Rent, electricity and heating eat up all of Petra Brinic’s wages. And that despite the fact that you spend 40 hours a week in the kitchen. Rising prices make life unaffordable for more and more people.
After deduction of the monthly fixed costs such as rent, electricity and gas, many people do not have much money left for the rest of the month. Petra Brinic finds herself in an even more hopeless situation. And that despite the fact that the single parent spends 40 hours a week in a school kitchen.
She receives about 1,500 euros a month, but minus a wage garnishment due to rent arrears, she has just under 900 euros to live on. “It’s not going well from the back and the front,” says the 49-year-old. The rent for her 45 square meter apartment in Floridsdorf devours 525 euros. After deducting the costs for electricity and district heating, the budget is exhausted, even exceeded.
worry and shame
“In principle, I have zero euros left for groceries,” says the employee. And yet she has to serve her son a meal every day. “Last time I deposited 150 euros at the discounter, so we can only manage for a week,” says Brinic. She only buys her own brands and does without luxury products such as sweets.
“I can’t even buy new clothes for myself and my son, I’m ashamed of that,” says the single parent. The two can only dream of a holiday. “I would really like to go to the sea with my son for a week,” says the cook.
“I haven’t closed my eyes at night for weeks”
She has already applied for a minimum income, but the advisers said she was not entitled to it. When things get really tight at the end of the month, she asks her friends for money. And so the full-time employee whirls through month after month. “I haven’t been able to sleep at night for weeks because I’m worried about how I’m going to make ends meet with my son,” the desperate mother reports.
Apart from that, she is depressed by the increasing gang crime in the Grätzel. Her son was robbed and threatened last week.
Proposes an experiment to politicians
Petra Brinic has long had enough of politics. “So much useless money is spent, but their own people are impoverished,” says the Floridsdorfer. Moreover, they had promised help in the fight against inflation, but the one-off payments would fall far short of their goal. “Maybe I can pay the rent with that, but what about the remaining eleven months?” asks the poor Viennese woman and proposes an experiment: “Those up there should get by for a week on just as little money as many of the us. Then maybe they understand our situation and finally do something about it.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
