Coles shopper's meat bargain buy sparks heated online debate
Let’s face it, everyone is looking to grab a good deal this time of year. But one woman’s impressive bargain buy has started a heated online debate.
The Coles shopper certainly scored big when she found herself in the right place at the right time at her local store, picking up marked-down chicken for as little as 66 cents.
She filled her shopping trolley with various cuts of fresh Coles brand chicken and paid less than $1 for each of item. Her impressive haul cost her just $6.84 for nine packs of chicken.
Amongst her “brilliant” buys were three whole chickens for 80 cents, 79 cents and 78 cents, three packs of chicken wings for 86 cents, 82 cents and 78 cents and three packs of chicken drumstick fillets for 66 cents and 69 cents.
“My find at my local Coles - bargain!!” she wrote alongside a picture of her full trolley on the popular bargain-sharing Facebook page, Markdown Addicts Australia.
Her post has since attracted more than 1100 likes and over 200 comments from fellow bargain hunters.
“Awesome find. I wish I could find some bargains like this. I know a few friends who are really struggling,” one person said.
“Bloody good haul well done... my grocery shops never go that low,” added another.
“Omg chicken for months ... lucky duck!!! I'm never lucky enough to get deals like this,” said a third.
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Shoppers warn: "I'll never try it again"
But while some people thought she had scored a huge deal, others said they weren’t so convinced it was a good idea.
Commenting on the post, some said they were always cautious about purchasing marked-down chicken so close to the best before date.
One shopper explained that she was ecstatic when she thought she’d scored a similar bargain - however, when she got home to cook the chicken, it wasn’t so great.
“I thought I had a massive win like this with chicken drumsticks a couple of months ago” she said.
"I went to cook them when I got home and they were off. Omg the smell I will never try again after that haha."
Others agreed sharing that they had similar experiences.
“Nice bargain but I've well and truly learned my lesson on marked down chicken, never mind double marked. I see it, but I won't do it again,” one person wrote.
“Chicken on use by date! Big red flag for me. That’s a good find nice and cheap, but wouldn’t eat it. Red meat is fine,” added another.
How to test your meat
Meanwhile, other shoppers shared their tried and tests tricks to checking their discounted meat is still ok to freeze for later.
One shopper said she pierces a small hole in the packaging when she gets home and if the smell isn’t overpowering then she knows it is ok to freeze.
“Great bargain, but remember to pierce a hole and sniff it to ensure no off chicken before you freeze them. Then mend the hole or just rearrange it into frozen tubs - chicken can go bad easier than other meat,” she said.
Another agreed that it should be fine to freeze as long as it was within the best before date.
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand website states that foods can not be sold once it exceeds the use-by-date.
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