My Inflation numbers - Hows Yours

[REWahoo]

ReWahoo: Absolutely feel free to make a $1000.00 wager on the Maverics.

Should be an interesting series, and even my wife (not an NBA fan), is looking forward to Shaq and Nowinzki match-up.

Jarhead, the Mavs got the first one and the reception here was a giant "ho-hum". (Bitter? Who's bitter? :) This part of the world is very confused over who to pull for.

Avery Johnson is a near legend as a former Spur, but Mark Cuban is about as well liked as Osama Bin Laden. Shaq graduated from a local high school (they won the state basketball championship that year...imagine) but played for the most hated (locally, anyhow) Western Conference team on the planet: the Lakers.

The local paper has more coverage of the World Cup than the NBA finals.

 

[Jarhead*]

Jarhead, too bad you won't take that wager.  I'm betting "Nowitzki" won't end up as a "Nowinski"!

Just got back from playing golf, and noticed your post.

Nowitzki didn't end up as a Nowinski last night.

Jarhead

 

[nvtashak]

Minimum montly charge in fall '99 when I moved here for water was $30; this year it is $45, and Jan. '07 it will increase to $50 month for minimum use.
Haven't pulled out the previous seven years' gas heating/cooking bills, but know they have doubled or more from six years ago for the same or less use. Same with gasoline costs.
Food bill is about the same due to increased buying in bulk and annually enlarging the garden.
Had to give up on health insurance (which was seldom used) when it kept increasing in cost for less coverage several years in a row with the result that the monthly cost surpassed the cost of all food, all utilities, and all transportation combined. Didn't plan to live in van by river and stop eating to keep the health insurance.

 

[REWahoo]

Had to give up on health insurance (which was seldom used) when it kept increasing in cost for less coverage several years in a row with the result that the monthly cost surpassed the cost of all food, all utilities, and all transportation combined. Didn't plan to live in van by river and stop eating to keep the health insurance.

Ouch! How long ago did you give up your coverage and how long before you qualify for Medicare?

 

[nvtashak]

About four years ago.
About a year and a half to go before the Medicare deduction hits the SS check.

 

[Momtwo]

Here's ours from Quicken:
                                               2003                          2004                      2005

HOA Dues                                378.                           396.                       408.                                       
Auto Insurance                        964.32                       1060.08                 822.30
Electric                                    1734.67                      1687.20                1718.11   
Groceries                                 3085.17                      3282.05                3728.91                 
Property Taxes                        1091.73                      1065.68                1065.99
Telephone                                704.40                         689.68                   626.26
Water, Sewer,Garbage             574.62                         589.64                   564.41
Gasoline                                   1296.                           1301.                    1492.

Total:                                      9828.91                       10051.33              10425.98

Percent Increase:                                                               2.3%                3.7%                   
 
The auto insurance went down in 2005 because we switched companies. Groceries is only food. Paper products, pet food, cleaning products are all purchased places other than the grocery store. The groceries figure does not include eating out either. We put that in our entertainment category.

Momtwo

 

[haha]

About four years ago.
About a year and a half to go before the Medicare deduction hits the SS check.

That isn't long, but it could be devastating if something goes wrong. Give a long hard thought to getting some high deductible coverage to tide you over.

Ha

 

[rickier55]

I've been tracking for quite a few years now.  I have about quite a few more categories than you though, so I'll just give total spending.

These numbers include everything except income tax and car payment (I had carpayment half the time, none the other half so had to equalize one way or other). These number also include some major home repairs. I started doing this to get some idea of what I needed in retirement to live without changing lifestyle. (I did make some adjustment - I factored out kids college expenses in the late 90's early 2000's).

I retired in 2005, so I'm curious to see how these look for 2006.

Expenses
30,835 1995
30662 1996
34507 1997
37381 1998
42385 1999
41265 2000
42162 2001
41055 2002
42761 2003
44286 2004
47648 2005


Rick

 

[Cut-Throat]

I've been tracking for quite a few years now. I have about quite a few more categories than you though, so I'll just give total spending.

I also have quite a few more categories. I only reported the ones that were not discretionary and least likely to change due to reasons other than inflation. That way you could see the effect that inflation was having.

Even so, your inflation seems to average about 4.5% over 10 years

 

[ashtondav]

I have been monitoring my expenditure since June 1997, giving up work in Jan 2003.

I have found that my individual expenses fluctuate enormously year by year (ie one year i will spend 15% of income on holidays, another it will be 10%). Fuel consumption in the car has gone down despite fuel increases by changing to a diesal car.

Despite the individual fluctuations my expenditure has remained 30,000 plus or minus 5%, each and every year. This is without any budgeting or consciously increasing or decreasing expenditure. In other words I have experienced no change in inflation for my required 'basket ' of goods (despite the shape of that basket changing each year).

 

[MJ]

My expenses will fluctuate from year to year until I establish a homebase. Since April, except for my necessary expenses like income/est taxes, health, auto, LTC insurance, my living expenses are down to a $300 to $500 a month. When I move to Tucson, my health and auto insurance should drop by over 50%. Although, I will have a "home" address, I won't have monthly rental expense probably for another year.
Regardless, since I have been ultra frugal all my life, for the next 10 years. the money I spend will increase dramatically because of my change of life style.

 

[Bimmerbill]

I'm afraid to look at mine... local property taxes are through the roof, as is heating oil and electricity. Geez, gasoline will kill me too.

Phone, cell phone, internet and satelite have remained relatively unchanged the past few years.

Health insurance was up 17% this year I think too...

 

[IHateCNBC]

Here's ours from Quicken:                                             

Your property tax went down?