This past Columbus Day, I took my wife and kids to a pumpkin patch. While we had a good time, what struck us was the cost of the whole thing. Admission alone cost us $60 plus tax. If we weren’t so frugal, we could have easily spent another $60 or more just buying pumpkins and concessions. Altogether, a few hours at a semi-rural Texas property furnished with some pumpkins, bales of hay, overfed baby goats, and a few repurposed antique farm vehicles would cost well over $100.
On our way home, my wife and I talked about just how expensive these outings have become. The State Fair would cost us hundreds, as would a trip to the Dallas Arboretum, or the Dallas Zoo. Amusement parks like Six Flags cost even more. If we wanted to take a trip somewhere out of town for a few days, this would set us back over $1,000. Thus, for the foreseeable future, we will just have to settle for the modest thrills of the library, the park, and the nearby walking trail.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as expenses go. A swarm of new residents has caused property values and accompanying property taxes to skyrocket. And due to inflation and restrictions on energy production, utilities, groceries, and gas are all much higher than just a few years ago. This leaves relatively little disposable income for eating out or visiting pumpkin patches. We save what little we can for disasters and retirement — my teacher’s pension does not keep up with inflation — but it’s not much. Like many others, we simply pray the cars continue running and everyone stays in good health.
