The past few months have been pretty bad for expats here who get paid in dollars. The value of our earnings has reduced by 1/4, so it has been like taking a 25% pay cut. It might get even worse. I fear we may be going back to a situation of the dollar being 1:2.5 to the shekel.
That wouldn’t be so bad in and of itself if food prices hadn’t doubled or tripled in shekels since those days. That they’re staying steadily high is evidence that the problem never was the value of the dollar, but the scale for prices of things. Once they got used to overcharging for everything, they became dependent on the money they made from that, and now there’s no turning back.
So the way I’m beating the system is buying things that people won’t pay but so high of prices for, and doing the better part of my shopping as close to the source as possible. I’m also considering doing cooperative buying. I just have to find first-string distributors and enough people buying the same things. I’m also considering taking some of one of my grandmas’ advice and getting a deep freezer.
Even as an individual though, I’ve found that strategic shopping has me spending about the same as I used to even though my income is 25% less. We’re not missing any meals, and in fact, our diet is much healthier.
Here is my set of “rules” for shopping with a dropping dollar:
1. Get as close to the source as possible.
This means, whatever you can get at the shouk or from farmers who sell their stuff on the side of the road, get it. It’ll be in season, and it’ll be fresher. It may not have the same health inspection, but really the health inspection system here is corrupt anyway. So have a good look and a good smell, and if it’s alright, then your chances are the same. You might actually do better getting it on the side of the road since they’re selling you the same thing that they’re eating.
The exception for this is eggs. Eggs from most kibbutzim or family farms are usually okay, but some people have crowded chicken coops in town that are even worse than the mass produced ones.
2. Buy meat close to the slaughterer.
At the shouk, these are those who you see who don’t have any storage rooms, and a truck drives up maybe once or twice a day, and sides of beef and whole chickens are unloaded from there. The guys then cut things into parts and sell it off. When they run out, they’re just out.
You can usually save ALOT buying from them, and the meat is fresher. Just be careful of ground beef that isn’t kosher or halal. It may have parts of the genitals that would be okay if they’re cleaned properly, but people seldom know how to do that.
Smoked meats are best bought close to the smoker. Many small smoked meats businesses have a shop downstairs. You just have to get there early before all the good stuff is sold out.
3. Be versatile about starches.
As a lover of rice, I felt the recent shortages and price raising deeply. Rice was an almost every day staple. I’ve recently learned to love short pastas like orzo and peppercorn more though. Then of course there’s the good old potato.
If you don’t have one already, then it’s a good idea to also get a pasta maker. This way when you need sheet pasta for lasagne or ravioli, or want to make flat noodles, you don’t have to buy them.
4. Eat more vegetables in season.
Buy whatever’s cheapest, and learn to love it. Recently, artichokes were cheap, so I had a ball with that.
5. When it’s possible to do so, “roll your own”.
Roll your own cigarettes, your own tampons, your own cosmetics…whatever you can. Do what your grandparents did before things were mass produced.
6. If it comes from the U.S. buy it in dollars.
For some things, you will pay less even with the shipping costs, if you order them from the States. Vitamins are one example. For the same quality of multivitamin you’ll pay almost $30 per bottle of 100 here, you can pay $10 including the shipping, by ordering from the U.S. online somewhere.
Go on eBay, and you’ll find lots of good sellers and good deals on wholesale lots.
7. If it comes from Asia, buy it from Asia.
Lots of clothes and shoes are made in Asia, so things are just cheaper to buy direct. However, there’s another reason to buy closer to the manufacturer…ethical reasons. If you don’t want to run the risk of getting sweatshop made goods, then buy directly from a family or organization who makes things.
Priyanka’s is a great Indian clothing store online that can make clothes for you to fit, and they get their stuff from a women’s organization. There’s a group of women who sews your clothes with care without the high markup since their “store” is a website.
On eBay you can find other organizations and private families selling things like natural African soap, kikoys, oils, shea butter, beads, and even gems. Speaking of which, here’s another rule…
8. Invest in things that retain their value regardless of the dollar.
While you have some extra cash, get some gems, precious metals, and jewelry. Instead of blowing $200 on dinner, buy a pizza and spend the rest on a ruby. Then you have something that you can sell during a dollar crash.
Mind you, this is a last resort, but it is something you should be thinking about during the good times. There might someday be bad times. For those of us who don’t have so much, but were blessed with enough, it’s good to be mindful that it is a blessing, and not an entitlement. Too high a sense of entitlement is what screws people who are educated enough to know better, in times like this.
So basically, the sum of all these rules is live in the country where you are, regardless of whether or not you get paid in its currency. Readjust yourself, and live within your means as they are, and you should be okay.
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