Daily shopping is no longer fun for many elderly people. Steadily rising basic food prices are to blame. The “Krone” accompanied a retiree on her errands.
“I wonder how much shopping will cost me today.” With these words, Ingrid Mahl greets us in front of a supermarket in Vienna-Favoriten, not far from her apartment. As always, she has a shopping list with her, spontaneous purchases are no longer possible with the small pension. “My budget for groceries has been the same for years, only I get less and less for it. I try to save by cooking a lot myself,” says the pensioner.
Regional products “are often too expensive for me”
We start our round in the fruit department. And there lies the 81-year-old with the first problem: “I would like to buy regional products, but they are often too expensive for me.” After a long back and forth, she picks up a pack of grapes.
Then come the vegetables. Mrs. Mahl heads straight for the herb. “Tomorrow there will be Krautfleckerln, which is cheap and healthy,” says the retiree. A bag of potatoes also ends up in the cart.
Butter and oil are very expensive
But the real price shock awaits us in the refrigerated section: 2.79 euros for a pack of butter. “This is crazy! At the beginning of the year, it was a lot cheaper,” complains the customer. But even when it comes to the oil shelf, she can’t believe her eyes at first. 6.49 euros for two liters! remember that the same amount was half the price. Oil is now a luxury product, it is disastrous,” said the stunned former actress.
Eggs are also on the list. “Usually I pay attention to the origin and the livestock, but I have already gone too far today, I have to accept the offered eggs.”
We skip the bread department. “I bake my bread myself, it’s cheaper and tastes better,” says Ingrid Mahl. But for that she needs salt and here too she notices the price increase: the price for half a kilo has risen from 0.29 euros to 0.52 euros. She would have liked to treat herself to olives, but she can’t.
Then it’s on to the checkout. In the end the bill was just under 40 euros. “But I can’t make it for more than a few days,” says Ingrid Mahl.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
