Saying that the Lebanese Lira has seen better days is an understatement. The poor Lira has never known a worse time!
This unprecedented economic crisis and hyperinflation are so bad that things we deemed a bit pricy not long ago actually seem affordable and even cheap today.
The good old days of the Lebanese Lira… aren’t really so back in times.
While we’re not looking so far behind, it’s worth noting that even those who lived throughout the Lebanese Civil War say that today’s crises are worse.
“No one prefers war, but those days were better. There was money and the people were comfortable,” said one of the survivors in an interview with AFP.
The Lebanese Lira had value, “the Lira used to speak,” the elders attest today. Something the younger generation can say as well today as just not long ago the Lira in their wallets “used to speak.”
In the good old days of the Lebanese Lira…
#1 Your Pepsi was at 250 L.L.
#2 Your kharjieyh for school lunch was 1,500 L.L.
#3 You could afford to fill gas…. and without waiting hours in lines
#4 You could drive to distant touristic places because gasoline wasn’t an issue
Now people think twice about going to their offices…
#5 Your parents could buy a car for 19,500 L.L.
#6 Health care was affordable to all
#7 Not long ago, you could come by jaw-dropping cheap prices like this one:
Not anymore!
#8 Today, this $20 offer would cost over 350,000 L.L.
It used to be 30,000 L.L.
#9 You could go to the movies every week without breaking your wallet
#10 The souks were flourishing with life and products
#11 And they were always full of buyers
#12 Locally produced fruits and vegetables were more affordable
Not long ago a kilogram of cucumbers was for 1,000 LBP. Today the price has at least quadrupled over the past year or so.
#13 Buying dessert wasn’t something you had to save up for
#14 You could indulge in sushi without a pinch in the pocket
Today, a sushi meal costs much higher than it used to.
#15 Simple fast food chains like McDonald’s were super affordable
The price is shocking today.
#16 Malls were packed with shoppers
#17 Zaatar man2oushe used to cost 1,000 L.L. and Cheese man2oushe was for 2,000 L.L.
Those days are long gone. Zaatar man2oushe now costs at least 4,000 LBP and the cheese one is double that.
#18 Nescafe Gold was not a luxury
We’ve now switched to local alternatives ever since the Nescafe Gold hit 50,000 L.L. (which is not a bad thing after all).
