What are you cutting in your budget to absorb the Payroll Tax increase?

[okeydokey]

Looking at our paychecks for 2013... between my husband and I we are getting $400 less per check so $800 less per month. That is HUGE! I actually dropped my health coverage and went onto my husbands thinking I would be getting an extra $200/month starting in Jan. Food prices keep going up, bills keep going up and paychecks get smaller and smaller.

Obviously, that is not due to the end of the SS tax holiday.

 

[okeydokey]

Continue to get better????? LMAO! Seriously? What Kool Aid are you drinking?

Is a smaller deficit not better than a bigger one? I said that the current deficit is smaller than it has been in years past and that is a good thing, is it not.? I hope it continues to get better, do you not hope the same?

 

[mks18412]

Is a smaller deficit not better than a bigger one? I said that the current deficit is smaller than it has been in years past and that is a good thing, is it not.? I hope it continues to get better, do you not hope the same?

Where do you get ur numbers from?? This is laughable!

 

[ilovemk76]

Is a smaller deficit not better than a bigger one? I said that the current deficit is smaller than it has been in years past and that is a good thing, is it not.? I hope it continues to get better, do you not hope the same?

If we were doing such a good job then why is the debt ceiling looking again?

This is like being happy that the water is dripping a little slower and now I will not drown for another 3 seconds.

 

[okeydokey]

Where do you get ur numbers from?? This is laughable!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/13/b...2-fiscal-year-falls-to-1-1-trillion.html?_r=0

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...on-deficit-year-end-fiscal-cliff-cbo-estimate

http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/us_deficit

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/overview

 

[okeydokey]

If we were doing such a good job then why is the debt ceiling looking again?

This is like being happy that the water is dripping a little slower and now I will not drown for another 3 seconds.

Deficit is smaller and continues to lessen. Debt accounts for interest payments. I was saying a decreasing debt is a good thing. That's all.

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

Is a smaller deficit not better than a bigger one? I said that the current deficit is smaller than it has been in years past and that is a good thing, is it not.? I hope it continues to get better, do you not hope the same?

Things are not getting better. I am not sure what country you are in but I live in the USA and we borrow 42 cents on every dollar to pay for programs we cannot afford. Here in the USA we are accumulating MASSIVE DEBT and our deficit is not smaller, it is larger than it has been. And things are sadly getting worse. Our military is being defunded which makes us all less safe here in the USA. But many programs that do not work continue to be funded.

What country to do you live?

 

[okeydokey]

Things are not getting better. I am not sure what country you are in but I live in the USA and we borrow 42 cents on every dollar to pay for programs we cannot afford. Here in the USA we are accumulating MASSIVE DEBT and our deficit is not smaller, it is larger than it has been. And things are sadly getting worse. Our military is being defunded which makes us all less safe here in the USA. But many programs that do not work continue to be funded.

What country to do you live?

I said that this years deficit is smaller than it has been in the last few years. I hope that trend continues. I said that is a positive improvement. I said I hope it continues to go down. Those things are all true. I live in the US and I hear people complain all the time about spending. I then hear them complain about things being cut out of the budget. You can't have it both ways.

We spend too much. Wah wah wah.

we will spend less on military. Oh no, you can't cut military wah wah wah. You can't cut SS, wah wah wah. You can't cut school funding wah wah wah. You can't cut the things I want.

it doesn't matter what gets cut, someone will be crying about it while at the same time be crying about how much our country spends.

I for one do not think I pay too much in taxes. I get a lot of services for the taxes I pay.

 

[mks18412]

When ever you have more money going out than coming in is bad. When you cant make a budget and have never made a budget is bad.... This deficit is atrocious! The debt was $10.626 trillion on Bush's last day in office

national
debt as of March 2012 was $15.656 trillion and continues to go up. Lets remember Bush served 2 terms and Obama havent even served 1 at the time. During the 2 terms bush spent $ 4.899 trillion. Obama spent $4.939 trillion before his 1st term was up.

 

[mks18412]

I said that this years deficit is smaller than it has been in the last few years. I hope that trend continues. I said that is a positive improvement. I said I hope it continues to go down. Those things are all true. I live in the US and I hear people complain all the time about spending. I then hear them complain about things being cut out of the budget. You can't have it both ways.

