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WE LEARNED THIS week that food prices have risen by an average of 5% over the past year. For many people around Ireland, that was no surprise.
Countless households across the country are struggling with the rising cost of living. Increased food prices on top of mounting bills and high rent or mortgage payments mean many are living pay cheque to pay cheque while stressing about how to afford to pay for basic needs.
During the summer, we collected stories from our readers about how the rising cost of food was affecting them.
This week, after the confirmation that average food inflation has surpassed 5%, we asked our readers to get in touch to share their stories about how they are dealing with the rising cost of food and drink.
The stories illustrate how families are pinching pennies and cutting down on what makes it into their shopping baskets in order to make ends meet:
Here are our readers’ stories.
“I compared two old online shopping receipts from Dunnes Stores, one from August 2024 and one from August 2025. The difference is striking… On a like-for-like basis, the average price per item increased by over 8%, and discounts or promotions were cut back significantly.
“For our family, rising prices has meant switching to own-brand products, cutting back where possible, and trying to budget more tightly, but prices often rise week to week. By the end of the month, we cannot afford a full shop, and my husband and I often skip meals so our children can eat.
“The change in what we can afford has been drastic.
Quick, processed foods like pizza and chips are often cheaper than fresh, healthy options, so we rely on them more than I would like.
“August was particularly hard with back-to-school costs, and I had to borrow money just to feed my children. That means even less for September’s budget.
“We don’t drink or go out. I’ve cancelled my gym membership. We can’t afford haircuts or new shoes.
“Even child benefit, which we once used for extras for the children, now goes straight into the weekly food shop. With the winter approaching, I can only hope the weather stays mild because right now, there are no spare funds to cover heating costs.
“My husband works hard in the public sector, and I am in college working towards a degree, so that, when my children are older, I can secure a good job to improve our lives. But something needs to change. We cannot be the only family struggling like this. The government needs to do more.” – Ann, in her 40s, in the south east
“I am a single parent on disability allowance. I don’t receive a payment for my eldest child anymore. I will receive a payment for one of my younger children when they return to education.
“My payments were stopped for younger children earlier this summer, so my disability allowance was cut to €244 a week. One of my daughters works one night a week but the other one couldn’t find work – she only started a job this week – so it meant I was supporting them with no extra money on top of the weekly bills and rent.
We live as frugally as possible and never go out socialising or get takeaways.
“I’m fortunate in a way as my parents have chickens and grow vegetables so we almost always have eggs and seasonal veg. But even though I’m buying the own brand of absolutely everything, my grocery shopping seems to rise on a weekly basis.
“I sit in the dark at night-time trying to save electricity and everything gets plugged out or switched off when not in use. I don’t drive, so I walk everywhere. I don’t honestly know how I’ll survive when my daughters move out on the pittance the government give me.
“My children are very good and never ask for anything. It’s my daughters 20th birthday in two weeks and I’ve been saving a couple of euro a week throughout the year to give them.
“My son graduates from medical school next May. I’d love to take him out for a nice meal and buy him a special gift but my finances just won’t stretch that far, and bless him, he understands and he’s always so grateful for what little he gets.” – An anonymous mother
“It feels like shops are just charging whatever they want now. It’s like a joke how much the prices are going up. Maybe the shops do need to charge this extra amount – I hope so, and that they’re not just slapping any price they like on goods.
“I used to buy blueberries, raspberries and strawberries a lot as they’re very good for you – and of course, they’re delicious – but now I rarely buy them as they’re too expensive. I buy pears or whatever seems most reasonable and the occasional punnet of blueberries.
“Toilet roll has gone up but there’s not much I can do about that. I must say, I can’t understand how it’s gone up so much.
“I used to treat myself to dark chocolate a lot and understand the price of cocoa beans has gone up, so there’s a reason for the increase in chocolate prices. But my purchase of dark chocolate will be coming to a halt. In the last year or so, I started watching for deals and would buy in bulk, but now not even the deals are reasonable enough.
