What to Expect Financially in 2013

There is a lot of uncertainty these days; the price of gas, groceries and living here are all up in the air. it's tough to plan a household budget when these things can't be stabilized.

In order to help out, I will share some prices that will be rising so you can prepare. it's good to have a heads up, right?

First, you paycheck will be smaller because your FICA (Social Security contribution) will be rising by 2%. This was part of the fiscal cliff mess. Congress ignored this issue.

Look for grocery bills to rise by about 3 to 4 percent. Now is a good time to explore discount stores. I started going to them in 2008 and slashed my weekly bill in half. Brand names? Over rated.

Bank fees. These will be done in a sneaky and hush hush way, so pay attention to your statements! You should see a hike in overdraft and atm-use fees among others.

Luxury items. Yes, cell phones are luxury items. And the prices and fees for them will be rising. Ditto for cars, electronic toys and anything the powers that be see as luxury.

Copper. You may not think this is important, but as copper prices rise so will beer prices and some industrially made products. And if you have a vacation home, guard your pipes. Thefts will start to soar.

Knowledge is power. Now that you have these pieces of information, you can adjust your budget. Have a happy and financially healthy 2013!