Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you need a better outlook on life. My new year has been off to a great start. Thankfully my investments over the past year have more than covered any increases in my cost of living. I like to look at and appreciate the bright side.

Also we all know that inflation happens and prices go up over time. Sometimes by alot. This is nothing new. All adults should know this by now. Inflation isn’t a surprise. So people need to plan for it, by increasing job skills and income, building streams of income, investing, saving and spending wisely. There’s alot we can all do to help ourselves.

But what I see in reality is alot of people spending frivolously on cleaners, new homes, new cars, new appliances they don’t need, luxury and frequent travel, new furniture and pricy sports for their multiple kids. You can’t do all that then turn around and complain about how things cost so much. It all comes down to priorities and what people value.

I value financial freedom and act accordingly.

I am genuinely curious what price jumps you have seen in the last 30 years that are equivalent to what some car insurers and homeowners insurers are implementing.

There literally is no equivalent to homeowners getting hit with 50% or 100% premium jumps in one year as you now see in CA, FL, NC, Iowa (yeah Iowa), etc.

Are you now claiming that you need to plan for your insurance to increase 50% a year forever? Of course, very quickly that leads to the conclusion that you need to sell your house yesterday.

I put the price of eggs into a different bucket...because yes, commodities prices have had jumps and then usually settle back to something reasonable. People forget how much gas was back in 2007...it was much higher than today. However, thanks to the great recession, the market corrected quickly.

Are you making this up? A quick google search says avg price of gas in 2007 was $2.80 and last year it was $3.30

So, I was off by one year...it was $3.27 in 2008 which is $4.40 in today's prices. It was also $3.64 in 2012 which is $4.57 in today's prices.

Way to miss the forest through the trees.

I have to agree that price increases have been highest last 3-4 years, but my already super low wage went down 50%+ in 2001 and 2008. Imagine making $30 after 10 hour restaurant shift. Nothing I could do as 3 employers didn't meet the required minimum. Ended up getting 2nd job both times.
I learned from it so much those experience. I knew I couldn't rely on employer or the law.
I also knew I couldn't work two jobs in my 40s if this happened again.
I invested my money and so glad I did. Stock market and now crypto have been life savers. They do well during money printing and inflation.
As a single person, I have a choice of moving to a cheaper apartment right next door. I'm very tempted.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you need a better outlook on life. My new year has been off to a great start. Thankfully my investments over the past year have more than covered any increases in my cost of living. I like to look at and appreciate the bright side.

Also we all know that inflation happens and prices go up over time. Sometimes by alot. This is nothing new. All adults should know this by now. Inflation isn’t a surprise. So people need to plan for it, by increasing job skills and income, building streams of income, investing, saving and spending wisely. There’s alot we can all do to help ourselves.

But what I see in reality is alot of people spending frivolously on cleaners, new homes, new cars, new appliances they don’t need, luxury and frequent travel, new furniture and pricy sports for their multiple kids. You can’t do all that then turn around and complain about how things cost so much. It all comes down to priorities and what people value.

I value financial freedom and act accordingly.

I am genuinely curious what price jumps you have seen in the last 30 years that are equivalent to what some car insurers and homeowners insurers are implementing.

There literally is no equivalent to homeowners getting hit with 50% or 100% premium jumps in one year as you now see in CA, FL, NC, Iowa (yeah Iowa), etc.

Are you now claiming that you need to plan for your insurance to increase 50% a year forever? Of course, very quickly that leads to the conclusion that you need to sell your house yesterday.

I put the price of eggs into a different bucket...because yes, commodities prices have had jumps and then usually settle back to something reasonable. People forget how much gas was back in 2007...it was much higher than today. However, thanks to the great recession, the market corrected quickly.

Are you making this up? A quick google search says avg price of gas in 2007 was $2.80 and last year it was $3.30

Yeah...and the average wage index has risen 3.1% annually during that time, well outpacing that mild price increase. The 2007 price is $4.77 in 2023 dollars.

https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10641

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you need a better outlook on life. My new year has been off to a great start. Thankfully my investments over the past year have more than covered any increases in my cost of living. I like to look at and appreciate the bright side.

Also we all know that inflation happens and prices go up over time. Sometimes by alot. This is nothing new. All adults should know this by now. Inflation isn’t a surprise. So people need to plan for it, by increasing job skills and income, building streams of income, investing, saving and spending wisely. There’s alot we can all do to help ourselves.

But what I see in reality is alot of people spending frivolously on cleaners, new homes, new cars, new appliances they don’t need, luxury and frequent travel, new furniture and pricy sports for their multiple kids. You can’t do all that then turn around and complain about how things cost so much. It all comes down to priorities and what people value.

I value financial freedom and act accordingly.

I am genuinely curious what price jumps you have seen in the last 30 years that are equivalent to what some car insurers and homeowners insurers are implementing.

There literally is no equivalent to homeowners getting hit with 50% or 100% premium jumps in one year as you now see in CA, FL, NC, Iowa (yeah Iowa), etc.

Are you now claiming that you need to plan for your insurance to increase 50% a year forever? Of course, very quickly that leads to the conclusion that you need to sell your house yesterday.

I put the price of eggs into a different bucket...because yes, commodities prices have had jumps and then usually settle back to something reasonable. People forget how much gas was back in 2007...it was much higher than today. However, thanks to the great recession, the market corrected quickly.

Are you making this up? A quick google search says avg price of gas in 2007 was $2.80 and last year it was $3.30

Anonymous wrote:No. 2024 was a terrible year. I had serious health problems and also miscarried. I've had 7 pregnancies in my life, and 2 live births to show for them. I hope 2025 is more peaceful. I don't think the financial outlook is that dire, to be honest, OP, and the change of administration isn't going to change anything. Inflation is due to more powerful global forces than what one government can control.

