People Are Revealing Everyday Things They Had To Cut Back On Due To Rising Inflation, Here Are 30 Of The Saddest And Most Honest Answers
While the Euro zone inflation hits a record 8.6% as the European Central Bank prepares for its first rate hike in 11 years, the rest of the world is also experiencing rising costs of virtually everything.
In the US, costs of necessities yet again skyrocketed in May, leaving the US with a new 40-year high in inflation. Think of gas, food, energy, rent, flight prices, and all other basic necessities. Households across the country are experiencing unprecedented pressures, making them less able to afford discretionary items like electronics or haircuts.
So it’s not simply you who can no longer feast on Starbucks lattes. We’re talking about lower-income and Black and Hispanic Americans, in particular, who are struggling beyond the point that should be humanly acceptable.
This thread also sheds light on how inflation is not only changing people’s habits, lifestyles, and daily choices, but altering their livelihoods. “What have you given up recently due to rising costs?” someone asked recently on Reddit, hitting very close to home for too many people who shared their very honest responses.
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Red meat, tomatoes, a lot of fruits and veggies, heating in a wooden house that gets to minus 4, I'm living off a lot of rice, beans, pasta, no treats like yoghurt anymore, turning off every single power point except for the room I'm in. I get sort of warm with a hot water bottle and blankets. I'm making my own dog and cat food. Times are tough and they're only going to keep getting tougher. I don't have anything left to give up except for my medications that are keeping my alive. I'm terminally ill and only have a year or eighteen months left but this isn't living its honestly just existing. If I give up the meds it'll all go away but my animals keep me hanging on.
holy f**k that is horrifying. Big support for taking care of your animals.
Living in the U.S.
I've been doing a lot of traveling recently and literally everywhere I've been from Latin America to Europe, the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, has been cheaper to live. Not only that but their social laws are better, and there's an understanding that health care and access to affordable housing with amenities is a basic human right.
I'm currently in the process of acquiring my EU passport so I can have other options.
Going to the doctor. If I die I die
It's heart breaking that this is the situation in a supposedly first world country
Bored Panda reached out to a single mother of two boys, who has been particularly struggling in this time of inflation. The woman who goes by the handle Particular_Special70 on Reddit said that she is no longer able to take her kids on any vacation or trips this year and it makes her very sad. She also shared her difficult situation in a response to this thread.
“I try to take them on some kind of trip or vacation each year and it's just not happening this year with high gas costs and high everything costs,” she told us. In a post shared on the thread, the woman wrote that it’s her “favorite thing to do with/for them once a year.”
According to the mom of two, the fact that the family can no longer afford a vacation has to do with the fact that groceries cost almost double what they did just a year ago. “My electric and gas bills have been more than double, so the money I have to save for a vacation is non-existent,” Particular_Special70 explained.
Driving. Covid started it, gas prices finished it. I’m a hermit.
$70-$80 per week to fill up my car. And I work from home, this is just to drop the kids off at school and get groceries 😫
Dreams of owning a home this year lol
Ciggies.
I wanted to for a long time but the rising costs ($60 +/-$10aud for a 25g pouch) became almost insulting and I just felt stupid paying to slowly kill myself. Ridiculous.
Gl to anyone trying to quit, it's really hard
I'm not taking my kids on any vacation or trips this year and it makes me so sad. As a single mom I just can't make it happen and that's my favorite thing to do with/for them once a year.
My privacy. All three of my children, plus my granddaughter have moved back in with me since Feb. All of them have good jobs, my two boys are Military, but rent prices are so high. They all help with the bills, because I can’t afford to cover the increase in food and utilities but it’s crowded.
I’m currently living alone for the first time and loving my peace and solitude. But everything is getting so expensive that I’m considering going back to living with a roommate. It’s heartbreaking but I’m trying to come to terms with it.
To live alone in my city, in a decent apartment in a normal location, it would cost 50 to 70% of my salary (and that's just the rent). I'm lucky to have an amazing roommate, I hope she doesn't move out soon.
Junk food and desserts. If it can't be made into a meal with nutrients then I'm not getting it. I almost stopped buying meat altogether, veggies are way cheaper, and frozen veggies/fruit never go bad. If it's not bills or essential then I'm not getting it. I've lost a lot of weight because of my sudden diet changes so thats cool I guess.
