RE: Something Feels Really WRONG About the World...
Whenever I start analyzing disturbing events and then looking at life in the greater sense... I always keep coming back to the classic "frog in boiling water" analogy... in a number of ways, we keep thinking we're OK, and that we're "dealing with it" and that "everything will be fine."
Many people avoid looking directly at an assortment of truths... ranging from their own lives ("dealing with" having to work 65 hours a week in two jobs to make ends meet and resigning themselves to "having no choice") to greater societal life where so-called "experts" spin the statistics to make us feel like things are actually better than they are: "The Economy" is strong; "Unemployment is lower" and so forth. True statements, in an absolute sense... yet filled with holes and lies.
Case in point, yesterday I got a little card in the mail from the county, saying that our property values had been increased about 6% since last year. Which will result in a 6% increase in our property taxes next year. Last month, out homeowner's insurance expired... and renewed. "Your monthly payment will change from $99.12 to $107.14, effective with the next cycle."
And yet the government says that "inflation is less than 2%." In the meantime, my income is the same as last year and unlikely to increase... because of rising expenses.
The math doesn't add up.
But somehow I have to come up with $200 more for next year's expenses... and from where I am sitting, my option is to add enough work time to my existing schedule to make $200 more.
Now multiple by millions of times around this country and others... and we can detect a growing background atmosphere of "quiet desperation," and then we have these horrible events happen and people sit around analyze till they are blue in the face; overlooking the fact that more and more people are quietly reaching their "breaking points."
It’s why I been avoiding the best I can to read about possible tax reform. Like everyone I need it, and much sooner then I expect them to get something out. Doubtful by the time they are done playing favorites with lobbyist it will be anything worthwhile for the little guy. Which will just get tossed onto the log pile of “thanks for spending tax payers money on this.”
I’ve reduced and gone without quite a few things trying to keep up with rapid cost of society. I think you hit it right in the middle “breaking point.” That would explain a lot people around me. Far too many people either never had an emergency fund or it’s been depleted over the years without any ability to refund it. They are just one minor bump in the road away from giving up for good.
We actually had a contingency fund till my wife needed rotator cuff surgery on both shoulders within an 18-month period. In spite of the fact we HAD insurance, we still ended up some $24,000 out-of-pocket... which drained all reserves, killed an old IRA and but a balance on a couple of credit cards. That was 2011... we've been playing "catch up" ever since... unsuccessfully.
That is a sad example of what causes many to spiral out of financial control. I hope you were able to deduct some of the expenses from taxes for those years at least.