My Vet Bill

9 yrs ago

Solomon embodies the spirit of the libertarian extreme right wing dog eat dog spirit of the disgusting hard hearted Abbott government who only care about the rich and wants us to be like the basket case USA.

Not true. I wish for everyone to be happy.

I dislike organisations and people who are never contented with what they have but are motivated by ego and greed to covet their neighbours wealth.

Tell me bookworm, where are these starving masses in Australia

9 yrs ago

Well solomon - you try being in my shoes and see how YOU manage. $930 to pay $560 rent, then telephone, electricity, food, medicines ($75/month) and that's when i'm reasonably healthy. Unfortunately the government thinks like you - one polly even said she could live on $35/day. So could I if I lived in public housing (she didn't factor in rent or bills or getting around!!)

I'm not interested in wealth, i just don't want to live like a second class citizen!!

Don't mean to sound harsh, just practical.

Does a dog that costs you a few thousand dollars a year a necessity or a luxury???

9 yrs ago

Debs, is there a RSPCA with a RSPCA vet in your area. A RSPCA vet charges about $56 to a Disability Support Pensioner for a complete cat check up. It‘s probably as cheap or not much more for a dog. Get a second opinion from him or her and ask what can be done considering you don‘t have the money for surgery.

Have you considered studying in an approved Centrelink course at 25% of courseload? Tafe have disability units which support students with disabilities. So do universities. You can even do long distance courses. Some distance Tafe courses such as distance OTEN ones offered in NSW can be done at your own pace, parttime and you can enrol anytime. You will get $208 lump sum edutional reentry and then $62 a fortnight. If you do 8 hours of study and or volunteer work a week you may be entitled to mobility allowance unless you are in a NDIS program.

Have you looked for help and support? Apply for grocery vouchers immediately from charities. St Vinnies will come to your home.

Try and find charities and programs which support people with brain injuries and depression. Getting out of the house just for a coffee and chat does the world of good. Mental health ngos and others can help with community housing and public housing.

St Vinnies and other charities offer financial counselling, grocery vouchers and electricity vouchers.

9 yrs ago

Also in my town free hot lunches and a dinner are available by a charity cafe and a church four days a week. I havent had to use the service but I knew someone who was on Newstart in between jobs who did. Anything like that around you?

It‘s very hard being a dsp pensioner so I would advice you to plug into a support network. The government loves to bash dsp pensioners and as of 1 Jan next year the Pensioner Educational programme will be scrapped.

9 yrs ago

my vet only charged $60 for the consult. and he is an excellent vet and wouldn't recommend surgery unless it was absolutely necessary. Last year Chubba had a similar problem with his other leg but he said surgery wasn't necessary. so 6months of sardines and no ball chasing and it is ok. this time the ligament is totally ruptured and no surgery would mean wrecking the other leg and making him unable to walk.

studying or volunteering is not an option - my brain injury means i am ONLY able to WORK 2 four hour shifts per week - and i get PAID for that. i am unable to study (new learning is not possible) I do get a mobility allowance for looking for work.

Fortunately I can still eat (may have to live on porridge) and feed the dog.

I was listed as high need with the housing commission and was told i'd die of old age before i was given a house.

i don't know of other places that handle housing

still waiting for a reply from UQ vet clinic - they may like to use Chubba for practice

Deb rub dark brown boot polish on your face and re-try for a house and you will get one today.

Stick you spear in your belt and hoot your diggeredo

Is that why you married an aboriginal. For the financial benefits?

9 yrs ago

sadly that is true, otherwise they wouldn't have a place on the application form that asks whether I am aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Not being racist, just asking for the same rules to apply to me. If it were a fair system I would get equal opportunity for housing. Reverse discrimination is just as bad.

I could also come in as a refugee and i'd get accommodation in a hotel and all my health paid for

9 yrs ago

As a fellow DSP pensioner I feel for you, Debs. I finally got public housing a couple of years ago. That was due to help from a brilliant employee of a Catholic Charity who was very eyperienced with dealing with Housing. I got very lucky though I did qualify for the priority list. Luckily also I‘m not in a ghetto, but in a mix of private and public, with only one bad neighbour and everybody just ignores. Also got a small house in a normal suburb of houses. However, my utility bills are huge, as there is both gas and electricity and whatever I do the energy companies just seem to charge what they want. Also you don‘t rental allowance in public housing. However, it saved my life as with private rental you may have to move every few years due to landlord wanting to sell etc. Which is no fun when you are a sick person.

Good luck with your dog. I thought of getting a pet but decided against because of the cost.

9 yrs ago

Deb, I would ask the Vet if he can reccomend you taking your Dog to a Uni for treatment. I wish you well

9 yrs ago

Have tried both UQ and Animal Welfare League to no avail

A 22 bullet cost about 5 cents. Do you have a friend with a rifle? No animal should suffer for the whims of a human.

