Cost of living

Went to Coles last week and conducted what I would consider a modest food shop
3 bags of groceries totalling $240
Nothing fancy... just some basics!
Holy dooly...expensive much.

Today I read that the median rent for a house in Greater Sydney is north of $700 :o
So one would assume after purchasing food for the week there would be no change or very little left out of $1000.
Scandalous!

For those pensioners and first home buyers the situation is dire.

Even in the 'regions' rent values are high, as is the cost of food/ fuel.
Other costs like childcare,insurances etc have also sky-rocketed.

Comforting though that Banks are still making record profits :rolleyes:
The RBA governor asserts thats a wonderful thing too...at the expense of struggling hard working Aussies :~
Of course anyone earning $1,000,000 a year is not going to feel much pain at the supermarket checkout I suspects.

A lot of people are hurting atm
My belief is that things are going to get a damn side worse.
So glad I don't have have to pay rent any more (though still have to fork out for rates)
For that I am most grateful...it allows me to be able to eat!!

Log Dog :)

Yeh every thing has risen in price out of proportion, just today I went to purchase some CR2032 button cells ( every thing seems to use them ) $6.95 each, a few months ago I payed $4.95.

Recently got my new land valuation, jumped up 54%.....:o
That valuation is used for your base rate calculation for your council rates.
Now our council wants a special rate variation on top of that, a 32% increase. But our mayor used his privilege and bought a huge 4x4 for his mayoral use. Great to see his consideration of ratepayers funding.
Nearly everyone is hurting but some want to be greedy at the expense of others. :((

So I was back in at Coles today
Checked out the meat section for some needed protein
Lamb chops were just under $50 a kilo :o
They can stay there at that price!
So wandered over to the deli and grabbed a roast chook for $11
Much better value I thought
At that price the dog gets a drumstick too :;

Another item that I usually get is yoghurt
Not today Josephine :no:
An eyewatering $8 for a smallish container that was not long ago only $3.50
Packet chips also have sky-rocketed...from $3 to a crunchy $7 in under a year
And if you think tinned fish is a cheap option...no way
$15 for a chew or two of red salmon

Sure glad I only have to feed myself

Log Dog :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Log Dog

So I was back in at Coles today
Checked out the meat section for some needed protein
Lamb chops were just under $50 a kilo :o
They can stay there at that price!
So wandered over to the deli and grabbed a roast chook for $11
Much better value I thought
At that price the dog gets a drumstick too :;

Another item that I usually get is yoghurt
Not today Josephine :no:
An eyewatering $8 for a smallish container that was not long ago only $3.50
Packet chips also have sky-rocketed...from $3 to a crunchy $7 in under a year
And if you think tinned fish is a cheap option...no way
$15 for a chew or two of red salmon

Sure glad I only have to feed myself

Log Dog :)

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I hear ya, In exactly the same boat, I'm renting aswell.

Lamb chops are for rich people now. Pork chops are the go.

Maybe we should start a list of things that have stayed at the same price or even gone down in price.
I reckon it'll be a short list.:~

Lyle, you're not in Federation Shire by any chance?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lyle

Maybe we should start a list of things that have stayed at the same price or even gone down in price.
I reckon it'll be a short list.:~

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Coles has a motto for their prices...'Down Down'
Should change it to... 'Frown Frown' :q

Log Dog :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jack620

Lamb chops are for rich people now. Pork chops are the go.

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Speaking of pork...
I did the darstardly act of grabbing an Angus burger 🍔 at Macca's on the way home 😋
Would you like bacon with that i heard the cashier say?🤔
Sure,I said...sounds good 👍
Got slugged an extra $2.40 for 2 minuscule rashes :doh:
I'll never learn :no:

Log Dog :)

The meat fridges have been a "passing parade" for me when we go to the supermarket. When we were growing up mum and dad had 5 kids to feed (50sand 60s). Saturday night we would always have a roast lamb or rolled roast beef. On one visit to view the meat I saw a lamb roast about the size dad would buy for Saturday night, it was $45. He would be doing very fast turns in his grave if he had known.

