How are You Fighting Inflation?

[808blessing]

no random snacks on the go

always bring water for short or long drives
eating before leaving house

recycling most of school supplies from last year

no new clothes, existing clothes are my capsule

I noticed at Costco, so many carts are less than half full. I am very selective with non food items.

i need to time my dryer to do better but I do hang towels to dry.

walking and eating right improves my health so I presume it will save money

no subscriptions (except $1 a month hulu) only free trials

going thru things, giving away and purging to feel a sense of abundance and satisfaction (decreasing consumer mentality)

doing the above with my child so she also wants and asks for less

enjoying relationships, shared food and creative experiences makes me spend less

 

[Eureka]

Wow, great ideas! I've always been a thrift store shopper but where I live now there aren't any good ones. Looking through my closet is my next idea. I know I have tons of clothes I don't wear but keep just the same. And...I do buy the store brands. But like you say, I'm shopping sales and buying treats at the $ store. I also used to be one of those folks that just threw things in the grocery cart if I saw something different I wanted to try....no more! I'm spending tons on my two cats, which I'm trying to curb. They waste a lot of their canned food. I just switched to a bisque but they still don't eat it all, so today, I gave them each half a pack. The boxes are $ 12.00 for 12 packets, but at two cats they were going through that in three days....ouch! So now I will be using two packets a day and I give them some crunchy treats with that. They seem happy!

Cat food is where I really have been shocked at the higher prices. For the longest time, none of my stores were carrying anything my 19-year old cat would eat (we tried a ton of different kinds) so I was ordering on Amazon and/or Chewy. Chewy especially got to be very expensive. Lately, Target has the pouches she likes so I've been buying two boxes every time I go. A couple years ago one box of 12 was about $6, which even then I thought was high. Now the same thing is almost $11! She also wastes food but isn't consistent about when she'll eat how much, so it's hit or miss for us to figure that out. She still eats dry food so we leave it out for her all the time, but even that has been hard to find.

 

[MomToOne]

Cat food is where I really have been shocked at the higher prices. For the longest time, none of my stores were carrying anything my 19-year old cat would eat (we tried a ton of different kinds) so I was ordering on Amazon and/or Chewy. Chewy especially got to be very expensive. Lately, Target has the pouches she likes so I've been buying two boxes every time I go. A couple years ago one box of 12 was about $6, which even then I thought was high. Now the same thing is almost $11! She also wastes food but isn't consistent about when she'll eat how much, so it's hit or miss for us to figure that out. She still eats dry food so we leave it out for her all the time, but even that has been hard to find.

Tell me about it. My 18 year old cat has kidney disease. That means special prescription food ($$$) , multiple drugs for high blood pressure AND IV fluids every other day. And they are all more expensive than last year - and the cat food cans got smaller. The vet has also increased their fees on everything - they DOUBLED the cost for just a vet tech to run a quick blood pressure reading (needed for her BP med refills) to almost $100. I'll be honest - that one irked me in that it felt excessive.

It's downright crazy what my cat budget is this year.

But darn it, she's so freakin' cute and sweet LOL

 

[cvjw]

We buy all our gas at Costco now. It is about 50 cents per gallon cheaper than other surrounding gas stations.

 

[ThistleMae]

Cat food is where I really have been shocked at the higher prices. For the longest time, none of my stores were carrying anything my 19-year old cat would eat (we tried a ton of different kinds) so I was ordering on Amazon and/or Chewy. Chewy especially got to be very expensive. Lately, Target has the pouches she likes so I've been buying two boxes every time I go. A couple years ago one box of 12 was about $6, which even then I thought was high. Now the same thing is almost $11! She also wastes food but isn't consistent about when she'll eat how much, so it's hit or miss for us to figure that out. She still eats dry food so we leave it out for her all the time, but even that has been hard to find.

