07 March 2024 , 10:41
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It's no secret that food prices have skyrocketed over recent years, as cash-strapped Brits struggle to put food on the table.
Demand for food banks has soared, and adults across the nation are witnessing an increase in their cost of living. Last year, consumer group Which? also analysed the prices of nearly 27,000 food and drink items that 'contributed to as balanced diet' across eight major supermarkets in the UK.
This included every-day items such as oats, meat, yoghurt, fruit, and veggies. It found some essentials had risen by up to 100 per cent compared to the year before, and accused retailers of subjecting customers to 'crippling price hikes' despite inflation falling slightly during that time.
But one mum has unearthed a 2004 receipt from Asda that highlights just how much our food prices have gone up - and it's blown people's minds.
Taking to TikTok, user West Midlands Momma on a Budget says she discovered the receipt when clearing out her garage, and couldn't believe the price of the 152 items she purchased two decades ago.
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Amongst the list were essentials including bread, pasta, cereal, yoghurts, and sauce - some of which have increased by an eye-watering 100 per cent. The Mirror has price checked how much some of these items cost now (on Asda's wesbite), revealing a price increase even when inflation is taken into account.
2004 vs 2024 prices
- Hovis bread: 72p (now £1.39)
- Kitchen foil: 68p (now £1.45)
- Muller yoghurt: 38p (now 90p)
- Pot noodle: 48p (now £1.40)
- Heinz ketchup: £1.29 (now £3.65)
- HP sauce: 54p ( now £2.50)
- Vinegar: 60p (now £1.15)
- Kellogg's Cornflakes: £1.24 (now £2.25)
- Penne pasta: 34p (now 75p)
- Hellman's mayonnaise: £1.14 (now £2.65)
- Tin of beetroot: 35p (now £1.45)
- Salad dressing: 64p (now 75p)
- Bag of potatoes: 88p (now £1.39)
- Fairy washing up liquid: 88p (now £2)
- Pack of sausages: £1.14 (now £2.95)
Adding these 15 items in your basket would have cost just £11.30 back in 2004. Using the Bank of England's inflation calculator, this would be the equivalent of £19.41 in purchasing power in January 2024. But shoppers looking to grab these products now will fork out £26.63* - an approximate 35 per cent increase on top of inflation.
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The total receipt had 152 items, and the mum explained: "The bill came to £167.05 but that back then would have been a month's worth... That's crazy.I can't believe I've kept this for so long... How prices have changed massively."
Hundreds of users took to the comments section to express their outrage at the soaring price of food, with one person estimating her total monthly bill would now be around £400 . "Back in 2004, I used to be able to feed myself and my daughter for around £50 a week, that includes everything from washing stuff to cleaning stuff to her pack lunches for school," one user wrote.
Another commented: "[It] just shows how much we are being ripped off as nothing has changed in size etc." While a third added: "I spent £85 on 2 small bags of shopping today, its scary."
*Prices based on the closest description provided by the TikTok user in regards to brand and product weight. To prevent exaggerating these statistics, the Mirror also selected items currently on sale.