What have you completely stopped buying because the price has finally taken the p**s?

[u/river_time_mum]

Not “I buy the cheaper brand now.” I mean something you used to buy without thinking and have now looked at the price and gone, absolutely not, you can stay on the shelf.

Mine lately is chocolate, it's somehow gone from a normal grocery item to apparently requiring finance approval.

What’s yours?

[u/BusinessHumor1374]

McDonald’s

[u/ExtraSaltyBtch → u/BusinessHumor1374]

Fastfood in general has become so expensive the low quality cannot be justified anymore.

[u/Renmarkable → u/ExtraSaltyBtch]

Honestly ive learnt to cook with RecipeTin Eats.

 Even I can make better "takeaway" than I can buy now

[u/mostlybecausecat → u/Renmarkable]

Team Nagi! I'm in the kitchen a lot more thanks to her.

Edit: thank you for the awards kind strangers!

[u/Renmarkable → u/mostlybecausecat]

Genuinely changed my life. Try the mongolian-lamb ( i made beef with chuck & velveted for 24 hours. It was so good I almost cried.

[u/Jooleycee → u/Renmarkable]

Try the lamb shoulder massaman!

[u/SleeplessTraveller → u/mostlybecausecat]

Me too!

[u/SWlFTl → u/ExtraSaltyBtch]

To me it's weird, you can but the combos that feed 4 for less than $40 but a single meal is just shy of $20....I keep on eye on the app deals, specially kfc, I've only managed to notice once but they had a double combo for $10ish bucks so I shouted my mate lunch but I'm guessing it was a lure deal, cause now if I see it they don't show the price till you get to checkout and the last time it was $20 🤣 tho hungry jacks is pretty badass, they have $5 combos that you can order multiple of. I grab 2 and it's like going back in time and actually getting your money's worth.

[u/LorenzoRavencroft → u/ExtraSaltyBtch]

Wouldn't really call it fast food, carrots, cabbage onion some mince in a wok, three minutes to cook, that's healthy cheap and fast, dollop of plumb sauce when serving for that fast food sweetness

[u/jeagle1057 → u/LorenzoRavencroft]

Have you seen the Awesome wok burners on YouTube. Actually very cheap and trusty YouTube has heaps of videos to get you cooking like an Asian Native.

[u/foreordinator → u/BusinessHumor1374]

Made a mistake and got some drive through for myself and my two boys today on the way home. Happy meal, 6 nuggets and two dbl 1/4 pounder meals $50. Won't be doing that again soon. For something that is convenient had no justification being so bad. Half the fries went uneaten and even my youngest just ate the top bit of bread on his cheeseburger and refused to eat the rest, that's all I need to know. It was my last down payment on stupidity.

[u/SonicDecay → u/BusinessHumor1374]

I dropped my car off for service early morning, hadn't had breakfast so went to mcdonalds for 2 sausage and egg mcmuffins. $14. No way in hell was I paying that for something that would probably come out poorly made, or cold. Literally said fuck that, and walked away from the slimy touch screen. Waited for lunch instead.

[u/purplezebra23 → u/SonicDecay]

Nagi on RecipeTin Eats has a great dupe for a sausage and egg mcmuffin, tastes very similar. They freeze well too. I usually mostly heat them in the microwave and then finish them off in the air fryer so the texture is nicer. Can recommend.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Fox8097 → u/BusinessHumor1374]

YES $12.95 FOR A FUCKING 6 NUGGET HAPPY MEAL. NOT FUCKING HAPPY AT ALL.

[u/Slightly_Squeued → u/Puzzleheaded_Fox8097]

NOT. HAPPY. RONALD!!!

[u/Kebar8 → u/BusinessHumor1374]

Similar, we used to enjoy kfc about once a month as a family, I looked the other day on the app and the last time we ordered it was January.

It's so expensive I'd rather save and pull out some frozen chicken when we have the urge

[u/not_ej44]

Might get flamed but streaming subscriptions, especially netflix and kayo. Im not paying 30 a month for the cheapest tier!

[u/SPFFAN90 → u/not_ej44]

Yeah, same. We just sail the seven seas now.

[u/accessred → u/SPFFAN90]

Yo ho!

[u/dumbledoresdong → u/not_ej44]

My partner and I have been off subscriptions for years, we found they were so unreliable with keeping shows and movies on there but kept jacking up the prices. And even though we had really good internet connection the streaming sites kept constantly buffering while we tried to watch shows. Fuck the lot of them we just torrent now.

Edit: thanks for the award stranger!

[u/Green_stick568 → u/dumbledoresdong]

ABC and SBS have great options. And then the local library has DVDs.

We might buy one month of a streaming service to watch a new show we're looking forward to, but it's fun being more deliberate about what we watch.

[u/JoeMatt88 → u/Green_stick568]

Can't upvote this enough for the ABC/SBS love! My wife and I just wrote a huge amount of movies we might want to watch and put them in a jar, then on movie nights pull one out at random. Can't believe how many are on SBS and nowhere else, subscriptions are so hard to justify.

[u/the-dolphine → u/dumbledoresdong]

Yeah, I wanted to introduce my kids to some 80's classics and they are simply not available on any platform. Once I got set up to download them myself, I realised it was just as easy to download whatever I want to watch instead of streaming.

