Food and Groceries Items Are Now Leaping Higher. Inflation Is out of Control!

Everyone would have noticed over 2022 how grocery prices were moving higher and higher every time you went shopping.
One woman told me her weekly grocery bill had climbed from $400 to $700 and that was 6 months ago.(up 75%).
It looks to me that the price increases are now accelerating.
Inflation appears to be way above the published rate of 7.3% for Q3 2022.
I went to Aldi this week and did my fortnightly shopping only to find that prices have taken a huge leap in the last 3 months and particularly since the start of 2023.
Happy New Year everyone!
It is now evident that inflation is NOT slowing down, contrary to RBA and economist projections.
None of these economists ever lived through the inflation crisis of the late 80s so they have no idea how to understand or even tame this beast.

Here are some examples of price increases for regular items which I purchase from Aldi and Coles.
I have provided the prices I paid 12 months ago, as well as price increases since then, and the most recent price increases as of today.

The worst example is a 100% increase in a 1kg pack of frozen vegetables in Aldi.
The least is a 9% increase in an 800g pack of Coleslaw in Aldi though the identical pack increased by 33% in Coles. No doubt some price gouging and manipulation going on with the major supermarkets.

Feel free to add your own examples.

Aldi Value Frozen Vegetables were $1.49 a year ago, then $2.29 3 months ago. Now $2.99 (up 100%)
Aldo tinned soups up from $1.59 just 6 months ago to $1.98 in Dec 22 and now $2.99 (up 88%)
Aldi Coleway Authentic Mayonnaise was $2.79 only 3 months ago, now $3.99 (up 43%)
Aldi while sandwich bread. Was $1.29 a year ago. Then $1.49 6 months ago. Now $1.79 (up 39%)
Aldi 1kg Cheese block was $6.49 a year ago. Up to $8.90 just 3 months ago. (up 37%)
Robert Timms 200G Coffee was $8.00 just 6 months ago. Now $10.70 (up 34%)
Aldi 140g Toothpaste. Was $1.50 a year ago. Now $2.00 (up 33%)
Aldi /Coles 2L Milk was $2.40 a year ago. Then $2.60 6 months ago. Now $3.10 (Up 29%)
Uncle Tobys Plus 790g cereals have gone from $7.00 12 months ago to $8.80 now (up 26%)
Aldi Silver Scoop ice cream was $3.99 a year ago, then $4.49 in Dec 22. Now $4.99 (up 25%)
Aldi 1kg hash browns were $2.70 3 months ago. Now $3.30 - if you can find them. (Up 22%)
Aldi Joi 1kg fruit yogurt was $3.19 in Dec 22. Now $3.69 (up 16%)
Aldi 10 pk Choc coated vanilla ice cream sticks were $2.90 in Dec 22. Now $3.30 (up 14%)
Aldi 1kg frozen white fish pieces. Was $7.99 in Dec 22. Now $8.99 (up 12%)
Aldi 800g Coleslaw (same as Coles) was $5.50 just 3 months ago. Now $6.00 (Up 9%)
Coles 800g Coleslaw (same as Aldi) was $6.00 just 3 months ago. Now $8.00 (Up 33%)
And its not limited to just grocery items either….
Goods I have purchased recently
Ikea Lagan Kitchen tap was $35 just 6 months ago. Now $49 (Up 40%)
Kmart 200W bagless vacuum cleaner was $45 just 6 months ago. Now $52 (up 15%)

Comments

  • +5

    One woman told me her weekly grocery bill had climbed from $400 to $700

    She seems like a reliable source. I call BS on her.

    • +9

      Mate. You can speak for yourself.
      But dont call out people complianing about thier grocery bill going up.
      She feeds 4 males. Her makes 5.
      I think she is well aware of what she spends.
      The price of fresh meat and vegetables alone is enough to justify this incease!

      Feel free to share your own experience and what you do to save money (as you obviously do) but dont attack others

      • I do a fortnightly shop at Aldi for my family. Has been in the high $200's for years. Always in the low $300's for the last 3 - 4 months.

        I'm not denying prices have gone up but she has embellished her story for sure.

        • +7

          Only $150 a week in groceries?

          Wow… We go through at least double that, and we don't buy junk food, mostly only fresh fruit, veg, meat, egg, milk, juice, cereals, condiments and maybe a box of "on special" ice creams.

          • -6

            @iDroid: That's not everything for groceries. Would spend another $100 at Woolies just grabbing random shit as the fortnight goes on. Eg. More milk, bread, some fruit etc that won't last the complete fortnight.

