Wednesday, May 11, 2016

..Two Steps Back

After a slow and tedious winter, the time has come for my business to wake from hibernation.  We've done one event, plus the opening day of Sunday market.  Both have shown significant increases over last year's sales.  Yay, right?

Maybe not so much...

The first of this year, our water/sewer rate increased by 20%.

When our trash bill arrived last week, we were surprised by a rate increase of 33%.

Our "twelve month special" at Comcast expired, and our internet bill jumped 50%.

Gas prices are going up at the rate of at least 10 cents per gallon per week (which is no surprise...it's summer.)

I had to scrape together $1700 this month to pay off our American Express bill, as they plan to sell us out to Citibank VISA in mid-June, and I have no intention of being forced to do business with Citibank.

So, really...  As an aging member of America's once-great middle class...

There's really no getting ahead, is there?  Or, even, catching up. 


1 comment:

  1. Ugh, this is my experience too. I'm 66, and I would love to retire and move to VA to be near my oldest daughter and her family. They have 2 little boys whom I'd like to be around before they grow up. But the cost of living there is so high, I have no idea how I'm going to do it. You're right, there's no catching up. I like Bernie. I don't like Hillary, but of course I'll vote for her, but Hillary supporters have already rejected a COLA on SS benefits as being part of the GOP platform. So she may do things (I hope) to expand basic rights for women, but I don't see her doing things that will benefit you or me or any of the other aging boomers.

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