“Just this water thanks.” I said to the glum looking lady at Slough train station.

I was on my way into London to meet some friends after work, and if previous meetings were any indication of what lay ahead then I would do well to take on board some water before arriving in the city.

“That’s £1.29 please.”

Water is expensive. This was only a small bottle, and therefore disproportionately expensive, so I begrudgingly went through my pockets looking for change. I began to consider a colleague who is doing a charity walk for WaterAid. Apparently, just £15 can supply clean water to an African homeless person for a whole year. My water rates are over a hundred pounds. Honestly, these Africans do not know how lucky they are.

I handed over £1.30 in change and waited.

“We do not have any pennies, I am sorry.”

I looked at her. She looked at me, as if our transaction had been concluded.

“So, you’re just going to not give me my penny?” I asked, still a little concerned that I might be misunderstanding the situation.

“We don’t have any.”

“Well, that’s not really my fault is it? I don’t want to pay £1.30, I want my change.”

There was now a principle at stake. That 1p represented a price rise of just over three quarters of one percent, and though that might not sound a like a lot, you just have to ask anyone with a mortgage about inflationary pressures on interest rates. Honestly, this stand was about economic stability, not me being tight.

“But I don’t have any pennies, I would give you one, if I had one.”

“Do you have any 5 pence pieces?”

“A few.”

“Well, I’ll have one of those instead then.”

“But I have to make up any shortfall in the till myself.”

“Right, so any upside you get to keep, is that it? Overcharging everyone a penny will earn you, what, 30p an hour on average? Let’s be honest, you’re not going to be out of pocket at the end of the day over my 5p are you?”

With that, she relented, and gave me a 5p and I went off to the platform to drink my delicious victory water, like the consumer champion I am. It is these little things like this that will enable us to prevent the country descending into an ever-worsening spiral of hyperinflation. I suggest you all do your bit.

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