Goverment think. is amazing

    Yesterday I hinted at the run around it was to get seen and insurance . Part of the problem is I work with no pay check I make a living most would consider poverty level but pays the bills and allows travel and extras.

1 if you don't make enuff to file taxes the insurance market place is worthless.

2 if you make under 10,000 from varied sources your looked at as lying / drug dealer to live.

3 you have to show what your source is

4 If you make this little and appy for help they want to know WHY you haven't already applied for everything under the sun!
     I have a rental trailer that nets me 6500 a year in income well below filing amount . My BBQ and Mt Dew is more than this but the bastards can F&%$#@ off on that .

    After the emergency room visit my E N T appointment was canceled due to no insurance. I called the financial aid department and was informed because I didn't work I didn't qualify for market place insurance and without that I couldn't qualify to get co pay forgiveness. I was referred to the county indigent care program at another hospital/clinic.
   I had this medical care for a couple years till renewal in 2014. At that time they demanded I go to the IRS for a letter of non-filing to continue benefits. I had a disputed with the IRS in 2006 and the thought of walking back in their office , Not Happening Alive Not happening ever !!!

  I went to the indigent care qualifying page . If I  have an open disability case with social security and proof of residency I qualify. So last Thursday I go to Social Security and apply for disability based on beginning cancer treatments. I understand I will be deigned but it will get me the indigent care insurance!!!! Before I was done I had to file for 3 different forms of disability. My Ex wife died in 2009 so I had to apply 2 times based on her and 1 on just me. Seems there are special rules for widowers over 50. It took 4 hours but I did it. I raced to the indigent care office with all the paper work. They quit taking applicants at 2,  I was 3 minutes late.

   Friday morning I got there at 8 am and was took right back. The lady was polite till she saw my income was so low and my lease was 5 years old with my tenant.  How much does he pay NOW this lease is 5 years old?   The same , He has never been late has helped me do repairs and so OCD the place is immaculate. Ok here is your blue card go to the appointment office for a primary care appointment.   

   The girl at the appointment office makes me an appointment with a primary care doctor for  APRIL 1st. So I explain to her its my throat what I have going on I let her hear the voice message that I had an appointment to see their ENT Wednesday. The girl calls around double checks and informs me No they just passed the buck.  Ok what can I do before my throat closes and I die in my sleep???  She said we are a county department work the system!!!! Monday come into the urgent care clinic tell the doctor what is wrong in your throat they will get you an emergency appointment with the   E N T  department. Since you were seen at UAB to start with they will refer you back to them at our cost!!!!!  We got rules to follow but ways to get thing done to.

    I did what sweetie told me . I see the clinics E N T at 9 tomorrow to get a referral back the office that I was suppose to be at today. It took 8 trips in to Birmingham about 32 hour of wait/work, 60$ in gas . I am at the same point I was at on the 26th except insured and have medical files in 5 different offices. It also started a disability application in case thing get worse. The indigent care application forces me to apply for food stamps as they go hand in hand now it seems.

A change makes for nice profits.

     This has been a long week ,last week was snow this week was rain and then ice. Friday was clear and the BBQ was busy. The last 4 weeks I have been cooking Baby back ribs  along with Boston Butts I should have been cooking them all along  been running through 10 or 12 slabs a weekend and the same amount of butts. The ribs have made  a sales increase of 200$ a weekend . With a profit increase of 100$ plus . In the middle of the winter it has been a welcome surprise .
     Normally I have to dip into savings from Christmas till mid April but this year I have been able to add a few hundred to savings . Next week I will be booking a 2 week stay for Big Lagoon campground in June and it will have to be paid for up front, nice to be able to.

    I dragged the old trailer frame into the clearing out front today if the weather breaks will be starting on my last trailer build ever. I know the next 5 days it will rain but I will have it in place and can get it leveled . I promise lots of pictures once I start on it.

Living within my means must make me odd.

     Is living within ones  income a thing of the past, an oddity in todays world?Between me and the wife we have 7 kids of the 7 only 2 seem to live within their income level.I have a daughter that bearly scraps by and a stepson that is doing ok.All the others lurch from crisis to crisis and are always broke and borrowing payday to payday.I do not help like I have in the past I don't  have it but for some reason the kids ( the 5 idiots) think we do.My wife is the more tender hearted and would hand them what they were crying they need.
     I have looked at some spending habits of the kids and myself and have found its the small stuff that makes the biggest difference in having money.
     When I leave to do anything I take a cooler with water and can drinks sandwiches crackers . If someone is with me I pack for them to . Maybe cost 3.50 for both
      The kids stop at gas stations get 20oz sodas ,junk food , then they leave go to Mc D for a big Mc Meal . For 2 they will spend 20$ or more plus gas.
     Ok this may seem trivial but they do this 5 days a week its around a 100$ for a week difference.
     The 5 kids all have car payments me and the other 2 kids drive used and payed for cars and only carry liability . The difference is 350 to 400 a month.
      Now I am not cheap we love to camp we like to eat out(got to love Logan;s 2 for 14.99) once a week . Here is another big difference  they eat out 3 to 4 times or more a week 30 to40 a meal.

     Now just what I have listed can make 800 to 1000$ a month difference in budget.It blows my mind when they are talking about how broke they are .
      If I am broke we skip camping we eat at home and eat cheaper at the house , If something breaks we tighten our spending (washer craped out Monday).The cars stay parked unless its a have to .There is an old saying "Watch the pennies The dollars will take care of themselves". 

     I once lived beyond my income level and can tell anyone the stress is unbelievable. I had to have 2 full time jobs at one point now I prefer having less and more time.  

Raising the minimum raise !

     On several blogs there has been a lot of discussion about our head socialist president wanting to RAISE the minimum wage.Normally i am against anything that comes out of his mouth but i favor raising the minimum wage.Not for the same reasons as Kenyan but because we are #10 in the industrial world as far as minimum wage in terms of dollars and #12 in terms of its purchasing power!!
     We have the second largest economy in the world but rank #10 and 12 as far as required pay.Wow that came as a surprise when i googled it.The department of labor says that less than 1.1 percent of American workers make minimum wage but that's horse crap.Wal Mart ,McDonald and a dozen other large employers DO NOT PAY MINIMUM WAGE.They start at 7.45 they pay more,why so the minimum wage will stay low.Most real minimum wage jobs are with mom and pop business's that struggle to pay that.I know iwas one 3 years ago.Many weeks you get nothing so you can make payroll.We need a tiered system for teens 16 to 18 and 18 and over.
     Even if we went to 9.00 we would only move up to #8and #9 as far as world ranking.The argument that it would cut jobs is BS company's have cut so deep most cant cut any more.Some people think that employers will expect more work with a hike,maybe but i have always gave my all regardless of pay i think most people do.
    Overall the benefits to a higher minimum wage far outweighs the adverse affects it will have.The worst offender of Poor pay will remain they always have an excuse as to why.Mom and POP company's will be hurt but they will adapt.Maybe a big mac will go up 25 cents its not worth 3.25 now.Can many places increase prices on products that are garbage?