Cost of Living: Why Cork shoppers are driving miles for cheaper food and bulk bargains

Families across Cork travel long distances to Ballincollig warehouse store Bulk Buy as soaring food and fuel costs strain household budgets

Bettina Nash travels from Fermoy to Ballincollig to avail of the discounts at Bulk Buy. Pictures: Noel Sweeney

Shopping for her family is akin to a military operation for Fermoy mother of five Bettina Nash.

Married to a naval service officer and raising five children, she is juggling an increasingly strained household budget. With groceries costing the Nash family up to €650 a week, and fuel adding another €200, it’s little surprise she has turned to a new discount store in Cork in an effort to cut her rising bills.