Cost Of Living Crisis Series - Where I Buy Our Groceries.

 As most of you know,  my current grocery budget is $150 a month for 2 people.  This includes food for 3 meals a day and 2 snacks.  It also includes basic cleaning ingredients that I need to make laundry liquid,  laundry powder,  stain remover,  surface spray,  shower cleaner and pretty much anything else  to keep my home clean.  The $150 a month also includes basic toiletries,  foil /  paper products ( like baking paper etc ) and cleaning cloths / scourers.

 Since the massive increases in food prices,  I'm now only buying ingredients to make all our own food.  Treat food like chips,  chocolate,  lollies and savoury biscuits are bought on sale from my gift budget and included in our birthday,  Christmas and Mother's / Father's Day presents.  We are at a time in our lives when we don't need  'things ' but enjoy treats. This has worked really well for us over the last few years and we are never short of a treat in our home.

Here are the places I buy our groceries from -

Herbs,  spices,  dried fruit,  nuts,  yeast,  grains and seeds are bought from Hindustan Imports in Dandenong.  They are a wholesaler that specialises in ingredients and they offer a variety of bulk sizes to fit any budget.  I make a trip once or twice a year to stock up.  The money I spend comes out of any leftover monthly grocery money - my slush fund.  I do check prices against Woolworths and Coles and always factor in the 10% discount I get at Woolworths.

Meat is bought from Tasman Meats,  Australian Butchers,  Costco ( while Megan has a membership ) or Coles.  I always look out for specials on legs of lamb, chicken drumsticks,  roast beef and silverside. Clearance items of red meat are bought at Coles.  I only buy according to what money I have left in my grocery slush fund. When I bought a bulk pack of beef mince from Costco back in June,  I'd been saving my leftover grocery money ( slush fund ) for 3 months.

Fruit and veg is only bought if we are not growing it at a particular time.  I check the prices at our local fruit and veg shop before I go to the supermarket.  I do get 10% off at Woolworths because we have insurance with them.  I factor this in when I check prices. I do buy frozen beans and corn kernels from the supermarket if we've run out of what we've grown and frozen.

Teabags are usually bought at Coles or Woolworths.  On the rare occasion discount shops like NQR,  The Reject Shop or Shiploads ( Tasmania ) have teabags quite cheap so I'll stock up.  

For toiletries like shampoo,  conditioner,  deodorant and toothbrushes I wait for good deals at The Reject Shop or NQR and REALLY stock up.  Toothbrushes are regularly $1 each at these stores. I also have a local op shops that carries toiletries for $1 each.  I check them out a few times a year and stock up if it's a good brand.

For hairspray,  spreadable butter,  oils,  frozen fish fillets,  dishwashing liquid,  dishwasher powder and  laundry soaker I shop at Aldi. The reason would be either the quality is better or the price is cheaper than the supermarkets.

Kitchen  cloths / scourers are bought at various places.  Usually I wait until a product is on clearance and buy heaps.  I've bought from Bunnings,  Coles,  Woolworths,  The Reject Shop,  NQR and Shiploads ( In Tasmania when on holidays ).  

All other ingredients on my shopping list are bought at Woolworths.  This includes flour,  sugar,  butter,  milk,  eggs,  cheese, pasta,  toothpaste,  foil,  cling wrap etc, toilet paper,   tinned foods like tomatoes,  tuna,  salmon,  corn,  creamed corn and soups ( for casseroles ).  

If I've missed anything,  please ask and I'll be happy to share when I buy that item from ( if I buy it ).

Some of the groceries I buy often.

Ingredients to make lots of goodies

Always on the hunt for red meat bargains

Do you have certain shops you buy your groceries from ?