Groceries have gotten more expensive these days. No matter how carefully you shop, the cost of essentials, especially food items, can eat away at your budget.

So, when it comes to the regular grocery shop, it can be overwhelming, especially for those barely managing to keep afloat.

Recently, a Centrelink recipient shared her $100 fortnightly grocery haul on the social networking site Twitter to show the food you can get on a tight budget.

‘I thought I'd share what my shopping looks like,’ she said. ‘This is for a fortnight. People who believe Jobseekers are out here living the high life are wrong.’

The woman’s 39-item shopping list at Coles consisted mostly of store-brand items such as milk, vegetables, bread, coffee, cereal, and canned goods. She also bought some pasta, pasta sauce, a pack of beef sausages, and some instant noodles.

Of course, she also made sure to buy some toiletries and home cleaning products like laundry detergent.

In total, her shop cost her $94.62.

The woman’s fortnightly grocery shop had a fair mix of veggies. Image Credit: Twitter

So where’s the remaining $6, you ask? Well, it’s at Woolies, she said: ‘This also doesn't include dog food. They are out of the dog rolls except for the expensive ones, so I’ll have to ask my brother to pick one up from Woolworths, which will bring the total to $100.’

It didn't take long before many Twitter users sang the same tune, with pangs of understanding and shared experience running through their responses.

‘What I'm finding absolutely insane is, at the moment, it's cheaper for my mum and me to get pizza (lasts three nights of dinner) than to buy ingredients to make a healthy dinner (to last three nights, depending on what we make),’ one user said.

Another found the woman’s shop all too familiar: ‘(This) literally mimics my own two-week shopping list. (It’s) only getting worse as prices go up too.’

‘(I) can remember when $100 used to feed my family of five, it would fill a trolley, now (it) hardly covers the counter,’ a third, who is a mum, added.

And another added, perhaps most relatably: ‘I often think when I go shopping how would anyone shop on the pittance that is welfare payments. Everything absolutely everything is going up. Every week I see some new item I buy increase in price — some even double from a few years back. The bill at the checkout is always a worry.’

As so many others resort to in these tough times, they criticised the woman’s shop in jest too.

‘Coffee? Coffee! Such a luxury item. Why, in my day, we'd have a giant tin of International Roast topped up with sweepings of dust from the factory floor and be happy for it!’ one user said.

‘Two different milks! Outrageous,’ added a second.

Others even jokingly said her buying meat and vegetables in one shop was already in the range of showing off: ‘Basically flaunting wealth, this is.’

And then there’s the response you’d hear uttered now and then whenever someone complains of high grocery prices: ‘You can buy most of those things (probably not all) from ALDI at much better prices.’

The woman’s shop, accounting for dog food unavailable from Coles, cost her around $100. Image Credit: Twitter

Sadly, this latest story is part of a long-running saga of rising grocery prices, and the issue doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the Consumer Price Index rose by 7.8 per cent in the 12 months to December 2022. Dairy, bread and cereal, other products, and non-food household products all saw annual increases of at least ten per cent.

What’s more, with the fate of supermarkets’ discount deals uncertain beyond stated deadlines — which would be mid-April for Coles’ ‘Dropped & Locked’ — the picture isn’t entirely rosy for the average Aussie consumer, much more for those on welfare.

Key Takeaways

• An Australian woman shared screenshots of her $100 shopping list to show the little food she’s able to afford with her Centrelink payments.
• Pantry staples like milk, bread, cereal and a few fresh vegetables were among the items she purchased.
• People shared similar struggles in response, with many pointing out the shrinking amount of groceries they can afford.
• Food items like milk and bread saw the most significant annual price increases last year.

Still, there are silver linings on the horizon.

For one, Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci stated that while red meat and dairy prices remain high, chicken prices are beginning to stabilise.

Similar schemes such as ‘Dropped & Locked’ from Coles are also seen to encourage more healthy competition among supermarkets through incentivising continued patronage by offering better discount deals.

Hopefully, in the coming weeks, we will see great offers to save from other supermarkets like Woolworths, ALDI, and IGA.

Experts from CHOICE and Finder recommend various tips to save more on grocery shopping, such as taking advantage of discount deals and shopping at night. Image Credit: Seniors Discount Club

In the meantime, you might want to check out ways to shop smarter amid these trying times from CHOICE, a consumer advocacy group.

What are your thoughts on this? If you’re on the Age Pension, Jobseeker, or other forms of welfare, is what you’re receiving enough to live on, in your opinion?

Tell us in the comments below.


Note: We’re also aware that these times can be very distressing for some of us who are struggling. A directory of mental health services can be found here. Please consider reaching services like Lifeline Australia at 13 11 14 as well.

 

[Annie Mac]

I really resent it when you, and other people, refer to being on a pension as 'welfare.' It's not welfare. It's not a freebie. I have paid far more in tax over the last 60 years since I started work at the age of 16 than I will ever get back in the pension. My pension is the return on the investment I have made in this country over the 50+ years of my working life. The UK has a national scheme whereby people pay into it throughout their working life and reap the benefits in their pension when they retire. We have had no such scheme, and superannuation didn't come in until the Hawke government in the early '80s by which time I had already been working for 20 years.

