Grocery Haul #1
I often hear that groceries are more expensive in New Zealand than elsewhere. I haven’t found that to be the case. Yes, there are some items that are much more expensive, but other items I’ve found to be much less. Also, the quality of some products is much higher. Check out my grocery shopping post to learn more.
There are also many speciality shops that have items at lower prices. I haven’t broken my American habit of getting everything at one store, but I could probably save money if I took the time to visit the fruit and vegetable stands, a local butcher, etc.
So what’s a typical grocery haul like for a family of four? I usually spend between NZ$300-$350 per week divided between two trips. We also get take out or go out to eat a couple of times per week on top of that. I almost exclusively shop at the closest grocery store, a New World, which is one of the two big, competing chains. (The other chain is Countdown.) If you check out my store equivalents post, you can learn more about the different grocery options.
Kitchen cleaner - $3.99 (on sale)
Chicken for two dinners - 2 packs, one of tenderloins ($8.93 for 470g) and one of thighs ($10.37 for 546g) - $19.30
Organic milk 2L - $6.49 each - $12.98
Middle eye bacon - $4.49 for 250g
Mini choc bars 10 pack - $6.99 (on sale)
Pizza bases - 2 packs of 4, each $3.49 - $6.98
Pizza sauce - $3.87
Canadian maple syrup - $9.99
Baby spinach 120g - $3.69
White button mushrooms 472g - $6.13
Grated mozzarella cheese - 2 500g bags, each $6.99 - $13.98 (on sale)
Crumpets, 6 pack - $3.79
Stubb’s BBQ sauce 355m - $7.49
Mediterranean rocket mix 120g - $3.69
Bok choy 250g - $2.99
Misfitz red bell peppers (aka capsicums) 750g - $3.99
I Love Baking peanut butter chocolate chip cookies 185g - $4.99
Serious Popcorn - bag of 10 snack packs - $6.59
Blueberries - 2 125g packages for $2.99 each - $5.98
Angel tomatoes 200g - $2.49
Reach dental floss 50ml - $3.99
Bananas 891g - $2.04
Golden kiwis 441g - $2.64
Parmesan block 250g - $8.69
Peanut butter pretzels 227g - $5.43
Dozen free range eggs - $7.29
Total - $164.37
There are two trends that stand out in this grocery haul. First, imported items are expensive. The Stubb’s BBQ sauce is NZ$7.49 (US$5.24) The same bottle from and HEB back in Austin would cost about US$3.20. This is not a usual purchase for me, but we’re making pizzas tonight with friends, and I thought it would be a fun novelty item to have on hand. The bananas are in the same boat (maybe literally as they come through the port!) NZ$2.29 a kg (73¢ a pound) is vastly more expensive than 34¢ a pound in the US.
Second, dairy is expensive. All of the cheese and milk have a much higher price point in New Zealand than in the US, which is strange given that some of the country relies on the dairy industry. A 16 oz bag of shredded mozzarella cheese in the US is about US$2.70, while a New Zealand 500g bag - which is only slightly more in weight - costs a whopping NZ6.99 (US$4.89). One explanation I’ve heard for the high dairy prices is that the quality of the dairy in New Zealand is so much higher that there is a huge international demand, driving the prices up even at home. I’m inclined to believe this theory as the cheese really is much more flavorful.
However, many of the other items in my grocery list are the same or cost less than I would pay in the United States. In particular, the seasonal produce tends to be less expensive. I’m used to paying the same $2.99 for blueberries in the States, but with the exchange rate, the actual cost is less here.
The biggest downside to grocery shopping in New Zealand is the decrease in variety. There simply aren’t as many options available, and the focus in truly on what is in season. It’s a small shift for us to focus more on seasonal eating, but I understand in the long run it is a good thing. I just have to find some new recipes so we can have diverse meals with repeated ingredients.
Check out all of my grocery haul’s here.
