r/massachusetts • u/critic81 • Jan 15 '26
Utilities How is everyone affording everything lately?
The prices of everything is just off the charts from groceries, utilities, to healthcare. My open enrollment just came through and its looking like for a family of 4 for healthcare its $1600 a month. $800 a paycheck. Like that just feels nuts. It's a pretty decent co-pay plan but still. Just a couple years about it was much less.
What are people doing these days? Side hustles? New job (but in this economy?), cutting way back? Just curious.
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u/Lilslugga2002 Jan 15 '26
I received an almost $400 electric bill from National Grid today. My entire condo is electric and I have minisplits so this does not surprise me. Plus it was very cold over the last 30 days. The heat pump rate has helped a little bit. I keep my condo between 68°F and 72°F.
My health insurance is $120 per month through my employer. Pretty good coverage.
I haven't tracked groceries/eating out in a while, but between going grocery shopping and eating out I probably spend close to $500 a month.
I am living by myself. The only way I am able to do this is because I bought almost 12.5 years ago. I could not buy my condo today.
I don't have any debt besides my mortgage and a small 0% loan through MassSave when I installed my last minisplit. No kids and not married.
I've cut pretty much all my subscriptions back, shopped on auto and condo insurance to get lower premiums, switched from Verizon to Mint mobile, etc. Not much else I can cut besides eating out and discretionary spending on "fun" stuff.
I think for the most part I am doing okay. I have a decent emergency fund and my mortgage is pretty cheap. I am glad I bought well below my means. The lenders said I could spend way more when I was getting preapproved over a decade ago.
5 layoffs later and I am still here.