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

[mks18412]

DHs ss, medicare, federal and state went up. I thought nothing but the ss 2% was suppose to go up.

 

[angierae]

I certainly don't make anywere near a quarter of a million. My DH's paycheck is $100 less and for some reason my check is $300 less. I have an increase in SS, increase in Medicare Tax, and an increase in FED withholding tax. I just looked at more paystubs from 2012 and the SS tax was sporatic. Some weeks nothing, some weeks close to 200 some weeks 50. But the first two paychecks in 2013 it is $300. And as I mentioned other tax witholdings are raised as well.

If your SS was that sporadic, is it because your paychecks differ? I work between 78-80 hours every two weeks and throughout 2012 my SS withholding was never more than $2-3 different from paycheck to paycheck. It sounds like your payroll department/company is doine some crazy stuff.

 

[DawnM]

Health insurance makes me nuts! I used to carry all of our health insurance at NO COST to us other than $10 copays. Both of my pregnancies and C-sections were 100% covered, no copays even. I paid nothing per month, it was part of our benefits.

Now that I don't work, we pay close to what you are paying AND we still have copays and many times still need to pay deductibles.

Dawn

Most of our costs are pretty close to the same, property tax and gas have gone down, natural gas/electricity went up about the same as those went down...

Groceries off the shelf have gone up, but I've been finding the sale/coupon combinations getting better, plus my stores are clearancing out more items for less than they used to, so our OOP is less.

The only big difference we've seen is our health insurance. In 2009 we paid $400/month toward our premium. It has gone up each year so that this year (if DH weren't unemployed again) it would be $725/month. He keeps working at the same place on and off- the portion they pay has gone up about $200/month even with us paying more too. That extra $325/month is a whole Disney trip.

 

[wendow]

Health insurance makes me nuts! I used to carry all of our health insurance at NO COST to us other than $10 copays. Both of my pregnancies and C-sections were 100% covered, no copays even. I paid nothing per month, it was part of our benefits.

Now that I don't work, we pay close to what you are paying AND we still have copays and many times still need to pay deductibles.

Dawn

Same for us. We are paying almost $800 a month in health insurance through my dh's employer. Still have co-pays and deductibles. I shopped around trying to find a cheaper way to be insured but most private plans were the same or higher. Funny thing is, we never go to the doctor other than wellness checks which are free. So, we pay $800 a month for...nothing...

 

[luv2mickey]

Let’s take a look at fiscal year 2013′s projected numbers:

U.S. tax revenue requested: $2,900,000,000,000
Federal budget: $3,800,000,000,000
New debt (low estimate): $900,000,000,000
National debt: $16,443,000,000,000
Recent budget cuts: $15,000,000,000
Outstanding debt liabilities: 86,800,000,000,000

Now if you picture these numbers like a household budget by removing 8 zeroes, you’d get the numbers below:

Annual family income: $29,000
Family spending: $38,000
New debt in 2013: $9,000
Credit card debt: $164,430
Mortgage (on the future): $868,000
Cutting expenses: $150


Numbers everyone can understand...Whatever your political views are you can not look at this and believe things are getting better. Our leaders are not improving our economy and I don't know what the answer is, but I know we need to be honest about what's really going on in Washington.

 

[eliza61]

I don't think many people will deny there is a problem even in DC. The problem comes that we want it fixed as long as it doesn't impact me.

 

[joedplumber]

DW got her first 2013 paycheck. She received a $4,500 raise effective 1/1/13. When all is said and done her net pay increased $1,700 for the year. However, I will not complain as the direction is still up instead of down. Also, when we received the 2% holiday over the 2 years we spent every last penny of it!

Now to see how mine looks in a few days.

 

[trinchick]

Let’s take a look at fiscal year 2013′s projected numbers:

U.S. tax revenue requested: $2,900,000,000,000
Federal budget: $3,800,000,000,000
New debt (low estimate): $900,000,000,000
National debt: $16,443,000,000,000
Recent budget cuts: $15,000,000,000
Outstanding debt liabilities: 86,800,000,000,000

Now if you picture these numbers like a household budget by removing 8 zeroes, you’d get the numbers below:

Annual family income: $29,000
Family spending: $38,000
New debt in 2013: $9,000
Credit card debt: $164,430
Mortgage (on the future): $868,000
Cutting expenses: $150


Numbers everyone can understand...Whatever your political views are you can not look at this and believe things are getting better. Our leaders are not improving our economy and I don't know what the answer is, but I know we need to be honest about what's really going on in Washington.

Wish there were a "Like" button on the DIS.

 

[crjack]

I think for many people the timing is an issue because in addition to the rate return many people are dealing with new healthcare premiums.

I know we are and I feel fortunate to be at a stage of life where we can make adjustments to our budget to absorb them without changing our 401K, etc. but I was still surprised at our first 2013 paycheck.

Our insurance costs have risen consistently every year and our coverage declines. I know DH's company has looked at every possible option but not having any real control over the changes each year is a big variable.

