We're Broke..

[ThreeMusketeers]

Vacation, yeah right..In our dreams. With the price of Gas at almost $4.50 a gallon here, My grocery trip prices seem to be rising b/c of the cost of EVERYTHING going up. And although, DH just graduated and has landed his dream job working for the government as an Auditor. We still will JUST ABOUT break even every month. Because to make this dream job a reality, we have to move to a more expensive area of the country.
It's driving me INSANE!
Anyone else feeling it?
I would love to start saving for a house, or maybe a nice getaway..that we DESERVE! But..it isn't going to be happening ANYTIME SOON.

Anyhow...I just wanted to vent.
Thanks for listening..

 

[Maliki2]

Vacation, yeah right..In our dreams. With the price of Gas at almost $4.50 a gallon here, My grocery trip prices seem to be rising b/c of the cost of EVERYTHING going up. And although, DH just graduated and has landed his dream job working for the government as an Auditor. We still will JUST ABOUT break even every month. Because to make this dream job a reality, we have to move to a more expensive area of the country.
It's driving me INSANE!
Anyone else feeling it?
I would love to start saving for a house, or maybe a nice getaway..that we DESERVE! But..it isn't going to be happening ANYTIME SOON.

Anyhow...I just wanted to vent.
Thanks for listening..

I know the feeling, we have bills that keep going up and up. Heating and auto gas costs almost as much as my mortgage does every month.

Then to boot my wife gets fired almsot 2 months ago. I know how you feel believe me.

 

[Gisele]

Don't worry about it, you have a right to vent! for example the oil companies continue to report record breaking profits, but yet we pay over $4.00 for one gallon of gas! you should be mad about that, for since those companies are making these huge profits, do you really think that the price of gasoline should be what it is? of course not! it is all related to greed and politics, believe you me.
The price of food goes up, because of the price of gas!
People that use their gas credit cards, are getting screwed even worse, if they don't pay that balance off as soon as possible. One can say, well don't use that card, which I personally am making it a point not to, for I have no job, and can't pay for anything right now, but many people find it necessary to use that card, because one cannot afford to pay for gas in cash, but then if your payment is late, or just have a high balance with a huge interest rate to match, once again, the oil companies are making your hard earned money turn into more profit for them, and their stock holders, what a lovely thing it must be to be one of them? or maybe not! for we have more of a conscience than that!
In due time, I do not doubt that your husband will earn a higher, if not much higher wage, for that is not only an important job, it is working for the government, which normally means a good, if not great job, I figure in the beginning, the salary is smaller, but then in due time, hey it is time to travel! so don't worry about things, everything will work out for you and your husband, in due time,I am sure of it, now for myself to be honest, I am not so sure about things at all, for my career seems to be either not having one, (insert laughing face here) or having a crap one! seriously.
O.K. now I hope no one minds my small speach.

 

[AussieDad123]

Us too!!!

 

[AussieDad123]

It's a long way from Australia, big $$$ required

 

[disneydreamer1970]

We know exactly how you feel!!! I work for a non-profit agency that has not been able to give raises for 3 years and it certainly does not look like there will be one this year. Our insurance premiums are going to double in July and with the cost of everything rising that paycheck just keeps getting smaller and smaller.

 

[MoniqueU]

We're feeling it too big time. A layoff fof a couple of months really did us in. Plus no vacation rime this year due to having to have one yaar on the job before you are eligible. My kids sports and school costs are going through the roof. But for now I am not willing to have the kids drop out of sports it is that important to me. My husbands new job is 1.5 hours from our house one way.
I was supposed to go to Disneyland today with my husband and my girls but woke up in the middle of the night and cant go back to sleep right now so goes that little glimmer of fun for today. They will have to go without me.I am going blind and don't know realistically how much time I have left with my eyesight and I would really like to do a big trip som4where besides Disney but I don't seem o see that happening any time soon.

And FWIW no one deserves a vacation or anything else for that matter. No one is entitled to things just for breathing and having a job if you ask me. Thos are wants nt entitlments.

