We all understand the importance of saving money, especially when finances are tight. Here at the SDC, we make it our mission to keep our members informed about available discounts and opportunities that can ease their financial burdens.

However, we must acknowledge the unfortunate reality that these avenues for savings are falling short in the face of today's escalating cost of living challenges.

The truth is, many of us are grappling to make ends meet, particularly when putting food on the table for ourselves and our loved ones.

A recent incident involving Sarah O'Connor from Queensland sheds light on the severity of this situation.

A woman was shocked at what $31 got her at the supermarket, saying it is too expensive to eat healthy foods. Credit: TikTok.

During a recent shopping trip to Woolworths, with the intention of purchasing nutritious food on a limited budget, she selected six items: salmon, tomatoes, rice, broccolini, snow peas, and an avocado.

Astonishingly, the total cost of this modest grocery haul amounted to $31—equivalent to someone's entire hour of work at the minimum wage.

In Sarah's words: 'No wonder people like myself go to Maccas or wherever to eat. It's literally a joke.'

Many folks chimed in, nodding their heads in disbelief at the cost of Sarah's seemingly minor purchase. One person even shared their recent shocker—shelling out a whopping '$10 for bread and milk'.

In the comments section of her post, another user said: 'Eating healthy is so expensive unless you cook bulk stir-fry and eat the same thing every day for a week.'

Another chimed in, saying: 'It's ridiculous! I don't even earn $31 in one hour.'

'I'd rather buy a cheap s***ty meal from a fast-food chain than run my bank account dry just to literally eat,' added a fourth.

Sarah's experience is one that many shoppers can relate to, and it's easy to understand why most Aussies are turning towards fast food and junk food to cut costs.

The Foodbank Hunger Report 2022 found that food is the main non-housing expense driving increased inflation, particularly with the cost of food and groceries leading households—especially those with children—to not have enough food, thereby severely compromising their nutrition and eating patterns.

Around 128,000 calls for assistance were received by Foodbank WA in June this year alone, which CEO Kate O'Hara commented was a 'particularly bad month' that has only become increasingly worrying ever since.



According to O'Hara, the federal and state governments should look into providing tax relief to organisations that send healthy food into hunger relief networks, such as Foodbank and OzHarvest.

On the state level, O'Hara also suggested investing in programs to fund healthy school breakfasts and lunches for children and their families.

'Across the nation, there is not a consistent funding call to school breakfast programs,' she said.

Key Takeaways

• Sarah O'Connor, a Queensland woman, shared her shock on social media at the low amount of groceries $31 bought her at Woolworths, highlighting the issue with the rising cost of groceries.
• Others on social media agreed with Sarah, sharing their frustrations about the high cost of eating healthy, with some stating they would instead opt for cheaper fast food options.
• The rising cost of food is driving inflation in Australia and is a significant factor in households, especially those with children, not getting enough food and compromising on nutrition, according to the Foodbank Hunger Report 2022.
• Foodbank WA CEO, Kate O'Hara, believes that changes on a federal and state level, such as tax relief to companies contributing to food relief networks and more consistent funding for school breakfast programs, are necessary for addressing this issue.

Please contact your local Foodbank if you or a family member is having trouble putting food on the table. Take a look below for their contact details:

Foodbank QLD
179 Beverley St, Morningside QLD 4170, Australia
+61 7 3395 8422

Foodbank NSW & ACT
50 Owen St, Glendenning NSW 2761, Australia
+61 2 9756 3099

Foodbank SA
377 Cross Rd, Edwardstown SA 5039, Australia
+61 8 8351 1136

Foodbank VIC
4/2 Somerville Rd, Yarraville VIC 3013, Australia
+61 3 9362 8300

Foodbank WA
23 Abbott Rd, Perth Airport WA 6105, Australia
+61 8 9258 9277

Foodbank TAS
4-8 Sunmont St, Derwent Park TAS 7173, Australia
+61 3 6274 1052

At the SDC, we recognise the challenges of managing expenses in today's unpredictable economy, particularly when it involves maintaining a nutritious diet.

Members, if you have valuable tips or suggestions about balancing healthy eating with limited finances, we encourage you to share them in the comment section below! Your insights could greatly benefit others facing similar concerns.

 

[Teddy is my boy]

How can you possibly compare eating at Macka’s a cheaper option. Silly comment.

 

[bluetang]

We all understand the importance of saving money, especially when finances are tight. Here at the SDC, we make it our mission to keep our members informed about available discounts and opportunities that can ease their financial burdens.

