Inflation - paying more for the same cup of coffee

 

The 2-year nightmare that is Covid-19 is slowly thawing, as society gradually returns to normality. Over here in Malaysia, at least we're starting to go back to office. Just like vault-dwellers emerging from the nuclear shelters into a post-apocalyptic world (a bit far-fetched, but you can tell I'm a fan of the timeless classic PC game Wasteland and subsequent Fallout series). One of the glaring, distressing differences is that anything that isn't free or subsidized has gone up significantly in price.

Today's the first time I went out with some office buddies for lunch since coming back to office. Just a short walk from the main entrance of the company, to one of the usual joints patronized by many of the colleagues working here.

It turns out, a plate of fried rice with fried egg and large cup of kopi-o kosong (black coffee, no sugar, no cream), was RM7.00 and RM1.90 respectively. Hmm, can't recall the exact cost from pre-covid times, but I definitely know I'm literally paying more for the same cup of coffee.

To be fair, this is the one and only sample so far, so I definitely need to go out more often to collect more data.

Elsewhere, in the news, prices of food like chicken meat are also going up against the ceiling prices, until the government can't make up its mind to raise / remove the cap or not. For fuel that is not subsidized, RON97 is now at RM4.84 per liter. Almost no one uses that, as RON95 is still fixed at RM2.05 per liter (imagine how much taxpayers' ringgit are being used here). Subsidies do tend to distort and mask the true severity of the economic situation, so have to take note of the actual cost of living.

Unfortunately, the price hikes are unlikely to stop here. Though the prices of raw material like meat and vegetables are also on the rise, home cooked meals keep value-added costs to a minimum. Luckily I have a good wife / good cook, so meals at home are not only cheaper, tasty but also healthier than what one might typically get from outside. Ah, the advantages of working from home....

For those out there, are you having a similar experience and how are you adapting to the "new normality"?