Lifestyle changes to cope with the high cost of living
Most households have had to adjust their lifestyles to fit the rise in prices of consumer commodities which have reduced the real value of salaries.
By Samuel Sanya
Most households have had to adjust their lifestyles to fit the rise in prices of consumer commodities which have reduced the real value of salaries.
Annual inflation jumped to 18.7% in July from 15.8% the previous month, according to the recent Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) report.
Chris Mukiza, the UBOS director for macroeconomic statistics, pointed out that food price increases are the single biggest driver of the general price level in the country accounting for 27.2% of the entire inflation figure.
Mukiza said prices of most stable foods like sweet potatoes, cassava, oranges, sweet bananas, bread, maize flour, millet flour and sugar went up in most trading centres at the end of July.
A survey by Business Vision reveals prices of most food items have risen by more than 20% with some items recording a double price increase.
Chicken has risen to sh15,000 a bird from sh8,000 from January this year while sugar is at sh6,000 a kilogramme from sh3,500 and beef is at sh7,000 a kilogramme from sh5,000. The trend is similar for other items.
Business Vision has spoken to a cross-section of the public on how they have changed their lifestyles to fit the current economic stance.
Joseph Nkamwe an instructor at the Lugogo Vocation Training Institute says that he has had to reduce the number of weekend outings and spend more time at home. He says that this has seen him save on transport and leisure costs.
Despite this, he says that the rising prices have not deterred him from purchasing clothing since to him, it is an essential that cannot be done without in good or hard times.
“When I have sh100,000, I can buy 2 or 3 shirts. Clothes are essential and when purchasing, I buy only durable clothing that will last long enough,†Nkamwe says.
Ronnie, a special hire driver in the Kampala industrial area says that eating a variety of foods at lunch and supper time is a waste of money, something he has turned from.
“I used to have a bit of rice, posho, sweet potatoes, beans and meat at lunch and supper time at my home; now, I just have a combination of either posho and beans or rice and meat,†he says.
Ronnie says that having too many tea breaks during the day as well as offering free drinks in bars creates an unnecessary wastage of money which could better be used elsewhere for more productive venture.
Immaculate Yossa, a community development officer says the rising costs have seen her make some radical adjustments in her personal expenditure and use of finances.
“I used to keep money a side to help friends with emergencies but now, I’m stricter and rarely give handouts,†she says.
Yossa says that she prepares lighter meals at home and has reduced on her sugar consumption since the price shot up.
Some, like Boaz Rubagumya, a tertiary level student have opted to substitute tea with porridge to avoid the related costs of sugar and tealeaves.
In addition, Rubagumya says that he now purchases half the amount of food he used to purchase before the prices of commodities arrived at the current peak.
“I used to buy a kilogram of beans in one go, now I buy half. I prepare porridge at breakfast and in the evening at supper since I have meals at the institute.
The porridge is taken with no milk and when I take black tea, its without sugar,†he said in an interview.
Mukiza said in an interview with Business Vision that as long as the prices of the commodities remain up, a shift in people’s preferences and lifestyles cannot have an immediate effect on the level of inflation in the country.
“Demand for food is inelastic, whether you have money or not, you have to eat. If the prices are still up the shifting of consumption preferences cannot have a short term effect on the general price level,†he explained.
Most households have had to adjust their lifestyles to fit the rise in prices of consumer commodities which have reduced the real value of salaries.
Annual inflation jumped to 18.7% in July from 15.8% the previous month, according to the recent Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) report.
Chris Mukiza, the UBOS director for macroeconomic statistics, pointed out that food price increases are the single biggest driver of the general price level in the country accounting for 27.2% of the entire inflation figure.
Mukiza said prices of most stable foods like sweet potatoes, cassava, oranges, sweet bananas, bread, maize flour, millet flour and sugar went up in most trading centres at the end of July.
A survey by Business Vision reveals prices of most food items have risen by more than 20% with some items recording a double price increase.
Chicken has risen to sh15,000 a bird from sh8,000 from January this year while sugar is at sh6,000 a kilogramme from sh3,500 and beef is at sh7,000 a kilogramme from sh5,000. The trend is similar for other items.
Business Vision has spoken to a cross-section of the public on how they have changed their lifestyles to fit the current economic stance.
Joseph Nkamwe an instructor at the Lugogo Vocation Training Institute says that he has had to reduce the number of weekend outings and spend more time at home. He says that this has seen him save on transport and leisure costs.
Despite this, he says that the rising prices have not deterred him from purchasing clothing since to him, it is an essential that cannot be done without in good or hard times.
“When I have sh100,000, I can buy 2 or 3 shirts. Clothes are essential and when purchasing, I buy only durable clothing that will last long enough,†Nkamwe says.
Ronnie, a special hire driver in the Kampala industrial area says that eating a variety of foods at lunch and supper time is a waste of money, something he has turned from.
“I used to have a bit of rice, posho, sweet potatoes, beans and meat at lunch and supper time at my home; now, I just have a combination of either posho and beans or rice and meat,†he says.
Ronnie says that having too many tea breaks during the day as well as offering free drinks in bars creates an unnecessary wastage of money which could better be used elsewhere for more productive venture.
Immaculate Yossa, a community development officer says the rising costs have seen her make some radical adjustments in her personal expenditure and use of finances.
“I used to keep money a side to help friends with emergencies but now, I’m stricter and rarely give handouts,†she says.
Yossa says that she prepares lighter meals at home and has reduced on her sugar consumption since the price shot up.
Some, like Boaz Rubagumya, a tertiary level student have opted to substitute tea with porridge to avoid the related costs of sugar and tealeaves.
In addition, Rubagumya says that he now purchases half the amount of food he used to purchase before the prices of commodities arrived at the current peak.
“I used to buy a kilogram of beans in one go, now I buy half. I prepare porridge at breakfast and in the evening at supper since I have meals at the institute.
The porridge is taken with no milk and when I take black tea, its without sugar,†he said in an interview.
Mukiza said in an interview with Business Vision that as long as the prices of the commodities remain up, a shift in people’s preferences and lifestyles cannot have an immediate effect on the level of inflation in the country.
“Demand for food is inelastic, whether you have money or not, you have to eat. If the prices are still up the shifting of consumption preferences cannot have a short term effect on the general price level,†he explained.