No longer embarrassed to shop from the economic corner – VG

With price growth out of control, more and more Norwegians have to turn the crown to make ends meet. Then it is no longer so embarrassing to search for food offers.

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The only Norwegian slum on Rodeløkka in Oslo running out of food every single day.

The food center, which distributes surplus food to voluntary organizations to distribute it to the disadvantaged, sees that they are not only the poorest, but also ordinary families who find themselves forced to collect free food.

Over 400,000 families they are in severe financial difficulty or are struggling financially. That’s a doubling from last year.

These families increasingly have to choose between paying for electricity or for food.

Furthermore, only half of Norwegians in general say they are “secure” financially.

This figure is historically low. Before the wild price gallop, two out of three Norwegians were confident that they would get away with it financially.

We are in a state of emergency.

On the same boat

And it will get worse. Because the prices keep going up. So do interest rates and therefore the cost of living. And there are no improvements in sight.

In the background there is, among other things, the war in Ukraine. The British are in one of those worst economic crises recently.

Inflation, i.e. price growth in the EU area, is ongoing a staggering 10.9 percent. China is strugglingUNITED STATES OF AMERICA the same and it is mirrored continuous increases in interest rates round constructions.

Norway is no exception. Food prices have gone up by a staggering 12 percent compared to last year. The prices of electricity and fuel are astronomical. Although most of the electricity bill is taken by the state.

But what hits Norwegians hardest are the frequent increases in interest rates. Norwegians are one of the most indebted nations in the world.

An increase of a few percentage points equates to thousands of extra kroner for the bank every single month.

He feels, he feels with emphasis.

That is why we are asked to shell the hatches.

Not so embarrassing

It is an “we”, not them, the poor.

The difference from the rest is that there are more of us in the same boat. Now there is a common understanding, there is care and suggestions are given on how we can reduce consumption and live more soberly.

Newspapers are full of tips on where and how to shop for the cheapest, save on electricity, and cut costs.

Then it’s not such a stigma to fight to make ends meet.

Now it is no longer just the single mother and the student who are scouring the shelves for discounted food items that are about to expire.

Now it’s not just large immigrant families and retirees who are looking for food offers – or going to the nearest immigrant shop for cheap spices, fruit and vegetables.

Now there is no longer any reason to hide First Price items at the bottom of the cart.

Because it is no longer embarrassing to have to shop as cheaply as possible. “Everyone” does it. The food offered is removed from the shelves.

This is the only way more people can afford a meal with this year’s fresh lamb.

The cheap hook hunt has normalized. Yes, there has almost been some sport.

A lot of history about the books

As we now prepare for things to get worse, it is important to remember one thing.

Norwegians are doing better than most people in the world. Not just because we’re rich in the first place, but because many more of us got richer during the pandemic.

Ordinary Norwegians historically it has saved a lot at historically low interest rates when covid-19 was at its worst.

We had little to spend money on during the lockdown. Either the money was put on the books or used to pay off credit card debt.

At the same time, the mortgage was practically free. In May 2020, Norges Bank set the key interest rate down to zero percent. So he stayed over a year.

This is probably also one of the reasons why it took some time to reduce consumption in Norwegian households.

The whole purpose of Norges Bank’s interest rate hike is to make us spend less money on consumption. It is one of the ways to reduce price inflation.

While many of us are in trouble now, there hasn’t been an increase in payment alerts. This is presumably due to the financial reserve that several people had saved up.

But soon the piggy bank is empty for more people. And then comes the payment problems.

There are hundreds of thousands of Norwegians living for the day. Completely independent of inflation and war in the world. They weren’t part of the pandemic saving party.

They are disabled, single mothers, students, immigrant families and minimal retirees.

They were outside the rich Norwegian society. They bought low-priced brands and felt a shame.

It is a greater stigma to be poor in a rich country than to be poor in a country where most people are poor.

Now many of us are struggling, and then it will be easier for everyone to be sober.

Now many others are crowding around the refrigerator with cheap food. Hoping to find a piece of fresh meat or fish that expires today. But as of now we have learned that we can freeze.

This is the knowledge we benefit from, even in peacetime.