Save Money by Shopping at Asian Grocery Stores

Sydney-siders are obsessed with Asian cuisine. The aromas, colours and wonderful flavours are a welcomed assault to the senses. If you're one who loves to indulge in culinary delights from Asia and not too occassionally whip up your own Asian meals, you're in luck. Now I apologise to those reading this article who aren't from Australia or don't like Asian food, but to not share this little gem of advice would be lunacy.

Asian grocery stores are the place to shop for all your Asian grocery needs. Not only are they cheap, but the fresh produce there really is fresh! If anything, head down for the cultural experience! It's like a mini-Bangkok encapsulated into a little shop. The hustle and bustle... the noise... the crowded aisles... the smell of a humid marketplace! Forget your big supermarket chains, you'll bag a bargain by buying at these stores.

Case in point: Chinese coriander was going for $1.29 a bunch at a largish typical grocer. But at the Asian grocery store, it was only 60 cents! Another example: baby bok choy at a major supermarket was selling for 99 cents a bunch. But at the Asian grocery store, it was only 60 cents! Sweet chilli sauce at a major supermarket - $2.79 a bottle. At the Asian grocery store - $1.99! And instant noodles for only 50 cents a packet! I think you get the picture!

But not only do Asian grocery stores sell Asian-related goods cheaply, your typical household items such as toilet paper, facial tissues, tomato sauce, bath soaps and toothpaste are also at bargain prices.

Granted, you may not have heard of some of the brands of these products, because most of them would have been imported from Asia-based manufacturers. I like to think of it this way: people living in Asia would be buying these products because they are as familiar with them as Colgate, Heinz and Kleenex are to us. These are their household brands.

Bear in mind also your Asian grocery store is much smaller than your typical giant supermarket chain so you may not be able to do your entire grocery shopping there. And don't worry about things being labelled in another language. Most of the time, things have an English translation with them. But for the most part, you'll be able to tell what the item is just by looking at it.

Also, I've noticed at some of these Asian grocery stores, their customer-service isn't exactly up to what we're accustomed to at large supermarket chains. They like to do things hurriedly and may not always say hello. I guess you have to weigh up paying more to shop at a supermarket where the check-out staff are better trained in saying "hello", or save buckets of money by shopping at an Asian grocery store where your wallet (and possibly your tastebuds) will be thanking you.

So the word is out: save money on your groceries by shopping at your local Asian grocery store!