Home in on no-brand supermarket savings

GROCERY shopping's a costly chore, but just because prices go up, it doesn't mean they'll break the bank.

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GROCERY shopping is an unavoidable and costly chore, but just because prices go up it does not mean your total food bill has to break the bank.

Founder of budgeting website simplesavings.com.au, Fiona Lippey, says there are many ways to make big savings on your weekly food bill, and a key one is to reach for supermarket-brand products.

She says supermarket-brand items such as baking ingredients, frozen and some canned foods are as good as the more expensive name brands and often much cheaper.

Other items might come down to individual taste.

"Check out just a couple of new items each week," Lippey says. "Don't try to change all your shopping habits at once it's too hard."

Woolworths spokesman Benedict Brook says that store's own brand groceries are growing in popularity.

"The quality of Woolworths own brand products has improved over recent years to ensure we get things like flavour and texture correct from the start," Brook says.

He says in some categories, supermarket brand products are the top or second highest seller by unit sales.

Among the most popular of these products are things such as sugar, flour, tuna, household cleaning products, toilet paper and paper towels.

A survey by national consumer group Choice compared the taste of supermarket-brand products as well as the price, and says the Coles Smart Buy brand "consistently rated poorly for taste, whereas Woolworths Home Brand rated well for both taste and value across several categories".

Lippey says there are also other ways shoppers can slash their grocery bills.

"Cooking from scratch will always be your cheapest and healthiest option," she says.

She says consumers should also look below eye level in the supermarket to find cheaper brands, check the price tag for unit price comparisons, and buy essentials such as toilet paper in large quantities when they are on a good special.