Imagine life on minimum S.S.

     My last post I wrote how Fixed income would now be subject to reduction. But I didn't touch on the rise in medical cost (now Mandatory) Inflation and the general increases in what is spent to be able to function as we age. At present S.S.says inflation was 1.6 present . Ahh how much has insurance gone up?8% 12% power gas phone water sewer ? If the government can cap increases in pay at 1.6% for S.S. and lie that that keeps up with inflation shouldn't it make it illegal for company's that provide senior services to go up more ?

    Now just for fun lets look at a person receiving the S.S.age62 minimum check.
    S.S. 726$
     Standard utility allowance for 1 is 355$ a month per household.
     Food cost per USDA for 1 is 189$ a month
     Medicaid part B is 104$ per month.
     The total for these 3 things  is 648$ out of 726$ now that leaves the staggering sum of  78$ for rent, car, gasoline, cloths, phone and medicine .

    Of the above expenses lets say a person only spends 240$ on utility's. They may be able to eat for 120$ a month. You can forget having part B coverage that leaves you with 366$ for rent and other stuff. GOLDEN YEARS MY ASS.

    The 726$ mark is not arbitrary it is well thought out by the government. It puts you above income for food stamps, most public housing, utility assistance, and a lot of other services.

     

Old age survival plans may be changing.

     We all have Plans on retiring and a ruff idea of what our income will be.For some it is social security only for others it is a pension savings and SS .The days of set in stone payouts are ending. Social security has said by 2030 it may have to reduce payout to 85 to 90 % now Congress is going to allow pension plans to reduce payouts to maintain solvency.http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/congress-could-soon-allow-pension-plans-to-cut-benefits-for-current-retirees/ar-BBgj0f9?ocid=U141DHP   Now I do not have a pension plan but I do believe that 80% of a retirement is better than nothing. This affects private plans but government plans will soon be included.

   In the city of Pritchard Al. they haven't payed a penny in retirement since 2009.Can we say Detroit once the flood gate open you will see this at all levels nation wide. The days of fixed income retirements may be ending.
     In the title I used the term survival rather than retirement for a reason . In the past people worked to 65 and then quit to enjoy the benefits that they had earned in their working life. Now those benefits can be changed at a whim. Will you have the flexibility to adapt to the change. Do you have a worst case plan to fall back on?

   Retirement should be planed for like a survival situation. If it isn't as bad as you planed you are sitting pretty if it goes to crap you were prepared for it.

Even the U.N. has questions militerizing of police.

     Normally I would be jumping up and down at the idea of the UNITED  NATIONS butting into our business . In the below article a U.N. committee raises a lot of good point about use of force, torture, and other issues . Most of these points have been raised before within our own government but never addressed . My problem with a lot of this is its broad use and abuse. Isolated abuse has a way of becoming the norm left unchecked .

 http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-shootings-by-police-prison-conditions-trouble-un/ar-BBg6VEw?ocid=U141DHP  

Remember its a holiday and your related

      First let me wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving. Slow down and try to enjoy the time off have a good time catching up with the family that you never see except at holidays. Eat a little of everything on the table and double up on the desserts. Please spend a little extra time and not rush off to the next gathering one or two relatives' may not still be here for next year. Remember this is your family. You didn't get to pick them you got them through genetics it is never as much fun as being with friends (we get to choose them).


    OK enough of the traditional platitudes. We all have to endure at least 2 days of this a year. We have 52 weekends to hang out with people of our own choosing we call them friends sure some we disagree with on some things but we still like them enough to enjoy their company. On Thursday stick to the traditional attitudes. NEVER EVER SPEAK THE TRUTH.you know what I am talking about here is the list.
    Jenny dumped a box of sage in the dressing!
    Linda cooked the heat and serve ham for 6 hours.
    Bill fried a Turkey till the drumsticks were gone
    Great aunt Ruby should have gave up cooking 5 years ago WHAT THE HELL WAS IT SPOSE TO BE????
    Uncle Fred was drunk when he showed up .
    Uncle Larry is looking at your sister in law like( we don't want to know.)
    You have to hold your tongue when 8 kids are running through the house like Indians and you cant remember who belongs to who
    All this while cousin Ed and Jeff are telling you why your team shouldn't be #1 in football (DAMN AUBURN FANS!!!!)
 
  Relax and enjoy time with the family. You have 363 days you can be with friends.
   

 

   

Proof America will go down like Rome !

   

 

Have you checked your cars get home bag?

     Last week when I was helping my son get his place ready for winter I got into my trucks get home bag for something to eat. Now what I had was in date but had been in the tool box for over a year. I am glad it wasn't a life or death situation .Right  now as winter sets in everyone should check what is in their bag make sure the batteries are fresh , food is good , and spare cloth are dry and suitable for the season .
     Ok I gave my son the older batteries and replaced what I had in the truck.
     The food that was in the truck had not handled the heat it was highly questionable . Soup had turned, the canned tuna salad was greenish , the crackers were stale (the lances peanut butter crackers were fine). Water was flat but drinkable. I have replaced everything and packed it in a old six-pack cooler.
     Oh just for the record the only thing edible after a year in the truck tool box was Good Old  vieners ,potted meat and the immortal sardines. Showed me why my grandpa always had them in his truck.
     Just for the heck of it I changed out the clothes and added a few items (extra space blanket and Cliff bars).I still need hand warmers , toboggans and gloves for winter in there.

     Never again will I go a year without changing out my trucks get home gear .I will be doing it seasonally in the future. I had felt safer knowing it was in there but it wouldn't have helped much if I had needed it. Better to swap it out and it be fresh and open the old at the house .

      With cold weather here check your car kit and replace your perishables. YOUR LIFE COULD DEPEND ON IT !!!

The cold weather and winter blues struck early.

     Well the artic blast has roared into town . Right now we have a steady rain that will be followed by low 20 and high teens . Thankfully the ground is still warm so I don't foresee any ice , but its still system shock . I am glad I took the time to clean up the yard and get things put away before last weeks cold came in.
     One thing I forgot to do was check the anti freeze in the cars and trucks so this morning I went car to truck and added enough to hold down to zero in all of them . I can only remember it being below zero for more than a few hours twice so I think im ok . My wife had picked up anti freeze for the camper last week and had supervised me putting it in.
      Can you imagine not having a daily weather forecast (I know they get it wrong a LOT)and having to make plans . I am sure most of us check the 10 day forecast when we sign online . Normally winter catches me with little done this year I was ahead of the curve.

     Now I am not sure if I had the winter blues the last 2 weeks or just 2 bad weeks. First our washer craped out then my son came to the house for a week and my jeeps water pump goes bad . The washer had me worried October was a bad income month . Then my wife remembered we had a washer in the back junk room . Yea my back junk room is that bad , under about 20 boxes stacked in the corner was my old washer . We had been using her washer and I forgot I had stored mine 12 years ago.
     As for my son showing up he hasn't changed . With winter almost here his camper was just like the last time he hadn't done anything to it . He has been living with friends till they run him off .So last week I clear a 1/4 acre of brush move the camper make a shallow septic tank fix the roof , fix the stove buy a battery and hook up a solar panel . As soon as the weather forecast is 30s and 40s his butt is going to stay there . Yea I will get him back for the holidays but he needs to suffer a little discomfort so he will be motivated to improve his living arrangement.
     The jeep was an easy fix 85$ in parts ,pump hoses and new belts 50$ for my mechanic to put them on . Yes I could have but was worth every penny to not have to.