Celebrity
Cost of Living Crisis: Extreme ways Aussie parents are making end’s meet at the supermarket checkout
Some parents do skipping meals and entire food groups to make ends meet at the supermarket.
These are just two of the more drastic measures Some Australians are cashing in as food prices continue to rise, with the threat of further increases due to inflation adding to the financial pressure on families.
A recent one Reddit thread about ‘Ask An Australian’ asked the question, “How do you reduce your weekly grocery bill?” hoping to share some budget-friendly tips.
Instead, the conversation highlighted just how tough times are for some Australian shoppers.
The original poster explained that their family of four’s grocery bill “brings in $400 a week,” but that doesn’t last all week.
They were told to ‘skip one meal a day’ and eat ‘Weet-Bix’ or porridge for dinner ‘as needed, to prepare food for the children’.
They also only serve meat and fish to their children.
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The family does not buy ready-made meals or pre-packaged items, but makes their own sauces and snacks, such as muesli bars.
The post added that their children are “already finding themselves unable to have their favorite things and having to eat what is available versus what they want.”
“We’ve talked about inflation and I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad lesson for them.”
One Redditor said they focus on making “cheap” meals, like rice-based dinners and pastas.
Some suggested using lentils in spaghetti bolognese to increase volume.
“If you have the time, buying the cheapest cuts of meat (chuck steak) and chopping them yourself is not only cheaper, it tastes 100 times better,” one person suggested.
“Fortify everything with canned vegetables and legumes. Buy your vegetables at the market. Not the spark plug farmers bringing the cheap ones to the market,” another added.
Others suggested using a slow cooker, making better use of leftovers and shopping at Aldi.
Others suggested buying bulk and meal prep items and using a “pantry freezer and large pantry” to stock up on specials.
”It doesn’t feel that long ago that $300 would fill two carts,” one Redditor recalls. “I used to be able to get a good amount of $150-$200.”
“We know that the rising cost of living is the main concern for Australian households,” John Robertson, CEO of Foodbank NSW & ACT, told nine.com.au.
“More than a third of Australians are struggling to make ends meet, with only one in five households living comfortably on their current income.
‘When regular expenses such as rent and fuel go up, or interest rates rise, food is often one of the first things to be sacrificed.
“Food insecurity doesn’t seem one way. It can affect us all at any time,” Robertson said.
‘We’re hearing from people who have never needed help before and who have seen a sharp increase in the number of middle-income earners needing support.
‘We even see people making impossible choices between fuel in the car or food on the table.
“This isn’t just about poverty. It’s about a system where even working Australians can no longer afford the basics.
‘Demand for our services continues to grow, but while we are experiencing record numbers of food donations, we now need to purchase more food than ever before to meet the need.
“Every dollar donated allows us to provide two meals to someone in need. We urge our communities to support us and ensure no one goes hungry.”
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