We are currently experiencing unprecedented inflation in nearly every aspect of our daily lives, from gasoline to groceries. In order to survive the current level of inflation, it may be necessary for some of us to make some modifications to the ways we currently live and spend.
In order to focus on ways, let's discuss the areas where your wallet will be hit the hardest due to inflation.
Natural Gas. Natural gas has seen record high prince increases this year. Some ways to combat this issue if your home uses natural gas include: taking shorter showers, making sure you are only running full loads in your washer, dryer, and dish washer, utilizing the cold cycle to wash your clothes, and turning down your heater. If you are cold, use a sweater rather than cranking up your heat unnecessarily.
Gasoline. Gas prices have also skyrocketed this year. An obvious way to relieve yourself of this expense is by only doing necessary driving. However, a smarter way to use less gasoline is by making a list of errands you want/need to do and completing them based on the distance from your house. You can start at the closest location, or the furthest and work your way back towards your home. This will end up saving you time and money.
Used vehicles. If you are in the market for a new (used) vehicle, you have a couple of options in order to avoid paying the inflated rate. You could wait and buy it at a later date, or buy directly from an individual looking to sell their car rather than going through a car dealership. This will also help you avoid paying a very high tax rate on the vehicle.
Clothing. Purchase used clothes from thrift stores, flea markets, consignment stores, etc. This is typically another item you can wait to purchase at a later date as well. So, if you don't need it, avoid buying it so that you won't have to pay the higher rate.
Groceries. Certain grocery items are more expensive than others, mostly meats. However, most grocery items are more expensive than usual right now. In order to avoid paying extra for the groceries you need to survive, try cooking from scratch. It takes more time, but the foods are much healthier because they are not loaded with preservatives. Using herbs and vegetables grown in your own garden or purchased from a farmers market are even better because you cut out the middleman, so your prices should be lower and your produce should last longer than foods you buy in a traditional grocery store.
There is a lot of inflation on products necessary to survive this year. However, there are ways to keep your prices affordable and still maintain your lifestyle.
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