Grocery shopping on a budget

Save money by focusing on in-season produce

🛒 Groceries is often the 2nd biggest spend category in household budgets, so it’s worth ensuring you’re getting a good deal

🥑 You can eat well and save big money by focusing on in-season fruit & veg at your local fresh food markets, which often costs 60-80% less

🍓 With prices varying significantly throughout the seasons, do you find yourself wondering: is this a good price for strawberries?

💲 Use the guide below to identify what's great value, then google ingredient combos to develop your meal plan

Fruit and vegetable price guide


Item Per Great price Don't pay over
Apple Bravo Apple | Bravo Kilogram $2.00 $3.00
Apple Fuji Apple | Fuji Kilogram $2.00 $3.00
Apple Granny Smith Apple | Granny Smith Kilogram $2.00 $3.00
Globe Artichoke Artichoke | Globe Each $2.00 $3.50
Asparagus Asparagus Bunch $2.50 $4.00
Hass Avocado Avocado | Hass (small) Each $1.00 $1.50
Hass Avocado Avocado | Hass (medium) Each $1.20 $2.00
Hass Avocado Avocado | Hass (large) Each $2.00 $2.50
Shepard Avocado Avocado | Shepard Each $1.00 $2.00
Baby Spinach Baby Spinach Kilogram $10.00 $16.00
Cavendish Banana Banana | Cavendish Kilogram $1.00 $3.00
Lady Finger Banana Banana | Lady Finger Kilogram $1.00 $1.50
Green Beans Beans | Green Kilogram $4.50 $6.00
Snake Beans Beans | Snake Bunch $3.00 $4.00
Bean Sprouts Bean Sprouts Kilogram $4.00 $6.00
Beetroot Beetroot Kilogram $4.00 $5.00
Blackberries Blackberries Punnet (125g) $2.00 $4.00
Blueberries Blueberries Punnet (125g) $2.00 $4.00
Bok Choy Bok Choy Bunch $2.00 $4.00
Broccoli Broccoli Kilogram $4.00 $5.50
Broccolini Broccolini Bunch $2.50 $3.50
Brussel Sprouts Brussel Sprouts Kilogram $6.00 $8.00
Cabbage Cabbage Head $2.00 $3.00
Capsicum Capsicum Kilogram $3.50 $5.00
Carrots Carrots Kilogram $1.70 $2.00
Cauliflower Cauliflower Each $2.00 $4.00
Celeriac Celeriac Each $5.00 $7.00
Celery Celery Each $2.00 $3.00
Cherries Cherries Kilogram $12.00 $16.00
Chestnuts Chestnuts Kilogram $5.00 $10.00
Bullhorn Chilli Chilli | Bullhorn Sweet Kilogram $6.00 $9.00
Choy Sum Choy Sum Bunch $2.00 $3.00
Coriander Coriander Bunch $2.00 $3.00
Corn Corn Each $0.60 $1.00
Baby Cucumber Cucumber | Baby ("Qukes") Punnet (250g) $2.00 $4.00
Telegraph Cucumber Cucumber | Continental / Telegraph Kilogram $3.00 $4.00
Lebanese Cucumber Cucumber | Lebanese Kilogram $2.50 $4.00
Medjool Dates Dates | Medjool Kilogram $10.00 $26.00
Eggplant Eggplant Kilogram $3.00 $5.00
Fennel Fennel Each $1.50 $3.00
Fig Figs Each $0.50 $1.50
Galangal Galangal Kilogram $17.50 $25.00
Garlic Garlic | Australian Kilogram $28.00 $35.00
Garlic (peeled) Garlic | Peeled Kilogram $6.00 $10.00
Ginger Ginger Kilogram $12.00 $20.00
Ruby Grapefruit Grapefruit | Ruby Kilogram $1.50 $3.00
Grapes Grapes Kilogram $5.00 $7.50
Jerusalem Artichokes Jerusalem Artichokes Kilogram $8.00 $12.00
Kai Lan Kai Lan / Gai Lan Bunch $2.00 $4.00
Curly Kale Kale | Tuscan, Curly Bunch $2.50 $4.00
Green Kiwifruit Kiwifruit | Green Kilogram $4.00 $7.00
Gold Kiwifruit Kiwifruit | Gold Kilogram $4.00 $7.00
Leek Leek Each $3.00 $3.50
Lemon Lemon Kilogram (12-14) $3.00 $5.00
Cos Lettuce Lettuce | Cos Each $2.00 $3.00
Iceberg Lettuce Lettuce | Iceberg Each $2.00 $3.00
Lime Lime | Tahitian Kilogram (12-16) $5.00 $8.00
Imperial Mandarin Mandarin | Imperial Kilogram $3.00 $5.00
Calypso Mango Mango | Calypso (Large) Each $1.00 $1.50
Kensington Pride Mango Mango | Kensington Pride (Large) Each $1.00 $1.50
R2E2 Mango Mango | R2E2 (Large) Each $1.00 $1.50
Button Mushrooms Mushrooms | Button Kilogram $10.00 $15.00
Flat Mushrooms Mushrooms | Flat Kilogram $10.00 $15.00
Swiss Brown Mushrooms Mushrooms | Swiss Brown Kilogram $10.00 $16.00
Brown Onion Onions | Brown Kilogram $1.50 $2.50
Red Onion Onions | Red Kilogram $2.00 $3.50
Navel Orange Oranges | Navel Kilogram $2.00 $3.50
Valencies Orange Oranges | Valencia Kilogram $2.50 $3.00
Papaya Papaya Kilogram $4.00 $6.50
Passionfruit Passionfruit Each $0.40 $0.80
Peach Peach Kilogram $4.00 $6.00
Beurre Bosc Pear Pear | Beurre Bosc Kilogram $2.50 $4.00
Nashi Pear Pear | Nashi Kilogram $5.00 $7.00
Packham Pear Pear | Packham Kilogram $2.00 $4.00
Pineapple Pineapple Each $2.00 $4.00
Brushed Potatoes Potatoes | Brushed White Kilogram $2.50 $4.00
Desiree Potatoes Potatoes | Desiree Kilogram $3.00 $4.00
Dutch Cream Potatoes Potatoes | Dutch Cream Kilogram $5.00 $8.00
Kipfler Potatoes Potatoes | Kipfler Kilogram $6.00 $7.00
Cut Pumpkin Pumpkin | Cut Kilogram $1.50 $2.50
Whole Pumpkin Pumpkin | Whole Kilogram $1.00 $2.00
Quince Quince Kilogram $4.00 $6.00
Radish Radish Bunch $2.50 $4.00
Raspberries Raspberries Punnet (250g) $3.00 $5.00
Rhubarb Rhubarb Bunch $4.00 $6.00
Rocket Rocket Kilogram $10.00 $16.00
Rockmelon Rockmelon Each $2.00 $4.00
Snowpeas Snowpeas Kilogram $4.00 $7.00
Spring Onion (Eschallot) Spring Onion ("Eschallot") Bunch $1.50 $3.00
Strawberries Strawberries Punnet (500g) $3.50 $5.00
Sweet Potato Sweet Potato | Gold Kilogram $1.50 $3.00
Cherry Tomatoes Tomatoes | Cherry Kilogram $6.00 $10.00
Grape Tomatoes Tomatoes | Grape Kilogram $8.00 $10.00
Truss Tomatoes Tomatoes | Truss Kilogram $8.00 $10.00
Watermelon (cut) Watermelon | Seedless Cut Kilogram $1.50 $3.00
Zucchini Zucchini Kilogram $2.50 $5.00

