WHERE to buy cheapest braai stuff this weekend

It’s a lovely weekend around the country but before you head to the supermarket today, where can you get the cheapest braai ingredients for the weekend? Where you shop could change your bill by as much as 10 to 27%.

For this weekend only, in a price comparison at three major retailers, here’s where the cheapest braai basket can be found:

1. Checkers: R629.87
2. Pick n Pay: R694.87 (+10%)
3. Woolworths: R801.87 (+27%)

WHAT’S IN THE CHEAPEST BRAAI BASKET?

• 500g Cerebos iodated table salt
• 100g Robertsons Rajah medium curry powder
• 2.5kg Iwisa No 1 Super maize meal
• 1kg samp
• 400g baby spinach
• 1kg carrots
• 1kg tomatoes
• 2kg potatoes
• 1kg brown onions
• 2-pack green peppers
• Beef short rib per kg
• Grabouw wors per kg
• 2kg frozen mixed chicken portions

WHY CHECKERS WON THIS TIME

The produce items are largely the same, but the big difference is in the meat. Checkers’ produce was only slightly cheaper than Pick n Pay’s, but meat was significantly cheaper. Woolworths’ produce was also slightly dearer, but its meat cost far more. Using 2kg frozen chicken pack as a guide, the latter is roughly 50% more expensive:

• R144.99 at Woolworths.
• R94.99 at both Checkers and Pick n Pay.

Interestingly, annual inflation was 4.1% in October, down from 5.2% in September. And yet prices on the cheapest braai basket still rose 0.1%, a fifth consecutive monthly increase. The price of fuel is a continuing pressure, as higher energy costs feed into farming, freight and logistics.

TIPS FOR YOUR CHEAPEST BRAAI THIS WEEKEND

As ever, if you really want the cheapest braai, you’re going to have to check for specials. The above comparison used full prices only. Any promotion on meat could change the ranking markedly:

• Focus on the meat first. That’s where the biggest gaps are between the supermarkets.
• Vegetables prices are up, so see if a different store or a market is cheaper.
• Buy maize meal in a larger bag if you’ll use it, as it’s cheaper per kilogram than small packs.
• Be willing to mix and match. On the evidence of the index, meat from Checkers and produce from wherever is cheapest is your best bet.

But what do you think? Where do you shop for the cheapest braai in South Africa? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below …