Are you struggling to buy food and fuel?

[Angela Shelley]

Are you struggling to buy food and fuel?

[Cant trust em]

1. No vote from me.

I'm single in my late twenties. I don't make a lot of money, but it's not like I have a family to feed.

[Angela Shelley]

4. You can still vote!

:-)

[Cant trust em]

6. I'm not really who this poll is intended for

It's going to have to be another Great Depression for people in my socio-economic status to have trouble buying food or gas.

Boy am I taking this whole thing too seriously. I'll vote.

[Angela Shelley]

11. The poll is directed at anyone who cares to answer the question.

I think that it´s necessary to understand the economic situation in the US in order to talk about "solving the problems".

If you are doing well, then congratulations!

It´s not only families which have debt, alot of OINKs and DINKs have credit problems too!

[Cant trust em]

13. That's the thing. It's not like I'm doing well. I'm doing adequately.

My personal financial situation is not really relevant to "understand the economic situation in the US." My point is that it's going to take a seismic shift in the economy for people in my age/income brackets to feel the crunch.

[Angela Shelley]

21. Yes, your situation is relevant too,

because everyone is curious how other people are doing ... it´s all relative.

Alot of people, even though they have a good income, feel the crunch when their house payment rises or gas prices rise. Higher gas prices have nothing to do with age.

[shadowknows69]

132. Sounds like you make enough to be stable at least

Because I know we feel every little crunch.

[Angela Shelley]

133. New concept ... temporary stability

:-)

[shadowknows69]

135. That's been our case all our lives.

In my case the stability is finally crashing down though due to health issues.

[liberal N proud]

2. I make more now than I did 20 years ago but have less to spend

on other things.
It seems like there is never a chance to get ahead. You think, I am now making good money, then wham they knock you back down again.
:banghead:

[KansDem]

8. Tell me about it!

During the late 1970s, I worked as a hospital orderly. When I left after 3 years making from $3.01 to $4.27 an hour, I had a car and apartment and over $1,000 in the hospital's credit union. Now, I'm a "professional" and I am virtually living from paycheck to paycheck...

[live love laugh]

110. "It seems like there is never a chance to get ahead"

"You think, I am now making good money, then wham they knock you back down again."



Same for me. And we can't get ahead because hidden inflation is eating away at what we earn but so are the skyrocketing taxes and predatory banking fees, etc. that everybody is paying without full knowledge thanks to Bushco.

[Xenotime]

118. Yes! Exactly!

[hobbit709]

3. My wife just got terminated from where's been 32 years.

I'm living on disability. We were just barely keeping even before, now I don't know.

[Angela Shelley]

30. About unemployment.

Will your wife receive unemployment payment?

[hobbit709]

44. She filed and now she's dancing through the hoops.

Of course unemployment only pays about 65% of what she was bringing home before. She was at the top of the pay scale where she was and any new job won't pay near that.

[JuniperLea]

54. I feel for you... been there...

Hopefully not filling the gas tank will make up for some of that.

Take care.

[woodsprite]

5. Not quite yet, but I can see it coming.

We priced it out in the grocery store the other day. It was just over $10.00 if you bought Cheerios brand (large box) and 1 gal of milk. We've already told the kids we will not be going on a beach vacation to NC this year. That's the only long trip we really do each year. We'll take the time off, but we'll be spending it at home. We have a pool in our neighborhood and that's where we'll be. Since we'll be stuck at home, we may haul ourselves down to the state fair.

[Breeze54]

7. There is a flour shortage. Expect all grain products, takeout pizza, etc. to go way up!

:grr:

[Angela Shelley]

9. Here´s an idea for you.

Here in Germany, when people spend their vacations at home, they say

"We are spending our vacation in Balkonia" (playing on the word "balcony")

or

"We are spending our vacation in Terrassino" (playing on the word "Terrasse" or "patio")

So maybe you can say

"We are spending our vacation at Patio Beach" or "... at Home Garden Castle".

:-)

[Manifestor_of_Light]

107. In NYC it's "Tar Beach" -- asphalt rooftops. n/t

[Angela Shelley]

113. If you wear thongs at tar beach ... does it get real sticky?

[damntexdem]

10. No, not struggling; but I still don't like it.

Until quite recently, I had avoided paying over $3.00 per gallon for gas by going to the store's pumps and getting a 10-cent discount. But I used up my 10-cent discounts (one for each $100 of groceries), so recently had to pay over $3.00, when I got only a 3-cent discount.

But I can look at the bright side: as food costs go up, it will be easier to spend more $100s at the store, so easier to get the 10-cent discounts on gas. ;-) (And some sarcasm to go with that wink.)

[Angela Shelley]

25. You might like the video

from Dave Ramsey, called Dumping Debt, (you will find it at youtube).

