Cost of living series does the leg work for you

As the cost of living continues to bite, the Geelong Advertiser is revealing where residents can find cheaper options. First up – bananas.

The price of fruit and vegetables are going bananas.

A Geelong Advertiser analysis has found the cost of 1kg of bananas varies by as much as $2 between different stores.

The analysis found that Nardi Produce in North Geelong stocked the cheapest bananas, which cost $2.99p/kg last Friday.

Armstrong Creek grandmother Debbie Fraatz is a regular at Nardi Produce. But even though the grocery store has some of the cheapest prices in Geelong, she is still feeling the pinch.

“I just get what I need, I don’t stock up as much as I used to,” Ms Fraatz said.

Nardi Produce owners Joe and Rachel Pino. Picture: Mark Wilson

Ms Fraatz said she used to buy two grocery bags worth of fruit and veggies for $20 and is now paying $25 for half of that.

“You’re paying more but buying less,” she said.

Belmont retiree, Greg Smith, is paying $60 to $70 for a basket of fresh produce that used to cost him only $50.

“You’re looking at some (fresh produce) items and thinking ‘I’m not going to pay that price’,” he said.

“Everything’s going up … it’s a bit of a shock, hopefully things settle down and don’t continueto sky rocket,” Mr Smith said.

Rachel Pino is a seasoned green grocer who has owned Nardi Produce for more than 30 years.

She is noticing that customers are being more savvy when they shop and only buying what they need.

“Customers are definitely shopping smaller and coming back more regularly,” she said.

Ms Pino said her business is trying to keep prices as low as possible for customers, given the circumstances.

“Some (supply) lines have been severely affected … beans in particular and a lot of leafy greens are super small at the moment,” she said.

Lana Purcell, chief executive of food relief agency Feed Me Bellarine, said people are feeling the bite of the rising cost of living.

She said the meal service does not anticipate demand easing, as close to 10,000 people a week in are using them in some capacity.

“Everything has risen and something has to give,” Ms Purcell said. “They have to choose heating over food or food over heating.

“The types of food they eat is also changing; it is cheaper to buy plain rice and noodles than fruit and vegetables, and their health will be affected by this as well in the future.”

Ms Purcell said families should look to buy and cook in bulk where possible to ease the pressure, or to contact the service.

The Geelong Advertiser is investigating the impacts of the rising cost of living in a series launched on Monday.

The cheapest options for some of the most popular items and experiences in Geelong will be revealed.

Originally published as Cost of living series does the leg work for you