Starting to feel the pinch

Mark42 · Apr 1, 2005

This darned economy is getting to me. With the price of gas going up, everything goes up. I'm paying $1.60 or so for a gallon of heating oil, $1.98 for regular gasoline (I commute 80 miles round trip every day), electric is up, food is up, home project supplies are up. Two to three years ago wife would pay the bills and we would have money to put in the savings accnt. Now we have nothing left over to put in the savings account. That savings money covered the cost of auto insurance, tires, car repairs, new cloths, sheets, towels, boat stuff, etc. Now we have nothing to cover those expenses. So we can do without new stuff. But insurance, tires, repairs and the like are mandatory items. We don't live high on the hog, we live within our income. Wife saves by swaping our old daughters baby cloths with folks who have new baby girl and she gets the used baby boy cloths. I fix everything I can. Costs for finishing the basement are all going on a home equity line of credit. Regular maintenance items like fertilizing the lawn, buying new shrubs to replace what the %^&%#$%^& deer ate, and other spring projects are out the window. I hope the tractor doesn't blow the trans, that our cars hold up, that the dishwasher doesn't break down again. I hope the TV lasts a few more years (its a 30" Sony from 1994 - will probably die soon). I hope the kids don't need braces. So I was better off a few years ago than I am now. That gas is really killing me. Between wife and myself, we spend over $400 a month on gasoline. Oh crap, the clothes washer just broke down. Got to go see what's wrong. I am not a happy camper.

DJ · Apr 1, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

Mark, Look at the bright side, gas is $2.41 here. Recheck your budget, DO NOT use credit for anything. Pay cash, that way you know where every cent goes. You'll be surprised at what you find. It has worked for me, for years.

roscoe · Apr 1, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

It really stinks, don't it? I'm making half of what I did 15 years ago, then factor in inflation and it is down to about 30% of what I used to make. Don't worry about the tv. One of mine is 20 yrs old, the other is 22 years old. If it breaks, you can throw it away and cancel the cable bill.

Luckily, my miles are down from 20,000, to 7-8,000 miles per year. Somethin better change for the better, and soon.

achris · Apr 1, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

Mark and DJ, In Perth I'm paying $USD3.35 a gallon ($AUD1.15 per litre) for diesel (in the car) and $USD2.97 ($AUD1.02 per litre) for unleaded in the boat. I know how you feel. Unfortunately we, the consumer, are the bottom of the food chain and all those above us are in a feeding frenzy! Chris..........

DJ · Apr 1, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

All, Keep the faith. I'm in a better financial position than I've ever been, in my lifetime. Plenty put away and a solid retirement strategy. That's with two in college. An "away" college with mega tuition and room/board expenses for which I'm flipping 100% of the bill.

For me, it came down to budgeting. Granted, my income was not stagnant, but I found other ways to supplement it-a little. Be realistic with yourself. "What do I REALLY need?" You'll be surprised at how many $$$ you can throw away. My history: My wife went back to work, after a sixteen year hiatus (we home educated ours), and makes just a little. She works for our church and LOVES her job. Play money, really. But, she is happy and it affords a few treats, from time to time. Some budgeting hints. I went without cable TV or satellite for 16 years. Blockbuster, on special occasions and we used the local library allot. They've got great stuff-for free! It's called sacrifice. But, it's all been worth it. The boys are doing well in school, and I have EVERYTHING I NEED. There's a difference between NEED and WANT. With all that budgeting, we ALWAYS found allot of $$$ for charity. It is my belief that giving reaps rewards from places you never expected. I'm living proof.

JasonB · Apr 1, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

$2.17/gal and commute 60 miles round each day at 24mpg, feel your pain on that one. Hope my next commuter vehicle gets 45+mpg...... DJ is right, don't use credit, esp. credit cards. Those things are a slippery slope.

Mark42 · Apr 1, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

We'll be OK. We don't carry any credit card debt and I only have about 3500 on the equity, expect total for basement to bring it to 5000 to 6000 and I'm comfortable with that. Things are different the last year than years before. I keep forgetting that my little boy is an expense. It costs to keep him crusing around the house. Plus he has a little allergy to milk so we buy the more expensive soy milk. He's about 16 months, so hopefully he'll grow out of it in the next year or so. My daughter is in pre-school now ($$$) and that will end when she starts kindergarten next year. She also has dance class and swimming lessons this year, and my boy has cross country expenses like shoes and clothes and bags and such. A lot of guys at work have their kids in college and are getting raked over the coals with tuition, so I shouldn't complain. I'll save that rant until my older boy is 18. I'll find some way to save the money for the boat top and perment gas tank.....

