Stress

June and July have been brutal bill-wise. Hubby was paid for the 4th of July but there was no work the night before and no pay to cover it, so his check was short. With so many debts, every penny counts. It didn't help that I was in the ER for about 5 hours on May 30th for dangerously low blood pressure and dehydration. I am thankful I have Medicare Advantage.

Inflation is out of control. The strong economy and robust job market does nothing for us, as prices keep going up and up. The multitude of jobs out there DO NOT PAY ENOUGH. The few higher paying jobs that have been generated are not in our area or require a degree or years of experience.

It's also depressing to note that some companies are laying people off, some in the thousands. John Deere is closing three plants and moving operations to Mexico.

I just want to see an end to the forever upward spiraling cost of living.

In other news, there is a huge amount of stress in this nation regarding our future as a nation. I can't believe there are some people who think falling under Putin's rule is a good idea.

By the way, my knee is good now. I'm back to walking, weather permitting.

Are There Any Possibilities Out There?

 We have mixed feelings about Hartford. It has lots of grocery stores and restaurants, lots of jobs that don't pay enough. It has an uninviting downtown, bisected by a noisy, busy Highway 60. It's expensive. I have looked for a less expensive apartment, but I guess because we have been here since 2018 our rent is raised each year but not as much as for someone just moving in. Don't get me wrong, we pay ALL our bills on time. What has changed is the cost of living. Food keeps going up. We have dumbed it down to bare bones. We have made account adjustments to find less expensive options (rare as hen's teeth). My hubby received a nice raise, which helps. So what is the problem? Since they cut everyone's overtime we are unable to save like we were, and are unable to pay down our debts as planned. We had planned to be completely out of debt by August or September. Now, unless something changes, it will take years.

So we were looking into changing locations. Maybe a new location, a good job and a cheaper apartment. So far our research has shown us the painful fact that wages are lower everywhere else and apartments cost even more.

We had dreams of living closer to Lake Michigan, where we didn't need to drive an hour just to walk on some sand dunes. We love Sheboygan with its miles of sandy beaches. We planed to visit Kenosha but haven't yet. We really felt a move could become a reality. It was going to be our dream, our future. I joined all the job boards and apartment pages and I find everyone in the same boat. Rent is too high. Pay is too low. There are too many people in the world. Everyone is trying to find their own little special paradise. There isn't enough paradise to go around.