Most of don't give a second thought to it and don't know how it affects them and that's because inflation is like an untreated small sore in your toe which you ignore until you start limping. So here's how you notice inflation, if you are normally broke by say around the 18th day of the month then you start noticing that the days are reducing and you are broke by 15th, 14th, 10th...

So here are ways we've (with my wife) found helpful in helping to mitigate. Please feel free to add or dispute and let's learn from each other.

1. Do a budget and stick to it
2. Do a shopping list and stick to it as much as possible
3. Buy all your non-perishable foods for the month in 1 shopping
4. Get a freezer - like the ant, this will help you stock perishables when cheap.
5. Carpool (talk o your snobby neighbour you might discover he thinks you're the snob) or use a mat when you're traveling alone.
6. Cut pay tv (believe me, you'll survive without it)
7. Cut the water boiler, install an instant hot shower or buy a water coil.
8. Wash the car yourself, this could save you up to 700/- a week
9. If you must drive avoid rush hours.
10. Avoid credit cards
11. Strictly budget for your social outings and gifts (booze, weddings, birthdays etc)

12. Wacha mpango wa kando.

1. I totally agree about budgeting, personally once I determine how much I will spend on transport per day I go to the bank and get that amount in change. Say if its 6k a month, thats 200 per day, so I get the 6k in 200 bob notes - one per day. It forces me to be extremely disciplined. You will notice that if you leave the house with 2k, it hardly returns home.

2. Do not use your mobile phone for gossipping - too much money is spent that way, just look at your Bonga points (if you are on Safaricom) and you will be surprised.

3. Tithing - this is a wonder worker, for me. I give 10% of my gross pay as tithe and this I believe makes the balance go much further than if I thought I was too poor to give.

4. Do not buy items in a convenience store as things tend to be more expensive, with the exception of mobile phone airtime

Very true, and that's because you are disciplined. Most of us, me included, are not.

It is very important that you go shopping with a list because supermarkets know how to play with your psyche with the way things are arranged and you will soon fall prey if you're not careful.

Here are a few tricks:

1. Buy one get one FREE
a) always ask yourself why they are doing because if the product is selling well then the're would be no need for the price offer.
b) ask yourself if you would buy it without the offer if no leave it out
c) always check the expiry dates, could be the reason they want it out quick

2. The sweet things are placed near the check out counters for those of you with a sweet tooth and the kids accompanying you. This is because this is the one place you'll spend the most time in a supa without moving around.

3. Big brands always get eye level shelves in the aisles and at the end.

4. Essential commodities like milk are placed at the back of the supa so you can observe other items as you go there. There's a saying that no one should ever go to the supa and leave with bread and milk alone.

5. That loyalty cards makes you think that you get better value for money and more points when you buy more... not true - you only get 1 point for 100bob whichever way.

6. By the way, that sweet bread smell that hits you when you enter the supa is not bread.

I budget

She writes a list

When we get to Supermarket, she picks item not on list

When i ask, cold war inaanza

What to do?

I'm tired of having to rely on cold shower.... to cool down eeeh hmmmm

So i stay mum....

Time to be very keen when shopping.Just hit me.A year ago,i was buying a 10 litre cooking oil jar for 1090.It's now at 1833 and so have other items sky-rocketed.The lady almost got me shouting in the supermarket when she picked a ten pack white toilet rolls for 325 while there is a 250 pack just close by.....Kwani kuna toilet paper Kamau na ingine Njoroge?...Pick the green one at 170.My arse has no eyes damn!