READERS DISCUSS: Grocery bills no longer matching CQ wages

Readers discuss how much money they spend on groceries a week.

WITH two kids under four, Leesa Clark says the cost of living in Central Queensland is no longer matching people's wages.

The Yeppoon woman posted in Facebook group Yeppoon Families last week with one simple question - how much do you spend on groceries each week?

Leesa Clark and her kids

And the community responded, with over 40 comments in the space of a few hours.

Leesa said some of the comments left her very surprised.

"I spend $250 to $400 a week, so I wanted to gauge if I was spending too much money, and to see if other families are spending the same amount of money," she said.

Over 70 comments have been posted on The Bulletin's Facebook page about the topic. 

Here are some of those comments:

Jess Princess Trathen  - Family of four: $300 - $400 per week + $100 roughly monthly at the butchers.
Our kids easily eat $100 worth of fruit a week. They love yogurt and cheese as well - those are not cheap. A block of cheese is almost $10 and they eat one of them a week.
We don't buy loads of school snacks as one child is sensitive to additives so we bake regularly to top it up. I don't count it when I shop, I just go and buy what we need. Yeah foods expensive but it's an essential. I'm time poor so happy to go to Woolworths as its a few blocks from home and I know I can get everything I need under the one roof.
Sarah Lynch - I don't understand what families are choosing to spend there groceries on as we never go over 200 for a fortnight and its predominantly fruit and veg. I think families need to stop buying so much pre made products and b happy with home brand.
Eleanor Chandler-Dady - That's pretty much the nail's head there - the big dents in our bill are all meat and preprocessed stuff. Veg is still overpriced, especially when compared to confectionery, but it is the cheaper area.
Jessica Garner - Two adults and two kids and a dog: $200 a fortnight. My youngest wears modern cloth nappies during the day and disposables at night. We don't eat any packet food and apart from bread nearly everything is made from scratch including snacks, wraps, pizza dough, biscuits etc. I don't buy canned food/meals or any prepacked ready meals. I shop at woolies and love rocky fruit barn for my fruit and veg. That $200 also includes any toiletries or cleaning products. I'll admit now we are in a better position financial we spend more like $260 and the difference is we buy more 'pieces' of meat like steak and pork chops.
Cara-lee Amey - How can you all say 400 a week is wrong? I have a family of 6, including 3 teenage sons. I spend 400-450 a week and that includes everything. But then I still have to duck out for extra bread or milk during the week.
Kylie Jorgensen - I agree we spend 250 a fortnight but top up on bread milk formula yoghurt etc for the kids. So I would say 300 easily a fortnight. For 2 adults and two toddler boys. Also a dog and bird. My 2 year old eats 3 times as much as we do especially fruit and dairy. Which is expensive
Kylie Jorgensen - Not sure how some spend so little. I need to know there secret
Kaylene Vanderwolf - I think people really need to start utilising the cheaper alternatives like home brand etc. These grocery items are no different if not better not only in price but taste also. Our groceries are approx 250 per fortnight and that includes meat, fruit and veg. So I have no idea why people are spending nearly $400 per week.
Mel Nelson - Home brand is getting discontinued frown emoticon i will always look for specials etc and only get what we NEED. Still costs a fortune sadly
Mel Nelson - 400 a week is disgusting. I have spent 200-300 but thats a big shop! School snack, home snacks, fruits, veggies, meat, animal food, cleaning products etc
Kaylene Vanderwolf - We have tried to do a big bake which saves us soooo much in snacks and at least we know what our kids are putting in their mouths that way. With all the preservatives etc you just dont know.
Gayle Vea Vea - Homebrand isn't being discontinued they are rebranding it with a new name that's more upmarket. Unfortunately that then means they squeeze out Australian brands to make more room for their brands..
Stacey Haynes - I don't understand how people only spend 250 a week on food mines 400+
Stacey Haynes - Mel Nelson why is it disgusting to spend $400 plus??
Heidi Carter - Yeah i dont get that either Stacey Haynes, i have a family of 7, 1 still in nappies and formula and spend 400+. Im always buying fresh fruit throughout the week as we go through so much of it and milk n bread, i may as well buy a cow lol
Stephanie Harney - Does this include what people spend on takeaway food each week?
Samantha Maree-ann Young - Home brand is also no longer cheap especially out here
Shelby Farrell - I think it greatly depends on the individual family size, plus what you are buying. If you're spending $400+ and have a family of 7, then that's pretty good! But if you're a family of 2 adults and spending $400+ and struggling to make ends meet, then maybe your groceries could be a good place to start cutting costs.
Natalie Erlangsen - 400 a week on family of 7 is unreal! Thats like 60 a person ish. Thats really good budgeting. You go out and only shop for 1 person and see if you can spend much less than 60 bucks!

 

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Originally published as READERS DISCUSS: Grocery bills no longer matching CQ wages