The Elegant Sufficiency

Price Check 2

Wanted to slam this up fast... prices change depending on supply, demand, time of the season, of course, so in a few days' time these charts may be moot. Thanks for all your help gathering prices. I think the results are interesting enough even if the methodology might have Roy Morgan spluttering in his cornflakes.
In Sydney, I wanted to get to Fratelli Fresh and Harris Farm, but ran out of time, and I haven't had the time to study these prices in depth, but these are the things that strike me as most worth pointing out. Probably no surprise to most of you:

• If you want to save money, go to the markets! Even farmers' markets seem cheaper, which surprised me;
• I'm amazed that the markets in the centre of Sydney, the most expensive real estate in the country, have the best prices in this lot. How good are those Paddy's Market prices? (I could have got 10 limes for $2...)
• It follows then, that if you're in the business of saving money, shop where Asian-Australians shop such as Paddys Markets and Campsie: they won’t put up with overpricing;
• No surprise that you'll always get better prices when you buy greater quantities: for example, three avocadoes for $6 at La Manna in Melbourne, as opposed to $2.50 each.
• The hair-raising price of organics at Queen Victoria Market (do they match other organic outlets?);
• Interesting the consistency of many of the prices at different locations for Coles and Woolworths outlets.

Have I missed anything worth pointing out?

•    In a couple of places here where I haven’t been sure of what you’ve told me, or you didn’t get the price, I’ve put n/a — doesn’t mean the shop doesn’t stock it.

Price Check

Listen, this is an exercise in convalescing-induced curiosity for me as much as anything, but it’d be much more interesting if y’all chipped in from wherever you might be — Gundagai to Goondiwindi, Prahran Markets to Perth and Penrith, Noosa to Nedlands, Alphington to Ulladulla and Ipswich — hey, even Toronto, Brooklyn, Zurich, Glastonbury, Nairobi and Nauru. (I’ll even do the currency conversions for you.)
I’d like to work out some sort of chart that gives some sort of indication about comparative fresh produce prices.
Sparked by a range of things including, but not limited to:

• My need to shave some expenses from my blown-out expenditure in preparation for my Japan holiday and my consequent interest in where I’m better off shopping;
• My curiosity about whether I’m being budget conscious if I shop at better fruit and vegetable shops in inner-city Sydney as opposed to supermarkets — as, of course, any food-loving person prefers to do;
• The headline news: in the Herald this week, front-page news about the Federal Government’s intention to make it easier for foreign supermarket chains to enter Australia, so increasing competition;
• The sense I have that everyone is tightening their belts (a meatloaf post is to come) and the fact that we seem to be entering a new era of food shortages;
• My brothers’ recent rantings about one of the two major Australian supermarket chains — can’t remember which one it was, Coles or Woolworths, but he was passionate in his disdain for it … I’ll get back to you on that. Suspect others may share similar antipathy towards the chains.

As you’ll see here, I’ve chosen some fruit and vegetable items to focus on. I’m going to have a look at a couple of places this weekend and add to the list of prices. I’d like then to add up the cost of a shopping basket of the same items from each place. Not very scientific I’m sure, but maybe a little indicative, a little useful, a little interesting. Throw your thoughts at me if you’d like to contribute… email me or comment with prices for the following and maybe we’ll have a conclusion to muse over at the end of it all. (Any organic shoppers out there? Talk to me!)