Inflation has these Windsorites feeling restricted. Here's how they're spending their money
CBC
First it was prices at the pump, then it was lettuce and now, it seems like the cost of nearly everything has swelled.
Windsorites told CBC News that amid these so-called inflationary times, their lives are doing quite the opposite —with budgets, shopping sprees, savings accounts and social lives having shrunk.
In Windsor-Essex, as residents are navigating a high cost of living, the region continues to have one of the highest unemployment rates of large Canadian cities — sitting at 6.2 per cent in January.
Over the last year, CBC News has heard about how this has meant more people are in need of help when it comes to affordable housing and relying on food banks.
While inflation has dropped overall to 5.9 per cent in January, according to recent data from Statistics Canada, the cost of certain necessities continues to grow.
Grocery prices are up 11.4 per cent compared to this time last year. The cost of eating out rose at a faster pace as dining in and takeout became more expensive.
Mortgage interest costs continued to rise, hitting 21.2 per cent in January.
To get a better sense of how high costs have changed people's lifestyles, CBC News spoke with three people in different stages of their life across Windsor.
Barb Morris misses splurging on new clothes, but inflation has impacted the 67-year-old Windsor resident even more deeply than that.
At one point, Morris said she wasn't able to afford going to the dentist, causing her to lose teeth.
"[Inflation] makes me feel fenced in, because I can't work more hours," said Morris, who lives on a pension.
"[Our income] is fixed, so we have to fit everything we need in life into that monthly allotment."
Morris and her husband receive monthly pension payments that total about $2,800.
But between spending money on rent, food, medical bills, a service dog and paying off debt, Morris said these days they're living paycheque to paycheque and are hardly saving any of their income. She added that they've started relying on food banks.
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