We spend too much. Wah wah wah.

we will spend less on military. Oh no, you can't cut military wah wah wah. You can't cut SS, wah wah wah. You can't cut school funding wah wah wah. You can't cut the things I want.

it doesn't matter what gets cut, someone will be crying about it while at the same time be crying about how much our country spends.

I for one do not think I pay too much in taxes. I get a lot of services for the taxes I pay.

I would be happy if they let people save their own SS. Atleast I would know it would be there when I needed it.

 

[Marionnette]

I would be happy if they let people save their own SS. Atleast I would know it would be there when I needed it.

This! Provide an option to either put money into a retirement account or put it into Social Security. Come tax time, either provide documentation that you did it or else have the money withheld from your refund (plus a penalty) or owe more in taxes (plus the penalty). It shouldn't be too hard to do. After all, the IRS is also in charge of "taxing" individuals who don't get health insurance. They can certainly make sure we all either save on our own or they'll save for us.

Of course, this means that we would all have the option to keep our own money, and even if we should meet an untimely demise, our families would get to keep it. Probably not something the government wants any of us to be able to do.

 

[ilovemk76]

I said that this years deficit is smaller than it has been in the last few years. I hope that trend continues. I said that is a positive improvement. I said I hope it continues to go down. Those things are all true. I live in the US and I hear people complain all the time about spending. I then hear them complain about things being cut out of the budget. You can't have it both ways.

We spend too much. Wah wah wah.

we will spend less on military. Oh no, you can't cut military wah wah wah. You can't cut SS, wah wah wah. You can't cut school funding wah wah wah. You can't cut the things I want.

it doesn't matter what gets cut, someone will be crying about it while at the same time be crying about how much our country spends.

I for one do not think I pay too much in taxes. I get a lot of services for the taxes I pay.

That is because you are not paying what it costs for the services you are getting. The debt and people who pay the most taxes are footing the difference for you.

 

[EMAW_KSU]

This! Provide an option to either put money into a retirement account or put it into Social Security. Come tax time, either provide documentation that you did it or else have the money withheld from your refund (plus a penalty) or owe more in taxes (plus the penalty). It shouldn't be too hard to do. After all, the IRS is also in charge of "taxing" individuals who don't get health insurance. They can certainly make sure we all either save on our own or they'll save for us.

Of course, this means that we would all have the option to keep our own money, and even if we should meet an untimely demise, our families would get to keep it. Probably not something the government wants any of us to be able to do.

I am ready to sign up for that, but what will probably happen is the government decides I need saved from Wall street and take my 401K.

 

[okeydokey]

That is because you are not paying what it costs for the services you are getting. The debt and people who pay the most taxes are footing the difference for you.

So they can raise taxes for everybody. That works for me. I pay more than lots of folks. I pay less than some. I don't mind paying taxes. I think ss will be there when I retire in 20 years. I am an optimist and a very happy person.

 

[happygirl]

I would be happy if they let people save their own SS. Atleast I would know it would be there when I needed it.

 

[eliza61]

This! Provide an option to either put money into a retirement account or put it into Social Security. Come tax time, either provide documentation that you did it or else have the money withheld from your refund (plus a penalty) or owe more in taxes (plus the penalty). It shouldn't be too hard to do. After all, the IRS is also in charge of "taxing" individuals who don't get health insurance. They can certainly make sure we all either save on our own or they'll save for us.

Of course, this means that we would all have the option to keep our own money, and even if we should meet an untimely demise, our families would get to keep it. Probably not something the government wants any of us to be able to do.

Or the government doesn't want you doing what y ou did when you got the 2% cut. spend it all then complain when the give back is over. it would be interesting if there was some way to force folks to save.

I willing to bet from the rate of people participating in their 401K now (which is ridiculously low) that everyone would swear up and down that they would take that ss money and stash it away and then they would start whining how they needed the money to survive.

Fast forward 30 years and we'd pretty much have the situation we have now. no one has saved for retirement and you haven't paid into social security and you still becoming a expenses.

tell me if most americans are not saving for their retirement NOW, nor did they do it when they had 2% extra in their pockets. What are they suddenly going to have a "V-8" moment and say "yeah, I should start saving".

