I follow the site of a middle aged software engineer from Virginia. We probably share some of the same philosophies, given his choice of Occam’s Razor (.info) as his domain name. This year, he lost his mother, which was compelling reading to say the least. Well, being a software engineer, an unusually meticulous lot, he tracks his expenses religiously. He wrote about his families experience in our current economic environment:
At Occam’s Razor:
Here is the reality for this upper middle class household. Things cost much more than are stated in the inflation numbers. Even though I am fortunate enough to have an existing locked in mortgage, my property taxes are rising. Ours are up about $500 from last year. This means that my monthly mortgage payments are also going up. Other big-ticket items going up: health insurance is up $400 compared to 2004. Copays for medicines: up $300. These three items alone add up to $1200 more money I had to pay in 2005, and with markedly less income. I do not track gasoline as a separate expense, but if I did, I am sure it would amount to at least a couple hundred dollars more a year.
If you read the whole thing, he goes over his discretionary spending and investments as well. Regardless of ideology, philospohy, or spirituality, when you get down to it, on a household level, it’s all about the money.
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