Staff writer
A Marion County family of five is spending about $3,238 a month on basic living expenses, leaving little room for saving, emergencies, or long-term goals despite two full-time jobs, strict budgeting, and years of trying to stay on track.
The situation reflects what many families are facing.
The family agreed to share their story anonymously in hopes it highlights the growing strain on working families.
“We need to be normal,” they said. “We need to start normal. We need to start from normal.”
The family’s total monthly expenses include $885 in rent, about $325 in utilities, $1,000 for food, and then transportation and basic household costs.
Even with a detailed budgeting system that tracks every expense, the family said the numbers have become harder to manage.
“Sometimes we have to use a credit card,” they said. “It turned into something we weren’t planning.”
The card was never meant to be used that way. It was intended for small emergencies or larger purchases that would fill the gaps when bills come in higher than expected or when emergencies arise.
Despite that, they say, the family is disciplined.
Grocery shopping is limited to two trips a month, with one large trip and a smaller restock. They plan meals carefully, stick to strict lists, and avoid buying extra pantry items just for variety.
“If we don’t need something, we don’t buy it,” one family member said.
Even those efforts haven’t offset rising costs.
Food has become the most significant pressure. In 2019, the wife said she could feed herself for about $300 a month. Today, feeding a family of four costs roughly $1,000, even with constant couponing and buying in bulk.
To stretch their dollars, the family avoids shopping locally unless necessary, saying prices in Marion County are too high. They have changed stores and buying habits in response.
Utilities, once predictable, are now another source of uncertainty. Bills fluctuate enough to make budgeting for the high end difficult, forcing the family to budget for the highest possible month rather than a reliable average.
Income has not kept pace.
The wife works full time and picks up side jobs. The husband works multiple jobs.
“That workload is what keeps the family afloat,” one member said. “If he wasn’t doing that, we probably wouldn’t be staying afloat in life.”
Even with that arrangement, progress rests out of reach.
Savings has been reduced to just $15 a month. Long-term goals, including buying a home, have been pushed aside.
“We’re not making it in the way that we were hoping to make it,” a family member said.
The family had plans to eventually own land and start a small home. That dream has been put on hold indefinitely.
“Realizing we’re probably not going to own land has been a sacrifice,” a family member said.
Other sacrifices have followed. They no longer have cable and have reduced expenses to only what is necessary.
Emotionally, the weight comes from doing everything they were told would work — budgeting, working consistently, avoiding unnecessary spending — and still falling short.
“It’s realizing it’s near impossible to get a sliver of our goals done,” they said.
The wife said she felt more financially secure earlier in life, when costs were lower and assistance helped cover daycare for a single mother. With childcare and household expenses now combined, income has not kept pace.
“We’re not lazy,” one of them said. “People are working hard. It’s just not enough right now.”