It’s been a while since I’ve gotten a raise at work. Quite a long while, actually. While that in itself is less than optimal (read: it sucks), it gets even worse when you consider that things have gotten more expensive across the board. Just a few examples:
- Gas prices have gone up quite a bit
- Food prices have gone up a lot (or they shrink the packages, which means you have to buy more, so the end result is you pay more)
- Health insurance premiums have skyrocketed
- Our mortgage was re-financed. Even though we are putting over $500 more in principle away each month for a modest $150 increase in the payment, it’s still a cash flow issue.