The national average cost of a jeepney fare in 2019 was P9. By next month, it will be P12. The price of a jeepney fare, a can of sardines, or a kilo of sugar rises over time, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. And this is the work of inflation.
If we will only listen to our parents or grandparents flexing how cheap the prices were during their times, sadly, that is not the same way today.
Before inflation hits your budget, here are some ways to hit back:
Invest
Good job to those who have been investing for years ago. For those who haven’t yet, it is not yet too late to start. When thinking of new ways to invest your money, you may consider using savings calculators like this to calculate the return on investment and other necessary numbers to look out for.
Food
Food prices keep on increasing in all categories, with the cost of meat, poultry, fish, rice, sugar, processed food, and eggs over the past 12 months. Other grocery items are also kept on rising including milk, coffee, tea, and even crackers.
To help keep your food budget under control, buy in bulk, take full advantage of any promotions, stock up your pantry, and always keep the list short by including only the necessary items.
Consider also buying commodities from local supermarkets where retail prices are a bit lower. For wet groceries, the wet market is way cheaper. And you can always ask for direct discounts.
Energy
Gasoline prices cannot be denied how the prices went up in the last 6 months. Try to save gas by carpooling, eliminating not too urgent trips, and utilizing public transportation.
Aside from the gas prices, electric distribution companies have already announced they are increased in the cost per kilowatt hour. It is almost a 50% increase. We are already expecting that our electric bill will balloon in the next months.
Save on electricity by turning off unnecessary gadgets and devices, lesser screen time, sharing gadgets, and regulating room temperatures.
Income
Consider also getting a side hustle. If you have an extra hour or two, you may get a part-time job to boost your money sources.
Generally, spending less can also mean a lesser paid subscription, minimizing eating out, and buying clothes or other stuff on sale even when not needed.
Check also the things you have in your house that you may have hoarded a long time ago. Like you may have two coffee makers, shoes that you no longer like, or a pre-loved book you are ready to let go of. You can find a marketplace to sell them or join barter communities where you can trade them for more necessary things.
As projected, inflation will raise higher in the days and months to come. It is already expected that our purchasing power will weaken. Today is a good day to reflect on how what we can do to help ourselves as private citizens and to improve financial literacy as well.
Helpful tips!