With millions of people waiting for their $1.50 net increase in their paychecks, I'm grinning a little smugly, because I already got mine. There it was. My first increase in my Social Security check in three years.
Now, to be clear I didn't get my pile of filthy lucre because of some clandestine late-night deal in Congress, No Latino's had their immigration status held hostage while my increase was debated. No, mine was a matter of an increase in the Cost of Living Adjustment. Now, I sensed that the stuff I buy has been going up a fairly noticeable rate for the past three years, but no. I was wrong. I was wrong because I did not know how it's calculated. Until...I Googled it.
COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment)
https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-the-cost-of-living-adjustment-3305736
"The government includes COLA for recipients of Social Security benefits. COLA helps retirees, who are on a fixed income, maintain a viable standard of living in the face of inflation.
"COLA bases its increases on the Consumer Price Index. That's the federal government's official measurement of inflation. It measures changes in the prices of 80,000 goods and services. COLA is triggered when prices go up."
I guess I failed to include one or two of those 80,000 items in my calculations. And to be fair, let me admit some failings here, I don't understand the infield fly rule in baseball, offsides violations in Hockey, what constitutes a completed pass in Football and how to compute the COLA.
But there it was. My increase. Wow! So my greedy little mind took over for a moment. It displaced my truly magnanimous charitable mind. What could I do with this windfall? If I saved each month and invested in a conservative market like a savings account or maybe municipal bonds, how many months would it take before I could order a custom made Fedora from The Brass Rooster in Milwaukee? Realistically, I'd be wagering that I'm going to be really old before this is possible. I'm thinking, Fedora's will be out of fashion by the time I save enough.
On the bright side, I will have enough money to afford bibs to keep the front of my shirts free of my drool. Drool is not a problem now, but I've been warned it could be. I retorted, to the person who warned me of uncontrollable drooling by senior citizens, that hell would freeze over before I succumbed to that condition. After further review, the timeline showed me that would be about the time I would have saved enough of my COLA to buy the Fedora.
I will admit my increase is more per month than the hapless teacher whom Paul Ryan claimed that her tax reduction will cover her Costco membership. And that is a good thing because of the money she will save when she buys supplies for her students that the school can't afford.
In contrast, mine will cover that necessary expense of a Costco Membership, but it's not enough to pay for my Netflix fee. Just to give you a better way to get the picture here, I can afford to enjoy Netflix. However, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Jeff Besos can take their increased income under the new middle-class tax bill and buy Netflix.
Not that the difference isn't a good thing. After all, we know that later in the process, all of the extra money we give the wealthy will be spent, and the benefits will trickle down to us. I was told that thirty years ago by Jack Kemp, Paul Ryan's Godfather. While I'm still waiting and hopeful, the atmosphere is growing tense, and doubt is creeping in.
Tomorrow February 14th is a rare occurrence of both Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday.
If you have a hole in your heart, be sure and fill it with love. Don't leave it to become an Ash Hole.
From Camp Jeff in the Shadow of Lambeau Field
Live life to the fullest, may your glass never be empty.
But remember, if you have a 24-ounce bottle when you start your journey
if you drink 12 oz. you're experiencing a half flasked trip.
Now, to be clear I didn't get my pile of filthy lucre because of some clandestine late-night deal in Congress, No Latino's had their immigration status held hostage while my increase was debated. No, mine was a matter of an increase in the Cost of Living Adjustment. Now, I sensed that the stuff I buy has been going up a fairly noticeable rate for the past three years, but no. I was wrong. I was wrong because I did not know how it's calculated. Until...I Googled it.
COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment)
https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-the-cost-of-living-adjustment-3305736
"The government includes COLA for recipients of Social Security benefits. COLA helps retirees, who are on a fixed income, maintain a viable standard of living in the face of inflation.
"COLA bases its increases on the Consumer Price Index. That's the federal government's official measurement of inflation. It measures changes in the prices of 80,000 goods and services. COLA is triggered when prices go up."
I guess I failed to include one or two of those 80,000 items in my calculations. And to be fair, let me admit some failings here, I don't understand the infield fly rule in baseball, offsides violations in Hockey, what constitutes a completed pass in Football and how to compute the COLA.
But there it was. My increase. Wow! So my greedy little mind took over for a moment. It displaced my truly magnanimous charitable mind. What could I do with this windfall? If I saved each month and invested in a conservative market like a savings account or maybe municipal bonds, how many months would it take before I could order a custom made Fedora from The Brass Rooster in Milwaukee? Realistically, I'd be wagering that I'm going to be really old before this is possible. I'm thinking, Fedora's will be out of fashion by the time I save enough.
On the bright side, I will have enough money to afford bibs to keep the front of my shirts free of my drool. Drool is not a problem now, but I've been warned it could be. I retorted, to the person who warned me of uncontrollable drooling by senior citizens, that hell would freeze over before I succumbed to that condition. After further review, the timeline showed me that would be about the time I would have saved enough of my COLA to buy the Fedora.
I will admit my increase is more per month than the hapless teacher whom Paul Ryan claimed that her tax reduction will cover her Costco membership. And that is a good thing because of the money she will save when she buys supplies for her students that the school can't afford.
In contrast, mine will cover that necessary expense of a Costco Membership, but it's not enough to pay for my Netflix fee. Just to give you a better way to get the picture here, I can afford to enjoy Netflix. However, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Jeff Besos can take their increased income under the new middle-class tax bill and buy Netflix.
Not that the difference isn't a good thing. After all, we know that later in the process, all of the extra money we give the wealthy will be spent, and the benefits will trickle down to us. I was told that thirty years ago by Jack Kemp, Paul Ryan's Godfather. While I'm still waiting and hopeful, the atmosphere is growing tense, and doubt is creeping in.
Tomorrow February 14th is a rare occurrence of both Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday.
If you have a hole in your heart, be sure and fill it with love. Don't leave it to become an Ash Hole.
From Camp Jeff in the Shadow of Lambeau Field
Live life to the fullest, may your glass never be empty.
But remember, if you have a 24-ounce bottle when you start your journey
if you drink 12 oz. you're experiencing a half flasked trip.
COLA bases its increases on the Consumer Price Index. That's the federal government's official measurement of inflation. It measures changes in the prices of 80,000 goods and services. COLA is triggered when prices go up.COLA bases its increases on the Consumer Price Index. That's the federal government's official measurement of inflation. It measures changes in the prices of 80,000 goods and services. COLA is triggered when prices go up.COLA bases its increases on the Consumer Price Index. That's the federal government's official measurement of inflation. It measures changes in the prices of 80,000 goods and services. COLA is triggered when prices go up.
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