This 2008 fast food receipt has people losing it over the unbelievable change in prices

Amid rising inflation and global economic turmoil, fast-food chains have raised prices drastically. While they blame rising food costs and labor shortages, consumers are finding little to no reason to justify the prices. As per a January poll by consulting firm Revenue Management Solutions, about 25% of Americans from lower income households were cutting back on fast food due to rising prices.

In this climate, a receipt from 2008 is making people yearn for the good old times. Shared by u/Urmumsmorefun on the Reddit forum r/Australia, the photo broke the internet earlier this year. 

What did the receipt reveal?

The viral post transported people back in time to when fast food prices were cheaper. The 16-year-old well-preserved receipt was found by the uploader in their grandmother's car in Australia. The picture showed some of the offers that popular fast food chains Pizza Hut and Mcdonald's were offering back then.

At the time, Pizza Hut was offering a deal for three large pizzas for just AUD 15 (~$10) if picked up from the store. Today, in the US a single large pizza would cost between $8 and $12, as per menuprice.us.  The same in Australia would cost between AUD 11 and AUD 23, as per Frugal Feeds.

Further down in the receipt was a voucher for McDonald's, which was the most surprising. The offer let customers buy two Big Macs for just AUD 5 (~$3.36). Today, a single Big Mac in Australia costs between AUD 7 to AUD 13, while in America the same costs over $5, depending on the state.

The post was rightly captioned, "Oh how prices have changed."

Since such promotions are very rarely seen today, the picture instantly took users down memory lane. However, the stark price difference sparked outrage at fast food prices.

"I don’t think you can get one pizza for under $15.95 at the Hut any more," wrote user u/Jackielegs43/. "Pizza Hut nowadays will charge you $40 for 3 pizzas and give your arse a smack for complaining about it," added another user, u/Bradyey/.

Meanwhile, the uploader also complained about shrinkflation. "A single big Mac nowadays is $7.70 and smaller than they were," wrote the user.  A former Pizza Hut worker claimed that it was the same for the large pizzas as well. 

How far have fast food prices gone?

Last year, McDonald’s Australia confirmed that the company had increased menu prices amid consumers’ claims that its food was “way more expensive” than they have ever been. Justifying the price hike, a company spokesperson told news.com.au that the restaurants were operating in a "higher cost environment" which has impacted the running costs. 

Earlier in February, Joe Erlinger, President of McDonald’s USA, admitted in an open letter that the company had raised menu prices by 40% in the past four years, CNBC reported.  While 40% seems steep, the executive was actually refuting the reports that claimed McDonald's had increased prices by a whopping 100% since 2019 and a Big Mac Meal cost $18 in some states.