Are Your Expenses Going Up, Down, Or Staying Even?

**Missourimom** · 06-29-2007, 11:02 PM

Our expenses have gone up and our income down.

It's too depressing to think about it too much, so I'll spare all you.

**HandyMom** · 06-30-2007, 12:28 AM

Everything is up here and climbing swiftly. And since dd is out of school for the summer she's been eating a lot more food at home when before she was getting breakfast & lunch at school.

**pkellyc** · 06-30-2007, 01:56 PM

Up. In the past couple of years my car insurance, grocery bill, electricity, gasoline, and oil has done nothing but rise.

**starsapphire** · 06-30-2007, 02:15 PM

We live in Cali so the cost of living is already high here and our expenses are going up. Gas here is about the most expensive in the nation and groceries are expensive and going up and up. Our city voted in new sewer fee hikes and starting in July we'll have a sharp increase there. We have changed our diet and eating healthier is expensive so our food budget has also gone up. Thank goodness in January I get a 3% COLA and a 5% salary increase. We need it.

**Neeley** · 06-30-2007, 03:16 PM

Well, let's see....

Power bill - stayed the same
Water bill - stayed the same
Health insurance - stayed the same - employer pays it

Phone/cable/interent - went down last year when we bundled the three
Mortgage/taxes/insurance - went down $100 this year - taxes were reduced almost 50% with the homestead expemtion filed
Car insurance - reduced almost 50% this past January when we sold our Jeep Wrangler

Car Gas - obviously this is way up - we drive as much as always
Groceries - up about 20% to 30% at least

DH's pay - he gets a good raise in his salary every year, which also is an increase in his annual bonus since it is 10% of his annual salary.

It looks like we are staying pretty steady.