          • +4

            @iDroid: This! Going to coles once a week and buying items to make a 4 dinner meals, meats/chicken, the staples like milk, bread, eggs, cheese and then some random items like yoghurt and dumplings or pies for lunch and there is no way anyone could do this for anywhere close to $150 a week. And I’m in a house of 2 people so I have no idea how someone could feed a whole family for less then $250 per week.

            • -1

              @Iwantthebestprice: Canned soup for dinner every night, it’s very cheap.

              • +1

                @Ghost47: Its gone up the most at Aldi
                Was $1.59. Now $3.99
                Was cheap. Not any more

        • Maybe she buys some exotic things like fancy lettuce and fish.

          • +2

            @AustriaBargain: You mean exotic things like Cheer Cheese or Kettle Chips?

            Oh how the rich live!

        • +2

          i call bs…..$150 at aldi isnt even enough for a week for a family of 4

        • I don't know how people have such low grocery bills, I'm 1 person and eat healthy as, my diet costs no less than $10 a day.
          It is very sad that highly processed foods are cheaper than wholesome foods.

      • I appreciate your post but no one is "attacking" anyone. It's just an opinion. Do we need to sensationalize everything?! No.

      • +2

        Prices have certainly gone up but some items more than others and thats where a lot of the difference is.

        My weekly bill has gone up approx 25%

        Question does she stock up on specials?
        I have noticed the rotation of some specials is not as often as usual or as good. Some of those lines rarely come on special now.

        Does she shop around?

        Does she compare unit prices?

        There are a lot of people who buy exactly the same goods no matter the price they can be set in there ways and dont look the price or at least they didnt look at the individual price in the past.

        Not saying her grocery bill hasn't gone up by 75% it could be the particular lines she buys but if everyones went up by that much imagine how many home loans being defaulted on we would be in the greatest depression this country has ever faced in its history.

    • +1

      Same woman said she offsets the cost with return & earn…

      • +1

        While throws away $100 worth expired food.

  • +3

    Inflation rates are calculated as much more than select products in a supermarket.

    Also supermarkets/companies can raise prices more than pure inflation.

    • And they use hedonics - so there is a delay between realised inflation vs reported inflation.

  • +3

    Clearly this is caused by wage rises! Everyone needs to be unable to afford food and housing! - Some RBA guy

    We clearly need to import more people in Australia to tackle inflation - Federal government

    I think it's still going to go up.

    • +1

      There are many "out of stocks" every week!

      More people = even more demand for goods and groceries = higher inflation

      • +3

        This is from wiki

        It is estimated that the population of the world reached

        one billion for the first time in 1804;
        two billion in 1927, 123 years later;
        three billion in 1960, 33 years later;
        four billion in 1974, 14 years later;
        five billion in 1987, 13 years later;
        six billion in 1999, 12 years later;
        seven billion in 2011, 12 years later;
        eight billion in 2022, 11 years later
        .

        • +3

          In short stop having kids.

          • +6

            @Xistn: I don't watch the news that often, but I'm surprised population is not a topic when talking about climate and COL. Governments are always looking for economic growth as 'pass' which would be more difficult with stagnant population.
            .

            • +2

              @Nugs: Agreed, where's Thanos when you need him XD

            • @Nugs: Careful, if you talk about population you get called a nazi.

            • +9

              @Nugs: Australia hasnt had true economic growth for over 20 years
              The government has simply fudged it with immigation.

              On a per capita basis our standard of living has crashed big time because of all the overcrowding everywhere, increased traffic, more competition for everything and now its blown up with full on inflation!

              I think this is very evident to everyone that we are not better off but rather worse off

            • @Nugs: I'm not really that surprised. The world is powered on capitalism, a drop in population could cause an irreversible economic decline unless some sort of magical productivity enhancer comes along.

              If I had it my way I would airdrop condoms over India.

          • @Xistn: If people stop having kids we will have an aged care crisis the likes of which we have never seen. Have more kids for the sake of humanity,

        • Bill Gates wants to put a stop to this

    • If you're referring to Inflation, it is still going up, just at a slower rate than before.

      • +2

        How do you figure that out?
        My figures/observations show that it is accelerating, especially over the last 3 months

  • You can take my chicken eggs out of my cold dead hands. I don't care if bird flu makes them $12 a dozen, I need my eggs.

