this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2025
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[–] [email protected] 31 points 2 days ago (3 children)

A PACK is fifty bucks!? Not a case?

Damn.

Go aus.

[–] werty 10 points 2 days ago

A black market pack is $12 and noone I know buys legal cigarettes anymore. I'd love to know how they manage to smuggle in enough to meet the demand. The firebombings are an unpleasant side effect but the government loves the tax rake.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Eh the tax on cigarettes increases every year I think it's literally $2 a smoke now, it was 1.67 when I quit.

I'm conflicted on this tax though, the money doesn't go anywhere it should. Our healthcare services should be propped up with this money because smokers are actively damaging themselves causing increased stress on the medical system, it could also be put towards harm minimisation in general not just for smoking but all sorts of addictions

But the government doesn't actually care about this issue, if you look at the stance towards vaping it's apparent that they tried this ban to prop up big tobacco considering the only 'legal' vapes on the market are manufactured by the big tobacco corporations

The other issue is this tax is severely damaging for low socioeconomic areas in Australia, who already have a high amount of smokers. Lots of places just sell cheap imported cigarettes for 20 bucks now, so that money is going to some kind of organised crime.

I just think it's a form of prohibition that's gotten out of hand, rather it should've been used to bootstrap and fund better infrastructure and policy around the issue.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 hours ago

I do not agree with your sentiments to vaping and Australia pandering to larger tobacco companies. Vapes are not nearly as readily available as cigarettes and the regulatory hurdles to approval are restrictive meaning that smaller companies who are not willing to obtain the certification, do not end up on the market. Nicotine content is also highly controll compared to other markets.

I believe the aim was to ban vaping overall, but they saw the wave of legal battles to get to that point and decided on this as a middle ground to save cost/effort. You could argue that putting them in pharmacies aligns them as a "health" product, which is not great...

Also, the increased cost of cigarettes is in itself a harm minimisation measure. The tax is meant to be a motivator to stop people starting or continuing smoking, independent of who they are.

I don't know what could be done better here, what would you suggest?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

not them but yes, but i doubt the grocery prices are post covid. i buy very similar (cheap shitty) products and this would be much closer to 100 aud these days

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So, I did the maths and found this (Also, from Melbourne Australia so if any items on the table you aren't familiar with, heres the names and links)

Brushed Potatoes, $6.50

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/244637/woolworths-brushed-potatoes-bag?srsltid=AfmBOooSsPf5T1lrpE86Vl4VxuPzFkbwSbg3RtXNuVg4z5yuodQECU51

Odd Bunch Carrots, $1.70 (Running total $8.20)

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/288440/the-odd-bunch-carrots?srsltid=AfmBOoqjOTpGhx6Rw-54KR2043GDHpn9_xglmuO53Mev3x3xGFqcUkVU

Strawberry Yoghurt, $4 (RT $12.20)

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/919545?googleshop=true&store_code=woolworths_supermarkets_3138

Zafarelli Pasta, $2 (RT $14.20)

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/9015/zafarelli-bucatini-pasta-no-6?srsltid=AfmBOorMJOQeX5tW0ehCIMHrHVyz38-Gid4HbC3XNxmhFFpra0WkmxIz

Hillview Cheese Slices, $4.80 (RT $19)

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/558548/hillview-cheese-slices-full-fat

Wheat Biscuits, $5 (RT $24)

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/333314/woolworths-wheat-biscuits

Frozen Peas, $2.50 (RT $26.50)

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/96845/essentials-frozen-peas

Raguletto Pasta Sauce, $2.75 ($29.25)

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/15479/raguletto-red-wine-bolognese-pasta-sauce-with-tomato-garlic

White bread, $2.80 each ($34.85)

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/581172/woolworths-white-soft-sandwich-bread

Banana, Approx $0.86 each ($39.15)

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/133211/cavendish-bananas

Odd bunch Apples, $3.10 ($42.25)

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/800763/the-odd-bunch-apples-prepacked-punnet

Mixed chips, $5.75 ($48)

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/434124/woolworths-chips-variety-pack

2l Milk, $3 ($51)

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/888137/woolworths-full-cream-milk

Table Spread Margerine, $3 ($54)

https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/29016/essentials-table-spread-soft-and-spreadable

So the total of that shop is roughly (assuming I have the right price for the weighted items, and have selected the exact right items) $54 today in Melbourne, Australia.

The cigarettes, Not sure of the brand or the number of cigarettes in that pack, but Woolworths don't seem to advertise them online. Coles do, though, and a 20 pack of "Peter Jackson" branded cigarettes will set you back $57.99

https://www.coles.com.au/product/peter-jackson-fresh-burst-gold-cigarettes-25%27s-25-pack-8866009?srsltid=AfmBOooE_t5ZppSrjqd1pDZpM6MeA7Fl9eao2VeMjpQj3Ua1Vh9i08-K

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 hours ago

Thank you for the details!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago

Hey, hey, hey, HEY! The exchange rate du jour is eggs. How many eggs is that? Cuz in my country that's about 175 of our currencies, and a dozen costs maybe 8 of those, so maybe 23ish dozens? That's a lot of eggs.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago (2 children)

There are 4 things in this pic that I can’t recognize.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

If it’s the table spread, that’s a butter-like substance made from recycled tables.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago

The large whitish thing the food appears to be sitting on is most likely a table.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

The box on the far left is disposable dentures. There’s also a couple of boxes of beef fingers in the middle (which is why you’ll rarely see a cow in a field still with fingers).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

They look like politicians, or local councilmen.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

A pack of cigarettes is probably healthier than eating those woolies sausages.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Two bottles of shampoo is a lot to drink.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago

You don't drink it in one shot.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Are you my girlfriend? Stop buying expensive shampoos. You don't need them.

Also, you need real nutrition. There's nothing but junk food in that cart.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Snack run before the weekend, my friend.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You eat two tubs of ice cream over a weekend?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Yeah, I melt it a little then slide the whole contents into a fruit bowl. :)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Just crying over grocery prices in the US :(