Many young Australians and low-income households are spending up to one-quarter of their net income on groceries, according to a survey conducted by the country’s consumer and competition watchdog.

On Thursday, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) revealed that households had to spend more time shopping around for savings and substituting fresh food with frozen food.

Australian households also need to cut back on non-essential items to reduce their grocery expenses.

There were also reports of people skipping or sacrificing meals to feed their children properly.

With more than 13,000 consumers having taken part, the ACCC encouraged more people to do so before it concludes on April 2. 

(Xinhua/NAN)