It seems like every time we do our groceries these days, the prices seem higher. And they are. Newspapers like The Guardian are featuring articles on tips and tricks to save a little money by planning our shopping more carefully, buying only what we really need... Wait a minute: buying only what we need? Haven't I been buying only what I need until now?
Apparently not. The occasional little luxuries of a latte with oat milk to go here and an Aperol spritz there feel so good. And these are still the more innocent luxuries. How about gadgets, clothing and more resource intensive items that used to be so affordable? These items are more affordable because we do not pay the fair price for them. May this inflation not only lead to higher prices as a consequence of energy prices - and the poor crops following the severe draught and wildfires. Here are the opportunities this inflation could mean:
1) May increase of prices be a consequence of increased the wages of all workers involved in the chain and by making production processes more environmentally friendly. Let's start paying the True Price.
(And no, the end consumer should not be the only one picking up the bill.)
2) What a moment to cut back on our consumption! By buying less we reduce our energy needs, our virgin raw material needs, or waste and overall consumption of 'stuff'. Even if we just skips every fifth purchase, we reduce our consumption by 20% (of course not all purchases are created equal, but still!). And six months later, we repeat the same exercise. And another 6 months later, again. At this point our consumption would be halved!!!
3) An opportunity to act differently, to be kinder: I choose to have faith in people's goodwill towards each other, in the abundance of kindness, of finances and other resources in circulation to make sure we can continue to live fulfilled lives. No need to start herding, to turn against each other. This is an opportunity to choose better, to stay connected, to share and the grow the baker's yeast (our wealth) together.
This inflation enables us to experience some level of financial distress to learn to empathize with those who have always been experiencing financial difficulties despite working long hours. Sympathy with those who have not won the zipcode lottery as Pete Kadens of Hope Chicago said. What a wonderful initiative of sharing and living the win-win mentality! More of these, please!
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