A big one this fortnight! Our freezer was getting empty by the start of this week, so I knew it was time to do a stock up shop. It also timed well with pays between varying contracts of mine, so yay! This one will last us a lot more than one fortnight for sure – a big stock up shop means that in future fortnights we only have to replace what has been used (or stock up on something further that is on sale).
It has been a while since I did my groceries including IGA – I actually used to do the bulk of my shopping at IGA but it got inconsistent and expensive suddenly (changes of owners, changes of staff – suddenly they’re all very very young) so I had pretty much given up on them most of this year. But they had some things I wanted on sale, so back there I went!
We have a high concentration of supermarkets in my area: 3 Woolies, 2 Coles, Aldi (though they’re not open when I do my grocery shopping so I don’t shop there, plus for other reasons such as we need consistent brands for health reasons), one IGA that is more “7-11 style” and one IGA that is more supermarket style. It’s easy for me to shop wherever I want. As always, we buy our fruit & veg from a store a few doors from us – plus if you spend $20 you get free eggs. They’re only very small ones though, and this fortnight I want a trip to the egg farm for my $10 3 dozen tray of jumbo eggs.
So, here’s what I spent at IGA: $43.56
Woolworths: $31.69
Coles: $145.95
I think the best bargain I scored was chicken drumsticks from Coles. 1.7kg of them for $3.38. They were a markdown – to be used that night or frozen. So now we have a ton of chicken drumsticks frozen at home for lazy roasts. I love roasts. The meal that needs the least attention. I plan to enjoy them a lot before it gets too hot to have the oven on!!
How much have you spent this week on groceries? Do you tend to work on a stock up/fill up/stock up style of shopping?
Its always interesting to see how other people budget their money. Where abouts do you get the farm eggs please? With 3 kids and a love of baking we go through A LOT of eggs around here!!
Hi Kel, I live in Brisbane (not sure if you do!) and I go to a farm called Nadra Eggs: 65 Muller Rd, Boondall. It’s actually not close to me at all but I know a few people who go past it on their commute so they sometimes collect them for me.
Thanks Vanessa! I’ve just moved to the Gold Coast but head to Brisbane to see family quite regularly. Thanks for replying!!
You’ve got patience to go around to 3 different supermarkets! I generally to go Woolies and then to my local fruit and veg. That’s about all I can handle. My shopping depends on our meal planning. But usually one week is more expensive than the next thanks to things being left over. Which reminds me, I’ve got to do a big shop tonight. Not looking forward to it!
Usually I don’t have the patience for 3! If I’m going to 2 only I used to go to a local shopping centre that had both Woolies and Coles for the convenience, but the stores there always seemed under stocked so I gave up and went to other ones. I’m not a meal planner at all – that’s the funny thing. I just go with the flow for cooking.
This week we’ve spent about $170 on groceries including fruit and veg. I usually shop weekly. Is your fruit & veg on top of this shop?
My fruit & veg shop is additional, usually $20 per week/as needed.
I spend hardly anything on a grocery shop when it’s just me, but when the kids are here, it’s different. I always look for bargains, and I always console myself that it’s so much cheaper and healthier to cook from scratch than to buy takeaways … and we enjoy it too. We don’t have much of a choice in the country, though we are fortunate to get some goodies from friends and family with chooks and gardens etc, or from local markets.
We have just moved interstate to a regional town so am trying to find my way around and where to shop. Going to the local growers markets in the morning for our fruit and vege which will be interesting to see what’s available.
I haven’t been doing big shops lately due to limited finances…it is doing my head in though having to make lots of trips to the supermarket as money becomes available!!!
#TeamMM
I am desperate for a big shop as we have been away. I think mine might be online though this time around. I am a bit cheeky when it is time to buy all my large items like dry dog food and nappies. It just makes it easier to have them delivered instead of taking the kids with me to pick up all that stuff. I might have to check out the egg tip! I didn’t know there was one at Bondall.
Doesn’t take much for the groceries to add up. We try & bulk shop but always seem to need at least a weekly trip back.. Usually more. Hubby works for a Wooliies division so we always shop there. Not that a 5% discount does much lol but better in our pocket.