By Kenrick Quashie
Honestly, the prices in the supermarkets are out of control and the rate of increase is alarming. Today, you buy an item at one price, and when you return within 7 days to buy the same item at the same supermarket, the price has increased. Sometimes, the increase is as much as a 20%. This is unsustainable.
Beginning June 29, we also have to contend with an increase at the gas pumps. The reality is that a small increase at the supermarket is no longer a minor thing.
We recognise that the increase in the cost of living is driven largely by global forces, from supply disruptions to shipping costs, and small economies like ours have very little control over them. Yet the impact is felt here in the most immediate and personal way. We therefore have to create local solutions (buffers) to ease the impact as much as we possibly can.
A few extra dollars on groceries, a higher gas bill, increased light bills, a jump in the price of basic items are not just minor inconveniences for a growing number of people. They are the difference between staying afloat and slipping further into debt. The small things really do add up!
There is a group of people in this country who we see every day and assume that they are doing fine. They are generally working professionals. They have steady jobs, supposedly decent salaries, and a certain appearance of stability. They are the ones families point to with pride. The ones who “made it”.
However, in this economy, that image is becoming dangerously misleading as many of these individuals are carrying far more than their own cost of living. Their income is stretched across more than one household. It pays rent in one place, groceries in another, supports caregiver commitments in another, and often helps to cover medical needs when emergencies arise. It is a lot.
These professionals are often already indebted: credit cards, personal and student loans, hire purchase arrangements. Not because of reckless spending, but because their income is being divided too many ways for too long. Debt becomes the bridge between what they earn and their stability.
There is also a quiet barrier that makes the situation worse. Many of these individuals cannot access support, even when they need it. Some do not qualify based on income thresholds. Others simply will not apply. There is a stigma attached. A belief that because they have a job, a degree, or a certain lifestyle, they should be managing. So they struggle in silence.
They are constantly adjusting. They delay payments. They reshuffle bills. They hope nothing goes wrong, because the truth is that when you are living this close to the edge, even a small disruption can tip you over. An unexpected car repair or a medical issue can trigger a chain reaction that is difficult to recover from.
What makes this especially concerning is the role this group plays in the wider society. They are not just supporting themselves. They are quietly acting as a safety net for others. They are the reason many households are managing at all. If these individuals begin to fail under this pressure, the effects will not be isolated. They will spread.
This is why it is important to acknowledge what is happening. Not to assign blame, but to understand the reality on the ground. A slight increase in the cost of living does not affect everyone equally. For some, it is absorbed. For others, it compounds an already fragile situation.
We cannot afford to ignore that difference. And it doesn’t mean because you can manage, everyone can.
As a country, we need to have serious conversations about economic resilience; not just as a government but also churches, community groups, families, among others. It means looking at how support systems are designed, how eligibility is determined, and how policies can better reflect the fact that many individuals are supporting more than just themselves.
We have to remove the stigma around needing help. The truth is many of our people who appear to be managing are often the ones under the most strain. And if we continue to overlook them, we risk weakening one of the main supports holding our society together.
Until then, we continue to ask, what if the weighty cord of their support snaps? Who will rescue the rescuers?
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