Batch cooking can save you over $3,500 per year

Batch cooking can save you over $3,500 per year thanks to:

  • Lower unit prices as you're able to buy your ingredients in bulk for a large batch. You can often save 20-40% by buying in bulk as stores offer bulk discounts and you can stock up on produce that's selling for a low price as it's in-season and abundant. If you redirect $100/week of your grocery spend into batch cooking ingredients, then you can be saving over $1,000 per year.
  • Less money spent on takeaway for dinner for convenience as it's just as easy to pop one of your batch-cooked meals (and probably quicker too). Avoiding one takeout each fortnight quickly adds up to $1,000 in savings over a year.
  • Less money spent on work lunches at cafes & restaurants. While it's nice to head out for the occasional work lunch with friends, we're often eating lunch out simply because we didn't have time to prepare lunch before we left home that morning. If you've batch cooked and portioned it up in reusable containers, you can simply grab a lunchbox from the fridge on your way out the door. If this enables you to avoid two work lunches from the café each week, this could add up to $1,000 in savings each year.
  • Less waste as food tends to last longer in the freezer once cooked than in its raw state. Think about the sad-looking coriander wilting in your crisper at the end of each week. Research indicates that we're wasting $2,000-2,500 worth of food per household per year! Even if you only reduce the amount wasted by 25%, that's still a $500 saving each year.
  • Less electricity used by your oven/stove as cooking a double batch doesn't take twice as long. Think about all the unused space in your oven that you're heating up just for your one tray meal. Compared to the other savings, this is relatively minor at $100 per year.