Struggling due to inflation and wages not increasing to keep up. What can I do?
By Jenifer Huff
@sickofbeingick22 (117)
United States
June 22, 2022 12:24pm CST
I am really struggling to live on my current wages with the rise in inflation. I make $12.30/hr for 34 hours a week and my employer isnt really keen on giving me enough hours for full time and having to pay for henefits. I used to have another job where I made a dismal $10/hr for between 24 and 30 hours a week that I worked along with this current job, however it was Subway and I could not continue to do that job.
I also was injured during work at Subway which made the job even harder for me. I am not making enough to afford everything I need. I have to have assistance like SNAP, the government food program and energy assistance just to make it work. I also end up needing help from family and loans just to afford everything. I have times where I can't even afford to go buy toilet paper or put a couple bucks on the bus to get to work.
And don't even get me started on gas, my bf drives but I don't have my license yet and he's always talking about how he just put gas in the car 2 days ago and already needs more. We do things like collect coins and cash them in at the bank just so we can get gas or food or bus fare, whatever. We are often scavenging through the house for quarters and singles when laundry time comes around again. I hate that we have coin laundry.
I gained weight and cannot afford to go and buy pants that fit. I dont have very many pairs of pants because my big butt keeps busting holes in them trying to get them on. Why does it have to be so hard? What in the heck can I do here? I am trying to find another job but I am limited with what I can do because of the back injury.
I can't get unemployment for Subway because I quit, and I do have a worker's compensation claim with them but the insurance company they have for it is a mess and they are dragging their feet on paying my benefits and are only compensating me for medical relating to the back injury right now. The medical help is a good thing but I need that money, I was supposed to have it 6 months ago, in December, when I first got hurt. I am struggling to find a lawyer to take my case and its getting out of hand with them not paying me. I am fed up and I don't know what to do. I need some suggestions.
4 people like this
6 responses
@ihasaquestion (8275)
•
24 Jun 22
Hoping your living situation will work out for the best. Try using coupons and cut back from eating outside too much if possible.
@ihasaquestion (8275)
•
10 Aug 22
@sickofbeingick22 I appreciate coupons and discounts pretty much too. These really help to ease the burden a little.
@sickofbeingick22 (117)
• United States
8 Aug 22
I have started using coupons a lot now. They have those ones you can clip in the store's app to your store's loyalty rewards card. A lot of times they will do deals where it builds like you get one price if you have your loyalty card, more points if you have the online coupon, etc. Eating out is very hard but I have started cutting back on that too. I have also begun using coupons and discounts even for that when I DO have it.
1 person likes this
@paigea (36315)
• Canada
27 Jun 22
I am sorry, that all sounds really rough.
Back in the 80s when my kids were small, this book helped me save pennies.
The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. I got it from the library. Lots of great suggestions.
I washed my and my daughter's clothes by hand and hung them up to dry to pinch pennies. Even when I went to the laundromat, I brought the wet clothes home to dry. Well, I still hang the clothes to dry.
@sickofbeingick22 (117)
• United States
8 Aug 22
I do handwash when I can, it is just harder for me with my back issues and fibromyalgia. Often times I will hand wash a few things when we're running out of things to wear to hold us over until we get a chance to go wash at the laundromat. I cannot carry wet clothes that far or I'd do that too. I'm probably going to try and find that book. Thanks.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (71804)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
22 Jun 22
You and your bf need to sit down and look at your bills. See what you can cut, and look closely at your spending. Processessed foods might seem cheeper, but you should consider getting fresh food where you can, because it's surprisingly reasonably priced and it'll help with weight loss. Try to get active, and talk to someone about what exercises you can do that will help and you can do do despite your back injury.
Stop looking at what you can't do, and look at what you can. Be grateful you still have coin-operated machines. Places are doing away with them, so they can charge what they want per load.
@sickofbeingick22 (117)
• United States
23 Jun 22
Thanks for that. I have a nutritionist that is helping me with food. I also have snap that is helping and often get fresh produce from the food pantry. We also just got energy assistance that has helped with the energy bill t hat was piling up. I was prescribed yoga by my rheumatologist to help with my fibromyalgia and back injury. I'm also lucky for the machines in the basement as well as the laundromat at the corner, where we can do larger loads for a similar price and knock out all the laundry in one go, and that's not going away even if the basement ones do.There is definitely some good here or else we'd be much worse off.
@Aiana18 (698)
• Belo Horizonte, Brazil
22 Jun 22
I am sorry for your problems and hope that everything will work out. I too am in need of new pants.
@Aiana18 (698)
• Belo Horizonte, Brazil
22 Jun 22
It's hard for everyone. In Brazil we are suffering so much with inflation. The price of gasoline is skyrocketing. Gas and meat, ditto. We are buying the same amount and paying twice as much as before. It makes you want to cry when you go to the market.
@sickofbeingick22 (117)
• United States
23 Jun 22
The gas and meat are the same here. Dairy is also high here. It just doesn't stop and I know it is world wide right now.
1 person likes this