Franko, With no disrespect to you, ..... superannuation came in long before the 80s...at least it did for me.I started working in 1953 and had Super from day 1.

 

[Winwow]

Groceries have gotten more expensive these days. No matter how carefully you shop, the cost of essentials, especially food items, can eat away at your budget.

So, when it comes to the regular grocery shop, it can be overwhelming, especially for those barely managing to keep afloat.

Recently, a Centrelink recipient shared her $100 fortnightly grocery haul on the social networking site Twitter to show the food you can get on a tight budget.

‘I thought I'd share what my shopping looks like,’ she said. ‘This is for a fortnight. People who believe Jobseekers are out here living the high life are wrong.’

The woman’s 39-item shopping list at Coles consisted mostly of store-brand items such as milk, vegetables, bread, coffee, cereal, and canned goods. She also bought some pasta, pasta sauce, a pack of beef sausages, and some instant noodles.

Of course, she also made sure to buy some toiletries and home cleaning products like laundry detergent.

In total, her shop cost her $94.62.

View attachment 14807

The woman’s fortnightly grocery shop had a fair mix of veggies. Image Credit: Twitter

So where’s the remaining $6, you ask? Well, it’s at Woolies, she said: ‘This also doesn't include dog food. They are out of the dog rolls except for the expensive ones, so I’ll have to ask my brother to pick one up from Woolworths, which will bring the total to $100.’

It didn't take long before many Twitter users sang the same tune, with pangs of understanding and shared experience running through their responses.

‘What I'm finding absolutely insane is, at the moment, it's cheaper for my mum and me to get pizza (lasts three nights of dinner) than to buy ingredients to make a healthy dinner (to last three nights, depending on what we make),’ one user said.

Another found the woman’s shop all too familiar: ‘(This) literally mimics my own two-week shopping list. (It’s) only getting worse as prices go up too.’

‘(I) can remember when $100 used to feed my family of five, it would fill a trolley, now (it) hardly covers the counter,’ a third, who is a mum, added.

And another added, perhaps most relatably: ‘I often think when I go shopping how would anyone shop on the pittance that is welfare payments. Everything absolutely everything is going up. Every week I see some new item I buy increase in price — some even double from a few years back. The bill at the checkout is always a worry.’

As so many others resort to in these tough times, they criticised the woman’s shop in jest too.

‘Coffee? Coffee! Such a luxury item. Why, in my day, we'd have a giant tin of International Roast topped up with sweepings of dust from the factory floor and be happy for it!’ one user said.

‘Two different milks! Outrageous,’ added a second.

Others even jokingly said her buying meat and vegetables in one shop was already in the range of showing off: ‘Basically flaunting wealth, this is.’

And then there’s the response you’d hear uttered now and then whenever someone complains of high grocery prices: ‘You can buy most of those things (probably not all) from ALDI at much better prices.’

View attachment 14808

The woman’s shop, accounting for dog food unavailable from Coles, cost her around $100. Image Credit: Twitter

Sadly, this latest story is part of a long-running saga of rising grocery prices, and the issue doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the Consumer Price Index rose by 7.8 per cent in the 12 months to December 2022. Dairy, bread and cereal, other products, and non-food household products all saw annual increases of at least ten per cent.

What’s more, with the fate of supermarkets’ discount deals uncertain beyond stated deadlines — which would be mid-April for Coles’ ‘Dropped & Locked’ — the picture isn’t entirely rosy for the average Aussie consumer, much more for those on welfare.

Key Takeaways

• An Australian woman shared screenshots of her $100 shopping list to show the little food she’s able to afford with her Centrelink payments.
• Pantry staples like milk, bread, cereal and a few fresh vegetables were among the items she purchased.
• People shared similar struggles in response, with many pointing out the shrinking amount of groceries they can afford.
• Food items like milk and bread saw the most significant annual price increases last year.

Still, there are silver linings on the horizon.

For one, Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci stated that while red meat and dairy prices remain high, chicken prices are beginning to stabilise.

Similar schemes such as ‘Dropped & Locked’ from Coles are also seen to encourage more healthy competition among supermarkets through incentivising continued patronage by offering better discount deals.

Hopefully, in the coming weeks, we will see great offers to save from other supermarkets like Woolworths, ALDI, and IGA.

View attachment 14821

Experts from CHOICE and Finder recommend various tips to save more on grocery shopping, such as taking advantage of discount deals and shopping at night. Image Credit: Seniors Discount Club

In the meantime, you might want to check out ways to shop smarter amid these trying times from CHOICE, a consumer advocacy group.

What are your thoughts on this? If you’re on the Age Pension, Jobseeker, or other forms of welfare, is what you’re receiving enough to live on, in your opinion?

Tell us in the comments below.


Note: We’re also aware that these times can be very distressing for some of us who are struggling. A directory of mental health services can be found here. Please consider reaching services like Lifeline Australia at 13 11 14 as well.

