Ever wondered why you rarely seem to make enough despite salary hikes over the years? Inflation could be silently robbing you of your hard-earned money, and as Mumbai-based founder and investor, Abhijit Chokshi, pointed out in his viral post, inflation can also be invisible.
"Why your salary feels useless (even with a raise)," he titled his thread on X. "From Rs 10 Maggi to Rs 1 crore 1BHKs, you’re not earning less, you’re just being robbed silently."
Chokshi, the founder of Stockifi, highlighted that most people think of inflation as higher prices, but there are two types of inflation: visible (indicated by increasing price tags) and invisible (characterised by declining quality and shrinking quantity. "One slaps your wallet. The other erodes your future while you’re distracted," he said.
Citing an example of invisible inflation, Chokshi explained that a biscuit brand may retain the price of its products for a time but reduce the number of biscuits in the packet. "It’s called shrinkflation—and it's designed to fool you. Companies know raising prices makes you angry. So they don’t. They quietly reduce quantity while keeping the price the same. You pay the same. But get less," he said.
The Mumbai investor added that the invisible inflation isn't just happening with snacks. "It’s happening to your entire life," he said, pointing out that the price for apartments in Mumbai shot up from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 2 crore in just 10 years. While salaries remained almost the same, rent doubled. "Invisible inflation is silent theft. You don't see it. You feel it in your daily life," Chokshi said.
Referring to visible inflation as the "distraction you’re taught to fear," Chokshi said that although the prices of milk, fuel, grocery, etc, are all rising, it keeps you distracted enough so that you don't notice the quiet theft happening elsewhere.
He also predicted that by 2030, we would have digital inflation caused by hidden charges on UPI and subscription services, while home prices get sky high and renting becomes your only option. Food portions would shrink while the bill would get higher. "By 2030, you’ll own less, pay more, and wonder where your life went," Chokshi said, adding that there is a way to escape the trap.
"Invest in anti-inflation assets: gold, land, and skills. Beat inflation by not depending on savings alone. Think like the rich. They buy early, invest in the system, and ride the wave. Every shrink or surge is meant to exhaust you, mentally and financially," Chokshi said. "Inflation isn’t random. It’s engineered. The system isn’t failing.
It’s working exactly as designed. Next time you notice a smaller pack of chips for the same price…
Or your salary is losing power every year. You’ll know what’s really going on."
Chokshi's explanation was lauded by X users. "Great thread," commented Bhaskar Dutta-Baruah (@BhaskarDBaruah). "Another silent killer, the weakness of INR. Unnoticed by those not involved in cross-border transactions. Higher import costs, restricted travel. While everyone observes just the USD, EUR, and GBP rates are even scarier."
Another user, Rahul Pawar (@rahulpawar__) wrote, "People are struggling with rising costs of daily expenses of food, rent, fuel, and bills. Inflation in healthcare and education is a few times higher but often overlooked in everyday life."
"So true. Ordinary people don’t realise this. I had raised this issue with a company manufacturing biscuits. The size had become smaller," added Ronjon Kumar Ghosh (@ghoshron).
Read more: India’s retail inflation eases to 67-month low of 3.34% in March
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