My daughter is a college student, so I support her financially. I’ve always told my kids that while they go to school, they can treat that as their “job” and focus solely on their studies.
It’s taken two jobs to do it (thank you all for clicking and reading my articles — it blesses my family), but my parents did it for me, and I want to do the same for my children.
With that said, my daughter calls me when she needs to spend money. Yesterday, she called to say she needed gas and asked if she should fill up since “gas was so expensive.” I asked her how much it was a gallon (we use 87 octane), and she said $4.29.
Oof! That’s even with the discount we get for filling up at our local big-box store. These gas prices are hurting the pockets of working Americans. I’m blessed to work from home so I don’t have to drive often, but for people who have to commute daily, this is a gut punch.
I’m gonna piss some people off with this one, but if you’ve got money for beer, cigarettes, DoorDash, and all the other crap you don’t need, don’t tell me you can’t afford gas. Gas prices suck, but sometimes it ain’t the price—it’s what you choose to spend your money on.
— Matt Tucker (@MattTucker1776) September 18, 2026
Obviously, this is true. When times get tough, luxuries have to go. We used to have full cable through Spectrum — DVR boxes in every room and the living room, all the channels, and the fastest internet. When the bill hit $360 a month, we knew something had to change. Now we pay $50 a month for internet and a few streaming services.
We shopped around to lower our car and home insurance, and we’re cooking at home most nights.
That’s life.
Tightening our belts doesn’t take away the sting of gas prices, though. Voters are ticked, and gas is one of those costs every voter sees every day. When prices are this outrageous, it doesn’t bode well for the party in power.
Remember all those “I did that” Biden stickers people slapped on gas pumps for a while? Yeah. That.
I'm blessed to live in Florida where gas prices are still MUCH lower than places like California, but still, it's making our pockets hurt.
Yep. Every household could cut $1k a month just by stopping eating out everyday. And another $500 for non essentials. Hair, nails, streaming services, designer clothes, lattes, beer, wine, cigs, sports and concerts, and on and on.
— Mitzi Sharbono (@MitziSharb4568) September 19, 2026
I'm not sure this is a winning message for most Americans. Many Americans aren't eating out, getting their hair and nails done regularly, or attending expensive events.
I'm certainly not. I went to a professional salon last week for the first time in literal years because my son's wedding is coming up and the sticker shock will keep me out of a salon again until my daughter marries, probably.
I think we overstate how many luxuries most Americans partake in on a regular basis.
Also, people should be able to afford an occasional treat if they work hard. 'Shut up and accept living like a pauper' is the modern 'Let them eat cake'.
Yeah, we could save even more money wearing potato sacks and walking everywhere. We could save even more money if we didn't have AC, indoor plumbing, and a roof over our heads .... see how stupid you sound?
— Tim Castleman (@TimCastleman) September 19, 2026
So is this all the right has now? "We're assuming everyone is eating out and drinking lattes, they could cut that crap out to buy more gas"? How about the people eating beans all day every day? Any stunning insight for those people?!
— Shane Simmons (@regeya) September 19, 2026
Who TF is eating out every day? I have a family of 5 and we can barely afford to cook every meal at this point. What used to be a $150-$200 dollar grocery bill every week has become at least $400-$500. And that's mostly off brands and sale items.
— Mike (@bobbyblue43) September 19, 2026
Maybe it's time to listen to the average working American instead of sneering at them.