However, we must acknowledge the unfortunate reality that these avenues for savings are falling short in the face of today's escalating cost of living challenges.

The truth is, many of us are grappling to make ends meet, particularly when putting food on the table for ourselves and our loved ones.

A recent incident involving Sarah O'Connor from Queensland sheds light on the severity of this situation.

View attachment 27496

A woman was shocked at what $31 got her at the supermarket, saying it is too expensive to eat healthy foods. Credit: TikTok.

During a recent shopping trip to Woolworths, with the intention of purchasing nutritious food on a limited budget, she selected six items: salmon, tomatoes, rice, broccolini, snow peas, and an avocado.

Astonishingly, the total cost of this modest grocery haul amounted to $31—equivalent to someone's entire hour of work at the minimum wage.

In Sarah's words: 'No wonder people like myself go to Maccas or wherever to eat. It's literally a joke.'

Many folks chimed in, nodding their heads in disbelief at the cost of Sarah's seemingly minor purchase. One person even shared their recent shocker—shelling out a whopping '$10 for bread and milk'.

In the comments section of her post, another user said: 'Eating healthy is so expensive unless you cook bulk stir-fry and eat the same thing every day for a week.'

Another chimed in, saying: 'It's ridiculous! I don't even earn $31 in one hour.'

'I'd rather buy a cheap s***ty meal from a fast-food chain than run my bank account dry just to literally eat,' added a fourth.

Sarah's experience is one that many shoppers can relate to, and it's easy to understand why most Aussies are turning towards fast food and junk food to cut costs.

The Foodbank Hunger Report 2022 found that food is the main non-housing expense driving increased inflation, particularly with the cost of food and groceries leading households—especially those with children—to not have enough food, thereby severely compromising their nutrition and eating patterns.

Around 128,000 calls for assistance were received by Foodbank WA in June this year alone, which CEO Kate O'Hara commented was a 'particularly bad month' that has only become increasingly worrying ever since.



According to O'Hara, the federal and state governments should look into providing tax relief to organisations that send healthy food into hunger relief networks, such as Foodbank and OzHarvest.

On the state level, O'Hara also suggested investing in programs to fund healthy school breakfasts and lunches for children and their families.

'Across the nation, there is not a consistent funding call to school breakfast programs,' she said.

Key Takeaways

• Sarah O'Connor, a Queensland woman, shared her shock on social media at the low amount of groceries $31 bought her at Woolworths, highlighting the issue with the rising cost of groceries.
• Others on social media agreed with Sarah, sharing their frustrations about the high cost of eating healthy, with some stating they would instead opt for cheaper fast food options.
• The rising cost of food is driving inflation in Australia and is a significant factor in households, especially those with children, not getting enough food and compromising on nutrition, according to the Foodbank Hunger Report 2022.
• Foodbank WA CEO, Kate O'Hara, believes that changes on a federal and state level, such as tax relief to companies contributing to food relief networks and more consistent funding for school breakfast programs, are necessary for addressing this issue.

Please contact your local Foodbank if you or a family member is having trouble putting food on the table. Take a look below for their contact details:

Foodbank QLD
179 Beverley St, Morningside QLD 4170, Australia
+61 7 3395 8422

Foodbank NSW & ACT
50 Owen St, Glendenning NSW 2761, Australia
+61 2 9756 3099

Foodbank SA
377 Cross Rd, Edwardstown SA 5039, Australia
+61 8 8351 1136

Foodbank VIC
4/2 Somerville Rd, Yarraville VIC 3013, Australia
+61 3 9362 8300

Foodbank WA
23 Abbott Rd, Perth Airport WA 6105, Australia
+61 8 9258 9277

Foodbank TAS
4-8 Sunmont St, Derwent Park TAS 7173, Australia
+61 3 6274 1052

At the SDC, we recognise the challenges of managing expenses in today's unpredictable economy, particularly when it involves maintaining a nutritious diet.

Members, if you have valuable tips or suggestions about balancing healthy eating with limited finances, we encourage you to share them in the comment section below! Your insights could greatly benefit others facing similar concerns.

The food, the member purchased was the expensive end of the market. Very nutricious and can't really be compared to the fast food chains, also there was more than one meal's quantity by my calculation.

 

[mylittletibbies]

Fast food is expensive, not cheap!!
Also it's crap, it's not called junk food for nothing.
It is miles cheaper to cook yourself, you just need to know how to shop properly and not waste food.
IMO fast food is a very occasional thing, perhaps when you are running late, etc
Continually eating junk food is usually a habit of lazy people

 

[Pinky300]

Salmon?? I wish that I could afford to eat salmon. There are definitely more affordable alternatives to salmon!!

