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Do you really think it is different in other industrialized countries?
I really don't know. I do know that no one used to feel put upon for having to work and provide for themselves but these days it just seems that there is a lot more whining about it.
I think social media takes some rather universal and, in the grand scheme of things, rather minor struggles in life and blows them up out of proportion.
I really don't know. I do know that no one used to feel put upon for having to work and provide for themselves but these days it just seems that there is a lot more whining about it.
I think social media takes some rather universal and, in the grand scheme of things, rather minor struggles in life and blows them up out of proportion.
The entitlement is all over if you have contacts or read local paper. I mean local! SIL has a Phd in genetics and teaches HS. I get the blow ups daily. Tell someone that 125 monthly for nails adds up to what? That is not a negotiable item!!!
SO is sitting next to me and I asked him if he feels invisible. "Absolutely no!"
I am not invisible! Maybe being an introvert in an extrovert professional life is the reason.
Stand up, make contact, talk, lead if you have to, people do want to be seen.
We had neighbors over Sunday afternoon so their youngster can play with our furries. Very bright child! She told me that our house feels whole and she can be comfortable. Her mother said she does not touch people. Well:>) She will be back for more hugs.
Sorry to hear of your ex-girlfriend. Her experience very closely resembles mine while living in Florida where Medicaid was also not extended, and where my $1200 per month Social Security Retirement benefit was seen as too much for Medicaid guidelines. As a result I had to pay out of pocket for really poor insurance from the Health Care Marketplace, the federal program where $1000 plus per month is subsidized by the federal government and where the insurer denies pretty much any treatment above and beyond the basics. It is by far the biggest scam no one is talking about as the insurance companies fleece the government for "coverage" they're largely not providing. If I wanted to go through with a prescribed sleep study or an MRI, I was required to pay a co-pay ($600 for an MRI and $1000 for a sleep study). With skyrocketing rent as well I very nearly became homeless and had to do a lot of research to find a city I could exist in with a roof over my head, have access to public transit and find a suitable safety net of public assistance like Medicaid, Food Assistance and Utility Assistance (gas and electric). That place for now is Toledo OH and have begun applying for low cost senior housing in varying cities for when my current lease expires in October. The "system" can and does work if in a state where politicians aren't trying to make political statements at the expense of those in the most precarious living situations.
That was my experience with an ACA plan a decade ago.
I don't remember precisely how much it was, but I was making, literally, $11.68/hr. for 36 hours a week at the time, with no insurance or benefits through the job. The insurance was basically catastrophic-only coverage, and the premium strained my meager budget.
Seniors have far more options and resources than the general public. Medicare is an obvious one. There are tons of advocacy groups for seniors. The most prominent national politicians are disproportionately seniors. There are all sorts of senior-centric programs that non-seniors simply don't have access to.
Even minor benefits, like extra discounts, can add up over time. Many cities have dedicated senior citizens, elder care oriented social workers, etc.
Nothing is perfect, but it's hard to imagine how seniors feel "invisible," especially given that the politicians and other decision makers skew older.
Quote:
Originally Posted by springfieldva
You are in a red state where that 'tude doesn't fly. If you want to see it watch the various social media platforms. They want FREE everything. They want YOU to pay for them to stay at home with their babies. Can you afford to do that? I sure as heck can't.
My own kids are hard working and earned merit based scholarships, too. I am not saying that all of the younger generation has a poor work ethic. Many are hard workers. You certainly seem to be one.
But, again, there are those that milk the system for all it's worth. They could do better but they don't. Lumping their subsidies in with retired people who have already worked a lifetime is not right.
I can make a TikTok rambling on about whatever I want. That doesn't mean it's realistic or even possible.
The government simply isn't paying for able-bodied adults, especially men and women with no kids, to sit home and do nothing. The whole "welfare queen" argument is decades old, and certainly doesn't apply with today's extremely conservative political culture.
I can make a TikTok rambling on about whatever I want. That doesn't mean it's realistic or even possible.
The government simply isn't paying for able-bodied adults, especially men and women with no kids, to sit home and do nothing. The whole "welfare queen" argument is decades old, and certainly doesn't apply with today's extremely conservative political culture.
So here's a typical TikTok video: A young person complains that they can't afford their rent. They have a professional manicure, extensions in their hair, thick false eyelashes, a bag of take out food and designer clothes. But they can't make rent....hmmm, wonder why.
If someone suggests "Get roommates" the person will whine "But I can't share my place with roommates! I don't want roommates!". Someone else will say "You need to start doing your own nails" and the person will say "I need these nails to look good for my job. I can't just stop going to the salon." "o.k. then stop eating out" "But I have to eat out, I don't have time to cook!"
