Tamil Nadu   

They cut down on savings to meet increasing expenditure

— PHOTO: N. BASHKARAN

The Kumuthan family.

Occupation: Self-employed

Residence: Pazhayapet

Size of family: Four

Monthly income: Rs.20,000

The soaring inflation and prices of essential commodities have made Kumuthans who live in Pazhayapet here to cut down on savings to meet the rising expenditure. The price rise has mainly affected their savings and investment plans.

Education of our children Chris Wellcy (Class XI) and Senthil (Class VIII) remains the top priority, says Kumuthan.

The spending for groceries, transportation and health had significantly increased in the recent past. A major share of the income now goes for buying provisions as the prices of several commodities have gone up. Post-inflation things have become very tough.

“We have reduced the daily ration of milk and other essential commodities. Meat is cooked only once a month,” Prema, his wife, points out.

The family has also cut down on the travel expenses. “We are now occasionally using the two-wheeler as the fuel prices and maintenance cost have gone up,” Mr. Kumuthan says. The family has also begun spending less for entertainment and stopped eating in hotels.

Says K.T. Kesavan, president, Krishnagiri Chamber of Commerce, people from the middle income groups in the district have started turning to the co-operative stores in large numbers to get the attractive rebate offers and quality products at reasonable prices.

According to Deva Perinban, State committee member, Communist Party of India, the Government should strengthen the public distribution system and provide essential food items at a subsidised rate to control inflation.

Agricultural labourers and marginal farmers are the worst affected due to the inflation, he adds.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Designing interiors for a cause
Raising the issue
‘Create 3 taluks in Namakkal’
Three-year-old knocked down
Show time
Price hike: hotels have become costlier
‘Namakkal district needs three new taluks’
‘Be responsible’
He finds it impossible to get through financial storm
Child labourers rescued
Open threat
They cut down on savings to meet increasing expenditure
Sericulture cluster for Shoolagiri block
SIPCOT complex
Chain snatched from student
Mad rush for tickets continues
Hot business
Exhibition on agriculture
Youth commits suicide
Good scope for getting power from wind energy
Township to come up in Jayankondam
Two die in collision
Improvement measure
Youth ends life
On a tricycle
Rs.20 lakh distributed to 60 panchayats
“Plant tree saplings”
Traffic rule violation
Grievance day
What they say
Girl killed in accident
Ranking system
Use of helmets
Mango export zone to be opened this year
70 entrepreneurs meet to learn from Indian SME experience
ICMR to patent mosquito trap
Appeal to government

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu