Coles shopper shares $224 meat haul she got for $11: 'So excited'
A savvy Coles shopper has shared the impressive $224 meat haul she scored for only $11 on Facebook ahead of Christmas celebrations this week.
The excited woman revealed how she saved $213 on 21 items she purchased from Coles Ipswich in Queensland on the popular page Markdown Addicts Australia.
“It finally happened to us! Couldn’t have come at a better time. Our freezer was almost completely empty. Original price all up $224.29 only cost us $11.56!” wrote the chuffed shopper.
“Never been so excited in my life!” she added.
The Queenslander also shared a photo of the massive meat haul she purchased only hours before its expiry date.
It included thigh cutlets for 33 cents, a full chicken for 15 cents, six-cent gravy beef, 45-cent venison, 10-cent beef mince and more.
The woman explained that she planned to freeze the meat immediately to ensure it was safe to eat.
Unsurprisingly, Coles customers were impressed by the woman’s mammoth meat haul, with almost 100 comments applauding her ingenuity.
“Wow, you picked up fantastic bargains,” wrote one group member.
“I’m so very happy for you. Best Christmas gift in my eyes,” wrote a second.
Another asked what time she should visit her local store to score similar markdowns on meat.
“We were there between 7.30 and 8pm,” confirmed the lucky shopper.
Shoppers share advice for storing markdown items
Meanwhile, several people took the opportunity to share some of their own advice for storing markdown items that are nearing their use-by date.
One clever shopper revealed she opens each packet of chicken and individually wraps them in ziplock bags before storing them in the freezer.
Another warned: “Open up things to make sure they're not going off or are off. Especially any that the plastic lid is bloated or puffed up. I've wasted money by buying off meat that was reduced before.”
“Also [check] that there's not a small hole in the plastic anywhere – where air gets in,” responded another shopper.
How to check if meat has gone bad
If your meat is slimy, has a foul smell, or has changed from its original colour, these are signs your meat has gone bad, according to Healthline,
Healthline also suggests fully thawing frozen meat before cooking to ensure its safe to consume using one of three methods:
Refrigerator – Place meat in the fridge until fully thawed (for one to seven days). Once thawed, meat should be cooked within three days.
Under cold water – Place meat in a plastic bag under cool running water. Meat thawed this way should be cooked immediately.
Microwave – Foods thawed in the microwave should be cooked right away.
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