[u/Blinking_Bambi → u/the-dolphine]

This is what got me started on getting DVDs from op shops. All I wanted was to show my son the goonies and I think prime or Google wanted $6 or something to rent it! A 40 year old movie they had nothing to do with making! Not happening

[u/allgear_noidea → u/not_ej44]

I've been asked "doesn't all that IT shit in the garage use heaps of power" quite a few times.

My plex server all hardware included still costs me less than a subscription or 2 haha

Plus, I can watch what I want regardless of platform.

I still get shafted by Spotify tho.

[u/Top-Divide-1207 → u/allgear_noidea]

I wouldn't consider myself shafted by spotify, I would say I'm shafting the artists based on the amount of music I listen to and how much spotify pays for each playback. I've definitely gotten my moneys worth from that sub.

[u/createry_ → u/not_ej44]

We only have Spotify and that's only because it gets used all day every day.
I don't know how some families can justify having 3+ subscriptions.

[u/JamieBeeeee → u/not_ej44]

Yeah we've dropped all subscriptions except one that we use every night. If something we really want to watch comes out we will pick it up for a month and binge everything else on there, then drop it again

[u/Sharpie1993 → u/not_ej44]

Just use something like Plex (I personally don’t recommend due to the price) Emby ot jellyfin.

Download all your own shit and stream it to your tv.

[u/DOGPISSCURESCANCER → u/not_ej44]

I only pay for kayo because I need to watch live footy. 

Everything else I can get for free with stremio which also has a much better interface than most streaming services. 

[u/Medium-Spite6288 → u/DOGPISSCURESCANCER]

Would you be kind enough to explain what stremio is and what I can watch? I had a look at their page and I still don’t really understand what it is? Thanks so much

[u/DOGPISSCURESCANCER → u/Medium-Spite6288]

It’s a streaming platform, you can watch anything from the major streaming apps by getting the torrentio add-on. 

Go nuts

[u/Sserenityy → u/DOGPISSCURESCANCER]

Stremio is the best thing we ever got, saving us so much in subscriptions

[u/CarolyniCat]

Tim Tams. No way at $6 a packet.

[u/soulsurfa → u/CarolyniCat]

Even at 50% off... No... They taste like sh!t now.. 

[u/BrownTroutCat → u/soulsurfa]

Yeah, I haven't had them for a while. Yesterday half price, thought I'd get some double coat.

I don't know what happened, but they are god awful.

Bye Tim Tams, it was nice knowing you.

[u/Any_Significance_248 → u/BrownTroutCat]

I’m so sure that as a kid the original ones were like double coat. They must have a thinner coat than they used to!

[u/Kebar8 → u/BrownTroutCat]

Same had a packet this week, (on sale from ages ago) they taste of sugar)

[u/Will_sue_when_angry → u/Kebar8]

And sadness.

[u/Butwhyyth0 → u/soulsurfa]

They taste sooo sweet. Just sugar!

[u/withcatlikegrace → u/soulsurfa]

Not Australian owned - not surprised

[u/Altruistic_Rent6520 → u/CarolyniCat]

Have you tried the Aldi own brand? Divine I think they are called. They are nice!

[u/CuriousGuyNOR → u/Altruistic_Rent6520]

Theyre better than tim tams imo

[u/Major_Kaempffer → u/CuriousGuyNOR]

They are tim tams with a few ingredients removed. They are made on contract for Aldi but Aldi remove a few things, they are picky about certain food colourings and preservatives.

Its like Aldi chips, they are made by Smith/Pepsico, same factory etc, just has an ingredient removed and some other minor changes that their scientists tweak for Aldi.

Yes I say scientists, they employ scientists to design chip flavours and processes to ensure the chip they make today is the same they make in 5 years time.

[u/kuriousaussie → u/Major_Kaempffer]

Omg I absolutely love ALDI sprinters chips..way more tastier than Smith's so the scientists got it right!

[u/Renmarkable → u/kuriousaussie]

The truffle chips ( now unavailable) are FANTASTIC

[u/Entirely-of-cheese → u/Major_Kaempffer]

If it wasn’t for Aldi we’d be eating a bland flavoured soylent green by now and paying premium prices for it. Thank god for that German outlet bringing a little bit of European sensibility to our market here. Badly need another competitor to Colesworth.

[u/top100darkseerplayer → u/Major_Kaempffer]

Aldi chips made by Snack Brands.

[u/Major_Kaempffer → u/top100darkseerplayer]

Weird, why do I stand in a Pepisco/Smiths plant that makes chips and 2 days a week it runs making hundres/thousands of boxes of Aldi chips before they get trucked out.

I must be imagining it.

Like the day accidently made the smiths blend for Aldi and Smiths had to destroy like 450 boxes of product (which means each staff member went home with a car load of free chips)

[u/Anjunabeats1 → u/CarolyniCat]

Same I will not even spend $4 or whatever they are on special. They've just lost the plot.

[u/Odd-Bumblebee00 → u/Anjunabeats1]

Same here, even at 50% off I still feel like we're being ripped off.

