Swap soy oil for lard when cooking. Cut red meat off the menu for most of the week. Reduce consumption of milk and eggs. Replace racing in transport apps by bike. Postpone air travel.
In times of high and persistent inflation, Brazilians are juggling to deal with prices and preserve finances, according to reports from readers heard by the Sheet.
A resident of the capital of São Paulo, administrative assistant Ana LetÃcia Rodrigues Brandão, 26, is part of the group that had to change their routine due to high prices.
About six months ago, she moved in with her boyfriend, which even helped to alleviate, but did not eliminate all the pressure on the budget.
“We make adjustments, share expenses, but the cost is high,” he says.
The young woman says that she has reduced milk consumption due to increases in supermarket shelves. In an attempt to save cooking gas, she tries to turn on the stove less often and prepare meals in larger quantities.
It also avoids frying with soy oil, another item that became more expensive in the pandemic. In place of oil, lard is used, brought from PiauÃ, the birthplace of Ana LetÃcia’s family.
On her most recent trip to the northeastern state, in January, the young woman faced a three-day bus trip, as airfare prices did not fit her pocket.
“We have avoided making other trips”, he says.
Guilherme Vieira, 25, moved out of his parents’ house in São Paulo, at a time when inflation gained strength in the country. About eight months ago, he moved to Maceió for work reasons. Vieira has a degree in public policy management.
In the capital of Alagoas, the young man used to share rides on a transport app to commute to work. The problem is that, according to him, travel prices jumped from R$10 to around R$25. The solution was to buy a bicycle.
“I’m looking to go to work and return home by bike”, says Vieira, who also reduced purchases of products such as milk and eggs due to inflation.
The self-employed Gustavo Alves Amorim, 32, says he felt the food shortage doubly. It’s just that he produces and sells items like cakes and brownies.
“I felt the impact of inflation on my personal routine and on the professional side as well”, says the resident of the Minas Gerais municipality of Ipatinga (212 km from Belo Horizonte).
“I noticed the increase in products such as soy oil and milk. What I have been doing is looking for alternatives: doing tests, looking for other brands”, he adds.
Inflation accumulated in 12 months in Brazil has been in double digits since September 2021, according to data from the IPCA (National Broad Consumer Price Index).
Economists even expect the indicator to end 2022 below 10%, but the trend is for prices to remain at high levels.
On the eve of the elections, the escalation of inflation became a headache for President Jair Bolsonaro (PL). Rising prices are seen by members of his campaign as the main obstacle to reelection.
Under pressure, Bolsonaro bets on cutting taxes on fuel and other items to curb the famine.
According to economists, these measures bring a downward bias to inflation projections this year, but there is a risk that the loss of revenues generates a kind of fiscal bomb, with negative impacts on prices later on.
History professor Marcelo Rebinski, 51, is yet another Brazilian who reports concern about the loss of purchasing power. A resident of Curitiba, he reduced his consumption of red meat.
“We are looking to find a cheaper source of protein, such as chicken and eggs. The problem is that these prices have also gone up,” he says.
“Then we try to supply with other foods, such as beans and lentils. Make a variation”, completes Rebinski, who also cut spending on leisure and purchase of books.
With inflationary pressure, audiovisual producer Dandara Aparecida, 26, tries to curb her monthly expenses in the city of Rio de Janeiro, where she started to live during the pandemic, after leaving the capital of São Paulo.
She says she has cut back on shopping and eliminated superfluous items from her grocery list.
“Over the months, I noticed the increases in prices and decided to reduce the treats. Some frozen foods and yogurts, for example, I decreased”, he says.
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