The positive thing is that you can do quite well without meat for some time. On the other hand, it's perfectly valid to want to treat yourself sometimes and not being able to because of money is not fun.
I'm getting extremely frustrated trying to have a savings account
Having kids…sorry but a horrible decision from a financial stand point. One parent at home used to be possible now both parents have to work leaving strangers to take care of and raise your children
Going to work and having your child go to daycare and then school is not "leaving strangers to raise your children" though
I agree. I am a working mother. I am a dedicated mother and my whole world revolves around my daughter (trying for a second one too). But if I were to be a stay at home mom I would go nuts. I need to have a job, interact with adults, and also show what I think is a good example to my daughter.
Load More Replies...This is such an American mentality....Millions of people work and leave their kids at daycare, we turned out just fine. I don't feel any less loved or in any way neglected by my parents. Giving up having kids because you can't stay with them at home for years is a terrible decision and OP will regret it.
One parent at home is a minority these days. Stats from the 1970s showed in 40% of homes, both parents had to work, to afford the home and pay the bills. Today it's 70%. People don't leave their children to be raised by strangers. No drama please. Care givers are trusted or licenced people, always vetted by parents.
Thank you! Like parents don't get enough pressure to spend more time with their children, but at the same time provide them with everything money can buy, and don't you DARE mention child raising is hard, or you'll be hit with "but you chose to be a parent!". People are unable to see gray areas nowadays.
Load More Replies...Working To Pay A Stranger To Raise Your Kid So You Can Pay For It Makes No Sense
Yes it does, at least in countries where childcare costs are reasonable. In my country the monthly fee for a daycare is less than $100, while the average salary is about $1000 (so an income of around $2000 if both parents are working). It makes no sense to be a stay-at-home parent in this situation.
Load More Replies...This is stupid., unless the dream was to just be a mother (let's be honest... it's rarely the father who wants to be a stay-at-home-parent. Possible but very rare) and nothing else, define herself by having children and raising them (which is fine, btw, as long as it's really the wish), this is just stupid. My mother was a teacher and my father in the military, so we three kids were at school until lunchtime - as was my mother. We had a house-help who originally was our nanny who switched into keeping the house clean when we kids were old enough, and we went to kindergarten (preschool) and then school and we wouldn't have ever said that we were raised by strangers rather than our parents! Sure, our house-help-cleaner-nanny helped a lot but the basics were learned from our parents. Idk... maybe this poster is just very young still and naively thinks she could just sit at home with a lovely huband who's willing to pay for her AND her kids until they all die of old age. dream on, girl...
Being a stay at home parent is not a necessity. Childcare is perfectly acceptable and as a childcare worker and nanny I’ve never raised anyone’s child.
Daycare is crazy expensive too, with multiple kids it costs as much to leave them with someone as your paycheck, sometimes more.
I think it is because the idea of children as a financial issue is offensive. Of course having children is a foolish thing to do if your goal is money. But if your goal is to enjoy your life to the fullest, and that happens to involve wanting a family and that kind of life, then money plays no role. The world population would be reduced by half within a decade if children ever became a financial decision.
Load More Replies...That’s been happening for years, even centuries. Poor people have been leaving their kids at home for ages. Think of ‘latch key kids’ of the past.
Being a stay-at-home mom. We originally did it because we couldn't afford daycare, but now he's starting kindergarten this year and I've already started looking for jobs because we can no longer afford for me to stay home.
How lucky that you have been able to afford to stay home with your little one until school age! I have only ever had 5 months off for both my babies. You hopefully will be able to pick up a casual job. They are crying out for restaurant workers I hear and carers in Aged care. Good luck.
Subscriptions like Netflix and streaming services, Amazon prime, and Patreon. Coffees from the cafe, most fruit (unless frozen) and pretty much all veg (there’s a massive shortage in Australia and it’s so expensive if available at all). Given up driving due to cost of petrol too
I miss Disney+ and Discovery+, but the good thing is they're easy subscriptions to cancel and start up again. At this time, youtubers who ask for "donations" and beg people to join their patreon are special type of cringe. Especially the ones that don't really do much of anything of real value on their youtube and their patreon. (Why should people have to pay just to watch an upload a day earlier with some not so funny outtakes, and "shout outs" we all know are attempts for upstart youtubers to get their channel noticed.) *end rant* Sorry, but it had to be said.