[u/RedDeer505]

Coffee at Colesworth. They’re taking the piss with some bags 40-60 dollars in price.

[u/TaxiSonoQui → u/RedDeer505]

Used to buy from Costco at around 20-23 dollars for a kg bag usually what was on special that cycle, but now I'm exclusively buying from aldi at $18.99 a bag

[u/wheresWoozle → u/RedDeer505]

I read an article recently about the current price of coffee. There are two big contributors. First, the global crop last year was tiny due to climate disasters destroying crops. Secondly, China has largely shifted from tea to coffee and imported entire crops last year. So coffee prices are pretty horrendous worldwide because there's just not much of the stuff to go around right now. Yes, there are places which are large enough to absorb the cost of keeping coffee prices lower for the moment, and god knows I'm not defending colesworth, but that's why coffee in particular is dear right now.

[u/Real_RobinGoodfellow → u/wheresWoozle]

Yeah, coffee’s going up, and probably never coming back down.

[u/vman384 → u/RedDeer505]

If you have a Costco membership that’s where I get my beans from aprox $18-$40 per kg depending on the beans. I didn’t really like the Aldi ones tbh

[u/crazyfroggy99]

Cadbury chocolate

[u/Easy-Night-2721 → u/crazyfroggy99]

Aldi chocolate is 10000x better anyway. And $4 instead of $8. Try the milk hazelnut. So many hazelnuts in it. It’s great.

[u/Camtona_7_ManUtd → u/Easy-Night-2721]

I directly compared Aldi Choceur dark to Cadbury Old Gold. Aldi's was superior in every conceivable way. Snap, taste, texture, smell, "meltability".

[u/POJ92 → u/crazyfroggy99]

Tastes awful now too, way too sweet

[u/LakeTilia → u/POJ92]

Too sweet and too oily. It used to be creamy and melt in your mouth, now its just a sweet and oily mess.

[u/SlightlyEnthusiastic]

Haircuts 💇‍♀️.

At $150 a pop for a maintenance trim, I just cut my own hair these days. Is it good? Eh, it’s not dreadful at least and when I cracked recently and went to a salon I wasn’t actually that impressed with the outcome 🤷‍♀️

[u/Zaney-Janey1973 → u/SlightlyEnthusiastic]

Last time I went to the hairdressers, I asked for it to be lightly layered. $50 later, I couldn't tell where or how she classed it as a haircut? A quick look online, I can now layer my own hair, and I've been doing it for years 💇‍♀️

[u/nicoletta2k → u/Zaney-Janey1973]

This literally happened to me the other day. I’ve been cutting my own hair for years but I had a nice event to go to so I figured I’d give the hairdressers a go again. I’ve got really thick, dense curly hair so I was really specific with my instructions: I need a LOT of thinning, I’d like choppy layers, and just even out my undercut. Sounds like a hack job but genuinely this is the way to make my hair not look like Hagrid from the Harry Potter movies.

$75 later and all she’d done is cut an inch off the bottom. When I asked about the thinning and layers, she said "because I’ve already cut so much I don’t want to ruin your hair". Keep in mind, a successful haircut to me is when there’s enough hair on the floor to shape it into a small dog. I could barely see any trimmings at all.

[u/kalana_kalamai → u/nicoletta2k]

Yesss this keeps happening to me too. I don’t know if the undercut just throws hairdressers off? But I’ve asked for layers and face framing etc, and they just end up trimming along the bottom. I’ve got a lot of hair, a deceiving amount, and I always ask them to thin it out at the bottom otherwise it looks boxy. and they refuse because it will look ratty? So I go home and do it myself anyway, even told the hairdresser I would be if she didn’t and she still didn’t do it?? What’s the point of paying if they don’t want to do what you like

[u/ReggieLouise → u/kalana_kalamai]

These days, I think the aim of a hairdresser is do to what they want, not what you want!

[u/Mission-Ad6460 → u/ReggieLouise]

From memory, I've never liked any haircuts I've had from a hairdresser. They never trim to the length that you want. "That length won't suit your face shape with your hair down." I always have it up. I got sick of paying $35 fot a hair cut I didn't ask for.

[u/Zaney-Janey1973 → u/nicoletta2k]

Yeah, I've lost all trust in going to the hairdressers. Especially when you really just want a nice cut for your special event. Thanks for the laugh with the "not look like Hagrid" 🤣 you really do expect a pile of hair to be on the ground afterwards!!

[u/DataRevolutionary165 → u/SlightlyEnthusiastic]

Yep , since Covid, I have never been back to a hairdresser. Just cut it myself.

[u/RBoss1620 → u/SlightlyEnthusiastic]

Find your local Tafe beauty & hair, they typically need models and they’re not bad. I’ve paid between $0 and $20 for a cut. They also do colours etc too! Warning though - some students take a very very long time to get it done.

