In The Times of Inflation!

I am inflation hit, so are you! only if you are single and staying away from your parents or you married recently would you realise that times are bad. Why I excluded married couples with few years of history behind them is because whatever may be the cost a sane man will never question the expenditure by his wife.

Lets look at how badly am I hit. A flight to Delhi would cost be anywhere between INR 2800-3500 one side, a few months back, today the taxes are INR 3300 for the same travel. So a 50% cost upswing in 3 months for this travel which I used to take up every two months. So the annual rate is around 120% for this. Fuel is costlier, but I would say it was necessary and all of us have enjoyed the legacy of cheaper fuel. At food joints if you may visit, some of them have decreased the quantity they served while maintaining prices in menu the same. The common man's potato is costlier but its just omnipresent in my parcelled food everyday. Because the guy doesnt want to serve other veggies which have rised even more in last few months.

I read someone pretty high in Indian governmental hierarchy saying people should travel use public transport in cities. The state of public transport is pathetic, in my adopted hometown of Gurgaon there is hardly any to talk of. If you dont have your vehicle you dont exist there. In my present city of stay Hyderabad, a 3 seater Autorickshaw carries 6 people, a bus for some 80 passengers would have 150 people stuffed in it, and the bus driver would manoueveur it in a serpentile motion over a busy road. So there isnt any good public transport anywhere in India, the only exception to it would be the lone Delhi Metro.

Its only the price of liquor - beer or whisky which hasnt gone up in recent times. So thats one saving grace for our FM and if thats included into WPI with high weightage the inflation numbers would be benign. Cars are costly, so are the mortgages for buying them and fuel to run them. So is the driver and we ourselves as we consume same stuff at higher costs.

Hence, its obviosly a tough tough time :) and Inflationary times separate winners from the herd!!!!