James Ellars Official

If your credit card statement looked a little heavier this month, you’re not imagining it. Last week the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in more than three years. It was a quarter of a point, and it came as oil prices keep pushing the cost of everyday things higher. Fed officials say one more increase could come before the year is out.

For most of us, that shows up in small, stubborn ways. Credit card interest ticks up. Car loans cost a bit more. Anyone hoping for cheaper mortgage rates may have to wait a while longer. The good news is that the job market is holding. Employers added 162,000 jobs in August, more than the experts expected. Work is out there, even if money costs more to borrow.

Housing is where a lot of families feel it most. A recent report found that one in five renters had trouble paying their rent in full and on time last year. That struggle isn’t just for folks at the bottom of the pay scale anymore. It’s creeping into middle-income households too. Many of us know someone doing the math every month: the teacher, the nurse, the young couple saving for a first home. This is a good season to check in on our neighbors and to support local efforts that keep housing within reach.

And here’s a bit of news we can all use. A large study of more than 95,000 people found that those who got more REM sleep, the dreaming stage, had lower risks of dozens of illnesses, including dementia and heart failure. It’s one more reminder that rest isn’t a luxury. It’s part of taking care of ourselves and the people who count on us.

We don’t control interest rates, and the housing market won’t fix itself overnight. But we can pay down the high-interest balances first, lean on each other when money gets tight, and give ourselves permission to turn in a little earlier.