Our groceries have gone up by more than $50 per shop. We try to go every fortnight and we have been having to spend $450 plus. We shop for 3 (our youngest daughter is still with us). We were going through the checkout about 4 months ago and the checkout girl asked us if we had noticed the bill was up more than it used to be and we had to agree that it had. Co-Vid was a handy excuse for price rises but really are things still priced up now? There was an article I read that said that on-line spending had gone through the roof due to Co-Vid but did you also note the huge increase in Freight? Why....if they are doing more why couldn't the price decrease? Greed? Why did our fuel go up when Russia went into the Ukraine? Why did that skirmish have world wide repercussions?

I don't have any answers just a lot of questions that no one wants to answer honestly

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lyle

Maybe we should start a list of things that have stayed at the same price or even gone down in price.
I reckon it'll be a short list.:~

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Honestly can't think of one item that has stayed the same price or in fact had its price reduced...not one! :no:

Log Dog :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chambezio

The meat fridges have been a "passing parade" for me when we go to the supermarket. When we were growing up mum and dad had 5 kids to feed (50sand 60s). Saturday night we would always have a roast lamb or rolled roast beef. On one visit to view the meat I saw a lamb roast about the size dad would buy for Saturday night, it was $45. He would be doing very fast turns in his grave if he had known.

Our groceries have gone up by more than $50 per shop. We try to go every fortnight and we have been having to spend $450 plus. We shop for 3 (our youngest daughter is still with us). We were going through the checkout about 4 months ago and the checkout girl asked us if we had noticed the bill was up more than it used to be and we had to agree that it had. Co-Vid was a handy excuse for price rises but really are things still priced up now? There was an article I read that said that on-line spending had gone through the roof due to Co-Vid but did you also note the huge increase in Freight? Why....if they are doing more why couldn't the price decrease? Greed? Why did our fuel go up when Russia went into the Ukraine? Why did that skirmish have world wide repercussions?

I don't have any answers just a lot of questions that no one wants to answer honestly

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Rod I'd imagine that you wouldn't be getting a huge amount of stuff for your $450 either...even if you were being frugal!
That's a lot money to part with every fortnight.

I seriously felt like I was part of the 'in crowd' when chomping on my burger today :B
Dining at Maccas is a luxury for some of us...

Log Dog :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

I hear ya, In exactly the same boat, I'm renting aswell.

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Mate those renting are doing it particularly tough atm
I purchased a 1/4 acre block last year along with a couple of caravans and shipping container to store my wood.
Best thing I ever did...hallelujah!
Now I can afford to eat more than one meal a day :2tsup:

Log Dog :)

Here's a piece of fiddleback Acacia celsa from my stash.
Measures 425mn long x 240mm wide x 30mm thick.
Heavily figured with prominent fiddleback throughout.
Also quartersawn and seasoned... ready to work!
Make for a beautiful lidded box folks :q

Yep...times are tough :C
So offering this piece for free!
Postage included :2tsup: (only in OZ)
Just say 'I'll take it' and it's yours
First to respond here will be the claimant

Log Dog :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Log Dog

So offering this piece for free!

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Well, even if times are tough you obviously are pretty happy with the way you're travelling, Chris. :2tsup: I remain unconvinced that you're travelling that well that you should be giving timber away :oo:, and including postage! :no:
Good on you. All the best.

David

Quote:

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Originally Posted by aldav

Well, even if times are tough you obviously are pretty happy with the way you're travelling, Chris. :2tsup: I remain unconvinced that you're travelling that well that you should be giving timber away :oo:, and including postage! :no:
Good on you. All the best.
:)
David

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All good Dave
I have plenty and postage isn't a sheep station.
No I am not rich but I am happy
That's all that matters really :2tsup:
Cheers mate :;

Log Dog :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Log Dog

Here's a piece of fiddleback Acacia celsa from my stash.
Measures 425mn long x 240mm wide x 30mm thick.
Heavily figured with prominent fiddleback throughout.
Also quartersawn and seasoned... ready to work!
Make for a beautiful lidded box folks :q

Yep...times are tough :C
So offering this piece for free!
Postage included :2tsup: (only in OZ)
Just say 'I'll take it' and it's yours
First to respond here will be the claimant

Log Dog :)

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If it’s still available, I will take it with thanks.

George

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cava

If it’s still available, I will take it with thanks.

George

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All yours mate
Send me through your postal address thanks George

Log Dog :)

PM sent.