“I feel it’s crazy how much prices are going up. If there’s reason for it, that’s fair enough, but I wish somebody would tell me what the reason is more clearly.
“I definitely don’t buy Diet Coke anymore, which I used to buy a lot. It’s hilarious how much that’s gone up. I think the bottle return scheme is good and do use that with fizzy water. Even things like cans of corn have gone up.” – A 54-year-old in Dublin
“As someone on disability allowance, living has become increasingly more difficult when the food price increases are combined with rent increases. I can no longer afford some essentials; I absolutely cannot afford getting take-out; I cannot afford to buy anything new at all, like books, clothing, anything to do with hobbies or interests.
“I feel like I’m living on a knife’s edge — one more price increase, and I’m scared I’ll end up without a place to live, or stripping my food intake to the barest of essentials only. How did it get to this?” – A 35-year-old in Kerry
“This week, shopping in our local supermarket, the five items in the photo came to €13.
“I have cut back on fresh fruit as it is so expensive.
“Having to keep a price check on your shopping basket or trolley whilst walking around the store is just a sad case these days. I truly pity large families. – Deborah in Louth
“I’m a single parent with one son about to turn 20 later this year and also starting college. I am somewhat stunned by the the changes in prices. We buy the same shopping every week with absolutely no variation.
“I’m paid fortnightly on a clerical officer salary with a mortgage and all the bills that go with owning our own home.
My son and I live on my salary and his part-time job. We are incredibly lucky that I am a homeowner as rent would not be an option.
“The increase in standard grocery shopping is beyond belief. Given my salary, I’m aware of where every cent goes. I have our VHI, property tax, AVCs (as I don’t have enough €€ to retire when I’m 65 years old) taken out of my wages. I travel 34km to work and return each day (68 km). I pay the mortgage, maintain a car, diesel each week, groceries, gas, electricity, Netflix, mobile phone and internet from my salary. We have no other subscriptions. I am not looking forward to winter or Christmas. It looks very challenging this year.
“How are people managing in Ireland? This is a question that I continue to ask myself. I had a holiday for the first time in eight years last May. I made sacrifices to pay this off monthly and while it was an amazing, sun-filled week, I won’t be booking again for 2026 or for the foreseeable future.
“My car is 12 years old and I don’t even want to think about what life would look like if I had to replace it because I can’t afford a car loan.
“It’s not my intention to appear ungrateful. I know that we are blessed with a very comfortable home. My son will go to college, I have a job and thankfully I am not in arrears for any bills.
“I see my colleagues go for coffees and lunches regularly. This is not an option for me. I bring my food to work and I go for a walk during my lunch break and I listen to a podcast (getting my exercise in for the day).
“I guess I’m thinking that if we don’t get a grip on the cost of surviving in Ireland that we will lose all of our young people and graduates. How will they buy homes here in Ireland? They certainly cannot at present.
“I was recently invited to go to Australia by a very good friend for two weeks. There was to be no cost for accommodation. I am trying to save at present where I can for work that I want carried out in the house and this is proving to be difficult. A trip to Australia is certainly not an option, but I can dream! It doesn’t bother me that I can’t go on the trip but it is disappointing that I’m struggling to save anything.
“The cost of everything is increasing and the wages don’t match the outgoings. If I was to dwell on this, it would be depressing.” - Anne, 58
“I’ve seen a stark increase in the cost of living. I work in the lower pay scale of the public service and have been finding it increasingly difficult. I do try to do batch cooking when I can, so I’ll usually buy beef from Lidl. I’ve been having spaghetti bolognese a lot. I used to make chicken, pesto, and rocket sandwiches for my lunch, but I’ve had to cut that out and now just have butter and jam sandwiches.
“Earlier in the year, I stopped any subscriptions and had to give up the gym because it was too expensive. Takeaways or food out is a no go. I’m not a massive foodie anyway so it’s been alright to adjust to not having that.
“I also made the decision to stop buying coffees. Normally I would have spent less than €12 a week on them, but I cut that out in February. To deal with my love and need for coffee in the morning, I started buying a box of Nescafé pods each week for €6, but now I’m going to have to switch to instant.
