Do you buy all your food at the supermarket?

[Curly]

Many moons ago DH and I used to buy our fruit and veg from the greengrocer, meat from the butcher etc. These days we get EVERYTHING at the supermarket and I know that the quality is not as good but it's quicker, you know?

Anyway, our supermarket bill is huge, at least $300 per week, and I was wondering if anyone actually finds it cheaper to shop at the greengrocer, butcher and leftover stuff at the supermarket?

[visitor1]

Its to much effort to go from shop to shop when i can get it all in one place!

[Nai]

I only buy the non-perishable stuff at the stupormarket - I can't bear the wastage that comes from having to throw out fruit and veg that has gone off in 2 days or is rotten when you bite into it. I get my bread and milk delivered and only buy fresh fruit and veg. It doesn't take that much extra time.

[Astrolady]

Yep I am the same, buy the time I have done the "other" shopping I really can't be bothered walking down to the butcher and fruit and veg which is at the other end of our supermarket near woolies.. I shop at Coles. So I just get everything at Coles.

For a family of 5 we push the $300 mark sometimes too. We mainly sit around $250

[Laranna]

I get my bread and milk delivered

OMG really? I haven't seen a "milkman" in such a looooonngggg time. I remember when I was a little kid, my nanna and grandad used to get the milk delivered in the glass milk bottles and then my parents used to get the milk delivered in cartons. I would LOVE to get my bread and milk delivered these days.

To answer the OP, I go to a small shopping centre that has a woolies, a bakers delight, lennards and a butcher so I get my stuff from all of them and fruit and veg I get from the markets.

[Danni]

You can DEFINITELY save money by splitting it up. There is no way I would buy fruit n veg or meat from Coles. It is sooooooooooooooooo much more expensive.

I do one stop at the wholesle butcher which is right next to the green grocer, then I go to coles. You will find that you will save a minimum of $50 doing this even though it is a PITA to do so

[bronners]

I do my main shop at Coles, but we get our (organic) fruit & veggies delivered...got a co-op delivery system going locally as the greengrocers is 40 mins away. It is organic at very cheap prices, almost exactly the same as conventional fruit n veg at the supermarket when the produce is in season. We also probably only eat meat once a week and I am vegetarian so that helps cost wise. At the moment I think we are spending around $150 a week for shopping all up (fam of 3, DS is 3yrs). I am a budgeter and menu planner though and make a lot of our own snacks, not much packaged stuff.

[Lucy]

I live in an area where we are blessed with fantastic choice of produce shops as well as a lovely sense of community. These things, and price and quality, mean that yes, I definitely 'split' my shopping.

I buy bread from an Italian bakery twice a week.
I buy fruit and veggies from a fruit and veg market once a week. And it lasts the week.
I buy meat from my local butcher, weekly.

All the other boring stuff I get at Coles/Woolies/Foodland.......

[Lolli]

I go to the butchers (cheaper meat and better), the green grocers (because I hate Woolies fruit and veg, it goes off in three days, or goes from under ripe to spoiled ovenight... don't get me started!!), and I try to make the farmer's market once a fortnight for vegies too- when I get there, it saves me a fortune, they last almost three weeks.

Laranna- Dairy Farmers have a milk man service, maybe check out there webiste if you're interested? I know they do a run here, twice a week drop off before 7am.

[Loula]

DH BF is a great butcher so we get all our meat from his shop! and it is so good! always buy fresh veg and fruit from any local farmers market when i can if not then the greengrocer! Newspapers from the news agent! bread from the bakery etc all my eggs come from family or 'Green eggs' at farmers market (ilove them)

like others have said all the boring stuff from coles/ woolworths

[~*Niadalla*~]

I split it up... saves me heaps!
Aldi, Fruit and Veg shop and Bucher will cost me maybe $200 for a fortnights worth

I shop at coles or the likes... more like $400 for the same things.

Quality is sooo much better than a supermarket... def worth the extra fuss

[fionas]

When I was single, I used to be quite organised especially as I don't drive so there's only so much shopping you can lug on the tram. So I used to buy meat at the market and freeze it or cook in stews then freeze. I'd order fruit and veggies online from a specialty greengrocer and have them delivered. And I'd go to Coles once a week for the other stuff like tins.

Now DP insists on doing the shopping and he really likes going to lots of different places so if he has time, he will separate out into butcher, greengrocer, bakery, Aldi AND Coles. If he's going after hours though, he'll just do Coles.

I can't tell you the number of arguments we've had about him trying to get me to go with him - he thinks food shopping is fun and I would rather drop a brick on my foot quite frankly. So we compromise and I do the meal planning/list writing and he go gets the stuff and we share the cooking.

[mbear]

Im the same as the other girls.....i just dont have the time or energy with 3 little ones to go to 3 different shops. I shop at coles, luckily there is a butcher across the road where i get my meat.
Ive recently discovered Aussie Farmers Direct.....free delivery, all aussie produce. We got a huge fruit box delivered for $35 - mangoes, bananas, nectarines, apples, oranges and peaches. It lasted ages, and all moneys goes to the farmers.......worth looking into !

[Loula]

\
Ive recently discovered Aussie Farmers Direct.....free delivery, all aussie produce. We got a huge fruit box delivered for $35 - mangoes, bananas, nectarines, apples, oranges and peaches. It lasted ages, and all moneys goes to the farmers.......worth looking into !

Im going to check it out now!

Thanks

[Malyna]

There are quite a few community supported agriculture (CSA) that do great fruit and vegie boxes (food connect in brisbane is one).

I buy biodynamic lamb straight from a local farmer, and it is fantastic - actually tastes like it should do. When I am organised enough (and not so pregnant), I'll be back at the farmers markets on a Saturday morning. I tend towards green grocers for fruit and vegies as a second resort and supermarkets when I'm lazy and feel like playing russian roulette with the quality.

Fruit and veg at the supermarkets (thinking the big two) take two weeks or so to get from the farmer to the floor - and often the farmer doesn't get a good return on their produce..

[Amaunet]

I also split my shop (most of the time) and see the diff in price and quality - it also means I actually shop LESS (and impiulse buy less - as I stock up on the non-perishables

Aldi - toilet paper, soft drink, laundry/bathroom, staples, longlife milk, frozen vege , bread to freeze (monthly)
Wholesale butchers - meat and bulk frozen veges (monthly) I have a chest freezer which helps!
Greengrocer - for the fresh fruit and vege (tho I use alot of frozen) (every 10-14 days) bcause it is fresh - it lasts ages and I eat the more perishable stuff 1st. I also go to a store that is on a main road - not in a shopping centre which i find cheaper.
Asian Bakery - fresh yummy bread - usually on the weekend
Coles/Woolies - girly stuff, deli meat (when not utd) and any "brands" eg Weight Watchers - I try and limit my shopping here till when Im desperate - and make sure I am in and out fast

I can not go near the shops for 2 weeks at a time - which I love - but have to PLAN!

[Macca79]

I try to avoid big shops. I buy fruit and veg from a local market and meat from a local butcher. We also get things like skin care stuff from the local organic shop. It works out great and it get me out of the house.