Sydney mum-of-three Sandie Barnes only goes fresh produce shopping five or six times a year.
Her farm-fresh Aussie meat is delivered to her front door monthly, and she pops into the supermarket to top up on essential groceries just when she needs to.
For five mouths, and the family’s pet dog, her weekly food bill is just $180.
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Sandie says the key to keeping costs low, while still eating the highest quality foods, is to join or create a ‘co-op’ with your neighbours.
Under a co-op scheme, a number of families chips in an agreed amount of money, and each family then takes turns to do the collective’s shopping.
“We have eight families (in the venture) now and it costs each family $50 a fortnight,” Sandie tells 7Life.
When the mum moved to Sydney’s north shore 12 years ago, she was invited to join a neighbourhood co-op calling itself the West Pymble Veggie Legends.
It was at the school gates during morning drop off when a group of parents explained their fruit and veg roster.
Each family contributed $50 every second week and they would take turns shopping at their local fresh produce markets.
Sandie, who works as a wedding and funerals celebrant, loved the idea of always having a pantry stocked — while skipping the chore of regular grocery shopping.
“Sometimes I’m called for a funeral the next day and have to run,” Sandie says.
“Knowing you always have a fridge full of fresh fruit and veg is nice.”
The mum was welcomed into the co-op with open arms.
The veggie bulk-purchasing group would gather annually to exchange money and create a shopping duty roster.
They would decide on some essential fruit and veg to include in every fortnightly ‘box’, such as tomatoes and bananas, otherwise they would purchase seasonal produce.
“We would skip public holidays, and people who couldn’t do certain weeks would also pop that in the calendar,” Sandie says.
For the group, it normally meant each family only went shopping five or six times a year.
When Sandie was on duty, she would be at the market door by 5.30am to beat the rush, and she would fill two huge trolleys.
At home, she would divvy up the produce and send a message in the co-op’s group chat letting everyone know their fresh fruit and veg were ready.
The other families would drive by the house throughout the day, when it suited them, to collect their haul.
Additionally, for her own family, Sandie pops into her nearest supermarket to buy any non-produce related items, an exercise which typically sets her back about $80 a week.
For meat, she uses the online curated meat and seafood box delivery service, Our Cow, the cost for which works out at $75 a week.
Inside their box, which is delivered monthly, the family receives two big beef or lamb shoulders, sirloins, mince, veal shin, sausages and chicken breast.
Sandie says by shopping as much as possible outside the big chains she has easily slashed her weekly grocery bill in half.
Apart from saving hundreds of dollars a week, she claims the quality of her fruit, veg and meat are unmatched.
“When we couldn’t get to the market because of a public holiday and had to shop at (a big grocery chain), you really notice the difference in quality,” she says.
“But it is also nice to know where your food is coming from, like that the pigs are happy.”
Sandie urges other consumers to seek out, or even set up, their own local shopping co-op — and start counting the savings.