He talks very humorously about the "discount card trap". :-)

[libnnc]

12. We're very, very lucky right now

SO has a very good job and due to some unexpected inheritances over the last couple of years, she will be able to pay off some things.

We personally aren't struggling but we're very, very aware of the jump in food and fuel and we're both trying to prepare for harder times coming.

[Angela Shelley]

28. Keep smiling

:-)

[libnnc]

Not smiling.

Just "lucky" to have lost some very close relatives in the last 3 years. :( :cry:

Hard times ARE coming.

[Angela Shelley]

34. Since you have "foresight"

do you also have some "fore-wisdom" ... what can we do to survive?

[libnnc]

40. Huh?

Not sure what you're getting at.

I've just told you my personal situation. I have no "wisdom". I have no "foresight".

[Angela Shelley]

45. What I meant was ...

you wrote that "hard times are coming", that´s foresight.

I thought maybe you would have some ideas about avoiding future financial strain, because it´s something which you´ve thought about. I´m not meaning to be personal, I´m just curious about the individual strategies for financial survival. :-)

[libnnc]

47. Pay off debts.

Use cash if you can. I've kept my credit card usage to a minimum (only have one). I refuse to go to the movies anymore. Eating in more. We keep cars until they (literally) fall apart. We've put off any home remodeling for now. Just fixing stuff as it breaks. Our TV is almost 10 years old. We just don't buy unnecessary crap. And we haven't taken a vacation in 2 years.

[Angela Shelley]

49. Thanks for the wisdom, libnnc,

Look at it this way, without the stress of credit card debt, who needs a vacation?
:-)

[JuniperLea]

58. That is wise...

I'm using my yearly bonus to pay down the mortgage, etc., instead of going on vacation. This lowers payments in the future and that's always good. Everything I'm doing is with frugal intentions, regardless of how much discretionary money I do have. Drive it until it drops has always been my credo with cars. To me a status symbol is a hybrid, or an ultra low emissions vehicle! Waste is not wise, and anytime you can get what you want without paying the highest price is wiser still.

[libnnc]

70. We have been able to live without a car payment for a while

So we were able to save for the new one (with the help of some inheritance money) and pay cash for it. Hopefully it will last 25 years.

[Angela Shelley]

83. Which car is made to last 25 years?

[libnnc]

84. We got a Honda Fit

We didn't expect my Eagle Summit to last almost 15 years but it did. I will drive this Honda until the doors fall off.

[zorahopkins]

14. Struggling Doesn't Begin To Describe.

"Struggling" doesn't begin to describe how I am suffering.

I'm on a fixed income, and, because I am an older woman who does not have English as my first language, I run into constant discrimination when I try to re-enter the job market -- even for minimum wage jobs!!

Meanwhile, the cost of home heating oil, bread, milk, and other basic necessities keeps going UP and UP!

It's all the fault of Bush/Cheney and their gang of corrupt thugs!

I hate them all!

[bobbolink]

16. No, it doesn't begin to describe.

:hug:

I see myself fading into oblivion.

Will it matter?

:shrug:

[zorahopkins]

18. No One Seems To Care

No one seems to care about people like me -- old, woman, born outside the US.

We will just fade into oblivion.

And no one will care.

[bobbolink]

I'm old, woman and BORN in the U.S. I can tell you, it makes little difference.

If I had another country I could go to, I'd have packed long ago.

This country is dead.

[zorahopkins]

32. But I Speak English With An Accent

I am at a bigger disadvantage, because, when I speak English, people know immediately that I was not born in the US.

I encounter it all the time -- the condescending looks, the sneering voices -- that are directed my way because I don't speak perfect English, and because the English I do speak has an accent.

I am discriminated against because I am a female, because I am old, because I am foreign-born, and because I speak my mind.

[bobbolink]

35. If you want to set yourself apart, then have at it.

What I'm saying to you is that we poor people are all in this together, and if we REALLY, seriously want change, we will have to support each other.

By setting yourself apart, you are thumbing your nose at me, and the other poster who is telling you that it's also those of us who were born here, speak English, etc.

Up to you......

[zorahopkins]

43. No One Gives Me An Ounce Of Compassion

No one gives me a single ounce of compassion about my condition.

I only get accusations or condescension because I am different.

Never any compassion.

[bobbolink]

46. Well, I did, but you just told me how you are different, and that my compassion means little.

Also that my suffering (and that of Blues 90) means little.

You chose to join with others, and care about them, too, or go your own road.

Your choice.

[zorahopkins]

93. Judgment. Only Judgment

I reach out for the compassion of others.

But, because I am different from others -- I was born outside the USA, I speak my English with an accent, I am old, I am a woman -- I get only judgment and condemnation in return.

I cannot afford to heat where I live, and it is cold.

