A
lot has happened since I last wrote a post on how we get by in our bankrupt
homeland. I am wading through a maze of immense disorderliness hanging in the
air, to pen down a striking aspect in this whole crisis. That is, how the
average person is giving up some things, to be able to manage better with less.
This is how the average person is adjusting to a lifestyle designed purely on ‘cost
factor’.
Decision
making has never been this bizarre. The choice to buy, refill and use happens after
weighing on the gains and losses. When the average citizen do their shopping
rounds for food, household utilities, healthcare supplies and other, scanning
the shelves, checking and comparing prices have become the norm. If one has been using branded upmarket products,
this is the time to ditch them and settle for equally good locally made
products. This is especially apt for personal care products. That’s one way of
giving up on simple pleasures.
Yes,
I am one of the average citizen too, prioritizing only on vital stuff. When it
comes to bare essentials such as food and healthcare supplies, I look at the
long term benefit in terms of health /value for cost and settle for the best
options. There have been many lifestyle adjustments I have made along the way
to be able to continue living sensibly in these truly crazy times. But it is
increasingly becoming nerve wrecking, why? It’s easier to give up on the ‘wants’
but with ‘needs’ it’s a different game. Because prices of ‘needs’ keep shooting
upwards and every week it is a case of re-budgeting, re-planning and
re-managing. It is constantly a case of scrutinizing when it comes to managing
within means.
At
the local stores and supermarkets I see some, in deep thought staring at a
product. To me their thoughts read as “should I get this or go for something
priced lower?” If the product is put back on the shelf and the person totally
walks away from that section, it probably should mean “I can be done with this,
this is no longer essential”.
Food
remains the biggest cost component that eats into an average income. There is
no cutting corners on the key ingredient that fuels our survival, even though
some are down to one meal a day. Food is something that cannot be compromised
over cost, because of nutritional and health reasons. Doing so would mean we
should be prepared to bust tons of time and money under professional healthcare. Making good food choices and filling up our
engines stand grounded as smart options, even though it comes at a heavy price.
So
how much are people shaving off their food intake?
Well,
let me start with the simplest of things. If families have been having a cup of
tea with milk, the adults would chose to have plain tea and let the milk be for
the kids. This means the pack of milk powder could be used for a longer time. Single
office employees housed in rented dwellings in urban areas usually have their
cup of tea when they get to work.
If
the average meal comprised of 2 vegetable curries, 1 local green, with a choice
of fish, meat or eggs, the composition now would be 1 vegetable curry, 1 green
for adults and the kids would get the serving of fish, meat or eggs, if one of
these were still affordable. For some it is 1 vegetable curry with rice. The
local media reports of many pathetic tales of how some survive on jackfruit, or
rice and local green and some even only boiled murunga leaves.
If
food is being bought from budget level cafes and kiosks many are buying less
and opting to settle only for the spicy gravy minus the meat or fish. Some buy
the cheapest choice of accompaniment such as onion or chillie sambol etc., Even
dhal curry is becoming unaffordable for some.
For
some, breakfast is either a cup of plain tea or a herbal porridge which is
taken mid-way between typical breakfast and lunch timings. This is done to
space out the hunger pangs and make the system adopt to 2 meals. If you are the
observant type, in some workplaces, some will chose to go later for meals or
not go at all. Watch out also for the types who come crashing in the morning, just
to have a cup of tea.
Dinner
for many have turned out to be nothing except going to bed hungry, For some
it’s a cup of plain tea. For those who
still could afford the portions may have grown smaller. It is a similar trend
with lunch and breakfast.
Socializing
and dining with family and friends are increasingly being considered luxury for
many. Although some still do it within a tight budget opting for cheaper
choices. I guess although many changes have been made in crisis era lifestyles,
not everything can be given up so easily. People also need to take the time to let
off steam and chuckle at the absurdity and make that a coping mechanism.
Medication
although prescribed to be taken in a certain way, (eg. 2 tablets a day etc.,)
many are taking half of that quantity, taking less or given up totally because
of the high cost. It’s very likely that such people will not have their medical
issues sorted because the remedy is not falling in the right proportions.
Every
news alert on a price increase of an essential item, drives me to do mental
mathematics. My brain becomes a ticking workshop of what that increase would
mean, how much more needs to be snipped off, what better adjustments could be
made.
If
getting on a tuk-tuk after grocery shopping has been the usual practice, today many
are choosing to take the bus or walking for cost related reasons. Some may
proudly proclaim that it’s healthier to walk. I would say a resounding yes to
that but only if we are doing that on our fitness routines. It isn’t so for the
ageing citizens riddled with aches, young mothers with kids walking a couple of
kilometres laden with mega grocery bags in 32 degree humid weather. So this means the average citizen has also
given up on basic comfort and time, because a tuk-tuk ride is now too costly.
My
observations and impressions are of the majority. They are either the daily
wage earners, or those positioned in the middle class social ladder. These are
the types who are struggling to keep their heads above rising crisis riddled tidal
waves. Flipping back to the pre-pandemic era, I never saw as many as
entrepreneurs as there are now. Every single house down the lane I walk on, has
displayed some essential food items or cooked food for sale. There is an
obvious fact evident in here. That is extra income is most welcome. This is merely
to keep up with the rising cost of goods and trim the ‘give up’ syndrome.
I
used to read and watch quite a lot about economic recessions and bankruptcy happening
in other countries. I always tried to fathom what failure truly meant. I looked
at the TV screen that showed people carrying wads of currency notes just to buy
a load of bread in Zimbabwe. I looked in disbelief at the TV screen that
splattered images of unending fuel queues in Venezuela. I saw blown up
frustration, anger and dejection in all the eyes of citizens protesting in a
few countries where similar trends were forming.
I
tried to understand how a person’s emergency fund would work in this degree of uncertainty.
I could never fully grasp the depth of it, until it happened in the homeland I
live in. The images that appeared on the TV screens of winding fuel queues,
rising prices, the same over blown frustration, anger and dejection were
reflected in countless protesting citizens.
The
lessons this crisis has taught us are priceless. We continue to learn the real
cost of failure, ignorance and mismanagement by both leaders and citizens. Each
day has become a lesson on managing more with less along with holding or giving
up.
