A squeak from the peanut gallery

I know that those of you in Europe don't have much sympathy for us with our increasing gas prices.

I say, here's what the rising fuel costs mean to me:

I only get a pay raise if the state of Arizona comes up with the funds. I get my salary from a grant, and every year it's the same amount. And working for the University, I make peanuts.

I've already had to declare bankruptcy, and am trying to salvage what I can. I don't have a credit card (unless you count my VISA debit card). With summer heat up and coming, my energy bill will go up. I don't have much padding from paycheck to paycheck. So I'm seriously wondering how I'll make the payments this summer.

So gas is going up. Which means my meager budget will have to cough up something somewhere to cover the difference. It's not quite a gallon of gas to make a rountrip from home to work (if I don't stop somewhere). Let's say I have to stop at the grocery store. Every item in the store will start going up a few cents here and there because the transportation costs are going up, and the cost has to get passed to someone. So now a week's worth of groceries will cost me a few more bucks.

Will I see a salary increase to cover increase of cost of living? Probably not. And that's what depresses me....