Lettuce, carrots, pears, broccoli, onions, avocado, oranges, potatoes, etc. We’ve all seen a list like this. It’s the dreaded grocery shopping list. It marks the day when your bank account fluctuates from pretty average to pretty awful. But sadly it’s a necessary evil.
This necessary evil, however, doesn’t have to be entirely evil. Sure it’s still frolicking on the edge of evil, but it’s not fully submerged.
In a generic Today Tonight-type hunt for truth I sussed out whether there really is a massively noticeable difference between the price of fruit and vegetables in the large Australian supermarkets and North Melbourne’s Preston Market.
It is an accepted truth that food in these such markets is cheaper. But to be honest who can be bothered going to two or three different places just to get the weekly groceries, unless there is a significantly worthwhile difference.
Well now I’m going to quit my lazy antics and make the extra trip because there is a significantly worthwhile difference.
Shopping for fruit and vegetables at the Preston Market will save you 31 percent off your average grocery bill.
In an attempt to be as generic as possible in my selection of fruit and vegetables, I chose thirteen everyday items that were available in both supermarkets and at the market and compared the two prices. For a kilogram of each item the supermarket will cost you $51.48 according to this weeks prices, starting Monday the 20th of August. To ensure fairness in my approach to supermarket prices I calculated an average of the prices of two large, well-known Australian supermarkets for each grocery item.
Shopping for the same items at Preston Market this week will cost you just $35.68, a saving of $15.80. Preston Market also offer bulk buys, which substantially reduces the price again.
The biggest price difference I discovered was in the avocados. At the supermarket they will cost you an average of $2.88 each, compared to just $0.99 at Preston Market. A pineapple will cost $4.98 at the supermarket, but just $2.99 at the market.
So cut down the grocery bill this week and head to Preston Market. If Preston’s too far away that’s fine there are endless other options. Regardless of your suburb there will be a similar market nearby. Think Prahran Market, South Melbourne Market, Queen Victoria Market or any local weekend market.
Start saving this week and add another market to your already bursting market agenda.
Full details of prices (week 20 August-27 August): (s/m=supermarket; p/m=Preston Market)
- Avocado each: $2.88 (s/m); $0.99 (p/m)
- Bananas/kg: $3.94 (s/m); $2.99 (p/m)
- Broccoli/kg: $7.98 (s/m); $6.99 (p/m)
- Capsicum/kg (red): $8.98 (s/m); $5.99 (p/m)
- Carrots 1kg bag: $1.54 (s/m); $1.29 (p/m)
- Celery bunch: $2.74 (s/m); $1.99 (p/m)
- Lettuce each: $3.98 (s/m); $3.49 (p/m)
- Onions 1kg bag: $1.54 (s/m); $1.00 (p/m)
- Oranges/kg (navel): $2.23 (s/m); $0.99 (p/m)
- Pears/kg (packham): $2.98 (s/m); $1.49 (p/m)
- Pineapple each: $4.98 (s/m); $2.99 (p/m)
- Potatoes/kg (washed): $3.73 (s/m); $2.99 (p/m)
- Watermelon/kg: $3.98 (s/m); $2.49 (p/m)
From market to market 