Inflation

[Dunkopf]

Quote:
We switched to Costco for groceries and saved $400 the first month. I was shocked. I need to do raised bed, but am a little intimidated because I have a black thumb.

Costco and Sams are bug savers unless you are single and don't eat much or buy all fresh stuff. We save a lot at Sam's. I hate buying stuff like TP or paper towels at a regular supermarket. Staples tend to be cheaper but meat is about the same as regular grocery stores. More if you buy it on sale at the grocery store. I saw gas at 2.99 a gallon in Littleton, Co on Friday. Makes me wonder if the stations are finally grabbing a piece for themselves instead of the usual 2 or 3 cents a gallon profit.

 

[lockedhearts]

We are a no income family at the moment. With Hubbies recent Heart Attack. He gets a whopping $160 a week in Short Term Disability, less per month that he used to get per paycheck. Then to add insult to injury, got a letter from the company saying we owe $178 in insurance premiums to keep his health insurance going

I have not worked in two years and can't seem to find any job, even part-time. Thank goodness for his Military Retirement it pays our Mortgage and then some, but thanks to our Great Leader (Yeah Right) that is $50 less than it was last year due to a TAX INCREASE!

 

[debilorrah]

I have been really surprised at how much we saved by shopping Costco twice a month instead of the grocery store 4 times a month. And there are some things at Costco that are even BETTER than the grocery store. I know, I live under a rock.

 

[chickenguru]

I guess we are doing okay right now ourselves. We fill up both vehicles
once per month since both get decent gas mileage and we don't have
to go too much.
We buy groceries 1x/month and then have to get milk and bread along
throughout the month.
Don't really owe anybody money except the regular monthly, elrctric,water,
and insurance.
Buy all chicken feed when we buy the human feed.(10.00 for 50lbs. of layer)
There are 5 of us and at times I help out by buying gas for grandparents truck.
Income of roughly 1300.00/month.
Heck I feel like I am living the good life.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
I'm sorry that you are going through such a hard time... its gotta be scary for you all. Health wise and everything...

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
Are you paying for some sort of health care insurance through his employer? You can't fall back on Tricare?

 

[Mattemma]

Our hen feed is around $13 a 50 # bag. Our pine shaving(saw dust really) went up a dollar to $6 now.

I am ashamed to admit I have been using the credit card to pay for gas and food at times. We are needing to go to basic meals these days of white pasta and plain sauces,or some french toast with cheap white breads. I cut the whites(flour,rice,sugar),but they are so much cheaper in a pinch time. No more steaks for dh for a while!

Health insurance is so horrid. We pay about $100 a week and have a $6K(YES 6K) DEDUCTABLE! Insurance does not even cover meds.Essentially we pay incase there is a HUGE medical expense...and we hope insurance will pay their half AFTER we pay the $6k on top of the $5k yearly premium.Dh has diabetes so shoping around is not an option.The insurance used to be better,but they changed the *rules* and now pay nothing.It is a joke among our caregiviers to submit insurance claims.

Sorry for the struggles everyone is going through. Hang in there!

 

[Katy]

Quote:
If it makes you feel any better in regards to your health insurance we pay $8800 per year premium and have a 10,000 per person deductible......ours is a worst case scenerio coverage too. Luckly we're still in good health at 58 and 64 years young with only a few blips along the way like my detached and torn retina last fall.

 

[dkvart1]

Sorry to hear how hard folks are having it right now. We're okay so far, but I am worried sick about my youngest daughter. She went 2 years without a raise (she works for a company that clears customs freight, which took a hit in the recession) and the raise she did get this year didn't even cover the increase in the cost of gas! Her DH runs a small trucking business, and that of course suffered a set back, although now things are starting to pick up a bit. Their insurance premiums through her job went through the roof, so they changed to another provider, only to have their rates surpass the other this year. They had to cancel the insurance and insure their son through a state program. Two weeks ago she finds out she's pregnant! They hadn't planned for a second one, and now with no insurance...

With the cost of insurance through the roof, and having to fight most times to get them to pay pray tell how the HE double hockey sticks are people going to comply with the edict "everyone must be insured or incur a fine????"

 

[SillyChicken]

Whats a raise?

I haven't had a raise in several years. The last one I got was because I got a better job 3 yrs ago, I thought anyway, my employer froze wages for everyone, my first year on the job, after I saved the company more than they paid me for the year.... but the CEO got his 32 million dollar bonus! I'm so happy for him!

.

My DH hasn't seen a raise in several years either. We joke around here that the only way to get a raise is to find a new job... and of course there are not many jobs in MI right now either.