My girls are very fussy! But...the food they do eat they were wasting, leaving me with almost a can of food thrown away. I switched to the Bisque at $ 12.00 for 12 but they were not licking it all the way down. So I started splitting the packets in half, using two packets a day instead of 4. It seems to be working really well, and they are licking their bowls clean. They are tending to want more treats during the day though, but those last much longer. I do buy from Chewy now and use their auto delivery. I was having a heck of a time finding their food, it was hit or miss, whereas with chewy I'm always getting what I need. I wonder what other stocking issues we'll be having this winter?

 

[ThistleMae]

Tell me about it. My 18 year old cat has kidney disease. That means special prescription food ($$$) , multiple drugs for high blood pressure AND IV fluids every other day. And they are all more expensive than last year - and the cat food cans got smaller. The vet has also increased their fees on everything - they DOUBLED the cost for just a vet tech to run a quick blood pressure reading (needed for her BP med refills) to almost $100. I'll be honest - that one irked me in that it felt excessive.

It's downright crazy what my cat budget is this year.

But darn it, she's so freakin' cute and sweet LOL

OMG, I hear ya. It cost me $ 400.00 for blood work for my thyroid affected cat. And, it kept coming back with high blood cell counts and never got better. No explanation. She is on thyroid meds but they aren't that expensive. We don't know what's wrong with her but she seems fine now whatever was happening. And she is my sweetheart for sure! The vet bills are ridiculous, but what are you going to do.

 

[MICKIMINI]

*JUST POPPED UP ON THE EVERSOURCE NH WEBSITE (ELECTRIC)*

Our oil bill went from $1200 to $2000. Electricity going up 50%. This is scary!

New Hampshire Energy Supply Increase - What You Need to Know​

What is Happening?​

In New Hampshire, the energy supply price – or default energy service rate – for Eversource customers changes twice a year on Feb. 1 and Aug 1.
Unlike previous summers when supply rates typically decrease, this year, customers that receive their energy supply from us will see an unprecedented increase in the supply portion of their bill.
On August 1, the default service rate will change from 10.669 cents per kilowatt hour to 22.566 cents per kilowatt hour, pending approval from the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission.

How Much Will Your Bill Increase?​

With this adjustment to the default energy service rate, on average, an Eversource residential electric customer in New Hampshire who uses 600 kilowatt hours of power each month will see a total bill increase of approximately $67.63 or 50% per month.
How much a customer pays will depend on how much energy is used, their rate category, and weather conditions.
During hot summer weather, New Hampshire residential customers also use, on average, about 25% more energy to run air conditioners to stay cool, which can also drive bills higher.

Why is the Supply Rate Rising So Significantly?​

This significant increase is due to the record-high natural gas prices and the energy supply pressures from the global economy. The New England region is particularly affected by energy supply volatility because natural gas is the primary fuel for generating electricity in the region.
Eversource does not earn a profit on the cost of electricity – we charge customers what we pay generators for producing the power.
You can learn more about energy supply and the components of your bill.

Is the State of New Hampshire Providing a Bill Credit to Customers?​

Governor Chris Sununu, in collaboration with New Hampshire legislative leadership and the Department of Energy, recognizes the significant financial burden rising global energy prices will place on New Hampshire customers and is proposing several financial relief initiatives, some of which will require approval by the New Hampshire Legislature.
We are working closely with state officials to implement these efforts and to develop expanded payment and assistance options. More details will be shared with customers as soon as they are available.

What You Can Do​

We encourage customers to carefully manage their energy use this summer. We have immediate actions you can take to save money and energy, and assistance programs and payment plans if you need help with your bill.
You also can compare energy prices and purchase your energy supply from a registered competitive energy supplier.

 

[goofytinkerbell]

I've already been doing so much pre-covid. We only have a couple internet providers here, so I did what I could to lower the bill, buy stuff on sale, don't replace anything until it's worn out and unable to be repaired, cut down on eating out (1-2x/month) consolidate errands to save on gas, make my lunch, cut out vacations, etc.

Only about 2% of my income goes to retirement savings, and I may need to cut that out in order to keep a roof over my head.

