Daily expenses.

[Praktica]

After reading a couple of things online about grocery expenses, I decided to run a little exercise on mine. I added up what we spent over the last 93 days at supermarkets etc. It adds up to $32 a day for two of us - around $224 a week - and that includes wine.

[Oldfellah]

Knock the wine on the head = $10 a week 

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Used to be $72 a week. These days closer to double that. But I am eating more fruit and vegies. And my three bottles of wine went up 50c each. Bastards.

But if I can keep protein under $5 a day I am happy.

[Praktica]

Knock the wine on the head = $10 a week 

More like $35 a week!

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Well, there is more than one in your household...

[Olive]

We don't really spend a lot at supermarkets, partly because I loathe and resent their rampant profiteering, partly because we eat fruit and veges that we have grown, and partly because our local supermarkets have a limited range of all the nice things like good cheese, salami, olives, olive oil etc that I don't mind paying for at slightly more upmarket shops.

We spend roughly $250 pw on groceries including wine, but it varies a lot and I am conscious that it could be significantly less if we didn't go to Vetro. Or I could cut back on cleaning products... now there's a thought.

[TinkandTiff]

"Buy only in season, to help cut your costs of your weekly shop" . Sick of hearing people say this. Me, yesterday ...bought 3 oranges at PnS......almost $6 !!!!!!! Oranges are in season. Rip off country.

[king1]

"Buy only in season, to help cut your costs of your weekly shop" . Sick of hearing people say this.    Me, yesterday ...bought 3 oranges at PnS......almost  $6 !!!!!!! Oranges are in season.  Rip off country.

Oranges are in season June to Feb by the looks,  maybe you're just a little early in the season - another month or so they should be cheaper

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I picked three off the ground yesterday in the rain. Our tree gets regularly stripped, it is annoying but not something we can stop. I do wish they wouldn't break the branches though...

[Oldfellah]

Never mind daily expenses for me its grocery shopping today (god help me) just as well its just myself I shop for, I write a list but you can bet I dont stick to it, Ill get a few things not on my list   I try to get a full fortnights groceries in one hit but I do find that perhaps once or twice during that time I pop out to get more. I do feel for these people that cant afford it because inflation is not their fault.

[Lilith7]

I tend to take a basic list but if anything I generally need happens to be on special, then I'll get that as well if possible & I do groceries every week rather fortnightly because I find a weekly budget easier.
And every once in a while, I'll try out some new product if its isn't priced in the utterly ridiculous range.

[Praktica]

I spent decades finding the most economical purchases, to keep expenses down. Now, I'm able to spend a little more, and not just buy the cheapest - it's taken a while to break the frugal habit.

[SueDonim]

"Buy only in season, to help cut your costs of your weekly shop" . Sick of hearing people say this.    Me, yesterday ...bought 3 oranges at PnS......almost  $6 !!!!!!! Oranges are in season.  Rip off country.

Oranges are in season June to Feb by the looks,  maybe you're just a little early in the season - another month or so they should be cheaper

 I find oranges are always in the shops 6 weeks before they are actually ripe. I got caught this week with Australian ones that are almost too sour to eat. I thought they were the end of last year's but are obviously the new crop - not ripe yet. I buy oranges every week of the year except from now until the NZ ones are ripe which is late August (going by edibility rather than what people say). Our old tree died a couple of years ago and the new one is coming along, but is still small. This year's crop of 20 gives us one week's worth.

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Overall I find it's no problem to average $10 or less per meal for meat (for 2) by buying specials and the odd pack of chicken. Chops and steak are all eaten in one meal. Roasts may provide lunch leftovers and mince is always cooked with frozen lunches in mind (eg chow mein). Cheese is a big expense for us - DH only likes Mainland tasty - and the occasional bacon treat is very expensive per kilo because we only buy Henderson's non-preservative one which is not always available. For roasts, it's usually possible to buy a $17 or $18 one and cut it in half.

I've been monitoring the three supermarkets I use from the perspective of whether it's worth driving 15 or 30kms to get cheaper prices and have certainly noted some products going up in price over the last year, but I don't see a difference as great as the media present. Many basic products are still much the same. I do feel that when we have issues with supply and having to have instore limits to spread availability, it's unreasonable to expect weekly specials and I wonder if that's what people are missing the most.

I don't know about the price of wine as we don't drink at all.

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I spent decades finding the most economical purchases, to keep expenses down. Now, I'm able to spend a little more, and not just buy the cheapest - it's taken a while to break the frugal habit.

I know what you mean. I've had to learn that we don't always have to have the cheapest, although often it is still the best value. I buy the cheapest frozen veg, but do prefer Whittakers chocolate.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I like the idea of a roast cut in half. I might see if the local will let their butcher do that for me. My bone saw is really not up to much these days.

[alpha111]

Just compared New World North Island and South Island meat prices.
Beef Porterhouse Steak NI 34.49 kg SI 25.99 kg
Pork Loin Chops NI 19.99 kg SI 12.49 kg
Skinless Chicken Breast NI 14.99 kg SI 12.49 kg

Are people in the North Island wealthier?

[Praktica]

Just compared New World North Island and South Island meat prices.
Beef Porterhouse Steak  NI 34.49 kg  SI 25.99 kg
Pork Loin Chops            NI 19.99 kg  SI 12.49 kg
Skinless Chicken Breast  NI 14.99 kg  SI 12.49 kg

Are people in the North Island wealthier?

I bought a pork leg at Pak & Save South Dunedin this morning - we cut it up and freeze it as meals to braise. $7.89/kg, and it's local pork.

[alpha111]

It is good that it is local pork at a good price. Once that was all we had. But now take Countdown's own bacon's description of country of origin:_

Made in NZ using pork from pigs raised in one or more of the countries listed: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, USA, UK, Poland plus other local and imported ingredients.

Poor China not listed. But perhaps they supply the imported ingredients.