'Is this from 1924?': Mum stuns with trolley full of groceries for cheap

And it doesn't involve shopping at ALDI or Costco. Yep, these savvy tricks will work at your local Woolies or Coles.

2 min read

March 8, 2024 - 10:35AM

Lifestyle

Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News.

If you've been to the supermarket in the last year, you've likely never left without weeping a little bit internally after seeing your grocery receipt.

And with the cost-of-living sitch seemingly here to stay, we're open to any and all tips about how to stretch our dollars further.

That's why a mum in a budgeting Facebook group has been praised for sharing how she managed to score a trolley full of groceries, all without breaking the bank.

And it doesn't involve shopping at ALDI or Costco (although they're great options too).

By following her five nifty tips and tricks, you could do the same at your local Woolies or Coles.

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.

Image: Facebook

The trolley full of Woolies groceries

Posting to the Mums on a Budget Facebook page, mum Jo* shared her remarkable haul from Woolworths that cost her $250.

Pictured are multiple cartons of eggs, three loaves of bread, a kilo of Greek yoghurt and plenty of fresh fruit and veggies like bananas, watermelon, tomato, pumpkin, brussels sprouts and celery.

She also bought 1kg of chicken breast, a packet of tofu, two packets of sliced cheese for her kids' toasties and a 1kg block of cheese for pasta bakes and pizza.

Jo also said she nabbed four cartons of almond milk and one bottle of cow's milk to "cater to the different preferences" in her family.

With the trolley virtually overflowing, it's safe to say that for $250, this is pretty solid value.

Especially considering a couple recently spent $100 at Coles for just 10 items...

Introducing our new podcast: Mum Club! Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

The five ways to slash cash off your weekly grocery spend

So, what's her secret? Jo took to the comments to share her simple yet effective strategies.

Firstly, she says she focuses on shopping the specials - something you can find in the Weekly Specials Catalogue or from the signs in-store.

She also makes sure to buy fruit and vegetables that are in season, such as the bananas, brussels sprouts and grapes you can see in her trolley.

Another handy tip is to "eat meat-free meals" throughout the week, something she says dramatically cuts down her bill. She loves cooking Thai curries with tofu, vegetarian pizza, pasta napoli with garlic bread, pumpkin soup, potato bakes and fried rice.

When she wants to buy seafood, she makes sure to get it frozen and when on special.

"I keep stuff like Hoki fillets and prawns in the freezer. They often come on half price or 40% at Woolies or Coles and so I stock up when needed," she writes.

Lastly, she leverages her "10% off from Woolworths rewards that I bought for the whole year for $35."

She's referring to the Everyday Extra rewards membership, which sees customers score 10% off one shop every month, up to $100. They'll also be able to collect 2x the points on every shop.