TVNZ's Breakfast reporter Lucy Bendell lives with seven female flatmates in Auckland's Epsom. The young professionals don't share food or shop together, which means lots of jockeying for space in the fridges and individually labelled pantry shelves.
1News Digital Reporter Emma Hildesley spoke to four of the flat members this week after they shopped individually at Woolworths Greenlane, Woolworths in Auckland CBD and Pak'N'Save Royal Oak.
'I don't care if it went off' – watch this story on TVNZ+
Do you shop and cook together or separately?
Lucy: We tried to do flat dinners at the start of the year and, for a start, we're all on different schedules, so it didn't really work, and some people are fussy and didn't like some of the meals so we stopped doing that. We all cook individually now.
Yas: Which can be quite hectic in the kitchen, [with] everyone all in there all at once, it's a lot.
With eight flatmates – is space a consideration when shopping?
Kenzie: We don’t have enough space at all. We need like two freezers, two fridges. But we kind of just make it work, we all have our own shelves.
Yas: I'm definitely thinking about that when I'm buying my frozen food though. Like, is this going to actually fit? Is it going to defrost?
Lucy: There's about eight packets of frozen blueberries in there!
What are your priorities when you're walking down the aisle?
Zara: Trying to get my veggies in. As a nutritionist, I think you have to practice what you preach. So about half a plate, or at least a third I always try to have veggies, and then some sort of protein and some sort of carb.
Yas: Price. I'm just looking for cheap. I don't care about if it's the best quality or whatever, I can't afford to buy things that aren't cheap… I'm looking at like the reduced to clear items, like reduced to clear meat. I don't care if it went off, I'm just going to eat it, you know?
Lucy: My priority is definitely protein, and getting the most nutrients out of every piece of food. I do look at things like with fruit and veg, what's in season, so those are the things that I'll buy on the slightly cheaper side, but I'm always making sure that I've got enough budget for Greek yogurt and chicken and mince and things like that.
Kenzie: Now that I'm a working office girl, I feel like I try and prioritise it being yum. So I'll splurge on things like nice dips or nice sauces. But I always try and like make my meat cheaper if I can.
What would you consider a splurge?
Yas: I would consider butter a splurge. Like if I'm buying butter, it's a good week. And treats, so maybe a little choccy or a chocolate milk, Puhoi chocolate milk, I will always splurge on, always.
Lucy: I think I splurge on individually packeted things, which I know isn't the most eco-friendly, but sometimes it's time wise and it's like a little bit easier but of course it's like three dollars per sachet of yogurt rather than just buying a big tub for six dollars.
Kenzie: I also splurge a lot on frozen berries because they're like $12 but I just eat them every single day so it's worth it to me.
Zara: Everything in balance, everything in moderation. I personally really like my sweet treats and stuff like that, so that's not something I miss out on, and I think it's a big social thing, so I almost budget it into my week.
What foods would you consider non-negotiable?
Lucy: I think something that's non-negotiable for me is always protein. So meat, chicken, mince or steak, and then always a Greek yogurt or four.
Kenzie: Mine would probably be coffee. I feel like I'm going to buy coffee, no matter how expensive it is, just because I can't live without coffee, and it's yum.
Yas: I literally get this every single time I go to the supermarket, is an Uncle Ben's rice and a can of tuna. Like, I am eating tuna by the gallon because it's cheap and it is a source of protein.
Zara: I have some non-negotiables which is like my meat for the week… I'm always going to buy Greek yogurt and milk. Usually I get Calci trim, but recently I've randomly been getting almond, coconut.
If money didn't matter, what would you buy every week?
Lucy: If money was no object, I'd buy gold kiwifruit instead of green kiwifruit.
Kenzie: Strawberries all year round.
Yas: If money was no object, I would get a salmon pâté. I know I'm sounding like I really like fish, but I just, there's this specific brand of salmon pâté that I just love and I can never afford it.
Zara: Probably some high-end things like salmon, some fresh fish. And then not worrying about fruit or things that are out of season.
This week Zara Gallivan spent $62.24 at Woolworths Greenlane, Yasmina Coe spent $72.65 at Pak'N'Save Royal Oak, Lucy Bendell spent $78.49 at Pak'N'Save Royal Oak and Mckenzie Jennings spent $54.27 at Woolworths in Auckland's CBD.
If you would like to partake in our Receipt Reveal series, please email receiptreveal@tvnz.co.nz and tell us where in New Zealand you live and how many live in your household.
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