FLUSHING, NY — With inflation rising to unprecedented levels, former dollar stores across the country have been forced to rebrand themselves as “Franklin stores,” where everything now costs $100. The price hike has left many low-income families struggling to afford basic necessities. Some customers, such as Sadie Clarkson from Queens, have resorted to drastic measures to make ends meet.
Sadie arrived at her local Franklin Store with a dump truck filled with pennies that she had been saving up for years in hopes of buying a new toothbrush for her son. However, Sadie was shocked when the robo-cashier informed her that, even with her massive pile of coins, she still didn’t have enough money.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Sadie said. “I had over 10,000 pennies, and that bot told me it wasn’t enough. I thought it was glitching out.”
With New York State sales tax now over 90%, most Franklin store items end up costing closer to $200.
“How am I supposed to take care of my family when even the cheapest things cost a fortune?” asked Sadie.
The store’s owner, Pedro Lee, sympathizes with Sadie’s situation, but he says that he has no choice but to adhere to the new pricing structure.
“We’re just trying to stay in business,” Pedro said. “It’s not our fault that the economy is in shambles. I’m barely scraping by myself. We have to pay the bills somehow.”
Meanwhile, economists predict that the situation will only get worse in the future, with some projecting that inflation could skyrocket even higher in the coming years. To adjust to higher prices, the Federal Reserve has begun printing $1,000 bills featuring Martin Luther King Jr.
Some economists have proposed radical solutions to combat inflation, such as abolishing the Federal Reserve, bringing back the gold standard, returning to a barter-based economy, raising interest rates, or cutting government spending. But many politicians remain skeptical of such drastic measures.
As for Sadie, she says that she will keep fighting to provide for her family, no matter what it takes. “I’m still saving up every penny I can find,” she said.
Let’s just hope she has enough to buy that toothbrush before the Franklin Stores turn into King Stores.