Heartbreaking photo of a trolley exposes ‘devastating’ pre-Christmas issue

It's almost Christmas, a time for celebrating with family, merrymaking, and good times. Unfortunately, for a lot of people, the cost of living has made it increasingly difficult for people to make ends meet.

A photograph of a trolley filled with barely enough groceries to last one person a week has made waves online, and it's illustrating an upsetting reality that people are facing across the world.



The trolley was shared on social media by musician Sarah Foley and only had a handful of items: broccoli, milk, bananas, rice cakes, pumpkin, and kiwi fruit. She also revealed that the small haul cost her NZ $90 (AU $85).

‘Do you genuinely believe this amount of groceries is worth $90?’ She asked in the video she posted.

‘This is all I could buy for $90, and this will last me three days if that. There’s no meat. I haven’t bought any meat,’ she continued.


blake.jpg
She posted the video as a response to Countdown’s comment on her video. Credit: blakemusicnz/TikTok

Sarah took aim at Countdown in a previous video and called them out for being ‘tone deaf’ after the retailer shared behind-the-scenes footage from one of their Christmas advertisements.

‘Can we talk about for a second how tone deaf this Countdown ad is?’ She said in the clip, which you can find here.

‘Is this why you charge so much for food? Because you spend thousands paying people to hand plates of food to each other?’ She asked.



The supermarket responded to the criticism and said this: ‘Unfortunately inflationary factors like freight, fuel and supply costs are contributing to higher prices right across the food industry.’

Countdown added that they were doing everything they could to ‘work around’ higher costs, and provide more value to shoppers this holiday season.

And this response is what prompted Sarah to post the photo of her trolley on social media.

Many social media users weren’t convinced that the items in Sarah’s trolley would cost that much. But others defended her and said that the prices have risen to bring in more profits to the grocery store. See an example of this in the image below:


blake2.jpg
One of the responses on Sarah’s video. Credit: blakemusicnz/TikTok

Sarah has since turned off comments on the video, but you can still watch it below:



This issue comes after the New Zealand Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr urged shoppers to ‘think about saving rather than consuming’ this festive season.

The comment was made after the country’s central bank increased interest rates to three-quarters of a point to 4.25 per cent – the highest in New Zealand since early 2009.



In Australia, the Reserve Bank projected inflation to peak at 8 per cent by the end of the year. This report comes after researchers found that 99 per cent of the people they surveyed were concerned about affording groceries for Christmas this year.

‘We are deeply concerned to hear about the agonising choices Australians are making,’ a spokesperson for the Salvation Army (where the research was conducted) said.

‘The guilt and emotional toll of not being able to provide the basics for their family is the real but often hidden cost of financial hardship.’
Key Takeaways

  • A photo of a trolley barely filled with enough groceries to last one person a week has highlighted the devastating pre-Christmas issue of rising living costs.
  • The New Zealand Reserve Bank increased interest rates to 4.25 per cent, the highest since early 2009, while the Reserve Bank of Australia forecasts inflation to peak at 8 per cent by the end of 2022.
  • This report comes after the Salvation Army’s research, where they found that 99 per cent of the people they surveyed were concerned about Christmas groceries this year.
Do you think that Countdown was tone-deaf or was Sarah’s video an over-exaggeration? Let us know your thoughts below!
 
Sponsored
I believe her. Groceries are skyrocketing. My daughter went to Woolies and came home with a shopping bag with just fresh fruit for her dad and it cost me $58.
 
  • Sad
Reactions: Liz
I believe her. Groceries are skyrocketing. My daughter went to Woolies and came home with a shopping bag with just fresh fruit for her dad and it cost me $58.
I hardly ever buy fresh fruit now as it is right out of my budget. I do buy the cheapest tinned fruit so that I can get some fruit but that's the way it goes these days.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Liz
The very large price increases which occurred almost overnight across the board cannot be explained by higher fuel costs and farmer's supply increases. An average price hike has been for a $5 item to now cost $7, which is a 40% increase.
Cole's and Woolworths led the way to make everything much more expensive.
 
The very large price increases which occurred almost overnight across the board cannot be explained by higher fuel costs and farmer's supply increases. An average price hike has been for a $5 item to now cost $7, which is a 40% increase.
Cole's and Woolworths led the way to make everything much more expensive.
Agree, how would we "consumers" know if these greedy supermarkets reps are telling the truth anyway!
 
