No, it's not just you. Australia, alongside the US and UK, are experiencing some of the highest recorded levels of inflation, meaning that everything — from fuel prices to groceries, rent, takeaway and more — is increasingly expensive.
If that wasn't hard enough to cope with, there's also shrink-flation — where products are getting smaller or we're receiving tinier portions of food at restaurants, cafes and takeout joints, while still being charged either the same or a higher price
One example of this was posted by Australian Redditor u/llizardqueen, who shared a photo of their meal purchased from a food court.
Here, we have a small bottle of juice, alongside a teeny-tiny portion of what looks to be a meat-based stir-fry. There's not a lot, right? I would call this a snack or pick-me-up, rather than a meal.
Want to guess how much this meal cost?
More than $5? Yep. More than $10? Yeah, keep going. More than $15? We STILL haven't hit the magic number yet.
This meal, my friends, cost $17 — 17 FREAKIN' DOLLARS.
Now, I understand that restaurants, fast food places and cafes located in food courts must pay high rent costs, which will then be passed on to the customer. But $17 for this itty-bitty portion of food and drink? That's outrageous.
As someone who lives in Sydney and often has to buy lunch from the city (the pros and cons of having an office near the CBD), I'm no stranger to paying a similar amount (or even more) — but at least that will get me a full and satisfying meal rather than what looks like leftovers.
Aussies were understandably pissed, sharing their outrage and other examples of inflation in the comments, while also laughing at this food court obscenity costing an arm and a leg.
In all seriousness though, how are everyday Australians meant to afford this, let alone those living on the breadline?
The obvious answer is that they can't and that's why people will often bring lunch from home. But eating out shouldn't be that unattainable and expensive — especially when you're getting served a tiny portion of food.
I often view my office days as a chance to treat myself to something nice for lunch — because when I'm at home, I'm more mindful of what I eat and will take the opportunity to cook something from scratch if I've got enough time.
