WE KNOW YOUR POCKETBOOK IS HURTING. WE’RE DEVOTING THIS SERIES TO FINDING OUT WHY. AND TO HELPING YOU SAVE SOME CASH.
At the gas pump, the doctor's office or the grocery check-out line, people across the South Shore are paying more for basic necessities -- and becoming more inventive about making their dollar stretch farther. Our "Dollar Drain" series looks at why everything costs more, for consumers and businesses alike, and what's being done to keep expenses in check.
Stories from our "Dollar Drain" series
BARGAIN HUNTING: Food prices are up, but a Fourth of July cookout doesn't have to break the budget
From chips to pork chops, most cookout staples are part of the trend of rising food prices. But if you’re willing to take the time to find deals, the savings on your cookout items can be had.
STAYCATION: Ailing economy a boon for campgrounds
Reservations are up 8 percent this year at Sandy Pond Campground in Plymouth and 4 percent at Normandy Farms Family Camping Resort in Foxboro, because high gas prices have people looking for more affordable vacations and staying closer to home.Holding the line on the cost of summer
Gas and travel prices have made big trips a challenge but there are local attractions that can still provide a vacation at a lower cost.
EDUCATION: Rising cost of college has students, parents struggling to find their way
As the cost of college rises and financial aid options change, students and their parents struggle to navigate through the system without being swamped with debt.
Education may be free, but sports fees can cost a small fortune
Fees for public school students to play sports, ride the bus and park their cars are climbing in South Shore communities. Some families are paying upward of $1,000 for services that once were free.Back to school in a tough economy
Feeling the pinch from rising gas and food prices, parents across the South Shore and beyond are looking for ways to save on back-to-school shopping, whether it’s hunting for deals, clipping coupons or just cutting back.No cash on hand, Mass. lender tells students to find loans elsewhere
The Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, a nonprofit lending authority, which issued $510 million in loans last year to college-bound students in Massachusetts, says that turmoil in the capital markets crushed its ability to provide any loans this year.
ECONOMY: What’s happening to the economy?
Today’s economic downtown resembles the slowdown of the 1970s, when oil prices tripled, food prices soared and Americans worried.
Experts say parents should explain family finances to kids
Parents and teachers across the South Shore are talking to kids about the country’s economic woes, teaching them the value of a dollar as they try to allay their fears.Protecting yourself from the Wall Street meltdown
Financial experts offer some tips for coping with volatile financial markets.Wall Street's loss could be State Street's gain
The bankruptcy of Lehman Bros. and Bank of America ’s $50 billion plan to buy Merrill Lynch will likely lead to the loss of thousands of jobs on Wall Street and elsewhere, but the Boston metro area could emerge largely unscathed.Big bets on housing market backfired on Wall Street
Experts say looser government regulation enabled investment banks to take riskier bets in recent years.More families living paycheck to paycheck
The inflation-adjusted median income dropped from $61,000 in 2000 to $60,500 last year. It’s the first period since World War II that an economic boom hasn’t given middle-class families more disposable income.South Shore natives know how to beat a recession
Gas prices at $125.41 per barrel, the Gulf war, increasing consumer debt, plunging housing prices. Just mentioning the factors driving today’s shaky economy fill many with anxiety and despair. But it’s nothing new to one group of South Shore natives. They’ve been through one recession and have lived to tell the tale.Survey shows high levels of debt, financial stress among state's young adults
Massachusetts young adults carry high levels of debt and say they worry about their finances, according to a survey released this week by MassINC, a public policy think tank.Consumers seek reassurance in wake of IndyMac Bank's failure
Consumers may want to re-examine where they park their savings to ensure they have an adequate safety net in the wake of IndyMac Bank's collapse.Imported inflation
The nation’s heavy reliance on imports has contributed to local inflation because of the floundering value of the U.S. dollar.The dollar in business
Notes about the dollar in Massachusetts.
FOOD: Dollar Drain: Balancing budgets with health
South Shore residents finding themselves pinched by high food prices are hunting for sales, doing more meal planning and avoiding expensive foods.
