No raise, no bonus - again, no flames please.

[barbarabini]

I have just 1 child in daycare for those two days a week. It does seem expensive to me, but I haven't found a good cheaper school. I live in a suburb of NYC (about 15 mins from there) and the daycares seem to fill up quick and charge a lot.

Our prop taxes are 10,200 for my 50 by 100 lot. But although they are reassessing downward the values, they have increased the tax rate.

I have done the redbox at $1 per movie and unplugged alot of things, which really helped), my deductibles are in the 2500 category.

But I have noticed its those items outare of my control that are still taking big bites of my budget. (gas, taxes, prop taxes, some food costs).

 

[mjkacmom]

This is why we finally bit the bullet and moved from a HCOL area to a much lower COL area.

Dawn

DH was almost forced to move to Charlotte right after our twins were born, but managed to get a branch office job here when his company left NYC. I really needed the help of my parents, who live in town, and my children are very close to them. My sister lives in Chicago, and all of DH's siblings live in other states, so we are the only ones who see his parents, who are also in NJ. We could've bought a house IN CASH, and DH would've been given moving costs and kept his salary, plus a bonus.

But, family is family.

 

[eliza61]

you're far from alone....other things go up in cost, but I'm not getting any extra money to buy them.

I work for a very large global company and we have had no raises in 2009 or this year and we haven't done any sort of bonus plan for most employees since the late 90s. They also cut all recognition last year and announced they are reducing our workforce again.

Still thankful I have a job, but morale here is VERY low......

Same boat, different ocean. We are usually told what our raises and bonuses will be on 2/1. We got zippo last year and so far managers have all been tight lipped so I'm thinking we're at a freeze again this year.

Disheartening but as others have said I have a good job so I'll count my blessings and hey, it's a Friday!!

 

[deerhart]

Maybe this will help someone as we are all rowing the same boat.


Someone else said this but I will say it again: Look at your insurance and what deductibles you can raise to save. Are you paying for coverage you don't need? How much is your car worth and what are you insured for at this point?

You have to be VERY careful with this. Even though a lower deductible may cost you more per month, your deductible should be at a level that you can actually make it without having to borrow money.

If you have a $1,000 or $2,000 deductible and your in an accident and the car is undrivable and needs repaired and you can't make the deductible, now you can run into issues of not having a vehicle to get you back and forth to work

 

[robinb]

Boy are you nasty & judgemental!

I just call 'em like I see them. Put me on "ignore" if you don't want to read what I have to say.

 

[csmommy]

I just call 'em like I see them. Put me on "ignore" if you don't want to read what I have to say.

done

 

[DawnM]

well, the other half of NJ is already down here!

It was really hard to move for us too. Our life is back in CA.....starting over again is not easy. I still really would love to move back to CA, but DH is set of staying in a LCOL area if we can.

Dawn

DH was almost forced to move to Charlotte right after our twins were born, but managed to get a branch office job here when his company left NYC. I really needed the help of my parents, who live in town, and my children are very close to them. My sister lives in Chicago, and all of DH's siblings live in other states, so we are the only ones who see his parents, who are also in NJ. We could've bought a house IN CASH, and DH would've been given moving costs and kept his salary, plus a bonus.

But, family is family.

 

[woodkins]

We are in the same boat...thankful we are still working but the cost of living has increased so much here that we are barely making it. Our taxes and insurance on the house have tripled in the last three 3 due to living less than 50 miles from the coast. Our taxes were around 800.00 a year, we are now paying close to 2200.00 a year. It is just crazy. My company is on salary freeze, raise freeze as well. No overtime or anything else. DH is self employed and while his salary has not gone down,our bills have gone UP UP UP.

On our tax return it looks like we did alright. But, my couponing and getting the sales when we can, buying only what we need and no frivilous spending at this point is really what is keeping us afloat.

I will always be glad we have jobs still and our home when so many have not been so fortunate. But, sometimes it seems like we are in the same boat just making ends meet where we can!

Kelly

I agree with you, it is hard to make ends meet regardless of where you live or what you do. On the flip side, we own our own electrical contracting company & have 3 employees and ourselves. Our health insurance costs (for the employees and ourselves) have gone up 8% 4 mos ago & just got notice they are increasing another 12% next month. We ate the 8% increase last month, but just cannot afford to pay the additional 12% for everyone as well. Our workmans comp insurance has also increased, never mind the gas costs for our vehicles, etc. And keep in mind, business is waaaay down since there are less people doing home improvements and the commercial sector is down as well since most businesses are cutting back or closing down, not improving and expanding.

