Woman shares ‘clever’ $10 trolley hack to save money

A Brisbane woman’s trolley trick is proving popular online with those who regularly spend over their grocery budget branding it “excellent”.

When it comes to doing the weekly grocery shop, some people find it difficult to stick within their budget and almost always go over their limit.

It’s usually because they spotted something they forgot to add or by becoming enticed by something they wanted, but didn’t need.

Either way, it happens more often than we care to admit.

But one Brisbane woman’s clever trolley hack could put an end to overspending for good.

Amanda West, 41, who regularly shops at Coles and Aldi, came up with an idea to “section” items in groups of $10, with her handy tip attracting hundreds of ‘likes’ and comments in a popular budget-saving Facebook group.

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A Brisbane woman has shared her ‘clever’ trolley hack by grouping foods into $10 sections, saying it helps her stick to her weekly grocery budget. Picture: Facebook/AmandaWest

“It helps me keep track easily and quickly without a calculator,” Ms West told news.com.au.

“Usually I’d spend about $100 a week for me and my partner. We often shop at Aldi, and Coles when there are Flybuys promotions.”

Ms West uploaded a photo to Facebook, showing exactly how she groups her items in the trolley. It included fruit, vegetables, hummus and leg ham.

“To keep to my budget, at the shops I group the food into $10 (approx.) piles. This was about $80,” she captioned the snap.

She said the items included more of her luxury goods, which she gets done at the start of her shop.

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She shared the handy tip to a budget Facebook group which attracted plenty of comments, branding the idea as ‘excellent’. Picture: Facebook

Some people were left baffled by her “expensive” items saying most of the products she can get for a lot cheaper.

“Yes, for $80 I didn’t get much value but my staples hadn’t yet been added,” Ms West said, adding that she went on a “bit of a splurge because of Flybuys points”.

Ms West said her grouping idea also comes in handy for when she goes over her limit and needs to put things back, making the process a lot easier.

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Others said it was handy particularly for those how are not confident in using a calculator. Picture: Facebook

Other agreed it was a “clever” hack while also sharing their own handy tips.

“Excellent idea for visual learners; not everyone is comfortable with calculators or written formats,” one woman wrote.

‘I get my five-year-old to add up as we go using the calculator on my phone. We keep track of the cost and he gets bonus maths practice,” a second person added.

“I have my shopping list and use a calculator to add things up. Helps me to stay within budget,” a third commented.

Amanda said she usually buys her ‘luxury’ items first and had Flybuys points to spend which is why she decided to ‘splurge’ a bit after some questioned her $80 spend, on so few items. Picture: Facebook

One woman revealed she uses the Woolies and Coles app after having worked out when things go on sale.

“I mostly shop at Aldi and Costco but for Woolies and Coles I use the app and only buy majority at half price – very rarely do I buy anything full price as I’ve over time worked out how often things go on half price between Coles and Woolies and buy how much I need to last ’til the next half price,” the woman said.

Ms West said she didn’t expect the post to attract such a massive reaction.

“I originally sent it to a friend and then realised it might help other people do a mini budget easily,” she said.