Milk Money          - 6/ 3/ 2005      <--Prev : Next-->


When Mom died, I inherited from her the "Milk Money" jar.... A sturdy jar, embossed with pretty little flowers, and with a wide mouth, that sat on the kitchen shelf. In it was deposited all the "shrapnel" as HeeHoo began to call it upon entering into our marriage vows.

All the cent pieces, the five cent, ten and twenty cent pieces, even the coveted one and two dollar coins were all tossed into the "Milk Money" jar!! Then horrors, the two-tone FIVE dollar coins were not enough.

Now a pint of milk, when I was a blushing young bride, delivered at dawn to the doorstep, probably cost 25 cents, today we have to fork out, wait for it, ZIM$3400.00 for a pint !

As prices crept higher and higher, (then they started galloping higher and higher,) the "Milk Money" jar was raided more and more frequently and suddenly the coins were of no use at all, we found we needed notes to pay for the milk.

Today I perused with some amusement through that vintage "Milk Money" jar. It was stacked high with coins that no one ever uses, it was overflowing with ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred dollar and five hundred dollar notes that no one now uses.

Today I need nearly $200,000.00 a month to pay for our milk consumption, and I have no hungry little mouths to feed. (Except for HeeHoo of course who is only allowed a pint of milk on Sunday nights !! )

The irony of it all came to a head last week when an article appeared in the newspaper, quoting a spokesman from the official Zimbabwe Mint as saying that all persons in the country should be encouraged, indeed, should be forced, to use coins, so that the Mint could stay in business !!

Now I ask you with tears in my eyes, what can one buy with a coin in Zimbabwe ? A box of matches costs Zim$300. There are 45 matches in a box, therefore one single match costs $6.66 recurring !! What on earth would one carry coins around with one, if a single match costs $6.00 !!

Now I find I am throwing even my filthy dirty five and ten thousand dollar notes into the "Milk Money" jar !! (My Dear Departed Mom would be quivering with rage by now I can just see it !!)

And so when a Zimbabwe housewife sallies forth to do her weekly grocery shopping, she has to take a portmanteau with her to carry the money. I have not used my purse in years !! Far too small !! And who can fit a million dollars a week into a purse after all !!

THE SADDEST THING IS THAT....MOST ZIMBABWE HOUSEWIVES DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE TO A MILLION DOLLARS.....MOST ZIMBABWE HOUSEWIVES PROBABLY STRUGGLE TO FIND ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY THEIR FAMILIES A LOAF OF BREAD EVERY DAY !!!

AND THE WORLD JUST STANDS BY AND WATCHES ......