Christmas Eve with the family: Ingenuity and creativity overcome high prices and small budgets

Magalí Zárate’s family will share a baked suckling pig this Christmas Eve, the same menu what they ate last year, with the difference that this time they will prepare it themselves with ingredients adjusted to their budget.

“Last year, my five brothers and I spent Bs 250 and it was enough to buy a prepared suckling pig and everything we needed for dinner. Now we are putting the same amount, but it was no longer enough to order the food, that’s why we decided to cook at home and put the ingredients we have“, he said while shopping at the old Abasto market.

Maglí brought an 18 kilo piglet, where most of the money was spent, since each time kilo cost Bs 52so the rest was distributed into other ingredients that they need.

They also did not buy individual gifts, since they did not decide to play secret friend with a limit of Bs 50, which helps so that everyone has the possibility of receiving some present without getting overwhelmed with so many purchases.

Magalí had a very difficult childhood, because her mother died when she was very little. and together with his brothers they had to live in a home.

“We are five orphaned brothers, we left a home, but they taught us the tradition that Christmas is spent as a family, That’s why we always meet and shake hands when anyone “One of us is in trouble,” he said.

“Everything is expensive, at this rate we will end up eating only offal, that is also why at this N dinnerChristmas Eve we are going to prepare with what we can afford“, added Magalí, who lives in the Los Chacos area.

Ana Paola Andia’s family decided to prepare a skirt for dinner tonight, so they went shopping early. They thought that by changing the menu they could reduce the budget, but he assures that they still ended up spending about Bs 300, but the food is only for four people. “Everything is too expensive, that’s why we decided to cook to reduce costs. Last year we ate pork, but now There is no longer a pocket that can hold it,” he claimed, indicating that they used to order food, but this time they could no longer do so.

Rosa Quispe’s family also had to change the Christmas Eve menu. First they planned to buy turkey, but make numbers they calculated they needed more than Bs 600 just for the meat and they also had to reserve another amount for the other ingredients, that’s why they chose to buy chicken.

“It’s not cheap either, because we spent Bs 101 on two chickens and we still need it. I don’t know how long we will be in this situation, where the salary is not enough and things continue to rise,” he complained.

However, he stated that the family toast cannot be missed, that is why they reserved Bs 20 to buy a cider. “Before we carried soft drinks, soda and more of a cider to toast, but now we have “We have to get the only one we have been able to buy,” he said.

Families must adjust their budget daily, because prices rise constantly. On Sunday the kilo of chicken was between Bs 22 and 23but this Monday it rose to Bs 24.

The same as pork, which rose to Bs 45 per kilo. The merchants claim thatThe cost with which they receive the product rose and they have no choice but to offer it at that cost.

Meanwhile, pork traders say that, generally, during the holidayss end of the year, the cost of this product increases since which is one of the most consumed.

“In previous years it went up, but up to Bs 35 or a maximum of Bs 38, mainly for ribs. This is the first time it has reached Bs 45. Actually all products increased in price“said Trinidad, a merchant at the Los Pozos market.

As for beef, in the retail market I supply the cost of the skirt reached at Bs 40 this Monday, while the cuadril at Bs 50 per kilo.

Regarding the chorizos, the prices were between Bs 39 and 40 per kilo (good brand chorizos) and at Bs 25, the most economical.

Rice can be found from Bs 9, but Those that are more complete are between Bs 12 and 13.

The egg maple varies, depending on the size, but the largest are in Bs 30 and 32.

A kilo of cheese is sold for Bs 28 and has high demand because It is used for different recipes Christmas

With this panorama, people compare prices and try to buy where they give you a discountbecause that helps you buy another ingredient.

The Government announced that it will meet at technical tables with producers and ranchers to evaluate the costs of the production chains with the aim of stopping rice price speculation. oil and beef, pork and chicken, and guarantee their supply in the domestic market, reported the Vice Minister of Consumer Defense, Jorge Silva.

The president of the State, Luis Arce Catacora, ruled out the possibility of a termination despite the fact that this year was the most complicated of his administration and considered that the economy is growing despite the problems its management is experiencing.

“Many people would like to hear that with all this that has happened we should already be in a recessive process.” and inflationary, but unfortunately for these gentlemen (analysts) we do not have a recession, we are growing; The economy is slowing down, but we continue to grow,” said Arce during an analysis he made of 2024 to journalists in La Paz.

The National Institute of Statistics (INE) reported that accumulated inflation from January to November 2024 reached 8.8%, the highest level recorded in the last 16 years. This increase marks a critical point for the country, which maintained low inflation rates compared to its regional neighbors, something that President Arce never tired of highlighting.

It was in 2008, the last time the cost of living reached double digits to stand at 11.8%, from then on the trend was downward. In 2009, inflation fell sharply and stabilized at 0.3%, then rose again to 7.2% in 2010 and not drop below 3% again until 2016, when according to the Central Bank of Bolivia (BCB) and the INE, In 2017 the inflation index was 2.7%, to decrease to 0.6% and 0.9%, in 2020 and 2021 respectively. The years of the pandemic.

It is in 2022 when the cost of living rises again and stands at 3.1% and in 2023 it drops to 2.1%, and then take a jump so far in 2024 and reach 8.8%, with the projection of reaching 9.8%, at tenths of double digits.