Lolly Snakes, Coarse Salt, and Who Gives A Crap: The Odd Trio Sitting in My Kitchen Right Now

I'll be honest, if you'd told me a few years ago I'd be writing about lollies, salt, and toilet paper in the same breath, I'd have laughed. But here we are. Somewhere between grocery runs and trying to cut down on the sheer amount of plastic coming into my house, I ended up loving all three of these things for very different reasons. Let me explain.

Lolly Snakes — The Treat That Never Really Left

Okay, lolly snakes. You know exactly what I'm talking about. That slightly chewy, slightly too-sweet gummy shaped like a snake that you probably ate way too many of as a kid. I still buy them now, not gonna lie, and there's zero shame in that.

What changed for me was where I buy them from. Grabbing a packet off the supermarket shelf means dealing with plastic wrapping I don't really want. Once I started getting lolly snakes from bulk food stores online instead, I could just scoop out however much I actually needed — a little bag for the kids' lunchbox, or a proper stash if there's a birthday coming up and someone needs cake decorations. No packaging guilt, no half-finished bags going stale in the pantry.

And they're more than a random snack too. I've seen people use lolly snakes on cakes, in party bowls, or just as an afternoon pick-me-up when the 3pm slump hits. Having a jar around means you're never caught out.

Coarse Salt — Boring Name, Not a Boring Ingredient

Salt gets no respect, honestly. But coarse salt is one of those things that quietly makes food taste better without you even noticing why. Unlike the fine table salt most of us grew up with, the bigger crystals in coarse salt dissolve slower, so you get little bursts of flavour instead of one flat, salty hit. Try it on a steak before it hits the pan and you'll get it instantly.

A few ways I actually use it at home:

• On a roast or steak, right before searing
• In pasta water, because yes, it should taste like the ocean
• Around the rim of a margarita glass
• For home curing, if you're into that kind of thing
• Sprinkled on caramel or dark chocolate, because sweet and salty is unbeatable

Buying coarse salt through something focused on bulk food Australia rather than a plastic shaker from the supermarket usually means it's fresher, cheaper per gram, and there's a lot less rubbish to throw out afterwards.

And while I'm talking about the boring-but-brilliant pantry stuff, Tamari Sauce for Everyday Cooking deserves a shoutout too. It's naturally brewed, often gluten-free, and honestly saves me on nights I can't be bothered thinking too hard about dinner. Stir-fry, marinade, quick dressing — it just works. Keep it next to your coarse salt and you're basically set.

Who Gives A Crap — Yes, It's Just Toilet Paper. But Also Not Just Toilet Paper.

This one always makes people laugh when I bring it up, but Who Gives A Crap genuinely changed how I think about something as mundane as toilet paper. It's made from bamboo or recycled paper, it's soft, it does the job just as well as the big brands — but the real difference is where the profits go. A decent chunk of it funds toilets in communities that don't have proper sanitation.

It's such a small switch, but it adds up in a way that feels good every time you restock. Once you're already ordering through bulk food stores online for your pantry, adding Who Gives A Crap to the same order just makes sense. One less supermarket trip, one less brand that doesn't really care where its money goes.

Why I Buy Like This Now

Once you start buying this way, going back feels genuinely annoying. Whether it's lolly snakes, coarse salt, or Who Gives A Crap, choosing to buy bulk food online Australia wide has cut down on the amount of packaging piling up in my bin, saved me money over time, and stopped me from buying way more of something than I actually needed just because that's how it's packaged at the shops.

It's also just changed my habits for the better. Fewer random supermarket trips, less impulse buying, and a pantry that actually has useful things in it instead of five half-empty packets I forgot I owned.

Bottom Line

None of these things are exciting on paper. A bag of lollies, a tub of salt, a roll of toilet paper — not exactly the stuff of headlines. But together, they're a pretty good example of how small, everyday choices quietly add up to something better. Grab the lolly snakes because you deserve a treat. Keep coarse salt in the cupboard because your cooking will genuinely taste better for it. And switch to Who Gives A Crap, because at this point, why wouldn't you support a toilet paper brand that's actually doing some good with its profits?

It's not complicated. It's just shopping a little smarter — one snake, one grain of salt, one roll at a time.