more on food prices

Food prices have been rising in Australia, along with housing (rental or mortgage repayments due to rising interest rates), and petrol.

Reported in The Age about one family:

Rebecca Avery, 43, and her family have felt the impact of the rising cost of living. As Ms Avery, a single mother, struggles with a mortgage, rising food and petrol prices have taken their toll on her fortnightly budget.

For Ms Avery and her two daughters, Georgia, 14, and Kaitlin, 12, eating at restaurants and getting take-away food has become a luxury.

At the supermarket, she said, lamb cutlets have been replaced by mince meat. "It's the petrol that's so expensive, food and vegetables and meat are also ridiculous," Ms Avery said.

Lamb cutlets? At over $30 per kg, they have always been a luxury. Silly woman, she needs to shop smarter. If she was buying lamb cutlets and now talking about mince meat, I have no sympathy for her.

Firstly, mince meat is around $10 per kg. If she knew how to shop smarter, she would know that corned silverside can be bought for as little as $5 per kg. Instead of lamb cutlets, she can buy lamb forequarter chops on special for under $6 per kg.

I have as much sympathy for someone complaining that they can no longer afford lamb cutlets as someone who can no longer afford lobster.

Eating at restaurants and getting take-away (take-out)? I grew up in a working class household. We were lucky to have take-out. Restaurants were out of the question and only for really special occasions (I can only remember twice as a child/teenager).

It seems that too many people want more than they can afford these days.

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A quiet day today, although I was out in the afternoon to watch a football game not shown on free-to-air TV, at a club. I spent the rest of the time watching the latest episodes of Smallville, Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica online. My addictions.

I put the washing out in the morning and it rained.