6 items you should never buy at a supermarket
You can’t deny the convenience of being able to do all your under one roof and many stores offer incentives to do so, but this convenience comes at a price.
Supermarket shopping represents one of the largest weekly expenditures for many households and while there are some items you can only really get at Coles or Woolies, there are plenty which you can almost always acquire for a better price elsewhere.
Here are six items you should never buy at a supermarket:
1. Stationery – A 10 pack of pens at your local supermarket might set you back something in the region of $4, but they'll cost you half as much if you’re willing to head to your local Officeworks. Even discount department stores like Kmart offer a better deal on common stationery and often have a far better selection to choose from.
2. Health Supplements – While it’s convenient to pick up your Vitamin C while you’re on your weekly shop, sometimes health supplements can be much cheaper at your local chemist. If you’ve got time it never hurts to double check at least.
3. Small Appliances – These items are increasingly finding their way into supermarket aisles and while it may represent a short-term solution, the range is relatively small, the quality is sometimes questionable and you can’t match the prices and range at electronics retailers.
4. Expensive cleaning products – The more-common brand-name cleaning products often come with inflated prices, and in many cases homemade remedies like white vinegar and a little bit of elbow grease are just as effective. Hardware stores also offer cleaning products in bulk at a discount.
5. Pre-prepared meals – While these items are convenient, there is a premium that comes with the packaging and they’re certainly not as wholesome as if you were to cook the items yourself. They’re also generally laden with unhealthy amounts of salt.
6. Pest control items – If you’re sick of entertaining for unwanted insects and want to do your own DIY pest control, head to the hardware store instead of the supermarket aisle where most common insect surface sprays can be found at a considerable discount.
What do you think? Are there any items we've missed? Or do you have any tricks for saving money at the supermarket? Let us know in the comments below!
Also check out our overview of supermarket sales tactics here.
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