The cheapest place to shop may not be your local discount supermarket.A friend of mine runs the Dunedin Locavores group on Facebook.
She did a price comparison recently between her regular shopping list at our local Otago Farmer's Market and the local chain supermarket.
The results were surprising, as you will see.
Supermarkets spend big dollars advertising what good value they are, and how they're the cheapest way to feed your family.
These figures suggest otherwise.
- Broccoli x 4 ($2.50 for 2) $5.00
- Yams 1kg ($5 for 2 x 500gm) $5.00
- Cauliflower ($2.50 per head) $2.50
- Free range eggs 6 doz ($8 tray) $16.00
- Celery x 1(small bunch $2.50) $2.50
- Spring onions x 1 (bunch $1.50) $1.50
- Baby carrots 300gm ($3.00) $1.50
- Granny smith apples 5kg ($7) $7.00
- Bacon freerange 250gm $9.50
- Spinach 1 x bag ($2.50) $2.50
- Total: $53.00
Supermarket - Broccoli x 4 ($2.00 ea) $8.00
- Yams 1kg ($6.98 per kg) $7.00
- Cauliflower ($2.59 per head) $2.60
- Free range eggs 6 doz ($7.65) $45.90
- Celery x 1 half bunch ($1.89) $1.90
- Spring onions x 1 ($1.98) $2.00
- Baby carrots 300gm ($4.48) $4.50
- Granny smith apples ($3.48kg) $17.40
- Bacon farmed 250gm $8.99
- Spinach 1 x bag ($5.00) $5.00
- Total: $103.30
Farmers Market
Is there any such thing as a cheap supermarket, really?
I'd have expected the Farmer's Market to be a little cheaper, but the figures above suggest you can do your weekly shop at the market for less than half it would cost you at the supermarket.
Supermarkets commonly advertise specials that discount products by a few cents, but the Farmer's Market is winning out with fifty percent discounts or more.
Or, arguably, you could say the supermarket is simply charging you twice as much.
So - where are you going to shop?
Image - Mr. Thinktank
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7 comments:
I didn't get to go today :(
Mind you I don't buy much at the supermarket either - I use the local fruit an veg shop as it, too is cheaper although not a patch on the farmers market for quality.
viv in dunedin
ps It must be spring - its snowing!
Another plus is that the atmosphere is so much nicer at the farmers market. You can catch up with friends, have a coffee and some breakfast and you know exactly where your food has come from.
Farmers' markets win hands down for me.
We go to a market about half an hour away and people around where we live don't understand why we drive that far every Saturday morning. I don't think people understand until they have been to a farmers market rather than a supermarket. Thankfully a market is opening around here in the next few weeks. We will be able to walk to it.
Hope you are having a great weekend.
Hi Viv - We don't go as often as we should. It sucks, but although most of the produce (or a fair swag of it) comes from the Taieri, it's hard to turf out and go into town to beat the townies.
We need a Farmer's Market here in Mosgiel. I'm lobbying for one, and there is interest.
Hi Bruise Mouse - It really is. I love seeing my mates there - I always run into half a dozen people I know!
But the figures just show how inflated supermarket prices are.
I've also noticed how much cheaper the farmer's market is in comparison to the supermarkets - with the added bonus that I budget better because I bring cash and I don't get lured into buying unnecessary items, junk food or 2-for-1 offers like I do at the supermarket. It's also a nice social activity to do with friends and I always look forward to getting a breakfast crepe from the French crepe man :)
Unfortunately I can't go every Saturday as I'm often working, but I go when I'm not (this month I only have 1 Saturday off! Unfair!) So the times I'm forced to go to the supermarket I make sure to buy those things I can't get at the farmer's market (like rice milk) and stock up so I don't have to go to the supermarket at all the weeks I can go to the FM. I just wish it happened more than once a week!
Which supermarket, out of interest?
We have lots of markets here where I live. Our local town closes of two streets every Thursday morning and hold a market where I can get all of fruit and vegs and honey and eggs. Saves me so much money. Great post, Cheers, Wendy
Interesting!
Particularly interesting to look through the items - in some cases supermarket price is roughly twice the farmer's market price, but in other cases it's closer (and in a few cases the supermarket is actually cheaper).
One query: the farmer's market list has "Free range eggs 6 doz ($8 tray) $16.00" is a tray 36 eggs per tray? We don't normally buy this many eggs (well, these days we don't buy eggs at all). This single item accounts for a majority of the difference (just under $30 out of $50).
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