We are ALL smokers now!

a reply to: theabsolutetruth

You really do live in la-la land, don't you? Wake up and smell the sewage.

I started off life on a good trajectory. I went to university, qualified with a BSc in physics. I got a job in a laboratory doing physical testing on a companies final product, to make sure it was safe and within the companies specifications. Then, I got cancer, probably caused by some of the noxious compounds that were around me in the lab, but this could never be proven.

After a 3 year battle with cancer, I returned to the 'market place'. I didn't want to go and work in a lab again, all things considered, and because my education was so specific to working in a lab, I found it hard to get another job. I eventually ended up working in the kitchen of a restauraunt. I started to rebuild my life, I had an income, I started night school, to retrain as a computer programmer.

Around this point it was discovered that I had type 2 diabetes mellitius. Not a big issue at that point.

I went rock climbing with some friends of mine, and fell, shattering my right leg. Yes, some will say 'thats your own fault', and they'd be correct. I don't blame anyone for that. However the long term result was a loss of mobility. The break was so severe it impaired the blood flow to the leg, and effectivly confined me to a wheelchair. I can walk, but no more than 20 meters or so, without extreme pain.

The sudden sedentry lifestyle, coupled with the afore mentioned DM eventuall resulted in an eye condition known as diabetic retinopathy. In other words, I'm going blind. It can be treated but only to a certain extent, and not cured.

I was placed, initially on Incapacity Benefit after a lot of medical exams, and told that because of my conditions, I would never be expected to work again. The new government's healthcare policies revoked that, and once again I was subjected to a lot of medical questioning and testing. The outcome was much the same, the DM told me I probably shouldn't be expected to work again, as its quite obvious that given my condition, I would be unable to. However the changes in the law meant that he could only award me Contribution Based ESA for 5 years, then I'd have to be reassessed.

Contribution based ESA means I have an income, but it is somewhat less than it was under IB. It also means I am not eligible for rent our council tax support. The local council has some discretionary power over this, and decided that I only oave to pay £80 per fortnight towards my rent. They would make up the rest.

I won't go into the minutae of my financial position, save to say that after the rent, council tax, water is paid, I have £20 a fortnight left, with which I have to pay for gas, electric, food, clothing, travel expenses (travel expenses to hospital are refunded so can be excluded).

The simple reality of it is, I have on average, £5 per fortnight left for food, during summer when I don't need to pay for heating as much as its warm out. Less in winter.

I don't own a fridge or freezer, they cost too much electricity to run. Which is actually pretty bad, as my insulin is meant to be kept cool. The doctor understands this, and gives me smaller prescriptions of it, more frequently. I don't own a TV, the licence fee is too much for my budget. I own a PC, its even an alienware desktop, but only becase my best friend bought it me as a birthday present 3 years ago. He lets me bludge off his wifi. I came close to selling it several times, just to be able to afford to eat. He stopped me every time because he knows I love that PC.

I've not been able to afford new clothes in over 10 years. Not even ones from Oxfam. Even a pair of oxfam trousers are a significant chunk out of my food budget.

For some reason, social services told me I don't meet the requirements to qualify to use a food bank. They did give me the reasons, they didn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

Sure, companies like Tesco do home delivery for about £5. Oh wait, thats my entire food budget. Iceland do free delivery, but you have to spend at least £25 in a single visit to qualify.

So how do I manage to buy "organic flour" which costs only 50p more? I don't. I'd rather take that 50p and buy the non-organic, chemical laden stuff for 23p, and a bag of pasta.

So please, stop living in la-la land, and realise that poverty is very real and people have to make very harsh choices about heat or eat.

Occasionally my friend will buy me a pizza. Or take me out shopping in his car, or pay for my shopping occasionally, and refill my larder properly. It makes me feel bad to accept, but realistically, what choice do I have?

Edit: To add:
I supplement my food with things I grow in the garden. I have 4 gooseberry bushes, 2 blackberry bushes, a plum tree, and I grow tomatoes and cabbage in the borders where most people would grow flowers.

a reply to: BMorris

Instead of criticising, actually read the things I wrote.

I worked for years for a Resettlement Agency, teaching lifeskills, budgeting, attending psychiatric hearings etc for resettling homeless people.

A lot of those were in worse condition than the health and financial stress you mentioned of yourself.

I also ensured they were getting the correct payments from the government.

In my educated opinion, it sounds like you aren't. I suggest you talk to CAB or ask for a reassessment.

As for budgeting, the items I mentioned started at 20p for 500g pasta, 40p for 1kg rice, these things cost less than any processed foods.

As for not having a freezer etc it sounds like you might be entitled to free solar panels that covers some electrical costs. There are government grants for such things as essentials and furniture projects that provide such items for free. There are also clothes banks that provide free clothes. Food banks do not need an application, they are there for those than need it.

Again, your case sounds extreme but the suggestions I made are good economic sense. The organic flour, I already answered to another posted that got angry that I mentioned it. It was a response to another poster. it wasn't a general suggestion.

Some people really can't understand anything, just criticizing instead of being thankful for good advice.

I do not need to give any advice at all. I even went to the bother of listing these items.

Your situation is not my fault.

originally posted by: BMorris
a reply to: theabsolutetruth

You really do live in la-la land, don't you? Wake up and smell the sewage.

Cancer, immobility, diabetes, blindness, poverty and I assume, pain, which you don't even mention.

My heart goes out to you.

Some people will never understand. Don't pay any attention to them.

I am impressed with your garden.

