Wow, where have you been shopping?
I think you're still living a relatively international student
lifestyle because the prices you're paying is through the roof.
Is that for a month? Or a week? Certainly sounds like its meant
to last a week or two, max.
Do you travel to shop? Or shop at those annoying city Asian
grocers where they jack prices up so bloody high I've seen limes
going for $3 a pop. 24 hour supermarkets, IGA and certainly, 7-11s
are not good places to be shopping for stuff
because they're meant for the international or urban crowd with
dollars to spare and won't bat an eye paying up to $2 more for
everything.
I spend about $80 - $100 a week on groceries for two people who
probably eat for 4. Breakfast and dinner, sometimes lunches for a 6
day period. It's been stretched to 2 weeks no problem as I like to
have some excess food at hand, but ultimately, its what you buy and
where you buy it that matters.
Things I get with $100 weekly (Mixture of Coles Supermarket, Wet
market, Asian grocer & Local Butcher:
Total = AU$78
The stuff which lasts for more than a week are merely omitted in
the next week's shopping, deducing the grocery bill for the next
couple of weeks, unless I use the excess for stocking up on any
sauces, oil, fruit, etc.
For good effect I have used the larger numbers in my
calculations for the price ranges of goods.
These can serve me for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including
snacks, dessert.
I buy my groceries at Footscray. Dodgy as it is, I don't really
care as long as I go in the day accompanied by my fiance as its
safer. Its not as if I go there to buy Louis Vitton bags (which I
don't buy anyway. Am a very pragmatic gal.) so no 'status/face'
problems there (whcih again, I don't really care much for.)
Footscray is filled with Asian grocers, Chinese, Indian, Arabic.
It has local butchers, a large wet market and I drive there every
week to have breakfast at the local Turkish cafes with my
significant other, then go grocery shopping all in one little
central district, all walking distance from one another.
If I'm not taking the car, I go by train, bringing a trolley.
Its just a few stations away from the city.
Ultimately its how you choose to spend your money and where. If
you choose convenience you inevitably pay more in prices. If you
choose specific brands (Some expensive brand, I guess) and won't
compromise (i.e. for toilet cleaner use house brand. Who cares. Its
a toilet cleaner! :P) on certain things, well, you pay extra for
that for nothing.
Admittedly, Singapore is cheaper in terms of groceries. But if
you go beyond the 'NTUC' essentials norm (like buy white button
mushrooms, not shittake, etc etc) you are charged premium for it.
Not to mention how some items in Australia is cheaper than in
Singapore. So, really, its not much of a difference to me.
I'm good at stretching my dollar, anyway. :)
hi GG,
can i check where can i get toilettries and household
items on the cheap here?
i arrived on sunday and is currently stocking up for the next
fortnite or so. becos most stores are closed on sunday, i went
to a safeway and found toilettries, like tissues, paper towels,
etc. expensive. i would like to buy these in bulk.
i am currently holing up in a townhouse in boxhill south and
will hopefully move to a permanent place in 2-3 weeks in the glen
or vermont south area.
any recommendation for places to shop around these areas is
appreciated.
thanks!
