A brief background before so we can communicate on the same wave length. I've had about 8-10 university courses on programming from data structure, to one on all languages, to specific ones such as java & c++. I'm a bit rusty because i usually take 2-3 month breaks from coding. This is a personal project that I started thinking of two years back.

Okay down to the details, and a specific question, I'm having problems with my mutator functions. It seems to be that I am trying to access a private variable incorrectly. The question is, am I nesting my classes too much and trying to mutate a base class variable the incorrect way. If so point me in the way of the correct literature, or confirm this is my problem so I can restudy this information. Thanks

package GroceryReceiptProgram;

import java.io.*;
import java.util.Vector;

public class Date {

    private int hour, minute, day, month, year;

    Date() {
        try {
            BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
            System.out.println("What's the hour? (Use 1-24 military notation");
            hour = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());
            System.out.println("what's the minute? ");
            minute = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());
            System.out.println("What's the day of the month?");
            day = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());
            System.out.println("Which month of the year is it, use an integer");
            month = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());
            System.out.println("What year is it?");
            year = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());
            keyboard.close();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println("Yo houston we have a problem");
        }

    }

    public void setHour(int hour) {
        this.hour = hour;
    }

    public void setHour() {
        try {
            BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
            System.out.println("What hour, use military notation?");
            this.hour = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());
            keyboard.close();
        } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
            System.out.println(e.toString() + ":doesnt seem to be a number");
        } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println(e.toString());
        }
    }

    public int getHour() {
        return hour;
    }

    public void setMinute(int minute) {
        this.minute = minute;
    }

    public void setMinute() {
        try (BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in))) {
            System.out.println("What minute?");
            this.minute = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());
        } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
            System.out.println(e.toString() + ": doesnt seem to be a number");
        } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println(e.toString() + ": minute shall not cooperate");
        } catch (NullPointerException e) {
            System.out.println(e.toString() + ": in the setMinute function of the Date class");
        }
    }

    public int getMinute() {
        return minute;
    }

    public void setDay(int day) {
        this.day = day;
    }

    public void setDay() {
        try {
            BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
            System.out.println("What day 0-6?");
            this.day = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());
            keyboard.close();
        } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
            System.out.println(e.toString() + ":doesnt seem to be a number");
        } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println(e.toString());
        }
    }

    public int getDay() {
        return day;
    }

    public void setMonth(int month) {
        this.month = month;
    }

    public void setMonth() {
        try {
            BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
            System.out.println("What month 0-11?");
            this.month = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());
            keyboard.close();
        } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
            System.out.println(e.toString() + ":doesnt seem to be a number");
        } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println(e.toString());
        }
    }

    public int getMonth() {
        return month;
    }

    public void setYear(int year) {
        this.year = year;
    }

    public void setYear() {
        try {
            BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
            System.out.println("What year?");
            this.year = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());
            keyboard.close();
        } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
            System.out.println(e.toString() + ":doesnt seem to be a number");
        } catch (IOException e) {
            System.out.println(e.toString());
        }
    }

    public int getYear() {
        return year;
    }

    public void set() {
        setMinute();
        setHour();
        setDay();
        setMonth();
        setYear();
    }

    public Vector<Integer> get() {
        Vector<Integer> holder = new Vector<Integer>(5);
        holder.add(hour);
        holder.add(minute);
        holder.add(month);
        holder.add(day);
        holder.add(year);
        return holder;
    }
};

That is the Date class obviously, next is the other base class Location.

package GroceryReceiptProgram;

    import java.io.*;
    import java.util.Vector;

    public class Location {

        String streetName, state, city, country;
        int zipCode, address;

        Location() {
            try {
                BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
                System.out.println("What is the street name");
                streetName = keyboard.readLine();
                System.out.println("Which state?");
                state = keyboard.readLine();
                System.out.println("Which city?");
                city = keyboard.readLine();
                System.out.println("Which country?");
                country = keyboard.readLine();
                System.out.println("Which zipcode?");//if not u.s. continue around this step
                zipCode = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());
                System.out.println("What address?");
                address = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());
            } catch (IOException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString());
            }
        }

        public void setZipCode(int zipCode) {
            this.zipCode = zipCode;
        }

        public void setZipCode() {
            try {
                BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
                System.out.println("What zipCode?");
                this.zipCode = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());
                keyboard.close();
            } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString() + ":doesnt seem to be a number");
            } catch (IOException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString());
            }
        }