Keep your chin up friend.

a reply to: theabsolutetruth

You obviously don't understand how things work in Amerika. Spend a year or two over here and then tell us how you ate for less than the garbage food costs.

a reply to: haarvik

It is possible to purchase healthier food here for less than processed foods, FACT.

I posted some examples. If you don't like it, tough!

Some people really just like complaining.

Obviously the pack hater clique is about.

If you have a problem about food prices,complain to your government instead of moaning at those giving good suggestions.

As for budgeting, the items I mentioned started at 20p for 500g pasta, 40p for 1kg rice, these things cost less than any processed foods.

a reply to: theabsolutetruth

Not in the USA. Sorry to bust your bubble. Lettuce - regular $2.99 Organic - $3.99. Cucumbers - Regular - .89 Organic - $1.49. Flour - Regular - $3.99/5 pounds. Organic - $4.99 for 3 pounds. And the list goes on. So tell me again how it is cheaper?

a reply to: haarvik

move next door to a farm and get chummy???

when I was growing up:
lettuce 25 cents a head
cabbage about the same price
corn-12/$1.00

the last time I went to the store they had a sale on their corn (which possibly was GMO) 3/$1.00.
Used to refuse to buy any meat if it cost more than $1.50/lb.
now I am shell shocked every time I go into a store.
healthy or not healthy
at this point I am just grateful I can eat!!!

a reply to: dawnstar

I actually started my first garden this year. it's small, but I will get some produce out of it. Next year I will begin container gardening since I don't have much land. I may even try some winter gardening.

a reply to: haarvik

Go back and actually read the things I wrote.

I already said about 5 times now on this thread that my choice is organic flour, I wasn't suggesting it as a budgeting alternative.

People should learn to read things properly instead of making presumptions.

It's called straw man arguments and it is against ATS T&C.

a reply to: theabsolutetruth

I see this thread has been hijacked again!

Another way to be able to afford food is to stop the government from taxing it.

Just a suggestion

Tired of Control Freaks

a reply to: theabsolutetruth

No you stated that is was in fact possible to eat organic for less than processed food. Perhaps it is you who should go back and read what YOU wrote!

a reply to: haarvik

I have started a new thread as a service for Absolute Truth.

Those who wish to discuss how to buy cheaper groceries so that you will have the money to continue to eat AFTER the government taxes your food, may shift to that thread and I am confident that Absolute Truth will be happy to answer all your questions.

I would like to continue with the discussion of my topic in this thread.

Thanks for your cooperation

Tired of Control Freaks

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

I really would like to continue my discussion now.

OpinionatedB and CranialSponge - you are both of the opinion that people are less healthier and more disease is occurring.

I honestly would like to know why you are of that opinion. However, if you really don't know why you feel the way you do, its ok to just say so

Tired of Control Freaks

Sorry for the derailment.

We are less healthy due to a number of reasons.

1. Chemicals in our food, water and air.
2. GMO crops
3. HFCS & sugars
4. Misguided nutritional information.
5. Processed foods.

If you go back 50 or 60 years, we did not have the chronic diseases we have now. It wasn't until the early 1900's that the first case of heart disease was diagnosed in the US. In the 1950's there were only about 300 cardiologists in America. We have thousands now. Cancer was rare as was type II diabetes. People only went to the doctor if they were sick or injured, and the doctor knew how to cure them. We treat now, not cure. Our nutritional habits have evolved at a far quicker pace than our bodies have evolved to deal with them.

a reply to: haarvik

Haarvik

I was wondering - and its specifically because you mentioned that all this started happening 50 or 60 years ago- well that is about the time when socialized medicine came into being.

Prior to this time, most people did not see a doctor regularly.

Is it possible that there is a perception of more disease only because there is now a doctor to diagnose and record the disease?

Tired of Control Freaks

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

Oh I think that also plays into this for sure. The hypochondriacs out there have pounded doctors so hard that there just had to be something wrong, is probably the single most blatant factor contributing to that. Of course if there is a new disease or condition, then bug pharma is only more than willing to create a drug to "treat" it. It's a vicious cycle. But the more they "treat" the more diseases show up.

I don't think it is the single biggest contributor, but it does factor into the equation for sure.

a reply to: haarvik

The reason why I wanted to take the discussion in this direction is as follow:

If the government just announced that they want to collect taxes on food - the populace would protest and surely vote them out of office.

But if the government "frames the issue" for the public by telling them - listen, this isn't about the money in taxes. this is about protecting the health of your children. We are concerned and are doing it only for the good of the children. The public would then accept the taxes for the "good of the children".

This is a proven and effective propaganda technique.

Now there is little doubt that we are living longer than any previous generation (I am talking about the baby boomers here).

That would normally be cause for celebration.

Instead, people have the unconcious opinion that we are "sicker". If we were "sicker" - if there was more cancer, heart disease etc. - then we simply would not live longer.

No?

Tired of Control Freaks

Nope the air tax will be worse a reply to: chiefsmom

a reply to: Captobvious94

I Know you were replying to someone else but you are bring something up that is a very good example of the concept of "framing the issue"

Global warming is the concept that the government brought to the public's attention that, the discharge of carbon emissions was causing global warming and we were all going to die.

If the government had just upped and anounced a new tax on carbon emmissions - they would have had a very hard go of it.

But by "framing the issue" - as in "we really really hate to impose a new tax but we need to control the emission of carbon in order to save the planet" - then the public is ready to pay the tax.

Tired of Control freaks

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

Yes, the baby boomer generation will have the longest lifespan ever. However, our children will not unless we reverse the damage that has been done to our food supply. Also, big pharma has figured out how to extend life with their pills and "treatments". You can't get rich if your customers are dying. This is why nothing is truly "cured" anymore.