  • +4

    Coles and WW house-brand facial tissues, were $1.00 now $1.70

    • +2

      Up 70%
      Thank you for that one

  • +5

    Thank god for the economists here, because zee googles!

    Up there with the article yesterday whinging about the price of mandarins. Tip: It's not citrus season. Where do you think your food comes from, the moon?

  • +5

    A lot of people don't want to apply themselves or don't know how to.

    I found that with buying mainly whole foods (not pre-packaged, pre-made stuff) at mainly Aldi, our budget for 2.5 people has stayed in the vicinity of $100-120 per week for a number of years (decades?).

    Pro-tip: avoid buying things out of season and when they are affected by some calamity. I have refused to buy Cabbage at $14 a pop and just chosen other meals to cook when that was the price for example. Similar with grapes, waited till they dropped to under $4. There is always something in season, that you can enjoy.

    • +4

      There's always improvements that can be made, but when you hear a problem and your immediate response is "be smarter", your problem solving skills leave much to be desired.

      Things were bad before. Now they're worse. What happens when the trajectory continues? Will your advice be to set traps and gather insects for protein? "It's not hard guys. You just need to know the unique pheremone chemical makeup of the insect species that is currently in a boon phase in your area, and then duplicate it. All up it only takes me half an hour to gather enough protein to prevent my family from entering rhabdomyolysis"

    • The examples I have given are things that are never in or out of season hence not affected by seasonable variables.

      The supermarkets also lock in contract prices for most of the things they sell or store them in cold storage until they need them for sale.

      eg Canned soup, mayonaise, coffee, cheese, breakfast cereals, ice cream, milk etc

      You tip is good but only for fresh fruit and vegetables.
      Doesnt apply for meat of any kind

      • I am mostly pointing out that my food expenses have not gone up in many years. My pay has though, gone up every year (sometimes by leaps and bounds).

        Meat does go through phases too. Sometimes beef is too expensive, sometimes lamb prices are affected by some event. The general consensus is that meat consumption should be reduced anyhow.

        The lazy tax applies whenever people want quick solutions. Our lives keep improving but you do pay for convenience.

      • Although your examples might not be seasonal, since Aldi barely stocks anything australian they’ll be affected by freight increases both the international leg and domestic not just inflation.

        Meat does have some seasonal sale prices but might be more apparent at a large butcher rather the Aldi/colesworth.
        Ie. Pork cuts are always cheaper near Xmas due to the large number of hams consumed
        Stew beef meat price lower in summer due to lower demand

  • We eat mainly whole food plant based. The rest of the family has meats & fish as well, but not a lot.

    We've been fortunate; around our area with many competitors, last's year's prices were very low, even lower than or same as an average year. But that covers a lot of fresh veg and fruits and whole grains.

    Coles 1.8kg Oats dropped 5c on 11 May 2022!

  • +2

    Wait til you see the jump in the UK

    • +3

      Yes, I think we are following very close behind

      And the US too

      • +2

        $10 au for a dozen eggs in the states atm

        the times they are a changin'….

  • -1

    Coles 800g Coleslaw (same as Aldi) was $6.00 just 3 months ago. Now $8.00 (Up 33%)

    Could only be bothered looking up one example:
    https://pricehipster.com/product/Ud5YaUGf_u8bZ9_EZO4rsw~BkG5…
    https://shop.coles.com.au/a/national/product/coles-coleslaw-…

    No, it's now $7, only very briefly went over that.

    From $6 to $7 isn't exactly worthy of this post or of sensationalising.

    • Yes, it had come back in price and thx for pointing that out.
      Thats because Aldi forced them to bring it down (competition)
      Still a 16% increase when the ABS says inflation is running at 7.3%.

      You dont think a 16% increase is worth mentioning - more than double the claimed inflation rate???

    • +3

      grocery bill is up 50-60% from 3 years ago
      meat & fresh veg is becoming unnaffordable for everyday australians
      op is on point & thread is valid. stop gatekeeping

      • Please define "everday Australian". Not sure if I qualify?

        • +1

          mate…..take a good look in the mirror and work it out yourself

      • Unaffordable? No it isn't, you just need to know where to buy from for best quality and value

        • +2

          rubbish….weekly groceries our household were paying $250 for during covid is now more like $400+
          next youre going to tell me petrol is cheaper than ever!

          • -1

            @franco cozzo: 😂 So your opinion is more valid than mine?

