Price of 2022 grocery haul leaves Aussies gobsmacked as cost of living pressures mount

Photos of a mum’s huge grocery haul have left Aussies gobmacked, with many stunned by one “impossible” detail in the images.

A mum’s grocery haul from 2022 has exposed just how much costs have increased in just two years, with Aussie’s claiming the same shop would be almost “impossible” in 2024.

The woman shared photos of the groceries overflowing on top of her kitchen counters, revealing the pictures were taken almost exactly two years ago.

“Just found these pics taken almost exactly 2 years ago, I remember posting the pics back then because it was such a good haul,” she wrote in a budget meal Facebook group.

But it wasn’t the size of the grocery haul that had social media users running to the comment section, it was the price.

The woman revealed the total for the whole shop was $222.20, a figure that left many Aussies gobsmacked.

“There’s a pile of meat stashed in amongst it all, pork fillets, marinated chooks, steaks, mince etc,” the mum said.

“Wish we could stretch our money so far nowadays.”

This entire grocery shop cost just over $222 in 2022. Picture: Kerry Clements/Budget Friendly Meals Australia

Along with the meat, the shop also includes items like fruit and vegetables, milk, bread, pasta sauce, juice, rice, pasta, different snack items and other household products.

The post quickly racked up dozens of comments from stunned shoppers, with many estimating that same shop in 2024 would be at least double the price.

One commenter claimed that shop would be “easily” over $400 now, while others put the estimate even higher between $500 and $600.

“Just the meat, milk and fruit would set ya back $100 now days,” another guessed.

The mum revealed there was a lot more meat hiding under the products than could be seen in the photos. Picture: Kerry Clements/Budget Friendly Meals Australia

The mum estimated the shame shop today would be well over $400. Picture: Kerry Clements/Budget Friendly Meals Australia

In order to see just how much costs have increased over the years, the mum went to the effort of recreating the shop with today’s prices.

“Hi Everyone, well it took me a while but I repriced every single item in my photos, I didn’t have Aldi prices, I used Coles items mostly Homebrand,” she explained.

“The tally I came up with was $437.85, a big increase from $222.20 spent just 2 years ago and many items are now much smaller in weight for twice the price.”

Many commenters revealed they are also feeling the pinch of increased grocery prices and have noticed their money doesn’t go as far as it used to.

“I didn’t take photos of my order from just 3 days ago but it came to $220 as well and it was only a couple of half filled bags that won’t even last me my 2 young daughters a fortnight,” one person said.

“I really do hate this new normal and anxiety to do any sort of food shopping.”

One commenter revealed her husband spent $200 on groceries over the weekend, with the products filling just two bags.

Another person recalled being able to fill up a trolley back in 2021 for the same price, with others wanting to “bring back those days” of more reasonably priced groceries.

“A few years ago I used to be able to feed my large family on $250 a week. Now it costs $400-$600 a week,” one person wrote.

A recent survey from Finder found that almost 60 per cent of Aussies surveyed admitted to being under financial stress.

Of the more than 1000 people surveyed, more than half also said they were enjoying life less compared to 12 months ago due to financial pressure.

Younger Australians are more likely to be facing money worries, with a whopping 77 per cent of Gen Zers saying they have experienced financial stress amid the cost of living crisis, followed by 67 per cent of Millennials.

Sarah Megginson, personal finance expert at Finder, said it is clear that households are hurting.

“Millions have found themselves in financial difficulty with many people struggling to pay their bills,” she said.

“Financial strain can take a devastating toll on your mental health and can impact all areas of your life from your health and relationships to lifestyle.”

Originally published as Price of 2022 grocery haul leaves Aussies gobsmacked as cost of living pressures mount