Living paycheck to paycheck gets harder

[eric&gen 0]

the situation not getting any better.

[BJZags 17]

Clearly, average annual salary increases (typically 3%) are not in-step with the annual cost of living escalation (6-7%). No news here.

Guess I'm not typical, my "COLA" was 1.8 percent this year. And my co-workers wonder why I'm looking for another job!

[Caladan 19]

Clearly, average annual salary increases (typically 3%) are not in-step with the annual cost of living escalation (6-7%). No news here.

True. Too many people are worse off year after year. On the other hand, places where people go simply to indulge are still growing handsomely. If people would generally have ever less disposable income year after year, that growth couldn't happen.

All that means is that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Not a happy picture.

[Reba 2]

As one of those people barely making it from paycheck to paycheck(and I get paid weekly!), I can attest to the fact that it is getting harder and harder. By the day it would seem! One week I'm at the grocery store and can buy 10 yogurts for $5, the following week its only 7 yogurts for $5. A gallon of milk went up by about 60 or 80 cents, fresh fruits and vegetables went up by 20 to 40 cents per pound, and meats went up about 50 cents or more per pound! Yes, its autumn and the end of the harvest obviously, but even the fall fruits and vegetables are more expensive than they ought to be.

Our home is heated by oil (I want to switch to something else, but we don't have the money for the conversion) and the oil company came to fill the tank and the bill is $700. That's $200 more than the last time it was filled! I'm tellin ya, we'll be putting a few extra blankets on the beds this winter rather than turn the heat up!

Even our dog food recently went up in price by more than $2 per 35 lb bag.

One of my co-workers volunteers at the local food bank on Tuesday nights (the only night it is open). She said the number of people coming in for food packages has gone up considerably in the past few weeks. And more and more of the volunteers are also taking home packages. Donations are down too.

Its only going to get worse in our neighbourhood. Another furniture factory is closing down at the end of the year, putting another 521 people out of work.

[Jasman0717 9]

I feel the squeeze in groceries and gas

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I feel the squeeze in groceries and gas

The gas over here has jumped up to about $3.25 a gallon.

[jundp 191]

People who have financial difficulties and buy milk at 7-eleven don't know how to shop wisely. Corner stores charge substantially more for basic products. If you are truly watching what you buy, you don't buy milk, or eggs or any basic grocery item at 7-11 - ever - and you watch out at Daily Dollar stores as well. A lot of items that they sell for a dollar cost 89 cents at the grocery store.

Actually, I find that here in Seattle, 7-Eleven has the cheapest milk. Often it's only $1.99 a gallon, as compared to $3+ in the grocery store.

I don't live paycheck to paycheck (anymore) and I'm able to have a small savings account, but that's only because I am a very wise shopper and I could have more disposable income, but I choose to pay off debt from my former marriage faster. However, I have an MA, a full time career (albeit teaching, so not a lucrative profession) and a second job; but I am also a single mother. If I sometimes struggle with two jobs, I can't imagine how people with a smaller or unsteady income cope. My three biggest expenses are housing, gas/electricity, and food. I don't think it's all not shopping wisely.

I loved the comment on the news the other night something along the lines of ...... inflation was higher than analysts expected but if you took out food and fuel increases it was as expected ..... hmmm excuse me but isn't food and fuel the most important/relevant items to the average man on the street.

Am I the only person horrified to discover how many food handout places there are in this country and how many families depend on them ...... not quite what i expected from the richest country in the world.

I advise one of the largest student-run charities in my area and we help out at soup kitchens, blanket and coat drives and Food Banks all year round. It is appalling. The number of people who need our services tripled in the last 2 years. At Christmas we, along with other chapters of our charity, do a Food and Toy drive. Our school's chapter is the sole provider of food and toys for 4 parishes. I was stunned when I found out. Thankfully, though we aren't a wealthy school, our kids (and our community too) are very generous, but it's staggering to think of the number of people who depend on us for food. And these aren't losers on Welfare. Most of these people have families and jobs, but just can't make ends meet.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Clearly, average annual salary increases (typically 3%) are not in-step with the annual cost of living escalation (6-7%). No news here.

True. Too many people are worse off year after year. On the other hand, places where people go simply to indulge are still growing handsomely. If people would generally have ever less disposable income year after year, that growth couldn't happen.