 

[gilby]

This is the reason we are working part time jobs along with our full time jobs, so we can pay our bills and put money away for vacations. We don't live in an expensive house, we live with in our means, all our cars are paid for and we will drive them for many years. We changed the heating source in our house and now burn corn, which is going up also, but we are helping the farmers not the oil/gas companies. I shop using coupons for as many products as I can. We ride to work together to save on gas.

 

[stefffe]

ive been broke before...and it sucks... after how last year ended i told my dh NO MORE!!!! We saved and scrimped.....and in the past 6 months have managed to pay off vehicles....putover 2K in the bank for emergency fund....set aside other savings...and pay off all the credit cards. We have old cars....live in an apartment....live way under our means..... and we have managed to save enough and willpower ourselves into affording a few days at disney here very soon. It is very much earned and a reward for doing something we had never done before....saved money and cleared up our debts..... you can live without that daily coffee....mcdonalds...blockbuster...resturant food...that new cd or dvd..... all of that can be lived without. it turned us from being broke....to having 3 months of bills tucked awya in the bank.... and a nice vacation.


it can be done..... you just have to be willing to give up stuff....

 

[polineedyan]

We are a family of six, and somehow, we're doin it. DW and I live about a mile from the schools and our jobs, and all shopping is right down the street. So, gas, in that way, isnt killing us. However, we really dont drive much more than 5 or 10 miles away because of it. The water company just raised our rates, so my bill this month is equal to the years I filled my pool (without the pool..)
The gas company continues to play to actual vs. estimate game with us..turned the tank down and am considering turning off the pilot to the furnace this summer..
Land line is 80 bucks a month, that will probably go..
We dont have much extra, but no ones starving..My biggest gripe is that I work in the service industry at a MAJOR restaurant..the place is empty. That hurts..

 

[ibdamamma]

We too are a family of 5, we are thankful that 2 years ago my mom allowed us to move back home while we go back to school. DH and myself work full time and attend school full time. We pay everything right down the middle but lately all of us have been feeling the crunch. My monthly budget has increased instead of decreasing during the summer months. The only reason I am able to do disney is because of that stimulus payment. Even with most of disney paid I am affraid when it comes time to leave we will have no money to actually "go" to disney with. Both of our tuitions went up about 5% and federal assistance is slim. Gas and utilities hurt the checkbook every week so we cut so much even as far as groceries. My oldest will not be having a birthday party this year because we just cant swing it. If its this bad now, what will it be llike in a few months/years

 

[snowbunny]

DH just graduated and has landed his dream job working for the government as an Auditor.

Consider yourself lucky, at least with a government job you will have good healthcare benefits, which is worth a lot (may not seem important when you are young, but wait until you start a family) -- that's a leg up a lot of people don't have.

 

[CrazedDisFan]

I'm a parapro in a public school district. I make decent money, but only from September until the end of May, so tomorrow I will get my last paycheck until September. It stinks, but at least I am home with my kids during the summer.

We will be getting the stimulus check soon and it is going to be put away to buy school clothes and supplies for the kids. Dh is a supervisor for a company that is shutting down for two, possibly three, weeks in July. The stimulus will also carry us through that unemployment pay.

Things are hard all around, not just in you neck of the woods. There is certainly no reason to apologize for venting.

Here are some things I've done in the last few weeks to combat rising costs:

*My kids must turn the lights off and tvs in their rooms. If I catch them on and they aren't in there, they pay $1. Of course, that $1 is out of my pocket from their allowance, but they are being forced to suffer the consequences of not being mindful of electric usage, especially with the air conditioning running all the time now.

*Call the cable company. I told them I needed to cut my bill down or disconnect my service. I got put on a package that includes more channels and faster internet service, but saved $20 a month due to the package special. The bill is still $132 a month, but includes home phone, internet and cable with DVR. I can reduce it by $10 more a month, but if I take the DVR in, dh will be livid.

