Every time Gasant Abarder does the monthly shop it leaves him green with illness and stress. The price baskets increase month-on-month and in this #SliceofGasant column, he asks the retailers to be less greedy and really get on the side of consumers.
Abarder, who recently launched his book, Hack with a Grenade, is among the country’s most influential media voices. Catch his weekly column here.
I grew tired of my dad telling us stories of how, in the 1960s, he was able to take my mom on a proper date of a meal and a movie and have change to spare in the days before they were married. He spent something ridiculous like the equivalent of 10 cents. Okay, I’m exaggerating, but you get the point.
A few decades later, I am my father’s son. Telling my kids how my daily 20 cents pocket money in primary school in Sub A in 1984 allowed me to buy two packets of NikNaks and have change to spare for a sticker pack for those Panini Albums.
When I was dating in my teens, I was able to go to the movies with my pocket money, get popcorn and drinks and catch a few pizza slices.
Now, going to the flicks requires careful planning because it literally breaks the budget.
But no need because the cost of living is the horror movie we’re living. Every month, there is less to go around. On average, we spend between R300 and R500 more per shopping basket. And this on the back of ever-rising fuel prices and interest rate hikes.
I have a fat wallet. But not because it’s filled with cash. It’s packed with rewards cards that actually make a dent in the cost of the monthly shop. Some of them are a bit pointless while others really make a difference. Of the reward cards I have:
- The Checkers Xtreme Savings card is by far the best – savings between R300 and R400.
- Next was the Dischem card where you got cash towards your next purchase (but we no longer shop there because of the CEO’s unfortunate stance on Israel and Palestine).
- I’m not sure why Clicks and Pick n Pay bother because the most points I’ve ever received were the equivalent to R20.
There are other things that get us through the month like eBucks. Use your bank card enough and you can fart in your fuel tank or purchase airtime, data or electricity.
I also have a Varsity Vibe student account that offers a selection of great discounts at a number of businesses. The best is a 22% discount at H&M and I was recently able to kit out my daughters with some much-needed winter clothing at what turned out to be bargains. (The cashiers at H&M do a double take when they hear I have a Varsity Vibe student discount account. I then proudly show them my student card because as a master’s student. It does offer a bit of humour during the depressing monthly shop.)
We do the bulk of our shopping at Checkers. You’d think this is where you’d find all items cheaper. But surprisingly, Woolworths consistently beat them for items like liquid washing detergent, veggie deals, coffee sachets and 2-ply loo paper. How do the prices of liquid washing detergent vary from R70 to R150 from one store to the next?
Which brings me to my other pet peeve: how did freeze-dried coffee go from R99 to R180 for 200mg? You’d swear (Jacob’s) Zuma was behind it. And I need two spoons per cup to give me my get-up-and-go.
Coca-Cola? One month you can get a 1.5l for R13.50 and the next month it’s R18 a bottle. We got Butro spread for R70 a tub this weekend – down from a whopping R99 a tub. And don’t get me started on the price of a 2-ply toilet roll.
Since when are these things traded like commodities that fluctuate on an open market?
My point is all the retailers do volume business. In these tough economic times, do they really care about us? Where is the Raymond Ackerman of our era – a man fired from a retail chain for wanting to drive down prices – to champion the cause? He successfully lobbied the apartheid government for affordable fuel prices.
Now I take my fuel tank to the limit each month and it’s a stare-down with that warning light. The price of red meat has me wanting to go vegan. Ostrich is both cheaper and leaner than beef and lamb and even tastier.
What we need is some good old-fashioned common sense and less greed. I’m fully aware of my privilege but if I’m struggling then imagine the lower-income groups. China gets a bad name but I feel we can really borrow some ‘socialism with democratic characteristics’ (even though they kill social media during their one-party state congress).
Retailers, please help us. Have real rewards with your reward cards, stop price gouging and perhaps the government can consider tax-free essentials like sanitary pads at the lowest possible prices by subsidising them.
What I’m asking is simple: let’s have some price fixing – but for the benefit of the consumer.
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