I am hungry, but there is only cat food, and even that is more than I can really afford.

But all I get is judgment.

And comdemation.

Because I am different.

[Breeze54]

122. It's a shame you didn't reply to those who did reach out to you....

Maybe that's the problem?

Stop feeling sorry for yourself!!

Go follow some of the suggestions other's here gave you!!

Good Luck.

[elehhhhna]

94. look for translation services you can work for....

Your written English is good, and the pay can be pretty good, and much can be done at home on the 'net. Worth checking it out, and good luck!

[Xenotime]

120. I have been saying that for over a year now..there's nothing left here.

[blues90]

24. Trust me on this one , it's just not people born out of the US

I am as white as one can be and I was born in the good ole USA and I am male and 59 .

I have not had on bit of luck getting a job even in a dump site or a box store or anywhere .

You can forget about filing discrimintion charges there is no way to prove this out , they will just say they hired someone more fit for their position .

Can't prove age discrimination either .

[bobbolink]

31. And the compassion is....MIA

Look how well poverty issues right here at DU .....
...............sink.........

:cry:

[blues90]

36. I would bet , if I had the money to bet , that

If a poor person stood in the middle of the street with a gun at their head it would not make the news . If the same person stole a loaf of cheap bread they would film the shooting .

[bobbolink]

38. You have it pretty much on the bullseye! As a matter of fact, what you have written

is a fine LTTE.... I would strongly suggest sending it in!

:yourock:

[Obamanaut]

117. There are people who care. My mother in law lives in a nursing

home, but she is mobile (she's 92.)

The place where she lives arranges outings, and volunteers come to assist so that even the residents who use wheel chairs can go. The activities director's husband loads up chairs on his pick up, and the residents mostly ride in the company van. On the last shopping outing Ms ret88 took three residents in her car (one was her mom), and I went along on motorcycle to help push chairs (there wasn't room for me in the car.) There was another personal van full of volunteer pushers, most of whom don't have relatives in this home.

The local nursery invites any group of seniors who wants to visit to come and tour their facility, which is especially nice when butterflies are plentiful. All the walkways are paved, and there are numerous benches for resting. One group was there last week for several hours.

So, yes some people still care. I think maybe some people who would do more just don't know what they can do. I am in a pleasant small town where those who can seem to like to assist some of the others who cannot as well as they once were able to.

[Angela Shelley]

136. Thanks for the positive thoughts. "Some people still care"

[Breeze54]

19. Age discrimination is real.

People do care, zorahopkins! :hug:

You aren't alone. This is happening to a lot of people.

Have you reported that to the EOC?

Have you checked AARP? They have job listings for each state.

Is there a food pantry near you?

Have you applied for Food Stamps?

Is there a Senior Center that could give you some assistance?

I hope things get better for you.

Hopefully, when we win the election in Nov., that will turn a lot of this around.

Hang in there. You are not alone. :grouphug:

[Xenotime]

119. I hurts me to read about your suffering..

This is a horrible time in America.

[petepillow]

15. Big time! Have a fine job with excellent benefits, but

terrible housing market, expensive gas, rising food prices, compounding medical co-pays for my newborn son, and pre-existing debt from college add up to bad news for us. And yet we feel extremely blessed compared to so many in our area (greater Philadelphia region.) Trips to the grocery store, once a family highlight, are now dreaded.

[Angela Shelley]

23. We solved that problem,

we walk to the grocery store, go more often, and only take one cloth bag with us. :-)

[RebelOne]

17. Not yet, but I am afraid that day will come.

[Angela Shelley]

22. Don´t worry,

be happy :-)

[michreject]

20. No

Not yet.

[Angela Shelley]

26. Keep smiling.

:-)

[Subdivisions]

27. Not yet. We took steps beginning a year ago to reduce

our dependance on commuting and to stop taking food for granted. I was a construction worker driving at least 50 miles one-way to a job site. I now work from home. My s/o worked in a town 15 miles away. She quit that job and took a job doing the same kind of work just one mile from our home.

I want to elaborate for a moment on the food part of this equation. We simply took food for granted before prices started rising. It was nothing to throw away perfectly good food and it was very easy to make too much for just two people. We very recently had 3 in our home, 4 and 6 before that. So it wasn't easy getting used to cooking for just the two of us. We found that most things you get from a grocery store are for bigger households and we continued to misjudge. We'd end up with enough food left over each night for an additional person. It would get put in the refridgerator for lunch the next day, but usually she or I would just forget about it and discover it a couple of days later only to toss it in the trash. But, since I have begun "preparing for an emergency" and since we began to recognize how much we were wasting, we've become very conscious of what it takes to feed just the two of us.

We are fortunate that we've been able to cut way down on our day-to-day operating expenses and that savings has turned up in the volume of my "emergency preparedness".

