40-year-old homeowner says economy doesn’t add up: ‘I’m making the most money I’ve ever made, and I’m still living paycheck to paycheck’
40-year-old homeowner says economy doesn’t add up: ‘I’m making the most money I’ve ever made, and I’m still living paycheck to paycheck’
'I’m making the most money I've ever made, and I’m still living paycheck to paycheck'
“There's this wild disconnect between what people are experiencing and what economists are experiencing,” says Nikki Cimino, a recruiter in Denver.
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Honestly, same boat. Our power bill has gone up over 20% this past year like it's insane. Our grocery costs have easily doubled in that time, too. Like I'm doing the math and seeing the numbers like I'm making more than I was 3 years ago, but I wasn't living paycheck to paycheck then, and I'm rationing food today.
I also can't count the number of times prices have gone up on common groceries in the last year. Every time I go in I'm spending more than I did the previous time. And the grocery stores around here have started phasing out their cost saving brands. More and more lately what used to be the expensive brand is the only one left, and I'm paying twice as much for half as much compared to what I was getting before. They're not even trying to hide what they're doing.
I'm in this same boat. I get letters from the power company all the time about how I'm using more power than anyone around me. The heat in my place has been kept around 62 all winter, occasionally allowed to get colder. It's a pretty modern build for a house too. I actually used my PC to heat just my bedroom over winter which should be far more power efficient the heating every room. The letters I get try selling me how I need to or could be more efficient like genius ideas like "turn down the thermostat"... its already nearly almost off, just enough to make sure pipes don't freeze.
Only thing that really changed was they installed a new smart meter last fall, of which I had no say.
In Canada those so-called smart meters turned out to be sending incorrect data (or no data at all) AND causing fires.
Best of luck in getting the powers that be to check them tho. :/
Maybe you're getting incorrectly billed, have you checked the meter readings? Smart meters don't have a great reputation.
My bill also shows I use way more electricity than similar houses. My best guess is they have a heat pump or gas heat/water heater. Whereas I have forced air electric.
I recently installed an emporia energy monitor. It's basically a kill-a-watt meter that you connect to the circuit breakers for full house monitoring. And while I see some areas that I could improve to cut my bill, no where near enough to get to what the power company is saying similar houses are using. Saving up for a heat pump now as I think that's the best thing I can do to get my bill down. And as a plus I'd have central AC instead of having to use window units in the heat.
I'm convinced those statements are wrong in some way. Either not comparing houses of similar size or unoccupied units are skewing the numbers. Or they just tell everyone they're doing horrible to try and sell energy efficiency stuff.
When I compare using figures from my thermostat via beestat.io my house is in the top 40% (uses less energy than 60% of similar homes in my area).
Yes that actually makes sense. Gas is used in most homes, and is considerably cheaper than resistive electric heating. Probably you can get a subsidy for the heat pump.
it's* already nearly almost off
I went grocery shopping Saturday. Grapes were $6/pound. It's getting so we can't afford produce anymore.
Grapes were $6/pound. It’s getting so we can’t afford produce anymore.
Are we talking regular red/black/green non-organic grapes or some of the more exotic varieties? I track grape prices myself and $2.99/lbs mark for out-of-season-domestic grapes. This is the current price a regular grocery stores right now here with the exception of warehouse clubs which have them at $2.29/lbs. The normal in-season non-warehouse price can be as low as 89c/lbs, but is usually $1.25/lbs.
Is there something special about your geography that makes it more expensive?
Is there really some kind of nation wide grape price standard? Don’t they have to add costs for transportation to places where they do not grow grapes?
Is there really some kind of nation wide grape price standard?
Not to my knowledge, no.
Don’t they have to add costs for transportation to places where they do not grow grapes?
Certainly, but with economies of scale and good logistics, the prices across the country aren't that much different. There are some exceptions, such as pockets of the continental USA that are under served, or states like Alaska and Hawaii which don't benefit from the continental USA logistics. That was the "geography" question I had to the poster.
The prices of grapes at my grocery stores right now are $2.99/lbs and they are imported from Chile or Argentina usually because grapes are out-of-season for the USA right now.
They're just regular red table grapes. I have no idea what's going on with fruit prices near me but they're nauseating. I'm in the northeast; we should still have some late apple varieties left from fall but those are getting outrageous too.
Now I'm really curious. After reading your post, I happened to be at the grocery story this evening and our (Midwest) price for regular red grapes is $2.69/lbs. Down from the high of $2.99/lbs I saw last week.
I'm in the southern emisphere and just started eating grapes. Assuming you are in the US, consider looking for produce that is in season. Besides helping with your budget, it contributes to addressa number of other issues around shops and producers trying to focus on growing stuff that doesn't want to grow at a particular time of the year.
I usually try to but here in the Northeast USA almost nothing is in season except mushrooms.
Grapes are in season the exact opposite time of year as we are now.
Imported/greenhouse produce is expensive. Always has been.
Ordinarily I'd totally agree. But they've been going up in price constantly for the last 2 years and never come down.