Supermarket Confidential is a new series revealing how Kiwis on different incomes shop at the supermarket. This week: Kelly Jones* is a 27-year-old dairy factory worker who lives on the West Coast with her husband, an engineering apprentice, and their one-year-old daughter. The couple’s shared weekly income is about $1600 but the cost-of-living crisis has hit them hard.
How much do you spend on groceries every week? $250 is the maximum we would spend – after a pay day.
Have you noticed the cost-of-living crisis? Yes, I probably started noticing it about a year and a half ago. First it hit at the (petrol) pumps, and then the grocery bill started to climb. And having a child on top of that is adding to it.
Has it changed the way you shop and eat? Yeah. Meat is a little is a bit of a luxury, we really have to try and find meat that’s on special because it's about to go off the next day.
What are the basics you always keep in your pantry and fridge?
Vegetables, bread. My husband isn’t a big eater so as soon as we’ve run out of his UP&GO we get another box.
Since my daughter started solids at five-to-six-months old, the one thing I've been trying to focus on is making sure she has enough fruit and veggies. But when they're not in the season, the price just creeps up. I like to try and give her variety, but a lot of the time, it's just near impossible.
Pet Food is ridiculous. We have two cats and again, you go for the cheapest options, but a 1.5 kg bag of the cheapest brand is still close to $20.
One thing I don't understand is why the price of eggs hasn't come down. The eggs have come back to shelves (since the recent shortage) but they are still at a ridiculous price. We can only afford to get the pack of six, maybe 10 if we're lucky.
What luxuries do you allow yourselves? I like my smoked salmon, but I have not bought that in a year and a half. And Whittaker's chocolate, that stuff is amazing, but even on special I can't afford it.
Honestly, I'm thankful I'm still breastfeeding, because baby formula – that is a luxury, it’s just insane. It's all just kind of hitting hard, it’s bloody ridiculous. If it wasn't for the supermarket specials, we'd be spending well over $300 a week.
Do you buy cheese? It's a once a month kind of thing for us. We go with Pam’s because it’s usually the cheapest.
What about butter? Through my work in the dairy factory – though I don’t work in the butter department – we can get a monthy box of discounted butter and the price gets deducted from our wages. If it wasn't for that I'd be margarine all the way! When I get the box I tend to pass some butter around to my in-laws and other people because I know how expensive it is.
Do you shop with a list? Yes
With a meal plan? No, we cook simple meals because we can only afford whatever spices and things are on special. So we don’t go by recipe, we go by budget.
Do you shop around? No we to to the same store every time, because the only other grocery store is over half an hour away. And things like butchers around here, they're not much cheaper either.
How often do you have takeaways? About once a month, if we’re lucky, we'll splurge a little bit. Usually it’s burgers which comes to a maximum of $30.
Do you buy café coffees or lunches ever? No, never. We make coffee at home and again we go for the cheapest option which is good old Special Blend.
Have you ever had your eftpos card declined at the checkout? Yes, but that's mainly because we have separate accounts for personal spending and bills, to make sure we don't overspend. We have to transfer the exact amount we need before a shop and I've only been declined when I haven't transferred quite enough. It’s still embarrassing though.
Okay, let’s finish with some quick fire choices: Vegemite or Marmite? Vegemite
Vanilla or chocolate icecream? Vanilla
Beer or wine? Beer
Lentils or mince? Both
Full fat or skinny milk: Skinny
Mild or tasty cheese: Tasty... but honestly, the price of cheese!
*Names have been changed to protect privacy. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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