            Riiiight, nice argument bud

            • +4

              @spackbace: yeah nah mate…..

              how good is it spending $10 for 250g of average cheese?
              or $9.00 for 500g of butter spread….
              or $6.80 for a 160g bag of frickin potato chips?
              or $7-8 for a kg of broccoli?
              or $30 for a kilo of fresh beef or fish

              ….this shit is not sustainable for most australians

          • +1

            @franco cozzo: Falls right in line with the mother that told me her groceries had gone up from $400pw to $700pw
            She is feeding 4 grown males and herself.

            And some people here are denying the obvious.
            Even if they are living on canned soup its gone up from $1.59 per tin at Aldi mid 2022 to $3.99 this week

  • +4

    How do you think the Ponzi lasted for 30 years? Cheap money and Immigration.

    They have rooted Australia on both fronts. Kids cannot buy near where they grew up and Australia is no longer Australia, it's all about education and climbing the ladder.

    • what we have is a 'labour shortage'…..lol

    • +1

      Education???

      Not being racist here but the Chinese come here and go to Uni
      They cant speak English or very little but the Universities love thier money and they all get a Pass.

      The word gets back home in China to send thier kids to Australia to "Purchase" an education.
      Some education..its all about the money now.

      We are not selling education, just a cerificate that says they got one here

  • It's almost like they want people to eat less to slow demand…

    • +3

      Spot on!
      Have you been listening to Bill Gates?

  • Coz you don't earn Boost Mobile profit like WatchNerd and others.

  • Colesworth is the problem. Go to market or neighbourhood shops.

    • not everyone has these options

  • +3

    I see many with price shock often when I am self serving my weekly $80-$100 for 2……. but they are full of name brand, ready made, and processed along with the sweet junk food. So many are so lazy and on high wages they do not think or plan, and waste waste waste.

    We eat very well and very healthy. We bulk up on specials and shop the last 1-2 hrs before closing, both saving us an average $30-$50 every week easy.

  • +2

    The big grocery chains are sucking the cream from eliminating competition over the last few decades.
    This will be evidenced by their earnings reporting over the next year or so.

    Unfortunately if simple solution for this exists please tell us….

    • +2

      Yep
      Going to the supermarket now is no longer about buying at cheaper prices

      They have realised by selling everything under one roof its actually all about "convenience"

      Futhermore they put up prices, then put the same goods on special to create the illusion you are paying less.

  • +2

    woolies multigrain bread = $1.70 pre-covid/ukraine/7%inflation
    now = $3.00

    https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/581282?goo…

    • -2

      So go Coles and get it for $2.20

      https://pricehipster.com/product/qMtpBa6xNTM7Q3tRJalKlg~BkG5…

      A price rise of only 45c…

      Or keep whinging and buying the more expensive item 😂

      • -1

        lol. yeah just keep denying reality mate…
        everything is fricking hunky dory….and only getting better!
        oh and the bread you linked to is garbage

      • +1

        That's still a 25+% price increase and requires someone to go to a different store they may not have as easily accessible as the other. That's also ignoring the 20+% extra fibre in the Woolworths one, maybe pooping isn't their strong suit.

        But this thread is talking about grocery price overall increases, and people's anecdotal experience has claimed overall grocery shop increases from 20-40%, which this is still in line with.

        • Franco lists specific items to them that’s gone up.
          And that bread was $2.20 prior
          They’ve listed the wrong bread
          The $1.70-$1.80 pre covid is this one now $2.20
          Anyone expect the price of items to stay the same forever? items do go up. But rather then 5-10 cents every 6 months that they should in line with cpi they are increased every 12-18 by the whole amount.

          • -2

            @Bad Wolf: nah my pricing was off by 20 cents….thats the really cheap & bad one
            the one i listed must have been $1.90 and is now $3.00. i wont buy it anymore as its not worth $3.00

      • +1

        Why didn't you buy the cheapest $1.90 bread instead of the more expensive $2.20 item?
        Oh, the $1.90 bread used to be $0.95.

    • +1

      Yep. I used to buy that
      Same deal at Coles

  • It's just the tip of the iceberg of the effects over the last 3 years especially. But it has been a long time coming. Start questioning more what the authorities & experts are feeding you.

    The duopoly/majors froze their prices sometime last year & used that as a marketing gimmick.

    The government has always been passing legislation making it tougher for smaller food producers to stay in the game. This is just accelerating. They are introducing legislation making biosynthetic foods a priority, in addition to requiring mrna injections into certain livestock for "safety" reasons.

