My husband received his annual Social Security Administration benefit review yesterday.

The bottom line? No cost of living increase in benefits this year. Food and fuel have been excluded from the government's calculation of the cost of living, with the result that there is officially no increase.

Please ignore your grocery bill. The total is just an illusion.

However, the cost of Medicare has increased for those who have Part B.

Pay no attention to the economist behind the curtain.

His net social security income is therefore reduced. Good thing he has a wife to support him, paying the bills, in addition to keeping the house. For an old geezer, he's making out all right.