Thrifty ‘van life’ couple trying to save money by eating discounted chicken for up to 52 cents during cost of living crisis reveals horror reality of cheap living
- Jack Kirby lives in a van with his partner
- He shared his poignant story about expired fowl
A couple traveling around Australia in a van has shared their experience of food poisoning after they thought they’d struck a bargain with a cheap chicken.
TikToker Jack Kirby said it was “not worth the gamble” after revealing that he bought ground chicken from Coles for just 52 cents, along with two bags of wings, each priced at 42 cents.
The photos show him smiling as he buys the chook and then the two meals he and his partner cooked: spicy chicken wings and chicken meatballs with pasta.
But the couple’s facial expressions soon changed, with later photos showing them both looking nauseous and exhausted as they lay in their camper bed.
Another photo shows the remains of the two meals thrown against the side of their van, with Mr. Kirby tagging the post #vanlife and #foodpoisoning.
Mr. Kirby shared a photo of himself happily buying what he thought was a bargain
The chicken mince was marked down to 52 cents for the whole package, while the two bags of chicken wings were 42 cents each
While eating undercooked chicken can expose people to salmonella and other dangerous bacteria, poultry past its sell-by date, even when cooked properly, can still cause illness.
This is because the toxins excreted by the bacteria build up long enough to contaminate it in dangerous amounts, even after the bacteria have been neutralized by cooking.
Commenters on the post said they wouldn’t have risked it.
“Cole’s discounted meat always looks sketchy. And if the plastic wrap is inflated, don’t buy it,” one person said.
“The wings on the back were like a balloon,” Mr. Kirby replied.
“I definitely don’t eat chicken marked down to 52 cents,” said another commenter.
“Food poisoning in a van would have been next level mate,” joked a third.
“The best before date is correct if it stays at the right temperature, but the open fridges at Coles often don’t hold that temperature, I won’t touch a discounted chicken,” a fourth added.
Mr Kirby said he had learned his lesson and hoped his experience would help each other to be careful when picking up cheap food items.
Mr Kirby and his partner suffered a nasty bout of food poisoning from the questionable chicken, which they battled through while living in their van