Over the past couple of months, I’ve heard, or read, several reports that our economy is improving. Those reports leave me wondering if they are simply a political ploy orchestrated by politicians looking to be re-elected because I don’t see the economy in the world I live in showing many signs of improvement. I don’t know how many Record readers feel the same way I do, especially the retired ones living on fixed incomes, but when I walk down the grocery store aisle where the meat is displayed I walk by, look at the prices, and shake my head in disbelief. I simply can’t afford to pay $22 for a steak that wouldn’t feed more than one person. I cringe when I need butter because it’s almost $5 for a pound. I could list more, but since nearly all of us shop for groceries, it isn’t really necessary. I’m not sure I could name a product in a grocery store right now that feels like it’s priced reasonably and I spend a lot of time looking for items that are “buy one, get one” so money can be saved. I am unaware of what a gallon of gasoline costs back home in Minnesota, but the price here is in the $3.50 range and hasn’t fluctuated too much. It’s sad to me that I feel good if I find a gas pump where the price is marked closer to the $3 per gallon mark because that’s still close to double what it was a few years ago (before COVID). I’ve learned quickly that Florida is probably one of the highest-priced areas when it concerns insurance – both for home and auto. Just the other day an email came to me that told me I could save on my auto insurance. Naturally, I was interested, so I clicked the link. Within seconds I had insurance agents calling me. I didn’t need to talk to more than one, but what I learned was this: I can get cheaper auto insurance if I reduce my liability coverage to $10,000. I’ve always bought good coverage, so I asked the agent to quote me for 250,000/500,000 – I was glad I was seated. The price I can expect to pay for that coverage upon renewal will be $337/month if I don’t lower my limits. It’s sad, but most people on fixed incomes cannot afford that much for auto insurance, so I will be forced to look at lower limits and higher deductibles because I figure, without much doubt, that my Social Security payments are not going to go up enough to cover that cost, and I know I can’t go without insurance. If you’ve been through a drive-thru, or out to eat, you know those prices have gone up too. The funny thing is, it’s not the restaurant owners’ greed, higher prices are because everything is costing more, including labor, and the restaurants are forced to charge more to keep their doors open. More examples point to a disconnect between what we’re being told about the economy and what the economy actually is, but if you pay your bills, you already know what they are. I wish I had the answer, but something has to change. **** Isn’t it hilarious that some in our government call Social Security a “benefit” – if you receive it you and your employer(s) paid into it any time you were employed. That money was collected by our government, but it belongs to us.
Have A Good Week!
