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

[HenDuck]

Hawaii's cost of living is one of the highest in the nation.

The only good thing about our property values sky-rocketing is that we will finally be able to get rid of our mortgage insurance in another couple of months.

My DH is self-employed. His income varies from month to month. He just got through telling me that he doesn't know when two of his biggest clients will pay him for work he did last month.

AND his car needs to go to the shop tomorrow and I cringe thinking of what the bill will be. The only thing worse would be if they tell us to junk the car, then we'll be stuck big time!

I know how you all feel.

Crazy thing is, all I can think of is how this affects our Disney vacation in 2006. (I'm sick, I know).

Good luck to all of us!

 

[CheapMom]

Despite all this I can guarantee that you will feel better after the state of the union address tonight. George Bush will surely tell us all that the economy rocks- and if George Bush says it- it must be true.

 

[CheapMom]

putting on flame proof suit as I type...
really it was a joke (mostly)

 

[thelittlemermaid]

I know what you mean about the bills going up all at once. This happened to our gas, water, and electric bills. Gas went from $89 to $356 and we keep the temp in our house at 68. Water, well the town thought it would be a good idea to raise the water rates and trash removal. It went from anywhere around $50-$55 to $70-$75. For the electric, we were paying around $110 now it's $160. Needless to say, some of our other bills had to be put on the back burner so I could pay those to keep the electric, water, and gas on. Now I am counting on our tax refund to get caught up on the other bills. How bad is that???? AAAAHHH!!!!!

DH gets a raise, if you want to call it that a big $.35 raise, each year. Like that is going to keep up with the raising costs of fuel, food, etc.

 

[punkin]

CheapMom, I thought it was funny.

I moved from LI to the DC area about 2 years ago. If I had to move back now, I couldn't afford to buy the house I used to live in. My taxes down here are 3 times lower than they were in Nassau County. However, my DH has a salary that's only 2/3 what he was making in NY in 2002. So basically, I still can't make ends meet.

 

[HenDuck]

The Honolulu news just reported that the AVERAGE house in Hawaii costs $500,000. What the????

Who can afford that?

Kinda makes me want to move...to Orlando!

 

[jessie32]

i know my heating bill went to $175 a month it use to cost us $125 a month.the cost of our taxs for the house went up and house insurance to.i dont know how we are going to keep it up.we will have to go from month to month and going out to eat as much and put disney on hold.

 

[Tigger1]

My bills have gone up too. I live in Oklahoma where cost of living is much less. The average income is also less. A $500,000 would by a really nice house (mansion) in most of the state.

As a school teacher, Oklahoma is in the top lowest paying states. I think it is in the top three lowest catagory. A couple of years age we took a income decline as Oklahoma Schools were given about 8% less money that year.

Like many of others that have posted, insurance goes up whenever we do get a raise so we never really see a raise in pay. My heating bill has also doubled in the last couple of years. Electricity is 60 % higher, water is 33% higher, food is also alot higher. Ground beef is about 50% more than I paid a few years ago. Gas for the car is also 40 to 50 % more than is was a couple of years ago.

Nationally everyone will be buying less, which will hurt the demand market.

Maybe if everyone just canceled health insurance, donated to those who needed hospitalization, the insurance companies would refigure the cost.

 

[DisneyMomOK]

I agree with Tigger1. All of my utilities have increased from 30 to 50% over the last year. I never had a water bill (including the trash service) over $50-60; last month they put in a new water meter and now it is $90 (my husband thinks there is a leak, hope so). Then both of my two teenagers started driving, which meant my car insurance doubled, along with increased home insurance (everyone in my neighborhood but me got a new roof last year). Add that to a daughter with out of state tuition costs and worrying about retirement (someday). No wonder people have terrible credit card debt. Where does it end? I really sympathize with those of you in high cost states because it is crazy here in middle (as in, lower costs) America.

Sharon

 

[wilderness gal]

I totally agree with all of ya'll. My DH is a 14 yr Corporal with Shreveport Police in LA & he's 22 out for Sergeant & he hasn't had a raise lets see since 2000 when he was promoted to Corporal. Our house note went up $94 a month this yr due to taxes & ins., we haven't had the bad weather that ya'll have had in NY so I don't know if I could handle a $600 gas bill. Bless your heart. Our son started driving this year, 16 yrs old, car ins. went up $120 a month for that & the city went up on our health ins. from $438 a month to $643 a month, we had to take the lesser plan, that doesn't pay as much & the co-pays & Rx's are more. I got a my merit raise & they did raise the classified employees salaries (I work for SPD also, ACP secretary); but it's not like we hit a gold mine.

I feel for you, hang in there. When I get down I come to these boards & I get cheered up !!! I need that Disney Fix just about every day !!!!!!

Haughton High School Buccaneers/The Big Red Band

 

[crisi]

When core commodities increase - like oil - it costs more to provide darn near everything - from food, to transportation to heat. In the meantime, because people can't choose not to buy food and gas, they have less disposible income and other parts of the economy suffer and things like raises disappear.

 

[fourfoxesinpa]

All the more reasons for everyone on this board to get their ING account set up and get that free cash!