Well, my COLA increase on Social Security will be about $13.50 a month.

[panader0]

I'm trying to figure out what to do with all the extra money.
COLA at 1.6% isn't too far from the inflation rate of 1.71%.
I think I'll use the extra money for lottery tickets.

[irisblue]

1. Did your Medicare cost per month go up?

[trueblue2007]

4. my medicare went up. i won't get any raise at all.

[braddy]

2. You could buy 32 pounds of rice from Walmart.

[Kaleva]

5. I'll be spending mine on rice, pinto beans and such. $13 can buy a lot.

It will certainly help keep the pantry well stocked.

[braddy]

6. I buy rice and beans in bulk and while it isn't exciting eating, it does comfort me to know how that

frugal shopping not only saves me money but also keeps me better prepared for emergencies.

I wish my increase was $13.50 though.

[Kaleva]

9. I'm working on a recipe list for tasty meals made of inexpensive ingredients w a long shelf life

[panader0]

10. Please post your recipes when you make your list.

[Kaleva]

12. I'll be posting it in the Frugal and Energy Efficient Group

[braddy]

11. Could you remember to let me in on that list? How about a teaser now?

[Kaleva]

13. I'll be posting it in the Frugal and Energy Efficient Group

I have to log off for a few hours but maybe this evening i could post you a recipe I like.

[braddy]

14. Thanks, I searched for the group and subscribed.

[Kaleva]

20. Beans

The below is a variation of a recipe I found on line which I changed so it's something I can make at home even without electricity.

2 15 oz. cans of pork and beans
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

In a suitable stove top safe pot, mix the ingredients together. Simmer until sauce is slightly thickened. Stir often.

Served with rice and carrot sticks, this makes a good, well rounded meal. and this recipe is easily sizable to the situation. It can be cut in half or doubled or tripled. Depending on how many people you need to feed.

Having LP gas, this is something I can make on the stove top even if electricity is out for days. I just light the burner with a log lighter. Opened containers of ketchup and prepared mustard can last for sometime without refrigeration if kept in a cool, dark place. Worcestershire sauce (even opened), red wine vinegar, salt & pepper, brown sugar, and brown sugar can be stored in the pantry and the pork and beans are canned.

Hopefully soon I'll be able to dehydrate much of the onions I had gotten for free, being low income, back in September. It was a 50 lb bag of sweet onions. Dehydrated onions can last up to a year properly stored and I could reconstitute them in the water I use to cook the rice in.

An important note is that my wife really likes this and that's why it's taking me awhile to come up with a list of recipes. It may be made of inexpensive ingredients with a long shelf life and can be made without electricity but if she doesn't like it, it doesn't make the cut.

"1. Mustard
Shelf life: 2 months
As long as the mustard doesn’t contain fruits or vegetables, it has enough acid in it as a preservative. Yellow, Dijon, or even whole-grain can be put away in the cabinet for up to two months.

2. Ketchup
Shelf life: 1 month
If you use ketchup often, do as restaurants and diners do — just leave it out. Ketchup can be kept unrefrigerated for up to one month, but if you don’t think you’ll finish the bottle in that timeframe, it’s best to keep it in the refrigerator."

https://www.thekitchn.com/5-condiments-that-dont-have-to-be-refrigerated-tips-from-the-kitchn-215951

"Worcestershire sauce does not need to be refrigerated once the bottle has been opened, as there is nothing that can spoil in the condiment. There is a school of thought that Worcestershire sauce should be refrigerated if it is used infrequently, but this does not add to its shelf life."

https://www.reference.com/world-view/necessary-refrigerate-worcestershire-sauce-after-opening-dae77d1e455764b8

[panader0]

16. Yeah, thanks.

I had never been to that group. Some good stuff there.

[Sherman A1]

3. It is better than no increase

[UniteFightBack]

19. I agree. I don't get raises every year. nt

[retread]

21. Let me try to understand. You don't get yearly raises, therefore others getting a pittance should

be content?

[Kaleva]

24. I'm pretty happy with mine.

After the increase in the medicare premium, my net increase is $13 a month.

Being used to living on about $1300 a month, that extra few dollars helps.

[UniteFightBack]

25. Gee whiz and golly gee nowhere did I say....nowhere. At least it's something. Not great but

something.

[Andy823]

7. I get $10.00 more per month

My medicare went up also, but I have $10.00 more dollars. My dad is 90 years old and his went up $7.00. He is retired from the Air Force, so he gets that money also.

I feel sorry for those who only have SS to rely on, and with trump in office things won't get any better. We have to get out the vote this year and put him out of a job!

[YOHABLO]

8. Oh sure, they give you a COLA then decrease your food stamp allowance.

Seriously

[madamesilverspurs]

27. Yup.

COLA is a trigger for negatives, it seems. My SNAP benefits are always immediately cut by at least a matching amount. And rent goes up in June. Living on a SS check that's less than $900/month is considered residing in the lap of luxury. By the way, it's my fault that the deficit is increasing, so Trump is talking about how much fun it would be to gut SS and Medicare. How did the country get to a place where a poor person dining on more than table scraps is deemed a threat to those who have never worried about where their next meal is coming from?


.

[Wounded Bear]

15. Mine's a bit bigger, but my rent increase already covered it...

[Fullduplexxx]

17. My mother got 14 ....her condo maintenance fee went up 12

[llmart]

18. Mine went up $9.

All my other standard monthly bills went up way beyond that, so I'm actually in the hole.

How can they say the cost of living only went up a little when every freakin' standard bill I have went up?

It insults my intelligence.

[malaise]

22. Hahahahaha

Happy New Year

[panader0]

23. All the best to you mal

Prospero Ano Nuevo!

[alfredo]

26. Mine was $20 a month my VA and OPM went up a bit.

My wife now has SS, so we are better off this time around the calendar.

So I’m still cancer free, and my wife is over the moon because U of K’s dramatic win over Va Tech.
Lynn Bowden Jr U of K quarterback took control and won on will alone. First round pick for sure. His passing game was miserable until the game was on the line. 37-30.

[doc03]

28. I will get $16 after Medicare. At least that is something. I have been retired 10 years and get

no COLA on my employer pension. Eventually it will be taken over by the PBGC which is way underfunded.