You can shop better online keeps within your budget.
However I shop mainly at Aldis and get a few things from coles or Aldis, since November and have had trouble with finances and feel that my $ is going nowhere, some food prices have doubled within the space of a year. My rent is 4/5 of my OAP the balance of pension does not buy food and veggies for a week
It’s getting harder to eat healthy too.Coles AND Woolies posted the largest profits EVER for the last financial year. So they are NOT worried abt keeping prices down they’re using excuses to drive them up

 

[Winwow]

Franko, With no disrespect to you, ..... superannuation came in long before the 80s...at least it did for me.I started working in 1953 and had Super from day 1.

Well Super may have been available ( mostly to government employees) but was not legislated until mid 1990. I started work in 1970 and was never given the opportunity to pay super until it became law. So I lost 20 years we didn’t chose to NOT pay into it it was NOT available even thru bigger corporate employers. I have paid taxes my whole life and never been unemployed starting p/t at 11 whilst completing schooling so I have earned the OAP it’s not a handout

 

[Fat&fancy]

Welcome to the miserable grudging bastard of a country called Australia. If you have not got the cash to survive old age and die in modest comfort, it's your fault. Some cultures actually have respect for the elderly. Once a jolly swagman, sat by a billabong.......Our informal national anthem says it all about this country. The poor hungry swaggie had to steal a sheep to survive and then up came the Centrelink one, two three.......

Still, we are not locked up in an Australian refugee concentration camp on a island, although I suppose those people do get fed. Not sure why my dad thought it a decent place to emigrate to, back in the old days, but then it might have seemed a good idea at the time.

Wow, brutal comment. Everyone's circumstances are different. My partner had to pay a huge amount of child support thanks to his ex sodding off with his kids, so that impeded on us greatly and never got the opportunity to buy a place, empathy is lacking in you!

 

[Nana Zorak]

Pensioners not much better , buy in bulk they say, very sensible but it takes extra money to buy in bulk. A cupboard full of toilet rolls are no use when the fridge is empty.
Yesterday I looked in my cupboard and was greeted with heaps of cleaning products. They will be used but after they have been used back to the way mum did it, a spray bottle containing vinigar and lemon juice bottled when the lemon season was on.

I find that my pension is certainly enough for me to live on as I share the house with my ex-son-in-law so both pay one week's rent each I buy all the groceries for us both as when he was working he bought the groceries each week. I do most of the cooking but he helps with the housework as I am rather dodgy on my feet most of the time. We make it work, we also have 2 very large dogs to care for this can sometimes be a bit of a stretch but we always seem to come through it. This is why I go to the doctor on a pension day so I know there is money in the bank to pay for the consultation & that medicare will put the money back the same day. I also pay a fortnightly fee for my funeral so no one else has to pay for my dying!

 

[KiwiTrish]

Groceries have gotten more expensive these days. No matter how carefully you shop, the cost of essentials, especially food items, can eat away at your budget.

So, when it comes to the regular grocery shop, it can be overwhelming, especially for those barely managing to keep afloat.

Recently, a Centrelink recipient shared her $100 fortnightly grocery haul on the social networking site Twitter to show the food you can get on a tight budget.

‘I thought I'd share what my shopping looks like,’ she said. ‘This is for a fortnight. People who believe Jobseekers are out here living the high life are wrong.’

The woman’s 39-item shopping list at Coles consisted mostly of store-brand items such as milk, vegetables, bread, coffee, cereal, and canned goods. She also bought some pasta, pasta sauce, a pack of beef sausages, and some instant noodles.

Of course, she also made sure to buy some toiletries and home cleaning products like laundry detergent.

In total, her shop cost her $94.62.

View attachment 14807

The woman’s fortnightly grocery shop had a fair mix of veggies. Image Credit: Twitter

So where’s the remaining $6, you ask? Well, it’s at Woolies, she said: ‘This also doesn't include dog food. They are out of the dog rolls except for the expensive ones, so I’ll have to ask my brother to pick one up from Woolworths, which will bring the total to $100.’

It didn't take long before many Twitter users sang the same tune, with pangs of understanding and shared experience running through their responses.

‘What I'm finding absolutely insane is, at the moment, it's cheaper for my mum and me to get pizza (lasts three nights of dinner) than to buy ingredients to make a healthy dinner (to last three nights, depending on what we make),’ one user said.

Another found the woman’s shop all too familiar: ‘(This) literally mimics my own two-week shopping list. (It’s) only getting worse as prices go up too.’

‘(I) can remember when $100 used to feed my family of five, it would fill a trolley, now (it) hardly covers the counter,’ a third, who is a mum, added.

And another added, perhaps most relatably: ‘I often think when I go shopping how would anyone shop on the pittance that is welfare payments. Everything absolutely everything is going up. Every week I see some new item I buy increase in price — some even double from a few years back. The bill at the checkout is always a worry.’

As so many others resort to in these tough times, they criticised the woman’s shop in jest too.

‘Coffee? Coffee! Such a luxury item. Why, in my day, we'd have a giant tin of International Roast topped up with sweepings of dust from the factory floor and be happy for it!’ one user said.

‘Two different milks! Outrageous,’ added a second.

Others even jokingly said her buying meat and vegetables in one shop was already in the range of showing off: ‘Basically flaunting wealth, this is.’

And then there’s the response you’d hear uttered now and then whenever someone complains of high grocery prices: ‘You can buy most of those things (probably not all) from ALDI at much better prices.’

