Madam – Now that we have experienced a few rounds of load shedding in the Newcastle area I’ve done some numbers and discovered an unforeseen advantage to my personal financial situation.
It spawned from my aversion to inconveniences due to no traffic lights, traffic congestion and closed shops without electricity forcing me to use alternative routes and head directly home.
Friday night pizza was the first to go. I now save a rounded figure of R 300 a week, a conservative saving of about R 15 600 a year. Second to go was DStv. Whether I set my decoder for recordings or not, it is too old to handle all this load shedding nonsense and I never get to see my favourite shows anymore.
A rounded figure of R 1000 a month or R 12 000 a year in savings. I also save on buying a new machine.
ALSO READ: Eskom, stop underestimating our intelligence!
My weekly shopping costs have decreased thanks to the load shedding and the failure of my fridge to actually keep my products cold, I’ve cut out ‘luxuries’ that go off before they can be enjoyed. The saving there is a conservative R 500 a week, which over 52 weeks gives me a possible saving of R 26 000 a year. I haven’t even calculated the fuel savings from unnecessary visits to malls to spend money on none essentials.
The irritation of paying rates and taxes to a ‘leadership’ who have squandered our money is quickly wearing off with this sudden economic windfall of at least R 53 600 a year.
There are of course other hidden savings that may push this figure closer to about R 80 000 but I don’t really want to get excited about that because load shedding is only with us for another 16 months according to various media releases. The damage to our economy, of course, has already been done by the policies of this ANC regime, so my fiscal adjustment won’t hurt it will it?
Load shedding has also stalled an innovative process I’ve been developing because it is highly reliant on a constant electrical supply to be viable. The process is revolutionary and may help solve a major environmental problem not to mention create real job opportunities, not the socialist type our ANC regime has promised for nearly 3 decades.
So, load shedding coupled with other factors like our ‘union strong’ labour sector which dictates to business, industry and entrepreneurs on who we may employ and for how much, may mean I could use my forecasted savings to pursue an offer abroad, for my process, where electrical supply is reliable and cheap.
ALSO READ: Does the municipality need to go back to basics?
Where the labour market is hungry for job opportunities and my family will be safe from ‘normal crime’ as per our SAPS statistics on farm murders.
My advice to everyone out there is to look at this load shedding as a windfall. Change your life style, the savings are there to be taken by the fistful. You may even get to finally have that holiday abroad.
Slight Hint of Sarcasm
For more letters, click here.
Contact us
WhatsApp: 082Â 874 5550
Email: Reveshni Douglas (Editor) at reveshni@caxton.co.za
Make sure you follow us for constant updates:
