Cost of living...

[Doboji]

Gas Prices: up 100%
Movie Prices: up around $10
Housing Prices: up ridiculous amounts
Cable TV: more expensive than ever before

And everyone of the above I feel like I'm getting screwed

Gas Prices: How the hell else am I supposed to get to work?

Movie Prices: What I can't bring my own food or water, so I have to buy your food at 4-5x the price

Housing Prices: Why the hell do I have to pay the damn real estate agent so much damn money to do very very little... and how the hell do people afford to pay so much in mortgage payments every month.

CableTV: Only 1 provider in my area, and I don't have a clear view of the sky for sattelite. SO I buy whatever they sell me.

What happened to competition... I frankly don't see it manifesting itself anywhere...

-Max

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: Doboji
Movie Prices: What I can't bring my own food or water, so I have to buy your food at 4-5x the price

Theater operators commonly joke that they don't run movie theaters, they run snack bars that show movies. They don't want you to bring your own food because that is their primary profit source. BTW, some theaters WILL let you bring in candy as long as it is the same as what they are selling...check with the management.

Housing Prices: Why the hell do I have to pay the damn real estate agent so much damn money to do very very little... and how the hell do people afford to pay so much in mortgage payments every month.

1. You'd be surprised just how much a good real estate agent does.
2. As a buyer, you don't pay for the agent.

CableTV: Only 1 provider in my area, and I don't have a clear view of the sky for sattelite. SO I buy whatever they sell me.

You don't have to watch TV.

 

[Anubis]

Movie tickets and Cable dont factor into the cost of living because you can live without them eaisily

food, houseing and gas are the important 3

 

[BobDaMenkey]

And where the heck are you getting those movie prices? It's 7.50 for a matinee showing around here. If you go after 6pm it's like 8.50. That's not too terrible, nor is it a cost of living.

And where'd you get the figure of gas prices being up 100%? It's up a lot, but not that much. Damn I remember when I started driving and I filled my BMW with premium for less than $20. Now it's $25 for low octane in my truck

 

[FoBoT]

gas, ok , but it is a relatively small % of my budget
movies, i don't go to movies enough to care
house - i bought a house last year, so it is now a fixed cost in my budget. so i don't care what other houses cost
cable - i have dish satellite , the price is reasonable


i see no skyrockets here

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: Doboji
Gas Prices: How the hell else am I supposed to get to work?

You're paying an additional $20 tops per month for gas than you were two years ago.

Movie Prices: What I can't bring my own food or water, so I have to buy your food at 4-5x the price

I've never had a problem bringing in my own candy when I was a kid. Since turning 11, however, I prefer to go and WATCH a movie, not snack. Although, the sound of coke cans being opened during the previews tells me that, somehow, somebody is managing to sneak in food. :roll:

Housing Prices: Why the hell do I have to pay the damn real estate agent so much damn money to do very very little... and how the hell do people afford to pay so much in mortgage payments every month.

You don't buy them anything when you buy a house. :roll:

When selling. you pay them so much so you don't have to worry about getting scammed out of a few hundred thousand dollars. Unless you are well versed in real estate law and have bought and sold houses before, you are paying them for a service. You are also paying them because they'll get your house listed and shown in more high profile ways which will result in more and better offers which will probably superceed the small savings you'd make by trying to do it yourself.

CableTV: Only 1 provider in my area, and I don't have a clear view of the sky for sattelite. SO I buy whatever they sell me.

What happened to competition... I frankly don't see it manifesting itself anywhere...

Start one yourself.

-Max

-HoP

 

[Doboji]

Wow... Cost of living Fanboi's who woulda thunkit.

Well I'm not going to sit here and argue whether or not cost of living is rising fast or not... I say it is... and I don't like it... it's hitting from so many directions...

Healthcare is continuing to rise... In fairfax county where I live they now charge you for riding in an ambulance.

Gas prices are up

Entertainment costs are up...

sh!t everything is up.... I'm starting to become very aware of the crunch.

Is anyone else feeling it?

-Max

p.s. I'm not interested in what the official economic definition of what cost of living is... I'm interested in the cost to maintain my current standard of living... which I'm noticing going up significantly.... sure if I live in a cardboard box and eat tuna, I can keep my cost of living low. I know this may come as a shock.... but I'm not looking to have the bare minimum standard of life... I'd like to... *gasp* enjoy life.

 

[Doboji]

Just saw a report in the news about a possible increase to the cost of getting a drivers license...

 

[ElFenix]

move somewhere that isn't insane

 

[MagicConch]

I am sure other people are affected by increasing gas prices and housing prices. A lot of the whiners where I live make stupid choices at election time that ensure some of these costs stay high for them.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: Doboji
Wow... Cost of living Fanboi's who woulda thunkit.

Well I'm not going to sit here and argue whether or not cost of living is rising fast or not... I say it is... and I don't like it... it's hitting from so many directions...

Healthcare is continuing to rise... In fairfax county where I live they now charge you for riding in an ambulance.

Gas prices are up

Entertainment costs are up...

sh!t everything is up.... I'm starting to become very aware of the crunch.

Is anyone else feeling it?

-Max

p.s. I'm not interested in what the official economic definition of what cost of living is... I'm interested in the cost to maintain my current standard of living... which I'm noticing going up significantly.... sure if I live in a cardboard box and eat tuna, I can keep my cost of living low. I know this may come as a shock.... but I'm not looking to have the bare minimum standard of life... I'd like to... *gasp* enjoy life.

Guess what. Your salary has also gone up, so it evens out. Welcome to life.

And we're not cost of living fanboys :roll: we're just not wannabe dmcowens.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: Doboji
I'd like to... *gasp* enjoy life.

That comes more from attitude than money.

 

[K1052]

I seem to reacall a thread about your wife being cheap.

She must have jacked his account.

 

[Qwest]

Originally posted by: Doboji
Gas Prices: up 100%
Movie Prices: up around $10
Housing Prices: up ridiculous amounts
Cable TV: more expensive than ever before

Time to adjust.

Gas Prices: I take the subway.
Movie Prices: Downloaded and streamed to the tv.
Housing: Can't avoid it.
Cable TV: Get a descrambler
Internet: Get a wireless card.

 

[Doboji]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
move somewhere that isn't insane

Where are you living? It's quite possible that these changes are unique to the DC area and a few others... I'm very interested in hearing what other areas are like.

-Max

 

[bsobel]

Gas Prices: up 100%

Like it or not, inflation adjusted gas is cheaper than in the 70s.

Movie Prices: up around $10

I worked in a Movie theater in highschool. That was about 20 years ago. The cost of a ticket then was $5. So, in (actually) 19 years a ticket has doubled in price. I havent' figured out the compunded rate, but thats in the neighborhood of 3% a year.

2. As a buyer, you don't pay for the agent.

I really dislike this gross oversimplificaiton. As the buyer, you (generally) aren't directly paying for the agents service. But you are definately indirectly paying for it. I've been on a number of deals where I've offered the seller X and the agent's Y (less than they wanted). They take the Y to make the deal work (a bird in the hand...). Based on your theory, that wouldn't be possible.

Bill

 

[Doboji]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: Doboji
I'd like to... *gasp* enjoy life.

That comes more from attitude than money.

Ahhh yes... maybe you can be happy living in a cave with a dirt pit in the back to bury your sh!t. But I figure I work my ass off day in day out for my entire life for more than food and shelter. I can work alot less and cover the necessities. I'm working my ass off because I'd like to enjoy the luxuries in life... and I'm not talking big ones like a fancy car, or a huge house... I'm saying I'd like to be able to go out to the movies on the weekends, or be able to watch my football on sundays.

-Max

P.S. and yes drink my soy milk

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: Qwest

Originally posted by: Doboji
Gas Prices: up 100%
Movie Prices: up around $10
Housing Prices: up ridiculous amounts
Cable TV: more expensive than ever before

Time to adjust.

Steal anything you can get away with

fixed.

 

[Britboy]

It seems the cost of services goes up and up. Healthcare is sky high, higher copays and out of pocket prescription costs. Tuition always outpaces inflation.

On the other hand, consumer goods get cheaper and cheaper.

I try and put a strategy in place to minimize the impact of these cost increases. For example I need allegra D with a copay of $40 per month, no generics available. So I tell the doc I need 2 pills a day and only take one, my copay is the same for 60 as it is for 30. I also do home delivery which gives you one month of every three for free. So rather than pay $40 x 6 months = $240 (180 tabs). I pay $80 for the same amount.

I won't go into the cost of DVD's and my strategy for those

 

[cHeeZeFacTory]

Cost of living has definately gone up around here in irvine. When I was a sophmore (4 years ago), you can rent a 2 bed 2 bath for $1200-1300. Now I've graduated and have been working for about a year, and looking for a 2bd/2ba w/ a friend, the lowest we can find is atleast $1500/mo. Amazingly Cox basic cable is still $50.

