Grocery bills a top concern as costs climb

Nearly half of Australian households involved in a new survey admit their grocery bill is one of their major financial stressors and an expert says there are a few simple ways Aussies can save at checkouts.

New Finder research has revealed 42 per cent of people surveyed, equivalent to 3.9 million households, are feeling increasingly stressed by their grocery bill, an uptick of 26 per cent from two years ago.

The dramatic increase comes as more than 90 per cent of Aussie respondents said they had implemented shopping strategies to bring down food costs, with more than half of shoppers now bulk buying kitchen staples to save money.

The average household spent $188 on groceries every week in January, a $10 per week increase compared to two years prior, according to the research. This equates to a $520 increase per household over a 12-month period.

Finder head of consumer research Graham Cooke said millions of Australians needed to reduce their food spending.

“The cost-of-living crisis is putting a lot of pressure on food budgets and we are seeing a resulting rise in financial stress reported by Aussie families,” Mr Cooke said. “Shoppers are scared to step into the supermarket – worried about what the total will come to.”

Mr Cooke said households could reduce costs by taking a few extra steps.

“Visit the grocery store less often so that you have fewer opportunities to make impulse purchases,” he said.

“Try generic brands and take inventory of what you already have at home before you go to the store.”