Aussie supermarket shoppers marvel at detail in 31-year-old receipt
The cost of a basic shop in 1992 has sparked nostalgia in supermarket customers.
A supermarket receipt from over 30 years ago has Aussies feeling nostalgic for a time when fresh food was a bit more affordable. The docket from Safeway – which since rebranded to Woolworths in Victoria – has emerged after a sentimental shopper shared a snap of it on Reddit.
"A few groceries from 1992," the Redditor captioned the photo showing the receipt. The well-preserved bill provides a snapshot of how much Australian customers used to pay for a small, basic shop. The groceries included low-fat milk and a one-litre bottle of skim milk retailing for $2.15 and 95 cents, respectively.
Other items on the receipt were 500 grams of ricotta cheese selling for $2.32, a 100-gram block of Cadbury chocolate and a 250-gram block of Cadbury Peppermint chocolate retailing for 99 cents and $2.32 respectively, a dozen eggs at $2.08, and 810g worth of bananas that sold for $1.29. All seven items racked up a grand total of $12.10.
"Back when a dozen eggs were a cheeky two bucks," the Redditor commented.
Coles shoppers dispute self-service checkout claim: 'Don't twist the truth'
Coles, Woolworths, Aldi scanning 'loophole' gets you free items at checkout
Price comparison
While it's clear that prices would have gone up over the past three decades, Reddit users couldn't help but compare the cost of goods in 1992 with what we pay today. A rough estimate of all equivalent and near-equivalent grocery items on the list based on Woolworths' website places the same small shop at a total of over $27 today.
The three-decade cost difference stirred a debate over whether Aussies are really worse off today, as the grocery prices have roughly doubled from then to now, while Australian wages have tripled over the same period.
"For 31 years ago, prices on those items haven't gone up too much," a user argued. "So chocolate is the same price, almost. I mean you can get a whole block for $2, but banana and eggs have gone up 300%+."
Going backwards?
"Society is going so backwards," another declared. "Unhealthy food becoming cheaper and easier to get, healthy food becoming more expensive and harder to get.”
Although there are signs that the cost-of-living crisis may finally be easing, many Aussies are still struggling to stretch their household budgets to meet essential needs such as food and beverages, which rose by 7.9 per cent in the 12 months to May 2023.
"The main contributor to this increase was meals out and takeaway food, which increased from 7.3 per cent in April to 7.7 per cent in May, as higher costs of ingredients, rents, utilities and wages were passed on," Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) head of prices and statistics Michelle Marquardt said this week.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
