Are we the only ones struggling financially?

[dirtyglove]

@sunflower232 Thank you for posting this as we’re right there with you. DH and I are very fortunate to have secure and fair, compensated positions.

The reality is we cannot save anything because something always comes up. It’s always something. I’m so frustrated because there is literally nothing in the budget to trim and yet we’re going to have to find a way because we need a new roof and our HVAC system is on its last leg.

We kept telling ourselves we needed to start saving 2 years ago when we knew this was going to happen but spoiler alert, we never were able to because again, something always comes up that we have no control over but must pay for.

 

[lisahogan]

@dirtyglove That’s exactly our situation. Like, something just ALWAYS comes up once we thought we had some breathing room.

It just feels like you can’t catch a break, and costs keep rising so you get double slammed. Like not only did I have to buy new tires but the tires are 30% more expensive than they were 3 years ago.

And pay obviously hasn’t been rising 30% in the last 3 years, so it feels like the tide is rising only we are still stuck in the same spot and the water is just rising above our heads

 

[christian13]

@sunflower232 Yeah. No way. Two daycare age. We are always using stocks to bail us out of credit card debt. Haven’t put anything into savings since second was born.

 

[sunflower232]

@christian13 Ha! Same with the stocks!

 

[katrina2017]

@christian13 As in cashing in your stocks?

 

[christian13]

@katrina2017 Yes haha. Every time a stock vests, it goes straight into credit card debt.

 

[njohn63]

@sunflower232 When we had one or both kids in daycare in our HCOL area, we lived paycheck to paycheck and put emergencies on credit cards because every time we climbed out of debt something else went wrong. We weren't going on nice vacations (or any vacations), out to eat, etc. We didn't (and don't) drive fancy cars. We've been stuck in our "starter" home since 2006. As soon as we'd get a CC balance paid off, another major mechanical system in our house would break or one of the kids would need minor surgery that ended up hitting our $6K deductible and then some.

We are at a point now where we can spend a few hundred bucks without worrying about overdrafting, but it took a long time to get here and we still don't have enough in savings to feel comfortable. Our annual family vacation is a camping trip (tent camping!) and we go out to eat maybe once a month if that. We grocery shop at Aldi and Costco. The kids are 10 and 12 and we're STILL paying off debt from close to a decade ago.

You're not alone - I look at people with nicer (more expensive) houses than ours, better vehicles, and kids doing just as many activities and sports, and they're going on a cruise once or twice a year, have a Disney timeshare or a ski resort condo, etc. We know what these friends all do for a living and have no idea how they can afford it.

 

[freddied]

@njohn63 Family money. That’s how they do it.

 

[thegreatawakening2012]

@freddied Or they put it all on credit, lol

 

[kokopuff]

@sunflower232 You're not alone!! My husband is making the most money he ever has, and I'm not doing too bad, either. But we are still paycheck to paycheck.

We don't have kids in daycare anymore. I feel for parents still have to pay for daycare, it's such a huge expense!!

Groceries are killing me. I have 2 teens and a 9 year old. Living in that phase of them eating me put of house and home I just spent $450 for groceries and stuff at BJs and I still have to go to another store to finish shopping. These groceries will hopefully last 2 weeks.

 

[blessed09]

@kokopuff My son just started to eat a ton more and I’m like ok you just need to learn to like beans now! I don’t eat meat so I do rely heavily on them. I have an instant pot and buy dried in bulk.

Still haven’t figured out a meal he likes with lentils. But seriously the price of meat is insane! Even the cheap cuts/types.

 

[kokopuff]

@blessed09 I try to make some meatless meals, it helps some! I can't buy meat at a regular grocery store anymore. The price for the quantity is absurd!

 

[joebrick]

@sunflower232 Are annual exams for your pets necessary? My old vet retired and the new guy wanted several hundred dollars. I got all his shots including his rabies booster at the local Humane Society for a grand total of $6.

 

[jjhyt7]

@joebrick They might be necessary for some, depending on age and general health… but $1000 for two pets sounds crazy to me. I’ve never paid more than $200 for one exam

 

[njohn63]

@jjhyt7 Just paid $600+ for our dog - it included the year's supply of Heartgard Plus and Bravecto and three vaccine boosters (bordatella, Lyme, lepto), but it was still a hit to the pocketbook. Our vet requires running a heartworm test and checking for tick-borne diseases at every annual wellness exam.

 

[jjhyt7]

@njohn63 Sheesh

 

[sunflower232]

@njohn63 Yeah sounds like mine

 

[joebrick]

@njohn63 I had to take my dog off Bravecto because of tremors. Too bad because it worked really well.

 

[bgc310]

@njohn63 Same, in a MCOL area

 

[cherishedteddies]

@jjhyt7 The issue I find is that, like regular doctors, you can't even possibly guess what they bill will be until it's in front of you. So there's a dozen vets around me, and there's really no way to figure out what the bill would be for each of them. You can sometimes call and get the visit fee to walk in the door, but that's usually the extent of it...