About ready to give up. One thing after another. Being a Senior is not fun.

[Paper Roses]

I know, I should be happy to have reached the ripe old age of 74 but I am now overwhelmed.

The crappy SS check only goes so far. No Cost of Living increase this year. What the heck index does the government use. House taxes up over $400.00 per quarter, car insurance on my 10 year old car up $200.00, House insurance up about $300.00, Everything is up. I keep my situation to myself but those of you on SS will understand. $13,000.00 a year goes nowhere. I am now facing a Vet bill for my kitty at over $1,100.00.

Since I am a widow, my kitty is my daily company. I can not let her go unattended. I will charge the treatment and pay forever.

Got to love the "Golden Years". I sure am sick of soup, stew, hot dogs and baloney sandwiches.
!@#$%^&*()_+

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. FWIW, any cost of living would have been eaten by an increased Medicare deductible.

I am so sorry you do not live in a state with a homestead exemption law that lets you be exempt from property taxes.

Is there any way you can shop for lower house and car insurance? Do you have both with the same company?
Our insurance company threatened to drop us unless we put on a new roof. We knew we would have to replace it in a few years,
but they gave us 6 months...huge hole in our emergency stash fund.

Quite honestly I could not afford a vet bill that large myself, and would have a hard decision to make on our elderly fur babies.

[Downwinder]

2. Received your 2016 Medicare Part "D" rates yet?

Mine with "Extra Help" went up 400%.

[ellenrr]

3. I empathize with you. My only income is soc sec, 11,000 a year

and you are right - it goes nowhere.
My cat died exactly one year ago. She had been sick for a while. I could not afford the tests let alone the treatment. So when it was clear that she was suffering, I decided to have her euthanized. They charge $100-$200 to kill a cat!
even when I told them I was a senior on a fixed-income.
The vet that I had gone to for 15 years with this cat would give be a 5% senior discount. Big deal!
this country sucks.
Fortunately my brother helped me out.
Otherwise what would one do- watch a beloved pet die slowly?
kill them yourself?

Now I have no cat. For the first time in my life. I want one SO bad. Every time I see a picture of a kitty my heart breaks. But I cannot afford it. I cannot pay for vet bills.

Good luck to you and your precious kitty.

ps- maybe try crowd-funder, I think it is called. It is when you go online and ask strangers to contribute $. A friend of mine did that for a huge vet bill, but --- she recieved a very small amount compared to what was needed.

[Stardust]

4. I'm considering fostering a pet. The organizatios pay for vets and maybe food. I vowed to not have

any more pets until I could afford the vet bills, and sadly that day never came. But the foster-care just might fill the void.

[ellenrr]

5. I thot about checking into that. but I would get so attached to the animal.

I'm sure you've already thot of that, and decided you can handle it.
You are doing a good deed, I know that orgs that find homes, like to have the pet acclimated to humans.

If we didn't live in a f-ckin' capitalist hell, I would have a cat.
I miss my cat every day.

good luck to you. I hope this works out well...

[glinda]

6. golly....here.....

https://www.facebook.com/notes/dachshund-rescue-south-florida/resources-for-financial-help-for-veterinary-bills/10151165829365837
http://www.giveforward.com/p/help-with-vet-bills/paying-veterinary-bills
http://www.dogingtonpost.com/need-help-with-vet-bills-or-pet-food-there-are-resources-available/

there are others also....

And yes...husband and I are also seniors and our monthly expenses went up about $550 in the last five months.

[SheilaT]

7. All I can offer is sympathy for those whose only income is Social Security.

It is not enough. Maybe if there are two of you, and you own your pllace outright, and are exempt from taxes because of being seniors, and you are totally healthy, maybe then you can make it. Otherwise? I shudder to think.

SheilaT who is 67 but has income other than SS.