Impromptu road trips
Road trips are always enjoyable! I hope it gets easier to take them again soon
After three years of trying for a baby, with one ectopic, one chemical pregnancy, and two failed IUIs, it seems like I need to start coming to terms with the fact that we just cannot afford more fertility treatments. Insurance doesn't cover a penny. With the prices of everything going up, how can I afford to spend $1k in medications alone (for one cycle supply) for another IUI? If we decided to do IVF, it would cost us around $12k. It would be worth it if we knew either treatment would work, but there's no way to know that. It's heartbreaking. I had to call up the clinic to tell them we are sitting it out for now.
This is so heartbreaking, I'm so sorry OP is going though this. Also, anyone commenting about adoption should stop and realise that every couple with fertility problems has already thought of that option. They don't need to hear it from you, it's not really addressing their struggle and you are not being supportive. It costs you nothing to show some compassion and understanding to those less fortunate than you.
Doing things spontaneously. Now, I need to sit down and look at my budget before getting in the car and driving to the beach or going out for a meal.
This is something my single childfree friends do not seem to understand. Since I have kids, I cannot just jump in the car and join them on a trip. They understand I have to get someone to babysit but cannot wrap their heada around the fact it is also a lot about money now...
Concerts are a thing of the past
Gen Z and Younger Millennials just lack the funds to spend on things like concerts and other past events
Makeup. I used to be the person that wore it every day and enjoyed application, and practicing techniques/experimenting with colours. I can’t afford to paint my face for fun when cauliflower is $8 a head (not that I can afford fresh produce now either, but you catch my drift).
I've found that freezing and meal-prepping as much food as possible saves money. If you can dilute what you cook with water or a cheap ingredient, you can add more seasonings to help with the lack of flavor. Half of my meals are now either rice, beans, chopped salads, and soups. If you also cook with more seasoning and spices, it keeps leftovers from spoiling as quickly.
I've learned to dilute frozen fruit juice. Now that we've not been buying as much cola and ice tea, and all that really concentrated stuff I've realized how much sugar we desensitized ourselves to. Getting over that sugar craving hump I can barely stomach the thought of drinking super sugary drinks anymore. Been losing a lot of weight too, I think.
My grocery list has shorten.
No more lash extensions. Also not going out to eat as often, stopped getting drinks at coffee shops unless I don’t have time to make my own and cut out a lot of online shopping.
Sex has an astronomical price tag. I can’t afford the stress and financial strain of a UTI and the government thinks I'm going to have a human?
Imagine if ALL women in states with backwards abortion laws said no to sex collectively, even those that are well past child bearing years....
Fresh food. Even though it's not the best for my body, frozen foods are a good investment for preserving most fruits and vegetables these days.
Doggy daycare. I know it’s a luxury & we’ll be fine but not being able to do that for my pups has been a downer.
I've cut down on how much coffee I drink. I don't buy expensive coffee but the coffee I like has doubled in price in the last couple months. Instead of having 3ish cups a day, I have maybe one. Maybe. Some days I don't have any.
Vaping. For my health mostly but I don’t wanna pay for it anymore either
My roommate is terrible, but every time I look at rent prices for a one-bedroom, I start to think that maybe my situation is not so bad
I've kind of given up on being proposed to right now. We have more important things like gas, bills, and food.
The idea of having to buy a ridiculously expensive stone to ask a woman to marry you is stupid in itself.
Sushi, but also bird seed for the wild birds...my cats prescription cat food. Canceling my health insurance.
Hot showers.
Gas prices in Germany rise in an insane amount, so no more hot water. Lukewarm will have to do
I'm gonna buy an electric heater for the winter. Saves me 1000 euro, because I can get that for the old price.
Eating healthier. I had just gotten to the point where I could buy organic produce and non-processed foods that I felt much better about eating. I can no longer justify it. Seriously, have you looked at fruit prices? Let alone organic
I’m actively eating more vegetarian dishes because meat is so expensive. Learning to make more bean and lentil dishes to save on grocery costs. My boyfriend and I will be first-time homeowners this summer and I definitely foresee us losing a bit of weight due to changes in eating.
The meat industry is also killing the planet, Beef being the worst offender. Americans make up 4.125% of human population, yet consume 11% of all beef produced globally. We've been hearing about this for decades, yet the only thing that seems to curb appetites is a drowning economy and rising prices.
