‘With rising prices, household budgeting has become a struggle’.

Khushali Agarwal

VIJAYAWADA: Festivals are meant for happiness and sharing of sweets and other food items. But soaring prices of essential commodities caused a huge burden on the middle class and poor families this year.

The prices of rice, edible oil, sugar, dals and other commodities shot up in recent weeks, forcing people to think twice before they buy. The festival season has started with Dasara and some others to come in November.

The traders say the rice, which was sold at around `60 a kg three months ago, now costs around `85. The price of sugar has gone up from `50 to more than `62 a kg.

Customers still come, because they have no choice. “This is a basic need in every home, so purchases have not dropped drastically,” said Shri Lakshmi, who runs a kirana shop in the city.

The cuts are happening inside homes. Surabhi will not compromise on the offerings. “It has been our tradition for many years. We cannot reduce it,” she said. But last festival, she bought five kinds of fruit. This time it was a small cluster of bananas.

The raisins and cashews in her sweets have gone down too. She used to cook enough rice to share a full plate with her neighbours. Now she sends rice along with other items.

Raveena, a homemaker, has trimmed her menu. “Everything feels expensive these days. With prices rising like this, running a home on a budget is challenging,” she said.

“Until last Dasara, I made at least four varieties of rice. This time I made only tamarind rice and sweet Pongal.” Her festive rice menu has been cut in half.

For Pandu, whose family of three lives on a tight monthly budget, every extra rupee has to be found somewhere. They used to spend `5,000 to `6,000 on groceries. “We try to stick to `6,000, but in the festive season it goes up to `7,000 or `7,500,” he said.

That is up to `1,500 more in a month. He now goes to several shops to find the best price. Ghee has almost vanished from his kitchen. “We have replaced it with oil wherever possible,” he said.

Relief is hard to come by. Subsidised rice is available, but Govind, a consumer, is not impressed. “There are subsidies, but the quality is only so-so,” he said.

Even those who make sweets for a living feel the pressure. Ganesan, who owns a sweet shop, cannot raise his prices. “The market is very competitive. If I increase the price, people will stop buying,” he said. More families, he said, are making sweets at home.

The festivals are not over. The notes in the wallet look the same as before, but every time they reach the counter, they bring less to their homes.

Published Date: October 22, 2026