tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post860775560865265301..comments2024-03-28T08:00:17.624-04:00Comments on NewGathering: What's in a generation?David Nickolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17769931102661478298noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-68229024699191510402017-05-09T22:09:02.205-04:002017-05-09T22:09:02.205-04:00I agree completely. Being poor takes its toll phys...I agree completely. Being poor takes its toll physically and mentally. One of the best things I ever heard on this topic was from Scott Simon a few Labor Days ago. Very short, but boy, did he get it right! http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129647232Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14702081408526023197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-57284024983421851622017-05-09T18:49:01.456-04:002017-05-09T18:49:01.456-04:00Thanks, you guys. All suggestions are appreciated...Thanks, you guys. All suggestions are appreciated. <br /><br /> The government is kind of schizophrenic about helping people. If you have Medicaid and you increase your income, you may lose the Medicaid because it's based on your income. If I made some extra money it would have to be really a lot of money to make it worth losing Medicaid, which pays my $200 a month Medicare premiums plus the part of my bills that Medicare doesn't pay.<br /><br />And if I did get a job it would have to be a really good and permanent job because I would possibly lose the Social Security Disability check that is now my income. <br /><br />So getting help from the government is wonderful but never quite enough and fraught with worries. It tends to keep people from taking chances that might make things better.crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05681674503952991492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-87727081945854624382017-05-09T18:39:27.991-04:002017-05-09T18:39:27.991-04:00Jean,
Yes. I almost cringe when I write about ba...Jean,<br /><br />Yes. I almost cringe when I write about bad conditions because I don't want people to think I'm obliquely asking them for help. It's just a relief to talk about it to people sometimes because there's a certain amount of shame attached to failure. <br /><br />But I think it's good too to dispel the idea that everyone with a college education will find success or that everyone who does the right things will be healthy.crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05681674503952991492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-13129059944582487712017-05-09T09:50:40.365-04:002017-05-09T09:50:40.365-04:00Thank you.Thank you.Margaret Steinfelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06660518023817721965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-68710878734620033962017-05-09T09:31:07.748-04:002017-05-09T09:31:07.748-04:00I know people are trying to be helpful here, and t...I know people are trying to be helpful here, and that I'm gonna sound like a bitch. Also not speaking for Crystal. <br /><br />But us po' folks are pretty knowledgeable about programs and charities and what help is available. I can tell you which charities in the local area are helpful and which ones to avoid. (In my area, Habitat has a dicey reputation for providing celebrity volunteer photo ops, but for doing work that doesn't hold up well.)<br /><br />When I get on here and talk about what it's like to struggle, I'm not asking for your advice. My bank accounts dropped, not my IQ.<br /><br />What I hope is that readers here see intelligent people who have done everything they should have ... and failed because of current employment circumstances, unforeseen illnesses, and persistent notions that if you become poor, you are deficient in intelligence or moral fiber.<br /><br />I hope that you see that we live in a country that is slashing the safety nets and will vote accordingly. Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14702081408526023197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-31215423421801401072017-05-08T21:55:46.156-04:002017-05-08T21:55:46.156-04:00It appears to me that the bigger problem is that t...It appears to me that the bigger problem is that the government (especially now) is so paranoid about enabling loafers who *might* abuse the system that they don't fund disability payments anywhere near the amount that it actually costs someone to live. I would much rather see more tax money go to people who need it to live than to build more "mother of all bombs". Katherine Nielsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08309113327087187334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-71781292600550168992017-05-08T21:27:27.351-04:002017-05-08T21:27:27.351-04:00The SVDP will probably pick up food bank things si...The SVDP will probably pick up food bank things since you appear to be homebound.Jack Rakoskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03755655685437527617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-64526598540349089342017-05-08T21:24:48.144-04:002017-05-08T21:24:48.144-04:00Crystal, have you checked out what local Catholic...Crystal, have you checked out what local Catholic parishes have to offer? <br /><br />Our parish has a food bank. It accepts money donations to purchase food, dry goods, and fresh produce (e.g. from my garden). <br /><br />We also have a Saint Vincent de Paul (SVDP)society. They are in many parishes around the country. They accept financial and goods donations. They interview people in their homes and make sure they are getting all their government benefits, and all other charities before they try to fill in the gaps. A very good program. Jack Rakoskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03755655685437527617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-78737704807812662017-05-08T18:17:37.793-04:002017-05-08T18:17:37.793-04:00That's good you got a new refrigerator. For a ...That's good you got a new refrigerator. For a while you could get a tax credit on "energy star" rated appliances. We got a credit on a new refrigerator, also a heat pump system. But I think that program ended.Katherine Nielsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08309113327087187334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-63637202630945583942017-05-08T17:33:15.997-04:002017-05-08T17:33:15.997-04:00Thanks, Katherine.
