Some Days the Dragon Wins
Retirement is great… until it’s not. Anyone on a fixed income will tell you that making ends meet at the end of each month is the biggest challenge. Us old folks have medical bills you whipper snappers can’t even imagine, plus the aches and pains that remind us we’re still alive. On top of that, we have to watch every penny. Creative accounting becomes a skill set. I’m pretty good at it — but today wasn’t one of those days. Some days the dragon wins.
Everything Hits at Once
Today is grocery shopping day. I like to stock up when things are on sale so I have a freezer full of options on the lean weeks. Today’s list was pretty basic. While I was checking the old cash flow, an alert flew across my phone: Forever stamps are going up to 82¢. What!? Wow. That’s a lot. Almost a dollar just to pay a bill. And of course the only bills I still mail are the medical ones — the ones that make paying online feel like earning a college degree.
And then the rest of the week decided to join the party. Chewy hits on July 10 for $89, and Kitty Poo Club is shipping the same day for another $91. Pet essentials — no negotiating. You can’t delay food, and you certainly can’t run out of litter. That would be the feline version of me running out of toilet paper. Absolutely not happening.
Meanwhile, the Postal Service is raising Forever stamps on July 12. Naturally. Add it to the pile.
Good thing I still have a stash of Christmas Forever stamps from back when they were around 45¢. My tiny inflation win for the week.
Well… it is what it is. At least I stocked up on toilet paper last week.
I sure can relate to everything you said. However every time I see stuff on sale I stock up. You never know when you will need something and they ran out of it at the stores. Didn’t know the stamps were going up that much. I have a few of the forever stamps however I think I will go and get more this Sat. when I go shopping. While I was getting rid of stuff in closets I came across one box with lots pictures etc. I also found a small booklet with 9 – 32 cent Bugs Bunny stamps. LOL of course I can’t let Bugs Bunny go.