Australian mum reveals how recycling 10-cent bottles can pay off your grocery bill

Mum-of-16 Jeni Bonell (pictured) has revealed how she got $580 worth of groceries completely free by recycling thousands of 10-cent bottles

An Australian mum who has 16 children has revealed how she got almost $600 worth of groceries for her super-sized family completely free.  

Jeni Bonell, from Queensland, has made a name for herself online for sharing her life with sixteen kids aged between seven and 32 with nine still living at home.

In a YouTube video, the 52-year-old said she saved up $580.90 worth of Woolworths vouchers which she redeemed for cash after handing in thousands of bottles at her local recycling centre. 

Recyclable bottles can be refunded for 10 cents each at a container refund point and redeemed for cash or retail vouchers in most states and territories. 

   

The Queensland mum has made a name for herself online for sharing her life with sixteen kids aged between seven and 32 with nine still living at home

The 52-year-old said she saved up $580.90 worth of Woolworths vouchers which she redeemed for cash after handing in thousands of bottles at her local recycling centre

Container Deposit Scheme: How to get cash for recycling

A Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) is a recycling scheme for certain types of bottles, cans, and cartons that anyone can use to receive a 10c refund per container recycled. 

Originally created to reduce litter, container deposit schemes have far-reaching environmental, financial and social benefits. 

Every state and territory in Australia has or will soon have a CDS. 

Source: Recycling Near You

‘I saved up all of our 10-cent bottles and I picked up other people’s bottles, took them to the recyclers and got our redeemable vouchers,’ Jeni explained in the clip. 

‘I took them to the grocery store then I redeemed them for cash and that paid for my groceries.’

The thrifty mum received $580.90 in vouchers for all the bottles which she exchanged for cash that fully paid for her $579.55 grocery bill.  

‘We had two trolley loads and the groceries cost $579.55 which means free groceries and a handful of change at the end of the day,’ she said.  

‘I am really super pleased with that, had a lot of fun doing that today, it was awesome to watch all those coupons going through.’ 

Included in Jeni’s mammoth shop was two pork leg roasts, two roast chickens, 10 tins of corn kernels for salads, and six three-litre bottles of milk.

‘The pantry is quite empty at the moment. We’ve been using everything up, making sure nothing goes out of date so I’m on a mission to restock the pantry,’ she said. 

To replenish the pantry, Jeni bought a range of sauces, a five kilo bag of rice, and 12 packets of pasta.

Included in Jeni’s mammoth shop was two pork leg roasts, two roast chickens, 10 tins of corn kernels for salads, and six three-litre bottles of milk

‘We had two trolley loads and groceries cost $579.55 which means free groceries and a handful of change at the end of the day,’ she said in a YouTube clip

Toiletries included four bottles each of shampoo and conditioner, three bottles of bubbles bath, three boxes of tissues and 24 rolls of toilet paper. 

Jeni also stocked up on snacks with 11 packets of biscuits, four bunches of bananas, Jatz crackers and French onion and avocado dip. 

For work and school lunches, the money-saving shopper picked up eight tins of tuna, instant noodles and eight tins of baked beans. 

This isn’t the first time Jeni has shared her budgeting hacks amid the rising cost of living. 

What was in mum-of-16 Jeni Bonell’s grocery haul?

• 2 x boxes cocoa puffs
• 1 x Tiny Teddy multipack
• 1 x mini Oreos multipack 
• 2 x 825g fruit salad tins
• 5 x tins evaporated milk
• 2 x tins sliced beetroot
• 6 x tins sliced pineapple
• 8 x tins tuna
• 4 x packs of smoked oysters 
• 6 x tins diced tomato 
• 10 x tins corn kernels
• 2 x instant gravy
• 2 x loaves white bread
• 4 x packets spaghetti
• 4 x packets spiral pasta 
• 4 x packets penne 
• 4 x tins spaghetti
• 8 x tins baked beans
• 6 x 3L bottles milk
• 1 x bag of mozzarella cheese 
• 1 x bag of shaved parmesan
• 2 x bags of shredded cheese
• 1 x pasta salad
• 1 x French onion dip 
• 1 x avocado dip
• 2 x packets of Champagne leg ham
• 2 x pork leg roasts
• 4 x bunches of bananas
• 1 x bag of tomatoes
• 1 x 5kg bag of white rice 
• 1 x 24 pack rolls toilet paper 
• 1 x 6 pack of paper towels
• 3 x boxes tissues
• 4 x shampoo
• 4 x conditioner