I’ve changed to a cheaper hairdresser, no longer have gel nail treatments, bought no new clothes for Summer, no takeaways, no Netflix, no new plants for the garden…. and it’s just a drop in the ocean. Not even close to enough.
My personal trainer/gym membership. I am slowly trying to build a mini at home gym at least.
I have the cheapest gym membership there is around here. It used to be 18€/month and they recently raised it to 27€. I wanted to cancel it so bad in pure protest but I need it and use it a lot so that's not an option. And I know it's still cheaper than most. Still feel its totally unreasonable to raise the price that much at once.
Will be taking my hair extensions out in the next few weeks (nano rings) had them for years and they make me feel so confident because my hair is thin. (£70 maintenance per 8 weeks) I just can’t justify it anymore. I’ll have to accept my natural hair for the first time in my life.
Cigarettes, coloring my hair, going out to eat, and don’t go up north to our cabin as much. Basically we do nothing and go nowhere.
Spotify. And I always have to reconsider if I was thinking of driving somewhere more than 30 miles round trip
I no longer get my nails done, and I use boxed hair gloss instead of getting my hair dyed at a salon. It doesn’t cover my grays or look particularly good, but it’s a tenth of the cost of hiring a professional to balayage my waist-length hair:(
Its absolutely not a luxury to do something that makes you happy, once in a while - like hair color or lashes. That's the whole point, you are not supposed to just survive on your salary. You're not supposed to work yourself to the bone and only pay bills and eat lentils all month.
This. These comments are apparently full of joyless sociopaths that can't understand why people might be upset about having to give up things they enjoy.
Load More Replies...Yes a lot of these could be considered luxury items but at the same time people having their lashes, hair and nails done was keeping someone else in a job so the effect of people no longer being able to afford these things is quite a big deal
Honestly half these posts were about canceling luxury expenses. Boo hoo I have to think about not buying a new phone every year now ;_;
They're just sharing things they enjoyed that they have to cut back on. Damn. What the f**k is your problem? No one wants pity, they're just sharing their experience.
Load More Replies...Since I work at a job with a rollercoaster of unpredictable income setbacks, I'm used to sort of living on the edge of affordability. One thing I've noticed is that it's a blessing I've been able to work from home. I don't think I could afford to make it to the office everyday. My fruit and veg crispers have remained bare, except for a bag of potatoes. Can't even afford oranges like I used to.
I mean, a lot of these are cutting out habits that are unhealthy or frivolous to begin with....
OMG, yes, how DARE people enoying 'frivolous' things! Humans should only work, eat, and sleep, and only very little of the last two! What is this entitlement to have joy nowadays? when have humans become so sick as to talk, let alone THINK like this?
Load More Replies...Sad thing is it can get a lot worse. Inflation and unemployment hit double digits late 70's/early80s. Hard to find work and prices just kept going up. Have an older friend who worked in a bank and she saidsome people were walking in, handing over keys and telling the bank they now owned a house because they couldn't afford a mortgage at 15%+. https://www.mortgageinfoguide.com/what-were-mortgage-rates-in-1980/
But try to raise the minimum wage to a living wage, and a chorus of brainless dingbats howls about $20 hamburgers, lost jobs, and robotized fast food joints.
Load More Replies...Whil I understand how hard it is ----- fake eyelashes and waxings aren't essentials to your survival. When you have to give up food, shelter, medication/treatment, that's tragic and should be illegal in any nation on earth.
I currently live on 1/2 to 1 meal per day, sometimes cannot take my daughter to school because of fuel costs. I just finished my degree, finally have a good job that I enjoy and has growth potential, where I thought I'd finally be able to have a comfortable life just her and I, and start doing things we enjoy. Now I'm barely surviving the month. I'm a single working South African mother who just received a promotion, and I'm struggling to survive, my struggles just seem never-ending. I just want to die.
Maybe try a church. I went to one church. They immediately gave me a bag of clothes and toys for the kids.
Load More Replies...I think the two oddest ones were the lash extensions and the vaping. Who cares if you can't do those things anymore. Those are not even close to necessary or something to feel bad about losing in your life.
They care. And nobody cares about your joyless mindset, "Kevin".