[Angela Shelley]

29. Thanks for the practical wisdom.

... and "smile", you have savings.

[MadinMo]

33. I voted yes, but

while it is not a struggle per se, it is more of a challenge. We don't have anything extra at all after paying for food and fuel. Having two 15 year olds with finicky eating quirks (one a vegetarian, one a carnivore with an aversion to cheese and pasta and ethnic food), who like to see just how long after the timer goes off they can eke out their shower before Mom or Dad hits the roof, makes it just that more challenging. I most sincerely dislike telling them every week that there is no extra money for anything.

We plan to have a huge garden this year --- hopefully growing enough extra to "put some up" for the winter. One day we'll get chickens and pigs.

[Angela Shelley]

41. My sister was quite finicky as a teenager

and my Mom treated that syndrome very cleverly. She told my sister to go shopping for the family, cook the meals, and take the criticism. My sister learned to become a very good frugal cook, and all of us reaped the benefits.

Sounds like some "power play", but that´s what being a teenager is all about.

Keep smiling ... in a few short years they will be struggling to make their own utility payments.

[MadinMo]

48. Good ideas.

I may have to adapt this to our family. Certainly they could each have one night a week they cook.

And you are sooooo right about the power play!

[Angela Shelley]

52. How about a whole week of cooking

and maybe they will never complain again.

:-)

[Manifestor_of_Light]

51. I'm a picky eater too.

I have a lot of food allergies and I refuse to buy cheap meat. Why buy something at a dollar a pound if you have to spend an hour either pounding it into submission, or sit there and take out the bones, the cartilage and the yucky bits, and throw away three quarters of it? That is false economy. Mom taught me that one.

I refuse to buy what I call "bubblegum roast".

[Angela Shelley]

53. That´s funny ... the yucky bits.

:-)

[Retrograde]

89. I see your point, but

there are ways to deal with cheaper, tougher cuts if you want to make the time/money trade-in. And those bones/cartilage/yucky bits = stock makings. But it still comes down to how much of the (time+money) combination you want to invest how. One problem, IMHO, is that in general we Americans have forgotten how to cook: if it's not instant gratification, we don't want it.

I agree about buying good quality meat, though, even for cheaper cuts. I'd rather have one good steak occasionally than fast-food quality ground beef every day.

[JuniperLea]

71. I did something similar with my kids when they were young...

I had them write out the checks for the monthly bills, do the math, and balance the checkbook so they could see what we had left to work with. Then we went to the grocery store together... they made it a game and I thought the message might get lost, but it didn't. They understood why we bought just one Nintendo game that month, without any squawking:)

[Angela Shelley]

74. Great idea from Juniperx, MUST READ!

:-)

[youthere]

87. Yep..I do the same thing with my kids...

since the bills and the budget affects the entire family, so the way I see it...the entire family should be involved in all of it...not jsut the "purchasing". My kids don't beg for toys or candy or clothes when we go to the store,they don't gripe about meals and wonder why we can't just order pizza, and my kids have also learned to "plan ahead" for expenditures..."Mom, I'm getting low on deoderant...I'll be needing some in a couple of weeks" ...that kind of planning ahead. Best thing we ever did. When I grew up, asking about bills, or what my parents earned was like some unforgiveable sin.

[MissB]

64. Chickens are cheap, productive and entertaining.

I picked up day-old chicks for 60 cents each. I asked for four hens and managed to get three hens and a rooster. The rooster went on Craigslist the day after it first crowed and was picked up that day by a farmer who'd just lost her rooster.

At five months old or so, they started laying eggs. One a day during the summer, and then one every-other day or so in the fall and spring. I don't put a light in the hen house, so they don't tend to produce much in the winter. Still, three hens keep us in eggs- I can't possibly use all of their eggs in a week during the summer months so my neighbors and a few friends willingly take my extras.

The baby chicks just require a secure box and a warm lamp. Once they get their feathers, they went into a simple henhouse that we made from mostly scrap lumber and a few salvaged windows from the salvage yard.

My biggest expense is a bale of hay ($6-$7) and a bag of feed ($7) every few months. During the day, they free range on my half-acre. I have a friend in the city that lives on a 50x100' lot and still has a couple of chickens. At night, they put themselves in the hen house and we just have to close the door when it gets dark.

And their eggs are to die for. The yolks are so vibrantly colored and tasty - even free range/organic eggs from the grocery store are anemic looking in comparison.

[Angela Shelley]

68. Thanks for the practical insight,

we´ve thought about keeping chickens, but just can´t make the commitment.

I´m sure alot of people are at this point.

[Lars39]

79. I'm saving egg cartons right now for my brother...

hopefully they'll have enough eggs to sell some.

