Guys, this is a must read for your own health and increasing your knowledge of your eating habits...
Health is vital to sanity, and I want you to be at your best...It is important to take care of yourself and eating right is one way to start!
Even if you are on a limited food budget, you can find foods without these ingredients to purchase. You may have to get away from fast, pre-made foods to eat better for your health, but hay! We have been doing that for a long time right?
What's really in the food? The A to Z of the food industry's most evil ingredients
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Minimum Wage in Real Value 1938-2010
Susan Brannon
26 November 2011
Did you know that the U.S. minimum wage in real dollars had been going down in relation to inflation? This is one reason why it now takes two or three jobs per household to keep above water. In 1938 the the minimum wage was $0.25 / per hour to 2010 of $7.25. If we adjust the wages to 2010 dollars this shows the real value of minimum wage. In 1968, the minimum wage in real dollars was equal to $10.04 per/hour. That is quite a drop from today's wages.
Even if you take the states that ventured away from the Federal minimum wage amounts, with the highest being in Washington for January 1, 2012 to $9.04 per/hour, that is still a drop from 1968. No wonder the 60's were remembered as the good times.
If that is not enough for reality, if we take the Real Annual Wage since 1938 and compare that to the real poverty level for a family of four, not once has the required Federal minimum wage levels kept any family above the poverty line. Minimum wage varied from a maximum of 90% of the poverty level in 1968, and has averaged two thirds of the poverty level since 1959, when the poverty level was established. In 2006 the minimum wage level was raised for the first time in ten years without any adjustment.
The reality is that as the real value of minimum wage has declined, so has the percent of workers that it covered. Now over 130 cities survive on "living wages".
A living wage is the minimum hourly income necessary for a worker to meet their basic needs during a 40 hour work week. This includes shelter, clothing, food etc. Some cities has passed a living wage ordinance such as San Francisco, California, Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico. This usually totals to be around $3 to $7 dollars above minimum wage.
26 November 2011
Did you know that the U.S. minimum wage in real dollars had been going down in relation to inflation? This is one reason why it now takes two or three jobs per household to keep above water. In 1938 the the minimum wage was $0.25 / per hour to 2010 of $7.25. If we adjust the wages to 2010 dollars this shows the real value of minimum wage. In 1968, the minimum wage in real dollars was equal to $10.04 per/hour. That is quite a drop from today's wages.
 | |
| Real Value 2010 minimum wage red squares; Minimum Wage Blue Dots; graph OSU |
If that is not enough for reality, if we take the Real Annual Wage since 1938 and compare that to the real poverty level for a family of four, not once has the required Federal minimum wage levels kept any family above the poverty line. Minimum wage varied from a maximum of 90% of the poverty level in 1968, and has averaged two thirds of the poverty level since 1959, when the poverty level was established. In 2006 the minimum wage level was raised for the first time in ten years without any adjustment.
A living wage is the minimum hourly income necessary for a worker to meet their basic needs during a 40 hour work week. This includes shelter, clothing, food etc. Some cities has passed a living wage ordinance such as San Francisco, California, Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico. This usually totals to be around $3 to $7 dollars above minimum wage.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
FYI: Average Appliance and Home Electric Costs
Susan Brannon
16 November 2011
If you run your dryer for 20 minutes the cost is: 30 to 40 cents per/load!
45 minutes: 49 cents p/load
Top load: Washing Machines are about: 1.13 cents p/load (cold/cold/cold)
1,29 p/load (warm/cold)
Televisions: 5 hrs day/20c kwt = 2.44 p/mth (the old kind: TV, which consumes less energy than any of the new ones) The larger the screen, the more energy used.
42" LCD 5 hours/day/20 kwt = 6.39 p/mth
42" Plasma, 5 hours/day/20 kwtt = 8.22 p/mth
Lights: 4 bulbs/75 watt/7 hours day: 10 dollars p/month
CFL bulbs: 4 bulbs/75 watt/7 hours day: 2 dollars p/month
Refrigerators: Are the second largest usage of electricity in an average home:
Older models 1990: average of 13.50 p/mth
2004 models (energy savers, side by side): average of 5.40 p/mth
Dishwashers are about: 4.50 p/mth one cycle each day
Heating: Central heating is more expensive than space heaters or radiant heaters. Electric central heating is way more expensive than gas. It is not advised to close the vents to the rooms that you are not using, because this can damage the duct system and your heater.