Load More Replies...I have gone completely vegan... so no more high priced meats! Screw em! Doing okay, the body is adjusting... I have noticed the inflammation levels are going down and am sleeping better... I thought I just had summer allergies... amazing!
Driving to Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Costco, etc. I didn't grocery shop those places exclusively because that's insane, but we started going to a bigger town twenty minutes away to shop almost exclusively at Walmart instead of driving an hour or more for more choices. I'm still cooking the same things, in the same amounts, and not skimping on meals but the lack of choices kinda sucks. Our town has around 1000 people and no grocery store, three churches, one bar, three restaurants, and a gas station. On the plus side, living in that small of a town means fast food is still a novelty to the girls because it doesn't happen very often.
I have mixed feelings about this situation. I hate how much we have to cut back on things we enjoy, but if it leads to people quitting smoking, eating less junk food, cutting back on meat and only driving when necessary at least there’s a silver lining for our (physical) health and the planet. Our collective mental health on the other hand … well, that’s another matter. I’m really scared the prices are never going to go remotely back to where they were and that this current insanity is going to be the new normal state of things. :-(
I'm saving (which is hard enough anyway), to finally be able to buy a new cell phone. My 5 year old's memory bank is so full (due to updates) that I only have one app left, that isn't preinstalled... so it can't be uninstalled. I can't update it anymore either. It still works, but I have to charge it at least twice a day. I suppose I'll end up having to spend the savings on something else... like groceries, or an (unexpected) repair or something. And just to be clear... I've never spent more than 200€ max on a smartphone or plan to get an expensive iPhone or something similar.
Ya know what I gave up? Living at my house. I choose a job that has me away on a boat for two weeks a month every month. I miss my dog, I miss my bed, I miss my husband and comforts of home. In return I'm not around to use electricity or water, my meals on the boat are provided and I actually love my job. But I'm still ticked that in order to afford the bills and groceries, I have to leave. I'm even more ticked that just when it looked like we were finally going to be able to save and pay bills and groceries and have money leftover, his hours took a huge plummet. Both of us have to work to survive, but for years it's been only one of us at a time. I'd really like a small break, just both if us working at the same time would be nice.
To think that not so far in the past feminine hygiene were considered luxury ... On the other hand, what I consider luxury might be something someone else consider an absolute. To each their own.
Well i had to ring British Gas as they raised my monthly payment from £120 a month to £387 a month , i was on the phone for an hour , solution to reducing my bill you ask ? CUTTING OFF MY GAS SUPPLY yes that was the only way i could reduce my bill , i was paying £380 a year just to use £57 worth of gas , usually hot water and a bit of heating in the winter , still have to pay over £300 a month , not sure how though
I think it matters in the sense of showing how all need to go back to the basics. And the small things matter. The aim is not to live just to survive. It's sad that people have to but it's not how it should be. Like, I don't expect people to feel sorry for me for having to cut lashes, trips or feeling angry that my gymcard went up a lot. Those things are not essential. I know it's not the end of the world and people have it worse. But was not the way I exclusively saw this post. You feel happier and quality in life if you get that extra that you want, not only what you need. Could be simple things like ice cream after dinner or be able to sit on a bench with a coffee - quality of life. If you take that away it's noticeable, even if it's not the end of the world.
I currently live on 1/2 to 1 meal per day, usually instant noodles, toast or egg. Some days I cannot afford to go to work or take my daughter to school. I can't afford wifi to work from home. I just finished my degree and got a promotion at work, but I'm struggling to survive month to month. I hate the way things are, I feel like out dreams are out of reach with the future looking so bleak for South Africa. I just want to die. Our government has royally f@cked us from every angle. I just want a good life for my daughter and I.
I've started cutting my own hair since covid. Saved 50 quid on a trim.. jheeze I found it hard to justify it anyways. Food shops have been stripped and so have general expenditure to luxury
I've cut my own hair for years, but last time I made a mistake and now I have kind of a funny hairstyle XD It doesn't look like a complete disaster, but I still keep my hair in a ponytail anytime I go out. I'm waiting for it to grow out a bit, so I can fix it. S**t happens lol
Load More Replies...Sorry, but most of these actually sound like good things. Recessions aren't fun, but getting in touch with what you really, truly need is a good thing. Animal medications, like kids' meds, aren't really optional because you've taken them on. But cancelling your own health insurance in a country like the U.S. is crazy
Possibly not a person in the US because in most cases canceling medical insurance results in a fine at tax time.
