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Post by martywny on Jun 26, 2022 20:00:02 GMT -5
I paid into my teacher's pension for plenty enough years, and the City put in some matching funds in lieu of a higher salary. The money was well invested by those running the system That's the way it is supposed to work but in some cases, our government has contracted to provide pensions without provisions to fully fund them as part of the contract and were never put in place after the contracts went into effect. At some point, the issue will be brought into the limelight, more than likely in a campaign statement.
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Post by emmsmommy on Jun 26, 2022 20:33:31 GMT -5
I'd have to say my shopping habits have changed quite a bit since COVID. Hubby worked 5-7 days a week and I only committed to working weekends so it was simple to stop at the grocery store on the way home and pick up whatever. The fuel prices have put a damper on shopping as well as we try and combine several tasks into one trip. For instance we will start our shopping in one town Tuesday, stop at the hospital and get x-rays, do the thrift store pick up, probably a Walmart run and then on to the next town where hubby is to have a procedure done by the eye specialist and make a business deposit. It's a lot in one day and we're hoping kiddo can have a grandma day as it will be too much time in the car for her. If we separated everything into two individual days we'd be looking at around 104 miles, by doing it in one day we'll only be traveling 68 miles.
If I buy any produce it will likely be shredded carrots and onions. The garden is producing enough right now to fill the gap. Besides milk and bread, I usually have peanut butter on my list as hubby and kiddo are crazy about the Kroger honey roasted variety and I generally buy four jars at a time. Hubby devours sliced cheese so usually buy four packs of those too. I'm on an herbal infusion and cold brew tea kick so will stock up on a few flavors I really like. I'll pick up some sort of meat if it looks good and the price is right and of course I suspect a pack of two of Oreos will fall into the cart as well. Other than that I'll check and see if toilet paper and paper towels are in stock though I'm using far less of the latter. May pick up some snack food as well as I have no idea just how long kiddo will be in surgery Thursday. That will probably take care of what's left of the grocery budget for this month. Next month I hope to start buying some of the winter essentials like laundry detergent, soaps, deodorants, shampoos, etc. I actually did pretty good last year as I'm on my last bottle of shampoo and have another bottle of detergent yet to be opened. So I feel I definitely shop smarter now than a few years ago.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Jun 26, 2022 22:05:20 GMT -5
Here's something else, the futures market. Commodities traders have an effect on gas prices and in a nation so dependent on oil, all fuels should be bought and sold by the government instead of the markets; we do not need more people in the middle adding layers of profit to the price. Any thoughts on that one? I can't claim enough knowledge to accurately assess the futures market, especially for fuels, but I do question whether or not the government COULD adequately and w/o partisanship handle purchasing and selling fuels. I think it would quickly become political, and possibly weighted down by what seems to be increased political infighting. Another issue is that, w/o doing any research, I don't know if the government has authority to do so, and if it doesn't, legislation could also be tied in in political friction, not to mention the goodies legislators would use to pack the legislation in favor of their constituencies. There's also the FPRs, and I wonder if another version specific to fuel purchase would be created. Not only would that be lengthy and likely subject to political manipulation, but it could and probably would offer safe haven for legislator's pet projects. Years ago when I worked for an agency getting government funding, I read the FPRs, cover to cover - work was slow and I had nothing else to do. I was shocked and appalled at the special interest goodies hidden among contract issues. Interesting question; I'm going to dig out my econ texts as well as do some online research to see if I can offer a better response.
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Post by martywny on Jun 27, 2022 5:12:54 GMT -5
I do question whether or not the government COULD adequately and w/o partisanship handle purchasing and selling fuels. I look at the Federal Reserve Board and the IRS as two government agencies that are somewhat capable of doing their jobs with minimal outside influence. I also remember a time when people could not own gold, FDR implemented that back in 1933, which is my basis for thinking that maybe something similar could be done with oil. Unfortunately, not everyone enters politics for 'the better good' because there is so much money thrown at politicians.
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Post by martywny on Jun 27, 2022 5:22:00 GMT -5
Okay back to the government controlling fuel. What's to say that they won't decide to issue fuel allotments in the future? If you control the essential element to get to place to place, wouldn't you essentially control the people? It would have to be implemented by a law that would allow the government to only buy and sell without profit in order to eliminate that additional layer of cost.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Jun 27, 2022 10:55:16 GMT -5
It would have to be implemented by a law that would allow the government to only buy and sell without profit in order to eliminate that additional layer of cost. I would support that, but wonder how all the greedy hands could be kept out of the mix. I could easily imagine legislators with stock, relatives or other interests in fuel wanting to get a piece of the action. And, alas, I doubt there's a way to change that kind of greed other than by legislation, in which some of those responsible for creating it are involved. I would agree with your statement about the Federal Reserve; the IRS...not so sure, as while it might be more independent, accountants, attorneys and others with access to funds know how to manipulate the regs to their advantage.
