Frugal mum reveals why she ditched Woolies for food banks

A Queensland mum reveals how she’s cut the big two supermarkets out of her weekly shop - and the source of discount groceries she didn’t think she could access.

Rachel shops almost exclusively at food banks to battle the rising cost of groceries. Picture: Supplied

A Gold Coast mum has revealed she shops almost exclusively at food banks to battle the rising cost of groceries.

Rachel, 32, was forced to make drastic changes to the family budget after her husband, 38, lost his job shortly before part of their house was decimated by the Christmas Day tornado.

“We were already in a difficult financial position. The tornado just added to the financial stress as insurance was a nightmare and we had to fork out thousands for ceiling repairs, a new fridge and a new pump,” she said.

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“We still have a patch of unpainted ceiling and gutters that desperately need replacing. But so many others had it so much worse than us.”

She said rising grocery costs was the driving force behind swapping Woolworths and Coles for food banks and Aldi.

“I looked into food banks but didn’t think we would qualify. I’d bought into the misconception that charity food services are only for those facing homelessness or extreme poverty, but it turns out many encourage the general public to shop with them,” she said.

Making meals from scratch is one of the ways Rachel is able to save on her grocery bill. Picture: Supplied

“They use the money from their shops to fund their charity work and help those in need. It also helps to reduce food waste. Now we shop at food banks and charity organisations every couple of weeks. I probably buy about 75 per cent of our groceries from them.”

Rachel has now cultivated an online community of budget-conscious shoppers by sharing food she makes from scratch.

“Cooking is my love language. It definitely takes a little longer, especially at first when you’re learning the skills, but if you can spare the time to make your meals from scratch then it becomes habit and saves a lot of money,” she said.

“It’s also an awesome way to exercise some creativity and make yummy meals from what you have.”

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Now pregnant with her second child, Rachel described living frugally as now an integral part of her life.

“I anticipate that our financial stress will ease a little once we’re finished having kids and I can work more,” she said.

“But we will always live simply and cut costs so that we can prioritise family.”

When asked what her most controversial frugal tip was, she said best before dates can be a point of contention in her comment section.

“The one that seems to upset people the most is buying food that is close to its used by date, or after its best before date. But as long as you’re preparing or storing the food safely it’s really no drama,” she said.

Originally published as Frugal mum reveals why she ditched Woolies for food banks