If we were younger and starting out, that combined with last year's high gas and grocery prices would be big hits to our budget, despite our practical lifestyle.

 

[luv2mickey]

I don't think many people will deny there is a problem even in DC. The problem comes that we want it fixed as long as it doesn't impact me.

I agree that people don't want it to effect them, but I think another problem is people are not educating themselves on what's going on and the decisions our leaders are making. That's why the same people keep getting voted back in.

Part of the lack of education may be denial, it's scary to think where this country is headed. Once again, I don't know what you do about it, except to make sure your own house is in order so you can absorb the hits, whether they are taxes or increases in goods.

 

[Muushka]

So with this loss of income and looking at the things that people are cutting out of their budget,
does anyone think that this will actually help our struggling economy?

Does anyone believe more jobs will be created with these tax increases?

 

[Srbright]

So with this loss of income and looking at the things that people are cutting out of their budget,
does anyone think that this will actually help our struggling economy?

Does anyone believe more jobs will be created with these tax increases?

I don't understand why people see this as lost income and tax increases. Maybe it's just a glass half full/half empty thing?

The tax holiday expired. We all went back to paying exactly what you had before, barring of course a 6 figure salary jump after the holiday was declared but before it expired.

Stacy

 

[vacationer1954]

I agree that people don't want it to effect them, but I think another problem is people are not educating themselves on what's going on and the decisions our leaders are making. That's why the same people keep getting voted back in.

Part of the lack of education may be denial, it's scary to think where this country is headed. Once again, I don't know what you do about it, except to make sure your own house is in order so you can absorb the hits, whether they are taxes or increases in goods.

I don't know what the difference is between not doing anything because there is nothing to do that doesn't hurt too much and not doing anything because you don't know enough to do something.

 

[Muushka]

I don't understand why people see this as lost income and tax increases. Maybe it's just a glass half full/half empty thing?

The tax holiday expired. We all went back to paying exactly what you had before, barring of course a 6 figure salary jump after the holiday was declared but before it expired.

Stacy

You can give it any name you like. The fact is that paychecks will be less.

The question is, how will people with less disposable income
and subsequently cutting down on purchases affect the economy and jobs?

Will this help or hurt the economy?

Will it help or hurt the job situation?

PS I don't understand the bolded part?

 

[mks18412]

This may of been a tax holiday but it is what it is, more money in peoples pay checks. I am sure some people had to live off this "tax holiday" money just to make ends meet. With insurance being crazy high this doesnt help anything.... In a lot of families $30 can make or break a budget. But again its not just the $30 from the "tax holiday" its a rise in insurance and a rise in gas and rise food prices and so on...

 

[joedplumber]

This may of been a tax holiday but it is what it is, more money in peoples pay checks. I am sure some people had to live off this "tax holiday" money just to make ends meet. With insurance being crazy high this doesnt help anything.... In a lot of families $30 can make or break a budget. But again its not just the $30 from the "tax holiday" its a rise in insurance and a rise in gas and rise food prices and so on...

Yet Disney crowds are probably at an all time high!

 

[RitaE]

You can give it any name you like. The fact is that paychecks will be less.

The question is, how will people with less disposable income
and subsequently cutting down on purchases affect the economy and jobs?

Will this help or hurt the economy?

Will it help or hurt the job situation?

PS I don't understand the bolded part?

Well, the purpose of the Payroll Tax Holiday is that it would supposedly help the economy by taking less money out of paychecks and giving more people more money to spend .... on things.

In practice however the largest effect was that people used the money to improve their own balance sheets. A combined 64% of it went toward paying down debt and into savings accounts.

http://www.wesh.com/news/money/How-...cut/-/11787962/18046288/-/le3rkg/-/index.html

loosely - what people did with the money according to the article

Pay Down Debt 40%
Increased Saving 24%
Increased Spending 36%

We could have long and drawn out discussions over the long-term effects of people paying off loans and saving money vs spending on the economy. I really don't see the stoppage of the tax holiday as having all that much of an economic difference in the short-term though.

 

[mks18412]

You can give it any name you like. The fact is that paychecks will be less.

The question is, how will people with less disposable income
and subsequently cutting down on purchases affect the economy and jobs?

Will this help or hurt the economy?

Will it help or hurt the job situation?

PS I don't understand the bolded part?

Exactly! Everyones pay will decrease! And of course its not going to help the economy what so ever. No business will want to hire and if they do it will be 28 hrs or less bc no company wants to pay the the fee tax whatever for anyone.... They could of cut spending else where.

 

[mks18412]

Yet Disney crowds are probably at an all time high!

Maybe for those that live on credit cards and have no care if they get paid!

 

[eliza61]

You can give it any name you like. The fact is that paychecks will be less.

The question is, how will people with less disposable income
and subsequently cutting down on purchases affect the economy and jobs?

Will this help or hurt the economy?

Will it help or hurt the job situation?

PS I don't understand the bolded part?

Let me ask, did the extra 2% stimulate the economy? Seems to he most people either saved it or depending on how close to the edge you are used the increase to survive