When Mr B. stood on his own in the penny for the first time, he had a problem.

He was looking for the condensed milk.

He discovered the shelf at some point, but found too much of everything in it.

There was the bear stamp, 8 percent fat, 0.85 cents.

Own brand condensed milk.

4 percent fat, 0.53 cents.

Then coffee whitener, coffee cream, some ultra-high temperature, others sugared.

How should a normal person see through this?

Yes, the first time in the supermarket, that was difficult, he says.

Today he knows where what is, but he can't always afford it.

Stefanie Diemand

Editor in business.

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Mr B. is sitting at the table, a pot of coffee in front of him, with his right hand clutching his walking stick.

Black, two sugars.

No condensed milk, he only uses it for sauces, soups and salad dressings.

"What else do we want to talk about?"

Mr B., 86 years old, likes to talk a lot and sometimes he can hardly be stopped.

He lives in the old people's home of the Arbeiterwohlfahrt in Offenbach.

Or, as he emphasizes: “In assisted living”.

He came when there was no other way.

When his wife needed help.

When she couldn't get up the stairs.

They moved in together.

And now he's here.

Like many others in the retirement home, Mr B. lives on basic security.

This makes him one of the three percent of Germans who need help from the state in old age.

It's getting even more expensive at the checkout

Anyone who wants to can do their shopping here, be accompanied to government offices or get help cleaning the small apartments.

Above all, nobody is alone here - that is the most important thing, say the employees.

Mr B. makes use of some of the offers.

But not shopping.

Otherwise he would get a loaf of bread that he would never have bought himself.

Shopping is still a new experience for him.

His wife had always done that for him.

Before she went shopping, she compared dozens of brochures and knew where to buy what was cheapest.

Mr B. does not know.

Today he just stands in the Penny and asks the women there what he should buy.

“I'll say excuse me then.

.

. ".

And somehow I've done quite well so far.

"But my wife would not have taken many things in hand, they are too expensive today."

Nobody here in the dormitory doubts that food has become more expensive in recent months. Some people estimate double-digit increases. Overall, consumer prices rose by 5.2 percent in November compared to the previous year. And shopping, everyone has to do that, at the checkout it is now even more expensive than usual. This hits those who have no assets in their accounts or custody accounts, but those who already have to look month after month to see how they are going making ends meet. You have no choice whether to postpone purchases a little longer. You shop when the refrigerator is empty.

Mr B. puts a lot of canned goods in the shopping cart, which he then stacks in his pantry.

Whenever they are on offer.

Much more is not possible anymore.

It used to be different when he was still self-employed.

First trained carpenter, then taxi driver for 28 years.

An entrepreneur, he says, that's important to him.

He had to quit when he was 58.

Mr B. prefers not to talk about the reasons.