纽约（美国有线电视新闻网商业）汽油和杂货价格上涨正在对 Jen Kendra 的财务造成影响，她不得不在这个假期做出一些艰难的权衡。
她的孩子们会得到更小的礼物。家里的其他人根本得不到任何东西。
肯德拉和她的丈夫和两个年幼的孩子住在芝加哥郊区，兼职银行出纳员，每周都要支付双倍的工资来加油。
“我看到食品和天然气价格上涨如此之大，”她说。当她开车经过家附近的加油站时，她经常发现自己对列出最新价格的大标志大喊大叫。
肯德拉将她的家庭描述为中下阶层。她开始更频繁地使用优惠券购买杂货，她更频繁地在像 Aldi 这样的折扣店购物，以争取最低的价格。有时，这意味着要驾驶更长的距离才能找到更便宜的食物。 “在任何我能找到交易或讨价还价的地方，我都在努力。”
联邦刺激支票帮助了她的家人，但今年早些时候这笔钱已经枯竭。他们每月从扩大的儿童税收抵免中获得的 550 美元也起到了推动作用，用于支付小儿子的学前班费用以及杂货和汽油的信用卡账单。
肯德拉和她的丈夫存钱为他们 7 岁和 4 岁的孩子买了一台 Nintendo Switch，但两周后因为他们的热水器出人意料地坏了，他们又花了 1,500 美元将其退回。
“无法为他们提供 Nintendo Switch 对我来说令人心碎，”她说。
相反，她第一次转向 Facebook 的市场购买二手玩具，同时还购买了孩子们的 Play-Doh 和 Hot Wheels。这对夫妇今年不会互相交换礼物，也不会为父母和亲戚买礼物。
“现在事情真的很艰难，”她说。
Her kids will be getting smaller gifts this year. The rest of the family won't get any at all
New York (CNN Business)Higher prices for gas and groceries are taking a toll on Jen Kendra's finances, and she's had to make some difficult tradeoffs this holiday season.
Her kids will be getting smaller gifts. The rest of the family won't get any at all.
Kendra, who lives with her husband and two young children in the Chicago suburbs and works part-time as a bank teller, is paying double to fill up every week at the pump.
"I have seen such an uptick in prices with food and gas," she said. When she drives by the gas station near her home, she often finds herself screaming at the big signs that list the latest prices.
Kendra describes her family as lower-middle-class. She has started to use coupons more often to buy groceries, and she shops more frequently at discount stores like Aldi to land the lowest prices. Sometimes that means driving longer distances to find cheaper food. "Anywhere I can find a deal or a bargain, I'm trying to."
Federal stimulus checks have helped her family, but the money dried up earlier this year. Their $550 a month from the expanded child tax credit has also been a boost, and goes toward paying for preschool for their younger son and credit card bills for groceries and gas.
Kendra and her husband saved up to buy a Nintendo Switch for their kids, ages seven and four, but returned it two weeks later because their water heater unexpectedly blew out, costing them $1,500.
"Not being able to provide them with that Nintendo Switch was heartbreaking for me," she said.
Instead, she turned to Facebook's marketplace for the first time to buy used toys, and also is getting the kids Play-Doh and Hot Wheels. The couple won't be exchanging gifts with each other this year or buying presents for their parents and relatives.
"Things are really hard right now," she said.