• Instead of buying things like bread and lunch snacks, I'm starting to make things instead... but sometimes I just want a chocolate bar, you know?
• Restaurant meals are not being cut out entirely.
• My family lives about 75 miles away, and I'd often go see them but I'm now having to cut down on trips to save on gas money.
• I no longer meet with friends, as no matter how I do it, it always winds up costing SOMETHING.
• Extras are gone. I was talking in another thread about air fresheners... I'm using what I have, but I'm not buying any more.
• I'm also in the process of using up all my old products, even if I don't like them. If I got some shampoo for Christmas that I don't like, too bad! I'm using it anyway.
• Groceries are now "whatever is on sale", even if it means eating the same thing all week. NOTHING gets wasted, even if that means supper is 2 peaches and a granola bar. (yes, that happened this week)

 

[DisneyHardin]

Cat food is where I really have been shocked at the higher prices. For the longest time, none of my stores were carrying anything my 19-year old cat would eat (we tried a ton of different kinds) so I was ordering on Amazon and/or Chewy. Chewy especially got to be very expensive. Lately, Target has the pouches she likes so I've been buying two boxes every time I go. A couple years ago one box of 12 was about $6, which even then I thought was high. Now the same thing is almost $11! She also wastes food but isn't consistent about when she'll eat how much, so it's hit or miss for us to figure that out. She still eats dry food so we leave it out for her all the time, but even that has been hard to find.

Cat food prices have gone crazy. The food our cats eat used to be about $8/box at Target and is now $17/box. It is a little cheaper on Chewy, but they are pretty much always out of it.

 

[barkley]

Cat food prices have gone crazy. The food our cats eat used to be about $8/box at Target and is now $17/box. It is a little cheaper on Chewy, but they are pretty much always out of it.

i've found that despite some cat food/supply items showing as out of stock on chewy at a given time i will still get the identical items via the auto ship i've got set up with them. i suspect they may keep a separate invantory for their auto ship orders so you might give that a try (they notify you well ahead of time of a shipment so you can always push it out days/weeks/months if you don't need it).

 

[ThistleMae]

i've found that despite some cat food/supply items showing as out of stock on chewy at a given time i will still get the identical items via the auto ship i've got set up with them. i suspect they may keep a separate invantory for their auto ship orders so you might give that a try (they notify you well ahead of time of a shipment so you can always push it out days/weeks/months if you don't need it).

I've found the same thing with Chewey. I wasn't able to order 4 boxes of bisque at one time, but when I went to auto ship, they are now sending me 4 boxes every two weeks.

 

[ThistleMae]

Living in New England, after reading the above post on electric, I'm now very worried about that too. I think there will be many people struggling between the price of fuel and electric, it will be significant. But...if you are below the poverty level guidelines there is a lot of money coming into the states to supplement those folks. And believe me the income guideline are extremely low. Those with higher incomes won't need to worry about it because they will be able to afford it, they might not like it, but it won't be a hardship.

 

[barkley]

went to walmart yesterday. i cannot believe how much prices have jumped since last month when i went it is crazy!!! i noticed that with some items b/c of significant upticks in prices (cooking oil being one) that people are opting much more frequently for the store and off brands. i did the same-i see no reason for paying almost double the price for a brand name. great value 48 oz is obscene at $3.27 but far less obscene than crisco 48 oz is at $5.97. shelves with store/off brands were far more empty than the brand names on shelves next to them. trying to stock up on some items before they out price what i'm willing to pay but the deals are few and far between. i did just take advantage of bj's one day free membership to do an online order. they used to do a strictly online membership that was a great deal (esp. if you had no bj's near you which is the case with us) but they've discontinued it, still-with the freebie membership i found cascade dish tabs for less than i've found them elsewhere, a few shelf stable jarred goods i can't seem to find at all (marinated mushrooms in particular-i use them for pasta salad and used to get them at costco but neither they or anyone else has had them for ages). it was well worth the flat $8.99 shipping.