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Post by emmsmommy on Jul 5, 2022 19:51:30 GMT -5
Picked up some pantry staples today and have to say I'm still suffering from sticker shock! I hadn't bought maple syrup in almost a year and was shocked to see the brand I usually buy went up $4 from last year. Just about everything else went up at least a dollar. The lady ahead of me in line lacked less than a dollar of having enough to pay for her groceries. She was contemplating what she could do without and while I was searching for change to offer her, the cashier told her not to worry about it and pulled a dollar out of her own pocket. I thanked the cashier for doing that and she explained that she been in that situation a few times too. It's nice to see a little compassion in the world.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Jul 6, 2022 10:49:14 GMT -5
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Post by emmsmommy on Jul 6, 2022 20:26:27 GMT -5
SpringRain🕊️, thank you. I didn't realize so much of the world was experiencing drought conditions. I can see where this will impact food prices even more. Yet my hubby thinks I'm absolutely nuts when I run out to empty rain buckets instead of using the hose to fill the rain barrels. We're on the municipal water supply but there's three wells on this property. The one we were previously hooked to is over 330' deep and the pump died many years ago. We attempted to pull it out but it wouldn't budge. The other apparently went dry and was the reason for the last well being dug. When you toss a rock in you can hear it hit water after a few seconds. I think my first hubby said it was about 200'. The other well was a hand-drilled well that supplied the old house that my first husband's family and relatives before that lived in. I'd heard about it, but didn’t discover it until we tore the porch off the old house. When I last measured it was 28' to the surface of the water and it was a bit shallow as if the bailer went down too far, you'd come up with muddy water. I used it to water animals for a few years when we had goats but never had it tested for water quality. That was mostly due to the fact that the county health departments changed their rules on water sampling. At one time you could just take a sample in and have it tested but when I inquired about fifteen years ago, someone would have to come out and collect the sample and I wasn't comfortable with that as I suspected they may insist the well be sealed off since we were on the municipal supply (I've heard stories of this happening). I really need to look into ordering a water test for that well as it would be nice to have a safe source of drinking water if needed. I'm also looking into a small pump to use to supply the greenhouse with water from that well. As for the garden, I'll continue improving the soil, composting and mulching to conserve as much water as possible. While we aren't experiencing drought conditions at the moment, a month without rain sure could put a damper on things.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Jul 6, 2022 21:14:45 GMT -5
emmsmommy my parents' area had been on well water for years, and Dad began to laboriously dig another when their well went dry. My sister convinced them to get the water tested first, which they did, and learned that the water wasn't appropriate for drinking. Eventually the township forced everyone to switch to township provided water. I'm wondering about your using wells for your crops. I've been thinking about getting a second freezer just for water. Who knows when the shortage will affect my area??? Curious, especially martywny, can a homeowner purify water, not just with a Brita or similar filter but with a test kit and remedial products, or can it just be boiled as it is when municipal water supplies develop problems? (Flint, Michigan would have been an exception though.)
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Post by 2guysnagarden on Jul 6, 2022 21:31:22 GMT -5
We definitely plan to keep expanding our current garden to be able to grow as much of our own food as possible. Living in a suburban town we are lucky to have a yard of decent size to be able to grow a good amount of food. Canning, dehydrating, storing our grow food is in our future along with making as much of our own spices as we can. Our ultimate goal would be to find a few acres on the out skirts of town to expand our small urban homestead.
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Post by emmsmommy on Jul 6, 2022 21:38:43 GMT -5
SpringRain🕊️, Berkey water filters are supposed to be very good at removing contaminants but the price has kept me from investing in one. In a SHTF situation I'd probably just boil the well water unless the spring over the hill was actually running, which is only does in winter and a few weeks into spring. Good reason to put more effort into storing extra drinking water.
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Post by emmsmommy on Jul 6, 2022 21:55:06 GMT -5
2guysnagarden, are there any community gardens nearby that you could possibly get a spot in? Maybe someone with a large yard that would be interesting in letting you use part of it for gardening? I know it's not the same as owning it but it could be a way to expand while looking for the perfect piece of land.
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Post by gianna on Jul 6, 2022 22:49:02 GMT -5
Berkey water filters are supposed to be very good at removing contaminants but the price has kept me from investing in one. years ago I purchased a couple black berkey filter replacements, rigged up my own gravity fed system, and am still using it. I run our municipal water through it, and it really makes a difference taste-wise, and I assume removing some things. Our tap water is 'safe' but wretched. I use the Berkey water for cooking and certain hot beverages, and bottled water for hot tea and drinking water. I did just check the price of these filters, and egads, they have gotten very expensive. Mine were probably somewhere between $50 and 100 a decade ago. Not cheap, but doable. At the rate I use this filtered water, each filter should last a decade. They say 3,000 gallons for one filter. I also save as much rain as I can and use that for plants in containers, seedligns, etc. Tap water used for potted plants creates a crust on the soil there are so many minerals in it. In my part of the world water has always been a problem. But it's such a nice place to live, more and more people come here, adding to the strain on water supplies.
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Post by martywny on Jul 7, 2022 6:36:56 GMT -5
can a homeowner purify water, not just with a Brita or similar filter but with a test kit and remedial products, or can it just be boiled as it is when municipal water supplies develop problems? The proverbial can of worms! Just when you think you have the answer, "per and polyfluoroalkyl substances" or PFAS, show up on your doorstep. Steam distillation and reverse osmosis are both good at purifying water but do take out some of the good minerals as well. There are some great filters out there, Berkey (as others have mentioned) being one of the better ones. It may be pricey, but I think it's cheap when compared to the cost of a few visits to the doctor. I use tap water for cooking and coffee, and bottled water for drinking. You can ask for test results from your municipal system and also find test results for bottled water. testaqua.com/spring-water-tests/poland-spring-water-test/ is an interesting site with both test results and test supplies. Just remember, a comprehensive water test goes way beyond what most folks can or want to afford but is affordable as a community effort if you really want to know what you're drinking.
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