View attachment 14808

The woman’s shop, accounting for dog food unavailable from Coles, cost her around $100. Image Credit: Twitter

Sadly, this latest story is part of a long-running saga of rising grocery prices, and the issue doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the Consumer Price Index rose by 7.8 per cent in the 12 months to December 2022. Dairy, bread and cereal, other products, and non-food household products all saw annual increases of at least ten per cent.

What’s more, with the fate of supermarkets’ discount deals uncertain beyond stated deadlines — which would be mid-April for Coles’ ‘Dropped & Locked’ — the picture isn’t entirely rosy for the average Aussie consumer, much more for those on welfare.

Key Takeaways

• An Australian woman shared screenshots of her $100 shopping list to show the little food she’s able to afford with her Centrelink payments.
• Pantry staples like milk, bread, cereal and a few fresh vegetables were among the items she purchased.
• People shared similar struggles in response, with many pointing out the shrinking amount of groceries they can afford.
• Food items like milk and bread saw the most significant annual price increases last year.

Still, there are silver linings on the horizon.

For one, Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci stated that while red meat and dairy prices remain high, chicken prices are beginning to stabilise.

Similar schemes such as ‘Dropped & Locked’ from Coles are also seen to encourage more healthy competition among supermarkets through incentivising continued patronage by offering better discount deals.

Hopefully, in the coming weeks, we will see great offers to save from other supermarkets like Woolworths, ALDI, and IGA.

View attachment 14821

Experts from CHOICE and Finder recommend various tips to save more on grocery shopping, such as taking advantage of discount deals and shopping at night. Image Credit: Seniors Discount Club

In the meantime, you might want to check out ways to shop smarter amid these trying times from CHOICE, a consumer advocacy group.

What are your thoughts on this? If you’re on the Age Pension, Jobseeker, or other forms of welfare, is what you’re receiving enough to live on, in your opinion?

Tell us in the comments below.


Note: We’re also aware that these times can be very distressing for some of us who are struggling. A directory of mental health services can be found here. Please consider reaching services like Lifeline Australia at 13 11 14 as well.

It’s just so sad that we are such a divided country now with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer

 

[Aussie all the Way]

It is impossible to live on the pension if you own a house! By the time you buy basics there is not enough left for council rates and utilities. I do have a small car and have insurance for house and contents and car.
I’d like to see a politician live on a pension!!
I don’t have any Superannuation as my husband stopped working quite a while before the usual retirement age due to ill health, and we needed the Super to live.
There is no money left for entertainment or luxuries or holidays.

I'm gobsmacked by that statement, we own our house and that is the saving grace of being on the Age Pension no rent to fork out. We supplement by growing as much as we can and not buying crap, I make just about everything, bread, biscuits, sauces, you know all those things that are used everyday, also buy in BULK it saves heaps, yes you have to have some spare cash to start with but you just go without something and do it.

 

[gordon1940]

Ok, I know I am going to cop some flack here with my reply. I think the pension needs to be increased for our current aged pensioners who didn’t have foresight or opportunity or understanding that through advances in medicine that they would live much beyond retirement years, but the up and coming pensioners ( anyone that is now in the workforce, at any age) need to learn the art of budgeting and obtain solid financial advice and understand that our lifespan will be longer but not necessarily healthier than our predecessors. There is much solid advice on the internet, and from people who have done it all ( maybe your parents etc) to assist in teaching you this art. Go without a cafe meal or takeaway coffee. For entertainment have your friends over for a board games night. Learn new skills. Make yourself employable. Brush up on your maths and English comprehension skills. I read about all of you who are on JobStart or Newstart, why? As the payment name says, this money is meant to provide you with the opportunity of upskilling, it was never meant to provide you with a lifestyle. Grow veggies, while you are between jobs. Grow a better attitude. I had a grade 10 education, never went to uni, and there are plenty of people in my situation. I’ve never had a ‘corporate’ high paying job, I am one of the many ‘ labourers’ who was never afraid to take on ‘menial’ tasks that the majority of employment is. I did however learn the skill of budgeting early, by making mistakes after which I started reading about and listening to people who know how to make money work for you, no matter how much you earn. People I speak with including my own employer are screaming out for quality employees, who turn up for work, do the work, have a great attitude and a smile. Stop blaming government or family or society for your demise. Break the chain, the mould, the poverty thinking, stop watching and listening to negativity (the news), there was and always will be war, atrocities, disasters ( natural or man made). Be the ray of light, be happy YOU have money every fortnight TO buy some groceries, stop whinging and blaze a happy trail. Rant over. Let the flack begin.

No Flak from me. You said what needed to be said.