“I’ve noticed this year I haven’t had the money to go for social drinks in town. If someone asks me randomly, I probably wouldn’t have the cash to feel comfortable and relaxed, or to feel like I could buy a round. Not that you have to every time, but I don’t want to feel like a scab or like I’m never offering. It has also affected my dating, as I have to plan ahead financially to make sure I’ll have enough for a few pints.
“I have no savings and I’m definitely living paycheck to paycheck. I’ve had to borrow from family members during the weeks sometimes which makes me feel horrible.
I feel like when I was in college in 2014, working in a newsagent, I had more disposable income.
“Right now, I don’t feel very comfortable or satisfied with my life. I’m constantly cutting corners and thinking about money, which is a horrible feeling.” - A woman in her 30s in Dublin
“It’s just me and my 13-year-old neurodiverse son living together. He’s a stocky lad and already 5ft 10 at his young age, and with his autism and sensory processing disorder he can be very fussy when it comes to foods. I myself have coeliac disease, so I have to be careful with what I get.
“The rising costs of food shopping is causing me so much stress that today and many other days, I have skipped a meal or two because I had nothing gluten free for myself to eat. My son got something basic for his dinner tonight, I don’t want him to go without.
“I’ve been told to eat more red meat due to being anemic, but I just can’t afford to buy it. It’s costing me way too much.
I’m going to bed some nights starving and I’m always feeling tired too.
“This situation isn’t helping my mental health, which I’m already on medication for.
“The price of coeliac suitable foods is an absolute joke. Twice I have gotten Schar bread rolls from the same supermarket and once I’m home and unpacked, it’s actually mouldy. Drives me mad as it’s normally about €3.50+ for four small little bread rolls in the pack that’s usually gone in two days.
“Sometimes when I buy a gluten free loaf of bread, again at a rip off price, despite it being much smaller and less quantity, you don’t get to use all the slices as some of them fall apart and others have massive holes in them, which leaves them useless.
“My son’s diet is very bland and repetitive, mainly white foods. Of course I would love for us both to be eating more healthy where possible. But right now, I simply can’t afford it. Yesterday, I had €5 to my name. That’s all I had. Some days I feel like waving a white flag and being done with it all because there is no give and everything just keeps going up in price.
“Even with the Dunnes €5 off €25 vouchers, which are great, you have a limited time to use them. It’s so disheartening seeing the notification on your phone that the voucher is going to expire, but you can’t afford to go to the shops until after it’s expired.
“I do the bottle returns and claim it back, but it just feels like pittance that I’m getting back for the effort of saving them all.
“I’ve noticed 2-ply toilet roll nearly falling apart when removing it from the roll, so I have to buy 3-ply, and I can’t afford a nine pack because it costs too much.
“I’m really at breaking point. I can’t save any money because at the end of the week I’ve nothing left to save. I hate that my son has to see me so stressed out about money and that I can’t get him more clothes that he needs, because I don’t have the funds.” - A 41-year-living in Dublin
“My husband, whom I cared for during the last six years of his life, died earlier this year, and I am just trying to survive on widow’s allowance. But because I fall under the under age bracket, I don’t get any other payments like household benefits or living alone (even though I am!). My children are all grown up and none are living with me.
“To be honest, I can’t survive on a widow’s pension. Everything is just going up. Every week, it’s something.
“As for food and drink, I’ve had to make major changes.I no longer buy meat, can’t afford it. Instead, I eat tinned fish. I can’t afford fresh berries, so rely on frozen ones as they are cheaper.
“Rice cakes replace bread, and meals are pretty bleak and bland – rice, veg and tinned fish, porridge and eggs. I never drank, so that part doesn’t affect me, but meeting friends for a coffee is a stress. Even one coffee a week with no food means a item or two less in the shopping basket.
“I used to use a trolley to shop, now I use a basket. I only get the bare minimum. It’s awful. I’m dreading the winter and extra expenses. As a widow, I am struggling. The government doesn’t care or want to know.” - A widow in Dublin
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