05.Avoid the shopping traps
To take action against supermarkets’ tricks:
- Stock up on all the basics once a month at your local discount store, such as Aldi.
- Use unit pricing, as sometimes the biggest packet isn’t the cheapest.
- Go online to check specials for the week at your local supermarkets and plan your meals accordingly.
- Avoid doing small top-up shops when you can, as they will result in more unplanned purchases. Research by Roy Morgan shows that the more often you shop the more you spend.
- Buy locally whenever you just need milk and bread, to avoid temptation.
What are petrol vouchers really saving you?
Petrol discounts of four cents per litre are available from Coles, BI-LO, Woolworths/Safeway and participating IGA stores for purchases over $30 ($25 for IGA in WA). With the big supermarkets (and IGA in WA) you need to show the voucher from your shopping docket at an affiliated service station.
Given you don’t want to run dry before reaching the bowser, the maximum you’ll usually be able to save when refuelling is between $1.40 to $2.20 – about 1L-2L of petrol. If you go out of your way to get to an affiliated station, any savings can be lost by the extra petrol and running costs for the detour.
To make real savings on petrol, make sure you fill up on the cheapest day of the week (usually a Wednesday), as petrol prices differ by about 12 cents per litre between the cheapest and the most expensive day (usually a Friday). This strategy alone can save between $4.20 and $6.60 on an average tank.