How can all my bills go up at once????

[frannn]

I am ready to dig myself a hole and crawl into it. First, we need a new car, so we just signed the papers, and will pay about 370/month (putting a big downpayment). Then I just got my new tax coupon booklet, and surprise, surprise the payments are now about 220 more each month dues to tax increases and escrow shortage. Then, I get a gas bill for 675. I am on a budget plan, thank goodness, and the bill is for 63 days (I think). I just can't see how people can afford to live anymore in NY. My salary has not increased in 2 years, it has actually gone down. DH got a small % increase over a year ago, and probably won't see anything more for a while because he works for NYPD, and they are hardly generous with raises. Unless you already owned a home on LI before the market jumped, I can't see how people can afford the inflated mortages, taxes, utilities, etc here. I give up......

 

[MsMulan]

I believe it is like that everywhere. In DC, the housing market is out of control. It seems like everything has gone up for me also and I doubt a raise is coming down the pike. I wish I could hit the lottery...lol. Unfortunately, you have to play to win.

 

[JoiseyMom]

Don't feel so bad. Things in NJ are just as bad. My house is worth lots more than I paid for it, but if I sold it, I couldn't afford to buy anything else. Plus my DH, who has been working since Oct. 2003, after being laid off Feb. 2002, is about to get laid off again. But this time our savings is all gone. I was laid off Sept. 2001, and we decided I should stay home with our then 5 month old. Now my technical skills ain't worth diddly, and an $8/hr job at the mall ain't gonna pay for daycare, let alone the mortgage. So, look on the bright side, you are better off then me. And then again, I am sure I am better off then others.

 

[Microcell]

Me too! I have an increase in homeowners insurance and taxes too!

 

[Okiemom]

I understand your feelings exactly. Things are tighter than ever now. Our wages are less for the less 5 years, we are on commissions, yet our health insurance has gone up 100.00 a month each year. The kids are older, 3 of them, and they are costing so much more. Driving, gas, food, etc... The stress is incredible.
I have worked on getting miles saved up on AA for the last 6 years, so that is the only way we are coming to WDW in Nov. 2005. If our flights were not free, it would be out of the question. Now I have to squeak by just to save for the expensive food there. I am jealous of those who get to come more often, but feel lucky to get to come at all!!
Hang in there, there are others in the same boat!!

 

[swilshire]

Okiemom,

Just my opinion, but if the older kids are big enough to drive, they're big enough to work. I admit that only one of my two teens does. The older has worked since age 16 and paid many of her own expenses. I did buy her a car and pay the auto insurance, but she has virtually covered her own freshman year at school between scholorships and savings. The next in line has always been too busy with other projects to get a job, but we also haven't let him start driving yet, even though he turned 17 in December. It will happen soon and I dread the insurance bills.

As for feeding them, when we do WDW, we stay in a condo. Since we drive down, we bring some food items from home. I usually bring the things I think I can save the most on (such as meat) and that weigh the least (such as pastas that I've bought on sale). It really doesn't cost too much more to feed the brood there than it would at home. We eat out a few times in a week, but certainly not every meal.

Enjoy your trip.

Sheila

P.S. I am in the same boat as all the others. My annual pay increases have probably averaged 1 - 2% (if that much) for the last several years, while gas prices, utilities, and everything else have soared. What can you do?

 

[Okiemom]

My 2 oldest ones do work. It does help by them paying for extra things and activies they want. We do pay their car insurance, etc...
But I don't want them working full time. They are involved in activites, like soccer, basketball and you only are a kid once, so I want them to do these things too.
Health insurance, RX, medical extras, electic and heating bills , home insurance is our biggest jump in expenses the last 5 years. I am sure this is true for alot of people.
Just making the point I know how others feel.
Just excited we can take a nice vacation end of this year. Yea!!!

 

[Disneefun]

I feel your pain! We live in a semi-rural area of NC and have seen everything go up, as well. DH hasn't had a raise in 3 years (his annual review is today and we're expecting another "sorry, but times are tough" lecture), his company quit paying for dependent insurance so now we pay that, all the utilities and insurance have gone up and to top it all off, I got the letter from the termite people the other day telling me that the annual cost for my termite inspection/protection has gone up $300 (used to be $100, will now be $400 per year to keep us bug free). We've decided probably not to do Disney this year at all (horrors!!!) and just keep saving for the cruise we've booked for 2006. So I can sympathize. Of course, I still hold out hope that the PCH people will show up here soon with a big check!!!

