What Can You Do With A 500 Shilling Note In April 2022?

What can a 500-shilling note buy you this April? That’s a tricky question to answer, especially now that the economy has shot over the roof.

Going shopping with a 500 shilling note in April 2022 sounds like a joke. Let’s see what you might probably get. A 2Kg packet of Soko maize flour at 148 shillings, a liter of fresh Fri cooking oil at 385 shillings…

Oops, you are already running low on cash. And to go home with the two commodities, you will have to add 33 shillings more on top of your 500 shillings.

Do you see why I tell you it’s a joke? You have not even bought some other essential products like soap, matchboxes, salt, and maybe Sukuma wiki for the day.

In April 2021, the same 500 shillings note would get you at least 1 liter of cooking oil (150 shillings), 1kg sugar (110 shillings), and one piece of Menengai bar soap (130 shillings), 2kg maize flour (100 shillings).

If you were to get all these commodities in April 2022, you would pay a total of 848 shillings. That is an additional 348 shillings from the 500 you paid in April 2021.

You can see the difference and how much higher our economy has gone up in just one year.

ALSO READ: Ugali Gradually Becomes Costly as 2KG Maize Flour Packet Hits Ksh.148

In recent months, many people have shared their shopping lists, complaining of how the sharp spike in prices of basic food items like milk, bread, sugar, and maize flour has made it difficult for them to afford three meals a day.

The situation has disproportionately impacted low- and middle-income households majorly. If 500 shillings is your shopping budget in 2022, you’ll have to choose just a few items because even the cost of alternative products is increasing.

According to IMF, with the ongoing supply chain disruptions and high energy prices, poor agricultural yields, and high import costs due to weak currency continuing in 2022, the cost of living will be severe in the developing countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.

If what Kenyans face now is not severe, then what’s even close to this severe? Maybe the death of millions due to hunger is caused by their low purchasing power.