Money, it's a gas

Okay, I admit it, as good blogger “eatanicecream” pointed out, I’ve become lazy.

I should’ve known you’d be tired of “One survivor’s story” after a week and a half.

Well, I’m back. I just got home from a draining two days of immigration wrangling, which I won’t elaborate on because all ended well (and I’d rather not risk ruffling any feathers – my $300 “temporary permit” should be ready in a few days). Immigration permits, like most things in Zambia, aren’t cheap.

Which brings me to the topic of this blog post: money! After enduring the shockingly high cost of living in Nairobi for six months last year – as an unpaid intern, no less – I figured smaller, less developed Lusaka would be a walk in the park in comparison. How horribly wrong I was.

Being landlocked, Zambia must import almost everything overland via other African countries – including, crucially, fuel. Gas prices hover in what I thought was exclusively social-democratic Scandinavian territory, around $3 per litre. Anything that’s transported using fuel (just about everything) bears costs to show for it.

Taxis are a common cash grab, since walking after dark isn’t advised, and taxi drivers have to pay for gas, after all. Even the public minibuses charge around a dollar a ride, which seems cheap but adds up. As for food, I’m fortunate to live near various small vendors, but rising global food prices mean even a few bananas or tomatoes don’t go for cheap. (You may hear me whine from time to time about my scanty CIDA budget, but the reality is that most Zambians live on a fraction of it – and their bananas and tomatoes don’t cost any less than mine.)

I enjoy cooking and spending time at home, and I walk to work, so budgeting hasn’t been too difficult. Nonetheless, I was more than relieved to discover a glorious vegetable market last Tuesday, a mere 10-minute walk from my house. Taking place every Tuesday evening in a large sheltered area behind a church, the market is full of life and activity, and just about any produce you could hope for. The very reasonable prices are fixed, which means no hassle with bargaining.

My shopping routine now consists of one heaping bag of fruits and veggies every Tuesday evening, and whatever odds and ends I need throughout the rest of the week. Though seemingly minor, the cost savings have been enough to ease at least a little bit of budgetary stress, and I eat better too!

View of the Tuesday market at sunset, around 6:00pm.