Double AA club Podcast
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Double AA club Podcast
EP:143 Financial Survival in a Broken Economy
The financial strain of modern life hits hard as we explore personal budgeting strategies and the vanishing middle class in America's increasingly unaffordable economy.
• Put necessities first in your budget: mortgage/rent, utilities, and basic needs before anything else
• Limit credit cards – they can cost "three times the amount" through interest and fees
• Parentless homes create environments where kids lack proper guidance and moral education
• The middle class is disappearing as corporations push wages down while raising prices
• Basic costs have skyrocketed – a decent meal for two now costs $100, up from $50 a few years ago
• Even the "dollar menu" is no longer a dollar anywhere you go
• Inflation is being used as an excuse by companies to increase prices while wages remain stagnant
Email us at doubleaclubpodcast@gmail.com and catch us on the next episode where we'll continue this discussion.
You are listening to the Double A Club and this is your host, ny Boom, and my co-host, big Daz. We'll be talking about trending topics in healthcare and basically, just as a disclaimer just to let the listeners know that this is just basically on our opinions and speculations and I hope you guys enjoy the show. Let's start off and kick off with our first topic.
Speaker 2:Let me ask you something, since you're talking about budgeting yourself. How do you budget yourself, since you do budget yourself, clearly, because you know this is a good topic on late. All right, people trying to make things work, all right. Well, when I budget myself, right, I have I think I take on. My biggest bill is the most important bills, which is my mortgage my mortgage gets paid right off the bat, off the top.
Speaker 3:You think that's already done and then I'll pay, like other bills. You'll say, like electricity, if I don't, if I don't need internet service, I'm not. You know, I have to do a lot of cutting. People like I reduce my internet service, I cut the price on that. I cut my cell phone price like I'm not paying hundreds of the. I cut my cell phone price Like I'm not paying a hundred and something dollars anymore on my cell phone. Like I'm not fuck that, I don't need it. You know what I'm saying. I'm not paying for cable or TV, I don't need it. I'm not watching TV like that. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:So when I budget myself, I make sure that I get what I need. First, I need mortgage, I need water, I need light, I need heat, and that's that's what gets. That's what gets up, um, that's what gets paid off. That's what's in my budget. Now, if I cannot, once I have that set, then I can. I can add Things that that I maybe want, like if I want internet, if I want a cell phone service, if I want like. For example, one of my things is I like to buy cigar leaves because I like to roll cigars, so that's included in my budget. You know what I'm saying, and things like that. So I try to eliminate what's not needed because it's hard. It's very difficult to continue to do what you want to do or continue to pay bills when it's hard. For example, today I went shopping for food. I literally bought dog food which was $20, $28. I bought a protein bar, protein shake and steak and I spent $80.
Speaker 2:I literally walked out. Yeah, I know Going to the supermarket is crazy nowadays.
Speaker 3:I literally walked out with three bags and I dropped $80.
Speaker 2:You're lucky. You walked out with bad, that's when I walk out with you back, it's like $200 yeah exactly so that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:So like, yeah, the when I budget myself, I make sure that I put I pay off what needs to be paid off and then, with the excess, excess stuff that I have, I try to figure out what is it that I really need after I pay these big bills that are somewhat necessities, and then I budget myself from there from that point on. But also, like a lot of people, need to eliminate their credit cards. Those credit cards I know they're useful because it gives you a large amount of money when needed. But, bro, you spend three times the amount that you used it on through the time of you trying to pay it off. That shit is not worth it. Just fucking save money. Put $20 aside and do it that way. That credit card should at least have one credit card. There's no reason you should have three, four, five credit cards. I think that's where most people make the biggest mistake.
Speaker 2:Because that, I think people need to identify that they have a problem. If you have that problem, because if you have that problem, because if you're using a credit card, it's about budgeting yourself Like you're supposed to. You're supposed to like know how to use it. You know, I agree with you, but the point of the credit card is to like learn or know how to use it correctly, and some people can, some people can't. But the first thing you got to do is realize that you got the problem. You can't do this if you can't control at least one. Control one first and then go from there. But you got to take a step at a time, like everything else.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I only have one credit card. Now I I could. I got rid of two of my other credit cards. I had three, I got rid of two. I was like, no, I can't continue paying, it's just too much. So I just got one credit card and then I'll get rid of that in time.
