By I slowly realised how much my cup would cost by the end of the year.
It’s everywhere; all I see on social media and my local news is the increasing price of coffee. The culture of coffee is apparent globally & going to cause a lot of fuss until the end of this year. I love my cup of coffee, but I realised that perhaps that love affair is far more than I can afford. Just think of it this way: if you take anything other than cow’s milk and want a couple more shots — or increase the size to a large, these tiny additions can blow out into a meal purchase. I could be eating my coffee as a lunchtime special! Shipping and natural disasters are increasing the cost of beans, and then we have the war, & price of petrol, which has skyrocketed lately. But with that, wages are still pretty much the same — and doesn’t scratch the surface regarding covering the cost of the essential daily living expenses. I am also shocked at how much bread and milk have cost lately. It can be hard to justify such a special indulgence if you have kids and a growing family. I have my side hustles and my full-time job to try and make ends meet here. It’s not easy for anyone. When I returned to the office, I went to my usual coffee shop, smack bang in the middle of the iconic Sydney QVB — and I was startled that they requested I pay $AU5.70 for a small almond cappuccino with an extra shot of coffee. Previously, I had paid $AU4.80. To me, that was excessive for such a small cup. I mentioned this to a friend; she was taken back by the cost and now only uses the coffee machine in our workplace to make a cup and add her milk. When I saw her creation, I cringed. Is this what my coffee future looks like? Disgusting, dry beans, and add in cold milk. This workplace coffee machine is terrible! I want my frothy and spectacular quality almond milk cappuccino that helps make my day look brighter. Take this very surprised buyer of coffee — A lawyer who paid $AU8.90 for a soy latte! Her small Tick Tok clip caused a bit of a storm, and she appeared in a local news broadcast here in Australia. It’s pretty funny! Check it out via this link here.
The future reality of coffee
It’s unfortunate to say this, but the cost of coffee will soar. But how much is the price going to add up to? Some experts say it could be well above $AU7 by the end of 2022! Unfortunately, cafes are already experiencing this cost, yet they are reluctant to pass it on to us — their loyal consumers. I guess they have contemplated just how much a customer will pay for a cup of coffee if they can sustain their business now and when they have to incur the cost onto us. I’m pretty fortunate in my workplace, as we have our coffee covered on Wednesdays — as an incentive to get into the office. This helps the small business too — and makes everyone happy all around. Organisations are not as generous as mine — and a cup per day at $AU7 can be a lot for some people. Will I keep drinking coffee externally and supporting the small business I currently live with this reality? Well, I’m sad to say that $AU7 may be the norm for ordinary milk — but being a vegan who needs more caffeine hits, I can see my cup rising to about $AU8. I feel that price could buy me some sushi for lunch, and I can’t justify that in a cup of coffee. Would you pay that much for your cup? What else is there to do instead? Perhaps limiting it to once or twice a week, taking advantage of free coffee days at my workplace, and possibly buying my machine (and coffee beans). I can see myself investing in a top-quality machine and making it from home. I have a Nespresso — but it doesn’t do too much for me anymore. I don’t see another option here because $AU7 per day, seven days a week, adds up to a whopping $AU2 555 per year! I could invest that money into something that will grow and become more profitable than something that only passes through my stomach. As sad as I am to admit this, I will not pay $7 or $8 for a coffee — I won’t even go above $5, to be completely honest. It’s such a waste of money and not worth it over the long term (for me, anyway). What about you? Is the cost of coffee worth it? Let me know what price hikes are apparent in your area and if that’s something you wish to absorb now and in the future.
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