Load More Replies...I don't want to sound rude or mean, ofc I understand that this is new to most people and their lives are changing a lot but... consider yourselves lucky. At least you don't live in a country where 37% of the population is poor, inflation is around 58% and there was no progress in the last 80 years at least. This is Argentina, the situation is not good here and it won't improve. I think you are being kind of dramatic since you still live in a place where lots of people can only dream of... Even knowing all the problems that happen in there. Argentina is not great, but least I consider myself lucky to have food and shelter, because I know that other countries are even worse and I understand that Argentina really seems a paradise to other people (like venezuelans)
Its absolutely not a luxury to do something that makes you happy, once in a while - like hair color or lashes. That's the whole point, you are not supposed to just survive on your salary. You're not supposed to work yourself to the bone and only pay bills and eat lentils all month.
This. These comments are apparently full of joyless sociopaths that can't understand why people might be upset about having to give up things they enjoy.
Load More Replies...Yes a lot of these could be considered luxury items but at the same time people having their lashes, hair and nails done was keeping someone else in a job so the effect of people no longer being able to afford these things is quite a big deal
Honestly half these posts were about canceling luxury expenses. Boo hoo I have to think about not buying a new phone every year now ;_;
They're just sharing things they enjoyed that they have to cut back on. Damn. What the f**k is your problem? No one wants pity, they're just sharing their experience.
Load More Replies...Since I work at a job with a rollercoaster of unpredictable income setbacks, I'm used to sort of living on the edge of affordability. One thing I've noticed is that it's a blessing I've been able to work from home. I don't think I could afford to make it to the office everyday. My fruit and veg crispers have remained bare, except for a bag of potatoes. Can't even afford oranges like I used to.
I mean, a lot of these are cutting out habits that are unhealthy or frivolous to begin with....
OMG, yes, how DARE people enoying 'frivolous' things! Humans should only work, eat, and sleep, and only very little of the last two! What is this entitlement to have joy nowadays? when have humans become so sick as to talk, let alone THINK like this?
Load More Replies...Sad thing is it can get a lot worse. Inflation and unemployment hit double digits late 70's/early80s. Hard to find work and prices just kept going up. Have an older friend who worked in a bank and she saidsome people were walking in, handing over keys and telling the bank they now owned a house because they couldn't afford a mortgage at 15%+. https://www.mortgageinfoguide.com/what-were-mortgage-rates-in-1980/
But try to raise the minimum wage to a living wage, and a chorus of brainless dingbats howls about $20 hamburgers, lost jobs, and robotized fast food joints.
Load More Replies...Whil I understand how hard it is ----- fake eyelashes and waxings aren't essentials to your survival. When you have to give up food, shelter, medication/treatment, that's tragic and should be illegal in any nation on earth.
I currently live on 1/2 to 1 meal per day, sometimes cannot take my daughter to school because of fuel costs. I just finished my degree, finally have a good job that I enjoy and has growth potential, where I thought I'd finally be able to have a comfortable life just her and I, and start doing things we enjoy. Now I'm barely surviving the month. I'm a single working South African mother who just received a promotion, and I'm struggling to survive, my struggles just seem never-ending. I just want to die.
Maybe try a church. I went to one church. They immediately gave me a bag of clothes and toys for the kids.
Load More Replies...I think the two oddest ones were the lash extensions and the vaping. Who cares if you can't do those things anymore. Those are not even close to necessary or something to feel bad about losing in your life.
They care. And nobody cares about your joyless mindset, "Kevin".
Load More Replies...I have gone completely vegan... so no more high priced meats! Screw em! Doing okay, the body is adjusting... I have noticed the inflammation levels are going down and am sleeping better... I thought I just had summer allergies... amazing!
Driving to Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Costco, etc. I didn't grocery shop those places exclusively because that's insane, but we started going to a bigger town twenty minutes away to shop almost exclusively at Walmart instead of driving an hour or more for more choices. I'm still cooking the same things, in the same amounts, and not skimping on meals but the lack of choices kinda sucks. Our town has around 1000 people and no grocery store, three churches, one bar, three restaurants, and a gas station. On the plus side, living in that small of a town means fast food is still a novelty to the girls because it doesn't happen very often.
