$10 a day is very painstaking

The economy in Indonesia is currently struggling. Many people are holding on tightly to their money, only spending on basic needs like food, transportation, and essential bills. As a snack seller, I heavily rely on the middle class those who still have some cash left to spend on non-essential items like snacks. But even they have started limiting their spending, and it's becoming harder each day to keep my business going.

Making even $10 a day feels like a major challenge now. I try to sell food with a reasonable profit margin, but my customer base mostly comes from the lower-income class, who are extremely price-sensitive. Many of them look for the cheapest option, and this puts pressure on me to keep prices low, which reduces my profit. I want to improve my product, but better ingredients cost more, and I can’t raise prices without losing buyers.

Meanwhile, some other snack sellers still get a lot of customers. The main reason is that they are already well-known in the community. People trust their products and are willing to pay more for them. I have tried many methods to grow my business changing recipes, adjusting prices, offering promotions but the results are always the same. On average, I only make around $5 per day.

This amount is not nearly enough to support a family of five. Every day is a struggle to make ends meet. I’m sharing this in hopes it provides some useful insight or awareness. Thank you for taking the time to read about my experience.