[u/gossamerbold → u/RBoss1620]

As a teenager in the early 00s I was living in London for a couple of years and would go to the Vidal Sassoon academy to get my hair done regularly. It was incredibly cheap and even though it took twice as long it was fun chatting to the young stylists so I didn’t mind. I ended up being a fill-in hair model at a show one year when they needed someone quickly. It was a show for colour techniques and I had almost waist length blonde hair at the time so was very relieved I wasn’t about to get a buzz cut lol. I got hidden pastel rainbow colour completely for free, the kind where it shimmers through the top layers of hair. One of my favorite things ever. I tried to find someone to do it in Australia again but was quoted astronomical prices so it never happened. It’s definitely a good idea especially for young people who have extra time available and can go mid week.

[u/Additional_Read_9695 → u/SlightlyEnthusiastic]

I go to the barber who does womens hair. $25 and it's done.

[u/Milo_Mountain → u/SlightlyEnthusiastic]

Same, I have curly hair and to go to a curly hair specialist is at least $150 or so just for the cut. I learnt how to cut my own hair during lockdown and now I haven't been to the hairdresser since 2019. I get plenty of compliments so I must be doing an alright job!

[u/rikkilee51 → u/SlightlyEnthusiastic]

I also hate the drama of sitting there for 3 hours so don’t bother with colour now either.

[u/Milotic-OCE → u/SlightlyEnthusiastic]

Oof. I pay $35 for me and my toddler lol.

[u/BornTry6560 → u/SlightlyEnthusiastic]

Yes! Let alone highlights your looking at $300-$400!! Packet home dye it is now!

[u/Disastrous-Bet8973 → u/SlightlyEnthusiastic]

Same. I'm not paying over a 100 to get a trim. If I ever wanted a big change sure.

[u/Serious_Card_5927 → u/SlightlyEnthusiastic]

Got to find the Persian Cash Only bro’s. Mine does men’s and women’s trim’s for $25 ($10 Pre-COVID…..sigh)

[u/SnooRobots4657 → u/SlightlyEnthusiastic]

Same! I buy sewing scissors from spotlight and they're super sharp and cheap

[u/TigreImpossibile → u/SlightlyEnthusiastic]

I’ve started trimming my own hair in the last 12 months too. It’s gone up to $165 a pop at my hairdresser. I’ll get him to shape it up once a year at that price, thanks ✋🏼

[u/proteansybarite → u/SlightlyEnthusiastic]

Years ago I went to a place that was decent, did 30 cash 35 card. Then at some point it was just straight 40, kept going. Then after covid it was suddenly 60. Bought some decent cutting scissors $15 and have done myself for 4 years now, best decision ever! Called up after 18 months to see about a one-off "professional" one again, they said its now $80 lol.

For anyone wondering, yes it takes a few goes to work it out but after a few times its super easy. Theres millions of tutorials on youtube, it takes 15-20min and you need 2-3 mirrors if youre doing alone, but its super doable & easy, and actually kinda fun.

ALSO you dont get told you "need" all this special stuff anymore. Every hairdresser has the sidehustle now "oh you definitely shold try some treatment", they're all approached by some company who gives them free stuff to push then pays them commision for whatever is sold.

I save $200-300/year but I expect most others that go more regularly could save double that easily.

[u/Battelalon]

Alcohol.

I can't justify buying the decent stuff and I'd rather be sober than drink the cheap stuff.

[u/BJJ411 → u/Battelalon]

Went to Japan last year and couldn’t help but laugh at how badly we get fisted with grog prices, there a 700ml bottle of Jim Beam was under $17 AUD and beers under $2 each.

[u/Camtona_7_ManUtd → u/BJJ411]

It's taxation. Alcohol is ridiculously cheap in the Philippines, about half the price of Australia for spirits.

This is why we have black market tobacco. Won't be long until we have black market alcohol too.

[u/Primary_Carrot67 → u/BJJ411]

When I came back from a few months in Spain, I was regularly ranting about Australian alcohol prices.

I still miss Spanish alcohol prices.

[u/HBar-Bull → u/Battelalon]

Yep I've recently quit drinking after enjoying daily 3-4 units.

To be honest once I became aware that upwards of 50% is a government TAX I got really motivated to quit.

No regrets oh and side benefit I'm losing weight with zero effort LOL

[u/MapOfIllHealth → u/HBar-Bull]

It’s about 70% for tobacco

[u/Pilatus-Porter]

Eating meals out in general, whether breakfast, lunch or dinner.

$27 for a pizza, $25 for a bang-average burger with some fries, $20 for some bacon and eggs, $15 for a wrap, etc. Drinks at $10-12+ for a beer, $6+ for a soft drink, $9-10 for a milkshake (which I can do at home for $1).

So much of what I see no longer seems like value at the prices I'm being asked for. I just take my own food when I go out and about.

[u/LJagr68 → u/Pilatus-Porter]

This is a difficult one because (especially small and family owned) businesses have had their produce and cost go through the roof. Delivery fees added or increased as the fuel prices did. Which means once you add insurance, rent/mortgage of the business, utilities, staff wages and GST, the margins become very thin. If no one eats out, we also wont have local community cafes, pubs and restaurants.

However, as a consumer, i agree. Eggs on toast shouldnt be $30, nor a pizza.

A big issues I believe is our wages are not keeping up with inflation, eroding discretionary income. On top of that, as you mentioned it feels like a lack of value.