All that means is that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Not a happy picture.

Could you define what exactly you consider "rich" in this context?

[Jenn! 918]

Actually, I find that here in Seattle, 7-Eleven has the cheapest milk. Often it's only $1.99 a gallon, as compared to $3+ in the grocery store.

Pretty OT, but every time I've bought milk at a convenience store like 7-Eleven, it goes bad quickly. I don't think they have proper refrigeration. Anyway, around here it's always more expensive, too.

[Caladan 19]

Clearly, average annual salary increases (typically 3%) are not in-step with the annual cost of living escalation (6-7%). No news here.

True. Too many people are worse off year after year. On the other hand, places where people go simply to indulge are still growing handsomely. If people would generally have ever less disposable income year after year, that growth couldn't happen.

All that means is that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Not a happy picture.

Could you define what exactly you consider "rich" in this context?

Just that the fact that some Americans have more disposable income to 'indulge', and the 'growth' is happening, doesn't mean that things aren't worse off for the average person overall. To put it sort of flippantly, it only takes a couple guys buying big screen TVs to outweigh 100 people trying to come up with the extra bucks for milk.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Clearly, average annual salary increases (typically 3%) are not in-step with the annual cost of living escalation (6-7%). No news here.

True. Too many people are worse off year after year. On the other hand, places where people go simply to indulge are still growing handsomely. If people would generally have ever less disposable income year after year, that growth couldn't happen.

All that means is that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Not a happy picture.

Could you define what exactly you consider "rich" in this context?

Just that the fact that some Americans have more disposable income to 'indulge', and the 'growth' is happening, doesn't mean that things aren't worse off for the average person overall. To put it sort of flippantly, it only takes a couple guys buying big screen TVs to outweigh 100 people trying to come up with the extra bucks for milk.

I ain't talking big screen TV's, Lexus' or in-ground pools. I am talking about the little splurges that many paycheck-to-paycheck people can't seem to pass up. Starbucks, LA Fitness and Nancy's Nails and Spa do not grow at these rates on the rich and independently wealthy alone.

Don't get me wrong, I am acknowledging that those that truly live paycheck to paycheck are seeing more and more week left when that check has run out. And I am also not blind to the fact that the paycheck to paycheck crowd is growing - no wonder when cost of living increases continuously outpace wage growth. At the same time, I think that a good many people live paycheck to paycheck due to making, shall we say, less than smart decisions financially.

Edited October 22, 2007 by Mr. Big Dog

[Ban Hammer 13,641]

Clearly, average annual salary increases (typically 3%) are not in-step with the annual cost of living escalation (6-7%). No news here.

True. Too many people are worse off year after year. On the other hand, places where people go simply to indulge are still growing handsomely. If people would generally have ever less disposable income year after year, that growth couldn't happen.

All that means is that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Not a happy picture.

Could you define what exactly you consider "rich" in this context?

Just that the fact that some Americans have more disposable income to 'indulge', and the 'growth' is happening, doesn't mean that things aren't worse off for the average person overall. To put it sort of flippantly, it only takes a couple guys buying big screen TVs to outweigh 100 people trying to come up with the extra bucks for milk.

I ain't talking big screen TV's, Lexus' or in-ground pools. I am talking about the little splurges that many paycheck-to-paycheck people can't seem to pass up. Starbucks, LA Fitness and Nancy's Nails and Spa do not grow at these rates on the rich and independently wealthy alone.

Don't get me wrong, I am acknowledging that those that truly live paycheck to paycheck are seeing more and more week left when that check has run out. And I am also not blind to the fact that the paycheck to paycheck crowd is growing - no wonder when cost of living increases continuously outpace wage growth. At the same time, I think that a good many people live paycheck to paycheck due to making, shall we say, less than smart decisions financially.

that has a lot to do with it. when i retired from the army i had to tighten the belt as my pay went to about 2/3 of what it was. cable, eating out, and so forth are luxeries.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Clearly, average annual salary increases (typically 3%) are not in-step with the annual cost of living escalation (6-7%). No news here.

True. Too many people are worse off year after year. On the other hand, places where people go simply to indulge are still growing handsomely. If people would generally have ever less disposable income year after year, that growth couldn't happen.

All that means is that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Not a happy picture.

Could you define what exactly you consider "rich" in this context?