Speaker 3:But oh, but yeah. I mean, when it comes to budget, the first thing, the big bills and the necessities, are the ones that get dropped first and then after that, once I have my available, the money that's available after that stuff is paid, then I begin my budget. I'm like, okay, I'm only allowed to spend this. Shopping, food shopping, I'm only allowed to spend this. Maybe I'll take like $10, and that $10 will be for me to go to work, to pay for things that work, like coffee or something. I have another $100. I'm going to leave that on the side for gas for my car.
Speaker 3:That's when I start budgeting. You know what I'm saying that on the side for gas, my car. Like that's when I start budget. You're saying that's when it's done, so it's tough. And the credit card? I mean a lot of people do credit cards because it helps them budget Easier, but what they don't know is that the long run, you're creating a debt on top of your budget. If you're because you're not on top of it and a lot of people are right they're using that to get on top of their bills and not knowing that.
Speaker 2:We're not knowing that they're also that is no, uh, complete separate bill, because you're putting it in there.
Speaker 3:Yeah yeah, yeah. So let's go back to some of these scenarios of these kids, right? These kids that are dealing with parentless homes, right, dealing with parentless homes, right? So in October 2022, a 16-year-old was arrested at a Long Island City High School with a loaded gun and a razor. Wow, yeah. Three days after that, another 17-year-old right from Medgar E ever college prep high school, had a handgun and marijuana.
Speaker 2:And that bag or this is what?
Speaker 3:yeah, he had marijuana is bad. That same month, right another 16 year old from John F Kennedy. You know that's cool. From where Donna Kennedy.
Speaker 2:Oh, jonathan, that's he brought a gun in. That's what you know.
Speaker 3:That's it he brought a gun to school. Wow, these kids are bringing weapons of violence and stuff like that. They're probably surrounded by violence in those situations. Probably, I don't know, that's hearsay, maybe they're not, but the one thing is that there can't be a parent showing them morals. The parent of those kids probably like yeah, I teach my kids, I teach my kids write this and that, blah, blah, blah. I teach them, I tell them yeah, you probably do, but the problem is you don't have enough time at home doing that. Just because you said you'd do it, you say it to him once. That's not enough. You need time. You need time to show him. You know what I'm saying. You need time to display what a good person does in these situations.
Speaker 2:You're absolutely right, the child needs time Dedication. Yeah, but you're right, the system doesn't allow you to be that way. Yeah, and these corporations are they're causing.
Speaker 3:you know, saying they're the cause of this, you think because they're putting more, they put in longer work days, they put in longer work weeks and they're not distributing enough money for these people to support themselves. And I get it. It's not their business to support you, right? But dude, really You're raising prices, you're cutting pay. What the fuck do you think you're doing?
Speaker 2:You're trying to figure out a way to support yourself there's stuff to make it all up the poor, poor and the literature exactly, and I hate to say that, but you're completely right they are.
Speaker 3:They're keeping four people and add the middle class. They're pushing middle class to four.
Speaker 2:And yes, there is no more middle class. There's no more middle class.
Speaker 3:See, that won't be your right and they're trying to keep the rich rich.
Speaker 2:Yeah, won't be your right and they're trying to keep you the rich rich. So because middle class now just a working class?
Speaker 3:I guess right and that's a class just barely mean. I mean like it's crazy. Like you look at a middle, a middle-class family and you open up their fridge and they probably have like four or five items and you look at somebody who's not really working, and they got a full fridge.
Speaker 2:You know the system for you.
Speaker 3:But when you have a system, do you have?
Speaker 2:questions you said Well, I already asked them. I asked them with you. On the question the budget, what else you got anything else? I was going to say the average gas prices, the pricing of food, like no, the rent was like what you said $1,000 from 2015 to now. Now it's like a one-bedroom is like I think, $21,000. I think 21.
