How to compare a South African grocery basket without misleading prices

A grocery comparison is useful only when the baskets are genuinely comparable. A cheap headline total can hide smaller packs, missing essentials or a special that requires a loyalty account. Let's build a better way to share household shopping ideas. Choose a short list of items you actually buy. Record the pack size, unit price, branch or delivery area, and date checked. Separate normal prices from promotions. Include delivery charges or the extra journey when those affect the decision. For loose produce, compare the same weight rather than the number of pieces. Substitutions deserve an explanation too: a different ingredient may work well for one meal and poorly for another. Avoid posting receipts with payment details. Which basket items make the biggest difference to your planning? Share a comparison method, a flexible meal idea, or a dated example that other readers can reproduce.