‘Australia’s thriftiest family’ shares tips on keeping your grocery bill to just $37.50 weekly!
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With the cost of living on the rise, many Australians are seeking ways to manage their household expenses more effectively.
Despite the challenging economic climate, one Aussie couple has managed to keep their grocery bill remarkably low.
Their approach offers valuable insights into practical strategies for reducing everyday costs while maintaining a balanced lifestyle.
Wendy and Darren Gower, hailing from Narre Warren in Melbourne's southeast, have been dubbed ‘Australia's thriftiest family’, and it's a title they've proudly maintained for over a decade.
Their secret? A weekly grocery bill that amounts to a mere $37.50.
When the Gowers first captured the nation's attention on A Current Affair in 2014, they were a family of four managing on an ultra-low income.
In 2005, both the husband and wife lost their jobs, but their meticulous budgeting allowed them to pay off their $100,000 mortgage within five years.
Fast forward to today, and although their nest is now empty, their commitment to frugality hasn't wavered.
‘We're still living the way that we were back in 2014 when that story went to air. Yeah, there are a few things that have changed, but fundamentally, we're still very thrifty,’ Wendy shared.
‘As my husband says, there's no cost-of-living crisis in our house. There is a cost-of-living pressure, but we seem to be able to manage it fairly well.’
The couple's frugality is so effective that, even with soaring supermarket prices, they now spend $100 less on groceries compared to a decade ago—though their household size has decreased from four to two.
Currently, Wendy and Darren manage to keep their grocery expenses to just $150 a month, or $37.50 a week.
This amount covers not only food but also basic toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and simple cleaning supplies.
Wendy mentioned that until early this year, their grocery bill was around $120 a month, but rising prices have affected even their meticulous budgeting.
While high inflation and rising interest rates have made life challenging for many families, Wendy said it is still possible to live reasonably well on a low income.
‘I think everyone is under some sort of financial stress, or pressure, depending on whether you've got a mortgage or not,’ she acknowledged.
‘If you've got a mortgage, then absolutely times are tough. But there are ways to stretch your income, stretch your dollars until they scream, if you want to.’
Despite Darren now working full-time in a hospital admin job four days a week and one day at their church, the Gowers still live on what is considered a low income, according to Wendy.
To supplement their earnings, Wendy does some house cleaning but hopes to retire in a few years.
How do they manage to save so much on their grocery bills? Wendy, who runs an online blog with frugal tips called My Abundant Life, has shared some of her most effective savings strategies.
Slashing your food bill
So, how do Wendy and Darren achieve such incredible savings?
It's not through extreme couponing or sacrificing quality; rather, it's a lifestyle choice rooted in the principles of ‘make, bake, sew, and grow’.
The Gowers are a testament to the power of self-sufficiency, growing a bounty of fruits and vegetables in their own backyard, including lemons, apricots, plums, and raspberries.
‘We've got the raspberry plants that give us four kilos of raspberries each season. Raspberries can cost an absolute fortune if you buy them by the punnet,’ Wendy shared.
‘From those raspberries, I can make jam, and it's almost free because we use the fruit from our backyard, and we just have to buy the sugar.’
The Gowers are currently growing winter vegetables such as potatoes and silverbeet.
‘They are just supermarket sprouting potatoes that we continually plant all through the year. When they had that potato shortage and the chip shortage, we were digging up 10-15 kilos of potatoes,’ Wendy explained.
She highlighted that her approach at the supermarket is to steer clear of processed foods and purchase only the ingredients needed to prepare their meals from scratch.
‘I have to, because the price of any of the processed food now is just outrageous,’ Wendy pointed out.
According to her, treats, such as packets of chips or blocks of chocolate, were reserved for special occasions like birthdays.
‘When I go to the supermarket, the sorts of things on my grocery list are flour, sugar, milk, butter, eggs, cheese, a tin of tuna, a tin of tomatoes,’ she said.
