Inflation isn’t something you hear about: when it’s there, you feel its influence. For people with a stable income, rising prices are simply annoying; however, if you depend on every paycheck, you’ll have a hard time adjusting to reality.
Moderate inflation has been a natural economic state for the past century. Therefore, it’s critical to distinguish the inherent effects of inflation, and those coming into play when the rates are abnormally high.
Higher prices for food, apartment, or gas can result in late rental payments or skipped meals.
Inflation is a surprising and unwelcome guest; it exacerbates wealth and income inequality. Could you do something to prevent this inevitable hurricane of change?
Prepare Your Budget
To be ready for global changes, you should adjust your spending at a local level. If you’re sure there’s nothing else to refuse, think again. Look at the bills; think about times of impulsive buying. You’ll find a lot of pitfalls awaiting around the corner.
For example, housing costs. Could you take a roommate, or move in with somebody to reduce the apartment costs? It’s a good time to reconsider your preferences and your income: if you have a stable job and a solid paycheck, just skip this step.
The obvious things to cut are:
- dining out
- using streaming services (turn down Netflix for a while, and you’ll be surprised)
- reduce the car trips (can’t you take public transport or go for a walk? Don’t let the taxi drivers replace other people in your life!)
Additionally, you may consider apps for cash advance: find yourself a good deal, if you need money urgently. Remember that borrowing against the existing credit line may have a higher interest rate, than a typical credit card purchase. You may consider the option if you transfer money to friends, exchange dollars for foreign currency, or pay a debt.
How to Reduce the Food Costs
Creating a meal plan for your family is a talent. Seriously, how else to adjust when the prices are rising? Meat and fish prices go up faster than vegetable prices; to make crab cakes, you’ll need to pay 50% more than a few years back.
Meal planning is a free tool to get better at grocery shopping. Look at the calendar, and think about when you’ll be home to cook dinner, or when the kids will need to bring lunch to school. A careful strategy is what it takes to avoid buying snacks or ordering a takeaway.
It’s not the end: consumers will continue to spend more, because of several reasons:
- weather-related shortages
- transportation issues
- lack of staffing.
What can you do? First of all, don’t panic. Find ways to offset inflation at your home: sit down and think about food substitutions that cost less. You may find a lot of good deals, which won’t impact your health but will help to save more and feel solid financial ground under your feet.
The Impact on Retirement Costs
Investing in the cashflow, outside the emergency fund, doesn’t have to stop. Therefore, inflation is not the reason to give up on what you’ve been doing all along. The best way to prepare for an unstable economic situation is to have a diversified portfolio.
The annual inflation rate in the U.S. hit a 40-year high rate in June 2022 (nearly, 9,1 %). When you pay attention to rising interest rates or a falling stock market, it may cause you to second guess yourself. No need to worry — don’t let the inflation rates and a toxic environment distract you. Investing for the long term can be your way out of a tough situation.
If you’re a conservative saver, afraid of stock markets, put inflation as your top risk. Ready or not, you have to take it, and keep the right pace with inflation. Hiding away from financial planning may result in losing the purchasing power of your money. Therefore, accepting the risks is the right choice to get a bigger return and overcome inflation.
How Can You Take Advantage of Inflation?
One of the modern ways to cope with inflation is by purchasing bonds. The Treasury Department now issues Series I saving bonds, allowing to earn a combination of a fixed interest rate and the rate of inflation.
To sign up for an electronic I bond, visit the TreasuryDirect website and create an account. The composite rate for I bonds issued from May through the end of Oct. is now 9.62 percent, a portion of which is indexed to inflation every six months.
Good News!
The headlines in newspapers are alarming. People start panicking and lose the precious time they could take to invest or start saving. Inflation is not abnormal; until you and the state can control it, you’ll win.
Here’s something positive about inflation to cheer you up:
- in case you receive monthly compensation from Social Security Administration, your payments will go up because of rising consumer prices (the announced increase is 5.9% for 2022)
- the Federal Reserve may well lift the benchmark rates, which is beneficial for savers. The returns on accounts should begin to rise.
As the supply chains normalize and inflation relents over years, the Social Security recipients will still get the higher payments. However, when your paycheck doesn’t go as far as expected, it’s hard to keep up the confident pace. No worries: after all, it’s not 1970, when prices skyrocketed. There’s always an exit from the tough situation.
Wrap Up
The best way to beat up inflation is to know what you’re spending the money on. Inflation is not the end of the world; it’s the opportunity to revise your budget and get smarter in financial planning.
With rising consumer prices, you need to cut costs. Take into account unnecessary (or impulse) purchasing; recurrent subscriptions to streaming services, and housing costs. Think of an additional income; maybe, there’s a side job you might take, or spend a few extra hours on weekends to pick up freelance gigs.