Prudence can’t disguise steep rise in cost of living

OVER the past year, Moira McKenzie has been acutely aware of how the cost of living has been creeping upwards, with the essentials in life subject to a particularly steep price hike.

“Food has reached ridiculous prices,” she explained. “You see supermarkets say the price of a shopping basket has come down, but that includes electrical goods they sell like toasters – it creates a false impression as ordinary food has gone way up.”

Ms McKenzie, from the Moray village of Lhanbryde, four miles east of Elgin, considers herself fortunate compared to many of her peers, given that she is not dependant on her state pension, but she remains mindful of adopting a prudent, sensible attitude to spending.

“I feel lucky to have a teacher’s pension, but I’m still very careful about energy, because the bills have shot up in price,” she said.

“I would say the cost of my food bills has doubled in the past six months. I’m a very conservative eater and I more or less buy the same thing each week, but now my shopping costs about £40 a week, even though I buy flour to bake my own bread.”

She added: “I also have to pay for a cleaner as my arms don’t work very well and I can’t use my vacuum, so that’s also a considerable amount.

“It’d be an absolute impossibility for me to live off my state pension. I know at least half a dozen people who don’t live very well, but they’re just too proud to ask for state support, because it’s an insult.”

Nonetheless, the 83-year-old believes that economic circumstances alone should not prevent people from being happy.

“Happiness is purely an attitude of mind, in my opinion, it’s got nothing to do with your circumstances,” she reasoned. “Some people are happy, some others aren’t, but I consider myself one of the lucky ones.”