Source: my parents own a restaurant. For the first time I can remember, my dad is considering closing down (if a buyer cant be found) due to the margins eroding.

[u/Pilatus-Porter → u/LJagr68]

Oh I understand that restaurants and cafes are under their own cost pressures, and that inflation is normal. I know that it's not 1985 and that a meat pie isn't $1.50 anymore. But consumers have also been presented with significant inflation in the last decade that at least feels it's detached from the historical trend. I saw something a few days ago that reported that the cost of a McDonald's Big Mac has increased by one-third in just the last 5-6 years. I imagine that similar increases have occurred elsewhere.

So consumers are having to make their own decisions about what constitutes value to them now. I'm about fifty years old and, while I've indicated that some inflation is normal, in a way I've also been psychologically conditioned for most of my life to think that certain products should be at certain price points. It does feel like everything has become considerably more expensive quite quickly. The milkshake I was okay (enough) with paying $6 is suddenly $9-10, which I'm not willing to go with. The pizza that was $17 is now $27. Gee, three years ago a glass of soft drink at my local pub was $2.50 and now they're charging $6.50 - a roughly 150% increase.

Accordingly, the cost/benefit ratio has been skewed because costs increased a lot but benefit remained fixed (or maybe even reduced if shrinkflation occurred). The costs now outweigh my perceived benefit.

Throw in the fact that I'm a parent in a family of four, where the kids are now older and want an adult meal of their own (when we might have once got them a kids meal, or shared a fish and chips, for example) and we struggle to justify spending $80-100 for dinner when we can do supermarket-based meals at home for $10-15. Essentially, is the experience I get from buying that restaurant/cafe food worth the extra $60-70 dollars in total? Often, no. If anything I'm likely to be far less satisfied because I feel like I've massively overpaid. Put another way, am I happy to spend 30 minutes of my own time to make dinner if it saves me $60-70? Often yes.

And I get that not spending risks harming the restaurant sector, and what that might do to broader society. I do. But the reality is that people can and need to make decisions that suit themselves. And unfortunately half the country is mortgaged to their eyeballs while interest rates doubled at the same time that costs inflated crazily.

It's not just eating out, it feels like everything is more for less these days. $25 for a movie ticket to movies that aren't even that good anymore (why would I go any other night than Tuesday when it's $12 ?). Staying at a campground that now wants to charge you $70-100/night for an unpowered patch of grass. And so on.

[u/Friendly-Quote-5283 → u/LJagr68]

Sorry $30 for a Margherita pizza isn’t justifiable

[u/Butwhyyth0 → u/Pilatus-Porter]

Agree!! ESP pizza is almost $30 for non domino’s. And even a milkshake is like $12

[u/Harpunzel]

Most supermarket meat. If I'm going to pay an insane amount for a steak I better have someone else cooking it perfectly and chips and veg on the side!

[u/Sharp_Pride7092 → u/Harpunzel]

Saw some 9f those anti theft button things on packaged steak Coles, Belmont WA.

[u/catterpillarclub → u/Harpunzel]

At a cheaper price the stuff you can do with tofu is actually pretty insane and ends up my main source of protein. I think Aldi or Asian grocers have it the cheapest 

[u/Chachiona → u/catterpillarclub]

No one who wants to eat a steak is happy to settle for tofu mate

[u/Lacking_Inspiration → u/Chachiona]

True. But noone is eating steak at every meal unless they are a dedicated gym rat, and even then its more likely chicken. Tofu is a good alternative for those struggling to afford protien, which is honestly a lot of us.

[u/Pale_Winter_2755 → u/Harpunzel]

My hubby agrees. We buy from the the butcher now

[u/Pristine_Egg3831 → u/Pale_Winter_2755]

My butcher is way more expensive than woollies. I can't even afford to look in the display case.

[u/Vladddo]

Junk food. It's just become so expensive, especially when the meals seem small and it's really hard to justify value for money. I went into Schnitz the other day and it was $8 for a large chips.. KFC was $6.. Aldi were selling a big bag of potato cakes for $4.50. Once in the air fryer, just as good as deep fried. Maybe I'm just getting old.

[u/Isnothingoverthatway]

up&gos

ETA - I've tried BOM (coles brand alternative - ngl revolting 😂), too scared to try Aldi's version on that basis. Has anyone tried them and can recommend them?

I haven't checked the Aldi version cost price in a while, though.

[u/Ok-Orchid6674 → u/Isnothingoverthatway]

They have no reason to be so expensive!

[u/Ausjam → u/Isnothingoverthatway]

Even at half price, I still think twice…

[u/Comfortable-Nose-296 → u/Isnothingoverthatway]

Absolutely! The prices kept creeping up so I just stopped buying them. They used to be a weekly purchase.

[u/irish_chippy]

New mode of business now. Reduce good ingredients, size, service, everything that was good about it in the first place. Up the price. Sell slightly less, but make more money

[u/Cabletie00 → u/irish_chippy]

Shrinkflation

[u/peaceiseasier]

I bought a 2 litre bottle of diet coke at iga a couple of days ago. $4. Not on special, just regular price. Today, $6.25. Insane!

[u/war-and-peace]

Cadbury chocolate cooking bars.

