The constant rise in prices forces people to find solutions to cope, and some of them even find ways to cope. In the online environment, in more and more groups, people discuss and share such ideas.
Romanians find all kinds of solutions to save money. PHOTO: Shutterstock
Last year, Romania had the second highest inflation among European Union countries, and the galloping increase in prices, especially for food, brings Romanians to the brink of despair. Moreover, according to Eurostat statistics, Romanians are the most exposed to the risk of poverty and social exclusion in the European Union.
Not coincidentally, people are looking for all kinds of solutions in the hope that they will spend less to cope with the rising costs. And some of them ask for advice on the Internet and start serious discussions on this topic.
This is also the case of a Romanian who asked on social networks what solutions other internet users find to face the challenges.
“We are an ordinary family, I also work, my wife also works, we both earn the average salary in the economy, but we don't have enough money in any way. We have two kids, a mortgage that almost doubled in the last year, so it's not easy. I've seen that there are various groups on Facebook where people are discussing how they're coping with the tough conditions right now, I've been asking everywhere for advice, but obviously no one has the perfect recipe. I dare to ask you though, how do you manage to not spend all your money on rent, bank payments and food?”was the challenge launched by him.
Romanian solutions
The responses, with suggestions, advice and various ideas came from many quarters. “I only shop at discount stores and look for the best deals. I buy my clothes from foreign websites at half the prices as in Romania. Look, I got a jacket after the holidays, and a few days ago her neighbor got one exactly like mine, but three times more expensive than me! Why? Because he didn't know where to get it and took it from a mall, he bought it in Romania. As for the rent, I chose to stay outside the city, but only a few kilometers away, so I save 50% here too”a lady answered.
Other netizens have come up with their own solutions. “First of all, you shouldn't have bought a house at this time. It's normal to run out of money, the rates have increased from day to day. With the food… Hmm. It's harder here. I haven't eaten out since the pandemic and suddenly I'm left with half my salary or even better. I try to buy food from the market, from the peasants, I take larger quantities, and they leave everything a bit cheaper”, another lady said.
“The idea, the solution, if you will, is to always look at the offers. Periodically, offers appear in supermarkets, sometimes for meat, sometimes for cheeses. Go then and instead of buying a kilo of meat for 30-40 lei, buy about 5 kilos for 20 lei per kilo, and at home you divide into portions and put it in the freezer. It's just an example. Then, take potatoes, onions, and other vegetables in the fall, when they are cheap, take them by the sacks, if you have room to keep them. Trust me, it's worth it. I bought onions for 1.50, now I saw that in some stores it reaches 6-7, I bought potatoes the same way, now they are 4 lei. It may not seem like much, but that money adds up and ends up counting“, someone else told him.