Just that the fact that some Americans have more disposable income to 'indulge', and the 'growth' is happening, doesn't mean that things aren't worse off for the average person overall. To put it sort of flippantly, it only takes a couple guys buying big screen TVs to outweigh 100 people trying to come up with the extra bucks for milk.

I ain't talking big screen TV's, Lexus' or in-ground pools. I am talking about the little splurges that many paycheck-to-paycheck people can't seem to pass up. Starbucks, LA Fitness and Nancy's Nails and Spa do not grow at these rates on the rich and independently wealthy alone.

Don't get me wrong, I am acknowledging that those that truly live paycheck to paycheck are seeing more and more week left when that check has run out. And I am also not blind to the fact that the paycheck to paycheck crowd is growing - no wonder when cost of living increases continuously outpace wage growth. At the same time, I think that a good many people live paycheck to paycheck due to making, shall we say, less than smart decisions financially.

that has a lot to do with it. when i retired from the army i had to tighten the belt as my pay went to about 2/3 of what it was. cable, eating out, and so forth are luxuries.

That's what I mean. I remember having staff that referred to themselves as the working poor - debatable when they were making a decent wage - but they'd pass right by that free coffee station in the office on their daily way to Starbucks to grab that $4.00 Cup o' Joe. I remember way back when I worked with staff that wasn't paid all that well. Rather than heading to the cafeteria for that employer subsidized lunch (at less than a buck a meal), they rather cranked up that car to head over to Mickey D's for the $5.00 lunch - which is both a financially and nutritionally questionable choice.

Cable? We don't have cable. Lord knows we could afford it but since we have a baby, we just wouldn't get a lot of mileage out of it. I wouldn't consider that $50.00 or so a month a good investment at this point. We rather put it aside for Naomi's college fund. Same goes for fancy cars and such. Our car is meant to safely and reliably get us from point A to point B and back. It is not to impress anyone. I tend to suspect that the financial problems a lot of people have is caused by them trying to keep up with them Joneses.

Edited October 22, 2007 by Mr. Big Dog

[Kevin and 10]

I think most people live paycheck to paycheck. Pretty soon there will be the "Haves" and "The Have Nots"

Some of it is self fulfilled though. I hear people at work complain all the time about not having money to buy this or that. But every paycheck off to the bar to spend $100 on top of the other booze they buy for at home.

Or you hear I can't afford this or I can't afford that, but I have a new cell phone every 6 months, cable TV with all the channels, go to the casino, buy lottery tickets, ect.

Next thing you know they will be crying when they retire because they have no money.

I bought a house making under 12.00 an hour 4 years ago. I had to cut out a lot of BS I didn't need. No cable TV, Buy food on sale, quit spending 5-7 dollars a day eating out for lunch, quit smoking, ect.

Also with the global market place many countrys are catching up to the US. NAFTA did help any shipping jobs to Canada and Mexico. Goods are too expense to produce in the US, now that companies can go elsewhere. Labor is cheaper and there are no insurance costs (health, dental, AD and D, ect.) This is the cost of having a global market.

[Marilyn. 340]

I find it somewhat worrisome that people feel that shopping for necessities like milk at 7-Eleven stores can be used as an indication for having trouble making ends meet. People who have financial difficulties and buy milk at 7-eleven don't know how to shop wisely. Corner stores charge substantially more for basic products. If you are truly watching what you buy, you don't buy milk, or eggs or any basic grocery item at 7-11 - ever - and you watch out at Daily Dollar stores as well. A lot of items that they sell for a dollar cost 89 cents at the grocery store.

That doesn't mean that there aren't people who are suffering from their pay checks not going as far as they used to, because there are and there are certainly people who are conscientious and wise shoppers who are not finding their money lasting until the end of the month. I just find it sad, though, that people are complaining about their money not lasting and then say they are having to buy only 1 gallon of milk at 7-eleven a month rather than 3 when if they bought their gallon of milk at one of the value grocery stores they could buy a loaf of bread plus the milk for the same price they pay at 7-11. For many of them it seems not that they don't have enough money but that they don't spend it wisely. There is a big difference.

Again, this is not to belittle those who truly are facing hardships because they run out of money between paychecks and who are shopping wisely, or who have unavoidable expenses due to medical needs or other necessities. They do have my sympathy.

actually the milk at our little corner store is cheaper then at the grocery store....