Seven ways to deal with inflation

The Rs 60 hike in petrol prices in Pakistan this week has raised concerns among the poor and the middle class as well as the rich as the rise in petrol and dollar prices has also increased the prices of other essential commodities.

Regarding this situation, there are discussions on social media today that a time will come when there will be ‘survival of the fittest’, i.e. the survival of the one who is most suitable for the situation.

However, this does not mean that the situation should be watched idly by, or that the government should wait for a new strategy. We all need to put in place an action plan that will help us deal with inflation as soon as possible.

In this regard, some suggestions are given below, which can help you weather the turbulent waves of inflation safely and easily.

1- Make a plan

Inflation is actually a result of imbalance in supply and demand, which is a very important solution to control because its absence leads to unnecessary purchases and waste of time and money.

After the increase in inflation, it has become necessary to live life in an orderly manner, otherwise it is quite possible that the household budget will get out of control.

So now whatever you want to do, be it traveling somewhere, shopping, note it down in a diary. Thanks to this planning, there will be no need to take the car out of the house repeatedly and more work can be done at the same time.

Similarly, while making a grocery list before going to the market can avoid unnecessary purchases, diary notes will help remind you of the date of a trip in the coming days and you will avoid buying unnecessary vegetables and fruits.

2- Review the expenses

It is said that how much inflation affects you depends on your spending habits, so it is important to review your expenses first, what are your habits and where do you spend your money?

Ask yourself if the things you spend money on are really necessary or are you simply hoarding.

Here are some steps to reduce costs:

– Eliminate unnecessary subscriptions online.

– Prepay phone bill.

– If no one at home reads a newspaper, stop it and read the news online.

-If you don’t go to the gym, cancel your gym membership and replace it with exercise at home or a walk in the park.

3- Save petrol

One can take advantage of more public transport or transport sharing, such as Metro, BRT, etc., to save petrol. Also, services like Uber and Careem often have a ‘car pooling’ option, where two or more people can share a ride at a time.

Walking or using a bicycle to go to the market, bank or park near home will inculcate healthy habits and save on petrol.

Hybrid vehicles should be considered when buying a vehicle, as these vehicles are very fuel efficient. Other factors that contribute to saving petrol include pressing the accelerator lightly, driving at low speeds and driving smoothly. In addition, if the tires of the vehicle are not fully inflated, it also causes more petrol consumption.

Experts also say that the petrol cost of a medium-sized car increases by 1 per cent for every 25 kg of weight, so they recommend avoiding unnecessary items in the car. Furthermore, unnecessary air conditioning also increases the petrol consumption of the vehicle by 20%.

In this context, a suggestion is also to check all these highways on the traffic application or their social media accounts before going to a place to see if they are closed for any reason.

By taking care of all these things, the tank of the car will be able to run for a long time once it is filled.

4- Avoid buying imported goods

Imported goods into the country are harmful to the country’s economy, but also burden the pocket of a common consumer, although the general reason for the high cost of such products is due to high import taxes and well-known brands.

So, while buying goods from any general or super store, make sure that it is not foreign.

5- Save on food items

Buy as many fresh vegetables and fruits from the market as you have at home and as much as you need. Consider most recipes that use the same type of spices.

Adopting a simple diet by avoiding the use of high oil and spicy foods will not only help in preventing many diseases but also save money.

Such fruits and vegetables can be preserved for a longer period by purchasing on the days when the prices of any vegetable, fruit, etc. fall. There are many methods online that can be availed.

It is common for women to add tomato and onion to every meal, although neither tomato nor onion is required in every vegetable. Some people add countless chili spices to every dish for flavor, even though it has nothing to do with taste. An example of this is Afghan cuisine, which is cooked in just onions and thyme and is still very tasty.

6- Change habits

Do not leave unnecessary fans and bulbs burning in the house. Do not let the water flow unnecessarily, as doing so will empty the tank too soon and consume electricity to refill.

Keep the construction of houses simple. Break the habit of unnecessary shopping. Before buying anything for the home, ask yourself if you really need it.

7- Do something else along with the job

To deal with inflation, if you do something with your job, which does not affect the policy of the organization and does not affect the job, then you must increase the sources of income.

Like baby sitting, pet sitting, tutoring, part time job at a college or university, driving with ride sharing companies, opening an online outlet etc.