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My rent didn't go up much, but every store on earth knows about this increase and they have adjusted their prices accordingly. I was in Walmart today and the Junior Mints I like that used to be $1 are now $1.24. That's a 24% increase in price!
As a senior on a fixed income, I figure out ways to get around these price increases. I usually eat grilled pink salmon (same health benefits as the red and at a cheaper price). Now some weeks I still buy that, but other weeks I buy Whiting, a fish I had never even heard of before.
Both of these are frozen, wild caught fish fillets. The pink salmon is now $14 for 8 fillets but the Whiting is only $8 for 8 fillets. It's delicious too, w/ a delicate, mild, almost sweet taste. It's too delicate to grill, but I pan fry it in a little olive oil for about 2 minutes each side after first dusting it in a little Louisiana hot sauce and fresh ground black pepper, and served w/ horseradish sauce, lemon and an organic salad. Cost of the meal? About $2.00-$2.50.
not really …the term fixed income isn’t really fixed when one gets adjustments unlike a worker who got no raise .
that certainly does not mean any adjustment in income will cover your rise in expenses .
so just the opposite of the original which complained these adjustments on what amounts to what should be partial income does not fully cover their full increases
Again, I was not complaining for myself, but I was expressing my concern for those people who have only Social Security income and nothing else.
But, yes, I am alarmed that almost everything is increasing in price (so maybe that IS complaining), but to emphasize, I really do wonder what will happen to those seniors who really cannot afford to live in their current homes and afford basic necessities. Sure, they could possibly downsize, but at 70-something, that might be hard to do, and if they can't sell their current homes or afford the deposits on a cheaper apartment, then what?
And, yes, it is easy to criticize people for not planning ahead and making poor choices --and I have been "guilty" of making such criticism myself many times -- but not everyone is intelligent in that way and sometimes bad things happen to people that they have no control over.
Last edited by katharsis; 12-29-2023 at 04:56 PM..
I haven't read all the pages but of course costs have gone up, didn't match the small increase in Social Security. I appreciate those that understand that it is all that some have. Please don't brag about your pensions, etc. when some are really struggling.
Again, I was not complaining for myself, but I was expressing my concern for those people who have only Social Security income and nothing else.
But, yes, I am alarmed that almost everything increasing in price (so maybe that IS complaining), but to emphasize, I really do wonder what will happen to those seniors who really cannot afford to live in their current homes and afford basic necessities. Sure, they could possibly downsize, but at 70-something, that might be hard to do, and if they can't sell their current homes or afford the deposits on another and cheaper apartment, then what?
And, yes, it is easy to criticize people for not planning ahead and making poor choices --and I have been "guilty" of making such criticism myself many times -- but not everyone is intelligent in that way and sometimes bad things happen to people that they have no control over.
I totally agree with what you are saying above.
The OP asked a simple question.
So, how does your increased COLA payment compare to the increase in your bills?
I don't think saying "living only social security" is a good measurement or example. Their SS may be $3500 and a person with a pension may be getting $2000 SS and a $900 pension. Think more about the total not the source.
I don't think saying "living only social security" is a good measurement or example. Their SS may be $3500 and a person with a pension may be getting $2000 SS and a $900 pension. Think more about the total not the source.
Of course, it always comes down to outgo vs. income, but the point is that if a raise in income is only COLA, then based on the ACTUAL rate of inflation vs. COLA, I think the point stands that someone relying only on Social Security is, might be, or will be facing a financial challenge -- unless that person or couple has some major savings.
This thread has been much more enlightening than others I have read because some people have really revealed their true feelings and attitudes towards others. Some people that I thought I liked I have changed my mind and others I like more than when the thread started. It’s been very interesting.
A quick google search lists some popular items that have gone up faster than the rate of inflation. (Of course, others have gone up less than the rate of inflation). Here are some headline numbers:
Disneyland/Disneyworld passes have gone up ~10%
Airfare - all over the map and changes frequently, but on balance up over 10%
Hotel rooms - up 17%
AirBnB and other peer-to-peer rentals - up as much as 38%
Sugar: used to be 60 cents/lb (end of 2020) now 97 cents/lb
Breakfast cereal: up 14% year over year
Crackers: up 7%
Rice: up 5%
Apples: up 8.5%
Paper towels & TP: up 6.5%
Steaks: up 10%
Turkey: up 7%
Bread: up 12%
Baked goods: 12.9%
Frozen juice: up 21%
Frozen vegetables: up 14.7%
Salad dressing: up 12.1%
Restaurant dining: up 6%.
Fast food restaurants: 12%
Work & School Cafeterias: up 56%
Uber riders: on balance up 17.5%
Fuel oil: up 8.5%
Car repairs: up 20%
Car insurance: up 19%
Apartment rent: nationally up 9.29% (up 22.5% since the start of the pandemic)
Home renovations/remodeling: up more than 40% since the pandemic
Concert ticket: over doubled in price from beginning of pandemic to today ($125 ==>$252)
Streaming service: up 25%
Cable TV: up 18%
Gym memberships: up 15%
Healthcare: In 2021, per capita healthcare spending was $12,914 per person; today, it’s just shy of $15,000.
OTC drugs: up 8.4%
Shaving & oral hygiene: up 7.2%
Electricity: up 10.2% nationally
Clothing alternations/repair/shoe repair: up 14.5%
Dry cleaning: up 6.7%
Veterinarian fees: up 7.5%
Dog food: as much as 45% from 2020 to 2023
Legal services: up 12.4% year over year
Funeral services: up 6.3%
Tax prep services: up 10%
House cleaning: up 10% (more in cities)
Yard Maintenance: up as much as 20%
Another google search of things that have gone down in price, or that have gone up but less than the rate of inflation:
Gasoline: down as much as 26% since pandemic highs
Certain airfares have declined
Major appliances: down .5% year over year
TVs: down 1.2% year over year (but up since pre-pandemic)
Eggs: down 7.9% (note recovery from avian flu)
Truck rentals: down 5.2%
Furniture: down 1.2% year over year (but up 11.6% over two years)
Used cars: down 5.6%
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