Times are tough. Inflation's rising. The rent's gone up twice. My pay's gone up once, by 25 cents. Yippee! I try not to spend it all in one place.
Hamburger's cheaper than lamb. Chicken? Forget about it, at $6 a pound, no chance.
It's 32 degrees in the shade, but I can't turn the a/c on. The power company's put the rates up by 33%.
Something's got to give!
There's no enjoyment anymore. Everyone's tense, scared, worried about their future. Worse, even, their present. Food or power, that's the choice. Food or gas. You pick. Tell me. Judge me when you're in my boat.
I went to No Frills. I wore tight yoga shorts and a form-fitting top. I carried my $600 Coach purse and a reusable bag, I'm still attractive enough to capture attention and to look credible. Middle-aged, accomplished, maybe a soccer mom, but hot, with a great ass.
I walked around, placing things in my bag. Striploin steaks, ground beef. $6.99 a pound for hamburger! Can you imagine? They're robbing us!
An onion and a tomato. Cheese slices.
I don't condone it, but I walked out, head held high.
What do you expect? People have to live.
About the Creator
Misty Rae
Author of the best-selling novel, I Ran So You Could Fly (The Paris O'Ree Story), Chicken Soup For the Soul contributor, mom to 2 dogs & 3 humans. Nature lover. Chef. Recovering lawyer. Living my best life in the middle of nowhere.
Reader insights
Nice work
Very well written. Keep up the good work!
Top insights
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
Comments (9)
Definitely a sign of the times. People are suffering, but the corporations seem to be doing quite well :(
Remember, if you saw someone stealing food... you didn't. Great story 😁
I think we can all relate more than a little bit at the moment. The struggles won't last forever though. We just have to make it through right now. One day at a time.
Well done! I definitely felt for this character.
Yep, I felt this one 😅😂
I hope this reality will change , excellent story .
This is great, and so on point. It's a sad reality for a lot of people.
It really is crazy! I felt this... to the core ... We will overcome!
You gotta do what you gotta do, good one