Is anyone feeling the squeeze?

[seaar2000]

With the price of everything going up such as utilities, gas and groceries are feeling the squeeze yet? My electric which includes water, sewer, and our trash has been going down and keeping my heat down does keep the bill down. Don't know how much longer I can keep the heat down to 62 if the wind keeps blowing like this during the winter, live in MI. Our gas is going down where I live. Hope it keeps that way. The groceries are fine, but with all of the above going up it seems harder to keep up with the bills. I always pay my bills when they are due, but it seems harder and harder to keep up. What does everyone else think and what are you doing about it. Thanks Renee

[sweeps]

Yeah, I'm feeling a squeeze. Probably even more when I get that November gas bill.

Speaking of gasoline, It's kinda funny that $2.49/gallon seems like a bargain!

[seaar2000]

Sweepsprayer LOL! Right now where I live it's $2.08/gal. If I use my Speed way card this month we get .05/gallon off!

[frugalfarmwife]

Big time, with the heat on in the house and now we just had to turn the heaters on in the automatic waterers in the barns, so there go the bills thru the roof for the winter.

KJ

[Snoopy2645]

Same here with heating costs going up I have gotten the bill down though twice once because I had a credit from total 12 & then I took the total 12 off & my bill is down $100 for going just month to month not total 12. I am keeping the heat down wearing a jacket in the house at all times I will start hanging more clothes instead of drying also cause my dryer is gas & we are also talking about covering the windows & we have never done that before also I believe running a humidifire keeps it warm in the house too.

[cicy33]

Originally Posted by seaar2000

Sweepsprayer LOL! Right now where I live it's $2.08/gal. If I use my Speed way card this month we get .05/gallon off!

and if I spend $100 a month at kroger I save .10 per gallon up to 20 gallons!!! and that is before coupons. So you don't really have to even spend the $100.

[TBH]

Yep, it's a scary time. I haven't even been able to bring myself to calculate our October spending because I'm so anxious about it.

And daycare just asked me to pay an extra $160 for the year for a dance class that's held during the day, on top of my tuition!!! And yet the director talks about how she's hoping to improve the economic diversity of the students.

[Fern]

Yes, i'm feeling the squeeze, most noticeably in:
* oil prices i'm locked in at $2.19/gallon
* my health insurance co-pays just increased
* property taxes up, as always

[arianeira]

Yep, mostly due to the rise in utilities. Gasoline prices have been going down here also, but I don't drive too much so the savings haven't been significant. But our utility bill went from $67 last month to $110 this month! I hate this on again off again weather we've been having--even keeping the heat down around 60 hasn't seemed to make the heater run any less. Bah!

[PrincessPerky]

Well I am getting better at using less of stuff (like electricity an gas) so instead of noticing things go up, I am noticing they are staying about the same. Which I am gretful for this thread so I don't get to discouraged, fter all hanging laundry is supposed to save me money, hard to do when the savings is just a lack of increase.

I did get my electric bill the other day, the total usage was about half of what it was at the same time last year, that was encouraging to note.

[flash]

I'm definitely feeling it with the holidays coming up. This will (hopefully) be the first year we don't blow the budget at the last minute and buy everyone what they want.

We are really lucky, as wel called our Fuel Oil service before Katrina and had our rate locked in fairly low. Electricity is up.

It's a balance, though, for us, because this is the first year since graduate school that we have dug down and pursued saving money. So I'm really enjoying my grocery register receipt showing $1000 savings since September, when it was 0 before that.

Once thing we have done is get the credit cards that give 5% cash back on gas and groceries. Our gas hit $7 a gal right after the disaster. The rates on the cards are higher, but we don't carry a balance, and I can use the cash more than the "rewards catalog" of stuff I don't need. And I did fill out 30 reviews for insider savings and received $30 in Shell gas cards, which helped SO much.

The one thing that I think will get us is the increase in shipping costs. We live in the country and shop online, and all gifts must be shipped cross country. The rates are really horrible.

Did anyone else see that TWO DAYS after Katrina, Amazon.com listed a Premier program? For $89 A YEAR you can get free shipping all year.

[TBH]

Originally Posted by PrincessPerky

hanging laundry is supposed to save me money, hard to do when the savings is just a lack of increase.

I hear that, Princess. More satisfying to save when saving means SPENDING LESS than you did before. It's hard to save when it means just NOT SPENDING MORE.

I notice this all the time adjusting to being a 3 person family instead of a 2 person family. If we're really careful, our food spending doesn't increase even as DS gets older and eats more. But really it just means tightening and tightening the belt, all the time, just to keep even. Sigh.

But after feeling so anxious and discouraged last week, I have done much better. I've gone Xmas shopping twice and bought only what I had planned for. No spontaneous splurges. My problem is I buy gifts for people, and then I see something else they'd like and I buy the second gift too. I'm trying this year to just plan ahead of time what they're getting, buy it, and STOP.

[Tree0164]

We are too. Heating has hit us yesterday we are on a budget plan and locked a rate of $2.39 a gallon (not that it has gone done I am not smiling as much as I was) Electricity has gone up about $20 a month. Gas hit us the hardest -hopefully with it going down it will be less hurtful.

And groceries are just going up and up and up.

[abowers]

I'm feeling the squeeze. Mostly in the first half of the month. I'm paid biweekly, but it just so turns out that EVERYTHING is due around the same time of the month... So basically one whole paycheck goes toward bills as soon as I get it. Can't wait til I am done with grad school and get a real job...
1st-- rent
8th- car payment
9th-- student loan
10th-- cable
15th-- cell phone

...that's the bulk of it.

[seaar2000]

abowers I understand where your coming from. I get paid every two weeks also and with me my bills come at the end of the month instead of the beginning of the month. When I get my first check of the month I try to keep at least $60 extra in my savings for the bills at the end of the month so I don't feel the squeeze.

[TBH]

I used to be paid monthly and always had a hard time saving enough to pay the bills (esp my credit card) which were due at the end of the pay period.

Then I discovered most companies will allow you to choose when your bill arrives. Get paid on the 31st? Have your credit card bill arrive the 25th and be due the 8th. Rent is usually not so flexible, and utilities might or might not be, but see what you can rearrange.

[shelbylovesmelby]

unfortunatly, everything keeps going up & up but nobody's wages are. It's getting to be harder & harder to be a sahm. However, if I went back to work & put my kids in day care we'd be in the "RED", since day care would cost more than a newbie's pay.

*sigh* we just can't win here

[sweeps]

Just got my December gas bill. 20: A new record!

[Lori63]

Between the heating bills and hubby's pay cut I'm sick. I've decided I'll wait until Monday (after Christmas) to crunch all the numbers and figure out just how much trouble we're in.

[Ima saver]

Well it has been over a month, how is everyone doing? I am still paying almost $2.50 for a gallon of gas, but I checked the propane tank and we have only used 100 gallons the past two months, so keeping the heat at 60 degrees is helping.