A savvy shopper’s quest to find the supermarket that offers the best value for money has revealed some surprising results.
The Australian woman compiled a shopping list of 23 grocery items before heading to Woolworths, Coles and Aldi to compare prices at each store.
The shopping list includes staples like sugar-free cola, brioche buns, fetta, milk, salami, minced meat, chicken, Italian dressing, pasta, frozen cakes, salad mix, bell pepper, tissues, and cleaning supplies.
The listing revealed that Aldi was cheaper than Coles and Woolworths on most items.
A price comparison on a shopping list of everyday essentials revealed some surprising results.
The biggest discrepancy was in red bell peppers, which were more than twice the price per kilo at Woolworths than at Aldi.
The vegetable is a whopping $12 a kilo at Woolworths, compared to $8.90 at Coles, with Aldi by far the cheapest at $5.49.
Powdered milk was another, where the $7.99 Aldi version was $2.01 less than its rivals.
The most expensive item on the shopping list was a block of cream cheese that went for $14.44 a kilo compared to Coles’ $13.20 and Aldi’s $11.96.
“Cream cheese is by the kilo as Woolies had a different block size than the Coles/Aldi block,” the buyer added.
The only item on the shopping list that didn’t get the full comparison was the butterfly flavored boneless chicken, which was not available at Coles.
The price comparison post was inundated with comments from other savvy shoppers who appreciated the time and effort the woman had put into.
‘This is incredible. Every penny counts, especially when prices go up every day,” wrote one.
A shopper shared her shopping list with price comparisons at Coles, Woolworths and Aldi
The biggest discrepancy was in red bell peppers, which were more than twice the price per kilo at Woolworths than at Aldi (file photo of woman shopping for fresh produce)
Other shoppers shared their own tips and believed that making the effort to shop around resulted in the best value for money.
“This is why I look at sales first and then write my list and go to all three,” wrote one woman.
Another revealed: ‘The message here is to shop around. I have noticed that ALDI has increased the price of several things to just a penny below Coles and Woolies prices on some items, when there used to be a much bigger price gap. And the thing about Coles and Woolies, they have better deals.
The post also sparked a debate over whether Aldi is the cheapest supermarket.
There is not much price difference. What disappoints me is that the shelves are always empty,” wrote one shopper.
Another added: ‘I miss when Aldi prices where dollars are cheaper than other places. My car used to be so cheap.
A third wrote: “I think Aldi is on par with the house brand items from Coles and Woolies.”
Shoppers will get the best value for money in minced meat at Aldi, followed by Coles (pictured)
Many argued that Woolworths and Coles are usually cheaper when shopping rewards programs such as Everyday Rewards and Flybuys are considered.
Others were willing to pay a little more at Woolworths or Coles to have the checkout operators pack their items, which shoppers do at Aldi.
“I used to shop religiously at Aldi, but the food and fresh vegetables are subpar at best and there is no reward system. I have never seen discounted items and they rush you to pack yourself, I’d rather pay the extra 10 cents at Woolies or Coles.
Woolworths and Coles recently reiterated their commitment to keeping food affordable.
Coles has an average of 6,500 products on sale at any one time and recently extended its low and locked-in price initiative on more than 300 essential items until after Easter.
Starting Thursday, Coles shoppers can also scan their Flybuys to earn credits to redeem free MasterChef cookware.
Its rival Woolworths has slashed the price of more than 400 items this fall in addition to more than 6,000 weekly sales.
The best way to keep grocery costs down is to look for weekly specials.