It is advised to switch to radiant heat and heat only the rooms that you are using! (Pretend that you do not have forced air at all and switch) Radiant heat the temperature is more uniform in the room.
1) Heat only the rooms that you use
2) Turn your ceiling fans on low to circulate the warm air down. (heat rises)
3) put rugs on your bare floors
4) Dress warmer in your home
5) Turn off the heat at night! (Yes) (why use that energy, while you are warm in your blankets all night to be warm when you jump out of bed? You can turn on your radiant heater and get warm in a few minutes! Jump out turn it on, lay down and 5 minutes your room will be warm)
If you cannot change to radiant heat and must use forced heat: (those with radiant heat, can do this anyway!)
1) Seal your windows and doors buy door air blockers (the snake things) to put around your outside doors. You can check the leakage by using candles, if the flame flickers, block that warm air that you are using.
2) Cover your bare floors with rugs
3) Chalk windows and install weather stripping
4) Make sure that your ducts are not blocked.
5) close blinds and curtains at night
16 November 2011
We all are trying to pinch our pennies these days and I wanted to know how much I was spending on "normal" living in my home. I found that my electric bill was something that I wanted to trim down, if at all possible. I found that I can do a few things to reduce the costs if I only just thought about it while running around the home doing my "normal" things!
For example,
1) change the normal 75 watt bulbs to CFL bulbs. They cost more, but last longer and are big energy savers!
2) Run my dishwasher only when it is full. If at all possible, stop using my clothes dryer. Dryers are a convenience, not a necessity! While living in both the Middle East and Europe, I never used a dryer. My clothes lasted longer, did not "shrink" so I could not wear them anymore, and life was just fine without it.
4) I have always washed my clothing on cold except white sheets and T-shirts. Washing with cold saves a bunch!
5) Turn off the heater at night while sleeping! Electricity is very expensive in Europe, so I learned to do this a while back. Why have the heater warming your home all night long, it does not make any sense. You can bundle up inside of your warm blankets. The only downfall is that it is cold in the morning. I always have my sweat shirt next to my bed and sweat pants to put on as soon as I wake up. I turn on the heater, and by the time I have my tea, the house is warm enough to get ready for the day! This can add up from 6 to 9 hours of energy savings...depending on how long you sleep!
As for the costs, here is what I found:
45 minutes: 49 cents p/load
Top load: Washing Machines are about: 1.13 cents p/load (cold/cold/cold)
1,29 p/load (warm/cold)
Televisions: 5 hrs day/20c kwt = 2.44 p/mth (the old kind: TV, which consumes less energy than any of the new ones) The larger the screen, the more energy used.
42" LCD 5 hours/day/20 kwt = 6.39 p/mth
42" Plasma, 5 hours/day/20 kwtt = 8.22 p/mth
Lights: 4 bulbs/75 watt/7 hours day: 10 dollars p/month
CFL bulbs: 4 bulbs/75 watt/7 hours day: 2 dollars p/month
Refrigerators: Are the second largest usage of electricity in an average home:
Older models 1990: average of 13.50 p/mth
2004 models (energy savers, side by side): average of 5.40 p/mth
Dishwashers are about: 4.50 p/mth one cycle each day
Heating: Central heating is more expensive than space heaters or radiant heaters. Electric central heating is way more expensive than gas. It is not advised to close the vents to the rooms that you are not using, because this can damage the duct system and your heater.
It is advised to switch to radiant heat and heat only the rooms that you are using! (Pretend that you do not have forced air at all and switch) Radiant heat the temperature is more uniform in the room.
1) Heat only the rooms that you use
2) Turn your ceiling fans on low to circulate the warm air down. (heat rises)
3) put rugs on your bare floors
4) Dress warmer in your home
5) Turn off the heat at night! (Yes) (why use that energy, while you are warm in your blankets all night to be warm when you jump out of bed? You can turn on your radiant heater and get warm in a few minutes! Jump out turn it on, lay down and 5 minutes your room will be warm)
If you cannot change to radiant heat and must use forced heat: (those with radiant heat, can do this anyway!)
1) Seal your windows and doors buy door air blockers (the snake things) to put around your outside doors. You can check the leakage by using candles, if the flame flickers, block that warm air that you are using.
2) Cover your bare floors with rugs
3) Chalk windows and install weather stripping
4) Make sure that your ducts are not blocked.
5) close blinds and curtains at night
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