I have mixed feelings about this situation. I hate how much we have to cut back on things we enjoy, but if it leads to people quitting smoking, eating less junk food, cutting back on meat and only driving when necessary at least there’s a silver lining for our (physical) health and the planet. Our collective mental health on the other hand … well, that’s another matter. I’m really scared the prices are never going to go remotely back to where they were and that this current insanity is going to be the new normal state of things. :-(
I'm saving (which is hard enough anyway), to finally be able to buy a new cell phone. My 5 year old's memory bank is so full (due to updates) that I only have one app left, that isn't preinstalled... so it can't be uninstalled. I can't update it anymore either. It still works, but I have to charge it at least twice a day. I suppose I'll end up having to spend the savings on something else... like groceries, or an (unexpected) repair or something. And just to be clear... I've never spent more than 200€ max on a smartphone or plan to get an expensive iPhone or something similar.
Ya know what I gave up? Living at my house. I choose a job that has me away on a boat for two weeks a month every month. I miss my dog, I miss my bed, I miss my husband and comforts of home. In return I'm not around to use electricity or water, my meals on the boat are provided and I actually love my job. But I'm still ticked that in order to afford the bills and groceries, I have to leave. I'm even more ticked that just when it looked like we were finally going to be able to save and pay bills and groceries and have money leftover, his hours took a huge plummet. Both of us have to work to survive, but for years it's been only one of us at a time. I'd really like a small break, just both if us working at the same time would be nice.
To think that not so far in the past feminine hygiene were considered luxury ... On the other hand, what I consider luxury might be something someone else consider an absolute. To each their own.
Well i had to ring British Gas as they raised my monthly payment from £120 a month to £387 a month , i was on the phone for an hour , solution to reducing my bill you ask ? CUTTING OFF MY GAS SUPPLY yes that was the only way i could reduce my bill , i was paying £380 a year just to use £57 worth of gas , usually hot water and a bit of heating in the winter , still have to pay over £300 a month , not sure how though
I think it matters in the sense of showing how all need to go back to the basics. And the small things matter. The aim is not to live just to survive. It's sad that people have to but it's not how it should be. Like, I don't expect people to feel sorry for me for having to cut lashes, trips or feeling angry that my gymcard went up a lot. Those things are not essential. I know it's not the end of the world and people have it worse. But was not the way I exclusively saw this post. You feel happier and quality in life if you get that extra that you want, not only what you need. Could be simple things like ice cream after dinner or be able to sit on a bench with a coffee - quality of life. If you take that away it's noticeable, even if it's not the end of the world.
I currently live on 1/2 to 1 meal per day, usually instant noodles, toast or egg. Some days I cannot afford to go to work or take my daughter to school. I can't afford wifi to work from home. I just finished my degree and got a promotion at work, but I'm struggling to survive month to month. I hate the way things are, I feel like out dreams are out of reach with the future looking so bleak for South Africa. I just want to die. Our government has royally f@cked us from every angle. I just want a good life for my daughter and I.
I've started cutting my own hair since covid. Saved 50 quid on a trim.. jheeze I found it hard to justify it anyways. Food shops have been stripped and so have general expenditure to luxury
I've cut my own hair for years, but last time I made a mistake and now I have kind of a funny hairstyle XD It doesn't look like a complete disaster, but I still keep my hair in a ponytail anytime I go out. I'm waiting for it to grow out a bit, so I can fix it. S**t happens lol
Load More Replies...Sorry, but most of these actually sound like good things. Recessions aren't fun, but getting in touch with what you really, truly need is a good thing. Animal medications, like kids' meds, aren't really optional because you've taken them on. But cancelling your own health insurance in a country like the U.S. is crazy
Possibly not a person in the US because in most cases canceling medical insurance results in a fine at tax time.
Load More Replies...I don't want to sound rude or mean, ofc I understand that this is new to most people and their lives are changing a lot but... consider yourselves lucky. At least you don't live in a country where 37% of the population is poor, inflation is around 58% and there was no progress in the last 80 years at least. This is Argentina, the situation is not good here and it won't improve. I think you are being kind of dramatic since you still live in a place where lots of people can only dream of... Even knowing all the problems that happen in there. Argentina is not great, but least I consider myself lucky to have food and shelter, because I know that other countries are even worse and I understand that Argentina really seems a paradise to other people (like venezuelans)