 

[goofyforlife]

I feel your pain also.......

In july our company gave its yearly nonimal raises. (Here's your quarter)

But then two months later they raised our health benefits almost a $100 a month and then doubled our co-pays. (My DD is on 5 medicines a month)

So now I'm working for less money, pay more for prescriptions, and that's not even counting any increases in all of our other expenses (taxes, utilities, etc)

 

[kfeuer]

I feel everyone's pain. For the last 5 years my husband's "raises" haven't even covered the increase in our medical insurance premiums (much less the cost of living), and our co-pays and deductibles have gone up.

I just got a raise at my 40-hour a MONTH job and it's the first real raise we've gotten in several years...not that it will be much considering how few hours I work.

Our heating bills have gone way up (and we're not even in a cold climate). Our property taxes and homeowners ins. went up, so I'm sure our house payment will increase this year, too. It's so frustrating!

 

[Kay1]

I'm in that boat, too. My husband and I believe we have to face the fact that his 1% doesn't begin to cover the increase in price of gas, electricity, taxes, health insurance, medications..just to name a few. Some of our neighbors are refinancing to get extra cash but we refuse to do that. On paper our house has increased in value, but who knows what we'll get for it when we actually decide to sell? I would hate to end up owing more than the house is worth. We have just cut back on everything we possibly can.

 

[manhattan]

Feeling your pain here is South Florida....I have worked for the same company 7 years...first 5 years were ok, til new management came in, took away OT and cut my salary. Can't afford to stay there, cause can't make ends meet. But, a position opens up in our Florida office and I transfer, keeping all benefits, and with no state tax, actually taking home a little more. BUT.....my new apartment is more expensive, my electric bill is twice what it used to be in NJ, my commuting expenses went from $64 a month to over $300 and my car insurance doubled!!! The only good thing? I feel happier now, migraines are practically gone and the stress is practically non-existant at the office.....and I too wonder how do people make ends meet here? I was lucky enough to get my NY salary, but I know that other people don't make the same salary, how do they do it? Even looking to buy a home...$400,000 I thought that was outrageous in NY, but how do Floridians afford these homes? Gotta start playing the lottery.

 

[starwood]

Don't feel so bad. Things in NJ are just as bad. My house is worth lots more than I paid for it, but if I sold it, I couldn't afford to buy anything else. Plus my DH, who has been working since Oct. 2003, after being laid off Feb. 2002, is about to get laid off again. But this time our savings is all gone. I was laid off Sept. 2001, and we decided I should stay home with our then 5 month old. Now my technical skills ain't worth diddly, and an $8/hr job at the mall ain't gonna pay for daycare, let alone the mortgage. So, look on the bright side, you are better off then me. And then again, I am sure I am better off then others.

Same here - the only option is to move out of state where we could buy a mansion for what our house is now worth. We bought our house around 25 years ago for $110,000. They are going to tear down the house across the street from us and put up 2 houses with 4 bedrooms in each. One will sell for $525,000 and the other for around $475,000. That's $1,000,000! Of course the 2 houses will be right on top of each other and there is no yard for either house. So I figure we could get $450,000 for our's easy (only 3 bedroom) but we have a yard!

I wonder what that will buy me in Celebration.

 

[JoiseyMom]

Same here - the only option is to move out of state where we could buy a mansion for what our house is now worth. We bought our house around 25 years ago for $110,000. They are going to tear down the house across the street from us and put up 2 houses with 4 bedrooms in each. One will sell for $525,000 and the other for around $475,000. That's $1,000,000! Of course the 2 houses will be right on top of each other and there is no yard for either house. So I figure we could get $450,000 for our's easy (only 3 bedroom) but we have a yard!

I wonder what that will buy me in Celebration.