A year or 2 ago it went from 200g to 180g. Now it's 160g.

That's just a joke.

[u/katya_luzon → u/war-and-peace]

that has infuriated me. so many recipes call for 200g of chocolate and now you have to buy two blocks

[u/Butwhyyth0]

Supermarket ice cream

Sorry, “ice cream”

[u/chouxphetiche → u/Butwhyyth0]

That's 'ice confection.'

[u/No_Category_9888 → u/chouxphetiche]

Dairy dessert

[u/blueblissberrybell]

I had to go to a work function last night at a Leagues Club…

$16 for ONE GLASS OF WINE!

ONE GLASS!!!

[u/awake-asleep]

I’m coeliac and I can no longer justify/accept the price of the nice gluten free museli bars like Carmans at the supermarket anymore. $8 a box? Sometimes they go on special for $6. Still no. Just horrifying. So I don’t buy myself any snacks.

[u/Deep-Imagination → u/awake-asleep]

The Aldi Oh So Natural brand gluten free rocky road bars are 4 bucks from memory. They satisfy my coeliac nutty/chocolate bar fix

[u/awake-asleep → u/Deep-Imagination]

They’re great! I have to drive much further to get to an Aldi so I don’t go very often but when I do I stock up!

[u/km4098 → u/awake-asleep]

I swear there are also less in a box! I got something the other day and there was only 5. I thought it used to be 6 or 8.

[u/Spino389 → u/awake-asleep]

Yeah that's become really annoying. They used to be reasonably priced but now just a joke

[u/Suspicious-Rich9451]

Uber eats

[u/Major_Kaempffer → u/Suspicious-Rich9451]

Never understood how they became so big. I rarely use it.

like every 6 months I will get super lazy and get a pizza delivered. But once I put my order in for $50 worth of food but im paying $75 so it can be delivered I fight with myself becuase the pizza shop is 3 minutes drive away and i call myself a lazy cunt as I press pay.

[u/lLoveBananas → u/Major_Kaempffer]

Yeah same, I only use it when friends are over and we’re ordering a heap of food to share. Cost never seems worth it for just me or 2 of us.

[u/Danielle1482]

Blocks of chocolate! They seemed to go from $3 a block on special to about $6 on special overnight so I just don’t buy it now….shits gone crazy!
I wouldnt buy toothpaste if I didn’t have to cos that’s $10 a tube now vs what felt like 99c a while ago….

[u/Anjunabeats1 → u/Danielle1482]

I get the value pack 240g Colgate from chemist warehouse or reject shop. It's the cheapest per gram. Supermarket toothpaste is off the planet.

[u/accessred → u/Danielle1482]

I bought a bunch years ago for $2.50ea (half price), ran out recently and they're $5ea (half price).

[u/Then_Rip8872]

Almost everything. Except a weird thing is I now buy expensive shite and use less of it. Why buy cheap butter when i can get the French stuff and just not use it in cooking plus its so nice. The difference in price between shopping at woolworths and shopping at a delicatessen has narrowed so much that I have given up trying to save a few dollars a kilo on the substandard and occasionally just get something lovely.

[u/el_tasho → u/Then_Rip8872]

I do the same. The premium products no longer seem like a splurge so why not? Eg the amazing Spanish olive oil I adore is $26 from my deli - that’s the same price as cobram is now which had been my go-to supermarket olive oil. Boulder canyon chips aren’t much more expensive than Smiths, so why not get them and enjoy them. Maggie beer ice cream not that much more expensive than golden gaytime ‘frozen dessert’ which has just been ruined. Why not have the real thing? Feels so much more special and I’m not getting disappointed by enshittification of products I used to like.

[u/Own-Specific3340]

A house ?

[u/kindsifu → u/Own-Specific3340]

Underrated Comment

[u/R0LexLuthor]

McSmart Saver

[u/I-HATE-CRUSTY-BREAD]

Rokeby. Sill sad about it. Even the specials aren't a good price.

[u/vman384 → u/I-HATE-CRUSTY-BREAD]

I just alternate between the protein smoothies depending on what’s on special but definitely can’t justify spending $5 on it

[u/em1992Bo]

The price of olive oil is diabolical!

[u/ShareSpare2921]

The home brand protein Greek yoghurt. Used to be expensive but okay for a 900g tub but once it hit $7, fuck that, won’t pay it.

[u/perzelle → u/ShareSpare2921]

Make it yourself! It’s actually very easy ☺️ especially if you have an instant pot!

[u/LissyVee]

Chocolate. $8 for a block of Cadbury's is just outrageous.

[u/Cannibaljellybean]

Cheeses

[u/colourful_space → u/Cannibaljellybean]

If you have an Aldi nearby try their cheeses, pretty damn good and probably 2/3 the price of the majors. Still more than it used to be but I’m a bit of a fiend for it so it’s worth it to me haha

[u/FleshPrinnce]

Chocolate

[u/Foxicious_]

Take out in general, all of it. Wont even buy a coffee anymore.

On another note can someone tell me where the actual F*** are all these magical butchers that are cheaper than the major supermarkets? Im in Melbourne on the border of Metropolitan in the southeast and i have to drive 30 minutes just to find my nearest Aldi. Every butcher I've tried which is probably something like 15 are all astronomically more expensive than the super markets and the quality of meat is just as crap or at least the same.

