Coping with way too high inflation (....thanks a lot)

We have found ourselves spending less (much less) on "want" items and just concentrating on "need" items.

Church donation has remained the same-so far.

Less on gasoline.....staying home a whole lot!

Electricity is way up here. Monthly bills are about $40 higher; thats about 2/3 higher than a year ago; and we watch carefully. No AC, no rooms with lights left on, etc.

More veggies from the garden this year, thank you.

Almost all meals are from home-no much going out for a meal any longer.

No big trips like annual vacations.

We're going to be in this mess a lot longer than anticipated.

 

I was listening to public radio on a commute the other day and they were saying (so take it for what you will) in some areas, people are eating out/restaurant food more frequently because in some cases it cheaper than buying the groceries and using the energy to do it at home. Stated that some eateries haven’t raised their prices quick enough to reflect the costs. I know we have been doing it a lot. Figure after all that has happened in the past 2 they need our support more than ever to stay in business. I’m not talking the swanky joints but local pizza/taco/burger places.

 

That dam Putin has cost us more then we will ever know but the inflation reduction act is doing just super at what the named it! Keep on going!

 

It’s been rough on me, but a coworker was just telling me how packed Texas Roadhouse was when he and his wife were there. Every time I pass that restaurant I wonder how so many folks can, or want to drop $60-80 on a meal for 2. Maybe there’s always a bunch of dude’s trying to score.

 

Mine is about 4x as high but we are running the ac. I will be thrilled when the ac gets shut down. Then I will have a better idea of what the rates are doing. Usually about $66 a month Oct. - April.

 

No new chain saws either!

 

That’s fine, just send what you have to be hot-rodded/ported.

 

If you were to tell me 10 years ago that I’d be making X amount per year while simultaneously fitting the “working poor category”, I’d have told you that you were crazy on both fronts. Yet here I am. So I’m slowly but surely cutting expenses wherever I can. We haven’t gone out to eat in well over a year. No more pizza delivery once a week. No Chinese delivery. No more gym membership. Switched tv/internet providers to knock off $100 per month. Switched to generic brands on most everything. More shopping at Aldi and Dollar General. When I work extra overtime I stock up on more food, seeing how that’s getting exponentially more expensive. It’s all the little stuff that adds up. There are plenty more things I can cut back on, and may end up doing so.

 

I was referring to Dave being in the market for an Echo saw. Me, the right saw deal and im on it! I am showing restraint though.

Had a dream i bought a Husqvarna saw. Turns out it was just a nightmare!

 

Ha! The last time we had a fish fry (big tradition here in the U.P. every friday) was a couple months ago. The price went from $9 to $16.50 since we were there about a month previous. This was no swanky spot by any means, just a large increase.

 

You know, that almost 40 year old husky I have must have heard I was looking, I can't believe how well the saw has been running since I had the handle replaced!

I just told 99 yesterday that I think I'm going to wait a bit on the new saw......

 

who's 99?

 

No delivery of food in these parts.....unless it happens to be walking through the yard!

I stopped the weekly martial arts membership a few years back, guess it doesn't count to fit in here but it was for cost savings. I sure do miss it too.

The internet, TV and phone we have no is less than where we used to live.

As far as overtime, fully retired here, so....

 

Well, I ain't going to post a pic of a red dress, but she's my one and only!

 

Sounds like a good plan yooperdave, you forgot to mention to load up on extra firewood for this winter!

 

Yup, we've tightened the ole belt a notch too...haven't cut out all extras, but some for sure...like when we went to the county fair, just bought a treat to eat, not the whole meal like usual...kids got ice cream, wife n I split a cherry cobbler w/ice cream ($12 total) most places wanted $9-10 for a sandwich...one place was $14 for a steak sandwich! I was looking trying to see if that was a whole meal (combo) but seen nothing to indicate that...and I'm sure that was just fancy hamburger, not actually steak.
All these shortages and crazy long lead times are out of control too! Tried to pour a footer for a garage addition last week, the mason said he couldn't get 3 yards of ready-mix for 2 weeks! I went and rented a mixer and bought 2 pallets of quickcrete...mason said that was the first time he has ever had to mix his own footer mix...and he's no spring chicken!
Fortunately I already had most of the other materials needed to complete the addition...most, not all...hope that doesn't bite me in the rear now!

The thing that continues to surprise me what with the price of gas at $3.50-ish is how aggressively people still drive, especially large SUV's and pickups...seen someone driving a Suburban like a sports car tonight...I'm thinking how can you afford that?!

 

Buy used

 

Pretty darn close to double on groceries per week from a year ago.
Electricity is up 9¢ per kilowatt (not including delivery) for the year so I decided to join the local cooperative which is 7¢ less and the rate is locked until Dec 2023. My bill doubled July and August from running the A/C so much.
Also been buying more case lots of food than I normally would. There's just so much that stores and keeps for very long. Plus I like to watch the dates on things trying to maintain FIFO so I don't find five year old cans of soup in the back of a closet.