Rising price of beer proving to be ‘a tough swallow’ for fed up Aussies

It would seem that not even a refreshing pint of beer is free from the clutches of the rising cost of living as one shocked Aussie pub-goer recently learnt during a visit to his local watering hole.

In a recent post to Reddit, the customer stunned fellow users after sharing a snapshot of his beer receipt from the iconic Harbour View Hotel in The Rocks, revealing a hefty $17.80 price tag on the EFTPOS console. The shockingly high amount, he explained, incorporated a 15 percent surcharge, without which the beverage would have been a slightly more modest $15.13.

“$20 pints are just around the corner,” they captioned the photo.

The post ignited a discussion among beer aficionados and budget-conscious pub enthusiasts alike, many expressing their concerns over the increasing cost of enjoying a pint in their favorite establishments.

“I’ve given up drinking for health reasons but man is my wallet happy too,” one user shared.

“Stopped drinking 2 years ago. I honestly don’t know how people afford to go out drinking on a regular occurrence.”

“I just don’t drink out anymore. It’s such a ripoff. I just drink at home,” another commented.

“I’m used to $15 for some stupid craft beer (that I’m a massive sucker for) but $20 for what I’m guessing is one of the big boys? That’s a tough swallow in multiple ways.”

The customer’s post shines a light on a much bigger issue: the financial strain on ordinary Australians as the cost of living continues to rise.

Many are becoming increasingly conscious of their spending habits, and the price of a simple pint of beer is just one of the many expenses contributing to their concerns.

Recently another consumer faced a similar conundrum when they expressed their concerns online over a small yet high-priced $9 sausage roll.

The person posted an image of the tiny treat on a napkin, claiming that they are “really feeling the shrinkflation with this one”.

Shrinkflation is the reduction in the size or quantity of a product while the price of it remains the same or increases slightly.

The sneaky tactic is thought to be used by companies to keep prices the same while gradually downsizing product sizes.