Prices around here are getting out of hand!!!

[nunzia]

The post is about NJ and a specific comment made about overtime and road work. Every state and town operates differently. This is how it works in NJ. I do appreciate your viewpoint in regard to your brother. What is upsetting is the comments about how easy people think the job is and how the rate of pay is not justified without knowing the facts. Are there people who abuse the system? Absolutely. But because they are in the public sector, it is reported on with more enthusiasm because "when it is our taxes that pay your salary" you become more interested. Look at what a professional Football Player makes a year. Can you honestly say that his job is more important than that of military personnel or any aspect of protective services?Yet we still cheer for them every Sunday, buy their Jerseys, and pump money into the organization. Welcome to NJ!

Exactly. I don't care what idiotic moves the private sector makes as that is their (and their shareholders) business and if they really mess up they go out of business (unless, of course they get 'rescued'). Public sector jobs and that includes up to and including Congress and the President, get their money from us through taxes so it is in our best interests to make sure they are being good stewards of that money.
The double dipping teachers have been doing here is alarming (but I think they are starting to change that). I know many who have done this..they work their 20, retire, wait a year and then come back into the exact same system, seniority intact, while still pulling the retirement check . How is this logical? How can you currently work in the exact job you get monthly retirement checks from? At the very least retirement checks should be suspended until you really retire. How about all the young teachers coming up that can't find jobs because they are up against 'retired' teachers drawing their full 20+ year wage plus the check? Insane. If you still want to teach after you reitre then great..go and teach at a provate school or do tutoring.

 

[happygirl]

Like what for example? Just curious

I'm not the poster you quoted but I can tell you something that have went up

Peanut Butter
Eggs
Cheese
Ice Cream
Meat
Chips

It might be easier to list what hasn't went up LOL

 

[KCMiller]

For $350,000 in Central Jersey, you get a 3 bedroom split built in the 1960's. Along with this you get a $10,000 tax bill. At least you can still get a decent pizza for $9.00 on a Tuesday

For $350,000 in Central Ohio, you can live in a lovely 5 bedroom house in one of the top school districts in the state, and have property taxes of less than $7K per year. Two car garage, fenced yard, great neighbors. Oh, and you can also have $150K in the bank, because that's my house we're talking about, and you can buy it tomorrow for $200K. I moved here 26 years ago from New Jersey, and while I love and miss my family, there's nothing from a quality of life or financial perspective that would make me actually move back there. Housing costs and property taxes are just part of it - the unemployment rate in my current county is 6.5%, as opposed to my former county in NJ's 11.4%.

Decent pizza is hard to come by, but hey, I can afford to vacation in Jersey for the food <g>.

KC

 

[DOREEN1779]

For $350,000 in Central Ohio, you can live in a lovely 5 bedroom house in one of the top school districts in the state, and have property taxes of less than $7K per year. Two car garage, fenced yard, great neighbors. Oh, and you can also have $150K in the bank, because that's my house we're talking about, and you can buy it tomorrow for $200K. I moved here 26 years ago from New Jersey, and while I love and miss my family, there's nothing from a quality of life or financial perspective that would make me actually move back there. Housing costs and property taxes are just part of it - the unemployment rate in my current county is 6.5%, as opposed to my former county in NJ's 11.4%.

Decent pizza is hard to come by, but hey, I can afford to vacation in Jersey for the food <g>.

KC

I hear ya! But I do Love Pizza! Spent way too many hours on the versaclimber because of the Pizza

 

[StephyDee]

My family and I live in NJ, and within the last year property taxes here went to over $700 a month. JUST property taxes. We all decided that it was time to move. My brother in Georgia says the cost of living down there is so much cheaper, especially real estate. No lie, a house that normally would be about $300K in Central NJ would be in the $125K range about 30 mins of Atlanta. We visited him enough times and compared the numbers, and it's just too obvious to ignore. We're moving mid-October, and the house we ended up getting (a lake house we were VERY LUCKY to snag) would normally be in the $400-500K range (waterfront property automatically makes it extremely pricey >_<), we paid about 1/4 of that. It's affected our Disney trips, and even though we were planning on going in December, I don't think we'll be able to just yet, because of funds and all. The cost of living is making life just that much harder to enjoy properly. It's only been 2 years since we've been to Disney, so I know we're not OH SO DEPRIVED , but you guys of all people will know how addictive Disney is!

I've been saving loose change, earning rewards on my credit card, debit card and such, and so far what I have would certainly help, but I have a ways to go, and that's a year of saving. So far I have:

Loose change: $296.53
Bank rewards: $100
Credit Card rewards: $217.95

**Total so far = $614.48

^^Not bad for money I wasn't even using, huh?

Pinching pennies everywhere I go is what is gonna happen until we're financially stable. The majority of the world is struggling together it seems.

 

[garom]

We live in scotland and although times are hard we manage i work for Britains biggest retailer so i tend to shop there as we get discount,the biggest drain on our finances is petrol/diesel as hubby drives for a living and is self employed.Our son started college but as the government pays his fees and he gets a bursary it hasn't impacted on us this should be the same for university as well which we are very thankful for. Also as regards paying tax and the NHS well you pay tax and NI as soon as you start work so you never have it to miss and i would rather have the NHS and all its faults than have to worry about being ill, we also don't pay for prescriptions or our sons braces.It's not all great but i do think our government is trying to help as much as they can in these tough times.

 

[a1tinkfans]

We live in an expensive area in Northern NJ, approx 15 miles from NYC. The median house in our town is probably $500K and I do know salaries are higher in the area as well. Yes, groceries have gone up, as well as gas and everything else but last night we visited a Dairy Queen. I had my children get a SMALL scoop (probably a scoop and a half), no toppings, $3.50 each. When ice cream goes on sale in the grocery store it's $2.00 a half gallon. For my 3 children, I spent over $10, for a little cup of ice cream. Today, we had a friend over and went bowling. The price per game for a child was $4.50, and $2.50 to rent bowling shoes. Is it me, or are these prices outrageous??? It's getting to the point where I don't want to do anything but go to the free library. It's been an expensive summer.

well yesterday I popped into Walmart for soap and such...walked over to the candy aisle...and
GUM was $6.00 for that little container that you place in your car holder,
seriously, $6.00!!
Needless to say I did NOT buy it!
But it does not surprise me...gas is HIGHer, Food is HIGHer, Utilities are HIGHer, OIL is HIGHer (tho barrels are down), Real estate is LOWer and the list continues....so as a result QUALITY of life is DOWN, I hear ya I agree with you it has been a more expensive summer, I switched to morning/early afternoon movies to cut costs, that popcorn/drink/ticket adds up...I always think of the larger families, OUCH!
...but as always looking ahead..

 

[lilpig]

Like what for example? Just curious

cheese, hummus,( I will still buy) a specialty salsa won't buy (unless on sale) couscous, I also buy special crackers and "snacks" they have also gone up.

The snacks are amy's crackers and envirokids (sp) snack bars.(will try to find a "cheaper comparison". They were already expensive they but they are now $1 dollar more a box. I love the products but they are so expensive now.

Oh and specialty "Fruit Bars" you know the ones where you can trick your brain to think you are eating Ice cream

I am hoping to find coupons. Of course I haven't looked on line to order.

Because of food allergies I need to shop a certain way. Also sorry it took me so long too reply I couldn't see the thread a few days and then I could not get the internet to work.