We have discussed this topic so many times here...I truly believe that stress makes a huge difference in how our bodies are able to fight our diseases.
It seems as though there is always stress in our lives now more than ever. With the continuing rise in cost of gas, electricity, food, etc... I am always stressed. For example, my electric bill went from 4 to 4 to 5 in three months!! The rates have risen from $.114 cents a kilowatt in January to $.207 cents in June. Not to mention with the Texas heat my usage has doubled as well. The cost of groceries has increased 30-40% and GAS, well you know the story on that!!!
How are you guys coping with the increases? I am trying very hard not to stress but I have to admit it gets the better of me most days.
Going deeper in debt. I was so embarrassed this evening I went to the store to buy stuff to make tacos and some milk and cereal. It came to and I used my debit card and there wasn't enough money in there. SO I had to use my credit card. Just to buy groceries. That card is meant only for emergencies but guess we have to eat. It's awful. Gas did go down from .18 to .85 a gallon and I thought I was getting a deal. There is no middle class anymore. You're either poor (us) or rich.Hi Blessed. I don't think I am coping well with this as I am not able to work. I am now dependant on my husbands pay. Going from 2 incomes to one is so hard. We can't do the things we used to do because of the darn gas price and our groceries are limited. Our electric along with water,sanitation, trash pickup..well everything depends on the price of gas. The supplies have to go from point a to b. Therefore an increase in everything!
I don't think there is an American that is not stressed now. Needless to say wages must increase for our standard of living.
Blessed, hang in there! We all will.
Hug for your stress
It has gotten so bad here. I just went yesterday to costco after a very long time, to pick up a few things. A bag of chicken breasts used to be .99 and I thought that was outrageous, but yesterday it was .99. I bought cereal, bread, butter, watermelon, bagels, cheese, ground beef and lettuce and it came to 1. We can no longer afford that. With me losing my job, the stress of our finances is definitely affecting my health and my marriage.
We have had our TV entertainment cut off on us. We could not pay the bill, and that was after we downgraded to the cheap .99 package.
It takes .00 in gas a week for hubby to go from home to work, work to home, and the trips to wal-mart,only 7 miles from us. Yep... and it costs .00 if I have a RD appt. Because ya gotta eat lunch some where and the extra gas to travel 120 mile to and fro.
I just told hubby to pay what he can to each credit card bill and pay in full major stuff like water, gas, electric, and some money for food.
That is why I have been putting off going to the DR's because, I have used up my alotted 14 visits for medicaid and now instead of paying my small co-pay, I have to pay a visit, and if I go to a specialist it is .
I do not want to mess with my meds, because most of what I am on is genergic so a RX, but the Coreg CR is ! And then GP wants me to try out the 80mg coreg CR to see if it makes my pulse normal. I was like sure, because he said he thought it was dropped to a co-pay now. Well... it wasn't! So... I have been putting it off, because of fear of what he said. He said if I take it and my BP bottoms out to go to the ER, and then he will have to RX me something to counter act that! I was adding it all up in my head... +0+???=HELL NO!
So... here I sit. Trying to get the most out of my internet connection before it gets cut off too! No, really. And it is the cheapest package and still!
And then to top it all off!!!!!!!!!!! Daughter starts back to school in August. So, that is school supplies and expensive uniforms and uniform shoes! She cannot wear he same uniforms for a 3rd year... we got 2 years out of them and at the end of last school year her pants were high-waters. She sprouted! So... NEW EVERYTHING, except bras!
Oh well... I am going to bed. Sice I got all of this out, I do not have to worry myself to sleep with it so much now. Woohoo!
Thanks for starting this thread!
Hope you are doing well, Blessed!
Blessed I think so many of us (poor) are in the same boat. Seems like we are just getting deeper and deeper with no way out . We lived in Texas for a number of years and had electric service with CP&L seemed like every turn the bill just got higher. Here in AZ it isn't any better. I am closse to the PAY THE BILL NOW OR WE WILL CUT IT OFF day and i am wondering where will the money come from to pay it, Seems likwe you work hard and have little or nothing to show for it. Everything is going up now adays, used to be 20.00 could buy something at the grocery store. Now that can't even get me one carton of eggs milk , cerial, beans, a pound of any kind of meat and have left for the ever necessary T.P. And thats shoppimg at WALMART, the cheapest place to shop here in AZ. So yeah stress is part of our everyday lifes on so many levels. It hard life we've been dealt but we just gotta keep thinking those possitive thoughts and keep looking for those creative ways to relieve stress.
Take care now.
Mom2 One thing that has helped us is
www.angelfoodministries.com
This is a discount food program. They do not have any income levels. On the website you can put in your zip code to find locations near you. The food is good and it really helps with lowering food cost. Check it out to see if there is a location near you.
Another program I used to be involved with when I lived in FL was Share. I don't have a web site for the though. it is run through the methodist church if I remember correctly.
Lorrie
Here's another website that offers help with your bills...you may give them a try as well. It does help to vent...
Our youngest daughter moved back in with us a month ago. She makes 10.00 an hour but rents in this town are about 1000.00 a month for a two bedroom. That would eat up 80 percent of her pay. My husband and I are going to buy her a small mobile home where all she has to pay for is lot rent. That is all she can afford. She works for the University and has good benefits which is good. It worries us that our young people will never pull out of this and they will have a lifetime of living pay check to pay check. I was reading the other day about what a college education is really worth these days. It stated that with all the college grads, now they even have to compete for the limited jobs out there so now they are graduated and cannot find a job in their field and are now paying back loans on their jobs that don't pay them nearly what they need.
My husband and I have now started to shop sales(something we never did). We make very few trips downtown. We are doing more biking and eating out less. I can't save anymore on groceries as I buy everything in bulk that I can and make everything from scratch. These are ways people can cut back. Make it yourself, your food dollar will go further and you will eat healthier.
Blessed, I about fell out of my chair when I read what your power bill has cost. Mine is high but not like that but it does make me worry what is going to happen this winter when it is below zero for a month straight.
I think most of us are dealing with the same issues, struggling to make ends meet. But at least we can all vent and it does feel better to know that I'm not in this alone.Lorster-
My daughter is now facing 30 years of paying back loans for her Ed.M 0+ $ per month!
On a teacher's salary! She has the equivilent of a mortgage payment before she even trys to buy a house! I worry to death too! (PS- I told her it's just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as a poor one
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com