Speaker 2:That's pretty, pretty nuts. How expensive everything is right now. I mean like an average back in 2015, not even 2010. We'll go back further, um, an average 2015, not even 2010,. We'll go back further. An average meal for two in any decent restaurant was probably like 50 bucks. You know, depending on where you went, it was 50 bucks, 10 dollars. You know you're going to McDonald's like 10 dollars, 12 dollars, now, like you're spending for two at McDonald's at least 20 bucks, at least 20 bucks. And if you go to that average like place to eat for two, 20 bucks, um, and if you go to an average like place to eat for two, like you're spending about $100. Yeah, and just inflation's crazy right now, and you always, it's pretty nuts.
Speaker 3:And here's the thing like we're always trying to look for places to have lunch special or happy hour or something, because Just too much and we we do want to enjoy us on their mountain.
Speaker 2:Now there's nothing that will what people are doing.
Speaker 3:I Remember back in the day, since, yeah, I remember back in days well, I've been, I'm never shit, I really didn't care. Now it's too damn expensive and even on those deals you still get like, you get a lot less food.
Speaker 2:You know that's pretty bad, I mean, you know, even like, but everything's gone up. Um, even bread's gone up. Even bread's gone up. Bread's insane gone up. Eggs also, yeah, eggs, milk, milk, and you know what's funny that all these things have gone up on the price but the cost of it has not gone. What do you mean? That much? Because inflation. So, because of the fact of inflation, like other, the value of the dollar went down. That's why the value of, like milk and eggs hasn't gone down as much. Because of that, the fact that the value of the dollar has gone has gone down, you know. So the value of the milk isn't hasn't gone as much, but the price of it has. You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 2:yeah, I got you oh okay, sorry yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm just yeah, yeah, I got you. Oh, okay, sorry, yeah, I'm just yeah, it's. I mean there's. What else is there? Like you said earlier with the groceries, for me, three bags is like Pay me $200. It's like at least, like damn near $200. It's like at least $150 to $200, depending on what I'm getting, and I, you know, I have to shop different. So like I don't get rice, I don't get potatoes, I don't. I get no carbs. Like my diet is very I consider it as eating properly. I get no carbs. My diet is very I consider it as eating properly, but I don't eat too much processed food. My processed foods are like no sugar. Yeah, it's expensive. It's really ridiculous. Yeah, it's expensive, it's really ridiculous. And it's insane how hard it is to even eat properly.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it is you try to eat healthier and you really can't because the cost of it is just beyond your means. So how are you supposed to help?
Speaker 2:Yes, it's hard, it really is, and I feel you people because I'm, you know, I'm here with you. You know I struggle with paying for this stuff too. You know what I'm saying. So, yeah, I know exactly how it feels. Yeah, even even, for example, even like the dollar menu. The dollar menu is no longer a dollar menu anywhere, anywhere you go like a dollar 19, a dollar 45, two something, three something. There's no more dollar menu. Here's the thing. It's like one or two items a dollar. Here's the thing about that inflation thing right.
Speaker 3:If we're using dollars right and the American dollar is $1, inflation lowers the cost of the American dollar in other countries. Let's say our dollar is now, is it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's 99,. Right, yeah, it's 99. What A dollar to make. What dollar.
Speaker 3:To make a dollar is 99. What dollar to what dollar? American dollar, 99 cents to make a dollar, right? Yeah, so, yeah. So if we use our dollar overseas, it's been reduced by 10 cents, it's down to 90 cents, right, but that's overseas. Here in America, that dollar is still a dollar. So there's no reason to be raising prices to make up for everything else, unless we're using the market of all the other countries, and it shouldn't be because you're using the American dollar in America. Other countries should not be judged. Our money should not be judged by other countries' work or what they value. Our dollars to. Our dollar is are fucking dollars. It's paper. It's made. You know what I'm saying. It has no real value.
Speaker 2:Yeah, except the one that we did it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so the whole idea of inflation, that's just for people to be able to afford what they can afford when they go overseas and stuff like that. That's what it is. We should not have to pay for that.
Speaker 2:You're right, but unfortunately we are. Every company is using it as an excuse.
Speaker 3:You got any more information on the topic?
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Double A Club. Listen to us next episode to continue this topic. If you want to reach us on the email, it is doubleaclubpodcast at gmailcom. Catch you on the next one.