[MadinMo]

85. We went so far as to find out the local prices on chicks but we

just don't have the facilities ready for them yet. Hopefully in a few months time chicks will still be available, or even some hens/roosters and we can get them then. We just can't get everything ready all at once --- HUGE garden and livestock preps.

I've never raised chickens, but MrMadinMo has, so I'm relying on his experience. We are truly looking foward to having them!

A co-worker and I have been discussing with each other our plans for bigger gardens this year, and dreams about chickens. I think the food situation is worrying more than a few folks.

[GreenPartyVoter]

37. The only reason we got by this year: church bought us fuel, food bank supplemented shopping, and

our tax refund.

[MissB]

39. Nope.

We're fortunate so far, plus I just restarted my career.

Fuel has been taking a bigger bite out of my spending money, but not a significant amount since I didn't do a great deal of day-to-day driving.

Since I've been a stay-at-home parent, I've made many things from scratch and bulk items haven't taken as a big of a jump in price as ready-made or processed foods. I'll be shifting to a weekend cooking technique now that I'm going back to work, but overall I don't see our food budget expanding that much.

[bobbolink]

42. Those of you voting "YES", and those "NOs" who are concerned about the YESES

might want to look at this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3003203&mesg_id=3003203

[JuniperLea]

50. I'm finding myself budgeting like I did when I was 20!

I'm not rich by any stretch, but I have always been able to afford what I wanted. Now, I have to watch my grocery and gas spending very carefully, as well as entertainment... which is lean anyway. I only get my hair cut once or twice a year, and I'm doing a lot of things for myself that I have always paid to be done. I try to limit my dry cleaning... trying to wear suits as little as possible, etc. Every purchase is heavily scrutinized. My head is full of "what ifs". What if I have a plumbing problem? What if my car needs repaired? What if I get sick? What if the TV/computer/DVD player breaks (I don't go to movie theaters and rarely go to concerts anymore... this is my entertainment)? I don't buy books... I use the library. I don't buy DVD's... I use Netflix (the cheapest deal). I buy more "store brands" now. It's going to get a lot worse.

[Angela Shelley]

56. This is interesting, so many people have replied

that "it´s going to get worse."

What are you going to do then, since you have already cut back on most services?

[libnnc]

61. That's the scary part

Most of us here have never lived through a writ large, national financial crisis as severe as the Great Depression so we don't know exactly WHAT to expect. What happens first? I was lucky enough to have known my great grandmother but she was so traumatized by the '30s that she couldn't express any details (and I was too young to understand anyway). She literally could not talk about it--could only quietly say, "We lost everything..."

I just know that I have a burning urge to get this house paid off before this autumn comes.

[Angela Shelley]

66. How about a new thread called "what happens first"?

Maybe there are some DUers who have more detailed insight.

More power to you in paying off your house!

[MadinMo]

91. I'd like to see a thread like that, Angela.

I scour this site and some like it each day hoping to get an idea what others are doing to prepare ---what do they think is going to happen and when.

I worry about our mortgage even though there is less than 4 years to pay on it. Its a fixed rate, and not a hardship to make monthly payments at this time, but if the mortgage holder goes belly up should I expect the new holder to demand full payment? We would not be able to do that.

We are glad we live on a small acreage where we can provide a lot for ourselves. We have procrastinated getting to that level for a little too long, but MrMadinMo is now retired so he can handle the big gardens and critters when/if we get them. Still, I worry about money in the future. Will it be there?

[JuniperLea]

69. That's the whole deal in a nutshell... you nailed it...

I felt the same about cutting down on water usage... I've already cut back a lot. And I'm sure I use less than a lot of my neighbors. If this goes mandatory, those currently wasting a lot will be far better off than I will because they are starting from a higher consumption rate than I will.

I was raised by my grandmother, who had 14 siblings during the great depression. I learned a lot from her, and from my godmother of the same age, on living frugally. I never thought I'd actually have to use what they taught me, but I am. I actually went out with my daughter last weekend and bought about $30 worth of clothing patterns. Our summer clothes will be all hand made this year... using skills taught to me by the above-referenced women... my godmother was an artist in this regard, and she taught me a lot of good tricks of her trade... she was a professional dressmaker/designer/tailor. She even made my coats and hats when I was a kid. I don't want to go that far, but know that I can if push comes to shove.

I think a lot of us are instinctively hunkering down.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

109. Cooking, sewing, domestic skills are all good.

In another thread I mentioned all those manual skills. Old all-steel electric Singer sewing machines are great and they never wear out (1930s to 1950s manufacture). They make great buttonholes with an attachment.

Also, your County Extension Agents can give you FREE INFORMATION about homemaking, canning, gardening, livestock, pest control, etc. The Cooperative Extension Service is provided by over 100 land grant colleges in the United States.

