Supermarket Sleuths: Fed up with high grocery prices? Here are five ways Aussies are fighting back at the checkout

Grocery prices have increased more than 20 per cent in the past five years, leaving Aussies struggling to make ends meet.

Still, there are plenty of ways supermarket shoppers can save at the check out.

Here are five tried and tested methods to ensure you are paying the lowest grocery prices possible – and trust me, these strategies work each and every time.

1. Plan ahead

The first step is planning. Figure out what your grocery budget is for that week, fortnight or month, and then make a shopping list.

But also take inventory of what you already have.

It is so helpful to create a meal plan using what's on hand in your fridge and pantry, and then jot down what you actually need.

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Also, take a look at each retailer's specials that week, especially when it comes to the fruit and veg that is in season.

Finally, don't just make a list – stick to it.

Impulse buying costs you money. If it isn't on your list, don't buy it, even if it is on special. Often those specials don't reflect the lowest prices possible, anyway.

2. Use AI

AI is now in every stage of the grocery-buying process, from creating your list to sending you product suggestions and ads for products you may like to buy, based on your previous purchases.

Woolies has AI bot Olive, which does lots of things, including converting recipes into shopping lists, suggesting products based on past preferences, and finding out about availability of your favourite items.

Coles also uses AI in its app to help customers curate lists based on previous purchases and meal plans.

Then there are apps such as Half Price and Frugal, which are better for customers wanting to compare prices, and utilise AI and data to help you find what you are looking for.

The Zyft app is also a great tool for finding the lowest prices for individual products.

3. Bigger shops less often

The latest research shows Aussies are doing smaller shops more often, rather than larger infrequent shops. But this can cost you money.

Instead, plan out a larger shop – either weekly or fortnightly, which is ideal – and then you can cut down those smaller trips, during which you usually end up buying items you don't actually need.

Weekly shops seem to work best when it comes to bread and milk and fresh fruit and veg, but if you do prefer a fortnightly shop, you can schedule in one small weekly shop to top up all the fresh stuff.

The more often you go to the shops, the more vulnerable you are to making impulse purchases.

Some shoppers do their grocery shopping online to avoid this, which can work really well, especially if you get yourself a free delivery slot.

4. Cross shopping

This is a really clever way Aussie shoppers are saving, and the data shows cross shopping is on the increase.

All this means is customers are visiting multiple retailers to complete their grocery shopping, instead of doing it all at one supermarket.

So some people are visiting maybe Coles, Woolies, Aldi, and IGA each time they grocery shop to take advantage of all the specials, most are just doing two or three different retailers.

Others will do a big shop at Aldi and Costco fortnightly or monthly, and then go to their local Coles, Woolies or IGA for the rest of it.

5. Home brands

Coles and Woolworths have expanded their home brand ranges, and they are excellent.

This is the easiest way to save at the supermarket, especially if you are time poor and don't have time to look up who has the lowest prices, or you don't have time to visit more than one retailer.

Just by choosing home brands, you're making instant savings.

Shoppers are also "pantry loading", which simply means stocking up their pantries with affordable staples so they still have the ingredients for a delicious meal during weeks when then have less money to spend on groceries.

Lately, supermarkets have been selling a lot of home brand rice, pasta, tinned sardines, tuna and legumes.

There are some really cool recipes that use these ingredients, along with items you have at home, and these meals can cost as little as $2 or under.

Shoppers are also switching from fresh to frozen when it comes to fruit and veg, especially with items that aren't in season. These are affordable and decent quality, while also cutting down on waste.

6. Flybuys vs Everyday Rewards

Coles Flybuys is free to join or you can pay $7 for Coles Plus Saver, which comes with a 10 percent discount on off one shop per month.

Woolworths Everyday Rewards is also free to join, or you can subscribe to Everyday Extra for $7 per month.

These subscriptions also come with free delivery and Member Discounts.

But the free tiers are good enough. You can still access specials and free delivery slots and for every 2,000 gives you $10 off your shopping.

These days most people will sign up and use both loyalty programs because real savings come from paying the lowest prices possible, regardless of the retailer, and not these membership perks.

Supermarket apps are the easiest way to find out what is on special, although AI comes into play here as well with optimised ads, and product suggestions.

Once again, if it's not on your grocery list, don't buy it, even if it is on special. That's how you truly, truly save.

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