Also popped in to Bunnings a few weeks back for a browse at the gardening section
Very few plants under $20 each
Wheelbarrows used to be around $100...now over $140
Decided to go to a local nursery as I was specifically looking for banana plants
Finally found some for sale
They were only small specimens but were $50 each :o
Didn't buy any but purchased a passionfruit vine for $17 instead.
I think it was the cheapest plant in the nursery.
Wasn't game to price the fertilisers :C


Log Dog :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lyle

Maybe we should start a list of things that have stayed at the same price or even gone down in price.
I reckon it'll be a short list.:~

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My dog has a serve of tinned sardines with his dinner every day, the price 6 years ago was 90 cents a tin and is now 95 cents at my local IGA, given inflation is probably cheaper now than it was 6 years ago.

That's all I can think of.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Log Dog

Wasn't game to price the fertilisers :C


Log Dog :)

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That's one of the main reasons why I have set up a "worm farm" in the back yard. We grow a lot of our own vegetables and the soil around here needs a bit of a boost on a regular basis - even the lawn. We renovated one of the bathrooms a while back and the old cast iron bath tub was replaced with a newer more modern one, so I knocked up a steel support frame and put the old tub up the back and made a cover for it out of wire fencing mesh and shade cloth. All of our vegie scraps go in there and the worms turn them into fertilizer. About twice a year, I get a huge tub of worm "castings" which the wife uses in potting mix and for seedlings etc - and about once a fortnight I get a 20 litre bucket of worm "tea" out of the bottom of the tub through a filtered drain. This is diluted down and mostly used as fertilizer in the vegie gardens - we don't need to add anything else other than home made compost and mulch as a general rule. Any that is left over goes on the lawn - I have made up a venturi arrangement so that the liquid can be sucked out of a bucket and into the sprinkler feed so is diluted down as it is spread on the lawn.

I used to buy the occasional bag or two of blood & bone for the lawns from Bunnings - but the prices these days have put me off even going into the garden section there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lyle

Maybe we should start a list of things that have stayed at the same price or even gone down in price.
I reckon it'll be a short list.:~

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My wages have stayed the same :C

Cheers Andrew

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rudyvm

My dog has a serve of tinned sardines with his dinner every day, the price 6 years ago was 90 cents a tin and is now 95 cents at my local IGA, given inflation is probably cheaper now than it was 6 years ago.

That's all I can think of.

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King Oscar brand... 😋

Log Dog :)

i honestly think alot has a bit to do with energy prices.

if fuel and electricity are going up, and we have to use it to make and transport the goods. well its the consumer that pays

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Originally Posted by havabeer69

i honestly think alot has a bit to do with energy prices.

if fuel and electricity are going up, and we have to use it to make and transport the goods. well its the consumer that pays

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You are absolutely correct, the most prosperous countries in the world are those with the lowest energy costs. Australia had one of the highest standard of living in the world a few decades ago and now we are mixing it with 3rd world countries. Very sad to see.

The other side of it is that governments around the world have created the problem with all the debt filed spending and contrary to what they say publicly they actually want higher inflation because it erodes all that debt away. 10% inflation over 3 or 4 years halves their debt.

Sadly I don't see things getting better any time soon. I hope I'm wrong.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Log Dog

Also popped in to Bunnings a few weeks back for a browse at the gardening section
Very few plants under $20 each
Wheelbarrows used to be around $100...now over $140
Decided to go to a local nursery as I was specifically looking for banana plants
Finally found some for sale
They were only small specimens but were $50 each :o
Didn't buy any but purchased a passionfruit vine for $17 instead.
I think it was the cheapest plant in the nursery.
Wasn't game to price the fertilisers :C

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I live in a newer region of Canberra. New suburbs, everywhere.

Plant theft has become a MAJOR issue. People are waking to find newly planted tube and rootstock is flogged over night.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Log Dog

King Oscar brand... 😋

Log Dog :)

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Nope, black and gold......King Oscar is way more expensive, though very much loved Chester is still just a dog and am not sure he would notice the difference anyway as is gone in seconds.

The cost of living has always risen. It is fanciful to think that it won't. The real question revolves around how much it has risen and whether it is out of wack with general trends. The last year has seen a huge rise in CPI:

Attachment 523978

It is the highest rise for more than thirty years.

More information here:

Consumer Price Index, Australia, December Quarter 2022 | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au)

Regards
Paul