Anybody Remember Back When?

[2LaneCruzer]

Yes... very much so.

Life over all has become much more complicated and I see with all of my senior friends living independently in their homes.

First... there is the ever increasing knowledge/lifestyle necessary to function... speaking of simple things.

For almost 150 years garbage was picked up at the residence... now it is curbside. The steep streets in many places make it impossible for some to physically do this... then there is the requirement to sort waste stream... this is one where otherwise smart elerly are getting caught tangled...

For instance... a pizza box goes in the Green Waste with Lawn Clippings... a box goes to Recyclable... food container glass goes to recyclable but any other glass does not.

Only certain plastic is recyclable and other is trash... or palm fronds are trash and not green waste or bacon drippings go in the green waste with lawn clippings... etc.

The fines for comingling are steep and often the customer doesn't know until months after the face when the invoice arrives.

Driving written test has questions on Hands Free, Infant Carriers, Front Facing, Rear Facing, Airbag, Drinks and Weight for Blood Alcohol... etc... my senior friends simply drive to church and market... and they are having a lot of problems after driving 60+ years.

City is notorious for sending out legal notices for abatement of trees and weeks but several of my senior friends receive these in error... the hazardous tree is on city property and neighboring property...

One poor woman was so distraught... she received a non compliance letter certified... hired a landscaper for $800 to remedy... turns out the notice was for the vacant parcel next to her... the original citation was written, "Vacant Parcel next to 123 Elm Street" and she lived at 123 Elm Street and notice was sent to 123 Elm Street.

Tech is a huge burden... before you got up and turned on the TV without having 50 or more buttons to foul you up... senior friends are often having trouble with new tech... TV, Telephones or needed information and being directed to a website... but they don't own computers.

We have to make information available in 27 languages but we can't have it so a senior can speak to a person to accomplish a task.

A water bill in the old days was quite manageable... often of little consequence... today, expect to pay about $65 dollars a month in fees and fixed charges BEFORE a drop of water flows...

Opting in and Opting out is another one... like Electric Service since there is a new regional seller of electricity... so you would have different companies to call for different problems.

One thing I have helped many seniors with is getting rid of cable... digital convertor and they can watch the news and Jeopardy in peace and save $80 a month.

One of my friends had a new Furnace installed... I went to her house and she was bundled up... said she can't understand how to work the thermostat... and it is a WiFi unit with remote monitoring… optimal start stop with several Run Programs...

I took it out and replaced it with a simple analog stat... off to the left and slide to the right for the temp you want... She was ecstatic… made a friend for life and I am not kidding.

I could use you at my house...however, we live in the suburbs (formerly rural) so we don't have quite the problems the big city folks have, but would like to get my TV/telephone/internet situation down to a dull roar. When we originally signed up, was about $100 a month, now about double that. Got one of those warning letters myself; trees overhanging the street and the poor, wimpy garbage snow flake couldn't bear them scraping the grease off the top of his baby. Had a notion to inform them that our street is private, and not a city street, but figured cutting the limbs would be better than pushing the garbage out to the highway and paying for street maintenance.

Happy New Year everyone!

 

[ultrarunner]

I could use you at my house...however, we live in the suburbs (formerly rural) so we don't have quite the problems the big city folks have, but would like to get my TV/telephone/internet situation down to a dull roar. When we originally signed up, was about $100 a month, now about double that. Got one of those warning letters myself; trees overhanging the street and the poor, wimpy garbage snow flake couldn't bear them scraping the grease off the top of his baby. Had a notion to inform them that our street is private, and not a city street, but figured cutting the limbs would be better than pushing the garbage out to the highway and paying for street maintenance.

Happy New Year everyone!

Happy New Year right back at ya!

 

[turnkey4099]

Actually, accounting for inflation, gas is even cheaper now than it was back then. That is how much the buying power of a dollar has been eroded by inflation.

Thanks, that is a little point that people forget when talking "the good old days".

 

[turnkey4099]

That new car cost 385 hours of your work.

Bruce

Yep, but vehicle prices are one theing that do not compute inflation wise. A wage of 6.50 would buy a car on a 3 year loan back then, now the average working buy needs a 7 year or more loan.

 

[turnkey4099]

The little Pinto Runabout was fun to drive and the Vega felt like you were in a row boat. My most comfortable and smooth riding small car was a 1961 Plymouth Valiant.

I had the 62 Valiant with all he accessories (used car). Only problem I ever had wih it was overheating down south with the Air Condidtioner running.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Inflation or criminality at the highest levels?

 

[MHarryE]

I started my first full time job in 1968 and at my pay the top tax level was 32%. I retired in 2009 and my tax rate was 28%. If I made the same amount of money in 1967 that I made in 2009 my rate would have been 70%. The highest rate in 2009 was 35%. I can’t remember the exact figures now but I paid a significantly higher portion of my gross pay in federal income tax in 1967 than I did in 2009. I calculated that back in 2010 because I was retired and thinking of things to do to kill idle time.

 

[ultrarunner]

If Fed Income Taxes decreased it sure seems like new taxes crept in... especially here in California.

 

[k0ua]

So who is paying over $3.00 for unleaded regular?

$1.67 in Nixa Mo. Even here in Branson, which is noted for high fuel prices it is $1.86

Hard to believe that a product now costing $3.29 pre gallon was ever that cheap.

 

[ultrarunner]

Everyone here in the SF Bay Area... and prices vary... one of the least expensive in the County is $3.19 and a couple of blocks away it is $3.49 and I have seen higher in SF Proper.