 

[Trudi]

Theere are seven items on her receipt, not six as she claimed.

What was the seventh item?

 

[starrysnan]

Like others I find fast food expensive and only a very occasional option. Look for fruit and vegetables in season - cheaper and taste better. Eggs are a great option and omelettes or quiche are tasty. look for meat specials and use pasta to make meals go further. Its just a case of not picking up the first thing you see when you go shopping look around and try different recipes. Greengrocers are often cheaper than the supermarkets. You have to be a bit of a detective to search out what is the best value.

 

[Tyalla]

Well if you select the most expensive per volume then of course your receipt will be high. I have lived both on very low income for a few years prior to now and I could live off $50 groceries per week which included washing and toiletries and now that my income has increased I still don't splurge for the most expensive. Only once in a while as a treat. If items are at half price I buy and store them but within reason. As for fruit and vegetables, you buy vegetables in season and even then frozen vegetables which are snap-frozen soon after picking can be better nutrition-wise than veggies sitting on the shop shelf. Frozen veggies have no waste and keeping them is better also. As for the Atlantic Salmon, why would you buy it unless it's Huon brand, unfortunately, they have gone belly up but had the best environmental practices in relation to farm fishing but still feed the fish compounds like antibiotics and colouring to make the flesh appear orange? Krill is their natural diet that creates pinkish flesh and great flavour. Farmed Atlantic Salmon has a higher fat content than wild court and farmed trout tastes the same as Atlantic Salmon as the flavour of fish depends on the fish's diet.
If you want a feed of fish but not expensive approach your local fish wholesaler as they often have fish frames for free. They are good at getting most of the flesh off unlike amateur fishermen but good options are getting frames of Reef Fish if you can as you can boil up and get the cheek meat and flesh to make soup and cut the wings off and pan fry. Most offshore fishing is done around the full moon or the New moon.
With the cost of red meat, the price of some fresh fish is better. Flake, being shark, used to be the fish of choice for fish and chips. Search out your fish WholeSaler and get on their FB page as they let you know, usually when fresh supplies are coming in. Avoid the local fish shops as they buy imported and if they have wild caught it is already filleted. Any scraps can be used for crab pot bait.
With some planning, you can get good prices for fish, look for grassy sweetlip, which is cheaper than standard sweetlip, Red Jew, Yellow or Blue Salmon, and Flake. Don't forget your whiting, bream etc also.

 

[Nanachook]

Wish we had the opportunity to shop around for cheaper prices. Our small town has two grocery stores and because of our isolation we pay exorbitantly high prices for most items, due to freight charges. Fresh fruit and vegetables….???? Well they have to be used almost the day you buy as they don’t last more than a day or two. Makes eating FRESH very difficult as most fresh veg needs to be balanched and frozen to save money. And then bread etc local bread $5 - $5.50 a. Loaf so can only buy twice weekly. I much prefer to support local businesses BUT at what cost AND we don’t have the option to sneak off to the fast food places as we don’t have any. So maybe be grateful for what you can get.
Cheers,
Lois

 

[Shane/#]

We all understand the importance of saving money, especially when finances are tight. Here at the SDC, we make it our mission to keep our members informed about available discounts and opportunities that can ease their financial burdens.

However, we must acknowledge the unfortunate reality that these avenues for savings are falling short in the face of today's escalating cost of living challenges.

The truth is, many of us are grappling to make ends meet, particularly when putting food on the table for ourselves and our loved ones.

A recent incident involving Sarah O'Connor from Queensland sheds light on the severity of this situation.

View attachment 27496

A woman was shocked at what $31 got her at the supermarket, saying it is too expensive to eat healthy foods. Credit: TikTok.

During a recent shopping trip to Woolworths, with the intention of purchasing nutritious food on a limited budget, she selected six items: salmon, tomatoes, rice, broccolini, snow peas, and an avocado.

Astonishingly, the total cost of this modest grocery haul amounted to $31—equivalent to someone's entire hour of work at the minimum wage.

In Sarah's words: 'No wonder people like myself go to Maccas or wherever to eat. It's literally a joke.'

Many folks chimed in, nodding their heads in disbelief at the cost of Sarah's seemingly minor purchase. One person even shared their recent shocker—shelling out a whopping '$10 for bread and milk'.

