About Us
Place an Ad
Submit a Letter
Send a Comment
Media Kit
Entertainment
Financial News
Health News
No publications or editions were found!
|
 |
|
|
Rising prices are creating tough choices
Posted: Monday, Jul 21, 2008 - 08:51:47 am CDT
by Heidi Hood - Staff writer
During the month of June, consumer prices skyrocketed at a pace not witnessed in 26 years, with a 1.1 percent jump. The United States Labor Department reported that there was a 6.6 percent increase in energy prices, mostly from large jumps in gasoline, home heating oil and natural gas.
The rise in consumer prices put a huge dent in average weekly wages, a dent that, after adjusting for inflation, dropped average wages by 0.9 percent. It was the biggest monthly decline since 1984.
Here in Uvalde and surrounding areas, people are feeling the pinch and are having to make adjustments to their ways of life to combat the rising cost of living.
Rachel Cervantes, a stay-at-home mom with five children, said that her family is definitely changing how they go about doing some things. Mostly, she explained, the changes are in how they use their vehicles and how they buy groceries.
We're changing the way we're spending money, she summed it up during a conversation Thursday morning.
One of the things the Cervantes family is doing is buying groceries in bulk. Cervantes said with five kids ranging from a 15-year-old daughter to a 3-year-old daughter with two boys and another daughter in between, she has a lot of mouths to feed.
We're buying in bulk; that turns out to be a lot cheaper than doing a one-at-a-time thing, she said.
However, where once upon a time the Cervantes would make twice a month trips to Sam's Club for bulk items, they are now down to stopping by the wholesaler once every two months.
If you go out there, your fuel is more expensive, she said of traveling to Sam's Club in San Antonio. So we do buy here and pay a little more.
She explained that you just don't go to San Antonio any more because what you spend in gas, you could spend in groceries.
But beyond buying groceries there are other things the Cervanteses are doing to help with the rising cost of life, one of which is cutting how much they go out to eat and making meals from scratch at home.
We do a lot of creative cooking, big meals, it creates quality time with our children, Cervantes said. She said along with being cheaper than going out to eat, it creates a time in their household, especially during the school year, when she can visit with her children.
They relax, they talk about what has gone on in their day, I talk about what has gone on in my day, she said. Cervantes said that for her and her husband, Oscar, sitting down to dinner every day has become very important.
Cervantes said that along with spending time with their children at the dinner table, the family also likes to spend time during the summer going places, but that has changed as well.
Usually Cervantes said the family goes to South Padre Island and takes trips to San Antonio to visit Fiesta Texas, however, this summer they have changed their approach.
We're doing a lot of things more locally, more camping out, it's a lot less expensive, she said.
Cervantes said when she looks at what she has done to combat the increased price of living, her approach almost entirely has to do with gas and using less.
When we go into town, we get it all done in one trip, she explained.
Isabel Walker in Sabinal said she, too, has had to rearrange her life because of fuel prices.
Walker said that she and her husband, Dave, have seriously considered moving into Uvalde to be closer to their jobs and to eliminate the daily commute.
However, Walker said they are not quite to that point and one of the things they are doing to combat fuel prices is riding their motorcycles more.
Dave rides his motorcycle, I think, everyday, she said. Walker explained that she is only able to ride on Fridays and the rest of the week she has to drive the truck. Walker said that while driving the truck, she is very aware of how much gas she is using.
I drive 60, she said of her commute on Highway 90 where the speed limit is mostly 70. The slower speed helps increase the miles per gallon on a vehicle. Even so, she said the commute back and forth, no matter what speed she goes, combined with increased gas prices, has had a noticeable impact on her budget.
The truck is eating my lunch money, she said, only somewhat joking.
Along with fuel, Walker said she and her husband have also been very aware of the cost of groceries and rarely spoil themselves. Walker said it is only the two of them, but she is always looking at prices when grocery shopping and they have a garden to help with the cost.
We planted vegetables, and if I could I'd milk one of the dogs, she smiled.
However, Walker said it's traveling that has, mostly, been cut from their lifestyles.
We used to ride God's country, she said. But not any more.
And this change of lifestyle, both for the Walkers and Cervanteses, is something the two families don't think will end any time soon.
Gas will keep going up, Walker said, and, as the latest consumer reports show, with the steady increase in gas comes a steady cost increase in everything else.
|
|
|
|
|