    Start nurturing your own gardens (if you have one), look into traditional bush tucker. There's about 2 thousand different varieties of edible nuts & seeds native to this country. Why do you mainly see nuts & seeds from South America, Africa, Europe & Asia in the supermarkets?

    Think about it.

    • +3

      They are cornering the seed market too.
      Once upon a time you could buy tomato seeds, grow them and then use seeds from the grown tomatos to grow even more.
      Now the seeds the tomatoes produce are useless.
      You must keep buying thier new packets of seeds
      And the tomatos have lost their lovely juicy flavour.

      • Yes, these are just a few of the many many different assaults on humanity being perpetrated.

  • +1

    (Aldi) Atlantic Salmon portions 1kg Skin On

    18/05/22 = $23.99

    11/12/22 = $27.99

    • And the production of those salmon is trashing Tasmanian marine environment……

      • Fishing Atlantic salmon….
        Thats 2 oceans away
        How does that affect the tasmanian marine environment???

        • +1

          All of the fresh Atlantic Salmon in OZ comes from salmon farms (feedlots) in Southern Tasmania. Big circular net arrangements where they pour food pellets laced with all sorts of things (including colouring to make it orange) and then harvest them at a certain size.
          All the fish crap drops straight through the nets on to the sea floor.
          Causing widespread destruction of bays that they do it in.

          If you buy Norwegian or Scottish smoked salmon basically the same, but trashing their local areas rather than Tassie.

          Ironically, The better, and possibly healthier alternative is tinned wild caught salmon from Alaska - a very well run and sustainable wild fishery.

          • @saltypete: Some atlantic salmon have been genetically modified.

          • +2

            @saltypete: Wild caught salmon from Alaska is what I was referring to,
            All the frozen white fish now comes from around there too

            NZ has been given the flick by the likes of Birds Eye and other majors

  • +4

    Its actually probably a lot worse than you think because you have not mentioned shrink-flation that they are all also sneaking in.
    Aldi 24 cheese slices for example were 500g but in December went down to being 432g but still 24 slices in a pack.
    Cadburys chocolate went up in price at colesworth but also the packs got smaller (both big bars and multipacks - EG now only 11 bars a pack but the WW website still shows the old pictures for some which say there are 12 bars).

    • Can the shrinking continue indefinately?

    • You are absolutely right
      Pack size shrinkage is not measured under the definition of inflation

  • +1

    I have noticed some increases but have stopped buying things like butter and now make my own yoghurt and plant based milk. I'm focusing on eating less meat and buying more seasonally, on sale or marked down items. I do not have regular brands and buy (or don't buy) according to price.

    One thing that has been helpful is to buy in bulk, rather than in smaller packets. I buy all my dried beans, spices etc from an Indian wholesaler. My meat comes directly from the farm every few months.

    I have always cooked primarily at home and do not buy ready meals or much in the way of processed food. This means my budget stays fairly stable. But you do have to be proactive to keep costs down.

    • +1

      Agree with most of your points, especially the last paragraph.

      But disagree with the first part that blames demand from people. I think this is something most people don't give much thought too, & the food corporations & governments are quite happy to have that perception out there, because it implies it's the peoples fault. It is to a small degree, but mostly the demand is manufactured by the corporations. A lot of money goes into public relations, science advocacy, policy advocacy, to create the perception of public demand.

      We have all been manipulated for a very long time, not just in this industry, but across the board.

      Another point I disagree is inflation. It is the inevitable consequence of a debt based financial system. This is also a manipulation by design.

        • I agree the demand is created, but at the end, it is still peoples choice to follow or not.

          The psychology behind behavior is being manipulated by these corporations, to the extent people think they have a choice.

            • +1

              @[Deactivated]: It is very difficult to try to get people to see it that way. I've often brought up the subject in a general way, & the general response I get is one of a shrug & "what can we do". I then make the suggestion of directing money towards those companies or products that are doing the right thing, but the higher cost of the products is always an issue.

              I understand the logic behind a lot of elderly people's choices. A lot came out of the war years, & they do not have a bad word to say about a country that provides plentiful & cheap food, even though the quality is garbage compared to what these elderly people grew up with.

  • +1

    Yep I've cut Colesworth loose for the time being, they really are outrageously expensive for what they are. They hook you in and make you think you're ahead with their points promotions, you're better off shopping elsewhere. I'm doing a combo of Paddy's and Harris Farm. HFM isn't too bad, quality is much better, and if you shop the specials and the mark down table, better value. I got half a pineapple and a small bunch of rhubarb for $1 each today.

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