I’m an avid saver. If I get a dollar, I aim to save at least half of it. But lately, my savings have dropped considerably. This is not because I’ve been spending like a maniac, but simply because the prices of goods and services are rising, and my salary is going nowhere.
No matter how much I budget, it’s almost impossible to maintain my level of savings when everything is getting pricier. The truth of the matter is that we can’t do it on our own. Cutting back should be on the lips of everyone including those who supply the goods and services. After all, they are people too and have bills to pay just like everyone else.
So where is median point? I know for a fact that the Government of Barbados is always “easing” goods and service providers by reducing or waiving taxes and duties. But what about passing some of those gains on to the consumers? If you are getting eased, ease us in return. The median point occurs where you ease your customers and they continue to use your goods and services.
I can easily blame my employers for not increasing my salary, but the store owners can take a piece of it too. I will admit that I do not spend a lot of money in Barbados. My clothing, shoes, beauty supplies, household items and some food stuff are all bought overseas, because it is much cheaper to do so.
What I would love to see are the introduction of tactics designed to aid both parties. There are the MAGNA and BARP programmes which do help sometimes. However, I believe that there is a lot more that can be done. Rewards programmes, coupons, meaningful sales and discount cards are some of the things that can be done. The bottom line is that if you scratch my back, I would be willing to scratch yours.
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