I really hope they're doing it for the views but, sadly, I don't think that's the case with some of them.
As far as the way people figure out how to "milk the system", I am not skilled or familiar with how they do it, I just hear that they do.
We've noticed that younger people look at us and treat us like we are harmless. I guess that's not a bad thing? Instead of being invisible, people seem comfortable coming up to us out of the blue and chatting with us.
So here's a typical TikTok video: A young person complains that they can't afford their rent. They have a professional manicure, extensions in their hair, thick false eyelashes, a bag of take out food and designer clothes. But they can't make rent....hmmm, wonder why.
If someone suggests "Get roommates" the person will whine "But I can't share my place with roommates! I don't want roommates!". Someone else will say "You need to start doing your own nails" and the person will say "I need these nails to look good for my job. I can't just stop going to the salon." "o.k. then stop eating out" "But I have to eat out, I don't have time to cook!"
I really hope they're doing it for the views but, sadly, I don't think that's the case with some of them.
As far as the way people figure out how to "milk the system", I am not skilled or familiar with how they do it, I just hear that they do.
The bottom line is that most people need to make more money. The cost of living is becoming out of control.
I spent about $200 at Sam's Club today between gas and store purchases. $40 on cat food and litter. $12 for some roast beef for sandwiches. $10 for skirt steak for tonight's tacos. Some frozen ready-to-eat grilled teriyaki chicken breasts if I want a snack. Fabric softener. Raspberries. Mt. Dew. $13 worth of beer. I did buy a pair of $25 sandals I'll make use of hiking and walking outside this summer. $20 or so on gas.
Sure, I guess the Dave Ramsey people would say ditch the cats, eat beans and rice only, no beer, no fabric softener, eat the cheapest canned veggies/fruits you can find, etc., but that's not realistic for most people. My spending today was typical spending on mostly essentials and needed consumables.
I used to go to the same Jersey Mike's sub shop for lunch three or four times a week. I remember the lunch combo being a little under $7 in the late 2000s. That's now about $15.
I used to put a "cap" on a work lunch - sandwich shop type place with water - of about $10. Today, even with water, a sandwich and chip can be $15 alone.
I went to Sam's and Walmart around noon today. I stopped at Buffalo Wild Wings because it was on the way. Ten boneless wings, fries, and a soda were about $16 with tax and tip. That's with the lunch special. If I go to a local sit-down restaurant at lunch, $20 for the meal, soda/tea, and tip is pretty standard now.
I rubbed the skirt steak down in some W sauce, seasoned it up, and juiced half a lime on it. Marinated it in the fridge for an hour before throwing it on the grill. Chopped up some green onions and cilantro, then toasted the tortillas on low heat on the grill. I'm going to grill some sausage on the Traeger for breakfast tomorrow if it's not raining, air fryer grill if it is. Sautéed shrimp and corn on the cob for lunch. I have a couple of large, bone-in pork chops to smoke if I can before Friday night, when my girlfriend gets here.
If you have an 8-5 with hungry kids, especially as a single parent, you probably don't have the time to prepare scratch meals like this. I work from home with a cushy job. Of course my situation doesn't reflect the norm.
Imagine if you're a single senior without a paid for home in a high property tax state with a $1,200/month SS check and not much in the way of other savings. You're SOL.
The thing about tik tok is..... the algorithm gives you what YOU are looking for and liking.
My tik tok feed has nothing like that.
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Well, I live in a small town where the average age is 63 and in a county where the average age is 54, so we seniors are definitely not invisible.
However, before moving from Denver four years ago at the age of 66, I did think/feel that I was treated as if I were almost invisible, or just tolerated. I figured it was just part of being old. The worst part of that to me was not being responded to at all if I made a joke or even smiled at a service person (meaning a grocery clerk or a cashier or a waiter) -- and even the last doctor I went to acted like he was just bored and had better things to do than to listen to my symptoms. (And, btw, I am NOT the kind of person to drone on and on about anything when I speak -- writing is a different story, however, lol.)
Btw, I guess this might be fairly normal, though, as when I was young, I simply did not LIKE the old people I knew and I assumed (yeah) that we would have nothing to talk about and that anything they had to say would not interest me -- and I certainly do see that same attitude in many under-45 people who post here, with some notable exceptions.
No. I'm from New York. If they treat me poorly, I become a real pain in the buttox.
The thing about tik tok is..... the algorithm gives you what YOU are looking for and liking.
My tik tok feed has nothing like that.
Yep.
I watch a lot of cooking and dog videos. Guess what - I get more cooking and dog videos.
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