snow peas: $6.50 vs $19.90 across stores

Satay chicken is one of those weeknight dinners that basically everyone in the family will eat without complaint. And at under $2 for the sauce base, it's hard to argue with the price. This week the gap between the cheapest and most expensive store is wide enough to be worth paying attention to.

Where to Buy It Cheapest Right Now

Aldi has it for $1.49. That's the lowest price across all four supermarkets this week by a clear margin. Coles and Woolies are both at $1.80, which is only 31 cents more, not the end of the world if you're already doing your full shop there. But IGA jumps to $3.90, which is more than double the Aldi price for the same 43g packet.

If you're buying one packet, the saving isn't huge. But if you're stocking up, or you're the kind of household that goes through these regularly, it adds up quickly. The difference between Aldi and IGA alone is $2.41 per packet.

Is $1.49 Actually a Good Price?

For a 43g recipe base, yes, $1.49 is solid. Per 100g, Aldi works out to $3.47. Woolies comes in at $0.72 per 100g by their own shelf tag, but that pricing looks like it may be based on a larger format or a different pack size, the unit pricing across stores can get messy when formats differ. The flat packet price is the most reliable comparison here, and on that basis Aldi wins at $1.49.

Coles and Woolies at $1.80 are reasonable too. These single-serve recipe bases sit in that $1.50 to $2.50 range most of the time, so $1.49 at Aldi is at the lower end of what you'd normally expect to pay. It's not a once-in-a-year sale price, but it's a genuinely competitive everyday price.

IGA at $3.90 is, frankly, steep. Convenience stores and smaller IGA outlets often charge more for pantry staples like this, and that's the case here. If IGA is your only option, it's still a cheap dinner overall. But if you're near an Aldi, it's worth grabbing a few.

What You Actually Get From a 43g Recipe Base

These little sachets are designed to do the heavy lifting for a satay stir-fry or a quick satay chicken bake. You're usually looking at a peanut-based sauce concentrate with coconut, spices and a decent hit of that slightly sweet, savoury satay flavour. Add chicken thighs or breast, a bit of water or coconut milk, and you've got a sauce ready in the time it takes to cook the rice.

The 43g size is designed for a single meal, generally feeding two to four people depending on how saucy you like it. Some cooks stretch it further by adding extra coconut milk, a spoonful of peanut butter, or a squeeze of lime. Others keep it exactly as the packet suggests. Either way, it's a genuinely quick option for a busy weeknight.

If you're cooking for a crowd or want leftovers, two packets is still under $3 at Aldi. That's a hard price to beat.

Smart Ways to Shop This Product

The most obvious tip is to grab a few at Aldi if you're already there this week. Pantry staples like this don't expire quickly, so buying three or four at $1.49 each instead of picking them up one at a time at Coles or Woolies for $1.80 is a perfectly sensible move.

That said, both Coles and Woolies stock their own private-label recipe bases, and these are often even cheaper than the branded options. Worth checking the shelf next to the branded satay base, if the store's own version is $1 or less, and you're not fussed about the specific brand, that might be the better buy. Private-label recipe bases have improved a lot over the years and most are genuinely good.

Another option is to skip the packet altogether and make your own satay sauce from peanut butter, soy sauce, coconut milk and a bit of brown sugar. It takes about five minutes and you probably have most of those ingredients already. But if convenience is the whole point, the recipe base earns its $1.49.

Also worth noting: satay recipe bases work for more than just chicken. Beef, tofu, and roasted sweet potato all go well with satay-style sauce, so if you're trying to reduce meat a couple of nights a week, these packets still earn a spot in the pantry.

A Note on Unit Pricing

The per-100g pricing shown for each store this week reflects what's listed on the shelf or in the store's system. Woolies' listed price of $0.72 per 100g looks unusually low compared to the $1.80 packet price, which suggests a data quirk or a different pack size being used as the reference. Always double-check the shelf tag in store before assuming a specific unit price.

For this particular 43g packet, the cleanest comparison is the flat price per packet: Aldi $1.49, Coles $1.80, Woolies $1.80, IGA $3.90. That's the number to focus on.

Aldi is the pick this week. $1.49 for a fuss-free satay dinner is a reasonable use of anyone's grocery budget.