FRONT PORCH: Prices, prices, prices

By RealWV Staff,

Welcome to our front porch, where we discuss what’s going on across the hills and hollers of West Virginia. Today, we talk about the only thing more popular in small talk than the weather–prices.

Gas prices. Grocery prices. Utility prices. Rent prices. Prescription prices. Vehicles prices. They’re all going up faster than we can keep up with in our family budgets.

To make things worse, prices have become a switch both sides use to hit each other with. And nothing ever changes. Except prices keep going up.

The war in Iran has led to gas prices skyrocketing by $1/gallon in the last few weeks alone. Lots of folks could barely afford to make ends meet before. How bad is it going to get now? And how soon?

Well, you and I both know the answer to that question. People will buy now and pay later. Because some have no other choice. Credit card debt hit $1.28 trillion recently. Late payments and defaults are on the rise. These latest price spikes threaten to make that debt crisis deepen.

READ MORE ON PERSONAL DEBT: https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/personal-loans/article/credit-card-debt-hits-record-128-trillion-heres-why–and-how-to-get-ahead-of-it-185626113.html

But Appalachians have always been resilient. And creative, in the face of stubborn problems. So tell us: What are you doing, personally, to make ends meet while the affordability crisis continues?

Are you cutting back on discretionary spending like eating out, new clothes, and entertainment? Are you driving less? Are you planning fewer trips? Switching to a stay-cation this summer?

Are you taking on a new source of income such as a second or third job? Are you beginning a side hustle? Getting into investing?

Are you reexamining how you spend your time?

Are you hoping and praying things get better soon?

Again, we know Appalachians can stretch a dollar. We’ve been good at it, by necessity, for generations. The pressures seem more intense these days, but we are confident folks have ideas to share with the rest of us to ease affordability concerns right now. Tell us what you’re doing in the comments, so we can all support one another through these tough times. Thanks, neighbors!

And if you want to suggest a topic for the next edition of the Front Porch, send us an email anytime: news@therealwv.com or fill out this anonymous form: https://therealwv.com/front-porch-conversations/.