What will Seniors do? We will not get a cost of Living increase again this year.Will food stamps increase?

The economic picture is not being presented as it is but is rather based on the definitions of bean and vote counters (economists and politicians). As a results the world cannot have a depression until they say so and in the works of all this the elderly and children are to a great degree expendable in a broken system.

For example, I do not know how you can say food prices are so high since there is no inflation and the Fed is worried about deflation! Because of economic definitions and what they decide should be counted there has been no cost of living increase. These people are manipulators of the worst and first order.

It has taken two incomes to get ahead in days past but now it takes two just to break even and those who have even one vice cannot keep up.

As one having no car, no TV, no cable and a seemingly terminal request for food stamps I would suggest sprouting and at least some better choices in cheap canned goods. I put re-fried beans on my crackers with a little juice from my bottle of Peperoncini. I have not touched my two sticks of butter for a couple of weeks and am saving them to bake some bread which I have never done.

I can go for days in the morning with a half cup of steel ground oats and for a quick and cheap salad or even three meals: can of small black olives, can cut green beans (both drained) and can of diced tomatoes; no spices needed. Also start a hobo crock pot and keep throwing in any thing in that will slow cook and you can snack throughout the day. Your friend is wasting crackers by not making use of them to extend some other product which will offer more nourishment.

All to say the lady who lives off butter and crackers needs some help with survival methods. Even when I was "starving" in college, back when, the meals were crackers and Cheese Whiz and I can't afford Whiz any more.

Just think, your friend living on butter and crackers must pay a mandatory fee for both a health plan and a prescription plan. Perhaps her doctor or mine, if a doctor is available down the road, will prescribe butter for what ails us. Chances are the co-pay would equal the shelf price; but the doctor would get a couple of bucks for your visit and the walk to the office might do some good. At our age one must keep moving.

Forget the theory, here is the practical end. Food stamps are a state program and state budgets are really hurting. I would not expect an increase. Most state cannot afford it and they will use the excuse of low inflation to avoid an increase. The only good new for seniors is the federal government has changed the rules (being phased in) on the perscription donuts hole. This is not going to make a big difference to most seniors. I agree that you deserve better. I wish I could think of something better to say.

One can hope that food prices will stabilize at some point.

I am by definition a senior citizen but am fortunate enough to still be able to work, and I also have multiple retirement incomes. Where I am battered is by income taxes.

Food stamps are normally set by cost of living, but so are social security increases. When they aren't increased that's supposed to mean costs are stable. I don't think they are stable.

Eventually everyone will be hurt as the economy--fueled by a spendthrift government--continues to spiral in the wrong direction. If we can reverse the direction things could get better. I hope they will.

We can only hope. The other night I saw a TV story about an older guy, highly decorated war veteran, has lung cancer and bone cancer. He is so poor, he can't afford to use his oxygen machine for comfort, and he has to turn his lights off after dinner every night and sit in the dark reading with a torch. He worries about intruders breaking in, thinking the house is unoccupied. He certainly needs a cost of living increase. Heaven help us all.

My sweet friend, I can help one and I mean it, if you ever need anything you just email me, if everyone that has enough helps just one other person, now wouldn't that a better world make. I am not here to toot my horn, we also are border line poor, but were fine so how about it folks, help just one other person if you can and Pam I am really sorry about the way the world is I can pray, I can help that one person, we can all vote different next time and pray for a president and his cabinet that really do care. .

Seniors have been doing better than people who are still working over the last decade because wages increases have fallen behind the cost of living and social security has not.

Grow a garden.

A box-garden can be grown in an apartment or house.