I went to do some grocery shopping and walked out the shop with a face that vibrated to the world “You must be joking!”. I couldn’t believe the prices of items had gone up by almost 120%. Who the hell affords food at this point? If I am complaining and bickering like this; what is happening to those people that have only R120 to spare for food? I wondered how families, of sometimes eight, that rely on the grandparent’s motente (pension) survive. I mean such families often have 4 grown men (between the ages of 24 and 35) living of granny’s R890 whilst they couldn’t give a damn to get a J.O.B. and help out!
To make matters even worse, they will demand the best clothes and items from this pittance whilst they are bonking and breeding all over town. What exactly goes through such people’s minds? What happens when granny dies and there is not even a funeral plan? Whose responsibility is it to ensure they take care of themselves? How do you even attempt to make them aware that their choices will not lead them anywhere? They never make any sacrifice to help out – they will never cut out the sex-fests and booze from their nonexistent budgets.
Anyway, I drove home in a daze and poor King K had to sit through my monologue of “cost, saving, spending and being happy that we have enough”. I wanted to know how people that travel almost 144 kilometers each day to work manage. Think about it, you live in Pretoria and drive to Joburg city center to work each day and back home; approximately 72 kilometers per trip. You either wake up at 4:30 am to leave at 6:00 and be at work at 6:55. You leave work at around 15:15 and are back in Pretoria at about 17:00, go to bed at 19:30 – during this routine you have spent on the following – bank repayments on the car, maintenance and upkeep of the car and time you could have spent wisely.
Wouldn’t is work out better to get a job in Pretoria – negotiate the same or even better salary than in Joburg, wake up when everyone gets up, spend 20 minutes in traffic, be at work at 8:00 and home by 17:30 and spend some time with family? The maintenance and upkeep of the car and the time spend driving to work and back would be money spend on other things. Why are so many Pretorians working in Joburg? Is it the money? Do you actually enjoy that driving and the cost of gas and car maintenance costs? Are there not enough jobs in the capital city? Why not cut out that daily drag for a more conceivable lifestyle?
I believe that convenience can’t be bought and living as the Pretorians working in Joburg do, is most definitely not convenience to me. It just feels like a lot of work, money and time! Back in the days, 80s and 90s, there was even a song called “the cost of living is too high” but looking back – It really couldn’t have been this bad. Well, I was spending my mom’s money so she may have a different view.
As you can imagine, Prince K is also started this habit of asking “How much is this?” about each and every item in the house, even his socks. Am I exhibiting to my son characteristics of a miser, or a cautious spender? Will his foundation and introduction to money be the question of “cost is highly critical before you spend”? We work our bums off, we get a nominal salary increase each year and a performance bonus (which SARS taxes 42% to pay for Selebi’s gardening leave) whilst we breed (and our brats need the best we can offer) can we really afford to spend our time on material things when food as a basic necessity is beyond our means?
I know that even if things get really really really tough there are items I would just not be able to live without! I will most definitely cut mayonnaise and maybe meat from my grocery list but my sin items (chocolate, sweets, artchar and a pangalactic gargle blaster from News Cafe) might not get the cut. What do you feel, and know, is costing you too much but you simply cannot live without? What would you have to do to “make the cut” and live better?
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