Gas prices, Doctors visits and cost of living

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Like everything, prices are going up, way up. Gas in my area is over $5 a gallon and is expected to keep climbing this summer. On top of that, my car is down for repairs right now so I have been stuck driving my dad's diesel truck, ouch that hit my wallet hard. I truly am struggling with keeping my budget set because everything is so much and things just do not go as far as they use to. I was hopeful that after getting this Ileostomy my bladder issue would go down, but that has not been the case. In fact, that has gotten worse. PCP said that it was very likely going to be/stay this way.


Going to have so big hard choices this year as I get things worked out.

 

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In Ireland gas or petrol/diesel is about 2euro 20 cent a litre.
Very little if anything has gone down in price. Only thing to come down is a sex workers underwear.

 

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Everybody is feeling the price going up on everything... No end in sight for sure!

 

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Kinda hard to choose between your diapers and gas and food?

 

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Riddle me this, FL. Before so many cars were diesel, Diesel was cheaper than gasoline. You see, diesel is cheaper to produce as it comes lower in the refinery process. Then diesel came in to cars (about 1972), and you had to really hunt for it - and many truck stops wouldn't sell to you unless you were pumping over 50 gallons. (OUCH!). And cars didn't have 50-gallon tanks.
Then diesel cars and pickups got common. And, lo-and-behold, diesel got more expensive than regular gas. Now, who profited from that? I can't imagine.
To this day, Consumer Reports rates diesel higher - but doesn't include the price at the pump, near as I can see.
And inflation? Do you think it is really only about 5%? Pleeesee. Obviously, they aren't including the cost of medical care or supplies. So, if inflation is only ab out 5%, why do we see constant stories about how fast medical costs are rising - and not by measly single-digits? And still don't include it in the cost-of-living? Not to mention empty shelves - like for pads and diapers?
Maybe if we un-elected a whole slew of politicians? You think? Nah. The rich will never allow anyone to limit their income.
Sorry if that seems "political". But, so many Americans are already priced right out of medical care, and more every day. My state is desperately trying to revoke our medical insurance. There is more than just quality-of-life issues at stake. There are lives at stake.
FL, if you were paid fair-value for the hours you have spent fighting the system and filling out useless paperwork and making phone calls and visiting offices, how much money would you have earned in the last few years? Hmmm?
Keep fighting, Bro.

 

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Hey, Dino! Here, they just mass-shoot them.... The definition of depressing and rage, of which I've had my fill of those emotions.
But remember, they are subject to inflation, too. Not the underwear, just the "pay".

 

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5%??? All the reporting I hear has inflation over 8%. And I'm told it would be higher if they used the same formulae used during the Jimmy Carter era. Everything is political these days, unfortunately.

 

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@ThatFLGuy Exactly. I am so sick of the inflation. It hits people like us really hard.

 

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It’s 18% in UT, Reagan era crap. Get the minimum wage and the average annual salary in Utah is the same that it was when I was 18. I am now 46. Gas back then was about $1. A McDs combo was $3.60. Rent and house prices here have increased by 300% in the past decade. So where are the f***ing pay raises? We’re in for it, for a longggggggggg time, probably the rest of all of our lives will be worse. I don’t think recovery is in sight in any part of America, and probably never will be again. We’re in way too deep. The homeless population in Salt Lake City is more than tripled since COVID started. It’s about the same in Southern California, the homeless capital of the world.

 

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You missed one thing. When I was in High School, 1960, gas was around 22-23 cents, during "gas wars" it was in the upper teens. My mom jumped on it. There's be 5 of us teens in the car, and we'd dig out our coins (not bills) to pay. It didn't fill the tank, but it took us to the (drive-in) movie.
I think Min Wage was around 60 cents, but us teens got less.
Our parents dragged us to the polio shots, demanded the schools give them.
When one of my classmates was killed in a car crash, it was an incredible shocker. It lead to seat belts, and other safety items. Does anyone besides me remember the resistance to mandatory seat belts? Now it's 'click it or ticket'.
What did pads (menstrual) cost? Darned if I know. It wasn't talked about. Period. This forum would have been censured out of existence, toot sweet. Maybe the people who organized it would have been in jail.
Want a real measure of inflation? For a different item? 27 school shootings this year already - and we're told it is the price of liberty?
Now, THAT'S inflation....
Everybody has the right to cry. I mean, everybody. For all the reasons people cry. It's a sign of intelligence and courage. I suspect some of us have done it. I suspect more us will.

 

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@AlasSouth Thank you for your stories; I love them! My favorite part is that you contributed your coins to drive to the drive-in movie theater. Super charming.

I have definitely been crying more than usual for the past few weeks because my sense of hopelessness - typically profound already, unfortunately - has tripled with inflation and the housing crisis and global warming. I feel like somebody took away all my my antidepressants or some thing, that’s how low I have plummeted.

I’ve made so many huge changes and sacrifices in my life to try to buy a condo or a townhome. It just doesn’t work anymore if you’re a single female. I work so hard at my job and can’t work more than I already do with 20-22 hour days for the past eight months. My medical expenses are $1,300/month. If I didn’t have them, I could afford a mortgage. So I feel exceptionally helpless lately, after six months of looking for a new place to live and getting nowhere.

And then add all these endless shooting, some of whom are children? And COVID BA2 skyrocketing…… yep, dark - very dark days.

All of which is to say @ThatFLGuy, we really feel your struggle with your finances.

And of course we know what it’s like to have horrible medical care and failed solutions. We are here for you.

 

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You missed one thing. When I was in High School, 1960, gas was around 22-23 cents, during "gas wars" it was in the upper teens. My mom jumped on it. There's be 5 of us teens in the car, and we'd dig out our coins (not bills) to pay. It didn't fill the tank, but it took us to the (drive-in) movie.
I think Min Wage was around 60 cents, but us teens got less.
Our parents dragged us to the polio shots, demanded the schools give them.
When one of my classmates was killed in a car crash, it was an incredible shocker. It lead to seat belts, and other safety items. Does anyone besides me remember the resistance to mandatory seat belts? Now it's 'click it or ticket'.
What did pads (menstrual) cost? Darned if I know. It wasn't talked about. Period. This forum would have been censured out of existence, toot sweet. Maybe the people who organized it would have been in jail.
Want a real measure of inflation? For a different item? 27 school shootings this year already - and we're told it is the price of liberty?
Now, THAT'S inflation....
Everybody has the right to cry. I mean, everybody. For all the reasons people cry. It's a sign of intelligence and courage. I suspect some of us have done it. I suspect more us will.

It's ironic really. During a time we were very conservative - like you stated certain things were not talked about but yet; things like humiliation and shame were more practiced.

Reading your post makes me think about my childhood and memories of things I want to forget but sadly cannot.

Gas prices are going up sadly; the cost of living is increasing - where are we going post this pandemic? Who knows.

But I am thankful I have the good people with the NAFC who help myself with dealing with my personal issues but also with my bladder problems.

Always know @AlasSouth; time doesn't change much around here on the message boards - so consider this a safe space for all of us.