‘It's all very basic ingredients, and it is generic. I don't buy any brands unless the brand name is the same price or cheaper than the generic.’
Wendy purchases her spices from a wholesaler, and the family avoids pricier cuts of meat, such as steak.
‘The biggest thing people ask is, how can you afford meat on your plate? We don't have steak, we can't afford that,’ she shared.
‘Salmon is saved for maybe my birthday. We cook a lot of stews, casseroles, lasagna and spagbol, and we use our slow cooker as well.’
Wendy also buys her ingredients in the largest quantities available, as long as the unit price shows it’s the best value.
‘We freeze all our leftovers, and when it comes to cooking, I bulk cook, but I don't spend a whole day in the kitchen—who's got a whole day to spend slaving over a stove?’ she explained.
‘When I want to cook spagbol at night for our dinner, I don't cook for two; I might cook for 16 and freeze the rest.’
‘By doing that, over two consecutive gas bills, we reduced our gas usage by 23 per cent,’ Wendy added.
Cleaning your house for $1 a year
As a professional cleaner, Wendy was surprised by how many costly cleaning products people believed were necessary for their homes.
To test this, she recently cleaned both her own home and some clients' homes for a year using just one bottle of ALDI dishwashing detergent.
‘When I bought those bottles of ALDI dishwashing liquid, it was still 99 cents a bottle. It's now up to $1.49, but I didn't use the whole bottle in a year, and I also used it in some of my client's homes,’ Wendy shared.
The dishwashing detergent was diluted in various ratios to clean windows, surfaces, and even the bathroom.
‘For household cleaning, kitchen detergent and water will do exactly what it needs to do, even soap scum in the shower. You don't need the fancy cleaning sprays,’ she suggested.
‘As a cleaner, I've used just about everything on the market, and they can give you whopping headaches.’
Wendy also creates her own laundry powder and a ‘miracle spray’ cleaner made from vinegar, dishwashing liquid, eucalyptus oil, and washing soda.
Following the ‘two-light rule’
Wendy said that one of the Gower family's rules that surprised many when their story was featured on A Current Affair was their practice of turning off all but two lights in their home at night.
‘We still do the two-light rule. Actually, we quite often do the one-light rule or the no-light because now we've got solar lanterns,’ she said.
‘We've got four of them, and they're fantastic. We put them out on sunny days and bring them in at nighttime. When we're ready to go sit in the lounge room to watch TV, we use those.’
To keep their power bills down, the Gowers also practice frugal habits like filling a thermos with boiled water each morning.
‘When my husband gets up early in the morning to get to the hospital, he will boil a full kettle of water,’ Wendy shared.
‘He makes his cuppa, and the rest of it goes into a thermos. And so when I get up, I don't need to boil the kettle.’
‘There's usually enough there for two or three cuppas. If there's any water left over at the end of the day, it goes from the saucepan to cook the veggies,’ she added.
Making do with what you’ve got
Wendy acknowledged that managing some household expenses has become more challenging compared to a decade ago, with the increasing cost of insurance being a notable example.
However, she believed there are still ways for people to make smarter spending decisions.
‘With today's times, you've got two choices—you either increase your income or you reduce your spending,’ she explained.
‘They say that everyone's doing it tough, but consumerism is still rife.’
‘Darren and I were up at Fountain Gate shopping centre yesterday. The food court was cram-packed. Everyone was there with their big grocery bags, brand names and that sort of thing.’
‘It's about being content and making do with what you've already got,’ Wendy continued.
The Gowers' remarkable ability to keep their grocery bills low amidst rising costs offers a valuable glimpse into practical budgeting strategies.
Their approach not only highlights effective ways to manage household expenses but also serves as an inspiring example for others facing similar financial pressures.
As many Australians grapple with the current cost-of-living crunch, exploring how others are navigating these challenges can provide useful insights and ideas.
For more tips on how Aussies master their budgets in these tough times, check out this article on budgeting brilliance and savings strategies.
