Weekly Essentials · weekly-essentials
School Lunchbox: save $5.29 by splitting the shop
School Lunchbox came to $43.28 at Aldi, the cheapest store that could supply the whole basket. Buying each item wherever it was cheapest saved a further $5.29.
School Lunchbox · 11 items
Prices captured Wed 23 Sep 2026, 6:26pm
$37.99
Cheapest-store total
All at Coles
$46.401 missing
All at Woolworths
$47.7811 items
All at Aldi
$43.2811 items
All at IGA
$50.2511 items
Cheapest at each store
$37.9911 items
White Sandwich Sliced Bread 650g×2
Aldi$5.38
Light Sandwich Slices 432g
Aldi$3.49
Community Co Ham Steaks
IGA$3.20
Tuna Chunks in Springwater 425g×4
Aldi$3.29
Kids Vanilla Yogurt Pouch 70g
Aldi$4.14
Muesli Bars Strawberry Yoghurt Top 8 Pack×2
Coles$4.00
Australian Sultanas 6 Snack Pack
Aldi$2.49
Apple Juice 6 Pack 250ml
Aldi$3.15
Apples Missile
IGA$0.35
The Odd Bunch Mandarin Prepacked 1kg
Woolworths$2.80
Vegemite Kids Spread 220g
Woolworths$5.70Every item at all 4 stores
| Item | Coles | Woolworths | Aldi | IGA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| white bread 700 g · × 2 | ||||
| tasty cheese slices 250 g | ||||
| ham 200 g | ||||
| tuna in springwater 95 g · × 4 | ||||
| yoghurt pouches 6 pack | ||||
| muesli bars 6 pack · × 2 | ||||
| sultanas 6 pack | ||||
| juice popper 6 pack | ||||
| apples 1 kg | ||||
| mandarins 1 kg | ||||
| vegemite 220 g | — |
These prices were frozen when the post was published and move daily.
Adding the basket re-prices every item against today's shelf.
Cherry-picking saved $5.29
Term-time lunchbox staples. CHOICE's lunchbox comparisons consistently show the widest cross-supermarket price gaps in the weekly shop — knowing where to go matters.
Prices collected on 24 September 2026 from Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and IGA.
What the basket costs
| Store | Total | Items found |
|---|---|---|
| Aldi | $43.28 | all 11 |
| Coles | $46.40 | 10, 1 missing |
| Woolworths | $47.78 | all 11 |
| IGA | $50.25 | all 11 |
A store that could not supply every item is not directly comparable — a smaller basket is naturally cheaper.
The bigger saving
Buying each item at whichever store sold it cheapest came to $37.99, $5.29 below the $43.28 at Aldi — the cheapest shop that could actually fill the basket.
Every item
| Item | Cheapest | Store |
|---|---|---|
| white bread | $5.38 | Aldi |
| tasty cheese slices | $3.49 | Aldi |
| ham | $3.20 | IGA |
| tuna in springwater | $3.29 | Aldi |
| yoghurt pouches | $4.14 | Aldi |
| muesli bars | $4.00 | Coles |
| sultanas | $2.49 | Aldi |
| juice popper | $3.15 | Aldi |
| apples | $0.35 | IGA |
| mandarins | $2.80 | Woolworths |
| vegemite | $5.70 | Woolworths |
Prices change daily. Search for any product to see today's.
Products in this basket
white bread700 g
from $2.39 at Aldi
tasty cheese slices250 g
from $3.49 at Aldi
ham200 g
from $3.20 at IGA
tuna in springwater95 g
from $3.29 at Aldi
yoghurt pouches6 pack
from $0.69 at Aldi
muesli bars6 pack
from $2.00 at Coles
sultanas6 pack
from $2.49 at Aldi
juice popper6 pack
from $3.15 at Aldi
apples1 kg
from $0.35 at IGA
mandarins1 kg
from $2.80 at Woolworths
vegemite220 g
from $5.70 at Woolworths
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