Yes, I've talked to them...Thanks, Katherine. <br /><br />Yes, I've talked to them and it's possible they could fix my heater/air conditioner which has been broken for years but I've held off on finding out more about that, in part because the actual energy bills were so expensive - using space heaters and a window air conditioner right now. Maybe in the future ...<br /><br />But I do get energy assistance in lower bill costs from both the gas and the electric company and the phone company too. In fact, I was <a href="http://povcrystal.blogspot.com/search?q=icemen" rel="nofollow">able to get a free new refrigerator</a> from the electric company through one of those programs :)crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05681674503952991492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-73916041566825499812017-05-08T16:38:57.665-04:002017-05-08T16:38:57.665-04:00Crystal, have you checked out LIHEAP? It's a g...Crystal, have you checked out <a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/resource/consumer-frquently-asked-questions" rel="nofollow">LIHEAP</a>? It's a government agency; its focus is energy assistance. Which means that they also help with things that make homes more energy efficient for low income people, such as repairing or replacing doors or windows. Also they sometimes replace old furnaces and air conditioners. Some friends of ours who had been through a lengthy spell of unemployment got them to replace a broken furnace. As I understand it, this is grant funded and doesn't have to be paid back. The states administer their own programs, and so have different requirements. Anyway, worth checking out.<br />Katherine Nielsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08309113327087187334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-25815835597875589332017-05-08T14:11:55.188-04:002017-05-08T14:11:55.188-04:00Elders are living longer with less quality of life...Elders are living longer with less quality of life, which means we are caring for parents as we enter our elder years. In Japan, women in their 70s are frequently taking care of their mothers, in their 90s. My guess is that those daughters are not going to live into their 90s because of the stress.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10521323422856503292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-89227880400738480272017-05-08T11:55:03.305-04:002017-05-08T11:55:03.305-04:00Thanks, Stanley. I have tried Habitat. I applied...Thanks, Stanley. I have tried Habitat. I applied but because my sister is half owner of the house and she has a job, they wouldn't help. I'm not sure if they had accepted me if I could have afforded to pay them back anyway - I hadn't realized it before I applied, but they do charge people for the work they do, just at a lower cost.<br /><br />Maybe I can get the cats to find part time jobs and pitch in :)crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05681674503952991492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-12702758711966802032017-05-08T10:05:31.345-04:002017-05-08T10:05:31.345-04:00I suppose to make the argument that this could be ...I suppose to make the argument that this could be the best time to be a senior, we'd need to look backward and forward. <br /><br />Going back two generations, it's interesting to see that large families usually had some spinsters and bachelors who lived at home supporting and caring for their parents. That seems a luxury today. <br /><br />Medical care today? A blessing, until it's not. And looking forward, small families are hard pressed to provide elder care.. What else? Margaret Steinfelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06660518023817721965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-38932253541395440792017-05-08T07:34:00.430-04:002017-05-08T07:34:00.430-04:00Crystal, any chance of aid from Habitat for Humani...Crystal, any chance of aid from Habitat for Humanity. Have you ever thought off taking in a boarder? I know the last suggestion could be scary, though.Stanley Kopaczhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12133446714376982656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-7070124157811694852017-05-08T06:18:24.116-04:002017-05-08T06:18:24.116-04:00Our kids were born in 1974 and 1978. I guess that ...Our kids were born in 1974 and 1978. I guess that makes them gen-x-ers? At least they got through college when it was still somewhat affordable; and had an amount of student debt that could be paid off in a reasonable length of time. <br />As Boomers, we experienced some of the issues that everybody else did; layoffs or rifs, high interest in the 80's, 401k losses in the "oughts". Could have been better, could have been worse.<br />I hope Margaret is right about this being the best time to be a senior, since we are entering that demographic.Katherine Nielsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08309113327087187334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-90831821046566217162017-05-07T18:29:55.858-04:002017-05-07T18:29:55.858-04:00My Gramma had one, and it was exciting with that e...My Gramma had one, and it was exciting with that electric mangle! Hers was ca. 1930s. She soaked everything that might be stained, then scrubbed it out with a little washboard and Fels. No dryer, so she hung stuff outdoors or walked up two flights of stairs to the attic in winter. She had the ironing board set up in there, and would iron everything from sheets to towels to underwear to finish drying them. In summer, she ironed on the screen porch. Starch solution in a galvanized wash tub was somehow involved. Wash day was a whole big production,but she seemed to enjoy it. She kept that washing machine until she died in case the washer/dryer my folks and uncle got her ever broke down. I think she was always hoping the would.Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14702081408526023197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-8635740938898322112017-05-07T14:09:59.700-04:002017-05-07T14:09:59.700-04:00Debt. I was doing ok when I still could work. Th...Debt. I was doing ok when I still could work. The last job I had was at the Oregon Health Sciences University hospital working in the surgery, but had to quit because of deteriorating vision. Moved back in with my mom, had only SSD, then she died of lung cancer - left the house to my sis and me. My four pet cats all got elderly and sick and what savings I had went to their vet bills. I have credit card bills from two place which will never be paid off if I live to be a million years old. crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05681674503952991492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-71366322276255897622017-05-07T13:37:31.947-04:002017-05-07T13:37:31.947-04:00My parents were both creators rather than consumer...My parents were both creators rather than consumers and poured their lives into making "Better Homes and Gardens." They both marched together to their own drummer; they did not care to keep up with other people or what other people thought of them. I was always surrounded by their beauty and creativity.<br /><br />I inherited all their freedom. I never had any pressure to succeed. Up until I was a postdoctoral fellow and they visited me at UMass Amherst they had no idea what a major university was like. As long as I was happy they were happy. Dad had an eight grade education and mom was a C student in high school. Jack Rakoskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03755655685437527617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-39977953202285856232017-05-07T13:26:53.806-04:002017-05-07T13:26:53.806-04:00Here is a wikipedia take on the Thor washing machi...Here is a wikipedia take on the Thor washing machine, invented in 1907! Don't think my mom's was from that era, maybe 1935!<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_washing_machineMargaret Steinfelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06660518023817721965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-40230280249851686982017-05-07T13:20:47.808-04:002017-05-07T13:20:47.808-04:00One of the lessons from my life and my parents lif...One of the lessons from my life and my parents life is that you don't need the stock market to have a financially good life and retirement if in fact you have a reasonable salary and save. Jack Rakoskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03755655685437527617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-69143266523159639802017-05-07T13:17:52.280-04:002017-05-07T13:17:52.280-04:00The other economic factor that enters in post-Worl...The other economic factor that enters in post-World War II is the growth and development of consumerism, i.e., the marketing of newly available consumer goods after the shortages created by the war.<br /><br />Lizabeth Cohen's book, "A Consumers' Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America," looks at all this. Fascinating read.<br /><br />Makes me think of how resistant my parents were to going out and buying new appliances. Right after the war my mother acquired a "Thor." a washing machine with a large tub, though electrically agitated had to be filled and emptied by hand. A ringer was attached. The clothes were lifted from the tub and were put through the ringer into two tubs of rinse water. When fully automatic machines came out, she resisted for a long time. Of course, as a kid I longed to help with the wash....the ringer was thrilling! What if your fingers got caught?Margaret Steinfelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06660518023817721965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-85180605562314255322017-05-07T13:03:45.944-04:002017-05-07T13:03:45.944-04:00Yes my parents were savers and I am a saver. We ne...Yes my parents were savers and I am a saver. We never invested in the stock market. As working class people we regarded it as something like gambling, and probably involving a great deal of dishonestly and cheating.<br /><br />For most of my life I had three credits cards: VISA for capital like purchases (CDs, Books, good clothes, computers, etc.) MASTERCARD for things instantly consumed like food, gas, etc. and DISCOVER for in between (socks, mulch, annual flowers). Always knew exactly where all the money went. Rarely paid any interest on the cards.<br /><br />Once I bought a house I had my bi-weekly pay check divided into two parts, one the amount of the monthly mortgage and rest to live upon. So monthly I was saving the same amount that I was paying into my mortgage. As my salary went up I switched from a 30 to a 15 year mortgage. I paid off the remaining 7 years of my mortgage the day I retired. <br /><br />All our lives my parents and I had more than the people around us even though we did not make more. We had a summer cabin on a lake; my parents build it. We had modest boats, etc. We did not buy cars frequently, we rarely ate out. My mom was really the person with the money management skills. Jack Rakoskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03755655685437527617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-61878092346935744522017-05-07T11:59:55.398-04:002017-05-07T11:59:55.398-04:00From what I read, Americans made a real effort to ...From what I read, Americans made a real effort to reduce debt during the recession. <br /><br />Raber's parents had it very rough growing up. I'd say he is frugal to the point of eccentricity--tennis shoes with duct tape, the whole bit. A 39 cent can of cling peaches makes his day. Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14702081408526023197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1315362208709650810.post-2195652197701206392017-05-07T10:22:22.627-04:002017-05-07T10:22:22.627-04:00Saving Money.
Don't have any data, only obse...Saving Money. <br /><br />Don't have any data, only observation. We who were children of Depression-era parents, do we have a view of money different from later generations? Saving money, or at least not spending it extravagantly, was one of my childhood lessons. My parents were savers, even though they didn't have a lot. And the lesson carried over to me. <br /><br />Do our children and grandchildren have the same experience and lessons learned? What chances do the generations described above have to save, when so many seem to owe so much out of college? Later financial crisis including 2008 did not have quite the same impact as the Great Depression. Any lessons learned?<br />Margaret Steinfelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06660518023817721965noreply@blogger.com