Aldi, Coles and Woolworths: Where to find the best Christmas supermarket buys

It’s no secret that the Christmas period is one of the most expensive times of the year. According to comparison site finder.com.au, the average Australian shopper will spend $316 on food alone over the holiday season.

If you’re looking at reducing food cost these holidays, Finder analysed the cost of Christmas dinner across three leading supermarkets — Aldi, Coles and Woolworths, to find out where you can score the best buys.

“The pressure on households is greater this Christmas and many have to make the most of sales to keep a cap on food prices,” Taylor Blackburn, personal finance expert at Finder, said.

“However, there are still many Aussies spending big. If you do plan on going that extra mile make sure you shop around to get the best deal.”

It wouldn’t be Christmas without ham, and Finder found a half leg ham will set you back $11.99 per kilogram at Aldi, compared to $14 per kilogram at Coles and Woolworths.

Meanwhile, you can pick up a 2kg roast turkey from Aldi for just $19.99, compared to $28 at Coles and $29 at Woolworths.

If you’re on the hunt for the cheapest prawns head to Aldi once again as you can pick up 280 grams of garlic prawns for just $9.99. The same variety will set you back $12 at Coles and $12.50 at Woolworths.

Aldi also came out on top for pavlova base ($5.69), 1kg vanilla custard (2.99) and light fruit cake ($3.99). And if you’re after any ready-made meals, a potato salad will only set you back $3.99 at Aldi, compared to $6.50 at Coles and Woolworths. The same goes for pasta salad at all three supermarkets.

You can also pick up a 2-litre orange juice at the German discount chain for just $4.49, while the same size bottle of orange juice will cost you $5.25 at Coles and $7.14 at Woolworths. And if you’re running low on plates this year, Aldi is selling a 10-pack of Christmas paper plates for $1.99, compared to $3 at Coles for just an eight-pack and $2 at Woolworths.

“It can be tempting to opt for convenience and do your shopping at one store, but venturing further than your go-to supermarket will help you save,” Blackburn added.

“Aldi might not stock everything you need — Coles and Woolies have a much larger range — but it’s a good place to start and pick up some of the essentials.

“A saving as little as $20 still counts during the most expensive time of year. Whether it’s an extra present for the kids, or another bottle of wine, it’s money back in your pocket.”