When Beer Consumption Rises
The rise of world oil prices will have a huge impact on the lives of ordinary Filipinos. Record prices of U.S.$ 135.00 per barrel of crude is expected to rise some more in the months ahead.
As reported, the present crude oil price is only for the purchases for July supply. When the U.S. and China order supplies for August and September the prices are expected to rise to historic levels even reaching the U.S.$ 180.00 per barrel mark.
This would spiral to other countries, including the Philippines.
And this would impact on our economy and cause inflation at levels never seen before. The prices at the pumping stations would be unimaginable. Premium gasoline could reach P80.00 per liter or even more. Diesel fuel could reach P70.00. And bus and jeepney fares will necessarily rise.
Fares could reach P10.00 per passenger on the minimum and all the basic commodities will become so expensive that people could barely survive. Even if the minimum wage of ordinary workers to P300.00 a day, still the purchasing power of the peso will not be enough to recover the steep rise in prices of commodities.
And the families will suffer. The children could not go to school. Medicines can be beyond affordability. The old folks will bear the brunt of the crisis and very young children will suffer malnutrition.
This will be the time to look back at our lifestyles and make changes where they are most effective.
That means that we have to walk the extra kilometer to school or to work. Where we used to take three rides, we should attempt to walk the middle ride and make it only two rides. We could save about P14.00 a day per family member. We should skip morning and afternoon snacks and save at least P30.00 a day per family member. If there are two children, then the four persons per family, then that P176.00 of savings a day or about P4,400.00 a month.
We should also forgo and pass-up going to Jolibee and McDonalds and the expensive food chains. I’m sorry for these food companies which employ thousands of young people but in times of crisis the luxury items of the expense list will have to go first.
So will the malling and going to the movies. These activities will suffer a slack. People will have to cut short on luxuries from food to clothes to entertainment. But in all these cutting down of expenses only beer and liquor consumption will rise.
I don’t really know the economics of it but it has been a fact that when the times are rough, when the going gets tough, beer consumption rises. Gin and rum sales rise. Why so? Maybe because people tend to drown their problems in alcohol. They tend to forget the true state of affairs and rather stay in that drunken stupor of make-believe.
But really, beer stories aside, we should consider car-pooling and taking the motorela instead of the taxis. We should eat more vegetables which are comparatively cheaper and healthier. The long walks from the office are good for the heart.
We should drink more water than soft drinks. We should eat more banana-que than junk food and cakes which are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. We should read more books than watching movies which are more expensive and less educational. We should go more to the beach on weekends than go to the malls and be tempted to buy unnecessary items which are mostly on sale to entice buyers. We should cook more home-prepared food than eat outside.
And we should cut down on beer and rum consumption and save money for the worst days to come. Sorry to the beer and rum companies but when gas prices rise, food, clothing and shelter are emphasized as the first three necessities. And beer only comes in fourth. Let’s drink to that.
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