I tell you with the economy as it is and the state of the country because of misrule a lot of people are changing their buying behavior.

Everyone is complaining about increasing costs. The politicians are blaming farming costs for food price increases while they feed from the trough of their higher energy prices that they have enforced.

But it’s not bleak for everyone. Some people are spending money like it’s going out of fashion. They are pouring their money on luxury goods and expensive local and overseas holidays.

The worst of it is the people who brag how much money they are earning and let you know about their massive windfalls. It seems like some people always land with their buttocks in the butter.

For ordinary people who are essentially price takers, who may have not had salary increases for years, who worry about the future for their children and grandchildren, they are bearing the brunt.

Some people have reduced their energy bills by installing solar or finding ways to use their motor-vehicles less frequently.

Others have seen their household food bills skyrocket and are trying to do something about it. It’s ironic isn’t it that when one examines your budget, the first thing that you want to cut is your monthly grocery bill.

What about all those premiums that you have to pay when insurance companies and medical aid firms get fat, obscene and exorbitant monthly annuities from you with above inflation increases every year?

When the microwave packs in, or the fridge breaks due to power cuts, when the car is on its last legs, people are hesitant to buy new. The price of anything new has gone up so much that some people simply can’t afford it.

They have to go to the secondhand market or charity stores to find secondhand goods. Yes, there are some bargains in the offing in the secondhand market but it’s not always possible to buy secondhand when you, say, require a microwave for your home and secondhand ones are not available.

Some my scoff at frugality. They may look down on those who buy secondhand clothes. They may even laugh at you when you tell them that you are trying to reduce your grocery bill.

However, growing numbers of people want to consume less not only because of the need to save money but to do less harm to the environment.

All I can say is when times are tough frugality is the friend to which you have to turn to help you ride through financial difficulties.