Spiralling costs are forcing the Chatterjees of Rashbehari Avenue to curtail their spending and sacrifice their favourite items from their daily menu. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Rising prices are forcing the Chatterjees of 200/3B Rashbehari Avenue to change their food habits. Till two months ago, they ate mutton every Sunday and fish like pabda and pomfret every other day.

But now the family is eating less fish and mutton to keep its budget on a leash.

“The price of mutton has gone up from Rs 170 to Rs 210 a kg… Even fish like pabda and pomfret have become costlier by at least Rs 50 a kg. We have cut fish and mutton consumption,” said Sujata Chatterjee, 52, who manages the family’s budget.

The teacher of Nava Nalanda High School has replaced expensive fishes with cheaper substitutes like rohu and katla and included more vegetarian items in the family’s menu.

Sacrificing favourite delicacies is just one of the changes the family has made as prices of almost all items — from food to fuel — have gone up in recent months.

From reducing the amount of cooking oil used in preparing food to cutting the electricity bill, the family is trying everything to prune its expenses to cope with inflation.

Inflation, a measure of change in prices, rose to 11.05 per cent for the week ended June 7.

“It is true that my earnings have gone up over the past few years but the cost of daily-use items has escalated much more. So, we have had to rework our monthly budget,” said Arunava Chatterjee, 55, who works in a private company.

Sujata and Arunava together bring in around Rs 40,000 per month, net of taxes. The family scrupulously keeps an account of its expenses, which are around Rs 27,000. The couple have a son, Dattatreyo, who is doing his MS in anatomy from Medical College and Hospital.

“We have been planning to invest in a flat for some time but we can’t afford to pay the EMI until our son starts earning,” said Arunava. Forced savings like LIC are now his only option to put away something for the future as the expenses have climbed.

Sujata and Arunava go to their work places in a car provided by Arunava’s company. But rising petrol costs, which the family has to bear, are making a big dent in their monthly budget.

“We end up spending Rs 2,000 just for the minimum travel in the car and another Rs 1,000 for my son’s travel,” said Sujata.

Dattatreyo is trying his best to reduce his expenses on travel and lunch. A music enthusiast and a book lover, the 28-year-old doctor has started spending judiciously on CDs and books.

The frequency of eating out, too, is less. “I love eating out but it has become too expensive. I have even switched from a mutton to an egg meal at the college canteen,” said Dattatreyo.