 

[hello]

Ok, I know I am going to cop some flack here with my reply. I think the pension needs to be increased for our current aged pensioners who didn’t have foresight or opportunity or understanding that through advances in medicine that they would live much beyond retirement years, but the up and coming pensioners ( anyone that is now in the workforce, at any age) need to learn the art of budgeting and obtain solid financial advice and understand that our lifespan will be longer but not necessarily healthier than our predecessors. There is much solid advice on the internet, and from people who have done it all ( maybe your parents etc) to assist in teaching you this art. Go without a cafe meal or takeaway coffee. For entertainment have your friends over for a board games night. Learn new skills. Make yourself employable. Brush up on your maths and English comprehension skills. I read about all of you who are on JobStart or Newstart, why? As the payment name says, this money is meant to provide you with the opportunity of upskilling, it was never meant to provide you with a lifestyle. Grow veggies, while you are between jobs. Grow a better attitude. I had a grade 10 education, never went to uni, and there are plenty of people in my situation. I’ve never had a ‘corporate’ high paying job, I am one of the many ‘ labourers’ who was never afraid to take on ‘menial’ tasks that the majority of employment is. I did however learn the skill of budgeting early, by making mistakes after which I started reading about and listening to people who know how to make money work for you, no matter how much you earn. People I speak with including my own employer are screaming out for quality employees, who turn up for work, do the work, have a great attitude and a smile. Stop blaming government or family or society for your demise. Break the chain, the mould, the poverty thinking, stop watching and listening to negativity (the news), there was and always will be war, atrocities, disasters ( natural or man made). Be the ray of light, be happy YOU have money every fortnight TO buy some groceries, stop whinging and blaze a happy trail. Rant over. Let the flack begin.

I found myself having to go on jobseekers I'm 63 and have worked physical jobs all my life from factory production lines to a cleaner in an aged care facility etc. So I know what hard work is. I recently had a total knee reconstruction and on the waiting list for shoulder surgery. Unfortunately the body is wearing out due to years of physical work. I only went to year 10 and no university degrees also. I also have rheumatoid arthritis and other medical issues even though the medications are discounted they still come at a cost when you take 6 different ones. I don't own my home I rent a room so I have to budget. There are days where I don't eat. You say your employer is screaming out for employees. What work do you do and how old are you if you don't mind me asking.

 

[Kgee]

You can shop better online keeps within your budget.
However I shop mainly at Aldis and get a few things from coles or Aldis, since November and have had trouble with finances and feel that my $ is going nowhere, some food prices have doubled within the space of a year. My rent is 4/5 of my OAP the balance of pension does not buy food and veggies for a week
It’s getting harder to eat healthy too.Coles AND Woolies posted the largest profits EVER for the last financial year. So they are NOT worried abt keeping prices down they’re using excuses to drive them up

I agree about the prices and shops are making massive profits. I find every time i go to the supermarket, most things have gone up and its usually the staples. Meat prices are the worst. I rarely buy it now. However, we could be worse off. My doctor bulk bills and medication isnt too bad. Ive had surgery and didnt pay a cent. I would hate to live in the US where people cant even afford to see a doctor.

 

[Greatgwr]

It is impossible to live on the pension if you own a house! By the time you buy basics there is not enough left for council rates and utilities. I do have a small car and have insurance for house and contents and car.
I’d like to see a politician live on a pension!!
I don’t have any Superannuation as my husband stopped working quite a while before the usual retirement age due to ill health, and we needed the Super to live.
There is no money left for entertainment or luxuries or holidays.

I wouldn't entirely agree with you we find it possible to live quite comfortably in retirement we have all the usual bills water, electricity, rates, and insurances which we budget for monthly. However we knew what was coming and prepared, we invested in solar with a battery, 120,000 liters of water storage and a Hybrid vehicle, our quarterly utility bills rarely exceed $150.00 even in winter and currently are about $30.00/quarter which includes charging a hybrid Vehicle each day which means our fuel costs have dropped by over 80% we also grow much of our own food (my wife is the gardener) Granted holidays are rare and repairs to the house are a strain but we manage quite well. the trick is Planning in advance.

 

[Aussie all the Way]

Well Super may have been available ( mostly to government employees) but was not legislated until mid 1990. I started work in 1970 and was never given the opportunity to pay super until it became law. So I lost 20 years we didn’t chose to NOT pay into it it was NOT available even thru bigger corporate employers. I have paid taxes my whole life and never been unemployed starting p/t at 11 whilst completing schooling so I have earned the OAP it’s not a handout

Super for the general worker was made compulsory for the Employer to contribute 3% in 1983, as far as I know that's when I remember it coming in.

 

[MindyMac]

Same goes for single aged pensioner who rents. My rent has just increased by $55 a week and in 6 months will increase another $30. I have no alternative than to suck it up… there are no houses available. There is no heating or cooling, not even fans in this house. That leaves me with about $250 a fortnight for food rego insurance electric and gas and water, and medication.

Car Registration is $free when on the Pension and Disability Pension. Invest in a couple of Ryobi Oneplus fans $59 each at Bunnings, or $99 with the charger & a battery $99. You will need to get the rechargeable batteries and charger and best to get in a kit with another purchase. I use this and this little fan and battery last for hours. Even this Hybrid fan (power cord & 2.0 ah hour battery $149). You can charge the battery up and it actually uses less energy all-up. Plus, ensure you register with Ryobi online with a copy of Bunning's Tax Invoice and get 6 Years Warranty. Register within 30 days. I always buy online and then when collected Bunnings give you a proper A4 paper copy of the tax invoice and will email to you.