        public void set() {
            setAddress();
            setCity();
            setCountry();
            setState();
            setStreetName();
            setZipCode();
        }

        public int getZipCode() {
            return zipCode;
        }

        public void setAddress(int address) {
            this.address = address;
        }

        public void setAddress() {
            try {
                BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
                System.out.println("What minute?");
                this.address = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());
                keyboard.close();
            } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString() + ":doesnt seem to be a number");
            } catch (IOException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString());
            }
        }

        public int getAddress() {
            return address;
        }

        public void setStreetName(String streetName) {
            this.streetName = streetName;
        }

        public void setStreetName() {
            try {
                BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
                System.out.println("What minute?");
                this.streetName = keyboard.readLine();
                keyboard.close();
            } catch (IOException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString());
            }
        }

        public String getStreetName() {
            return streetName;
        }

        public void setState(String state) {
            this.state = state;
        }

        public void setState() {
            try {
                BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
                System.out.println("What minute?");
                this.state = keyboard.readLine();
                keyboard.close();
            } catch (IOException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString());
            }
        }

        public String getState() {
            return state;
        }

        public void setCity(String city) {
            this.city = city;
        }

        public void setCity() {
            try {
                BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
                System.out.println("What minute?");
                this.city = keyboard.readLine();
                keyboard.close();
            } catch (IOException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString());
            }
        }

        public String getCity() {
            return city;
        }

        public void setCountry(String country) {
            this.country = country;
        }

        public void setCountry() {
            try {
                BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
                System.out.println("What minute?");
                this.country = keyboard.readLine();
                keyboard.close();
            } catch (IOException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString());
            }
        }

        public String getCountry() {
            return country;
        }
    };

their parent(What is the proper name?) class

package GroceryReceiptProgram;

    import java.io.*;

    public class FoodGroup {

        private int price, count;
        private Date purchaseDate, expirationDate;
        private Location location;
        private String name;

        public FoodGroup() {
            try {
                setPrice();
                setCount();
                expirationDate.set();
                purchaseDate.set();
                location.set();
            } catch (NullPointerException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString() + ": in the constructor of the FoodGroup class");
            }
        }

        public void setPrice(int price) {
            this.price = price;
        }

        public void setPrice() {
            try (BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in))) {
                System.out.println("What Price?");
                price = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());

            } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString() + ":doesnt seem to be a number");
            } catch (IOException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString() + ": in the FoodGroup class, setPrice function");
            } catch (NullPointerException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString() + ": in FoodGroup class. SetPrice()");
            }
        }

        public int getPrice() {
            return price;
        }

        public void setCount(int count) {
            this.count = count;
        }

        public void setCount() {
            try (BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in))) {
                System.out.println("What count?");
                count = Integer.parseInt(keyboard.readLine());

            } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString() + ":doesnt seem to be a number");
            } catch (IOException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString() + ": in the FoodGroup class, setCount()");
            } catch (NullPointerException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString() + ": in FoodGroup class, setCount");
            }
        }

        public int getCount() {
            return count;
        }

        public void setName(String name) {
            this.name = name;
        }

        public void setName() {
            try {
                BufferedReader keyboard = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
                System.out.println("What minute?");
                this.name = keyboard.readLine();

            } catch (IOException e) {
                System.out.println(e.toString());
            }
        }

        public String getName() {
            return name;
        }

        public void setLocation(Location location) {
            this.location = location;
        }

        public Location getLocation() {
            return location;
        }

        public void setPurchaseDate(Date purchaseDate) {
            this.purchaseDate = purchaseDate;
        }

        public void setPurchaseDate() {
            this.purchaseDate.set();
        }

        public Date getPurchaseDate() {
            return purchaseDate;
        }

        public void setExpirationDate(Date expirationDate) {
            this.expirationDate = expirationDate;
        }

        public void setExpirationDate() {
            this.expirationDate.set();
        }

        public Date getExpirationDate() {
            return expirationDate;
        }
    }

and finally the main class, so I can get access to all of this work.

    package GroceryReceiptProgram;


    public class NewMain {


        public static void main(String[] args) {
            FoodGroup test = new FoodGroup();
        }
    }

If anyone is further interested, here is a link the UML for this.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1weigjnxih70tbv/GRP.dia