Australians who shop for their household spend an average of $207 a week on groceries, close to $10,800 a year. Against a number that size, small changes to how you shop add up without you giving up the foods you like.
Source: Finder Consumer Sentiment Tracker (March 2026).
We've compiled the strategies that actually work, drawn from published consumer research and our own shopping. Here are ten ways to cut your grocery bill.
1. Make a List and Stick to It
It sounds obvious, but shopping without a list is how the extras end up in the trolley. Supermarkets are laid out to encourage impulse buys, from the end-of-aisle displays to the checkout.
The key isn't just having a list; it's sticking to it. Before you leave, review what you have at home and plan your meals for the week. Your list should reflect those plans, not just random items you think you might need.
Use a smart shopping list app that learns from your habits. Alydo remembers what you typically buy and how often, so you never forget essentials.
2. Compare Prices Across Stores
Price differences between stores can be surprising. A staple item at one supermarket can cost noticeably more than the exact same product at another store nearby. The trick is knowing where to find the best prices on the items you actually buy.
Some stores are cheaper overall, while others have better deals on specific categories. Discount grocers often beat traditional supermarkets on pantry staples, while specialty stores might have better prices on produce or meat.
Before you write your list, check this week's Coles, Woolworths and Aldi catalogue specials for anything you were going to buy anyway. Keep track of prices on your most-purchased items across different stores. Over time, you'll develop an instinct for where to shop for what. That instinct also protects you from discounts that only look like savings, which is worth understanding in its own right: can you actually trust supermarket specials?
3. Track Your Spending
You can't improve what you don't measure. Most families have only a vague sense of their grocery spending, which makes it nearly impossible to identify where cuts can be made.
Start tracking your purchases at the item level, not just the total. When you can see exactly how much you spend on snacks versus staples, or convenience foods versus ingredients, patterns emerge that point directly to savings opportunities.
Alydo keeps that record for you. Scan a receipt and every line goes into your history by category, so you can see where the money goes.
4. Watch the Weekly Specials
Specials change every week. Coles, Woolworths and Aldi each print a new catalogue that starts on Wednesday, and the thing you buy every week can be on special at one and full price at the others.
Check the items you buy most before you shop. When a long-life item is on special at a good price, buy a few. In Alydo, you can watch an item from Prices: you see it in For you on Specials when a catalogue has it on special, or under a price you set. How watches work.
Watch for patterns too. Many items come back on special, so if something you use is full price this week, the next special may be worth waiting for.
5. Shop Seasonally
Produce prices follow predictable seasonal patterns. Berries in summer, apples in fall, citrus in winter. Buying fruit and vegetables in their natural season is usually cheaper than buying them out of season.
Seasonal produce also tends to taste better and last longer, so you're getting more value beyond just the lower price. Plan your meals around what's in season, and you'll eat better while spending less.
- Summer: Stone fruits, berries, tomatoes, corn, zucchini
- Fall: Apples, pears, squash, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts
- Winter: Citrus, kale, root vegetables, cabbage
- Spring: Asparagus, artichokes, peas, leafy greens
6. Buy Store Brands
Store brands (also called private labels or generic brands) are often manufactured by the same companies that make name-brand products. The difference? Marketing costs and brand premiums that get passed on to you.
Store brands usually cost less than the name brand beside them. The unit price on the shelf label (per kg, per litre or per 100g) shows you by how much. For pantry staples, cleaning products, and many packaged goods, the quality difference is negligible or non-existent.
Start by switching a few items and see if you notice a difference. Most people find that for the majority of products, they can't tell store brands from name brands - except in their wallet.
7. Plan Your Meals
Meal planning isn't just about convenience -it's one of the most effective ways to reduce food waste and grocery spending. When you know what you're cooking, you buy only what you need.
A good meal plan accounts for:
- What you already have in the fridge and pantry
- Ingredients that can be used across multiple meals
- Realistic expectations about how many nights you'll actually cook
- A flexible “use it up” meal for odds and ends
Even planning three or four dinners ahead makes a significant difference. You'll make fewer trips to the store (each trip is an opportunity for impulse buys) and throw away less uneaten food.
8. Never Shop Hungry
This advice is so common it's almost cliché -but it persists because it works. Studies consistently show that hungry shoppers buy more food, especially high-calorie items and snacks.
The biology is simple: when you're hungry, your brain prioritizes finding food. Everything looks appealing, portions seem inadequate, and “just in case” purchases multiply. A small snack before shopping can prevent significant overspending.
The same principle applies to shopping while tired or stressed. Your decision-making weakens, making it harder to resist impulse buys and stick to your list.
9. Use Cashback and Rewards
If you're going to spend money on groceries anyway, you might as well get something back. Between store loyalty programs, cashback credit cards, and rebate apps, there are multiple ways to recover a percentage of your spending.
Some cards and loyalty programs give back a share of what you spend at the supermarket. Check the actual rate on yours and work it out against your own grocery year (about $10,800 at the average above). Stack it with store loyalty discounts and the occasional rebate offer.
Just be careful that chasing rewards doesn't lead you to spend more than you would otherwise. Cashback on a purchase you didn't need is still a net loss.
10. Review Your Receipts
When was the last time you really looked at a grocery receipt? Most of us glance at the total and move on. But receipts contain valuable information that can inform smarter shopping decisions.
Regular receipt review helps you:
- Catch pricing errors (they happen more often than you'd think)
- Notice when prices on your regular items increase
- Identify spending patterns you weren't aware of
- Track whether your saving strategies are actually working
Scanning receipts with Alydo takes seconds and gives you instant insights into your spending. No manual entry, no spreadsheets -just a clear picture of where your money goes.
Putting It All Together
You don't have to implement all ten strategies at once. Start with one or two that feel manageable, build the habit, then add more over time. Small changes compound into significant savings.
The most important step is awareness. Once you truly understand your grocery spending - not just the totals, but the details -you'll naturally start making smarter choices. The strategies above become intuitive rather than effortful.
Saving money on groceries isn't about sacrifice. It's about spending intentionally on what matters to you, and not wasting money on what doesn't.
Ready to start saving? Try Alydo free and see exactly where your grocery money goes.