Yeah, that's the spot I'm in right now... contract rates where I live went through the roof over the pandemic and never came back down.
Aside: I wish I could smack whoever did the wiring in my home. They saved a few dollars on a breaker, but if I run my AVR/TV + Microwave (in adjacent kitchen) and the lights are on in the summer, it blows the breaker. And there's a dozen spaces on the box still available even.
Have, three times... once with a different 15A, and on the second 20A. There might be something else wrong in the wiring, and may have to rip up at least the cabinets and drywall on the one wall and the ceiling in the kitchen at the least to get to it. There was a remodel about 10 years ago (about 5 years before I bought it), and that may have been it, though could be original. Been wanting to replace the kitchen lighting anyway.
Aside: I wish I could smack whoever did the wiring in my home. They saved a few dollars on a breaker, but if I run my AVR/TV + Microwave (in adjacent kitchen) and the lights are on in the summer, it blows the breaker. And there's a dozen spaces on the box still available even.