Australians are sharing the cheap buys they prefer to more expensive brands.
As higher inflation continues to put pressure on more and more Australian households, consumers are choosing not to spend their money on expensive products and are finding that the budget alternatives work just as well or better.
Dozens shared their best cheap buys, from $12 Target underwear to Aldi’s $7 dishwasher tablets and even caffeine pills with coffee.
In a Reddit afterone woman asked users what “random cheap products” they would recommend that do a “great job” and shared her best buys, starting with a $4.50 hair turban from Kmart.
‘It’s a bamboo mix and bamboo is an extremely absorbent fiber. They work well on shoulder-length, very thick hair,” she said.
Australian shoppers have spilled the beans on their favorite cheap buys, which they say are better than the expensive versions. Many loved Aldi’s dishwasher tablets, which cost just $7 for a pack of 40
One woman loved Kmart’s $4 bamboo hair turban (left) and another said the $20 reusable cloth diapers (right) are a must for any parent because they can clean up any mess
‘Better than a $50 microfiber one I spent that had good reviews. I use three in a row and my hair is only damp afterwards.’
The shopper loved the quality of the plain T-shirts at Uniqlo, which retail for between $14.90 and $19.90.
“They’re cheap for how long they last,” she said.
She has also started ordering caffeine pills from iHerb to give her an energy boost instead of buying or making coffee.
“They’re super cheap, the cheapest way to get caffeine into your system on the days you don’t have time for a cup of coffee or don’t want to spend the money,” she said.
More people quickly shared their suggestions, including one mom who said they used Kmart’s reusable cloth diapers for $20 per 12-pack.
“Not to actually use as diapers, but you can get a pack of 20 at Kmart super cheap and they are so convenient,” she said.
‘Use them to clean up baby mess, to spit up, as a towel, under the baby to change the nappy to protect the floor or that super expensive nappy mat you got as a gift. I think every parent of human babies should have a pack.”
Some said gourmet grocery chain Harris Farm Markets could be cheaper for fruits and vegetables in the little-known imperfect fresh produce section
Other answers included Target’s $12 women’s bamboo underwear (left) and Uniqlo’s plain T-shirts (right). “They’re cheap for how long they last,” one woman said
Some said gourmet grocery chain Harris Farm Markets can be cheaper on fruits and vegetables if you know where to look.
‘They have an imperfect fruit and vegetable department. It’s all seasonal and the quality of their ‘scruffy’ fruit and vegetables is better than the premium ones at Coles/Woolworths,” says one customer.
‘I bought five avocados for about €3 and three mangoes cost me €2.80.’
Other answers included Aldi’s $7.49 40-pack of dishwasher tablets, Target’s $12 bamboo women’s underwear, Coles $2 laundry detergent, Scrub Daddy sponges and Kmart plain T-shirts.
‘The Coles brand frozen chicken deals are SO MUCH better than Steggles, Inghams etc and (last I looked) about half the price at most,’ one woman said.
“Aldi’s mold spray is better than Exit Mold and only costs $2.60,” a second added.
‘Reject Shop has very good prices when it comes to school snacks and cleaning products. Dishwasher tablets are super expensive in the supermarket, but dirt cheap at Reject Shop,” says a third.
‘Aldi dishwasher tablets, Reject cat litter, Coles $4.50 mascara and Lavazza Modo Mio coffee pod machine,’ a fourth stated.
‘$50 on Amazon and their pods at Coles are $0.50 each. Café quality coffee and crema. It has paid for itself several times over.’
One woman said she bought a chip cutter for just $2 and the appliance has saved her hundreds of dollars over the years.
‘Calculate what 4 kg of frozen chips will cost you and then calculate what 4 kg of potatoes will cost you. (My chip cutter) is still going strong and saving me money,” she said.
One beauty enthusiast said The Ordinary (left) stacked up against more expensive brands, while one claimed their Lavazza coffee maker (right) ‘paid for itself several times over’
Another woman loved the budget skincare brand The Ordinary.
‘Very affordable simple and effective products that cost a fraction of the price of some other skincare brands. I love their retinol and peptide formulations,” she explained.
One user said they stopped buying expensive cleaning products and started using bicarb soda and vinegar instead.
‘A paste of baking soda and water will clean just about anything. Buy one from the house brand in the baking aisle. For bicarb soft drinks in the cleaning department, the price has increased,” they said.
“The same goes for white vinegar in the cooking aisle versus cleaning vinegar in the cleaning aisle (although the strength of cooking vinegar may differ).”