The prices are increasing but my height did not

The title seems funny but it is true. Everything seems to be increasing except my height, lol. How about you? Is your height increasing? Or decreasing?

_{Photo from Unsplash by Pedro Forester da Silva}

Anyway, we won't talk about our height this time but we will talk about INFLATION. Inflation is simply a rise in prices. As I am growing I really observed that the price is increasing, from food, things, services and all. Everyone is affected by inflation most especially the indigent people.

The Philippines is not exempted with inflation. As time passes by, inflation is becoming worse. The prices are rising but the wages will increase just a very little and sadly sometimes stagnant.

Let's try to compare prices from 1997 and 2023

I remember when I was still in Primary School way back around 1997, 0.25 centavos had a great value. We can still buy some candies out of it. We can buy ice candy at 0.50 and we can buy banana cue at 1.00. Having 1.5 pesos that time will make you full during recess (break) time.

Today, 0.25 is now being ignored. Sometimes I saw 0.25 along the way and told others to pick it up but they won't, so I will and will just keep it. I can't find anything now being sold for 0.25 and 0.50. Everything starts at 1.00.

If we could buy banana cue for 1.00 before now it is already 5.00. Imagine the price not just double over time but it becomes 5x.

Worst high prices we experienced recently

The worst rise in prices we experienced recently is the Gasoline and onions.

During the pandemic the Gasoline rises that most people choose to ride on bicycles or walk to their workplace because the price of gasoline is unbearable. Some have no choice but to bear with it because gasoline is really a need.

Last year, the price of onions rose up to 700.00/kg or $14/kg which is usually only around $4/kg. Everyone is complaining but we can't do anything about it.

What should we do to survive with inflation?

Buy your needs first.

It is always good to identify what our needs and wants is so we could prioritize our need over our wants. Buying our wants is okay as long as we have extra after providing all our needs.

Find ways to save.

For food - you can plant your own vegetables, grow them and harvest them. By doing so, you don't need to buy some vegetables in the market.

Our spring onions in the garden helped us a lot when the prices of onions are so high.

Also buy in bulk or buy from the grocery store. Buying groceries from a sari-sari or small store is expensive.

Learn to cook at home rather than buy already cooked food outside.

For transportation - learn to walk going to the market, school, church or workplace as long as it can be reached through walking. You can save and you can have some exercise as well.

My husband learned to walk going to his workplace when the gasoline price rises. I and my son are walking every school days going to school.

For water - always use water enough for your need. Water being used in the laundry can be used to water yard instead of the clean water. We can also provide drums or container to store water from the rain.

For electricity - turn off appliances and lights when not in use. For many instances, I noticed many people whose television is still on even no one is watching.

For services - let us learn some skills so we don't need to go to a shop but instead we will do it for ourselves.

Live a simple life

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What I have mentioned are some of the basic things to do for us to survive in this time where most of the prices is increasing. This is a simple reminder for all of us that saving is so important. We need to cut our expenses because wages are stagnant and prices are increasing.

Thank you so much for time.