Regardless of whether you’re feeding just yourself, splitting with roommates, or supporting a whole family, you will probably find that groceries take a big bite out of your paycheck.

Nobody enjoys grocery shopping, so how do you minimise the time you have to spend on it, while saving money that can be spent better elsewhere (A couple of drinks with your mates)?

Here are 5 tips to grocery shop like a pro today.

1. Buy online

Saving money while ordering groceries from the comfort of your house? Sounds almost too good to be true, but shopping online actually makes it really easy to:

Buy in bulk . Search for long lasting items (toilet paper, laundry liquid, canned goods) according to price and order in one go to save big in the long run.

. Search for long lasting items (toilet paper, laundry liquid, canned goods) according to price and order in one go to save big in the long run. Compare with ease . Browsing online makes finding discounts so much easier, and websites like grocerycop and frugl allow you to compare the prices of Coles and Woolworths side by side.

. Browsing online makes finding discounts so much easier, and websites like grocerycop and frugl allow you to compare the prices of Coles and Woolworths side by side. Plan ahead and within your budget . Because you’re not in a rush, ordering from the comfort of your home lets you make a plan of what you’re going to cook and stick to it, while also not being tempted by the snack isle.

. Because you’re not in a rush, ordering from the comfort of your home lets you make a plan of what you’re going to cook and stick to it, while also not being tempted by the snack isle. Save time! As the old saying goes, time is money. By avoiding queues and shopping during commute or in the comfort of your bed, you could free up more time to be productive.

Coles and Woolworths also offer plans that allow you to pay as little as $2 a week for unlimited delivery!

Woolworths online shopping

2. Try different supermarkets

Coles and Woolworths might be your go-to supermarkets, but you could be missing out on some serious savings if you aren’t trying alternatives. If you don’t mind unbranded products, Aldi is a great discount supermarket that can save you an average of 25% of what you’re paying at Coles and Woolworths. For groceries that can be bought in bulk, check out Costco to save big. Visiting your local fresh food markets could also be a fun and economical option.

3. Shop at the end of the day

Perishable goods such as meat, pastries, fruit and vegetables are often replenished at the end of the day. This means that discounts are more plentiful during night, so doing your shopping then could bag you a bargain and ease the stress on your wallet.

4. Check out OzHarvest

OzHarvest is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to raise awareness about the problem of food wastage. Recently, they launched a new supermarket in Kensington inviting shoppers to “pay what they like” for food and basic essentials donated by large supermarkets. There is also a gourmet pastries selection run by the Bread and Butter project, an initiative that supports and trains refugees in artisan bread making. If you’re looking to save money while contributing to a good cause, definitely check these guys out!

OzHarvest Markets

5. Check out Ozbargain

Keeping track of grocery specials can be difficult. Luckily for you, there is a community of online bargain sleuths at Ozbargain that do it for you! If you’re not prone to spurts of impulse buying, Ozbargain is great for finding steals and bagging a bargain.