Australians are cutting out meat, eating expired food and in some cases resorting to stealing to save money, new research has found.
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A survey by financial comparison site Finder found 15 per cent - equivalent of three million Australians - have eaten expired food to save money while 17 per cent (equivalent of 3.4 million) have cut out meat.
Two per cent (or 435,000 Australians) have resorted to stealing or scanning items as cheaper products at self-service checkouts.
The survey of around 1000 Australians in June, also found 42 per cent have switched supermarket brands, 32 per cent are bulk-buying and 24 per cent are buying "ugly fruit and vegetables" to save money.
Confusion between best-before and used-by date adding to financial woes
RMIT associate professor Lukas Parker told The Senior people are also throwing out an unnecessary amount of food due to widespread confusion about the difference between use-by and best-before dates.
"Everything consistently shows that consumers don't understand the difference between best-before - or they say that they do understand it, but their actions show that they don't understand it," he said.
A use-by date is a strict safety deadline; you must not eat food past this date because it may make you sick.
How are you saving money in the grocery aisle
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A best-before date is a quality guide; food is generally safe to eat after this date if it looks and smells fine, though it may lose flavour or texture.
Parker said in his research between 50 and 70 per cent of people don't know the difference.
"They're actually wasting money, and it's incredibly bad for the environment," he said.
Ozharvest policy lead Katinka Day told The Senior by their calculations confusion over best-before and use-by dates was costing households up to $1500 a year and causing up to 1 million tonnes of food waste.
The charity kicked off a date labelling campaign in August to educate people about 'best-before' and 'use-by' date labels.
Day said the need to understand the difference is particularly critical at the moment with their charity partners reporting a "steep increase" in those seeking support.
Thirty-six per cent of clients are seeking food relief for the first time, including families with a mortgage and double income households, Day said.
"The need is at an all-time high - for the first time in OzHarvest's history, our waitlist of charities is longer than those we currently support."
Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker also found Australian households reported spending an average of $206 a week on groceries in July.
Tips to save on your grocery shop by Finder
- Use unit pricing to compare prices. By looking at the cost per unit of measurement, you can easily compare prices between different brands and package sizes and identify the best value for your money.
- Plan your meals. Browse through cookbooks or online to figure out what you want to cook for the week ahead, then make a list of ingredients so you don't get overwhelmed and distracted at the supermarket.
- Sign up for paid loyalty programs. While there is a cost involved, you can actually save more than you spend if you're strategic. For $7 per month (or less if you pay annually), you can become a member at Coles or Woolies and receive double points on every shop, plus one 10 per cent discount per month on your grocery shop, worth up to $50. Wait until you do your largest bulk shop of the month (pantry restocks, household products, toilet paper, cleaning supplies) before activating your discount at the checkout.
- Check out ALDI for staples. Stocking up on staples next time you're at ALDI can bring some nice savings.
Carla Mascarenhas
Carla Mascarenhas is a journalist with Explore Travel and The Senior. She specialises in deep issues affecting Gen X and beyond, and the latest in travel news. Contact her on carla.mascarenhas@austcommunitymedia.com.au
