Living through these times of rising costs has turned many of us into amateur economists, constantly calculating and comparing prices. The recent discussions about unit pricing and food-saving apps have got me thinking about how shopping strategies have evolved beyond the simple “buy in bulk” mentality of previous decades.

The Too Good To Go app has been making waves lately, particularly with Bakers Delight joining the platform. While picking up some heavily discounted sourdough from their Carlton store last week, I chatted with the staff about how much food typically gets wasted at closing time. It’s heartbreaking to think about perfectly good food ending up in landfill, especially when so many people are struggling with grocery bills.

The battle for bargains. We’ve all been there, scouring the shelves for the perfect discount, waiting for the clock to tick over to markdown time, and pouncing on those “quick sale” items like they’re going out of fashion. But what happens when the system fails us, and the discounts are so laughable they become insulting?

Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a “quick sale” mince packet at Coles, emblazoned with a bright yellow sticker boasting a whopping 33 cent discount. That’s right, folks, a whole 33 cents off the regular price for a packet of greyish-brown mince that looked like it was on its last legs. I couldn’t believe it. Were they serious?