Homemakers:

According to Rekha Basu, 38, "With prices spiralling upwards, it is becoming extremely difficult for me to make both ends meet. Earlier, we could have two vacations -- one short, one long, in a year.

"But now after meeting the household expenditure, we could only afford a short trip to Puri, which is close by," she said.

Same is the case with Aparna Halder. "We could manage well within a monthly budget of Rs 20,000 even a year ago. But now, even after spending Rs 30,000, most of our needs are not met," she says.

"For instance, earlier I used to have two maidservants at home. But for the past six months, I can only afford one. Also, I pay a monthly rent of Rs 10,000. But we are planning to shift to a less expensive locality. Daily expenses are gradually getting unmanageable," Aparna adds.

Both the homemakers claim to have opted for major cuts in their daily budget. "If the government doesn't do anything to address your woes, we are left with no opton but to choose a lower standard of living," they say in unison.

Both Basu and Halder state that a 30 per cent increase in overall prices of essential commodities have taken a heavy toll on their household budget. "We have curtailed funds which earlier used to be set aside for entertainment purposes," says Basu. "We just can't maintain the same standard of living with prices touching the skies."

Image: An Indian pedestrian checks a display of garments at a roadside stall in New Delhi. | Photograph: Deshakalyan Chowdhury/AFP/Getty Images