I know that option. Dh actually had an interview with a company in South Florida when he was laid off. He is still looking everywhere, including out of state. THe only issue is all our family is up here. Moving with the little ones isn't hard, but I have a 21 year old that goes to a local school and works. There are no apts he can afford. And he won't leave to go with us, because his friends and entire life is here. My other DS is 20 and 400 miles away in school. I don't think it would matter to him. He would just have a much longer drive home. I am just hoping my DH can find another job in the area. Need lots and lots and lots of pixie dust. He had two interviews, and they went great. But the job went to others.

 

[siennacrew]

I know what it's like my hubby got a paycut shortly after I quit work to stay home w/ the kids..... It took him a year and a half to find a job that wasn't unstable and in the middle of bankruptcy. We have an escrow shortage too! We have to pay @ $700 to catch it up or our bill goes up by $100 a month! Does it seem like groceries keep going up & up...let alone gasoline! Our CC bill came in higher than expected...it's amazing how things add up... Why can't you ever get ahead?

 

[kilee]

I agree. According to the news my county had the largest 1 time property tax increase ever in NYS history this year. Our property taxes were a hair more than double what they were last year!!!! I didn't get any extra services and my property value didn't go up. They also raised our water bills by 25%. NY is out of control. My health insurance has been raised 3 times in the last year. Also, my car insurance just raised that too (for no reason I know of), and my heating bill is running me over $400 a month. There's just not enough to make ends meet lately.

 

[Taja]

It's everywhere!

The Phoenix housing market has gone berzerk in the past year. Investors are buying anything and everything at ridiculous prices, so taxes have increased (more than doubled in three years).

I was planning to sell and downsize in the next year or so, but will put it off until prices stabilize. I can sell for a good price, but there is nothing to move into. New houses are well outside of town and the builders hold lotteries every two weeks (Irvine, CA, used to do that)--after strategically raising prices another $10,000 or so.

As one of the self-employed, I also have to pay my own insurance premiums, which are astronomical, even through a professional association. And most of my clients are pinching pennies these days and are hinting that when the current contracts expire, they will expect to negotiate lower rates for more work! A couple wanted to renegotiate existing contracts, but after listening to them, I refused. It's more a case of money in the owners pockets, not utilizing it for the employees or to expand the business in a beneficial way. My rates are quite reasonable, in any case.

Not sure I'm going to continue with self-employment, but I'm not sure the alternative of working for a company is any better.

There is no job stability anywhere, and it's taking a toll on everyone.

 

[Snowysmom]

I sympathize with you. Our taxes have gone up quite a bit. I just received our gas bill and it was outrageous! DH is out of work and looking like crazy. He can't even get an interview for jobs he is qualified for. Before that he hadn't received a raise for over three years. The economy here in Mass. is horrendous. No one can catch a break any more. The money goes to the wealthy, not the middle class. Now we have to COBRA our health coverage. Ouch!

 

[JoiseyMom]

I sympathize with you. Our taxes have gone up quite a bit. I just received our gas bill and it was outrageous! DH is out of work and looking like crazy. He can't even get an interview for jobs he is qualified for. Before that he hadn't received a raise for over three years. The economy here in Mass. is horrendous. No one can catch a break any more. The money goes to the wealthy, not the middle class. Now we have to COBRA our health coverage. Ouch!

We did COBRA until it ran out. We were paying over 1,000.00 a month for a family plan. My DH, thinks he will get his notice next week, and he will have until April. We needs lots of pixie dust that he gets a job before then. He had two interviews this month, and yes, they went great, but they went better for the guys that they hired.

 

[kimisabella]

frannn - my husband is a sergeant for the NYPD so I DEFINATLEY know what you are talking about - he isn't optimistic about getting a real raise anytime soon. Don't get me started on that!!! I'm a stay at home mom, so we have to live on his salary alone. We bought a house on LI when we were engaged 7 years ago, when the prices weren't as crazy as they are now - 2 years ago we moved to a bigger house/nicer location - now we're looking to move up again, but I don't know if we can. The utilities are killing us here. I can see why people are moving away like crazy, but all of our family is here and no one wants to leave so I guess we're stuck for now. When we were in WDW in december, my husband asked about what jobs would be available to him - they said they have a police K-9 unit in WDW, but there are no openings now - how funny is that? Leaving here to go to work there - my girls would love it - hey, come to think of it, so would I!!