*Use a crockpot, cook in bulk, freeze meals ahead of time. If you have meals prepared ahead of time it makes the 'just grab a burger really quick' stops easier to avoid.

*Go through your house and have a garage sale. We make about $300 annually holding one garage sale. I was supposed to have it tomorrow, Friday and Saturday, but the weather is uncooperative. We are due for rain tonight and tomorrow and 92 degree weather on Fri. and Sat. I will postpone the sale until a nicer, less hot weekend is upon us.

* Plan ahead for regional events like fairs, kid days and etc. You will have a local plan of something to do to look forward to and not be disheartened by not being able to afford any functions.

 

[C.Ann]

I think things are going to get worse - before they get better - so I guess all anyone can do is to try to hang in there the best they can..

At least your DH has a job that will provide good health insurance - a very, very important issue these days..

Hang in there!

 

[LAH LAH]

...I would love to start saving for a house, or maybe a nice getaway..that we DESERVE!...

Want? Yes!

Hope for? Yes!

Desire? Yes!

Deserve? No!

I too am feeling the crunch...but a getaway is not something we deserve.

Hope things even out for you soon!

 

[rainy~daze]

i think everyone who works hard deserves a vacation, or a break of some sort!
it may be a want, but sometimes a necessity to keep your sanity!
you can't just work hard all the time with no reward for yourself, it isn't right.

 

[Jhult]

My wife and I are doing ok, but there just does not appear to be an end in sight. However, I am considering a job change. I have been with the same company for 12 years and doing pretty well. But, they fired my mother two weeks ago after 14 years of service, and never any problems. If anything, she cared more about the company than anyone. The kicker is that she is in the middle of her third bought with cancer. We all know that she was let go for insurance reasons, but they told her that her job was being eliminated. I know for a fact that is not true. I have a hard time coming in everyday and working for a company that did that to someone, my mother or not.

 

[crisi]

i think everyone who works hard deserves a vacation, or a break of some sort!
it may be a want, but sometimes a necessity to keep your sanity!
you can't just work hard all the time with no reward for yourself, it isn't right.

But a break and a getaway are two very different things.

Back in the dark ages, we unionized because we had people working twelve hour days six days a week for peanuts (early industrialization). In the 1930s a lot of people really sacrificed - and the unions (and I'm not a union fan) gave us the eight hour day and the five day workweek. Vacations came along for the working class. Those were good things for our mental health. But vacations until the 1980s or so for most people involved staying at home, maybe driving to the beach or mountains or lake close to home, perhaps visiting grandma. Somewhere along the way we started putting families on planes, started going skiing every year. Instead of driving two hours to one of those quaint little cabins, we started vacationing half way across the country in opulent hotels and condos.

We all deserve a break - we need one to spend time with our families, to recharge, to get the stuff done that wouldn't get done if we worked 12 hour days six days a week 52 weeks a year. We don't all deserve getaways - any more than we all deserve Harry Winston jewelry.

 

[eliza61]

Op,
I'm one that does believe that if you work hard you deserve a getaway but I try to remember a "getaway" can be any thing that recharges your mental battery. With 3 kids, 2 dogs, a job and a dh there are some days that a simple overnight stay without the family, actually having time to take a long bath and eat a nice dinner and see a movie is enough of a "getaway" to help.

I want my trip to Paris and yes, I think I deserve it but I'm planning and saving for it. Some times I can only get $25.00 bucks towards it, some times it's zippo, money has to go to other priorities and that's ok. Maybe it won't happen for a while, I've got 2 kids approaching college, very soon but I firmly believe it will happen.

I do understand your frustration, I think it's just a normal reaction to difficult economic times. Try looking at the glass 1/2 full now. You have a good job so you have possibilities.

 

[luvsJack]

If the OP feels she "deserves" a vacation, so be it. She really wasn't asking that. She was venting about this sorry economy and how its affecting her. Jessh. And btw I think we all do deserve not only a break but a "get away" from our daily lives. For most people, we take time off and then spend it working at home doing major cleaning or yard work. If we actually "get away" then we are really taking a break.