Weekly Essentials · weekly-essentials
Hot Lunch Thermos: save $10.66 by splitting the shop
Hot Lunch Thermos came to $41.45 at Coles, the cheapest store that could supply the whole basket. Buying each item wherever it was cheapest saved a further $10.66.
Hot Lunch Thermos · 11 items
Prices captured Thu 17 Sep 2026, 6:08pm
$30.79
Cheapest-store total
All at Coles
$41.4511 items
All at Woolworths
$42.1011 items
All at Aldi
$39.921 missing
All at IGA
$42.7011 items
Cheapest at each store
$30.7911 items
Pasta Penne 500g
Aldi$0.89
2 Star Beef Mince 500g
Aldi$6.49
Tomato Pasta Sauce 500g
Aldi$1.59
Tuscan Style 7 Veg Soup & 3 Bean Soup Pouch
Coles$2.80
Beef Noodles 5 Pack 425g
Aldi$1.79
Tasty Cheese & Crackers 4 Pack
Coles$4.20
Salted Butter 250g
Aldi$3.99
McKenzie's Dried Green Split Peas
IGA$1.95
Hot Dog Rolls
Coles$2.60
Apples Missile
IGA$0.35
Kids Vanilla Yogurt Pouch 70g
Aldi$4.14Every item at all 4 stores
| Item | Coles | Woolworths | Aldi | IGA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| penne 500 g | ||||
| beef mince 500 g | ||||
| pasta sauce 500 g | ||||
| soup pouches 4 pack | ||||
| instant noodles 5 pack | ||||
| tasty cheese 250 g | ||||
| butter 250 g | ||||
| peas 500 g | ||||
| dinner rolls 6 pack | — | |||
| apples 1 kg | ||||
| yoghurt pouches 6 pack |
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 $10.66
Warm meals for cold-term lunchboxes. Soup, pasta, leftover-friendly mince and noodles — packed in a thermos. Beats sandwich fatigue and reduces school-day food waste.
Prices collected on 18 September 2026 from Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and IGA.
What the basket costs
| Store | Total | Items found |
|---|---|---|
| Aldi | $39.92 | 10, 1 missing |
| Coles | $41.45 | all 11 |
| Woolworths | $42.10 | all 11 |
| IGA | $42.70 | 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 $30.79, $10.66 below the $41.45 at Coles — the cheapest shop that could actually fill the basket.
Every item
| Item | Cheapest | Store |
|---|---|---|
| penne | $0.89 | Aldi |
| beef mince | $6.49 | Aldi |
| pasta sauce | $1.59 | Aldi |
| soup pouches | $2.80 | Coles |
| instant noodles | $1.79 | Aldi |
| tasty cheese | $4.20 | Coles |
| butter | $3.99 | Aldi |
| peas | $1.95 | IGA |
| dinner rolls | $2.60 | Coles |
| apples | $0.35 | IGA |
| yoghurt pouches | $4.14 | Aldi |
Prices change daily. Search for any product to see today's.
Products in this basket
penne500 g
from $0.89 at Aldi
beef mince500 g
from $6.49 at Aldi
pasta sauce500 g
from $1.59 at Aldi
soup pouches4 pack
from $1.70 at Woolworths
instant noodles5 pack
from $1.79 at Aldi
tasty cheese250 g
from $4.20 at Coles
butter250 g
from $3.99 at Aldi
peas500 g
from $1.95 at IGA
dinner rolls6 pack
from $1.30 at IGA
apples1 kg
from $0.35 at IGA
yoghurt pouches6 pack
from $0.69 at Aldi
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