Right, just like Roe didn't get overturned as a result of his first term. [Sits in a room on fire, repeating, "this is fine, this is fine..."]

Unfortunately I think we need a recession.im beginning to think there’s no such thing as a ‘soft landing’ as we’d hoped. The rate of increase is unsustainable. We have switched to budget grocery stores stopped eating out etc but it’s not enough since our heating bills have now doubled due to rate increases. It’s like we are frogs slowly being boiled here. I’d take a (hopefully)quick recession and price reset over this.

Anonymous wrote:OP you need a better outlook on life. My new year has been off to a great start. Thankfully my investments over the past year have more than covered any increases in my cost of living. I like to look at and appreciate the bright side.

Also we all know that inflation happens and prices go up over time. Sometimes by alot. This is nothing new. All adults should know this by now. Inflation isn’t a surprise. So people need to plan for it, by increasing job skills and income, building streams of income, investing, saving and spending wisely. There’s alot we can all do to help ourselves.

But what I see in reality is alot of people spending frivolously on cleaners, new homes, new cars, new appliances they don’t need, luxury and frequent travel, new furniture and pricy sports for their multiple kids. You can’t do all that then turn around and complain about how things cost so much. It all comes down to priorities and what people value.

I value financial freedom and act accordingly.

I am genuinely curious what price jumps you have seen in the last 30 years that are equivalent to what some car insurers and homeowners insurers are implementing.

There literally is no equivalent to homeowners getting hit with 50% or 100% premium jumps in one year as you now see in CA, FL, NC, Iowa (yeah Iowa), etc.

Are you now claiming that you need to plan for your insurance to increase 50% a year forever? Of course, very quickly that leads to the conclusion that you need to sell your house yesterday.

I put the price of eggs into a different bucket...because yes, commodities prices have had jumps and then usually settle back to something reasonable. People forget how much gas was back in 2007...it was much higher than today. However, thanks to the great recession, the market corrected quickly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the past 18 days we've had 1 daughter with covid, dh had the flu and my 18 year old who is set to take her state practical esthetician licensing test this Wednesday has been diagnosed with carpel tunnel syndrome and has been to the er and 1 orthopedic doctor who referred her to another. So financially it sucks because we have a $6000 deductible and the medical bills are coming in already.

I hear you. I had to have emergency major surgery on January 3 a few years ago. OMG, the bills! Not a happy new year then, for sure.

I love the United States and I am proud to be an American. I feel like as a country we are being taken for a ride. Our healthcare expenses are absolutely insane.

Only 1st world country that has personal bankruptcies due to medical bills (and it’s the leading cause of personal bankruptcy).

It’s nuts that it’s a massively controversial debate over telling drug companies that you can’t sell your drugs to other 1st world countries at significantly lower prices than what you charge Medicare and US insurers.

Nobody is even telling them they need to lower their prices here…just if you charge the US $10 then you can’t sell to France for a $1, you either sell to them for $10 or lower the US to a $1.

Just one nuts example.

+1

We are subject to a corpocracy.

And thanks to Trump, seniors on Medicare and people on Medicaid just lost their $35 insulin. Breaks my heart, because I've been in a pharmacy picking up insulin and had people ask me if there was any way I could get them a vial (of course I can't). It is essential for some people and costs just a couple of dollars to manufacture, yet the insurance and pharma industries have people over a barrel once again.

OP please state your HHI.

OP you need a better outlook on life. My new year has been off to a great start. Thankfully my investments over the past year have more than covered any increases in my cost of living. I like to look at and appreciate the bright side.

Also we all know that inflation happens and prices go up over time. Sometimes by alot. This is nothing new. All adults should know this by now. Inflation isn’t a surprise. So people need to plan for it, by increasing job skills and income, building streams of income, investing, saving and spending wisely. There’s alot we can all do to help ourselves.

But what I see in reality is alot of people spending frivolously on cleaners, new homes, new cars, new appliances they don’t need, luxury and frequent travel, new furniture and pricy sports for their multiple kids. You can’t do all that then turn around and complain about how things cost so much. It all comes down to priorities and what people value.

I value financial freedom and act accordingly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2025 is a terrible year thus far.

* Huge increases to property tax after reassessment (yet again). This is on top of an already increased property tax rate.

* Massive hike to home owner's insurane

* Massive hike to car insurance

* Every single utility has gone up

* Little relief at the grocery store

* Massive increase for our health insurance cost

Meanwhile, our income has gone no where. I just feel like this is death by a thousand cuts. Everyone has their hands trying to grab our money and our income cannot keep up. Sometimes I feel like I want to just completely quit this insane rat race going nowhere, leave the country and live where it costs way less. The squeeze from all sides is getting insane, and it is starting to break me mentally.

Be happy you have a f4cking job. Lot of us out here who don't.

Are you one of the smugs who proudly posted over the last couple of years about how you’re quiet quitting or outright quitting a job and never RTO, or working multiple jobs unethically while on the clock for an employer? If so, I have zero sympathy for you.

Anonymous wrote:2025 is a terrible year thus far.

* Huge increases to property tax after reassessment (yet again). This is on top of an already increased property tax rate.

* Massive hike to home owner's insurane

* Massive hike to car insurance

* Every single utility has gone up

* Little relief at the grocery store

* Massive increase for our health insurance cost

Meanwhile, our income has gone no where. I just feel like this is death by a thousand cuts. Everyone has their hands trying to grab our money and our income cannot keep up. Sometimes I feel like I want to just completely quit this insane rat race going nowhere, leave the country and live where it costs way less. The squeeze from all sides is getting insane, and it is starting to break me mentally.

Be happy you have a f4cking job. Lot of us out here who don't.