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Just walking thru the grocery store today it really hit me how much the cost of everything is going up. Gas prices are up, Stamps and postage just went up (yep, even the mail carrier is complaining.lol), groceries i have noticed are climbing in price also. Even Aldi's seems to be slowly climbing in price. A dozen large eggs at Piggly Wiggly was $1.49, i think im going to start buying eggs off the Amish outside of town here. Health care costs are going up, it's hard to find affordable health insurance, even employers are facing rising costs to keep health insurance available for it's employees. License plate renewal costs are rising again soon(maybe only in Wisconsin?) and every year just before winter it also seems like heating costs are raised too.
Dh and i are not millioniares,but we manage to get the bills paid. I just wonder how those who make barely above minimum wage, or even just minimum wage are able to survive today?!! It seems like it costs me a fortune to feed a preteen and a teenage boy, i am in awe of you that have more than 4 children,i don't know how you all do it.
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I agree 100% with you. Friday a week ago, I went to Super Wal Mart to buy groceries. Now let's keep in mind that I HATE going to Wal Mart, but I felt like I would be able to save more money by doing so. I noticed how their prices were rising also. Especially with dairy and meat products. What is so bad is that everything is costing more, but my dh is sure not making any additional money. If the state does gives raises to the employees it is consumed by the rising cost of health insurance.
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YET, my dh, who got a GLOWING review, in a profit-making company, plus his first year in a newly-promoted position, only got a 3% raise. Heck, Social Security's cost of living increase to its recipients for this year was 4%! Plus, his bonus in this higher position was to be substantially more. Yeah, right....disappointment.
Did the govt. increase their deductable mileage on taxes for business reasons?
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My dh just got a whopping 3% raise himself, but on June 1st his office is moving 25 miles away so I guess most of the raise will go for gas to get there after (he currently has a 16 mile round trip)
Yes even Aldis is going up, its scary.
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I'll get a 4% cost of living increase in July. The sad part is I probably won't even notice because it will be sucked away by gas and basic food/toiletries supplies. I really don't know how I can cut back anymore. I already shop at Aldi's, Walmart, Goodwill. When I go to Target and Walmart I shop off the clearance racks. Very sad that the working poor has to struggle so much to put food on the table and clothes on our kids. I make too much to get any assistance, but struggle to make it paycheck to paycheck.
This board is great though because so many of us are struggling too and we can support each other.
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I've been noticing it alot more lately too. I put 10 gallons of gas in my car yesterday ($30.30 ) before heading off to Harris Teeter who was having triple coupon day. Usually HT is higher than other grocery stores but on triple coupon day + with their BOGO free items, if you are careful, you can usually do quite well. Well yesterday it seems that every item that I had a .75 coupon (so that would be $2.25 off! Woo!) was not only not on sale, but had gone up slightly in price. Several other women (all with fists full of coupons like me) were complaining about it. I did manage to get a couple of really good deals but nothing like I thought I would.
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Oh yeah, Ive noticed as well. EVERYTHING is going up. Pay is not. I sit here thinking sometimes, what will we all do 3 or 5 years from now - with the rate that everything is rising, there is no way people can afford anything anymore. Gas alone is killing everybody. You need the gas, you fill the tank. It now costs me about $45 to fill my tank, thats every 7 days or so. I talked to my brother in OR yesterday - his gas prices are 20c higher than here in CT. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer.
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Originally Posted by RileysMom117
I've been noticing it alot more lately too. I put 10 gallons of gas in my car yesterday ($30.30 ) before heading off to Harris Teeter who was having triple coupon day. Usually HT is higher than other grocery stores but on triple coupon day + with their BOGO free items, if you are careful, you can usually do quite well. Well yesterday it seems that every item that I had a .75 coupon (so that would be $2.25 off! Woo!) was not only not on sale, but had gone up slightly in price. Several other women (all with fists full of coupons like me) were complaining about it. I did manage to get a couple of really good deals but nothing like I thought I would.
Carol, I could have written that post!!! I did the SAME EXACT THING yesterday! I put 10 gallons of gas in for 30.94 (it was where it stopped and I left it) then went to HT to use some of my .75 coupons and would up really disappointed....you weren't at the University HT by any chance were you ?
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I totally agree with all of you! It's pretty sad when you have to cut back on food and everything in order to pay your bills- I am praying for the entire country weather wise this year- hoping that the weather will turn in our favor- to help grow an abundance of produce (maybe we can all get decent food for cheap) and in the winter time- not go broke trying to keep our families warm! What is even worse is paying the gas prices so you can drive to work to pay for these raising prices on everything. Pretty soon there will be no more middle class and I could honestly see the country becoming one of those multigenerations living under 1 roof so we all can survive! Anyways- sorry for the rant- I also agree that it is nice to see and hear other people with the same issues!
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Yeesh tell me about it. DH finally decided to take a stand for his health and body and lose some weight. So he tells me to use the extra cushion from this paycheck to get some healthier foods. I prayed through the whole store - I spent twice what I would have on the same amt of food I normally get. But even just for one night, it seemed to go farther, as dinner was more filling, and he had one snack after dinner, and that was it. I'm praying the food keeps us going longer and we end up eating less at a time, so the investment in our health is worth it. It sucks that prices are going up so much when summer is right around the corner.. who doesn't want to go do things? We'll probably invest in a small pool to keep cool this summer, and spend more time hanging out in the backyard and running around at the park down the street. I think it'll force us to redefine the meaning of fun as we force ourselves to stay on budget so we can eat and DH can get back & forth to work.