I see where Social Security cola will be 2.8% for 2026. The real kicker is Medicare deduction will increase from $185 to $206.50 (11.6%). I hope my wife's SS will increase enough to cover the Medicare increase. And the annual deductible for part B is expected to rise from $257 to $288.
Money & Economics
- Thread starter bigredfish
- Start date
The other dirty detail is that the COLA pushes all the recipients closer to that taxation on 85% of the SS benefit. On a long enough timeline all recipients will be pushed into the 85% level that has never been indexed for inflation.
StevenFromTexas
Getting comfortable
Social Security payouts should not be taxed at all and they should be increased by the real inflation rate which is probably well north of 8%.
StevenFromTexas
Getting comfortable
And that results in a NASTY real tax increase.
I see Gas prices are coming down, saw $2.25 at an Exxon heading to work tonight. Got this on the way home...
A pic I took on the way to work:
A pic I took on the way to work:
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All Living on Borrowed Time...
While listing the debt of the different countries is interesting, I don't think it has any meaning beyond that. There must be a stat that means something, like debt per citizen, debt compared to GDP, or compared to the size of the economy, or whatever. Would the US look so bad (relatively) with a stat that means something? Also, without Russia on that list, it feels rather incomplete to me. Aside from that, I agree with the living on borrowed time statement.
How much gas do you use each month? / week?
Now that we’re retired we use about one tank per vehicle per month. Max
So 37 gal x $1 .gal or a savings of $37 p/mo x 12 = -$444 p/yr
My grocery bill +$100, electric bill +$50, and housing costs +$50, have gone up collectively $200 p/mo - +$2400 p/yr
Oh I forgot, we’re saving $5 p/mo on eggs
I think folks focus on what they want/tell you to focus on
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My wife didn't work very much so her SS was a little over $1000 for 2025. I figured that at 2.8% - $206.50 for Medicare her net increase for 2026 is $2. 2027 will probably be a cut in pay.
mat200
IPCT Contributor
- Jan 17, 2017
- 17,057
- 28,767
I here you, from where we use to live and where we live now is about 100 miles one way, so 200 miles, each trip (About 2-3 trips a month avg.). I drove to Humble yesterday evening for work which was about 220 round trip. Our other towns we drive to are about 40-50 miles one way, so 100 miles round trip.How much gas do you use each month? / week?
Now that we’re retired we use about one tank per vehicle per month. Max
So 37 gal x $1 .gal or a savings of $37 p/mo
My grocery bill +$100, electric bill +$100, and housing costs +$50, have gone up collectively $250 p/mo
Oh I forgot, we’re saving $5 p/mo on eggs
I think folks focus on what they want/tell you to focus on
My truck just hit 10k after having it one year. The wife's car I would add maybe 7500 per year. 17,500 about 1450 miles a month, figure about 400 miles a tank. We use about 3.5 full tanks a month. More than I want to use but our Doctors and family are still in the City, we did do one good thing this past week, we scheduled 4 appointments in one day.
The year before last, prior to us selling our house I drove back weekly, 800 miles a month, so hat was about 10k added to our car. After we sold the house I bought my truck last year.
We are gas shoppers, always looking for the cheapest gas in route...I know it is not alot of savings but guess it is our game looking to save a buck, lol
Our electric bill has gone down from last year, but not by cost, by usage (weather, we never hit 100 this year). Our Vehicle Ins. went down by $100 a year, just got our renewal notice, and we just got our property tax which went down $1k from last year.
Groceries, yep we are not seeing any change, still way too high though. But we have seen restaurants increase their prices, had one owner tell us they have tried to not increase but since grocery prices have not decreased they had to finally increase prices. So we are limiting our going out to eating habit to about once a week now. One good thing in our older age we are eating less, just about every time we go out to eat we are both bringing home half of each of our meals.
I still mainly blame the Plandemic for all this over inflated prices. I think we are stuck with these prices, sadly...
But as we have all seen our Healthcare has increase, well my wife's Part B, her Part D is still zero cost for her meds. Wellcare is who she changed to last year and just found out it is the same no meds cost next year, free meds for her. But she is on Tier one generic meds, so they are not very expensive anyway...her Gap Ins. Supplement plan has only increased $10 a year for the last two years...due to her health being so good she was able to get on a plan that costs her $150 a month, it was $136 when she started it. I know she is on a G plan, F was no longer available when she started. But the Part B & D increase will cost her/us more...I think B was $170 when she started...so $40 a month increase in 4 years (includes next year)...
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17,500 about 1450 miles a month, figure about 400 miles a tank. We use about 3.5 full tanks a month.
Our electric bill has gone down from last year, but not by cost, by usage (weather, we never hit 100 this year). Our Vehicle Ins. went down by $100 a year, just got our renewal notice, and we just got our property tax which went down $1k from last year.
I'm gonna say you're in a 1% cohort for retired folks
Our electric bill has gone down from last year, but not by cost, by usage (weather, we never hit 100 this year). Our Vehicle Ins. went down by $100 a year, just got our renewal notice, and we just got our property tax which went down $1k from last year.
I'm gonna say you're in a 1% cohort for retired folks
Ssayer
BIT Beta Team
My wife and I own a 2009 Honda CRV, which is our only vehicle. It has 133,000 miles on it. Where does that put us? 
Haha, sure does not feel like it
To add, we have been finding places to eat that cost us between $7 to $10 a meal, lol...how?
Well one place we pay $13 for a Mongolian Bowl, you pick you own, both of usually end up taking 2/3s home and are able to have 2 more meals each...haha...the bowl has about a 1/3 rice though...guess we are on a Rice Diet
Other places, I can get a 16-18 ounce steak at most of the restaurants in our area from $30-32k, there again, I take half or sometimes 2/3s home so $10 meal there. If the wife has steak too, I usually end up with her take home too.
We have 3 Mexican restaurants we go to that still has meals under $10. No take home there
We just found another deal from a place we go to, at lunch they have $8.50 meals, no these are not senior meals. Oh and they also have $10 meals which include a drink.
But all of the above are 30-60 miles depending on which town we go to. In town, we do have good food too, just a bit more in cost.
Sadly, now a days, if you can get away with a $10-15 lunch you are doing good...
The wife does great at cooking at home, we avg. $5 or less each a meal at home. She does roast, casseroles, meals that last us a few days...bought a cooked brisket at Sam's Club for $20 that I got four meals out of...
We have always been penny pinchers, now that we are retired, well the wife, we watch it even more closely. We are not coupon cutters but are deal seekers...