An unemployed woman’s groceries have echoed the pain thousands of households are feeling during Australia’s cost of living crisis.
The woman, who depends on bi-weekly Centrelink payments, took to Twitter to share the 39 items she bought for $100 at chain supermarket Coles.
She spent the most on pantries, frozen foods, fresh vegetables, and toiletries—most of which were Cole’s private label items.
Included in the haul were frozen meat pies, tampons, $2 shampoo, long-life milk, a bag of sweet potatoes, and Coles brand frozen fish fillets.
“I thought I’d share what my groceries look like. This is for two weeks,” she wrote.
“People who think that job seekers live life are wrong. These two weeks is literally two weeks.’
The woman, who depends on bi-weekly Centrelink payments, took to Twitter to share the 39 items she bought for $100 at chain supermarket Coles (pictures are some of the items)
Aussies who also felt the pinch quickly sympathized with the woman.
A mother of five said she used to fill a cart by spending $100, and now her groceries didn’t even “set the table.”
“Literally mimics my own two-week shopping list,” said another.
“It will only get worse as prices rise as well. Hopefully we’ll get some relief next budget, but I’m not holding my breath.’
Wait, vegetables AND fruit?! Are you angry?! That’s a luxury!’ joked one user.
“What I find absolutely insane right now[is]that it’s cheaper for my mom and I to get pizza — (which takes three nights) than to buy ingredients to make a healthy dinner,” a third wrote.
“I’ve resorted to Woolies Prep Set Go frozen veggies like chopped onion, tri-colored peppers, and stir-fry veggies because fresh veggies are poor quality or spoil too quickly,” another user commented.
An unemployed woman’s messages have captured the pain thousands of households are feeling during Australia’s cost-of-living crisis (photo, Sydney shoppers at Coles)
In January, a mother of a child posted a photo of her $263 groceries to the Facebook group “Aldi Mums.”
The spread included food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks such as fresh fruits and vegetables, cookies, long-life milk, canned goods, and two-minute noodles.
“This will cost me $263 (plus three cartons of eggs that I forgot to photograph) for me, my husband, and our six-month-old,” the mom wrote.
‘Next week I don’t have to go back to the shops, this is for the full 14 days. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
“I probably spent another $50 at Coles for toilet paper, mayonnaise, and some little things, plus $34 of that $50 at the pharmacy for formula.
“I just wanted to compare how I did with other families like us.”
Woolworths recently posted a profit increase of 25 percent. In the photo a supermarket customer
The woman was praised by other Aldi moms in the comments.
“I’m a family of five, one of them still in diapers, and I spend about $300 every two weeks! We eat very well, a lot of homemade food,’ someone said.
“Me, my fiancé and our almost three-year-old (and two cats) spend about $180-$200 a week, so you did a good job,” commented a second.
‘I’d love to know what meals you make! I’m desperately trying to lower our grocery bills!’ a third wrote.
Meanwhile, a photo of a customer’s $80 Woolworths haul went viral after many agreed it exposed Australia’s cost of living crisis.
The groceries included two bottles of sparkling water, a block of sliced cheese, ground beef, syrup, eggs, a bag of arugula, raspberry syrup, burger sauce, buns, and a pack of wraps.
Many Aussies were outraged at how little shoppers are getting by now paying nearly $80 for groceries – some advised the shopper to go to Aldi instead.
‘Go Aldi. Prices have gone up, but nowhere near Woolies & Coles prices,” they said.
“500 grams of ground beef costs about six dollars at Aldi, less than half the price of Coles and Woolworths.”
This shocking photo has exposed the brutal reality of Australia’s cost of living crisis – showing how little shoppers are getting by now paying nearly $80 for groceries
A spokesperson for Woolworths told Daily Mail Australia: ‘We understand that our customers and our team are putting pressure on the cost of living, especially as the school year begins and families plan for Easter holidays.
“Prices Dropped for Autumn is just one of the many ways we are helping customers save this fall.
“In addition to the Priced Dropped program, we have thousands of weekly specials, an extensive range of our private label products at low prices and daily rewards to help customers’ stores move forward.
“The Reduced Prices offer is available until May 23, 2023.”
Jordan Lack, managing director of ALDI Australia, said nearly six in ten (59%) say they want to change service to save money in the next 12 months.
He said only one in ten Aussies say they have switched supermarkets, while one in five are reluctant to switch supermarkets because they think the savings are not worth the switch, an idea he says he rejects.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Coles for comment.