Lots more information:
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html

Two of my grandparents were County Extension Agents from the 1920s to the early 1960s. They saved a lot of families from starving in the Depression because they taught canning, gardening, animal husbandry, cooking, nutrition, even how to make mattresses out of surplus cotton!

[Angela Shelley]

111. Domestic management skills are the most valuable assets,

they always have been.

Thanks for the useful link :-)

[wishlist]

55. No, but only because spouse and self have had stomach virus for a week!

Getting the violent intestinal/stomach virus going around was a hell of a way to save money on food and jump start our spring weight loss efforts, but it has at least been good for that much. Fortunately we are semi-retired, so we can ramp up our business efforts as weather improves, but we are afraid our buying public may not be spending as much.

[Angela Shelley]

57. Two bowls of homemade chicken soup are on their way ...

I had to laugh at your comments ... we had the same experience in January ... being sick is now one step to financial freedom!

About the buying public ... that´s a difficult one if more than half of the people are struggling to buy food and fuel?

Keep smiling :-)

[taught_me_patience]

59. Nobody seems to be doing anything about inflation

and it's making me pissed. My pay raise this year did not cover inflation. Don't forget, if you didn't get a 4% pay raise this year, then you've gotten a pay cut!!:mad:

[Angela Shelley]

62. Is the 4% the "core inflation"?

or something else.

I´m asking because I heard that the statistic "core inflation" does not cover food or fuel.

[bobbolink]

90. 4% is the minimum amount of UNEMPLOYMENT before inflation sets in.

Isn't that just ducky?

editing because I"m not sure I made that clear....capitalism requires there be AT LEAST 4% of the population unemployed, in order to avoid inflation.

Business would prefer HIGHER than 4%, obviously.

:( :thumbsdown: :(

[taught_me_patience]

96. 4% is total CPI (Consumer Price Index)

core inflation is approx 2%. The core inflation is what the fed uses to determine the Fed Funds Rate and CPI is what actually hits your pocketbook.

[Angela Shelley]

108. Thanks for the clarification.

:-)

[Mountainman]

60. No on gas, I now ride the bus to work, ride a motorcycle and bicycle.

I buy a tank of gas about once a month if that. The bus costs $280 for me and my wife a month. Gas to and from work at $4 would be about $650 so we save $373 by riding the bus. My motorcycle gets 40 mpg and by bicycle is even better than that.

[Angela Shelley]

63. Good for you!

There´s a typo in your message: "My motorcycle gets 40 mph and ..." (mph?) ... I laughed when I read that your bicycle even goes faster than your motorcycle.

Born to be wild!

Do you live in a city, or in the suburbs?

[Mountainman]

78. fixed the typo, thanks. The bicycle also burns calories faster.

[Mountainman]

81. I live in the city now, I moved from the remote mountains.

[galledgoblin]

65. I don't buy fuel, so have plenty of money for food

my rent includes utilities like heat and electricity and I ride the bus/walk.

[yella_dawg]

67. No.

Health issues forced loss of car and home. Can't afford food or fuel.

[Angela Shelley]

72. I see that you are from Texas.

We have some friends who live in Florida, and they recently told us that they know alot of people who are moving to Texas, because the economy is booming in Texas.

Is there really more economic activity in Texas than in other states?

[w8liftinglady]

75. in the service industry-yes

as a nurse,I get a million job offers.There are lots of restaurants and stuff.Our manufacturing has decreased,and the oil fields are using a lot of "contract" labor so they don't have to pay benefits.

[Angela Shelley]

77. Do you also have "snowbirds" in Texas?

[yella_dawg]

105. From where I stand

the economy is in the crapper. Biggest grocery store in town closed a month or so ago. Most businesses are struggling and cutting back. Lots of doors closed in the past year or so. Don't know if it's local or more widespread. (Rural area.) What I hear from family isn't any better elsewhere.

[w8liftinglady]

73. a lot of my patients and co-workers are REALLY struggling

I know so many people who have several families living under one roof,or who have their grandchildren living with them because the parents couldn't afford to take care of them.I can't tell you how many patients' spouses and children I have fed because they had no where to go when their family member was sick,and no cash for food.It's literally like a third world country.

[Angela Shelley]

76. Why doesn´t the MSM talk about these issues?

BTW, are those biceps?

[butterfly77]

102. Because they have been trying to hide it for so long,.,

and now they can't hide it anymore. Now the talking heads are really realizing what is going on and some are sitting there looking amazed because they probably have been hearing stories from others because they don't seem to be feeling any pain...

[iamthebandfanman]

80. yup

infact i had a conversation this morning while waiting on my grandma at the eye doctor with someone in the lobby about it. she told he she travels around alot for her job and that its really putting the hurt on her. she said if she wasnt the age she was and didnt collect from the government she doesnt know what shed do(she still has a job at a local elementary school).