Tough times for meals on wheels in this economy
With the rising cost of gas, South Shore Elder Services and other agencies are finding fewer volunteers willing to drive the 15- to 20-mile routes that bring hot, nutritious meals to homebound seniors and younger disabled people.Local farmers, elderly and low-income families benefit from coupon program for fresh produce
Now in its 22nd year, the Farmers Market Coupon Program connects low-income residents and seniors with locally grown produce. The program, administered by the state’s Department of Agricultural Resources, has two branches: WIC, for low-income women and children, and senior.Local pantries forsee problems ahead
Hunger relief agencies on the South Shore say their inventory levels are keeping up with increased demand, rising food prices and lagging donations – for now. That’s because volunteers have been buying food to re-stock their shelves when donations drop.With food costs rising, more growing their own
Local experts say that more and more people are taking to growing their own fruits and vegetables. Doing so can be an economical way to beat rising food prices, when the gardening is done right.School lunch prices are rising
Lunch prices are going up in at least nine local school districts. School food service directors say lunch programs are dealing with the same increases in food and fuel as everyone else.More people 'brown-bagging it' than ever
More and more people pack lunch from home these days, according to a report released Monday by consumer marketing research firm The NPD Group Inc. Adults over 18 brought in 8.5 billion brown bag lunches in 2007.Rising food prices spur market for local produce
Local farming is once again a growing industry, as demand surges for food produced close to home. And experts say it’s just the beginning, as the cost of mass-produced supermarket food continues to soar.In a pinch
Call it a recession or not, restaurant owners and analysts have the same thing to say about the current state of the economy: we’re in a pinch.Food prices strain nonprofits
More families are turning to help from food pantries and nonprofits to put food on the table, and those agencies say they’re feeling the strain.Food pantries fear shortages
Hunger relief agencies on the South Shore say their inventory levels are keeping up with increased demand, rising food prices and lagging donations - for now. That’s because volunteers have been buying food to re-stock their shelves when donations drop.LINKS:
Cheapcooking.com
Sensiblenutrition.com of Hingham
Cutting your grocery bill
Shopping tips
GASOLINE: Cost of gasoline forces drivers to pinch their pennies
Ornell was one of many South Shore people who told the Patriot Ledger recently that 1) Yes, the high price of gas is a problem, 2) They aren’t confident that prices will drop anytime soon, and 3) In the meantime, they are taking whatever steps they can think of to counter it.
Gas price dip isn't easing drivers' worries
Gas prices across the nation hit their highest last month, with Massachusetts drivers paying $4.09 for a gallon of regular unleaded. They are more than 20 cents lower now but consumers still feel like they’re being soaked.Gas costs at their lowest in 2 months
The average price of a gallon of gas on the South Shore is the lowest it has been since late May, but Wednesday ’s jump in the cost of crude raises questions about what lies ahead.Gas prices creeping down
The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Massachusetts could slip below $4 by week’s end, an industry analyst says.Credit charges squeeze gas station owners
Hefty credit-card fees are cutting into station owners’ already thin profits, leading some to make gas sales cash only.UPDATE Record gas prices cause South Shore residents to cut corners
From driving more slowly to canceling summer travel plans, South Shore residents said they are spending less in other areas to make up for what they pay at the pump.UPDATE Staying close to port: High gas prices keep many boaters anchored
Many boat owners say they’ll treat their vessels more like floating cottages this season. Gone, they say, are the days of long trips – to Provincetown and Nantucket, for example. Maximize your fuelDon’t blame gas stations
The price at the pump may be increasing rapidly, but your local corner store isn’t rolling in windfall profits.Are hybrids worth it?
Gas prices and the number of consumers buying hybrid vehicles both have increased in recent years.Rockland gas station among first to top $4 a gallon for regular unleaded
Just in time for Memorial Day, Go Go Gas on Market Street in Rockland became one of the first on the South Shore to top $4 a gallon for unleaded regular gasoline Wednesday.LINKS
Patriot Ledger Cheap Gas survery
American Automobile Association
U.S. Dept of Energy
Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources
Federal Trade Commission
HEALTH CARE: Rising health care costs cause headaches, desperation
Keith Lapides has two words to describe the rising cost of health insurance: It stinks.
High cost of health
Drugs, doctors and technologies drive up health care costWhat makes health care in America so expensive? Experts cite several key factors as driving up costs, from the use of new, expensive medical tests and treatments to soaring drug prices.No slowdown in sight
Rising health care costs are putting increasing pressure on not only lower-income Americans but on the middle class as well.
PURCHASES: Credit crisis cramps car sales
The credit market crisis is starting to put the brakes on car sales as more potential buyers are rejected for loans or receive loan terms they can’t afford.
Marshfield flea market vendors say economic downturn is hurting them
Flea markets have always been a good option for thrifty shoppers in search of second-hand goods and name brands at a bargain.But dealers say they’re not benefiting from the current economic downturn. The economy is just that bad.You can't put a price tag on stress relief, some locals say
Some local people refuse to give up their indulgences even during this tight economy.
OIL: Heating oil on roller coaster ride
The cost of heating oil in Massachusetts has been on a roller coaster, and no one is predicting where it will be tomorrow, let alone next heating season.
Coakley hosts energy forums in advance of heating season
From an increase in house fires to families without heat, Attorney General Martha Coakley heard it all from town officials and service agencies gathered at the second of her energy roundtable discussions in Plymouth on Wednesday.Drop in crude oil prices leads to lower home heating oil costs
As consumers are inundated with bad news about the economy and trouble on Wall Street, there is one piece of good economic news. Crude oil prices have been falling all summer, and even more sharply over the past few days, which could translate into lower home heating costs this winter."We need it tomorrow"
Until the price of oil went above $100, the Norwell work-apparel firm WearGuard never got last-minute corporate orders. Now they’re expected.Inside squeeze
As the price of oil and materials rise, South Shore corporations and retailers find ways to manage -- without raising prices for their own customers.Traders are major factor behind oil prices
Heavy trading in oils futures push crude oil prices beyond what would be typically expected based on current demand levels.Corn for ethanol
Once upon a time, corn was just food, but now it is used in fuel, increasing demand and price and making more expensive the cost for everything baked, mixed, added to or otherwise made with corn more expensive.