The cost of living......

[TerryinMD]

The CFO has been bugging me lately about our finances. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

As we all know, health insurance, home insurance, automobile insurance, gas, and well, most everything, has been going up and up. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif There are numerous other small increases but that can be expected.

For example, our home owners insurance is up nearly 50%, auto insurance up around 20% (not taking into account teenagers - /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif), health insurance up 25%, gas prices still rising with no end in sight. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I know that we are not alone and do not want to sound like I'm whining, but geez, the more I talk to people, the more I hear about the rise in these costs. I heard from my sister-in-law in Pennsylvania that her insurances went up nearly 100%. This is crazy.

Not wanting to start a rant posting, I would like to hear what is going on in other parts of the country.

Terry

 

[lamarbur]

Same here in Connecticut. My biggest increase so far, electric. We use much less and watch what we use to boot. Changed over from all elevtric to a system 2000 oil fired hot water base board heat. The bill this month, $187.00.. Gas I don't notice as much because we have been high last seven years. When everyone else went from 1.40 per, back to near a dollar,, we stayed at 1.40. It is now 1.80 for regular and 1.80 for diesel, which I like to burn oil in my Dodge. Car insurance and home owners also increased, but nowhere like the electric and cable. I would say 20% or so on insurances, and other items.

 

[thcri]

Welcome to the real world. Everything is going up. Owning an HVAC business our health, liability and work comp has almost doubled. We have had to take a full coverage health insurance away from our employees and give them one with a deductible. Flat sheets of metal has more than doubled in the last month. Fittings have gone up over 20% in the last month and expected to continue. Some of our suppliers won't even give us a quote anymore, we will see how much it is when it is shipped. Gas prices are skyrocketing here too. I work real close with a couple of convience stores in the area and they just hate it when gas prices are as high as they are. They both say they don't make money when the gas is as high as it si right now.

So to answer your question, yes everything is up and I don't see it changing for a some time.

murph

 

[fishman]

Wow, I thought you were talking about me! Those numbers are pretty close to mine, except that car insurance is up slightly more and health insurance up slightly less (although benefits have decreased substantially). Add the fact that property taxes went through the roof last year due to re-appraisal (county-wide increase if not state-wide) and it feels like somebody's got their hand in my wallet. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Bird]

Yep, Terry, I'm afraid it's that way for all of us. Do you reckon it'll reach a plateau or just keep going?

 

[TerryinMD]

Hey Bird howya doin'...

You have asked the rhetorical question!! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif I wish I knew... that is why I posed the question. I can imagine that a lot of people are in the same boat as me, costs going up and income not keeping in line with those increases. Retired people or those on some kind of fixed incomes are the ones getting hit the worst.

The economy seems to be creeping along. More new houses are being built - a good thing. However, the jobless rate is remaining the same. Hmmmm.... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Now go and figure that one out.

I've been watching things at a distance and shaking my head trying to figure some of the why's.... but I can't place my finger on any one indicator. It's a ying-yang mix.

Terry

 

[Henro]

What I don't understand is how the cost of most things we use on a daily basis can be going up like it is, but yet the government seems to think that inflation is very low... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

To me: Cost of living = Inflation...

Figures don't lie, but liars figure...or something like that??? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

You got me... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[lamarbur]

I've been watching things at a distance and shaking my head trying to figure some of the why's.... but I can't place my finger on any one indicator. It's a ying-yang mix.

Terry
I think a lot of this is due to being an election year. Some in congress are afraid to move "their" programs forward and others are holding back anyway.. I think it will be constant un-answered questions until we see who wins the presidency. Even after that, doesn't mean things become more stable.

 

[lablovers]

Be glade you don't live in California. Things are crazy to start with then you add in cost of living and you can't keep up. I don't know how my kids will ever buy a house. We bought property last year and it has probably appreciated 30% or more in a year. Lucky for us property taxes were set in stone by prop. 13. If not, no one could afford a house. Idiot politicians tried to change it with a ballot measure and luckily it was seen for what it was. If it wasn't for the weather we would all leave. Should be close to 70 today and I still don't have my tractor.
Lablovers

 

[Bob_Skurka]

And on top of the price increases, half of the #$&* politicians want to raise our taxes too!