Booze, vapes, food: Crazy amount Qlders are splurging on indulgences

Despite cost-of-living pressure two-thirds of Aussies are splashing out big on little luxuries like vapes, alcohol, takeaway and food delivery, sparking health and finance concerns. SEE HOW MUCH

Australians are indulging weekly in fast food fixes.

In a worrying trend for both our wallets and our waistlines, two-thirds of Aussies are splashing out big money on little luxuries like vapes, booze, fast-food and food delivery, forking out up to $261 a week or over $13,500 a year.

The data by comparison site Finder from 1013 Australians revealed about 14.1 million of us were indulging in at least one of the four short-term dopamine hits across seven days.

Aussies are turning to vapes as a short-term dopamine hit in the midst of the cost of living crisis.

The biggest treat was fast food, with almost half (46 per cent) partaking in a takeaway each week; followed by alcohol, with two in five saying they hit the bottle store weekly.

Despite cost-of-living pressures, 21 per cent were using food delivery services like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Menulog each week; while almost one in five Aussies bought cigarettes or vapes weekly.

Taylor Blackburn, personal finance expert at Finder, said the instant gratification economy was growing.

“Almost all of us spend money to blow off steam, whether it’s a glass of wine or a cheeky takeout,” she said. “The main thing is to keep these little indulgences under control.”

The average weekly spend was $74 on food delivery, $60 on alcohol, $76 on cigarettes/vapes and $51 on fast food.

Australians are forking out an average of $51 a week on fast food and $74 a week on food delivery.

For those who indulged in all four non-essentials, they would be emptying their wallets of a hefty $261 a week or a staggering $13,572 a year.

And while the spending is bad for our bank balance, Australian Medical Association Queensland president Dr Nick Yim said it could also be detrimental to our health.

“The pressures of modern life, family and workplace demands often lead to us making less healthy lifestyle choices,” he said.

“We need to encourage people to limit their intake of food, alcohol and other products that harm their overall health.”

Millennials were the most unhealthy of the generations, with 54 per cent indulging in fast food, 35 per cent splashing out on food delivery, and 22 per cent smoking.

Two in five Aussies hit the bottle shop weekly looking to treat themselves.

Social researcher Mark McCrindle said this type of spending was historically common during financially stressful times as people reached for easy dopamine hits.

“Australians cut back on the big purchases, delay other spend, but they’re still looking for those little luxuries or little outlets in their life that sort of make life manageable when they can’t go for the big trips or holidays or [make] investments,” he said.

Mr McCrindle said because many Australians were delaying home ownership and children, it gave them the discretionary income to afford such vices. He also believed cutting back on the luxury spending wouldn’t help Aussies enter the housing market sooner, as housing prices soared across the country.

“It’s small change relative to the massive increases in housing, so cutting back is not going to make the difference between getting a mortgage or not,” he said.

“It would just be good if people moved the spend from the vice category to the virtuous category.”