[RockaFowler]

82. We are right on the edge

We moved to St Lucie County (60 miles away from Palm Beach County) because the houses were less expensive. We could not afford the house that we have now in Palm Beach County. When we moved up there it was $2.15 a gallon for gas. When I filled up Wednesday it was $3.22 at Sam's Club (the cheapest gas around). My husband and I work in West Palm Beach and we commute together each day (thank goodness for that). There is no public transportation from St Lucie to Palm Beach, so that's out of the question. We pay at least $100 a week in gas and $25 a week in tolls on the Turnpike. So after paying all of the bills and the gas, we are left with $100 a week. With the cost of milk at $4.00 a gallon, eggs at $2.00 a dozen, meat at $6.99 a pound - what does that leave someone for a week. We buy all of our meats in bulk and have cut back on some of our foods. We don't go out anymore. We haven't had a vacation in 2 years. So, we are trying to get by as best as possible!

[Thepricebreaker]

86. Stop buying Ipods and sneakers with lights in them. Perhaps then you could buy a cheeseburger.

[guitar man]

88. I'm struggling

to buy everything. We've cut all unnecessary expenditures, cut off cable tv, home phone, internet, cancelled all magazine subscriptions....everything we can think if to cut. The problem is, folks, our dollar isn't worth shit anymore. :(

[Two Americas]

92. frightening

From past surveys and comments about people's income and professional status here, I think that DUers tend to be in the upper 10% in household income. If people here are struggling to pay for food - food! imagine what that tells us about the general population, let alone those who have fallen off the edge and are unemployed, homeless, or otherwise mired in misfortune.

I notice that most people are talking about personal survival strategies, which is the usual response at DU to these questions. At what point do we take the traditional Democratic party view and talk about public rather than private solutions, about political solutions to social problems rather that individual solutions? How bad does it have to get?

[Angela Shelley]

95. I think that private solutions are a large part of public solutions

because if the masses aren´t willing and able to "cut back", how can they put pressure on the government?

I am motivated by the number of replies from "frugal folks", that´s empowerment in the making.

[Two Americas]

99. yes

Libertarianism. It has permeated the thinking of the entire society.

Solutions that are not available to 90% of the population do not encourage me. I am happy for the few who can afford to have options like raising chickens - most poor people live in areas where that is prohibited - but I am not so happy that these personal solutions are presented as responses to massive social problems.

Individual solutions are not "empowering" for any but the fortunate few. It "empowers" us to continue believing that we can survive through more and more application of "personal responsibility" solutions. It "empowers" us to ignore the less fortunate, and to avoid political solutions to social problems. In other words, we are empowering the very causes of the growing social problems.

Blaming the people for this unfolding catastrophe - people are not being frugal enough - is antithetical to any political thinking that can even remotely be considered left wing or liberal.

Since when do struggling and downtrodden people forfeit the right to pressure the government because of their supposed personal failings?

[varelse]

137. I sure wish you'd start more threads of your own

You keep writing replies that should be OP's!!! I'd recommend this one if I could. For a progressive forum, this site sure does seem to be shaded by a distinctly libertarian bias.

[Angela Shelley]

138. Thanks for the insight.

[bighart]

97. I am actually managing to get ahead right now.

Had the foresight to not use credit for Christmas this year and used a good portion of my year end bonus to pay off debt.
Since December have been putting most of the "extra" money that used to be spent on dept payment either in savings (40%) or as added principal payment on my mortgage (40%), the other 20% became disposable income that we enjoy. Another thing I do is whatever is left over when the next pay check comes goes directly into savings.

[Angela Shelley]

114. Positive energy for your savings account!

[ScreamingMeemie]

98. No, but I wish I still were.

The life insurance isn't worth not having the life.

[kaybea]

100. I'm not, but the cost of basic necessities means I can no longer

save some of my increasingly worthless dollar bills towards an increasingly expensive indulgence or two.

[MrSlayer]

101. No, I don't own a car, fuel is a non issue.

I'm doing ok overall. Middle class. Do I wish I had more? Certainly but no one is going to starve anytime soon around here.

[blindpig]

128. hunger begets starvation

http://www.bread.org/learn/hunger-basics/

[Angela Shelley]

130. Thanks for the link.

[hyphenate]

103. I definitely am

But when your annual "income" (disability) is under $16,000, it happens. :shrug:

I try to get to Costco every couple of months which helps, but regular groceries and all are now coming out to be about $200 a month. The only thing that saves me is my bulk cooking of soups, pasta sauce and such which I freeze. Eating out is now a luxury, but I have to get out of the house once in awhile.

