coles I’m Perfect range which not only tastes great but helps reduce waste.

Shop online

Take advantage of free Click & Collect with groceries delivered straight to your car boot when it suits you and $2 mid-week delivery straight to your door (minimum $50 spend).

Woolworths

Boost your offers

The Everyday Rewards app is full of tailored offers for you, based on the products you have bought previously. Make it a habit to check your app and boost offers before entering the supermarket. Members who boost offers save on average an extra $230 a year.

Keep an eye out for gift card promotions

From time to time Woolworths and BIG W will offer Everyday Rewards point promotions on gift cards, for example, 20x points on Apple gift cards. Thinking about buying the new iPhone outright? Why not buy $1,000 worth of Apple gift cards and then use the gift cards to buy the phone? When there is a 20x points offer available, $1,000 in Apple gift cards equates to 20,000 points. That gets you $100 off a future shop or 10,000 Qantas points.

Check out telco and insurance offers

Thinking about switching phone providers? Everyday Rewards members get 10% off SIM-only plans and 10% off a Woolworths shop once a month (up to $600 a year). Everyday Insurance customers also receive 10% off a Woolworths shop every month, up to $600 a year.

(Editor-at-Large’s note: Compare the price of the plans to others on the market to ensure they are competitive and that the discount is not offset by higher costs.)

Love it and list it!

Woolworths has a handy tool on our website called Lists. It helps you plan ahead, check and compare prices, and makes it super fast when you’re ready to order. When you’re on a budget it can also help you look at your total basket cost so you don’t get a surprise at the online checkout.

Shop ‘imperfectly’

Customers can pick up bargains on fruit & veg by buying The Odd Bunch range. You get slightly odd, but still great quality, fruits and vegetables for at least 20% less than the regular range.

→ You may also like: Coles Flybuys vs Everyday Rewards: How they compare

ALDI

Look For Super Savers

On Wednesday our newest Super Saver deals are released and they are available for a full week. To keep up to date with the latest Super Savers, customers can check out our online catalogue and subscribe to our newsletter.

Shop seasonal

Shop and plan recipes that include fruit and vegetables that are in season. They are not only more affordable but also more delicious. ALDI helps customers know what is best in season and what recipes to try via our website.

Check out the Special Buys

More than just a supermarket, ALDI releases a range of Special Buys products at competitive prices on Wednesdays and Saturdays every week to help customers save beyond their weekly grocery shop. Past Special Buys have included high-quality Crofton pan sets for $59.99, a stand mixer for $69.99 and an instant-up 6-person tent for $169.00.

IGA

Look out for Price Match tickets

When you shop at IGA, look out for the blue Price Match tickets. Each week the IGA Price Match program automatically matches the lowest regular shelf price of Coles and Woolworths on hundreds of essential products. Our small stores match the prices of 200 products, our medium stores match the prices of 600 items and our larger stores match the lowest regular shelf price of more than 1,200 items.

Shop IGA’s private-label product ranges

A great way to save on your weekly shop at IGA is to look out for IGA’s Black & Gold private-label products which include pantry staples such as flour and sugar, meal essentials such as pasta, frozen veggies (and swapping to frozen is often a cheaper option) and cheese, and household essentials such as dishwashing liquid and laundry detergent. When you decant or serve most of these things, no one will know the difference, so you don’t have to pay more for the big brands.

Shop the catalogue

Every week IGA has great weekly specials, half-price offers and great deals. In addition to buying things and stocking up when they are on special, a great way to save is building your meal plan around what is on special, checking your pantry and freezer for what you already have before you head to the supermarket, reverse meal planning so you are wasting less and saving more.

→ You might also like: How to save money on groceries

Cover image source: hedgehog94/Shutterstock.com