 

[MindyMac]

Can everyone notice the anomales' ... as I see it. This person is TOO LAZY to go in and shop for groceries and instead orders online. I'm guessing it's a Click & Collect. Why not get off one's butt, get to the shopping centre, even other grocery/fruit shops in the streets, walk around and price and 'then & only then' go shopping. Plus, investigate the weekly specials in the catalogues and instore as well. Even online for the items that are still on sale but not listed in the catalogues. No, this person orders online and obviously the 'I can't be bothered' attitude continues. I'm guessing that's why they are on the Unemployment benefit. Job Seeker doesn't appear to apply to this person. Has their Unemployment form ready and completed and seeking a job is the last thing on their mind. Can't even be bothered to save $$$ by getting off their back side. Not being at the beach and shopping to save money.

Also, there are even cheaper ways for this person to eat. Steggles whole fresh chickens are on sale at Woollies now for $3.50 per kilo. That means that two large whole fresh chickens are now about $11-13 each. Plus, their deli counter nearly always has drumsticks on sale for $2.50-$3.50. Plus, mince meat & pork mince and sausages are cheaper at Aldi. Better quality cream at Aldi, along with some sauces. I just made a week ago16 spaghetti Bolognese decent portions including onions, carrots, mushrooms, French Onion soup powder ..etc.. all from scratch. The cost for the serving of the sauce is $1.00. Serve with pasta then just add approx. $0.15-35 cents per serve. Get two of the fresh whole chickens home and cut up, deskin and put into good quality freezer bags. Never buy the cheap ones. Cook up the drumsticks when on sale and cook in portions in variation of sauces and freeze in portions. Some are large drumsticks and only need one. Cost with sauce when cooked is approx. $0.75. With veggies or some salad cost per meal $1.50 at the very most. Large packet of Corn Flakes is $7.60 at Woolworths for 860 gram pack. Buy Aldi multigrain bread $1.99 per loaf. Utilise fruit markets. Would like to think that this person can learn that there may be better ways to save and eat well. Even use some of the chicken for stir fries, chicken soup with some veg's (just use chicken powder). Buy large pack of San Remo Egg noodles $4.00 and make your own version of One Minute Noodles and instead of approx $1. per serve it will be about $0.40 cents. There's plenty of work out there. One of my friend's daughter started a second job at Woolworths packing shelves. She is a Special Needs teacher and it's a low-income job, but she loves it and yes, pays a lower tax because of the job, but the family needed more income to pay the rent, car insurances, private insurances for them and their 3 children. She is grateful for the automatic 10% Off she gets off their groceries. I would have had approx. $20 at least left-over.

I'm wondering why this person has not found any employment. I wonder if they can move back home with their parents. If not, why not. There is a lot of employment opportunities there if people actually want to work. You may not get the employment that you are actually after, but there is a lot of opportunities. Architects working in insurance companies, scientists working in offices or schools. Even doing garbage collection.

 

[MindyMac]

I like your thinking, I too am sick of listening to these people whinge about everything possible, how about getting a job and getting more money in your pocket instead of relying on taking money you have not worked for, the fruit growers are screaming for workers, there are jobs everywhere. I have worked in all sorts of factories have put in the hard yards and am getting the benefits now, didn't have enough working time to get a lot of Super but we live a good life. People today expect to be paid a fortune for doing any job. As soon as something goes wrong you fall in a heap, where are your back bones suck it up and get on with it for goodness sakes. Newstart and Jobseeker are almost as much as the Pension which is a disgrace. I've finished my rant as well so go ahead and slam both of us, DON'T CARE.

Agree. There is lots of work out there. Some people expect to get the employment they 'expect that they are entitled to.' Many people work in other sectors of employment and apply for other employment that they may have a uni degree for. I worked with many people that could not get employment for their uni degree.

 

[Cheezil]

Groceries have gotten more expensive these days. No matter how carefully you shop, the cost of essentials, especially food items, can eat away at your budget.

So, when it comes to the regular grocery shop, it can be overwhelming, especially for those barely managing to keep afloat.

Recently, a Centrelink recipient shared her $100 fortnightly grocery haul on the social networking site Twitter to show the food you can get on a tight budget.

‘I thought I'd share what my shopping looks like,’ she said. ‘This is for a fortnight. People who believe Jobseekers are out here living the high life are wrong.’

The woman’s 39-item shopping list at Coles consisted mostly of store-brand items such as milk, vegetables, bread, coffee, cereal, and canned goods. She also bought some pasta, pasta sauce, a pack of beef sausages, and some instant noodles.

Of course, she also made sure to buy some toiletries and home cleaning products like laundry detergent.

In total, her shop cost her $94.62.

View attachment 14807

The woman’s fortnightly grocery shop had a fair mix of veggies. Image Credit: Twitter

So where’s the remaining $6, you ask? Well, it’s at Woolies, she said: ‘This also doesn't include dog food. They are out of the dog rolls except for the expensive ones, so I’ll have to ask my brother to pick one up from Woolworths, which will bring the total to $100.’

It didn't take long before many Twitter users sang the same tune, with pangs of understanding and shared experience running through their responses.