9 yrs ago

What whims?? He's not in pain as the ligament is totally detached. That isn't painful (I know from experience)

9 yrs ago

Davey when you were having a sad time with Locky no one was cruel and nasty to you.

Animals are great mates and people need to have their company

9 yrs ago

thanks PlanB, I certainly couldn't do without my dog

9 yrs ago

It is in situations like this when a credit card comes in handy, one with a small maximum and where if you pay monthly the minimum you don‘t get charged interest. I only have a debit card and presumably you don‘t have a credit card either, Debs.

I would recommend taking out pet insurance and putting a fortnightly amount in a pet rainy day account to avoid the stress of such a situation again.

The most unlikely people get issued credit cards. Don‘t know how they persuade the banks to give them one. Do you think you might be able to get one?

"pay monthly the minimum you don‘t get charged interest"

Not correct. You pay around 20% interest.

Another example why greens and labor cannot manage the economy

Abby

9 yrs ago

Debs is having problems repaying her debts as it is - the last thing she needs at the present is a credit card to pay for a pet insurance as it is already too late to cover her dog - previous health problems are usualy not covered by a insurance policy.

Twyla

9 yrs ago

Is there any alternative to the procedure that the vet recommends? Perhaps not an optium outcome, but one the dog can live with comfortably.

Lovely to see you back, Abby. We sorely have missed you.

9 yrs ago

I meant putting the whole amount of the operation on the card and pay it back over a few mmths or longer by paying minimum monthly on card! If thats all u use the card for, a rainy day emergency it is not fiscally irresponsible!

Paying minimum monthly is the most irresponsible and foolish way to use a credit card.

Best use for credit cards in my humble opinion :) is only spend on it what you can repay entirely before the 60 days grace, before being charged interest, or never apply for one, or if do have one, CHOP IT UP.

Aldi charges a fee for payment by credit card so I refuse to shop there

unless absolutely necessary

Aldi banned a book that had the word SLUT in it. How dare they tell us what to read.

In my opinion some people are better off NOT having a credit card.

If you are self disciplined it is fine and don't spend more than you are able to pay off at the end of the month when the bill arrives.

Otherwise you could find yourself in deep trouble; as so many are. Last I heard every man, woman and child owes $4,400 on their credit card.

Someone must be shouldering my share.

9 yrs ago

Which is why I DON'T have a credit card, and when i was had a career i did have one and used it the way Radish and Phyl and PlanB say. i paid it all off every month. it was handy that way. But now i don't have that income I don't have a card.

WARNING: - If pet insurance is like my private health insurance was, you are so much better off without it. I payed $80 a month in premiums for many years. My brain surgery cost $36,000 in the first year and even with top health cover I was $12,000 out of pocket!!! Because of all the GAP payments. Hospitals no longer charge just once thing - because almost EVERYTHING is contracted out - pathology, surgeons, anaesthetists, physio, pharmacy, radiology, etc EVERY SINGLE ONE HAS A GAP PAYMENT. They don't tell you that on all the ads. And mine added up to $12,000 WITHOUT RADIOLOGY (angiograms, etc) All of thosere were bulk billed for me because at the time I was staff! so $12,000 is a LOW amount for my 19 days in hospital, some of it in intensive care. AND I received no follow-up or rehab after that, because it was a private hospital. My mother had to come up from NSW to care for me for 5 months and Centrelink refused to pay a carer allowance. If I had had NO insurance, it would all have been covered by medicare AND I would have been referred to a rehab centre. And would still have my savings to pay for Chubba's surgery.

Daisy

9 yrs ago

Thanks for your warning debs. My nephew had a big brain op, weeks of intensive nursing and rehabilitation and it cost him nothing as you say. I guess the only benefit of being in a fund is to get less serious health problems attended to sooner rather than later.

http://www.colescreditcards.com.au/

9 yrs ago

I am sure from what Deb has said she would not be able to find the money for pet insurance etc --

Re credit cards I use mine all the time and that enables me to keep my money in the account and GAIN some interest --and I pay the CC a day b4 its due I never pay any thing but the whole amount owing

The best way to use a credit card it to pay it in FULL every month. There is no interest at all if you do that.

I agree, paying the minimum amount is absolutely the wrong way to go. You are paying so much interest and it will take someone years and years to pay off even a few thousand dollars doing it this way.

For example $3,000 at interest of 20% would take you 42 months (3 years and 6 months) to pay back (at $100 at month) and you would pay interest of $1,193. So your initial $3,000 would turn into $4193.

That is of course if you did not add any more to your credit card.

Abby

9 yrs ago

Coles have put out a credit card where you pay no fees with which they are ofering free deliveries and extra Fly Buy points - so if you pay offin full every month as Radish says you are ahead.

Abby, just had a look. Seems quite good. The attraction for me would be the free deliveries but I could not find that on the spiel where they said what they offered on the front page of their web site.

OOps just found it; you have to spend $100 and pay your credit card online.