I think the motely fool did a survey saying that only 37% of american workers who have the ability to contribute to their 401K actually do even though they know their employees match some portion of their contributions.
NYT has reported that in 2010 the average worker between 54 and 64 had less then 54K in their 401K plans.

Our personal savings rate has always been bad. even now it's about 4%


http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/PSAVERT/

YOu have no faith in the government, LOL I have less faith in John q. public. As Winston churchill so famously said "Americans will do the right thing only after exhausting all other available options".

 

[Marionnette]

Or the government doesn't want you doing what y ou did when you got the 2% cut. spend it all then complain when the give back is over.

I willing to bet from the rate of people participating in their 401K now (which is ridiculously low) that everyone would swear up and down that they would take that ss money and stash it away and then they would start whining how they needed the money to survive.

Fast forward 30 years and we'd pretty much have the situation we have now. no one has saved for retirement and you haven't paid into social security and you still becoming a expenses.

tell me if most americans are not saving for their retirement NOW, nor did they do it when they had 2% extra in their pockets. What are they suddenly going to have a "V-8" moment and say "yeah, I should start saving".

I think the motely fool did a survey saying that only 37% of american workers who have the ability to contribute to their 401K actually do even though they know their employees match some portion of their contributions.
NYT has reported that in 2010 the average worker between 54 and 64 had less then 54K in their 401K plans.

Until the current financial meltdown the US was in a negative savings rate. NEGATIVE. even now it's about 4%


http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/PSAVERT/

YOu have no faith in the government, LOL I have less faith in John q. public. As Winston churchill so famously said "Americans will do the right thing only after exhausting all other available options".

Which is why I said make it an "either save on your own or the government will save it for you" proposition. No one gets to opt out of saving for retirement. You would be required to either put money into the government retirement plan or provide proof that you put money into a personal retirement plan. It's no different than mandatory health insurance. We all pay into it one way or else pay a penalty (or maybe it's a tax).

 

[auralia]

Luckily there are many programs in place to help them out with food and things like that. I am surprised being the wife of an E7 you weren't aware of that. A lower enlisted soldier should never have to worry about putting food on the table and if he is he needs to get in touch with his chain of command and find out about the many things to help like the commissary vouchers.

Soldiers should not have to rely on government aid to make ends meet.

 

[sweetdana]

In MI

Gas: Increase (due to location of work moved further away)
Natural Gas: Decrease
Electric: Same
Groceries: anything but a Modest increase to outraged.. Our food bill had quadrupled over the last 6-8 yrs.
Cable/Internet: Decrease (only due to I cut cable (and home phone) cause it increased another 10$ a month)..
R/E Taxes: decrease prop tx: decrease sales tax I buy a bunch more online..
Day Care: decrease BIGGGG nannies work for much less.. this yr than 5-7 yrs ago when I 1st started hiring.. and way more to choose from. BIG decrease prolly 1/2. .... Funny the day care facilities charge way more than a personal in-home nanny now.... when I started the day care was cheaper..
Insurance: same
Health Insurance: huge increase
Cell Phone: less

Adding to list goods like cars, socks, toys ect : way up!

My income is partially bonus so it fluctuates enough I have to plan with a wide range for the yr, and even budget on a min for the next 90 days.. with that being said our decrease will be on the principal on our mort. We make nearly all extra to there trying to get it paid off... we will just pay the $$ less a month there.



.... my 2 cents. Every bit makes a difference to each person.... the less you make the bigger impact it will have.. and the fact that it was temp and planned/ doesn't make it easier for some who already cut budgets by losing a job, or taking a pay decrease. For those it is harder for my heart goes out to you.

in MI

 

[okeydokey]

Which is why I said make it an "either save on your own or the government will save it for you" proposition. No one gets to opt out of saving for retirement. You would be required to either put money into the government retirement plan or provide proof that you put money into a personal retirement plan. It's no different than mandatory health insurance. We all pay into it one way or else pay a penalty (or maybe it's a tax).

This makes sense.