Student Loan Debt?

[scootr]

I saw a news show that showed all of the essentials like food, clothing, oil, home, utilities etc were up on average 28-32% over just the last 3 years... personally if you add in a few more that have gone up equally as much like new cars, building supplies, and farm equipment and supplies then well, that's pretty much everything I need to survive. My buying power has been reduced by 30%
A $10 bill buys $7 of goods and falling.
That $100k you saved away is worth $70k. How far do you want this to go?

 

[ultrarunner]

I had a quote to re-roof my house from 2019. It was $19,900
I had the same roofer re-quote same roof in March 2023 it was $31,000.

4 years ~35% increase.

Don’t tell me prices haven’t gone way up.

I'm seeing across the board average about a third.

My 2019 projects put on hold about a third more costly in 2023...

I posted before about needing to replace/repair hospital HVAC and the cost goes up just about monthly...

 

[MossRoad]

View attachment 848801

YIKES!
(Click to enlarge)

 

[MossRoad]

My beef is fuel, which for a sustained period WAS UP ~100% from 2109.
THAT is completely unacceptable and the primary reason food is up.

Bro, don’t even try to refute me. I buy more fuel in a year than you buy in 20 years. Its a huge expense for us and we track it like a hawk, so save it, K?

Again, I'm talking about food prices, not fuel, but if you want to go back to our fuel conversation a couple years ago, by all means, find it and post it again.

 

[Hay Dude]

Again, I'm talking about food prices, not fuel, but if you want to go back to our fuel conversation a couple years ago, by all means, find it and post it again.

You just don’t get it.
Fuel prices are WHAT IS driving up fuel prices!

 

[MossRoad]

You just don’t get it.
Fuel prices are what IS driving up fuel prices!

I do get it. But the fact of the matter is total food cost is not up 100% from 3 years ago.

 

[Hay Dude]

I do get it. But the fact of the matter is total food cost is not up 100% from 3 years ago.

Dude, give it up. You’re talking in circles
We agree food isn’t up 100% and I never said that, for the umpteenth time.

You are honing in on one exaggerated claim.

Is it just me or do feel the need to constantly defend this crappy economy?

 

[riptides]

Whew! We all feel so much better!

The opportunity was out there for a lot of people. Still is.

 

[Hay Dude]

The opportunity was out there for a lot of people. Still is.

Are you talking about the opportunity to make more money, but pay more taxes? Is that “upward mobility”?

My wife and I make more money than we did 5 years ago, considerably more. Yet our actual savings (disregarding college costs) has decreased and we skipped a family vacation 2 of the last 5 years as well.

Only thing I can come up to cause that within those 5 years is interest rates and inflation have increased a LOT.

 

[jyoutz]

Are you talking about the opportunity to make more money, but pay more taxes? Is that “upward mobility”?

My wife and I make more money than we did 5 years ago, considerably more. Yet our actual savings (disregarding college costs) has decreased and we skipped a family vacation 2 of the last 5 years as well.

Only thing I can come up to cause that within those 5 years is interest rates and inflation have increased a LOT.

There were many years during the past couple of decades when my family had to skip a vacation due to not being able to afford it. We considered a family vacation to just be a camping trip to the lake and fishing because that was all we could afford. The 2008 economic crash and recovery was the worst period that I can remember and there were no traveling vacations for several years.

 

[CalG]

I live in Paradise.

To travel away, even on vacation. is always less...
Though the wife and I did have a wonderful month "travel Camping" from the NE to the SW this past spring (April/May)
We needed to see relatives.

Lucky me!

 

[jyoutz]

I live in Paradise.

To travel away, even on vacation. is always less...
Though the wife and I did have a wonderful month "travel Camping" from the NE to the SW this past spring (April/May)
We needed to see relatives.

Lucky me!

I have been to Maine but not Vermont. A beautiful part of the country.

 

[CalG]

I have been to Maine but not Vermont. A beautiful part of the country.

Tell yourself, and all your friends, It really sucks up here.
Heck, It was freezing drizzle and iced roadways all day, after a night of heavy rain and sleet. In January! The drive in this morning was white knuckle.

DON"T even Think about coming here. It's that bad!
And the summertime bugs will drive you batty!

;-)

 

[ultrarunner]

Vacations just didn't happen in my family... Every 7 years I went to see my grandparents and only twice was Dad able to go as being self employed no work no income...

My farm grandparents took one vacation in their life and it was their trip to California which they enjoyed giving a lifetime of memories... oh... and we did have to visit to dairy farms during their visit to see how it's done in California!

It does seem vacation is a right but even with my union job at the Tool and Die the first 5 years it was 5 paid vacation days annually plus 6 of holidays.

At the hospital colleagues are always getting off somewhere... a week in Mexico and 6 months later Hawaii with a few days in the summer at Disney or maybe a long weekend in Vegas?

 

[Eagle1]

Have not had a vacation in 16 years or more than a day off....but like CalG I live in my slice of heaven and don't like leaving it...

 

[ultrarunner]

Have not had a vacation in 16 years or more than a day off....but like CalG I live in my slice of heaven and don't like leaving it...

2015 for me... life happens making getting away problematic.

Trying to figure my end game and changes may be coming.

I'm fortunate to have avoided student loans or any loans other than first mortgages... this happens when one is interest adverse...

 

[Eagle1]

2015 for me... life happens making getting away problematic.

Trying to figure my end game and changes may be coming.

I'm fortunate to have avoided student loans or any loans other than first mortgages... this happens when one is interest adverse...

Bought my 92 ac campground in 2007 it now paid off only owe taxes every year. Couple more CC to pay down, but I'm shutting down end of August and homestead the place. Much prefer livestock and pets to people.

 

[ultrarunner]

Bought my 92 ac campground in 2007 it now paid off only owe taxes every year. Couple more CC to pay down, but I'm shutting down end of August and homestead the place. Much prefer livestock and pets to people.

Oh no... it is on my bucket list of travels to visit far and wide...

I figure a year easily to visit all the friends that moved away from California plus TBN posters...

In the late 90's we knew a newly retired family that spent 2 years mostly on the road visiting from California to Florida, Canada and Alaska... he had a rather large extended family spread all around...

When you travel by motorhome and never more than two nights for most destinations it makes it easy to connect without imposing.

 

[jyoutz]

Tell yourself, and all your friends, It really sucks up here.
Heck, It was freezing drizzle and iced roadways all day, after a night of heavy rain and sleet. In January! The drive in this morning was white knuckle.

DON"T even Think about coming here. It's that bad!
And the summertime bugs will drive you batty!

;-)

Sounds like a lot of the country during January. My last visit to New England was in April during mud season, after the snow and before the black flys and mosquitoes.

 

[Eagle1]

Oh no... it is on my bucket list of travels to visit far and wide...

I figure a year easily to visit all the friends that moved away from California plus TBN posters...

In the late 90's we knew a newly retired family that spent 2 years mostly on the road visiting from California to Florida, Canada and Alaska... he had a rather large extended family spread all around...

When you travel by motorhome and never more than two nights for most destinations it makes it easy to connect without imposing.

If you ever make it out to MO, I will still have a spot or 2 to use.... You'd just be a lot closer to more of my critters than right now. Full hookups with 50/30 amp.
Right at the lake shore with good fishing.