As the world recovers from the damage done by the pandemic, inflation has taken hold, and it looks like it won’t be going away anytime soon. Because of inflation, everyday product and service prices have dramatically increased compared to prices a few years ago, making many things unaffordable.
Posted on an online women’s forum was the question of what inflation has put out of reach for women. The answers show how inflation negatively impacts women’s lives long term.
1. Homeownership
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For women, one of the most significant casualties of this period of inflation is delaying or even forgoing buying a home. For renters, the increasing cost of monthly rent payments prevents them from saving on a down payment for a house.
2. Disposable Income
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Despite working a full-time job and a part-time side gig, a respondent on the thread feels they can’t get ahead financially because they have to use their part-time wages to pay for essential bills and expenses instead of saving.
3. Grocery Shopping
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Several people reply that higher prices force them to change their grocery shopping habits. They no longer splurge on spices, snacks, and expensive cuts of meat and visit the grocery store less often. One person states they’re “spending far more on groceries than I’ve ever spent in my life.”
4. Having a Baby
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Waiting to start a family or expand their family because of inflation is a common lament on the thread. Between the high costs of childcare and essentials like baby formula, quite a few people in the forum express their concerns about having a baby or growing their family at this time.
5. Entertainment
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Attending concerts, going to the movies, and other forms of entertainment are proving far too expensive for budget-minded women. Some users on the thread were willing to sacrifice other things to participate in these social activities, but most were committed to staying within their budgets.
6. Dining Out
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More casualties of inflation for women: dining out, going to bars, and socializing in general. Going outside the home for food and drinks has become so expensive that it’s become an unaffordable luxury for many. One thread member writes, “I always dreamed of living in a big city, dining at nice restaurants, traveling a lot. Now I’m still counting my pennies.”
7. No More Free Time
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Workers on the forum describe working overtime to make ends meet, working longer hours if they’re self-employed, and working side gigs so they can afford to pay their basic living expenses. The high inflation rate means free time is a luxury they can’t afford to have right now.
8. Travel
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A few people on the thread are committed to traveling no matter what. Still, most contributors describe how their travel plans have been curtailed or canceled because of increased related expenses such as airline and train tickets, hotel accommodations, and rental cars. Even road trips have become out of reach for many due to higher gasoline prices.
9. Gym Memberships
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Another casualty of inflation is canceling or not renewing gym and fitness class memberships. When you’re struggling to pay for living expenses, going to the gym or a fitness class becomes a luxury many women can no longer afford.
10. Financial Security
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Finally, for many commenters, inflation has destroyed any semblance of financial security they had before, making their current economic circumstances and futures uncertain.
They either have no savings or rely on their savings to pay their bills. Rising prices offset even pay raises. One person on the thread asks, “How tight am I going to stretch a dollar? What next must I drop from my life because I can’t afford it?”
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