Middle Class Is Buckling After Five Years of Inflation

[Raftergirl]

18. My husband took me out to lunch yesterday for my birthday at a very nice restaurant. It was filled with people.

I had a salmon burger (it was delicious) with no sides and a water. I wasn’t that hungry. He had a chicken sandwich, truffle fries and a ginger ale. It was $75 with tip. We have a lot of disposable income so we can afford to spend that, but still.

Then we went to my favorite boutique so I could pick something out. It has always been expensive. For instance, a basic long sleeve t-shirt would be about $150. There wasn’t one for under $300. Sweaters were all over $500 (which was what I was looking for.) Even I won’t spend that for a sweater! And not to mention they are all wide now (I’m petite so that style does not work for meat all) or crop top length. I also usually shop their sales rack at the end of seasons, so I will go back in a few months to see what the sales prices will be - if there is anything that I would buy.

I ended up buying a pair of jeans that were $258. I have spent $200 for jeans before, so I didn’t mind as much. And they were ones not with tears in them, which so many have today.

I was at Marshall’s about a month ago and got two lovely long sleeve fitted tee’s which were $19 for the two, a long sleeved turtleneck top, which was $19 and a pair of black jeans that were $29. It does take a long time to go through the racks to find something decent, but for the price it is worth it, imo.

Still in search of sweaters that aren’t wide. Might see what TJX has.