- The short — three levers this week
- Fuel bands by city + car math
- Grocery basket: weekly drift (illustrative)
- Fees to watch: banking, telecom, travel
The short
- Fuel: Retail bands steady across metros; diesel cracks—not Brent—drive risk to stability.
- Food: Pulses and edible oils set the tone; onions/tomatoes volatile by mandi and state levies.
- Fees: Late-fee and convenience-charge creep can offset EMI savings; pick zero-fee rails where possible.
Fuel bands by city (illustrative)
| City | Petrol (₹/L) | Diesel (₹/L) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 102–105 | 90–93 | Baseline |
| Mumbai | 106–110 | 93–97 | Higher VAT/cess |
| Bengaluru | 102–106 | 88–92 | Recent resets |
| Chennai | 101–104 | 92–95 | Levy mix |
Monthly car fuel bill (Delhi)
- 1,000 km @ 14 km/L (petrol): ₹7,250–₹7,500
- 1,000 km @ 18 km/L (diesel): ₹5,000–₹5,200
- EV @ 7 km/kWh, ₹9/kWh: ~₹1,285
Guardrails
- Watch 2–3 week trend in Brent & diesel crack spreads—more predictive than 24-hr spikes.
- If INR weakens by ₹1, add ~₹0.50–₹0.70/L pressure to retail math.
Grocery basket — weekly drift (illustrative)
| Item (1 kg unless noted) | Band (₹) | Drift w/w | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat flour (atta) | 32–42 | Flat to +1 | Retail promos offset mandi firmness |
| Rice (non-basmati) | 38–50 | Flat | Export curbs keep local steady |
| Toor dal | 120–160 | +2 to +4 | Import parity & festival demand |
| Refined oil (1L) | 95–130 | Flat to -2 | Edible oil spreads supportive |
| Onion | 26–40 | ±5 | State/mandi swings; buy smaller packs |
| Tomato | 30–55 | ±6 | Weather-led volatility pockets |
| Milk (1L) | 56–68 | Flat | Brand-specific revisions possible |
Fees to watch — banking, telecom, travel
Banking/fintech
- ATM/branch cash charges—switch to UPI/NEFT windows.
- Late fees on BNPL/credit cards—set auto-pay with buffer.
Telecom
- Data pack creep—audit “family” bundles vs single lines.
- International roaming—use eSIM or daily pass only as needed.
Travel
- Convenience fees—book via airline apps; avoid meta search checkouts for payment charges.
- Baggage add-ons—pre-book; airport purchases are costlier.