Have you adopted any cost-saving measures that have significantly impacted your life? What are your tricks to living within your means? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below.
Despite the challenging economic climate, one Aussie couple has managed to keep their grocery bill remarkably low.
Their approach offers valuable insights into practical strategies for reducing everyday costs while maintaining a balanced lifestyle.
Wendy and Darren Gower, hailing from Narre Warren in Melbourne's southeast, have been dubbed ‘Australia's thriftiest family’, and it's a title they've proudly maintained for over a decade.
Their secret? A weekly grocery bill that amounts to a mere $37.50.
When the Gowers first captured the nation's attention on A Current Affair in 2014, they were a family of four managing on an ultra-low income.
Wendy and Darren Gower from Narre Warren, Melbourne, now spend just $150 a month on groceries for two, cutting their costs by $100 compared to a decade ago. Credit: My Abundant Life
In 2005, both the husband and wife lost their jobs, but their meticulous budgeting allowed them to pay off their $100,000 mortgage within five years.
Fast forward to today, and although their nest is now empty, their commitment to frugality hasn't wavered.
‘We're still living the way that we were back in 2014 when that story went to air. Yeah, there are a few things that have changed, but fundamentally, we're still very thrifty,’ Wendy shared.
‘As my husband says, there's no cost-of-living crisis in our house. There is a cost-of-living pressure, but we seem to be able to manage it fairly well.’
The couple's frugality is so effective that, even with soaring supermarket prices, they now spend $100 less on groceries compared to a decade ago—though their household size has decreased from four to two.
Currently, Wendy and Darren manage to keep their grocery expenses to just $150 a month, or $37.50 a week.
This amount covers not only food but also basic toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and simple cleaning supplies.
Wendy mentioned that until early this year, their grocery bill was around $120 a month, but rising prices have affected even their meticulous budgeting.
While high inflation and rising interest rates have made life challenging for many families, Wendy said it is still possible to live reasonably well on a low income.
‘I think everyone is under some sort of financial stress, or pressure, depending on whether you've got a mortgage or not,’ she acknowledged.
‘If you've got a mortgage, then absolutely times are tough. But there are ways to stretch your income, stretch your dollars until they scream, if you want to.’
Despite Darren now working full-time in a hospital admin job four days a week and one day at their church, the Gowers still live on what is considered a low income, according to Wendy.
To supplement their earnings, Wendy does some house cleaning but hopes to retire in a few years.
How do they manage to save so much on their grocery bills? Wendy, who runs an online blog with frugal tips called My Abundant Life, has shared some of her most effective savings strategies.
Slashing your food bill
So, how do Wendy and Darren achieve such incredible savings?
It's not through extreme couponing or sacrificing quality; rather, it's a lifestyle choice rooted in the principles of ‘make, bake, sew, and grow’.
The Gowers are a testament to the power of self-sufficiency, growing a bounty of fruits and vegetables in their own backyard, including lemons, apricots, plums, and raspberries.
‘We've got the raspberry plants that give us four kilos of raspberries each season. Raspberries can cost an absolute fortune if you buy them by the punnet,’ Wendy shared.
‘From those raspberries, I can make jam, and it's almost free because we use the fruit from our backyard, and we just have to buy the sugar.’
The Gowers are currently growing winter vegetables such as potatoes and silverbeet.
‘They are just supermarket sprouting potatoes that we continually plant all through the year. When they had that potato shortage and the chip shortage, we were digging up 10-15 kilos of potatoes,’ Wendy explained.
She highlighted that her approach at the supermarket is to steer clear of processed foods and purchase only the ingredients needed to prepare their meals from scratch.
‘I have to, because the price of any of the processed food now is just outrageous,’ Wendy pointed out.
According to her, treats, such as packets of chips or blocks of chocolate, were reserved for special occasions like birthdays.
‘When I go to the supermarket, the sorts of things on my grocery list are flour, sugar, milk, butter, eggs, cheese, a tin of tuna, a tin of tomatoes,’ she said.