‘What I'm finding absolutely insane is, at the moment, it's cheaper for my mum and me to get pizza (lasts three nights of dinner) than to buy ingredients to make a healthy dinner (to last three nights, depending on what we make),’ one user said.

Another found the woman’s shop all too familiar: ‘(This) literally mimics my own two-week shopping list. (It’s) only getting worse as prices go up too.’

‘(I) can remember when $100 used to feed my family of five, it would fill a trolley, now (it) hardly covers the counter,’ a third, who is a mum, added.

And another added, perhaps most relatably: ‘I often think when I go shopping how would anyone shop on the pittance that is welfare payments. Everything absolutely everything is going up. Every week I see some new item I buy increase in price — some even double from a few years back. The bill at the checkout is always a worry.’

As so many others resort to in these tough times, they criticised the woman’s shop in jest too.

‘Coffee? Coffee! Such a luxury item. Why, in my day, we'd have a giant tin of International Roast topped up with sweepings of dust from the factory floor and be happy for it!’ one user said.

‘Two different milks! Outrageous,’ added a second.

Others even jokingly said her buying meat and vegetables in one shop was already in the range of showing off: ‘Basically flaunting wealth, this is.’

And then there’s the response you’d hear uttered now and then whenever someone complains of high grocery prices: ‘You can buy most of those things (probably not all) from ALDI at much better prices.’

View attachment 14808

The woman’s shop, accounting for dog food unavailable from Coles, cost her around $100. Image Credit: Twitter

Sadly, this latest story is part of a long-running saga of rising grocery prices, and the issue doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the Consumer Price Index rose by 7.8 per cent in the 12 months to December 2022. Dairy, bread and cereal, other products, and non-food household products all saw annual increases of at least ten per cent.

What’s more, with the fate of supermarkets’ discount deals uncertain beyond stated deadlines — which would be mid-April for Coles’ ‘Dropped & Locked’ — the picture isn’t entirely rosy for the average Aussie consumer, much more for those on welfare.

Key Takeaways

• An Australian woman shared screenshots of her $100 shopping list to show the little food she’s able to afford with her Centrelink payments.
• Pantry staples like milk, bread, cereal and a few fresh vegetables were among the items she purchased.
• People shared similar struggles in response, with many pointing out the shrinking amount of groceries they can afford.
• Food items like milk and bread saw the most significant annual price increases last year.

Still, there are silver linings on the horizon.

For one, Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci stated that while red meat and dairy prices remain high, chicken prices are beginning to stabilise.

Similar schemes such as ‘Dropped & Locked’ from Coles are also seen to encourage more healthy competition among supermarkets through incentivising continued patronage by offering better discount deals.

Hopefully, in the coming weeks, we will see great offers to save from other supermarkets like Woolworths, ALDI, and IGA.

View attachment 14821

Experts from CHOICE and Finder recommend various tips to save more on grocery shopping, such as taking advantage of discount deals and shopping at night. Image Credit: Seniors Discount Club

In the meantime, you might want to check out ways to shop smarter amid these trying times from CHOICE, a consumer advocacy group.

What are your thoughts on this? If you’re on the Age Pension, Jobseeker, or other forms of welfare, is what you’re receiving enough to live on, in your opinion?

Tell us in the comments below.


Note: We’re also aware that these times can be very distressing for some of us who are struggling. A directory of mental health services can be found here. Please consider reaching services like Lifeline Australia at 13 11 14 as well.

Hhhmm all whilst Woolies (& prob Coles also) have made massive profits & alleged to have been underpaying some staff wages- defending themselves saying their costs also have increased ....i call bs, pretty sure its absolute greed! I ditched them this fortnight& tried IGA tho it wasnt exactly cheaper- due mainly to the fact i shopped in store & bought couple things i SAW that i wouldnt normally buy coz i usually do online & delivery from Woolies, but they've cut back this service locally so trying elsewhere see how that goes!

 

[Thecheesequeen]

It is impossible to live on the pension if you own a house! By the time you buy basics there is not enough left for council rates and utilities. I do have a small car and have insurance for house and contents and car.
I’d like to see a politician live on a pension!!
I don’t have any Superannuation as my husband stopped working quite a while before the usual retirement age due to ill health, and we needed the Super to live.
There is no money left for entertainment or luxuries or holidays.

Surely, Kiwidi29, it‘s much harder if you DON’T own a house! If we had to pay rent we’d be much worse off. With no mortgage or rent to pay out of our pension, we find we manage very well. We eat well, eat out, entertain, go on holidays, enjoy our life to the full. We couldn’t do all that if we didn’t own our home.

 

[Rob44]

I like your thinking, I too am sick of listening to these people whinge about everything possible, how about getting a job and getting more money in your pocket instead of relying on taking money you have not worked for, the fruit growers are screaming for workers, there are jobs everywhere. I have worked in all sorts of factories have put in the hard yards and am getting the benefits now, didn't have enough working time to get a lot of Super but we live a good life. People today expect to be paid a fortune for doing any job. As soon as something goes wrong you fall in a heap, where are your back bones suck it up and get on with it for goodness sakes. Newstart and Jobseeker are almost as much as the Pension which is a disgrace. I've finished my rant as well so go ahead and slam both of us, DON'T CARE.

