While we all aim to save money when shopping for groceries, especially with the rising cost of living, there are times when some among us get a bit more inventive than standard bargain hunting.

Mix in a bit of boldness, and you've got the recipe for a sensation that captures attention.

Recently, one frugal lady found herself in the cyberspace spotlight, and her innovative, if not mildly shocking, money-stretching tactics have divided Australians.

At numerous Costco stores, the food court offers free onions as one of the available toppings for hotdogs. Source: Unsplash

The memorable event took place at Costco North Lakes in Queensland, a store renowned for providing freebies like the complimentary chopped brown onion at the food court, which is typically a favourite topping for hotdogs.

This day, however, saw the free onions disappear into not one but two soft drink cups held by an older woman, an act that has raised a fair number of eyebrows, both online and in-store.

While the woman's 'onion operation' was initially met with disbelief on a community Facebook page, it has quickly garnered nationwide attention and a range of responses on social media.

In the video, we see the woman standing at the onion dispenser, filling up her cups, and then walking away—only to return a little later to repeat the exercise, as the Facebook post reported.

The woman was approached by staff after filling up cups of free onions. She left initially but returned ten minutes later to repeat the same action.

A video captured a woman filling up cups with free onions at Costco in North Lakes, Queensland. Source: Tiktok/@zampe16

The post also alleged that she had ‘plenty of cups in her bag’, implying that she filled up more than two cups.

It's caused quite a stir, prompting a thought-provoking debate: is this frugality madness or genius?

Responses have ranged from disgust to admiration: 'That is just disgusting, now I know why there’s never any onions,' some exclaimed.

Others defended the woman, attributing her actions to her age or possible financial constraints. Then some seemed to tip their hats to her, hailing her as a thrifty guru.

One commented, ‘Leave her alone. She’s elderly and maybe can’t afford much. She’s obviously paid for the cups as they don’t give them away.’

Another said, ‘That’s actually smart.’

Watch the video here:

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Whether disapproving or admiring, one can't deny the desperation that rising prices and financial strains have imposed on people.

The cost of living experienced a growth of 0.8 per cent in the June quarter, with a yearly rise of 6 per cent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Although it was the lowest increase since September 2021, the impact remains significant.

Last October, Tasmania witnessed a substantial 30 per cent surge in supermarket shoplifting.

Tasmania Police Inspector Nathan Johnston attributed the increase to the rising cost of living and homelessness, which were contributing factors.

In March, it was reported that store theft in NSW rose by 23.7 per cent from 2021 to 2022.

Additionally, Queensland recorded the highest-ever monthly rate of theft in January.

Key Takeaways

• A woman was filmed filling up two soft drink cups with free chopped brown onion at Costco North Lakes in Queensland.
  
• The woman's actions received mixed reactions on social media, with some expressing disgust while others understood her need to save money in these hard times.
  
• This instance underscores the increasing financial pressure faced by many Australians as the cost of living continues to rise in the country, leading to increased supermarket thefts.
  
• Recent statistics reveal that store theft rose 23.7 per cent in NSW from 2021 to 2022, with Tasmanian police attributing the rising cost of living and homelessness as contributing factors.

Yet, it's not all doom and gloom. Rather than resort to drastic measures, there are plenty of legitimate strategies to extend the longevity of your groceries—such as proper storage to prevent spoilage, smart meal planning, and batch cooking.

Amidst the overwhelming cost of living pressures, it's increasingly vital to champion smart, responsible, and respectful savings behaviour.

This whole saga begs the question, where do we draw the line between frugality and theft?

That's something we'd love to hear your opinions on—drop your thoughts and experiences of thrifty measures gone overboard in the comments section!

 

[Milica]

The fact that she was spoken to by staff and then went back for more, shows a breathtaking sense of entitlement! I've been observing this behaviour for years, and it seems that it's mostly confined to older people. To use age as an excuse isn't okay. Hubby and I are in our late 70s, and it would never occur to either of us to do this.

We live in a retirement village and we have happy hour every Friday night. Residents take turns cooking a meal that's shared by all. We have one female resident who is almost always at the head of the queue and heaps her plate. Last night, we had coleslaw and salad to go with fish and chips. When she'd eaten her fill and pushed her plate away, there was more food on the plate than I had as a meal. Some of those at the end of the queue missed out on the salad and the coleslaw, while her leftovers went into the bin.

If that's the case, (we are all so different, & especially as we are ageing, our thinking, our behaviour) - so that there is no waste, maybe some-one could serve the meals?

 

[Milica]

People like the woman mentioned in the article have always been among us and unfortunately for the rest of us they always will be. These people have absolutely no regard for anyone else and think only of themselves and their own needs, I am sure there is probably a medical term for their behavior. Most of us would refer to them as being extremely selfish or just plain greedy. There must be something wrong with the way that they are wired as they do not see anything wrong with the way that they act, the term sociopath comes to mind

With respect, this person could have many things going on for her - that are age related, in some of us - lucky are the ones that retain there cognition and behavioural awareness as we age, along with our physical health & alertness of mind - i do hope some-one can have a helpful talk with her and seek her familys (if she has family) assistance.

 

[freedy50]

Other then being greedy and selfish, why on earth would she need that much onion?
Is that her weeks meals?
Onion on toast, baked onion, fried onion, onion omelette.

