From a bar of chocolate and a takeaway coffee to a post-work pint... why your favourite everyday items are costing more (and how to know if you're being ripped off)

From a bar of chocolate and a takeaway coffee to a post-work pint...

why your favourite everyday items are costing more (and how to know if you're being ripped off) By Les Roopanarine Published: 08:37 EDT, 26 October 2024 | Updated: 08:40 EDT, 26 October 2024 e-mail View comments Rarely have life’s small pleasures felt more important. Be it a quick post-work pint, an indulgent morning mocha, or simply the raw ingredients to cook a good meal, we all need some respite from the stresses and strains of daily life. But while a little pick-me-up can go a long way, global events ranging from the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine war to the cost of living crisis have contributed to a relentless rise in prices.

Shoppers who once perused the supermarket aisles with breezy nonchalance are now more likely to be found fighting for elbow room at the yellow-sticker discount shelves than stocking up on luxuries. What are the key factors behind these ever larger price tags? Is it simply inflation , or are rising labour and production costs to blame? And what should we be paying for what might be termed ‘essential luxuries’? Helped by industry experts, MailOnline takes a deep dive into four commonplace indulgences – chocolate, coffee, beer and olive oil – to see what’s happening and why. CHOCOLATE A combination of poor crop yields and market speculation have driven an 11% rise in the price of chocolate over the past year or so - well above average grocery inflation of 2.

7% It will not.