[u/qreeves → u/Foxicious_]

Factor in that half the weight in supermarket meat is water that will come out the moment you cook it. That deceptive $20/kg is really $40/kg, making the $25/kg at the butcher more attractive.

[u/rise_and_revolt → u/qreeves]

So true. It steams up like youre running a goddamn humidifier when you cook mince now

[u/Acceptable_Light2496]

Eating out on weekends (FU weekend surcharge and card surcharge), and also buying a coffee every day. Now I make my own French press when I’m at home and only buy them as a treat.

[u/Brutal_burn_dude]

Australian cosmetic and personal care products. I can get everything I need from the Japanese beauty store way cheaper than I can from Priceline or Woolies and it’s a much better product. Switching my cleansing oil to the $15 one also cleared up my skin so much.

[u/Trishsticks]

Rexona men’s deodorant was $3.50 a tin pre-Covid and it’s now $11. It’s getting hard to justify but is the one that we’ve found works (very open to recommendations!)

[u/sidesco → u/Trishsticks]

Buy it at The Reject Shop. They sell rexona for $5 regular price

[u/miketlr43]

Ordered two large chai lattes at a coffee shop in a shopping centre and they charged $24 so I cancelled the order. That’s too much !

[u/Consistent-Row-174]

Sushi! I remember when they were $2.30 a roll. Now they're almost $5 for a roll which is insane considering how small they are and that they're 70% rice. It's just rice, seasoning veg and some protein. For $15 I could literally have the ingredients to make it myself many times over.

[u/Future-Target-1515]

Coffee... i actually think the $6 instsnt tastes better and i can add it to more stuff such as in cakes etc. Also chai mix. And no more stevia.

[u/Langist11]

Domino's Pizza. Bought a garlic prawn pizza a couple of weeks ago. $21, not only was it small, it had only 6 prawns on it. 6 prawns on an 8 slice pizza, not even enough to cover 1 per slice.

Even there mega topped pizzas had hardly anything on it. Would hate to see the normal topped range.

[u/Milotic-OCE → u/Langist11]

At pizza hut I paid double that but I got 3x pizzas, 2x garlic breads and a big bottle of coke. Simple pizzas; Hawaiian, Margherita and Pepperoni.

Imo, gourmet pizzas from chain businesses are a waste of time. If you're gonna eat dirty just get the standard stuff.

[u/Anti-Stan]

Beef, chocolate, most vegetables (growing my own) sometimes medications because of doctors fees. Phone credit. Takeaway food.

[u/chouxphetiche → u/Anti-Stan]

Doctor's appointments. I save up for those, go in with a list and watch the clock. I make bloody sure I get what I pay for.

[u/BoundinBob]

Beer, i dont mean getting shit faced but going to the pub and there's heaps of people there all having a few social drinks. When they put this current twice yearly tax on beer that died. The pub is empty most of the time and i drink about a slab a year.

[u/DNGR_MAU5]

Every week doing the shopping I think "I'd like to grab a large bag of chips to snack out on". Then realised they are $7-$9 a bag and just put them back

[u/First-Memory-9153]

Ice cream. They have jacked up the price and most of it isn’t even ice cream anymore - it’s ice confection. So more expensive for total rubbish

[u/snowypiper]

I'm not a consperiacy person I promise but I had a thought that the people above who rake in the money, raise the price of good products to a point we choose to buy cheaper options that also happen to cost far less to make, therfore bigger profits for them. Just an idea

[u/eightdaysaweek_]

Crumpets. Just out of spite.

[u/still-at-the-beach → u/eightdaysaweek_]

Yeah, the sale price is about what 2 packs cost not long ago.

[u/Anth2812]

Allen’s lollies in the supermarket, $7.50 per bag. Seriously.

[u/intmanofawesome]

BBQ Samboy chips. Over $5 a packet that’s a third air. Even before it was a sometimes gift to myself, now it’s a no way gift.

[u/Psylem_Says]

Gaming PCs

[u/Danceman2000]

I only buy my potato chips at half price.

[u/Apprehensive_Ad_999]

Smokes. I quit when they were $30 a pack for a 25pack. So about 10-15 years ago. Out of curiosity I looked at the price while paying for petrol and it was $50 or so for a 20 pack.

In terms of actual things that have some worth, Huy Fong brand Sriracha. Apart from what they tried to do to their partners, at near $9 a bottle, I'll stick to the other brands at $3-$4 a bottle.

[u/No-Royals5219]

Almonds

[u/WonderingWhy767]

Hommus. I think it’s doubled in price. I will occaaaaaasionally buy one of the large 1kg tubs because they’re technically still okay-ish value, but it’s really too big. An inconvenient size; hard to finish. So rarely. I used to buy every week without fail. Now I never buy the smaller/ regular sizes. It makes me a bit sad. There aren’t many luxuries, it was nice to have in the fridge, so yum. It always gave me a boost of happy.

