Prices are rising and rising – everyday life for many people is more expensive than ever. Prices are being adjusted everywhere and many people no longer know how to deal with the expensive situation. FOCUS online provides answers and tells you how to keep track of things in everyday life.
For October, the Federal Statistical Office expects record inflation of 10.4 percent! Everyday life is becoming more and more expensive for consumers. The main reason is still the sharp rise in energy costs, which also affect the prices of many goods and services.
The price increases are dramatic for business, industry and trade. Companies have to recalculate, reduce sales and in many cases even lay off staff.
For consumers, the consequences are just as bad. If you buy groceries for a week in the supermarket, it can cost over 150 euros. Shopping in Germany has never been so expensive.
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A roll at the cheap bakery around the corner no longer costs 40 cents, but 75 cents. In many cities, consumers have to pay more than six euros for a loaf of rye bread. In May, the average price was four euros. There is a similar development with the much cheaper wheat bread.
On request, bakers’ guilds explained that more and more companies have to recalculate their prices almost every month. The higher energy, transport and raw material prices could also threaten the existence of many bakeries and confectioneries. According to the guilds, nobody can foresee whether the rising cost of living will change the purchasing behavior of customers.
Not an isolated case. The price for a cappuccino in a café is already over 4.50 euros. Reason? The wholesale price for coffee has almost doubled.
If you drink a beer there, it costs over four euros. Massively increased costs, especially for energy and the raw materials most important for the brewing process, make frequent price adjustments for beer unavoidable. After other large beer manufacturers in Germany such as the Radeberger Group and Krombacher, the Bitburger Braugruppe and Veltins are also planning price increases at the beginning of 2023. This would also have an impact on bar and restaurant visits.
There the Wiener Schnitzel costs more than 25 euros in many places – and you have to pay extra for the side salad, which was previously free. “We pay three times as much money for frying fat and frying oil. We have to pass that on to the visitors,” explains Rita Falke, who works at an inn near Neu-Ulm, on request.
What can you do against the price surge? Reduce visits to the restaurant and order tactically. Dishes with regional and seasonal foods are often cheaper. Instead of an autumn salad with expensive tomatoes, a pumpkin risotto is several euros cheaper. Be proactive about drinks. If you like drinking wine, a bottle can be cheaper than several glasses of grape juice.
If you want to effectively save money in a café or restaurant, we recommend apps like “The Fork” or “Neo Taste”.
On top of that. Hair and beauty treatments have also increased given energy costs. Companies must also expect higher personnel costs because the minimum wage has been raised.
With cheap chains, a men’s haircut costs 15 euros (beginning of November 2021 still 12 euros). Depending on the hair length, women have to pay just over 30 euros for a simple cut at the cheaper hairdressers. At the beginning of November 2021, the short haircut still cost 23 euros.
The price adjustments in the high-priced salons are even more juicy. Here the simple women’s haircut scratches the 90 euro mark. It’s only a matter of time before the 100 euros are reached.
With price increases, hairdressers feel that many people are tightening their budgets. “Since the topic of gas price increases has been discussed, customers have reacted,” said Sven Heubel, head of the hairdressers’ guild in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt.
“The intervals between hairdressing appointments are being extended, and certain services, such as dyeing, are sometimes being dispensed with.” The shops are still struggling with the consequences of the corona pandemic anyway. “Even today, sales are 20 percent below the level before Corona,” says Heubel. The energy crisis will exacerbate these losses.
The first hairdressing and cosmetics shops have already signaled that they can no longer hold out and will close at the end of the year.
What can you do against the price surge? Use customer cards and bonus cards. After nine treatments, the tenth is often free. Ask at checkout directly for such offers.
The mostly municipal crematoria have already pushed through price increases or are aiming for them in the coming year.
On average, the costs for urn burials increase by ten to sometimes even 20 percent. Cremation accounts for a major part of the additional costs. In many cases, the burial costs 25 to 100 euros more. But that’s not all: Consumers also have to dig deeper into their pockets for flowers, decorations, music and obituaries.
And even the prices for coffins are rising because the prices for solid wood are constantly rising. Experts are certain: anonymous burials will increase.
What can you do against the price surge? If a relative is seriously ill or loved ones are in care facilities, relatives should always think about what the funeral should look like in good time.
No matter whether plumbers, electricians or painters: the trade costs are skyrocketing given the current situation. In view of the increased fuel prices, craftsmen also impose a petrol fee on invoices. An additional flat rate is required for the journey, which drives up the final bill.
An important price driver are the costs for material and tools. According to industry services, prices rose by almost 30 to 50 percent. The customers feel that too. A good six months ago, replacing a toilet flush with disposal, material and assembly still cost 170 euros, but a provider on “MyHammer” now charges 250 euros for it.
What can you do against the price surge? Anyone who needs a craftsman is dependent on the service. Ask the company for an estimate. At least you don’t risk any annoying surprise costs.
