scottishstacey

Iceland is so cheap! I hardly go in because its too far away but if im at my grans i'll go in with her. Theres so much for a £1 but yes your right its just processed crap. Thats where im going wrong - i just rush in the supermarket and half the time pick all the cheap processed stuff! Going to have to try starting making things fresh from now on. Tescos have loads of cheap crap too.

We never go to marks and spencers either but i want to go soon for a few treats! Those two can dine for £10 or whatever it is are good!

Jan n Neil

There is Value Added Tax in the UK (VAT) and it's higher than our GST.

I also realise by looking at this very helpful thread that it's actually our weekly alcohol that's pushing my basket to over $200

Jan

scottishstacey

Yeah but thats allowed lol

BEVS

How old is old.

Off topic: I'm also into genealogy. I've a sub to Ancestry dot com if you want anything looked up.

Back on topic.......

BEVS

I'd go along with that from memory. Something to do with the plain packaging I think.

waikatoguy

Haha .. I guess it depends on what we call old. Early 50's.
I did a lot of the research the old fashioned way, through the reading of microfiche and ordering in census and parish records at the local mormon temple in Hamilton here. Great fun ...

waikatoguy

I missed out some items :
Weetabix/Weetbix
1/10th of a bottle of dishwashing liquid
1/10th of the packet of washing powder
rice
spaghetti
baked beans
teabags
jam
marmite

cappuccino

I also noticed that NZ wine was cheaper in the UK!

waikatoguy

Added some items at the end to complete the week's shopping for a family of 4. Weetbix and PG Tips teabags being cheaper in NZ, the net result being that for this shopping list and at these 2 stores without specials, NZ is 13.5% more expensive than the UK after converting the exchange rates. It's almost as though the branded products are much closer alligned in price. The UK list benefits from buying everything labeled Tesco. No marmite because Countdown online is not selling it. NZ is in shortage due to the factory being hit in the earthquake.

NZ spend = $165.26
UK spend = $145.54

Unscientific survey though. A lot depends on what products the family buys and how much. You may have 2 kids addicted to Weetabix for all I know.

New Zealand (Countdown)
$4.95 2.5kgs white washed potatoes
$3.98 1 Cauli
$1.98 1 Cabbage
$0.75 1 kg carrots
$6.99 3 pack courgettes (imported)
$2.69 Homebrand Frozen Peas 1kg
$2.69 Homebrand Mixed Veges 1kg
$2.69 Homebrand frozen chips 1kg
$5.80 Talley's 2L French Vanilla icecream
$11.10 Countdown chicken 1.3kgs = $8.99
$9.00 Standard beef mince 1kg
$21.82 1 kg rump steak
$7.50 500g Deli shaved ham
$14.75 500g lamb steaks
$2.94 2 loaves homebrand sandwich bread 600g
$3.69 Flora Lite spread 500g
$3.99 Meadow Fresh standard 2L milk
$4.50 Homebrand 500g Edam Cheese - $8.99 for 1kg block
$5.49 6x125g Fresh N Fruity yoghurt
$1.99 1kg bananas
$2.50 1kg Braeburn apples
$8.30 2 jars Chicken Tonight
$5.16 Kellogs Cornflakes 725 kgs = $4.99
$2.55 Homebrand 10 eggs. Dozen = $3.06
$2.69 Cottonsoft 4 pk Toilet Rolls
$2.29 Macleans Freshmint toothpaste 90g
$2.39 Bar Simple soap
$2.00 100 mls Herbal Essence Hydration shampoo 300 ml = $5.99
$2.00 PG Tips teabags 50 pk 100pack=$3.99
$1.46 2 cans Homebrand Baked Beans
$3.09 Homebrand Strawberry Jam 680g
$3.50 Weetbix 500g 1kg=$6.99
$2.89 Uncle Ben's Express Mushroom Rice 250g
$0.80 Finish Dishwasher Powder 100g 1kg = $7.99
$4.35 Persil Laundry Powder 500g 1kg=$8.69

Grand Total for NZ = $NZ165.26

United Kingdom (Tescos)
$3.00 2.5kgs Tesco White potatoes
$1.94 1 Cauli
$1.54 1 Cabbage
$1.80 1 kg carrots
$3.28 3 pack courgettes
$1.98 Country Store frozen peas
$2.20 Tesco Mixed Veges
$1.78 Country Store frozen chips 1.2 kgs = $2.14
$2.76 Tesco Vanilla 2L icecream
$9.50 Tesco chicken 1.6kgs
$6.00 Tesco beef mince 1kg 800g=$4.80
$22.88 1 kg Tesco rump steak
$3.72 500g Tesco value ham
$16.66 500g lamb steaks
$2.16 2 loaves Tesco medium sliced bread 1 800g loaf = $1.38 = $1.08p for 600g
$3.40 Flora Lite spread 500g
$2.72 Tesco whole milk 2L
$5.32 Tesco 500g Edam block cheese - $5 for 470g block
$5.52 Activia 6x125g yoghurt - 4pck 125g = $3.68
$1.36 1kg bananas
$3.30 1kg Braeburn apples
$8.00 2 jars Chicken Tonight
$5.36 Kellogs Cornflakes 750 kgs
$2.38 Tesco 10 eggs
$3.96 Nouvelle Soft 4 pk Toilet Rolls
$2.00 Macleans Freshmint 100 mls
$1.30 Bar Simple soap
$2.25 100 mls Herbal Essence Hydration shampoo 200 mls = $4.50
$2.50 PG Tips teabags 50 pk 160pack=$7.98
$1.04 2 cans Tesco Baked Beans
$2.40 Tesco Strawberry Jam 680g 450g=$1.60
$4.33 Weetabix 500g 900g=$7.88
$2.38 Uncle Ben's Express Mushroom Rice 250g
$0.60 Finish Dishwasher Powder 100g 1kg = $6.00
$4.22 Persil Laundry Powder 500g 850g=$7.18

Grand Total for UK = $NZ145.54

cappuccino

You can't compare NZ Marmite with UK Marmite, it's not the same product. In NZ it's called 'My Mate' and there were jars on the shelf in Countdown today, though no NZ Marmite ( which is nothing like the UK version).

waikatoguy

This is the thing. The average UK salary and the average NZ salary (for those in work) are virtually identical as far as I can tell through google. I don't think you should assume that because you are working more hours and are receiving a lower salary that this is the same for everyone. ie - it is like this for me therefore it is the gospel. And I fail to see what relevance Germany has with a comparison between NZ and UK grocery prices. It wasn't really intended as a thread to discuss which country is better than another. I'm sorry that NZ hasn't met your expectations, but please save that for another thread.

waikatoguy

Oh yeah. I think I remember something about that. There was some sort of dispute with the tradename. Someone was importing it from the UK and selling it in their UK shop or something. They must have changed it to My Mate.

Bo-Jangles

They do charge megabucks premium for 'My Mate' Marmite / 'Our Mate' though.

Our mate 125g $4.95 Countdown
Marmite 125g £1.35 Tescos

The alternative:

Vegemite 220g $4.29 Countdown
Vegemite 220g £1.97 Tescos

phyns

I hope that one day NZ will take a leaf out of the UK book and make most non processed food VAT (GST) free.

BEVS

Off topic.... naughty ole me......

You ain't old. You be in your prime and vintage like Mr BEVS
Ooo yes. That is great fun. Those microfiche m/cs always made my head buzzy.

Back on topic......