Every month the Reserve Bank tells us what inflation is doing, and every month most of us nod, half-listen, and carry on. We know inflation is real. We know things cost more than they used to. But I don’t think we truly feel it, not in our bones, until we sit down and look at our own numbers over our own lifetime. So, let’s do that. Two things many of us know well: filling up the car and putting lamb chops on the braai.
Back in 1980, R1,000 bought you 2,000 litres of petrol, or 149.5 kilograms of lamb chops. By 2000, that same R1,000 got you 333.3 litres, or 28.6 kilograms of chops. Roll forward to 2026, and R1,000 buys you 37.6 litres of petrol, about enough for a scooter, or 4.5 kilograms of lamb chops. Scary numbers, aren’t they.
Here’s the part that surprised me. Over that 56-year stretch, fuel inflation ran 61.5% higher than official CPI. Lamb chops, on the other hand, tracked almost exactly what the Reserve Bank told us inflation was doing. Same country, same period, two completely different stories.
And that’s the real lesson. Inflation isn’t one number that applies equally to all of us. It’s personal. It’s shaped entirely by how we live. Two people who look identical to the man in the street, similar homes, similar cars, similar age, can be experiencing completely different rates of erosion depending on what they eat, what they drive, and where they holiday. This creep happens so slowly that most of us never notice it happening.
This is exactly why I get uneasy when I see retirement plans built on static numbers and rules of thumb, treating every client as if they’re identical to their neighbour. That approach can lead to real trouble. On one side, you risk running out of money before you run out of life. On the other, sadder in my view, you leave behind a pile of money that could have funded experiences and time with the people you love most.
It’s never too late to take control of this. Your retirement plan should be as unique as you are, and building that only takes some time and care. If this has got you thinking about your own numbers, pop in for a chat. I know we can help.
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Dirk Groeneveld, Certified Financial Planner
t. 083 261 9287
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