I tried to cook at home to save money but the cost of groceries had me floored

An Aussie shopper has been left stunned after her bid to “save money” by whipping up a home-cooked meal has left her almost $50 ($30 USD) out of pocket.

In a telltale sign that grocery costs have become completely unaffordable, Melbourne woman Nat shared the bill she racked up after popping into her local Woolworths supermarket buy ingredients for a lasagna.

“I just spent $46 ($29.77 USD) on lasagna ingredients, and I already had half the ingredients,” she said in a TikTok video.

“I should just be getting McDonald’s every day.”

She continued: “$46 ($29.77 USD) for lasagna. Are you f–king joking?”

In a follow-up video, Nat shared the full $46.34 ($29.77 USD) receipt for the haul, which included a 25c Woolworths shopping bag.

She bought a carrot, fresh garlic and a brown onion, fresh lasagne sheets, two tins of diced tomatoes, shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan cheese, two tubs of tomato paste, butter, and lean beef mince.

A Woolworths spokesman said the supermarket was “acutely aware of the pressure that’s being placed on Australian families through cost of living increases, whether they are our customers or our team members”.

“And we’re doing more everyday to help customers spend less with us,” he said.

“That’s why we have more than 6000 weekly specials, more than 3000 products on our Low Price program, dropped the price of 150 products to help customers celebrate the festive season. Our large range of own brands also help customers save on a wide variety of products without compromising on quality and taste.”

Commenters were quick to tell Nat the biggest mistake she made was buying branded ingredients instead of no-name products. But she insisted doing so was “not much cheaper” and would have only saved her a dollar or two.

Others suggested she opt for a lower-quality meat, instead of lean mince, or bottled garlic, or swapped fresh lasagna sheets for dried ones – but Nat said “fresh lasagna sheets make all the difference”.

In another video she said the shop didn’t include “the wine, the herbs” and other ingredients that would bring the bill “close to about $80 ($50 USD)”.

Nat also addressed comments saying the ingredients would stretch to a number of serves, therefore lowering the price with each meal. She said while she was eating for one, she was “thinking how much (money) it costs to feed a family”.

But some commenters said those picking at Nat’s choices were “missing the point” of her video.

“Groceries at a chain store shouldn’t be this expensive, brand name or not,” one person wrote.

“(I don’t know) why everyone is nitpicking each item,” another wrote. “This would’ve been $15ish less 2 years ago.”

Someone else wrote they followed the same money-saving logic by shopping for lunch at Coles and “realised it was cheaper to get (a) $15 meal at (the) food court” instead.

“I can completely agree. I buy for myself. And I’m shocked at what it costs me sometimes,” one man wrote.

The debate points to the bigger issue of rising supermarket prices putting increasing pressure on Aussie wallets.

Major supermarket chains have been accused of “price gouging” amid the cost of living crisis – especially after posting profits despite shoppers reining in spending – which Coles and Woolworths have previously rejected.

Rising grocery prices are causing a world of hurt for Aussie households, with the average home spending almost $200 ($130 USD) a week to fill their pantries in November.

Food prices in Australian supermarkets have increased by 7.2 per cent in the 12 months to August 2023, according to analysis from investment bank UBS, faster than the annual rate of inflation – which rose to 5.2 per cent in that same period.

Food has become more expensive due to a range on factors including the war in Ukraine, which has made fuel more expensive, the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and rising production costs.

The rising prices have forced many Aussies to change their shopping and eating habits.

Foodbank Ausrtalia’s 2023 Hunger Report found some 3.7 million Australian households were going hungry or were on the edge of falling into hunger..

It found over a third of all Aussie households suffered from food insecurity in the past 12 months – 77 per cent for the first time – and 48 per cent of the public now struggle to consistently access adequate food.

The report estimated that by the end of the year, half of the country could experience “some level of difficulty” in accessing enough food.