 

[neilm]

Cost of living has went up alot, I've just graduated from university and am currently living at with my parents at the age of 24.

Some of the houses are at a ridiculous high value, think it has flew past 200% in the past 10 years and scares the sh1t out of me as a first time buyer. Even renting flats are expensive these days, usually this would be done to help save for a house, but not anymore as it takes just as much of a chunk out of wages than a mortgage.

I don't even drive, why? Have a guess... yep too expensive, with me being in the north of Ireland insurance is sky high, can be anywhere from £1k/yr for an 'ol banger, oh and thats not all, there is road tax, petrol (which is almost £1/litre, yes I did say litre!), car payments... so decided to use public transport for now.

Entertainment costs have arisen here also, but I'm really not that bothered about it compared to car and housing costs.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Qwest

Originally posted by: Doboji
Gas Prices: up 100%
Movie Prices: up around $10
Housing Prices: up ridiculous amounts
Cable TV: more expensive than ever before

Time to adjust.

Gas Prices: I take the subway.
Movie Prices: Downloaded and streamed to the tv.
Housing: Can't avoid it.
Cable TV: Get a descrambler
Internet: Get a wireless card.

yeah i would rather be do wihout some things then be a thief.


While i agree that gas has shot up over the last 6 years it is still far from expensive.
I agree movie prices are high. thats why i buy the moive and watch it at home. For $15-20 i can buy the movie and watch it at home. i can pause the movie and go get a soda whenever i want.

TV is not a neccisity. heck when i moved out on my own at 17 i didnt even own a TV. it was not until i turned 25 (got married) that i finally owned one. Now we have satalite etc.

Internet. heck i enjoy having it so its worth the $70 i pay a month (have satalite since no Cable or DSL around here).

As for the mortgage i baught a house in the country. For what i spent i got a nice 3 bedroom house with 2+ acres of land. If i had spent the same amount in town i would have got a crappy 2 bedroom on really small plot of land. granted i would have cable modem so that makes it even..

 

[BurnItDwn]

Originally posted by: Britboy
It seems the cost of services goes up and up. Healthcare is sky high, higher copays and out of pocket prescription costs. Tuition always outpaces inflation.

On the other hand, consumer goods get cheaper and cheaper.

I try and put a strategy in place to minimize the impact of these cost increases. For example I need allegra D with a copay of $40 per month, no generics available. So I tell the doc I need 2 pills a day and only take one, my copay is the same for 60 as it is for 30. I also do home delivery which gives you one month of every three for free. So rather than pay $40 x 6 months = $240 (180 tabs). I pay $80 for the same amount.

I won't go into the cost of DVD's and my strategy for those

Wow, You must be good pals with your doctor if he's commiting insurance fraud for you. It sucks that the copay is so high, but, fraud is fraud. The doc could loose his abillity to legally practise medicine for that.

 

[frankie38]

Originally posted by: Doboji
What happened to competition... I frankly don't see it manifesting itself anywhere...
-Max

Economics 101. Supply and Demand.

Gas: Oil at record prices, over $61 per barrel. No new refineries built in decades. SUVs that avg 15-20 mpg. I suggest that everyone Buy a Civic, it gets 40 mpg.

Movies: I dont go. Download them BitTorrent.

Housing Prices: Save, Save, Save (stop going to movies and eating out and drinking.)
Get a promotion and/or get a new job. Make more money. Else move to a less expensive area.

Cable/TV: cancel it. get an antenna. Stop watching tv. get a 2nd job and save for your downpayment.

Bottomline: Adapt, overcome, be flexible. What do you say?

 

[Doboji]

Originally posted by: frankie38

Originally posted by: Doboji
What happened to competition... I frankly don't see it manifesting itself anywhere...
-Max

Economics 101. Supply and Demand.

Gas: Oil at record prices, over $61 per barrel. No new refineries built in decades. SUVs that avg 15-20 mpg. I suggest that everyone Buy a Civic, its get 40 mpg.

Movies: I dont go. Download them BitTorrent.

Housing Prices: Save, Save, Save (stop going to movies and eating out and drinking.)
Get a promotion and/or get a new job. Make more money. Else move to a less expensive area.

Cable/TV: cancel it. get an antenna. Stop watching tv. get a nd job and save for your downpayment.

Bottomline: Adapt, overcome, be flexible. What do you say?

So you sit at home, save money and watch movies on your computer..... and you work 90 hours a week?

Wow... you really need to get a life.

-Max

P.S. I bought a piece of property a few months ago....