‘It's all very basic ingredients, and it is generic. I don't buy any brands unless the brand name is the same price or cheaper than the generic.’
Wendy purchases her spices from a wholesaler, and the family avoids pricier cuts of meat, such as steak.
‘The biggest thing people ask is, how can you afford meat on your plate? We don't have steak, we can't afford that,’ she shared.
‘Salmon is saved for maybe my birthday. We cook a lot of stews, casseroles, lasagna and spagbol, and we use our slow cooker as well.’
Wendy also buys her ingredients in the largest quantities available, as long as the unit price shows it’s the best value.
‘We freeze all our leftovers, and when it comes to cooking, I bulk cook, but I don't spend a whole day in the kitchen—who's got a whole day to spend slaving over a stove?’ she explained.
‘When I want to cook spagbol at night for our dinner, I don't cook for two; I might cook for 16 and freeze the rest.’
‘By doing that, over two consecutive gas bills, we reduced our gas usage by 23 per cent,’ Wendy added.
Cleaning your house for $1 a year
As a professional cleaner, Wendy was surprised by how many costly cleaning products people believed were necessary for their homes.
To test this, she recently cleaned both her own home and some clients' homes for a year using just one bottle of ALDI dishwashing detergent.
‘When I bought those bottles of ALDI dishwashing liquid, it was still 99 cents a bottle. It's now up to $1.49, but I didn't use the whole bottle in a year, and I also used it in some of my client's homes,’ Wendy shared.
The dishwashing detergent was diluted in various ratios to clean windows, surfaces, and even the bathroom.
‘For household cleaning, kitchen detergent and water will do exactly what it needs to do, even soap scum in the shower. You don't need the fancy cleaning sprays,’ she suggested.
‘As a cleaner, I've used just about everything on the market, and they can give you whopping headaches.’
Wendy also creates her own laundry powder and a ‘miracle spray’ cleaner made from vinegar, dishwashing liquid, eucalyptus oil, and washing soda.
Following the ‘two-light rule’
Wendy said that one of the Gower family's rules that surprised many when their story was featured on A Current Affair was their practice of turning off all but two lights in their home at night.
‘We still do the two-light rule. Actually, we quite often do the one-light rule or the no-light because now we've got solar lanterns,’ she said.
‘We've got four of them, and they're fantastic. We put them out on sunny days and bring them in at nighttime. When we're ready to go sit in the lounge room to watch TV, we use those.’
To keep their power bills down, the Gowers also practice frugal habits like filling a thermos with boiled water each morning.
‘When my husband gets up early in the morning to get to the hospital, he will boil a full kettle of water,’ Wendy shared.
‘He makes his cuppa, and the rest of it goes into a thermos. And so when I get up, I don't need to boil the kettle.’
‘There's usually enough there for two or three cuppas. If there's any water left over at the end of the day, it goes from the saucepan to cook the veggies,’ she added.
Making do with what you’ve got
Wendy acknowledged that managing some household expenses has become more challenging compared to a decade ago, with the increasing cost of insurance being a notable example.
However, she believed there are still ways for people to make smarter spending decisions.
‘With today's times, you've got two choices—you either increase your income or you reduce your spending,’ she explained.
‘They say that everyone's doing it tough, but consumerism is still rife.’
‘Darren and I were up at Fountain Gate shopping centre yesterday. The food court was cram-packed. Everyone was there with their big grocery bags, brand names and that sort of thing.’
‘It's about being content and making do with what you've already got,’ Wendy continued.
The Gowers' remarkable ability to keep their grocery bills low amidst rising costs offers a valuable glimpse into practical budgeting strategies.
Their approach not only highlights effective ways to manage household expenses but also serves as an inspiring example for others facing similar financial pressures.
As many Australians grapple with the current cost-of-living crunch, exploring how others are navigating these challenges can provide useful insights and ideas.
For more tips on how Aussies master their budgets in these tough times, check out this article on budgeting brilliance and savings strategies.
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