[earth mom]

104. Where's the option: "Not yet, but I expect to soon"?! nt

[Angela Shelley]

112. We could put on the blinders and say "it´s getting better".

:-)

[earth mom]

116. I don't think it's going to get better but instead worry about how bad it's gonna get. nt

[Rydz777]

106. No, but I know people who are, and it pains me whenever I

see how much it is costing to fill up my car - a Honda Civic.

[Dukkha]

115. Use the public library!

unlimited book, movie, and music rentals all free. an often overlooked resource.

[Angela Shelley]

126. Thanks for the helpful reminder!

:-)

[Phoonzang]

121. No. I walk to work and eat a lot of junk food.

When I have to move this summer and the day I decide to get in shape, I'll be hurting pretty badly.

[Angela Shelley]

140. Have you seen the film "Super Size Me", it´s shocking.

[Contrary1]

123. Not struggling,

but it is definitely curbing our spending in other areas. I figure a lot of people fall into this category.
No extras for us.

[TexasLady]

124. I had to get another part time job today

to go with my other job. Husband works morning noon and night. Five kids at home. All in school. From ages 23 18 16 15 and 9
My oldest is moving soon. 18 year old will have to get a summer job. 16 year old too.
Im scared ALL the time because the bill money goes for Gas. and Food. oh man the food. Our jobs are both connected to the internet and phones, so we HAVE to keep those bills paid. I used to think we struggled, but now I KNOW we are.

Yeah, it sux, and Im scared all the time. Glad I havent burned too many bridges with family.

[Robbien]

125. "Scared all the time"

That about sums it up. It is truly scary.

:hug:

[Angela Shelley]

127. ... thank goodness for inlaws with chickens!

:-)

[CRF450]

129. No, doing just fine, and I own a truck.

But my car that gets around 22mpg is my primary driver right now untill late April. Then I'll have to drive the truck which gets 16mpg for my summer job. I'll be making more money than I am now, but the gas prices and the lower fuel economy of my truck might come close to offsetting my increased income. Food, well I always spend around $5-$6 a day on food, usually eating out.

[Angela Shelley]

131. Sounds like you are doing fine,

too bad you´re driving a guzzler, the prices will not be going down :-)

[CRF450]

134. Yeah, it sucks but I need it, no getting around it.

Sucks when ya gotta spend money and burn up precious resources to make a living doesn't it?

[Maggie_May]

139. yep its killing me

They want the economy to pick up well its not going too because I don't buy the extra stuff anymore unless I really need it. Like clothes shoes toy's for the kid or me and hubby. Oh yeah the stimulus package that won't buy much with food and gas going up.

[Angela Shelley]

141. Alot of people have not yet stopped buying "the extra stuff",

credit card purchases are still being made every day.

[marions ghost]

142. In fairness to American consumers

I get annoyed when people are labeled spendthrift and undisciplined without also considering the forces
behind excess accumulation in an economy dependent on consumerism.

Yes a lot of people spend on things they really don't need. But you have to look at what it substitutes for psychologically, in a culture that tells you you are always lacking something. Shopping, and the challenge of finding something a couple of bucks cheaper has become a national obsession. Things really do make people feel better, but of course the feeling only lasts until the next target thing is identified. There are fewer and fewer free recreational activities. It's an endless trap.

Also, and this affects even the most thrifty--we are often stuck with things these days that do not last, do not perform as expected, or are made to fall apart. Right now I have a ceiling fan, a cappucino maker, and a telephone that were new not long ago and no longer work well or are defunct. Don't get me started on alarm clocks. We live with one that nobody can get to stop saying "the time is 2 pm" everyday at 2 pm. But we'd rather live with that than try to find another one. We've run through 3 ceramic baking dishes that cracked even without ever being put in the dishwasher. I'm sure I could find more junk languishing around the house in this category. This is often true even if you are willing to pay more for "better quality" at the outset, esp in the area of smaller appliances, electronics, clothing, home repair items, typical housewares.

We spend our lives researching products, shopping, returning things, fixing things, decisions about replacing things and throwing things away. We are drowning in things. Not to say that people can't cut their spending, but we really are fighting an uphill battle in this. Around our house these days we live in dread of something breaking or somebody needing something...because then it will require more shopping and more expenditure. The internet helps, but then the ease of buying that way may make people spend even more. And all of the product research we are required to do before buying anything takes inordinate amounts of time. I have found consumer reviews online to be very helpful, such as testimonials preventing me from buying the worst dishwasher ever manufactured. Consumer networking is the only way to fight back against dumping of bad products and little regulation in our favor. But it's a full-time job to even consume intelligently these days.

Just a word in support of the American consumer who may be forced by rising prices more than anything else into a new frugality. It's a painful frugality when you are choosing between eating well and replacing the washing machine. We can't all be farmers--most of us are pigs at the end of the corporate food trough.