In the comments section of her post, another user said: 'Eating healthy is so expensive unless you cook bulk stir-fry and eat the same thing every day for a week.'

Another chimed in, saying: 'It's ridiculous! I don't even earn $31 in one hour.'

'I'd rather buy a cheap s***ty meal from a fast-food chain than run my bank account dry just to literally eat,' added a fourth.

Sarah's experience is one that many shoppers can relate to, and it's easy to understand why most Aussies are turning towards fast food and junk food to cut costs.

The Foodbank Hunger Report 2022 found that food is the main non-housing expense driving increased inflation, particularly with the cost of food and groceries leading households—especially those with children—to not have enough food, thereby severely compromising their nutrition and eating patterns.

Around 128,000 calls for assistance were received by Foodbank WA in June this year alone, which CEO Kate O'Hara commented was a 'particularly bad month' that has only become increasingly worrying ever since.



According to O'Hara, the federal and state governments should look into providing tax relief to organisations that send healthy food into hunger relief networks, such as Foodbank and OzHarvest.

On the state level, O'Hara also suggested investing in programs to fund healthy school breakfasts and lunches for children and their families.

'Across the nation, there is not a consistent funding call to school breakfast programs,' she said.

Key Takeaways

• Sarah O'Connor, a Queensland woman, shared her shock on social media at the low amount of groceries $31 bought her at Woolworths, highlighting the issue with the rising cost of groceries.
• Others on social media agreed with Sarah, sharing their frustrations about the high cost of eating healthy, with some stating they would instead opt for cheaper fast food options.
• The rising cost of food is driving inflation in Australia and is a significant factor in households, especially those with children, not getting enough food and compromising on nutrition, according to the Foodbank Hunger Report 2022.
• Foodbank WA CEO, Kate O'Hara, believes that changes on a federal and state level, such as tax relief to companies contributing to food relief networks and more consistent funding for school breakfast programs, are necessary for addressing this issue.

Please contact your local Foodbank if you or a family member is having trouble putting food on the table. Take a look below for their contact details:

Foodbank QLD
179 Beverley St, Morningside QLD 4170, Australia
+61 7 3395 8422

Foodbank NSW & ACT
50 Owen St, Glendenning NSW 2761, Australia
+61 2 9756 3099

Foodbank SA
377 Cross Rd, Edwardstown SA 5039, Australia
+61 8 8351 1136

Foodbank VIC
4/2 Somerville Rd, Yarraville VIC 3013, Australia
+61 3 9362 8300

Foodbank WA
23 Abbott Rd, Perth Airport WA 6105, Australia
+61 8 9258 9277

Foodbank TAS
4-8 Sunmont St, Derwent Park TAS 7173, Australia
+61 3 6274 1052

At the SDC, we recognise the challenges of managing expenses in today's unpredictable economy, particularly when it involves maintaining a nutritious diet.

Members, if you have valuable tips or suggestions about balancing healthy eating with limited finances, we encourage you to share them in the comment section below! Your insights could greatly benefit others facing similar concerns.

Went to Aldi got 3kg spuds (brushed)1/2 a cabbage, whole cauliflower, yoghurt 1kg,iceceeam spida sticks, and a box off small packets of potato chips cost under $30

 

[Shane/#]

Went to Aldi got 3kg spuds (brushed)1/2 a cabbage, whole cauliflower, yoghurt 1kg,iceceeam spida sticks, and a box off small packets of potato chips cost under $30

And 5 bananas

 

[Judy HB]

Certainly don’t buy salmon and broccolini most weeks, it would make a nice meal for a special celebration though.

 

[Macarj]

Salmon?? I wish that I could afford to eat salmon. There are definitely more affordable alternatives to salmon!!

Yeah comparing a Maccas burger to salmon what a joke

 

[mylittletibbies]

Wish we had the opportunity to shop around for cheaper prices. Our small town has two grocery stores and because of our isolation we pay exorbitantly high prices for most items, due to freight charges. Fresh fruit and vegetables….???? Well they have to be used almost the day you buy as they don’t last more than a day or two. Makes eating FRESH very difficult as most fresh veg needs to be balanched and frozen to save money. And then bread etc local bread $5 - $5.50 a. Loaf so can only buy twice weekly. I much prefer to support local businesses BUT at what cost AND we don’t have the option to sneak off to the fast food places as we don’t have any. So maybe be grateful for what you can get.
Cheers,
Lois

Know how you feel.

 

[JB2]

One day I looked at buying salmon saw the price and needless to say I decided on chicken

 

[mylittletibbies]

Know how you feel.