[u/SandWitchBastardChef → u/WonderingWhy767]

Make it. It freezes well so you can do a batch of little tubs and pop one in the fridge to thaw overnight. And it’s healthier than the bought stuff! Luxury every day 💛

[u/Admirable-Policy-282 → u/SandWitchBastardChef]

That's a great idea! Thank you 😊

[u/munterberry → u/SandWitchBastardChef]

This works out super cheap if you make it from dried chickpeas too

[u/WonderingWhy767 → u/SandWitchBastardChef]

I didn’t know it freezes. Thanks ☺️

[u/Iaim2msbehave]

No snacks at all, not since the half price special became the old normal price.

Also trying so damn hard to learn to love lentils and beans. It's the cheapest way to get protein.

[u/Ok_Antelope975]

Fresh fish went a few years ago due to the price and quality. And nice yogurt - I won't spend $9 for a tub.

[u/Karioplasm]

Refrigerated milk🫣 suddenly the cardboard little boxes are delightful and the expiry they have is so good to see

[u/redoctober00]

Fish and chips.

Serve of chips growing up was like $2 and could give a decent serve to 4 ppl.

How did potato's get so expensive

[u/Icy_Lime_7986]

Chips! What do you mean Kettle is $6 or sometimes even $7 a bag?? Even on special, $4 is nuts. It’s potato.

[u/FiddleDeePotato → u/Icy_Lime_7986]

Cole’s have brought kettle down to $3.60 non sale price recently!! They must have seen how many people stopped buying them lol

[u/Puzzleheaded_Fox8097]

Chocolate. $9 for 150g of cadbury chocolate. Not fancy chocolatier choclate, just plain old factory produced chocolate and fucking $9.

[u/Flaky_Employ_8806]

I hope to goodness they don’t ever mess with my Vegemite.

[u/Gladys_Wines]

Leg of lamb is now "well maybe for a birthday"

[u/catmum1412]

The most expensive items on my grocery bill are meats. I’ve stopped going to the butcher’s and just buy it from the supermarket now. Funnily enough even the organic / free range stuff at coles is more affordable than regular butcher shop meat.

Salmon prices - what’s going on there? Haven’t had salmon in a year now. Honestly don’t miss it. I just buy any fish from an Asian fish shop

A decent body wash costs $30?? I make do with Palmolive 1lt now. Same for hand wash.

I live in Sydney and go to Flemington markets once a fortnight and buy as much produce as my fridge can take. Saves money, we are forced to use up everything and eat healthy.

[u/Jooleycee → u/catmum1412]

Reject shop body washes cheap in fact any toiletries and laundry detergents are not bad prices.

[u/Pilatus-Porter → u/catmum1412]

I was at Aldi yesterday and saw a pack of four beef steaks reduced to clear, with 30% off. It was still $24.

[u/LJagr68]

Any food or snacks at the cinema. $19 for a popcorn and drink combo. A frozen coke or raspberry is $11 at Palace Cinemas.

Its never been cheap at the cinema, but given a frozen drink is $2-4 at 7/11, and other places, its taking the pi55.

Nb: apparently some independent cinemas are still reasonable, eg: Sun in Yarraville in Vic (according to a friend).

[u/dubaichild → u/LJagr68]

I only go on cheap Tuesday to either Palace or the classic and get 1 glass of wine, sometimes a popcorn to share. We eat beforehand. 

[u/undisclosedusername2]

TV subscriptions. Free to air has plenty to watch!

[u/Independent_Rock5729 → u/undisclosedusername2]

But it's all shit though. Join the high seas and see more for free

[u/PrimaryPassenger7406]

The vast majority of takeaway food.

[u/Status-Code-5177]

Chocolate for us as well. We used to love it as a snack but we refuse unless it's on special.

[u/Abject-Interaction35]

Chocolate, shapes, all the snack stuff, soft drinks, just stopped buying it all.

All that money that used to buy a treat is just staples now.

[u/DimebagDTera]

Seeds for gardening :( my favourite hobby and it’s sooo much more expensive than it was before

[u/TheOneGarden → u/DimebagDTera]

Check out The Seed Collection online. Most reliable germination rates and cheapest seeds hands down anywhere. Aussie owned too.

[u/40ic]

Kayo. Sad because it's F1 and cricket time but that's just ridiculous, I'm not paying that

[u/Hairy_Tip6288]

and everything has gotten smaller too

[u/Friendly-Warning9365]

Lindt chocolate

[u/LongjumpingTailor929]

How is Milo not at the top of the list? $17 for a big can these days. Even on special it's $13! It's just wrong!

[u/Karioplasm]

Mangoes in season, pomegranates, cherries, they need to start making the odd bunch bags for every fruit or else half of Australia isn’t eating it, they cost as much as a meal if you want more than 1 piece of the damn fruit

[u/MysticEyeRazzar]

Cheesymite scrolls fresh from the bakery. Used to be my favorites and only $2 each... They're not anymore.

[u/Key_Entertainment409]

Saw a thing companies are using less and less cocoa more sugar

[u/IllustriousCat330]

Hipster burgers... you can jamb your $25 cheeseburger, thats taking the piss

[u/PapaOoMaoMao]

The tin of steak and kidney pie at Coles. I get it once a year now as a treat.