 

[DisneyVibesNYC]

With everything costing so much more, what are you doing to make your day to day more affordable? Are you cutting out vacations? Are you car pooling? Are you changing your heating system? In my day to day I find I'm actually looking at sales flyers, which is something I've never done. I will go to three or more stores for their sales. I also go out less, buying more of the things I need in one trip. I'm buying more online. Tell us what you do and what you're likely to do as prices continue to rise. We all have a story to tell.

My family and I are going in December but definitely not purchasing as many park days as we used to.

 

[DisneyHardin]

i've found that despite some cat food/supply items showing as out of stock on chewy at a given time i will still get the identical items via the auto ship i've got set up with them. i suspect they may keep a separate invantory for their auto ship orders so you might give that a try (they notify you well ahead of time of a shipment so you can always push it out days/weeks/months if you don't need it).

I had wondered about that. I may set up the Auto Ship and see if we can get it.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Living in New England, after reading the above post on electric, I'm now very worried about that too. I think there will be many people struggling between the price of fuel and electric, it will be significant. But...if you are below the poverty level guidelines there is a lot of money coming into the states to supplement those folks. And believe me the income guideline are extremely low. Those with higher incomes won't need to worry about it because they will be able to afford it, they might not like it, but it won't be a hardship.

It is those of us *crushed* in between that will suffer. As you say, there are programs available for low income assistance and the rich can take the hit. The working people and middle income retired are paying high property taxes along with all the other increases. Just talking to DH this afternoon and I suspect next spring will be a disaster as far as housing goes with foreclosures starting again like the last housing bubble.

Not having a mortgage is a blessing, but we worked hard to get to this point. I can't imagine paying a mortgage with everything else going up. It is sad, but those that tell us peasants what we can and can't do don't have to worry about it and can't IMO perceive giving up even little things like another poster mentioned like a chocolate bar...sad.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

Netflix and SiriusXM are on the chopping block soon if something doesn't give.

I shop a lot more at Costco and have given in to not just store brands, but other concessions as well. Regular milk vs organic, for example. Organic milk is so much better but is twice as much sometimes. Right now I try to alternate. I also do a lot of curbside orders, so I'll check what's on sale first and try to plan my meals around that.

I've upped the thermostat by 1 degree. More and my husband would file for divorce.

We typically ate out 4, maybe 5 times a week before, including both lunch and dinner. Now it's more like 2.

My car is 10 years old. We bought it new and that was the deal we made, vs buying used and replacing sooner. Well, it's still in pretty good condition, so we're going to invest in a good detail and plan to keep it a few more years.

 

[afan]

It is those of us *crushed* in between that will suffer. As you say, there are programs available for low income assistance and the rich can take the hit. The working people and middle income retired are paying high property taxes along with all the other increases. Just talking to DH this afternoon and I suspect next spring will be a disaster as far as housing goes with foreclosures starting again like the last housing bubble.

Not having a mortgage is a blessing, but we worked hard to get to this point. I can't imagine paying a mortgage with everything else going up. It is sad, but those that tell us peasants what we can and can't do don't have to worry about it and can't IMO perceive giving up even little things like another poster mentioned like a chocolate bar...sad.

Not sure I'm reading your post right, but if retired or of a certain age, have you looked into your county to see if they give a break?

In our county I think it's 65 but can't remember for sure. It removes the school part of the property taxes and basically cut my mom's in half.

 

[ThistleMae]

Not sure I'm reading your post right, but if retired or of a certain age, have you looked into your county to see if they give a break?

In our county I think it's 65 but can't remember for sure. It removes the school part of the property taxes and basically cut my mom's in half.

When I checked on that years ago it was 80, lol!

 

[ThistleMae]

If I hadn't sold my house and moved in with my daughter and her family, even with a paid off mortgage, I couldn't afford to live in my home. I'm on a fixed income now, so that doesn't budge. I did have a small part time job but that was getting to be too much. A mother-in-law apartment saved this little old retiree. My new next plan is to start buying dried beans and peas for winter soups. They keep for a long time and are really tasty. Even if you just add a small amount of ham to spice them up a bit, it will still be a savings. And....who knows what the shelves are going to look like this winter. I feel like I'm heading down the prepper path!