DJ · Apr 1, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

Mark, Not to nitpick, but I see some expenses, in your reply, that I would SERIOUSLY look at. Hint: Your children DO NOT have to be completely "socially energized" to have a full and rounded childhood. YOU and YOUR WIFE are what they want, not the other stuff.

JB · Apr 1, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

Been there, Mark. The "Carter" inflation of the late 70s-early 80s ate my lunch in the same way. Everything kept costing more and my income didn't budge. I went from comfortable to negative cash flow in what seemed overnight. We stopped everything, backed off and started over. Smaller, less expensive house, less expensive and more economical car, lower standard of living on more like 70-75% of my income. Didn't hurt nearly as much as I expected and I was able to sleep at night, even with my ego in tatters. Then my specialty became obsolete. Another step down. When I got another job it payed about what I had paid in taxes two years before. Had to build a whole new career from about 20 grand a year. My new career bloomed in the late 80s and the 90s and I was able to accumulate some retirement bux. Heart attacks cleaned that out. Now I am retired and live on less than 20 grand a year. I once regularly paid more than that in income tax, and when the buck bought a lot more than it does today. Tough times come and can be overcome. Quality of life has little to do with what you have but more how you deal with what happens. Best of luck to you, Mark. Read what DJ has to say, carefully. A happy life is being in control, not in being rich.

DJ · Apr 1, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

Mark, I guess my whole point is that don't fall into the "woe is me" trap. That will kill you, and your family in short order. Keep your chin up, look around, be aware. You'll be fine.

demsvmejm · Apr 1, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

I think the whole point of Mark's post was to vent about the runaway inflation of "necessities." I know I'll get beat bloody for this comment, but thank you baby bush. The current administration doesn't get it. Energy drives the economy. When energy costs rise, everything rises, except the working man's standard of living. But the little guy doesn't matter to the Republican political machine. The only one who matters is the wealthy and in this administration the oil companies. The oil companies are posting record profits, on these high pump prices, (2.309/gal here.) Many posts will be made defending the almighty bush and republican party, but look at this country. There is nothing to be said for the condition of the economy, jobs, energy prices, taxes for the working class. We have record deficits, we are quagmired in Afghanistan and Iraq. We will be there long after baby bush is out of office, all for what? His ego? Oh, yeah I know September 11. With the inaccurate, misleading and just plain false information that the administration has blathered to the American people, why should we believe that we needed to go into these countries? So bush could be a war-time president, like daddy? Thank you guys. Isn't the Republican party supposed to be conservative, I mean less government, less intrusive government? How 'bout the Patriot Act? Isn't that pretty intrusive, almost Orwellian? But I must digrees. I have worked the last four years for the exact same hourly wage. My income hasn't gone up, but my expenses sure did. Just like Mark said, I used to be able to save some money, but now it's all I can do to make ends meet. DJ, you truly sacrificed, bravo. However, when you don't have much to give up, it's hard to gain any ground when you give it up. All we can hope for is prosperity in our next president, er ah, I mean life.

crab bait · Apr 1, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

yeah, we need to get off our butts an bomb more countries..

rodbolt · Apr 1, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

Im wit ya crab bait. need to bomb North Korea and china. that should get some 8 dollar an hour workers some overtime pay. plus it can make some oil companies even wealtier and we all know that is a good thing. plus just think of all the extra weatlh two airforce bases, at 83 million, in afghanistan is going to create. I mean we gotta have an airforce to protect Bush's oil pipeline acrossed afghanistan dont we? I do think it sad that the workers that were being trained on the bush ranch for afghany pipeline work lost there jobs in the late 90's early 200 but soon they will be rehired. I just hope they have green cards. I cant help but wonder how many scholarships an 83 million dollar fund could provide. but we all know that the afghanies are our best buddies and they need the boost as much as we need the oil.

rodbolt · Apr 1, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

some interesting reading on bases and why in afghanistan. we must protect "our" oil no matter what country its under. http://www.onlinejournal.com/Special_Reports/121004Schwarz/121004schwarz.html

JB · Apr 2, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

Ahoy, David. I suggest that you find and read the energy bill that President Bush sent to congress several years ago, and which was squashed by liberal tree huggers. I suspect that you will switch to blaming different culprits.

tomatolord · Apr 2, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

The big mistake was talking about "them" in your posts now that you mentioned your tv it will be sure to blow the next time you turn it on!

rodbolt · Apr 2, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

yep you may have mad the machine gremlins mad. I always wondered how the machine gremlins know how much I have in my savings.

rodbolt · Apr 2, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0807-06.htm and yet your wonder why I question the integrity of the entire white house

eeboater · Apr 2, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

David: Blah blah blah blah blah blah is all I hear when I read your post. Lets analyze what you wrote shall we?

