A regular shopper has described her dread of grocery shopping because rising prices have prevented her from stocking up on her usual essentials.

The mum, who hails from Western Australia, took to social media on Sunday to air her grievances and shared that she no longer 'looks forward' to the experience of going grocery shopping on a weekly basis.

Many families can't afford even the most basic foods due to rising grocery prices. Credit: Getty.​

"I now dread going to the supermarket once a week. Every item I purchased from Coles or Woolworths yesterday, including staples such as meat, vegetables, fruit, milk, cheese, eggs, and butter, has increased in price again," she wrote in a post on a popular Facebook group.

Because of recent increases in the prices of many different types of produce, she no longer has a choice but to replace the fresh versions of certain foods with their frozen counterparts, which are typically more affordable.

"I have now temporarily stopped buying fresh ginger ($50/kg in both supermarkets), red capsicums ($14.90/kilo), cauliflower ($6.50 each), broccoli ($5.90 each) and vine-ripened tomatoes ($8.90/kilo)," she added.

When it comes to purchasing her usual assortment of cleaning supplies, the mum shared that she has been forced to make some adjustments as well.

She said, "Dynamo liquid detergent, which was $8.75 when half price only a few weeks ago, is now $11.50 half price – only 50 cents more expensive than Omo, which I stopped using a few years ago because it was getting too expensive."

The mum also used some other strategies to get her spending under control, such as waiting to buy certain things until they were on sale for fifty per cent off.

Detergent, shampoo, shower gel, deodorant, Sensodyne toothpaste, Listerine mouth wash, hair dye, Neutrogena acne wash, and toilet paper were among them.

People have had to think of creative ways to save money when they go grocery shopping. Credit: Peter RAE/AAP.
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Hundreds of other regular shoppers expressed support for the mum's struggles, with many admitting that they, too, had decided to buy frozen produce because fresh versions had become too expensive.

"Fresh broccoli and cauliflower are no longer on my shopping list. I buy the two together in the frozen section because it's much less expensive," one user wrote in the comments section.

A second one added, "I'm buying almost all frozen vegetables (which are just as nutritious and taste just as good when cooked properly) and shopping at Aldi for the majority of my needs."

Others advised the woman to save money by purchasing produce from farmers' markets or bulk suppliers rather than the major grocery chains, with one user saying: "Try going to an Asian supermarket. Their vegetables are significantly less expensive, as are chicken and pork in general."

Eventually, the mum who had written the post shared that she had been motivated by the numerous responses and had made the decision to "go back to growing chillies, coriander, lettuce, tomatoes, capsicums, and other things like we used to."

What are your thoughts, members? Have you been doing some cost-saving when it comes to your weekly shops as well? Let us know in the comments below!

 

[Happymad]

I grow peas ,beetroot, lettuce, Brussel sprouts,
And spinach it dose help to make money stretch
Just wish my chicken would lay a egg lol

 

[Phyll]

Here in WA we have stores called SpudShed which sells local produce at cheaper prices then the big supermarkets , i buy my fruit veg & most of my meat here also some grocery items . I say thank you Tony Galati for supporting WA growers & suppliers .

 

[Maurie7]

Someone tell that woman it's not the end of the world, there are alternatives.

 

[Wendy]

Here in WA we have stores called SpudShed which sells local produce at cheaper prices then the big supermarkets , i buy my fruit veg & most of my meat here also some grocery items . I say thank you Tony Galati for supporting WA growers & suppliers .

I love Spudshed, I buy fresh veg cut it up and freeze it so I always have a supply handy. Get lots of other bits there too, Tuesdays is seniors discount day.

 

[Esma Rose]

i have written elsewhere the benefits of home grown vegs & not waiting for seed potatoes. MAKE time if you have no room to buy a few garden surrounds & soil. The second year will not cost you much because you will have seeds from the year before. Bury the peelings & potato eyes. Buy the tomatoes by choice & grow the seeds on dampened cotton wool. Nature DOES HAVE a cure for lazy people who just cannot be bothered making time. Yes the truth hurts. A lot of veggies only need water. They are independent eough to thrive by themselves, BUT IF you have a mate with a horse, the veggies will thrive, especially rhubarb on horse manure. Who knows you just MIGHT like your new hobby.

 

[LH2022]

If you don't have a big freezer, get one. It is THE BEST way to save. Buy all the specials, premake meals and freeze them. I know freezers use power but in the long run it's a massive money saver. I got my chest freezer for a measley $50 on gumtree over 10 years ago. Paid itself off 100's of times. Freeze veges, fruits, meat, yogurt, cheese, baking supplies like flour, everything almost. Look up how best to freeze things. I've been doing this for decades. I literally can go 6+ months or more and buy under six items fresh in that time. It's easy. Be smart. Look outside the box. Take advantage of items on special because they're at use by date. Get home and in the freezer they go immediately. If it's something absolutely not freezable (like bagged salad) reach to the back and get the ones with the longest use by dates. Don't forget about these foods in the fridge so they go off. May as well flush your money then. Go shopping late in the day or just before the store closes as that's when many items are marked down. Be careful of Spudshed. They have great prices but their fresh produce goes bad really quickly. It must have sat in storage too long. But if you immediately freeze it, problem solved. Aldi is touted as the cheap place to shop...ummm not always, many things are cheaper but many things aren't. Same goes for Costco. Know your prices!! Wait till the day after a holiday and all the holiday food is on half price. Find that 'clearance' section that every store has. Stop the takeaways. Avoid prepackaged foods. They're only half full usually anyways. Make those meals yourself (with the frozen stuff you already have at home). There are many things that you can do to maximize your . Not sure how I got it but I have always had a sixth sense of where deals are. It's like radar. Develop yours.

 

[LH2022]

i have written elsewhere the benefits of home grown vegs & not waiting for seed potatoes. MAKE time if you have no room to buy a few garden surrounds & soil. The second year will not cost you much because you will have seeds from the year before. Bury the peelings & potato eyes. Buy the tomatoes by choice & grow the seeds on dampened cotton wool. Nature DOES HAVE a cure for lazy people who just cannot be bothered making time. Yes the truth hurts. A lot of veggies only need water. They are independent eough to thrive by themselves, BUT IF you have a mate with a horse, the veggies will thrive, especially rhubarb on horse manure. Who knows you just MIGHT like your new hobby.

I'm doing this. So interesting. Right now I have three celery bottoms sprouting on my counter. I've also grown spring onions. I'm going to do a lot more. So many great videos online of growing food from scraps. Loving the home grown gardening.

 

[Defiant540]

I grow peas ,beetroot, lettuce, Brussel sprouts,
And spinach it dose help to make money stretch
Just wish my chicken would lay a egg lol

maybe it's a male? lol