Cath Armstrong is not a fan of grocery shopping, so the Victorian mum uses a method that allows her to do it as little as possible.
Each year between December 27 and 30, the founder of the popular Cheapskates Club dedicates a few days to a yearly shop to save her "time, grey hairs, frustration and stress".
"I loathe grocery shopping," Armstrong said.
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"People wander up and down, they park their trolleys, they stop in the middle of the aisles, it nearly sends me spare."
Armstrong switched from a weekly shop to a monthly shop years ago to avoid the chore but had to rethink her approach when life became busier with work and family.
"I stretched it out to three months, then I thought, 'Well, I can do this for six months'," she said.
"When I hit shopping once every six months, it was just bliss.
"It took a full day but then it was just one day and for six months I didn't have to go back.
"Then I thought 'I'm going to try this for a whole year'."
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Armstrong now does a yearly pantry re-stock and smaller fresh food shops every few weeks.
The annual shop costs about $1200 and consists of enough staples for her family for the year.
"All I simply did was look back over what I'd been buying and multiplied everything so it equaled a year's worth," she said.
Armstrong finds her calculations are "pretty accurate", which helps her avoid food waste.
During the yearly shop, she buys mostly generic brands from Aldi, Coles and Woolworths.
"It doesn't take up a lot of space, I've got one shelf unit in my laundry and that's about it," she said.
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Armstrong also comes up with an annual meal plan, which follows a similar pattern every week.
During a typical week, the family will have a roast dinner on Sunday, meat and vegetables on Monday, pasta on Tuesday, meat and vegetables on Wednesday, homemade pizza on Thursday, fish on Friday and Mexican food on Saturday.
She then shares dinner ideas with thousands of Cheapskates Club followers to help them slash their grocery bills and navigate meal times with ease.
Food is one of the biggest household expenses for Australian families but making small changes to the way you shop can have a big impact on your budget in the new year.
But Armstrong emphasises people don't necessarily need to go shopping once a year to reap the benefits.
"I try to tell people just because I do something doesn't mean it's right for you," she said.
"Pick the things that work for you and keep doing them."
Australian grocery shopping habits have changed
When you enter a supermarket, every product is competing for your hard-earned cash.
From the essentials to the treats on the end-of-aisle displays, shop layouts are designed to get you to spend more, according to University of Sydney retail expert Lisa Asher.
"All of these key ingredients that we would normally buy, they're all so far apart that you have to cross the store often," Asher said.
"That causes you to go down the back aisle or go down the front aisle.
"You're seeing these end displays, which prompt impulse purchases.
"They're designed to make you buy and they're very effective."
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Another factor that contributes to impulse spending is the current economic climate.
"The use of promotions has become more prevalent and people, through the cost-of-living crisis, have become more deal-prone," Asher said.
"We've shifted from everyday low pricing, although there are everyday low products, but you've really got to look for them.
"This shift to half price, it hasn't always been like this."
Grocery shopping habits have also changed in Australia, which has increased the likelihood of impulse buying.
"It used to be that people might do one big shop a week or once a fortnight," Asher said.
"The more frequently people are going now, the more there's temptation."
Simple ways to save
Armstrong has shared her money-saving tips with thousands of Australians for decades to help them live "debt-free, cashed up and laughing".
For Australians who want to reset their budgets in the new year, she offers a few simple suggestions to kick-start the journey.
Her first tip is to take a look at your utility bills and see if there is a better deal.
"Don't be afraid to swap, it's really easy, it's painless," she said.
Her second tip is to adjust your grocery shopping habits as necessary.
"If you shop weekly, think about moving to fortnightly or monthly," Armstrong said.
"If you don't try it, you'll never know."
Her third tip is to write a shopping list, take it to the supermarket and stick to it.
"If you've forgotten something, add it to the list for next time and make do," she said.
"The less money you spend in the shops, the more money you're going to keep in your purse."
The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.
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