Take food, for example. I figure that just about every item I buy has shot up by three to four Rand. Granted this is an observation and not based on any scientific study or budgetary comparison but rather just on the weight of my wallet (which is feather-light at the moment).
Am I to assume that this is as a direct result of the drought that we have been experiencing? I mean, I wanted to buy some grapes and almost needed to take out a second bond on my house to afford them. Now petrol is set to rise dramatically, electricity is set to jump by 9.5 per cent and water too is going to flow upward by eight to nine per cent. Heck, even my beloved DSTV is going beyond my affordability scale. So I guess it’s Salticrax by candlelight time. The spin-off, though, is creativity. In my experience, the toughest times bring the most exciting opportunities. Even if it’s just alternative ways of entertaining the family, there are so many exciting ways of beating off the price increase blues.
For example, my little family has decided to learn German as a collective and it has been really fun so far. Now for the not so linguistic people out there, try checking out the Klipriviersberg nature conservancy in Kibler Park. It’s free and really pretty cool for picnics and hiking. But if physical effort is not your cup of tea, take up reading. There are some really incredible books out there and it’s proven that children who read outperform their peers who don’t, especially when it comes to general knowledge. So instead of being glum and miserable (which, to be honest, is very, very easy to do right now) put on your thinking cap, look around and ask yourself, what does the world need right now? And how can I fill that need? You never know, you may just stumble across the next great idea and change the world.