  • Like
Reactions: RTS
It's almost Christmas, a time for celebrating with family, merrymaking, and good times. Unfortunately, for a lot of people, the cost of living has made it increasingly difficult for people to make ends meet.

A photograph of a trolley filled with barely enough groceries to last one person a week has made waves online, and it's illustrating an upsetting reality that people are facing across the world.



The trolley was shared on social media by musician Sarah Foley and only had a handful of items: broccoli, milk, bananas, rice cakes, pumpkin, and kiwi fruit. She also revealed that the small haul cost her NZ $90 (AU $85).

‘Do you genuinely believe this amount of groceries is worth $90?’ She asked in the video she posted.

‘This is all I could buy for $90, and this will last me three days if that. There’s no meat. I haven’t bought any meat,’ she continued.


View attachment 10521
She posted the video as a response to Countdown’s comment on her video. Credit: blakemusicnz/TikTok

Sarah took aim at Countdown in a previous video and called them out for being ‘tone deaf’ after the retailer shared behind-the-scenes footage from one of their Christmas advertisements.

‘Can we talk about for a second how tone deaf this Countdown ad is?’ She said in the clip, which you can find here.

‘Is this why you charge so much for food? Because you spend thousands paying people to hand plates of food to each other?’ She asked.



The supermarket responded to the criticism and said this: ‘Unfortunately inflationary factors like freight, fuel and supply costs are contributing to higher prices right across the food industry.’

Countdown added that they were doing everything they could to ‘work around’ higher costs, and provide more value to shoppers this holiday season.

And this response is what prompted Sarah to post the photo of her trolley on social media.

Many social media users weren’t convinced that the items in Sarah’s trolley would cost that much. But others defended her and said that the prices have risen to bring in more profits to the grocery store. See an example of this in the image below:


View attachment 10522
One of the responses on Sarah’s video. Credit: blakemusicnz/TikTok

Sarah has since turned off comments on the video, but you can still watch it below:



This issue comes after the New Zealand Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr urged shoppers to ‘think about saving rather than consuming’ this festive season.

The comment was made after the country’s central bank increased interest rates to three-quarters of a point to 4.25 per cent – the highest in New Zealand since early 2009.



In Australia, the Reserve Bank projected inflation to peak at 8 per cent by the end of the year. This report comes after researchers found that 99 per cent of the people they surveyed were concerned about affording groceries for Christmas this year.

‘We are deeply concerned to hear about the agonising choices Australians are making,’ a spokesperson for the Salvation Army (where the research was conducted) said.

‘The guilt and emotional toll of not being able to provide the basics for their family is the real but often hidden cost of financial hardship.’
Key Takeaways

  • A photo of a trolley barely filled with enough groceries to last one person a week has highlighted the devastating pre-Christmas issue of rising living costs.
  • The New Zealand Reserve Bank increased interest rates to 4.25 per cent, the highest since early 2009, while the Reserve Bank of Australia forecasts inflation to peak at 8 per cent by the end of 2022.
  • This report comes after the Salvation Army’s research, where they found that 99 per cent of the people they surveyed were concerned about Christmas groceries this year.
Do you think that Countdown was tone-deaf or was Sarah’s video an over-exaggeration? Let us know your thoughts below!

STOP BUYING ANYTHING AT WOOLWORTHS! It's NOT ROCKET SCIENCE! SHOP AT ALDI for all of your staples, then you can afford your 'luxury' items at Woolworth
 
It's almost Christmas, a time for celebrating with family, merrymaking, and good times. Unfortunately, for a lot of people, the cost of living has made it increasingly difficult for people to make ends meet.

A photograph of a trolley filled with barely enough groceries to last one person a week has made waves online, and it's illustrating an upsetting reality that people are facing across the world.



The trolley was shared on social media by musician Sarah Foley and only had a handful of items: broccoli, milk, bananas, rice cakes, pumpkin, and kiwi fruit. She also revealed that the small haul cost her NZ $90 (AU $85).

‘Do you genuinely believe this amount of groceries is worth $90?’ She asked in the video she posted.

‘This is all I could buy for $90, and this will last me three days if that. There’s no meat. I haven’t bought any meat,’ she continued.


View attachment 10521
She posted the video as a response to Countdown’s comment on her video. Credit: blakemusicnz/TikTok

Sarah took aim at Countdown in a previous video and called them out for being ‘tone deaf’ after the retailer shared behind-the-scenes footage from one of their Christmas advertisements.

