Inflation. I can't anymore

amother

Ebony

Tue, Apr 18 2023, 2:11 pm

It is so so so hard. Most of us are really struggling. A lot (myself included) are in debt. Times are very hard 😩

Financial stress is awful to deal with. It affects everything. It makes you need therapy but be unable to afford it. You can’t sleep at night from stress. You can’t buy your kids things that would make them happy. Can’t go on a rejuvenating vacation. Can’t buy clothes that make you feel beautiful and confident. Can’t get your sheitel done for pesach so you look messy unless you know how to do hair on your own. I have some minor health issues that I’m not addressing because I just can’t afford the doctors visit. It causes shalom bayis issues. You need marriage therapy but can’t afford it.

I try to focus on appreciating the problems I don’t have. BH no one in my family is sick. BH no one is dead. BH I have working limbs. BH we have a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs, plumbing, clean water, furniture in our homes. BH we don’t live in nazi Germany and aren’t being fired for being Jewish. BH I don’t worry about my kids being attacked because they’re Jewish.

I am so sorry you’re in this boat with me. It’s awful. I wish with all my heart that we will be blessed with the challenges of wealth instead of poverty.

amother

Tue, Apr 18 2023, 4:34 pm

amother Ebony wrote:

Thank you for your perspective.

amother

Gardenia

Thu, Nov 30 2023, 1:24 pm

I was reading this before seeing the date. 💔

We're struggling, and have been for a while now. It took everything we had to scrape together enough money to send our daughter to camp on scholarship and with a deep discount. It was devastating to tell our daughter (was her first time going, and it was so important for her and restorative to her) that we cannot afford the camp again this year.

We were already in steep debt, but, B"H, were starting to dig our way out. Well, thank you, inflation, for undoing all of that, then reversing our progress...

However, I've watched Hashem provide for us to do mitzvot, and, when I put my faith in Him for our parnassah, instead of worrying (as much), there comes an opportunity and more parnassah. B"H! It is still stressful, and I still can't send my daughter to camp, but I just keep turning back to Hashem, and He continues to keep food in my children's bellies, clothes on their backs, and a roof over our heads. Smile

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Hashem has us, even in these trying times. Please, don't give up! 💗💗💗

amother

Mintgreen

Thu, Nov 30 2023, 1:30 pm

Do you think people are taking advantage and by people I mean anybody that charges money for anything eg groceries, schools, camps, anything else that charges money , and theyre just raisng prices because why not? Please no LH here. Even rent, if you have a fixed mortgage it doesnt go up, the tax does, but not a tremendous amount, in fact my escrow was just lowered (after having gone up the past 2 years), so rents shouldnt be raised drastically, at least not to cover the mortgage.

Or is this the way inflation works: once interest rates go up, everybody follows? The auto workers got huge raises because the car manufactures had big profits, and they knew that, but why did car prices need to sty so high (sorry if was rambling)?

amother

Gardenia

Thu, Nov 30 2023, 1:56 pm

amother Mintgreen wrote:

Remember years again when gas was going through the roof, then trucking was more expensive, so groceries and goods were, too... the gas prices came down, but the prices for groceries and goods never did. Oh! And airline tickets (high prices, fewer amenities, and more fees for formerly-included "perks"). I think there are those who rely on buyers' complacency, setting the new norm. So, the prices could have been reduced, but "Why should I, when my profit margin is increasing?"

B"H, where I live, the school raised tuition some percentage, but it was so that the staff could all be compensated in light of inflation. (As a parent of a student then, I was torn. I wad for it for our teachers' sakes, but I was, also, selfishly against it because my husband's pay didn't increase (I'm a stay-at-home mom), and our family was encountering those very same inflationary issues as the teachers... but, the school didn't do it to increase its profits. However, there are less scrupulous people out there... As for groceries, there have been an inordinate amount of issues encountered in the production, transportation and agriculture sides of the house. Trains crashing, egg farms and multiple factories burning, disease, transportation backlogs, fuel prices, recalls... so, the economics side could argue some of the price increases, but, at the same time, I'd like to see how their profit margins have been affected, if at all. Are they making "ends meet", or are they making a pretty penny? Will the higher-ups have to cancel their annual trip to Seychelles, or will they just not be able to buy that new hand towel they'd been eyeing? (I don't know if that is what rich people do, but I'm exaggerating a bit for emphasis, not for accuracy. LOL) It pains me that there may very well be price gougers.

Anywho... in my opinion, some hikes happen due to the overall hikes. (Speaking of hikes, my daughter's camp from last year has gone above and beyond to try to help campers afford - increased discounts for bringing a new-to-the-camp buddy, help finding scholarships, still maintaining tuition tiers from which to pick... Pretty awesome, I think.) Other hikes, well, there may be greed involved, unfortunately.

Hashem will get us through. 💗