 

[Joydie]

That might be her only decent meal each week. It is easy to judge but you don't know whst her circumstances are and most people would not do that so she needs to be cut some slack. Most of us can be thankful we would never behave in that manner or need to!

If you're referring to the resident at our retirement village, I know exactly what her circumstances are. She gets Meals on Wheels three days a week. Her son brings a meal on two other days a week. When there are leftovers to take home, she always takes some, and every time, she tells us she hopes she can find room in her freezer, because it's chock-a-block. One of my close friends goes in about once a month and empties the freezer out to check on out of date food. She throws out at least a dozen meals every time.

So perhaps instead of judging me, you could ask what her circumstances are instead of assuming that she's desperate and I'm being unkind. The lady is actually quite a nice person, but she's been asked many times - never by me - to just take what she knows she can eat, because some residents, who pay their $5 exactly the same as she does, miss out and it's not fair. She smiles sweetly, piles her plate high, eats about a third of it, and tips the rest in the bin.

 

[Milica]

Lets hope it never happens to any of us that we start getting copious amounts of onion and then have a judgemental person think they have the right to upload it on tik-tok, to make riducule off someones mother, grandmother, and just be called greedy! - nobody is going to be needing that amount of onions unless they can be put in the freezer - so there is a reason she is doing this - i thought as we age we are meant to become wiser with more understanding, with kindness & caring for each other, not reverting back to childhood antics of making fun of some-one in the playground as when we where children!

 

[joshram]

That might be her only decent meal each week. It is easy to judge but you don't know whst her circumstances are and most people would not do that so she needs to be cut some slack. Most of us can be thankful we would never behave in that manner or need to!

If she is that hungry she could go to a soup kitchen or to one of the cafes where people pay extra for their meal so a meal can be given to someone who is hungry. Or simply ask someone in the street to buy them a meal. I have been approached by people on occasion who have said they haven't eaten for a long time and I always buy them a meal. Most people who can afford it would pay for a meal for someone who needs it.

 

[Joydie]

If that's the case, (we are all so different, & especially as we are ageing, our thinking, our behaviour) - so that there is no waste, maybe some-one could serve the meals?

We tried that, but she just asks for more when she collects her meal.

She’s led a very sheltered life, both as a child and in her marriage. She talks often about her late husband and the fact that he told her when they married that it’s now his job to do everything for her. He employed someone to clean the house and do the laundry. All the cooking was done by him.

As I wrote previously, she’s a nice lady, but I can’t get past the fact that she knows other residents are going to have a very small meal or miss out altogether, and she still takes more food than she needs.

 

[Milica]

We tried that, but she just asks for more when she collects her meal.

She’s led a very sheltered life, both as a child and in her marriage. She talks often about her late husband and the fact that he told her when they married that it’s now his job to do everything for her. He employed someone to clean the house and do the laundry. All the cooking was done by him.

As I wrote previously, she’s a nice lady, but I can’t get past the fact that she knows other residents are going to have a very small meal or miss out altogether, and she still takes more food than she needs.

That's sad - it sounds like she has been disempowered all her life! maybe that is why she does not understand clearly what she is doing and the impact it is having on others to the point they are missing out on their portions of food as she has never had to think about these things having had everything done for her - it's like she has to learn these things and maybe a worker can assist by
being with her at meal times, showing her the portions allowed so that others can have food, and the reasons why - this may take some time - but shouldn't be too long & once back to doing it for herself (which she is not accustomed to-husband) if she does it again - then it may need to be that she is bought her meal to her where she is not standing in line as that is what she has been used to from what you say all her life!.

 

[Joydie]

That's sad - it sounds like she has been disempowered all her life! maybe that is why she does not understand clearly what she is doing and the impact it is having on others to the point they are missing out on their portions of food as she has never had to think about these things having had everything done for her - it's like she has to learn these things and maybe a worker can assist by
being with her at meal times, showing her the portions allowed so that others can have food, and the reasons why - this may take some time - but shouldn't be too long & once back to doing it for herself (which she is not accustomed to-husband) if she does it again - then it may need to be that she is bought her meal to her where she is not standing in line as that is what she has been used to from what you say all her life!.

Thank you for your thoughtful replies. The situation is happy hour at a retirement village. Residents take turns in cooking the food each week. We pay $5 per head. There are no employees involved, just residents. It’s a small village and we all know each other which makes it so annoying because those who miss out are usually the women doing all the work. The lady in question attends every function and has never brought a plate, despite being specifically asked to.

 

[Milica]

Thank you for your thoughtful replies. The situation is happy hour at a retirement village. Residents take turns in cooking the food each week. We pay $5 per head. There are no employees involved, just residents. It’s a small village and we all know each other which makes it so annoying because those who miss out are usually the women doing all the work. The lady in question attends every function and has never brought a plate, despite being specifically asked to.

That is a specific situation - not sure what else to say - it looks like it may be left up to all the residents to work together to resolve the issue (which i am sure you have already tried) - as when teaching a person cooking etc, or something new. I do hope a solution is their for you and the women doing the work - all the best, what a lovely way for you all to share a meal at a great price!:_)& the social aspect of being there for each other.