• 3 x bubble bath 
• 1 x laundry powder
• 1 x dishwashing detergent
• 1 x 100 pack serviettes
• 3 x boxes of Jatz crackers
• 2 x packets corn thins 
• 2 x roast chickens
• 4 x delta cream biscuits
• 2 x shortbread cream biscuits
• 2 x custard cream biscuits
• 2 x orange slice biscuits 
• 1 x Iced Vovo biscuits
• 2 x boxes choc chip cookies 
• 2 x boxes barbecue Shapes 
• 2 x boxes Chicken Crimpies
• 3 x tomato ketchup
• 3 x barbecue sauce
• 1 x sweet chilli sauce
• 2 x hot sweet chilli sauce 
• 1 x coffee creamer 
• 1 x jar pickles
• 2 x jars salmon and lobster spread 
• 1 x jar cream cheese spread
• 2 x bottles golden syrup 
• 1 x bottle honey 
• 2 x bottles mayonnaise
• 2 x bottles tartare sauce 
• 1 x bottle seafood sauce
• 2 x jars Nutella
• 1 x chocolate Nesquik
• 1 x strawberry Nesquik
• 1 x apricot jam
• 1 x plum jam
• 2 x 6-pack chicken instant noodles
• 2 x 6-pack beef instant noodles

Spent $579.55

Vouchers $580.90

Change $1.35 

Previously, she showed off a typical weekly ‘basics shop’, which cost her a staggering $454.65, and Jeni revealed her tips and tricks for saving valuable dollars. 

‘Today, we are going to get a few basics in Coles,’ Jeni said in a YouTube video.

‘You can definitely tell the rise in prices and the growing cost of living. These two trolleys cost me $454.65.’

Some of the ways by which Jeni makes her money stretch further is she bulks up on foods like seasoned rice with plain rice when making a meal, she stockpiles items when they are on special and she bases her meals around what’s on sale.

Some of the ways by which Jeni makes money stretch further is she bases her meals around what’s on sale, for instance these Teriyaki vegetables and quick-sale chickens (pictured)

Budget tips for keeping your grocery costs down

• Bulk out pricier foods like seasoned rice with plain rice
• Shop the specials and stockpile things that are on sale
• Base your meals around what’s on sale
• Plan and make a budget you can definitely stick to
• If you see something you know you’ll want later and it’s on sale, even if it’s veggies, buy it, chop it and freeze it for a later date
• Involve your children in the shopping and the weekly budget 
• Make sure there is no food wastage

‘For instance, I saw these Asian-style Teriyaki vegetable packs with quick sale stickers on them for $2.75 so I bought four of them,’ she said.  

‘I also saw roast chickens for $8.80 with quick markdown stickers, so I thought these two things could make the basis of one meal.’

As well as this, Jeni bulk buys snacks for lunchboxes when she sees them on sale and keeps them in her store cupboard for a later date.

As well as this, Jeni bulk buys snacks for lunchboxes when she sees them on sale and keeps them in her store cupboard for a later date (trolley pictured)

She likes to make sure there is absolutely no food wastage by using a strict fridge and freezer system (school lunchboxes pictured)

Jeni keeps her freezers well-stocked so there is always a meal on hand and the family are never tempted to just reach for takeaway (meal pictured)

On this particular occasion, she bought four boxes of Shapes crackers for half price and some lunchbox snack packets at 30 per cent off. 

‘It’s all about being organised and having a plan and doing a budget,’ Jeni said on Instagram.

‘I love finding reduced stickers. I’ll prep, dice and strip these capsicums I found, and then bag and freeze them for when I need to cook with them.’ 

The mum-of-16’s other shopping tips include involving her kids in her family’s budget so that they know that the money is not never-ending and making sure there is no food wastage.

She has an impressive freezer system where she freezes anything that is not immediately going to get eaten.

This also helps when the family can’t be bothered to cook and feel as though they want to splash out on takeaway.

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