At a recent house party, the conversation made its way to the unsexy but prevalent subject of how we’re coping in the cost-of-living crisis. One friend shares they’ve been made redundant, and we cluck in sympathy. “A rite of passage,” someone quips.

Another laments the installation of Coles and Woolworths’ overhead self-serve cameras that detect what’s on the counter – and pick up that your French cheese is not the brown onion you tapped on the screen.

For many younger Australians, the sustained increase in the price of groceries is leading to desperate measures.Credit: Getty

A friend and I discuss our weekend ritual of visiting the local market, then Aldi, then Woolies and Coles to try and secure the best deals, no matter the inconvenience.

Then, the conversation turns to more extreme cost-saving measures. Daisy*, 28, tells me she just finished a 30-day no-buy challenge. Purchasing no groceries at all, she limited herself to spending money only on bills, rent and transport.

Initially motivated to use up the existing food in her freezer and pantry, Daisy quickly realised how easy it was to sustain, and how much money........

© Brisbane Times