Save on your shop
Shop by unit price. The cheapest item on the shelf doesn’t always offer the best value for money. For a better buy, check the item’s unit price. This is a standard measure such as price per kilogram or price per litre.
Visit more than one store. CHOICE estimates you could save up to 40% by visiting more than one supermarket. Save time in the store by researching the specials before you go.
Save with imperfect fruit and vegetables. Major supermarkets often sell misshapen items under brand names like ‘imperfect picks’ and ‘the odd bunch.’ Many online vendors sell ‘ugly’ fruit and vegetables at reduced prices, too.
Buy in bulk from wholesalers. You can save if you go straight to the source. Try searching online to ‘join a food hub to cut grocery bills’ or ‘buy fresh, imperfect produce’. You can save up to one-third on fruit and vegetables compared with online supermarket prices over the seasonal cycle.
Buy meat in bulk. Meat is usually the most expensive item on the shopping list. Buy it in bulk from a local or online wholesale butcher to save money (search online for ‘wholesale meat NSW’). Then break it into meal-size portions and freeze for later use. If you don’t have the freezer space, consider going halves with a friend.
Buy low-processed food. You often pay extra for convenience. Products that have sauces added, or are shredded and sliced into salads are usually more expensive than fresh ingredients.
Buy frozen and canned foods. Swap some fresh vegetables and fruit with canned and frozen varieties. This can be cheaper and better than buying fresh produce if they're not in season. Long life items are often just as nutritious too because they’re picked at their peak and canned or frozen straight away.
More information
Do you know which supermarket near you is cheapest? CHOICE's quarterly survey compares prices at supermarkets across the country. Survey results are based on averages and prices may differ, depending on where you live and when you visit.
Plan out your meals
Get better value for your money by working out what you need in advance. Don’t have time? Use a meal planner instead. Even if you plan for just a few days a week, you’ll see a real difference in your supermarket spend.
No fancy ingredients? No worries! The University of Newcastle has easy recipes and budget meal plans that meet all your nutritional needs.
Take a look at the NSW Government's Healthy Eating Active Living website for low-cost and healthy meal ideas and a weekly menu planner that you can print out and take to the supermarket.
The Australian Government’s Eat for Health website provides healthy recipes using mostly vegetables, and sample meal plans that include the 5 food groups.
The not-for-profit community-based organisation Nutrition Australia has plenty of simple, quick and cash-saving recipes.
Consumer advocacy group Choice helps you weigh up the value of frozen meals and other pre-packaged items to make sure you’re getting the most for your money.
More cost-cutting ideas
- Prepare double batches of meals like curries, soups and casseroles to either freeze or eat later in the week.
- Have a meat-free meal at least once a week. It’s better for your health and will leave you with extra cash in your wallet.
- Make ground beef recipes like hamburgers and meatballs go further by adding breadcrumbs, rice, rolled oats, homemade oat flour or finely chopped vegetables to the mix.
- Packaged food and drinks attract GST, which means you pay 10% more for these items. Learn more about GST-free food and find out which grocery items are taxable or GST-free.
- Forget takeaway food … try ‘fakeaway’ instead. No Money No Time offers 5 healthy recipes that taste like takeaway favourites and cost much less.
Save on food waste
Before going to the supermarket, see if you have leftover groceries that you can use up. You’ll save cash and stop expensive food from going in the bin.
Save money and make the most of what you buy with the NSW government’s free online program to reduce food waste and provide easy hacks for upcycling your leftovers.
Australian food rescue organisation Oz Harvest has a ton of tips to transform your leftovers – from ‘Fridge Clean Out Nachos' to 'Floppy Broccoli Soup'.
Got leftover food in the fridge? Turn it into something special (and be more sustainable) with the Food Wise recipe finder and meal planner. You’ll find ideas for just about every item in the pantry.
Recipe search engine Super Cook shows you how to fully use the ingredients you already have at home and stop wasted leftovers.
More cost-cutting ideas
- Search online for ‘food scrap cooking’ tips to get the most out of your food scraps.
- Visit your local council’s website for food-waste ideas and advice.
Grow your own
You don’t need a lot of space to grow a few veggies. By planting one or two easy-grow crops, you get to control what goes into your food while offsetting the high price of groceries.
There are hundreds of community gardens in NSW that can you give ideas on what to grow – and maybe even a few seeds to get started. Consider swapping your time for a free share of the harvest.
Sustainable Gardening Australia
This not-for-profit organisation is a good resource for planting schedules, growing guides, online workshops, and other ideas for getting your hands dirty.
More cost-cutting ideas
- Polystyrene boxes are ideal for planting lettuce, parsley and leafy greens. You’ll need a deeper box for larger vegetables – cut the base off one box and stand it on top of another for extra depth.
- If you don’t have a suitable pot or box, try using garbage bags or reusable grocery bags instead.
Emergency and disability relief
If you’re struggling to pay for food or essentials, these community resources provide free meals, emergency parcels and other practical assistance.
The Ask Izzy website lists thousands of support services around Australia. Search by postcode to find free community meals, street kitchens, school breakfast programs and emergency food services nearby.
Not-for-profit community organisation One Meal offers food relief services such as free community meals and pantry packs in 5 areas of greater Sydney.
Australian hunger relief organisation Food Bank sources food for people in need. Search by postcode to find food support services and help near you.
Christian charity Anglicare offers low-cost fresh food and staples at its mobile pantry and op shops, as well as emergency parcels for anyone who is food insecure.
Christian charity St Vincent de Paul provides people in immediate crisis with food and other everyday essentials through its support centres and Vinnies Vans.
The Rev Bill Crews Foundation’s tasty and nutritious meals are served from their popular free sit-down restaurants in venues in western Sydney, as well as mobile food van sites across the city suburbs.
Sikh charity organisation Turbans 4 Australia has helped thousands of Australians in need. Every Sunday they hand out free food and grocery hampers to those struggling with food insecurity at their Clyde headquarters in Sydney’s west.
The Oz Harvest market is a charitable organisation with a ‘take what you need and give what you can’ philosophy. It offers free rescued fruit, vegetables and pantry staples to anyone suffering hardship at its Waterloo market in Sydney’s inner city.
Well-known community service Meals on Wheels provides affordable, nutritious meals for those unable to shop or cook for themselves.
Tools and calculators
Nutritious food can be expensive – these tools can help you work out what you need to stay healthy.
Average recommended number of serves calculator
Work out how many daily servings you need from each of the 5 food groups.
Quiz: how healthy are my habits?
Check in with your current habits and see where you might be able to improve your diet.