Aussie woman's simple café order puts cost-of-living crisis 'into perspective'
Soaring food prices are putting pressure on everyday Aussies and businesses, but $13.90 for 'measly' bread and a small coffee is just 'expensive,' the woman said.
By now, you might expect to pay a little more than what you'd like for a takeaway coffee and brekkie at a café. But the shock of receiving less than what you paid for still hits hard for many cash-strapped Aussies hoping to have their cake and eat it too.
The price of coffee has skyrocketed across Australia as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, but so too have supplies and utilities for café owners, leaving many without a choice but to raise the cost of goods with customers copping the brunt of it.
While toast and a coffee could be considered a basic Aussie breakfast, the price charged at cafés continues to shock those dining out. Recently, Sydney woman Nicola Potter visited a café in Dee Why, an area she "doesn't know very well".
She admitted to feeling less than impressed by the order she'd received after paying $13.90 for Vegemite on sourdough and a small soy latte to go — an order, which in the city, she claimed would set her back "around $10, maybe $11".
Taking to social media, Nikki flashed her small coffee cup on camera noting it appears "extra small" — arguably smaller than a standard 8oz size cup provided elsewhere.
"I don't know why they have these teeny tiny cups but I know what a small coffee looks like, and it's not this," she said. But the real issue it seems is with the sourdough she ordered.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia on Tuesday, Nicola, known as Nikki, said, "I pulled out that tiny piece of toast and couldn't believe my eyes".
Removing it from the takeaway bag it came in, Nikki discovered the Vegemite and butter were packaged separately, meaning she was made to put it together herself. However, café staff — which she chose not to name — failed to provide a knife, she said.
"I do understand that some people are fussy about their Vegemite ratios but surely it defeats the purpose of ordering takeaway toast if they give it to you to assemble yourself," she told Yahoo in disbelief — but that wasn't the end of it.
Holding the two slices of bread up to the camera she noted one was sizeably smaller than the other. "It's clearly the dregs of the loaf," she said of the small piece. "They're [probably] laughing their heads off that they managed to get away with that".
Café order puts 'cost of living into perspective'
Speaking to Yahoo, she said, "some people did tell me that maybe the other piece was considered oversized so they were evening it out". But she wasn't so sure.
"It sounds like a small thing but this really put the cost of living into perspective for me to be honest. I really thought 'wow, this is expensive'," she said.
"I love Australian café culture and am always happy to support small businesses but in this case I probably should have just bought my own loaf of bread!
"In future, I'd definitely say something — I feel like it can never hurt to ask."
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Aussies feeling under financial 'stress'
According to research from Finder, more than one in two (54 per cent) Aussies — equivalent to more than 11 million people — admit the cost of living has had a negative impact on their lifestyle. However many still decide to enjoy the occasional meal out.
Additionally, 27 per cent of Aussies say they are "extremely stressed" with their current financial situation in July, while a further 51 per cent are 'somewhat stressed'.
Previously a café owner revealed the measly profit they make from each coffee sold.
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