Supermarkets are forcing many people to overspend, costing households an extra $1,200 each year, new research has revealed.
A survey of more than 2000 Australians found about two in five people frequently overspend their food budget and 82 per cent now splurge up to $200 on their weekly grocery shop.
The research, conducted by meal kit delivery service HelloFresh, also found 71 per cent of respondents were worried food items would continue to become more expensive.
Other key findings from the research found:
- Ninety per cent of people are spending up to $100 per month on discounted impulse buys, while 88 per cent are doing the same for full-price impulse buys at the supermarket;
- About two in five people frequently purchase discounted items they did not plan to buy; and
- Three in five Australians are frequently traveling to multiple supermarkets to find all the ingredients they need for a meal.
The rising cost of food at supermarkets has led to some people turning to meal kit services.
Rebecca from Victoria told NCA NewsWire she used to shop at Coles and Woolworths, depending on which was closest to home or work on any given day.
“I would usually pop in multiple times throughout the week to get ingredients for dinner that night; I’d end up spending at least $40 every time I went into the supermarket, if not more,” she said.
“I switched to HelloFresh because I was getting tired of going through the same process every day when it came to thinking about dinner.
“I had to think about who’s around, what they’d want to eat and what I could be bothered making.
“Knowing that I wouldn’t have to do the mad dash to the supermarket after work was the biggest thing that made me swap to using HelloFresh.”
Rebecca’s partner has two children who are with them on weekends, so by making the move away from supermarkets, she says she is now saving about $100 per week.
HelloFresh chief executive and founder Tom Rutledge said his company offered a better value option for people wanting to save on dinner, while also saving time and reducing food waste.
“At this challenging time, it’s more important than ever that Aussies get the most out of their weekly food shop,” he said.
“As grocery prices go up and the cost of living continues to be a concern for Aussies, people are looking for better-value options for their groceries.
“We want to remind Aussies that there’s an alternative to shopping at the supermarket. By using HelloFresh, Aussies can save up to 24 per cent on the cost of dinner, while also saving time and food waste, with convenient home delivery and pre-portioned ingredients.”
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