And that, in a nutshell is what is wrong with Australia. Most people have paid due taxes and have paid for their pensions etc and if our due taxes are too few to pay for a decent society then raise those taxes; re-direct them. Simple. Otherwise, just what is the point of "Australia"?

 

[Aussie all the Way]

Can everyone notice the anomales' ... as I see it. This person is TOO LAZY to go in and shop for groceries and instead orders online. I'm guessing it's a Click & Collect. Why not get off one's butt, get to the shopping centre, even other grocery/fruit shops in the streets, walk around and price and 'then & only then' go shopping. Plus, investigate the weekly specials in the catalogues and instore as well. Even online for the items that are still on sale but not listed in the catalogues. No, this person orders online and obviously the 'I can't be bothered' attitude continues. I'm guessing that's why they are on the Unemployment benefit. Job Seeker doesn't appear to apply to this person. Has their Unemployment form ready and completed and seeking a job is the last thing on their mind. Can't even be bothered to save $$$ by getting off their back side. Not being at the beach and shopping to save money.

Also, there are even cheaper ways for this person to eat. Steggles whole fresh chickens are on sale at Woollies now for $3.50 per kilo. That means that two large whole fresh chickens are now about $11-13 each. Plus, their deli counter nearly always has drumsticks on sale for $2.50-$3.50. Plus, mince meat & pork mince and sausages are cheaper at Aldi. Better quality cream at Aldi, along with some sauces. I just made a week ago16 spaghetti Bolognese decent portions including onions, carrots, mushrooms, French Onion soup powder ..etc.. all from scratch. The cost for the serving of the sauce is $1.00. Serve with pasta then just add approx. $0.15-35 cents per serve. Get two of the fresh whole chickens home and cut up, deskin and put into good quality freezer bags. Never buy the cheap ones. Cook up the drumsticks when on sale and cook in portions in variation of sauces and freeze in portions. Some are large drumsticks and only need one. Cost with sauce when cooked is approx. $0.75. With veggies or some salad cost per meal $1.50 at the very most. Large packet of Corn Flakes is $7.60 at Woolworths for 860 gram pack. Buy Aldi multigrain bread $1.99 per loaf. Utilise fruit markets. Would like to think that this person can learn that there may be better ways to save and eat well. Even use some of the chicken for stir fries, chicken soup with some veg's (just use chicken powder). Buy large pack of San Remo Egg noodles $4.00 and make your own version of One Minute Noodles and instead of approx $1. per serve it will be about $0.40 cents. There's plenty of work out there. One of my friend's daughter started a second job at Woolworths packing shelves. She is a Special Needs teacher and it's a low-income job, but she loves it and yes, pays a lower tax because of the job, but the family needed more income to pay the rent, car insurances, private insurances for them and their 3 children. She is grateful for the automatic 10% Off she gets off their groceries. I would have had approx. $20 at least left-over.

I'm wondering why this person has not found any employment. I wonder if they can move back home with their parents. If not, why not. There is a lot of employment opportunities there if people actually want to work. You may not get the employment that you are actually after, but there is a lot of opportunities. Architects working in insurance companies, scientists working in offices or schools. Even doing garbage collection.

View attachment 14908

Oh stop talking common sense, these lazy turds don't know what shopping for bargains is all about they just buy what ever, I have just made a lovely loaf of grain bread, and a huge chilli zucchini slice from my produce from the garden, we grow nearly everything. There should be a ceiling on Centrelink and Jobseeker if you don't have a job in 3 months and i'm being generous there, the Jobseeker people will GIVE you a job that they have on their books and if you mess up too bad, no job no money. The generation of today think they are so entitled and I for one am sick of them bitching about how hard it is. Unless you do what I do and grow veggies and make most things as in food SHUT UP, SUCK IT UP, and get a JOB, by the way do they smoke and drink.

 

[myopinion]

And I am tired of hearing self-righteous garbage about how one didn't prepare for old age etcetera and should therefore be punished for living in stress and pain as a result. If this country were a decent community we would have accepted the need to have worked together to form a decent public health service, provide decent government housing, pay university students' tuition fees, pay a fair unemployment benefit etcetera, but we are all greedy, selfish and self-righteous instead.

All it would take is a decent government-run National Insurance Scheme into which each of us contribute regularly according to our means, as operated effectively in the UK from 1945 to the late 1970s. No, it wasn't a "socialist paradise" but it operated to considerable benefit of those less fortunate than others and that benefit flowed through to the betterment of society.

Life is not a morality play where only the righteous should be rewarded. Life is an accident waiting to happen to cause suffering and that is a burden that we, as a community, need to minimise.

Rob44, I cannot agree more with your comments
If this country were a decent community we would have accepted the need to have worked together to form a decent public health service, provide decent government housing, pay university students' tuition fees, pay a fair unemployment benefit etcetera,
When I started work (in the lateish '60s) super was not available to women. Only men. So now as a woman having worked all my life, I finished up with only a very small amount of payout. I managed to buy a house, old and in need of repairs, in an out of the way town. But here we are struggling to get health services. Yes, I manage on an age pension, with no frills. Just hope that I can keep my health for a while longer.