Last month, the weight of $214 shook our world.
The price of our water bill soared higher, yet the city denied any leakage.
One night, I noticed our neighbor secretly crouched by our outdoor faucet, a hose weaving through the fence.
I was already marching to his front door when a message from my husband popped up, “Don’t let him know you caught him.”
Our water bill once hovered at $58 monthly. Suddenly, it began an upward climb. $91. $137. $168.
We have two children and every penny counts in our household.
I know the supermarket that’s eleven cents cheaper on milk and the gas station that increases its rates on Thursday mornings.
By the time it reached $214, we were spending $156 more than our usual expenses.
And $156 wasn’t a trivial amount.
Last month, the weight of $214 shook our world.
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