‘Can we talk about for a second how tone deaf this Countdown ad is?’ She said in the clip, which you can find here.

‘Is this why you charge so much for food? Because you spend thousands paying people to hand plates of food to each other?’ She asked.



The supermarket responded to the criticism and said this: ‘Unfortunately inflationary factors like freight, fuel and supply costs are contributing to higher prices right across the food industry.’

Countdown added that they were doing everything they could to ‘work around’ higher costs, and provide more value to shoppers this holiday season.

And this response is what prompted Sarah to post the photo of her trolley on social media.

Many social media users weren’t convinced that the items in Sarah’s trolley would cost that much. But others defended her and said that the prices have risen to bring in more profits to the grocery store. See an example of this in the image below:


View attachment 10522
One of the responses on Sarah’s video. Credit: blakemusicnz/TikTok

Sarah has since turned off comments on the video, but you can still watch it below:



This issue comes after the New Zealand Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr urged shoppers to ‘think about saving rather than consuming’ this festive season.

The comment was made after the country’s central bank increased interest rates to three-quarters of a point to 4.25 per cent – the highest in New Zealand since early 2009.



In Australia, the Reserve Bank projected inflation to peak at 8 per cent by the end of the year. This report comes after researchers found that 99 per cent of the people they surveyed were concerned about affording groceries for Christmas this year.

‘We are deeply concerned to hear about the agonising choices Australians are making,’ a spokesperson for the Salvation Army (where the research was conducted) said.

‘The guilt and emotional toll of not being able to provide the basics for their family is the real but often hidden cost of financial hardship.’
Key Takeaways

  • A photo of a trolley barely filled with enough groceries to last one person a week has highlighted the devastating pre-Christmas issue of rising living costs.
  • The New Zealand Reserve Bank increased interest rates to 4.25 per cent, the highest since early 2009, while the Reserve Bank of Australia forecasts inflation to peak at 8 per cent by the end of 2022.
  • This report comes after the Salvation Army’s research, where they found that 99 per cent of the people they surveyed were concerned about Christmas groceries this year.
Do you think that Countdown was tone-deaf or was Sarah’s video an over-exaggeration? Let us know your thoughts below!
 
I am seeing this trolley and recalling my own extreme anxiety when last I went through the checkout at the supermarket. You can imagine dozens of tired cranky folk just wanting to get home. I had saved $190 for Christmas shop. That took 12 months to do. I told the man on duty to stop if my shop went over that amount. I was convinced I would be ok and it all would be coming home with me. Less than half way into the shop it was all spent. Everyone groaned and started looking for another checkout line. I apologised and with tears running down my cheeks started to put stuff back in the trolley. I was told STOP. I can get someone to do that just take your bags and clear the aisle please.
 
  • Sad
Reactions: Defiant540
I can believe it with fruit, I am buying frozen or tinned fruit. As I don't eat meat, I treated my cat to a whole chicken for Christmas. I don't what you normally pay for them but $11.30 is what I paid. At least she will get quite a few nice meals from it and not be sick of the cat food I have to buy at Aldi because it is cheaper than Woolies.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Penny4
I can believe it with fruit, I am buying frozen or tinned fruit. As I don't eat meat, I treated my cat to a whole chicken for Christmas. I don't what you normally pay for them but $11.30 is what I paid. At least she will get quite a few nice meals from it and not be sick of the cat food I have to buy at Aldi because it is cheaper than Woolies.
Aaww your cat will love that chicken.
Nothing wrong with frozen or tinned fruit, as dietitians recommend them as well as fresh.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Liz
Aaww your cat will love that chicken.
Nothing wrong with frozen or tinned fruit, as dietitians recommend them as well as fresh.
My cat has already been tripping me up when I was stripping the chook, I really think she likes it.;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Penny4

Join the conversation

News, deals, games, and bargains for Aussies over 60. From everyday expenses like groceries and eating out, to electronics, fashion and travel, the club is all about helping you make your money go further.
  • We believe that retirement should be a time to relax and enjoy life, not worry about money. That's why we're here to help our members make the most of their retirement years. If you're over 60 and looking for ways to save money, connect with others, and have a laugh, we’d love to have you aboard.
  • Advertise with us

User Menu

Enjoyed Reading our Story?

  • Share this forum to your loved ones.
Change Weather Postcode×
Change Petrol Postcode×