WE recently had an Aldi open in our nearby town.

I do like their range of stuff, & a number of things about their system, but don't be fooled, they are not fairy godmothers.

One thing I have noticed is the size thing. Many of their pack sizes are 10, 50 or 100Gm smaller than that of brand name stuff at the IGA. The same goes for the big 2, with store brands.

One thing that one of the big 2 is doing to annoy me is their change to own brand stuff. I have found quite a bit of the private brand stuff is not to my taste, & am developing quite a resistance to having it forced on me.

I have recently left a half full trolley at the checkout, advising them that as I can no longer get what I want I'll have none thanks.

I hope they enjoyed putting it all back. That was my usual $220 or so fortnightly shopping they did not get, & it's likely to happen more often, as I get older & crankier.

At least they now know that if I can't get something that I have bought for years, because they want a few more cents mark up, on a store brand product, they will loose a couple of hundred, & have the joy of unloading a trolley.

when i buy..i buy mostly plain-lable...also avoid pre-packaged
[with the exception of frozen-beans and frozen-corn]that are more conveniant..to simply store/ready to go,..in the freezer]

buy veg late sunday..is another trick..[they mostly go to the markets on monday]..so often..they are trying to move all the stuff..out late sunday..to get ready..for monday

also cheaper..is near closing time..much is reduced to clear..
[this is common/with things like..cooked-chickens/meat/bread]

although..i can usually get chicken-legs or thighs..for arround 2 to 3 dollars a kg...at the butcher[big-guns]
http://www.biggun.com.au/pdf/vicpoint.pdf

they have basic mince 5 kg for 15..[but its fatty..[i use the fat for deepfrying]..potatoes are better/by the bag[bulk]..same re carrots[these are best..from the market..

sometimes the fruit..and veg person can cut a..'deal'..on bulk

not to be scoffed..at is bin-raiding..[like those afore mentioned cooked chickens..hit the bin...if they dont get sold/at reduced price]..

but you find them..often locked..after closing..so those with a thick-hide..check them out..before..they lock them...[this was more in canberra]..havnt been desperate enough..to do it here..[yet]

many fruit-veg..give stuff away..
[if you ask them for scraps..'for the guinnie-pigs']

as im..'one'..i find cooking a big pain...[and 'easy'..fast-food is expensive food]..in winter i make up a stew..[put portions in take-away containers...and keep them in the fridge]..ending up with 18/20..meals for arround 5 bucks..[just heat and eat]

when i buy the fatty mince...i usually buy-up big on potatoes..enjoying chips...i used to add..in a few fishfingers...and mini dimsims..[arround 3 bucks kg..and that makes 15 meals]

left-overs make good soups...breakfast you cant beat..the homemade mix..of sultantas/crushed vitabrits...and plenty of rolled oats...and some fresh fruit...

i buy plain-lable..bread..[$1.20]..with an egg and some $4.99 bacon[from pattons]...its cheap eating

AVOID sweets...by the time/you add-up..the KG/price..your paying 10/20 a killogram..theres a reason there sold in small packets...

[think of the quality fruit..you could be bying..for that cost]

...bying one of each of..a few vegetables..costs less than bying..that fancy gourme..mix....

[this rule applies to..just about any prepackaged stuff]..[make your own nut-mix..or dried/fruit-mix,..or breakfast cerial]...etc

make your own custard/jellies etc..
SR-flour...makes great pancakes...or just about any other pastry...cakes..etc

Hasbeen, I don't know if its common in your area but W and C are great ones now for forcing you to buy more with 2 for $5 or 1 for $3,59. Which does not help those on a budget or like us just need the 'one'.
Some years ago a friend of mine owned a peanut butter business, actually he was the first in Australia to have a machine to extract more of the oil from the stuff, remember how oily peanut butter was. He put in this new plant when he landed a contract to supply Woolies with his brand, it was a good seller, unfortunately as soon as the contract was up. Woolies sent him a letter advising that as they had 5 suppliers of peanut butter they would be cutting that back to 3, now give us your rock bottom price deal and you might be a winner. He lost the contract, and as he said if your product is not with W and C your may well be history.

oh i forgot..the big money saver is turning off the hotwater heater..and getting a pushbike..[no rego..no traffic fines no parking revenue raising]

other things that help is if traveling far to work...rent your house out...and rent nearer to your workplace..[then you get all them tax deductions,..only investers seem to get]

i stopped bying..new.,i now by half price at cash-conveters...do it youself is a big key...make a list of stuff you need to throw-out of your fridge...ban bying any more of that you arnt using

before going to the check out..go through whats in your cart
make it a rule..to but back at least one expensive item..each time

my web acces is via a 12 month plan
[i ran out of gig's in the 3rd month..but so far so good..its still working..after 10 mths..if its slow...my computer cant tell the difference]

learn to grow your own
or brew your own...[avoid the kits]
learn to make do..and turn off everything thats using any current

enjoy cold showers...i know its not worth 100 bucks just to have a warm one...avoid auto deductions...especially avoid creditcards..allways ask for a dicount...[remember shareholders get discounts..so a few shares with your suppliers could pay-off]

first think repair..[re-use...not reCYCLE..recycle is break a bottle to make a new bottle]...create a budget and stick withit...dont spend much on clothing...[cotten growers are destroying the earth]...

avoid soy..they are destroying the 3 rd world...avoid palm-oil...[and es[pecially ethinol..make a conscience list..

of things you refuse to buy ON PRINCIPLE*..
[this can save heaps]

The "only" people who are missing out are the people who don't have access to a Coles supermarket or a Woollies supermarket.

These 2 monopolies have provided us with Australia's CHEAPEST grocery prices in our nation's history.

Go back to the 1800s, most people couldn't even remotely afford groceries, in fact "groceries" barely even existed. Let's move on to the early 1900s .... corner grocery stores began their journey into our society; we could now buy regular supplies of the basics like flour, bread, sugar but the cost was "premium". Let's go to the 1950s .... by now we had larger corner grocery stores, and more of them, and the range was increasing slightly beyond the "basics"; because these stores were small, family run businesses prices were VERY high. Now onto 1959 to 2010 .... in the late 50s Woollies opened their very first Australian supermarket and within 10 years Coles and Woollies were EVERYWHERE; prices IMMEDIATELY came down. The more stores that Coles and Woollies opened, the greater was their bulk buying power, and the prices continued their rapid downward spiral. Now it's 2010 and over the past few years we've been enjoying the lowest overall prices regarding the total cost of food that we've ever had in our nation's history.

And all because of the 2 supermarket monopoly.

Grocery prices are low low low!

We should stop our whinging (an Aussie pastime), and be grateful.

Yes, Aldi suits some, but not all. They are owned by two of the
world's richest men, a couple of Germans, although I gather one died
recently.

Coles and Woolies are largely owned by Australian Superannuation funds, so most posters here would own a stake in them.

Aldi has a simple formula. Minimum products (700 or so),
minimum staff, minimum everything. Pack your own groceries,
bring back your own trolley, etc. Work your staff to the limit.

That suits some people, personally I prefer the variety and prefer
to see the profits of my shopping stay in Australia. But each
to their own.