Store Brands

Many still are debating whether to choose leading brands or store brands when doing the grocery shopping, and I am no exeption to them. But as time flies many people opted to select store brand products over the leading brand. Main reason the PRICE. I guess we are becoming more price conscious and we want to be in control of our budget.

Choosing store brands does not mean you are sacrificng the quality. Honestly, there are store brand products which you can't tell the difference from the leading brand (except of course the price!). Here in AU there are plenty of store brands to choose from...there's Home Brand and Select of Woolworths, Smart Buy of  Coles, Black & Gold, No Frills, etc. Most of the time I do my weekly grocery shopping at Woolworths or Coles because of the store's proximity from my house.

So which one do I prefer, Woolworths brand or Coles brand? Yes, even store brands differ from each other!

Product	Woolworths	Coles
Toilet Cleaning Items	V
Kitchen Items (dishwashing liquid, scouring pads, etc.)	V
Toilet Paper	V	V
Cheeses	V	V
Chicken Nuggets	V	V
Prepared fish fillets		V
Ice cream		V

With prices of household items going up to often,  it's about time to be wise.

And it goes a longggggg way ;)

There are times (or should I say most of the time) that I tend to be very impulsive especially in buying stuff for the house, be it food or appliances. The price does not matter sometimes if I see something new and attractive. I just want to buy it without thinking if it is worth it. And so the Nuffnang competition "Nuffnang Coles Group & Myer:How Do You Turn $10 into $100?" truly challenged me.


There are 2 challenges - the 1st challenge how to spend the $10 Coles gift card in the most creative, interesting or fun way. Well, this surely is not for me. I am not a creative person. The 2nd challenge is how far you can stretch the $10...hmmm...this sounds more interesting... perhaps I can be frugal even for a day :)

So, off I went to Coles to search every aisle to find the items that I need at home and that are worth buying for. Of course I need to keep in mind that I only have $10 to spend. And guess what I made out of my $10 Coles gift card? A yummy treat for my family especially for my 3 kids and a healthy treat for myself!

I bought 3 Cottees Jelly (Orange, Lime and Strawberry flavor) for 95 cents each, a Coles condensed milk for $1.89, a Liddells lactose free cream for $1.59 and a San Remo Cous Cous for $3.56. All in all, it costs me $9.89 for all these items! So, proud of myself :)


Now, time for some little magic...I used the jelly powder, condensed milk and cream to make a delicious jelly for my kids.


As for the Cous Cous (which by the way is 98% fat free and rich in fibre!), I added some leftover sultanas and slivered almonds and had it for lunch and dinner as an alternative to rice.