Yahoo Finance ‘Shocking’ thing Aussies are doing as grocery prices rise
Nearly two-thirds of Aussies admit to throwing out food each week.
As Aussies feel the pinch at the supermarket checkout, new research has revealed the staggering amount of food that is going to waste.
Nearly two-thirds of Aussies (64 per cent) admit to throwing away food every week because it doesn't get used or goes out of date, according to research by Compare the Market.
Vegetables were the most common items to get binned, with nearly a third saying they ended up throwing them out. This was closely followed by leftover meals, then bread, milk, salad and fruit.
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On average, Ozharvest estimates food waste costs households between $2,000 and $2,500 per year.
Compare the Market’s Nastasha Innes said the amount of food waste was worrying given more than a third of people said their grocery shop was their biggest financial burden.
“More than 40 per cent of Australians say they’re spending less on their weekly grocery shop, but it’s quite shocking to see that so many people seem to be buying food items that end up in the trash,” Innes said.
“While there’s no denying that prices are rising at our supermarkets, our data shows that people may be blowing money each week on food they don’t need.”
Other grocery items commonly getting chucked out included cheese, yoghurt, butter, chicken, eggs, red meat and seafood, the survey of 1,004 Aussies found.
Grocery saving tips
The average Aussie household is spending $199 on groceries each week, up from $184 per week in June last year.
To combat rising prices, two-thirds (62 per cent) of Aussies said they were now planning cheaper meals, 55 per cent were looking harder for discounts, and 42 per cent had switched to generic brands.
“Whether it’s switching to a different brand, shopping for items that are on sale or spreading your shop across multiple stores, there are many little changes people can make that can have a big impact on their budget,” Innes said.
Innes also recommended taking note of grocery items that were previously thrown out, checking the unit price, taking advantage of a rewards card, and checking whether your insurance or other providers offered grocery discounts.
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