The current administration doesn't get it. Energy drives the economy. When energy costs rise, everything rises, except the working man's standard of living. But the little guy doesn't matter to the Republican political machine.

On the contrary. I think this administration DOES get it. Its the people you support who do not! Your side is always pumping the TIRED and LAME argument of "ohhh Bush is in BIG OIL's" back pocket. Give me a fricking break. If Clinton wasn't playing HIDE THE SAUSAGE for his term, maybe our economy wouldn't be such horrible shape. The Dems screw up the economy in their term with their "tolerance" and tax hikes, followed by the Republicans coming in and fixing their messes.

The only one who matters is the wealthy and in this administration the oil companies. The oil companies are posting record profits, on these high pump prices, (2.309/gal here.)

In Wisconsin this week, the annual GAS TAX HIKE will occur. Our gas will be 1.5 cents more expensive because of Taxes. Lets see here... 2.309 /gal... 80 cents of that are TAXES ALONE! What the hell do you expect, Oil companies to do their job for FREE? Contrary to what you HOPE, this isn't a SOCIALIST COMMMUNIST country as much as you would like. There's oil in Alaska that they are trying to use, but NO, thats BIG OIL IN BUSH's back pocket trying to get him to help their profit margin. So, what I am seeing now, is you b*thching about the cost of oil, yet you support the people who want to ADD MORE TAXES to it, AND, you support people who feel we shouldn't try to work out deals for lower prices. Yeah yeah yeah, I've heard the tired old story that we should stop using OIL because it is black evil and the world is coming to an end blah blah blah. Fact of the matter is, contrary to what you MAY believe, technology doesn't MAGICALLY appear. What, you say its Bush's fault that he's not spending more money on R&D of newer, more fuel efficient energy sources? Why don't the tree humping organizations that your "party of tolerance" supports spend more money on R&D themselves instead of protesting stupid causes and taking these organizations to court? Noooooo, you would rather we spend MY hard earned dollar on the R&D instead of letting the free market come up with solutions. But, that would never happen would it? We can't trust companies to make right decisions can we? Noooo, they all make pacts with the devil to become successful! None of the companies have a concience. What you forget in your socialist/communist mind of yours is that businesses are all about the bottom line. How can they fatten their wallet. If they p*ss off their customers, they don't HAVE CUSTOMERS. But you would rather have the government stick their already bloated noses into the situation and make costs rise EVEN HIGHER. I'm so sick and tired of the pompous sanctimonius left inserting their ELETIST views on thing and saying absolute BS about the right, but when the left gets called out on the table they are nowhere to be seen. Theres a reason that the left will never win again. They are so used to looking down their noses at everyone that they forgot to look where they are going and have run into a wall. They are not "mainstream" with the American public anymore. They are elitist, and feel that we "stupid Americans" aren't SMART ENOUGH to make decisions for ourselves. Well you know what, this American has made a decision. And the decision does NOT include Democrat Liberals. They're losing their grip big time. And they will not realize it until they are sitting at some over-taxed corner bar crying into their over-taxed beer after losing their jobs. Sean

rodbolt · Apr 2, 2005

Re: Starting to feel the pinch

EEboater read some of the sites . Bush, poppa Bush, and grandpa bush dont have clean hands either. Clinton did not but I was hopeing in the 2000 elections to get someone that did. apearently it backfired google, bush ranch afgahinistan. or, bush ranch unocal. or white house pardoned felons. poor maththa stweart went to prison for lying to a gubbement man. not perjury mind you just telling a fib. Clinton perjured himself after many years of lying and has a nice retirement and lifetime security. go figgure. not just a lie but a lie under oath. means he placed his dicc skinners on a bible and swore to tell the truth,whole truth and nothing but the truth. or was that the truth as it applies today? mmmm I cant remember. time for a rum and coke

Starting to feel the pinch

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