TheOtherMe
Distinguished Associate
Joined: Dec 24, 2010 14:40:52 GMT -5
Posts: 27,201
Mini-Profile Name Color: e619e6
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Post by TheOtherMe on Feb 26, 2011 22:53:55 GMT -5
Did you move and downsize? I moved from a rental in CO to buying a house in small town Iowa. House payments cheaper than the rent was. However, it is doubtful house will ever be paid for.
Do you have money to travel? Not as much as I'd like. Since moving to Iowa, I haven't been able to find a part time job that allows me to save a lot of money.
Budget and saving advice? I finally set up a budget and have automatic savings going to a savings account to help pay for a new car since I'm driving a 1994 car. Also for emergencies. Also have DF who will loan me money for any emergency.
Do you work part time? I have a 20 hour per month job at $10 per hour. It isn't much.
How are you who are already retired doing? I lived along for a long time, so that doesn't bother me. I wanted to move so I could enjoy my parents' remaining years and my sister and her family and grandchildren. I babysit my great niece and nephew one day a week. I do volunteer work and I work 4 hours on Thursdays. That fills up the better part of 3 days.
Fun things to do cheap? I was a big fan of the women's basketball team at Colorado. Now I watch and listen to them online. I enjoy several television shows and what I pay for Dish makes it worthwhile. It's better than driving 20 miles to town and going to a movie, even a matinee. I'm not much of a shopper and don't really have a need for clothes.
I do hire my neighbor do mow my lawn and take care of my snow. I wasn't do that at my last home (sold in 1996) and they do it cheaply enough that I feel it is money well spent. It's harder to budget the snow. They mow once a week, so that is easy to budget.
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wackyaunt
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 30, 2010 18:49:28 GMT -5
Posts: 190
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Post by wackyaunt on Feb 27, 2011 22:17:16 GMT -5
My dad died young (60). My mom was fortunate to have good health and benefits and savings that they were planning on because my dad firmly believed that he would never see the first SS check, even tho he was overall healthy and active. He was right about that! He also wanted to make sure mom had no worries (his dad had also died young, and he witnessed his mom go thru many trials) so they had paid off their home early and that greatly helped to reduce the cost to live after he died. As far as activities, after dad died she no longer wanted to travel in the RV they had, so she sold it. She did find and meet some widows/single women her age through family and friends, and hit it off with several of them; and had 4-5 travel partners/girlfriends that she enjoyed going with. Now 22 years later, she is slowing down a bit, and health issues have started to limit her ability to travel, but she is still able to play cards and games and go out to lunch with the girls and live in her own home. She also loves to read, do puzzles, and is happy, except for the current health issues, she doesn't like that part!
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lynda in iowa
New Member
Joined: Jan 1, 2011 18:00:24 GMT -5
Posts: 31
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Post by lynda in iowa on Feb 27, 2011 22:20:30 GMT -5
I also think cronewitch has a great plan. It is very realistic and faces the fact that things change as the years go by, and makes provision for it instead of pretending like good health goes on forever until you drop dead, so to speak.
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