Woman’s supermarket comparison list reveals ‘crazy’ price difference

A QLD woman has shared a price comparison list of fruit items from her local grocer compared to Woolworths. There’s a startling difference.

Catherine Hoge is a pro when it comes to hunting for bargains but not even she was prepared for the prices she stumbled across at her local grocer.

The 52-year-old nurse from Manly, Brisbane, often bulk-buys when it comes to fruit and vegetables – not just for her but for her pet pig and friend’s 10 miniature horses.

She can easily spend hundreds of dollars every few weeks – so she said it was important to have a plan when it came to large purchases.

“I always keep an eye out for the Woolworths catalogue and print off the half price specials and buy that,” she said.

However, Ms Hoge recently did a supermarket comparison between her local grocer and Woolworths only to discover the “crazy” price difference.

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Catherine Hoge did a price comparison on a bunch of fruit items from her local grocer compared to Woolworths, revealing a huge savings of just under $130. Picture: Facebook/SimpleSavers

Sharing her huge savings to the popular Facebook group Simple Savers, Ms Hoge revealed that for 11 different types of items including bananas, rockmelon, strawberries and oranges, she managed to save $129.75 by shopping at her local Birkdale Farmers market in Brisbane.

“The differences are crazy,” she said. “Price comparison. Suburban fruit ’n’ veg market vs local Woolies. $79.33 saved … 61 per cent cheaper!”

She later edited the post to reveal she in fact saved about $130.

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With rockmelons at just $0.09/kg, Cath bought 12. She mainly feeds the bulk of her fruits to her pet pig and friend’s 10 miniature horses. Picture: Facebook/SimpleSavers

The Many local uploaded her comparison list to the group which showed lady finger bananas to be $1.99/kg at her local grocer compared to $7.50/kg at Woolworths Mayfair Village.

Respectively strawberries cost her $6.98/kg compared to $11.20/kg.

But the one item that shocked her the most was rockmelons.

At just 9 cents each, she decided to buy 12, but the price left her so stunned she asked a staff member if it was correct.

“I asked the lady it was a mistake, if they actually were 9 cents … it’s just crazy. I knew I was saving a massive amount but I never expected it to be this much,” Ms Hoge told news.com.au

She did point out her local Woolworths didn’t have candy melons and used the cost from Coles to make the comparison.

Brisbane local Cath Hoge with her pet pig, ‘Piggy’. Picture: Cath Hoge

Piggy eating watermelon for the first time – another of Cath’s bargain buys. Picture: Cath Hoge

However, had she purchased the items from the major supermarket chains, it would have set her back $180.17 at the time.

“I buy whatever is cheapest,” she said, “which is mainly for the animals.

“I have a pet pig and while he stays at my friend’s place, he is my responsibility. But on his acreage he also has 10 miniature horses so anything they like which is usually apples and carrots, I also buy.

“I just started stockpiling recently and it’s not at all about panic buying – I just see huge benefit in buying in bulk.”

The bulk of her fruits are also fed to her friend John’s miniature horses which is why she is always on the hunt for bargain buys. Picture: Cath Hoge

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Ms Hoge’s money saving comparison left many fellow shoppers amazed.

“It’s crazy the mark-ups in supermarkets,” one woman commented.

“Awesome work! Love savings like this,” another said.

“Unbelievable savings! I’m in Sydney … prices nowhere close to those at your fruit market!”

A third wrote: “My local fruit market had strawberries at $5 a punnet.”

Cath also grows her own fruit – these vines have more than 200 panama gold passionfruits on it – another way she saves on fruit. Picture: Cath Hoge

Others recommended other markets with equally impressive savings around Australia.

“If you are anywhere near Paddy’s Market Flemington (NSW), it’s well worth going. Besides fruit and veg, we go for fish – $13.99/kg for flathead fillets versus the $44/kg I saw it for at Woolies; can usually get prawns for about $15/kg,” one shopper wrote.