The Say Anything Thread

[Bootylicious!! 2]

Ok, I have a serious question here for you guys.... eliminating the rising cost of gas, do you find it's harder and harder to afford things? I was thinking about this this morning when they were doing some kind of feature on the morning news about saving money in these hard times and it got me thinking that hubster and I don't seem to be having any difficulties yet, as far as groceries or other necessities are concerned. Oh and BTW, we do NOT have high incomes (hubster is a teacher and I work for a non-profit organization), so it's not that we have lots of money. Just wondered how others are faring?

We aren't really having any more problems than we were before. Javi still isn't working regularly so that's our biggest issue, not gas prices. We still seem to be doing just fine getting the bills paid and getting things we need. We've even still been getting things we don't necessarily need. I think, even though it does make it tough for some people, gas would need to go up much higher for it to really affect us.

[Sister Fracas 5]

and then again the major grocery issue might be for larger families...when you are talking about two people, the increase can be seen, but not felt hugely if you are buying sale items, buying in bulk as long as items don't go bad before you can finish them, and being a careful shopper. I still find we can have treats like nicer cuts of meats, cheeses, nice bread, etc...but we also do cheap meals like pots of chili, soup, stew, rice and pasta-based dishes.

Well, I hope everyone is doing okay out there in VJ-land.

[chri'stina 190]

Ok, I have a serious question here for you guys.... eliminating the rising cost of gas, do you find it's harder and harder to afford things? I was thinking about this this morning when they were doing some kind of feature on the morning news about saving money in these hard times and it got me thinking that hubster and I don't seem to be having any difficulties yet, as far as groceries or other necessities are concerned. Oh and BTW, we do NOT have high incomes (hubster is a teacher and I work for a non-profit organization), so it's not that we have lots of money. Just wondered how others are faring?

We are still doing okay and still are on just Suj's income...but we do notice it a lot because our grocery bill has gone up by probably $50-75 a month recently.(not including diapers, formula, etc) And Suj is a big budgeter, he budgets every single penny for each month. And when he has to shift the budget, we notice hehe, he hates to do it, and then less goes to savings. He is a big one for saving, which I think is great because he seems to squeeze extra money each month into savings that I don't know how he even did it. One good thing is that we don't have car payments.

Gas has hit us hard too because Suj commutes all the way to Tampa. It went from about $125 a month when he first started working in 2005 to now being close to $300 a month. It's crazy. Less for saving there too. Our mortgage is kinda high too IMO because we bought after the boom. We can still afford some extra things but we are both so frugal sometimes that we get a yucky feeling in our stomachs when we go to buy something we usually do but it's more money now. I hate that hehe. We don't really spend a lot on extra things or entertainment, we save so that I still don't have to work and can be home with Kavi. If I worked, we would have a lot more extra money since Suj's job pays everything, but then we'd have to pay for daycare. I have become a very budget-y shopper over the years, loving sales and clearance items, so that we don't have to be stretched really far financially. I don't go out and buy whatever I want and Suj never wants to buy things for himself even if I tell him he should. It's rare if he will buy new clothes for himself. He gets a lot of his clothing supply at birthdays and Christmas due to my family giving him gift cards and nice shirts and pants(that I pick out haha), etc. Now if we ever get to Alabama, we will have hundreds more extra a month due to the low cost of living there but same pay for Suj's field. That's one of the reasons we are impatient to get there. We'll be able to do more fun things and spend more on extra stuff that we just won't buy right now

[Marilyn. 340]

I don't really notice a difference in groceries... but I am a pretty smart shopper.... we are having a little trouble financially but that is mainly because we have some debt, medical bills and stuff and hubby has only been working part time this last month or so... but things should get better now that he is working full time again...

[Sister Fracas 5]

Christina and Marilyn, both of your cases are understandable.

Hang in there...

I think hubster and I are just so fortuante that we DO live in a city with pretty reliable public transportation so we don't have to have car, insurance, parking, AND gas payments....aack. I don't know how we'd do it then.

Edited May 13, 2008 by Sister Fracas

[chri'stina 190]

Since my parents, sister, and grandma already moved to Alabama there is no real point in living where we do and we wish we could rent in Tampa to save on gas money until we could move to AL. But we are stuck with our house right now and don't know how long we will be due to the stupid sinkhole. I wish there was a high speed train that connected our area to Tampa, that'd be awesome hehe. If gas goes to $7 a gal in the future, wow our monthly gas budget would double yet again. There aren't IT jobs where we live, it's the burbs and retirement area. It's nice here, but no high paying jobs besides lawyers and Drs.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Since my parents, sister, and grandma already moved to Alabama there is no real point in living where we do and we wish we could rent in Tampa to save on gas money until we could move to AL. But we are stuck with our house right now and don't know how long we will be due to the stupid sinkhole. I wish there was a high speed train that connected our area to Tampa, that'd be awesome hehe. If gas goes to $7 a gal in the future, wow our monthly gas budget would double yet again. There aren't IT jobs where we live, it's the burbs and retirement area. It's nice here, but no high paying jobs besides lawyers and Drs.

Time to go to med school so we can all spend our lifetimes taking care of boomers that just refuse to die!

[chri'stina 190]

[Nessa 23]

all I have to say is thank god for military benefits

[chri'stina 190]

Kavi has been napping for awhile...I'm bored. My parents were visiting last week and I had a lot of fun with my mom but now she's gone. I feel isolated. I know I shouldn't be complaining on a site where people move from different countries away from their fam to be here! I am a baby. I know people here but I feel like I never see them nowadays.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Bad baby.

[Marilyn. 340]

with hubby's new job he is on the go from place to place... so it is harder for me to pack him a lunch.. he says he will take one once he is on his own.. right now they have him working with someone so he can learn the ropes and that guy always goes out to eat his lunch... I know it is easier to eat out but that adds up..

[Sister Fracas 5]

Kavi has been napping for awhile...I'm bored. My parents were visiting last week and I had a lot of fun with my mom but now she's gone. I feel isolated. I know I shouldn't be complaining on a site where people move from different countries away from their fam to be here! I am a baby. I know people here but I feel like I never see them nowadays.

Is there any kind of mommy group you could get together with during the day, maybe even through church? A friend of mine felt isolated and like she was going to go buggy after having her baby found this mommy group that got together once every week or so with the babies, who were all under 2 I think and they went around to each other's places. It was good for the moms and the babies.

[chri'stina 190]

Marylin-I'm glad your hubby likes the job so far!

Kavi has been napping for awhile...I'm bored. My parents were visiting last week and I had a lot of fun with my mom but now she's gone. I feel isolated. I know I shouldn't be complaining on a site where people move from different countries away from their fam to be here! I am a baby. I know people here but I feel like I never see them nowadays.

Is there any kind of mommy group you could get together with during the day, maybe even through church? A friend of mine felt isolated and like she was going to go buggy after having her baby found this mommy group that got together once every week or so with the babies, who were all under 2 I think and they went around to each other's places. It was good for the moms and the babies.

Good idea. I did recently talk to a couple ladies I used to see all the time at a bible study we had and we are starting it back up during the day once a week. It's true, you have to see people during the week when you are home alone with a baby.

GTG, mom calling.

[Marilyn. 340]

i was planning on joining a mommy's group once I had the baby...

when I used to babysit this family I would take the kids to a mommy and me group... they has crafts for the kids and sing alongs and stuff and the moms would all talk and stuff...