Tonight I worked for an hour and half trying to figure out our new budget because I got tentative notification of the date that our checks will be lower. Our household isn’t going to be doing anything. All I can afford from this point forward is to just pay the bills.
A HUGE concern for me is the cost of gas. If that continues to go up we could be having further issues because it will affect my expenses which are already too tight. We already buy a minimum for groceries every week so I can’t cut anything there.
Many things are rumbling through my head tonight. I’m worried for my mom because the new budget which is being projected will raise her premium for her prescriptions coverage. This will mean she is either spending more on the premium or paying for scripts outright. I’ll have to figure out which is most cost effective for her.
What happens if the cost of food goes up? It’s an area I’m already scrimping on. What happens if the cost of heating / cooling goes up? Tonight my house is set at 68 and I HURT. In the heat of summer, I can’t handle the heat and my daughter gets sick from it. A/C is a necessity for us. What if we can’t afford to run the a/c though?
I can see a second job in my future but I’m worried there won’t be any available. With so many people having to scrimp and save it is possible all the part time positions will get snapped up. Plus I have limitations on what I’m able to do.
There is definitely a lot to think about right now. I know I’m not the worst off and I know I’m not the only one. Still it doesn’t help when I spend my evening trying to figure out where the money is going to come from.