Struggling With The Cost of Your Weekly Grocery Shop? Check Out These Apps
Have you noticed those grocery bills creeping up? It's been a steady climb since 2020, thanks to a mix of inflation, supply chain disruptions from the pandemic, and those extra tariffs on imports. It's like every trip to the supermarket is a little more expensive than the last.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which keeps a close eye on inflation, food prices in Australia have surged by 18% since the pandemic began. That breaks down to an annual increase of about 4.6%. To put it in perspective, broader Australian inflation has been tracking at around 4.1% per year.
While we're not facing the extreme spikes of the early pandemic days, this steady climb in prices is still a significant factor in our daily lives. It's more than just a few extra cents here and there; it's a consistent trend that's reshaping how we budget for our weekly essentials.
In response, savvy shoppers have been turning to established grocery price comparison and savings apps. Here we look at the top three – WiseList, Frugl and Half Price – to see how they can help you save and keep that weekly bill down.
WiseList
Free | 4.4 stars / 1.4k ratings
The WiseList app allows you to compare supermarket prices (Coles and Woolworths only), helping you spend less and save. It also offers multi-store same-day delivery.
How does WiseList work?
- Download app
- Create a grocery list in the app
- See and compare the total price of your grocery items at Coles and Woolies
- Shop in-store or get the cheapest items from both stores delivered to your door in as little as two hours
What other features does WiseList offer?
As well as enabling you to compare prices at two of Australia’s leading grocery stores, the WiseList app also offers gives you the ability to:
- Share real-time grocery lists with your family
- Browse catalogue specials and add them to your grocery list and watch list
- Add your Flybys and Woolworth Rewards cards and scan them at checkout via the app
- Store and keep track of upcoming bills and payments and compare and switch providers using its WiseBill feature
- Access over 100,000 recipes for free with a cost comparison
Are they any downsides to WiseList?
While it offers a lot of great money-saving features, the one main downside of WiseList is that it only compares prices at two supermarkets. What if you could save more money by shopping at ALDI or another store?
You also need to consider delivery and service fees in your savings:
- Delivery is a flat rate of $5 within 3km of both Woolworths and Coles. Every additional km after that is charged at $1 per km.
- A service fee 5 per cent is applied to your order’s subtotal, calculated on the amount before any promotions or discounts are applied.
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Frugl
Free | 3 stars / 150 ratings
The Frugl app can help you find savings on thousands of products every week across thousands of grocery stores nationwide, including Coles, ALDI, Woolies and IGA Supermarkets.
How does Frugl work?
- Download app
- Search or scan products or create lists for your fridge or pantry
- See and compare the prices across over 5,266 grocery brands
- Choose the best place/s to shop each week (prices are updated weekly)
What other features does Frugl offer?
As well as letting you compare prices for thousands of products and thousands of different grocery stores, the Frugl app also offers gives you the ability to:
- Set user dietary preferences, such as low salt, gluten-free or vegan to highlight suitable products
- Access information such as nutritional content and recommended daily intakes
Are there any downsides to Frugl?
While Frugl is a useful tool for comparing prices across thousands of products and stores, unlike WiseList, it doesn’t offer multi-store delivery. This means you may have to visit multiple stores each week to make decent savings.
However, because of its dietary and wellness functions, it may be the best option for those with allergies and special diet needs.
Half Price
Free | 4.7 stars / 13.2k ratings
Unlike WiseList and Frugl, Half Price isn’t a grocery price comparison app. Instead, it shows you all the products that are currently half-price at Coles and Woolworths.
How does Half Price work?
- Download app
- Search or browse half-price products in real-time (data is updated every Wednesday)
- Build a shopping list to save time and money
- Head to Coles and Woolies to grab your discounted items
What other features does Half Price offer?
Half Price only shows you half-price products and allows you to create lists. It doesn’t offer any additional features currently.
Are they any downsides to Half Price?
The obvious downside to the Half Price app is that it only shows discounted products – you can’t create your entire grocery list using it.
It’s also limited to two supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths, which may be more expensive than stores you typically shop in.
You also need to remember that you’re only saving if you’re buying what you would be buying anyway. You’re not saving just because it’s reduced!
Start Slashing That Grocery List Today!
Whichever of these apps appeals most to you, why not download them today and have a play? If you can save $10, $20 or $50 or more on your weekly shop, that can add up to great savings and ease the financial strain.
As well as these three grocery savings apps, you could also take a look at another grocery price comparison google extension, SmartCart.
Struggling to Keep up Financially? We Can Help.
If you’re struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living and have significant debt, get in touch with our team of specialists today on 1800 534 534 for free, confidential advice.
You can also check out our household budgeting tool to help determine how much you have to spend each week – and where you could make cutbacks.