I am doing the best I can not to lay off my employees, I would love to give them raises etc. but I am barely keeping them employed & insured.

We live on Long Island NY and our property taxes on a 100x100 property with a 1200sq ft ranch are $8000K per year, utilities are outrageous. Our car insurance is very high also because of the area we live in.

Keep in mind companies are doing the best they can too, employers aren't getting joy out of not giving raises and bonuses, at least this employer isn't.

 

[karenos]

NJ - highest in the nation, and one of the highest counties in NJ. My house is 1800 square feet, on a 60x 100 lot. And no, we can't seem to get ahead.

I'm guessing Bergen County - my house in Bergen is 2000 sq. feet, same sized lot - almost $13,900. Are we neighbors?? LOL

karenos

 

[jmpellet]

I guess "Taxachusetts" ain't looking so bad anymore. My 230 X 100 (23,000 SF) lot plus my 2,800 sf house only costs $4,200 in real estate taxes. Our homeowners has gone up in recent years to about $1,200. Our utilities are just ok and electricity averages $100/month and natural gas was $200 last month. My water bill is about $150 every 6 months and car insurance is about $1,000 for two cars.

 

[robinb]

NJ - highest in the nation, and one of the highest counties in NJ. My house is 1800 square feet, on a 60x 100 lot. And no, we can't seem to get ahead.

Holy cow! That is high! Our house is smaller on a smaller lot and taxed at a little under half that. In fact, our taxes were down last year since our property value went down when the housing bubble burst.

ETA: Our utilities also went down this year because Natural Gas is less.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'm guessing Bergen County - my house in Bergen is 2000 sq. feet, same sized lot - almost $13,900. Are we neighbors?? LOL

karenos

Almost - Essex! And there are towns here that have higher taxes than ours (Montclair just got hit hard). Millburn tried to secede from the county, as did 5 other towns (and failed)!

 

[sydneysmom]

we're in the same boat too. they stopped our 401K match and raises in 2008.
Our insurance premium for Blue Cross has gone up, our property tax has gone up, cable ( HOLY COW!! ) it's like nothing ever comes down even though you scrimp on everything. Know that you're not alone though.....it seems like every little bit you have left over to save, someone's got their hand out for it !!

 

[barbarabini]

Essex too! --once your in you can't get out.
50 by 100 lot, mansion size 1800 sqfoot house

The deductible point is a very valid one -- and for anyone contemplating raising their deductible, it is very sound advice that you have that and more saved.

 

[eliza61]

I'm guessing she cares because her sister will be the next one out of a job once these codes get spread around on the internet and the company takes a loss.

And the company is run by morons. They haven't figure out to cancel the codes? Come on, redbox is well aware of how the codes are being used, they are banking on the small % of people who use the codes over being offset by the new customers they get. These codes on the internet are pretty much viral by the time anyone gets them. No biggie

 

[indimom]

For the sake of comparison on the COL discussion, we own a 1900 sf home on a 100/100 lot within the city limits of a small rural town. Our property taxes are less than $500/year. Our house payment and utilities run about$1000 a month.

Eliza

 

[G's mommy]

Same here, state university employee, no raises, never any kind of bonus, and now furlough days! All this plus increased health insurance, parking, retirement contribution, etc.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

Almost - Essex! And there are towns here that have higher taxes than ours (Montclair just got hit hard). Millburn tried to secede from the county, as did 5 other towns (and failed)!

Ah, I knew by your posts and amount of property taxes that you were in northern NJ lol.

Just about everyone I know in my area (Morris County) pays over $10,000 a year in property tax, even for smaller houses. Even though the value on our house went down, our taxes continue to climb.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

My husband is on the second year without a raise. I hate to admit, but I'm still getting mine. We're in the third and final year of our contract, in which they just started a wage schedule / step increases. I know when this contract expires, that will be the last of the raises for a long time.

We're trying to cut back now, knowing our income will be stagnant starting next year.

 

[DISdreamin']

We are in year two of no contract, receiving the same salary we were back in 2007. The good news is, our health insurance cost and retirement hold steady until a new contract is in place, and, honestly, I think we'll be worse off once one passes. We might get a "raise", but I'd be willing to be that it will be more than offset by an increase in insurance costs.

For daycare expenses, two kids, FT daycare, ~$1300 per month here. Thankfully, we now have one child in school and another starting in the fall, so those costs will decrease substantially. For what we used to pay for childcare before either child was in school, we could buy a small new car each year for cash.

Property taxes, ah...another lovely thought. We pay ~$8500 a year for a 2600 sq ft home. It's nice, but it's no palace. Yup, our taxes are high. And did I mention that lovely state income tax?