|
|
08-19-2009, 12:29 PM
|
#281
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Pittsburgh, PA suburbs
Posts: 1,796
|
I could subsist on $3,000 a month(one person) but it would be "good-bye" travel, subscriptions to the symphony, theater, and speakers series, buying whatever I want at the grocery/wine store/bookstore, new duds, health club, gifts, donations to charity, hairdresser at Elizabeth Arden, cable TV, gardener, etc. I would also likely have to sell one of my two paid-for houses and one of my two cars to reduce my tax, upkeep and insurance burden. But I could do it if I had to, and I would survive I am quite certain.
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
08-19-2009, 02:14 PM
|
#282
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 479
|
I spent under 24K last year, but my health insurance is covered by my j*b.
That's the wild card for everyone.
ta,
mew
|
|
|
08-19-2009, 02:25 PM
|
#283
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by mews
I spent under 24K last year, but my health insurance is covered by my j*b.
That's the wild card for everyone.
ta,
mew
|
My lawyer is about 50 as is his wife. He has one child who is still his dependent. No health issues. He gets coverage through his firm, for $12,000/year. They recently got a 20% increase, which they will handle by going to a less inclusive policy.
I am 68 and single, and pay roughly $5000/yr for Medicare and Medigap. The Medigap increases every year, though just for cost increases, as it is not age rated.
So I would agree, health insurance is huge. My main budget categories, other than income tax which is quite variable, are rent, health insurance, groceries and car if I do full accounting for replacement cost. Even once you get to Medicare, it is far from an unimportant cost.
Ha
__________________
"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
|
|
|
08-19-2009, 02:32 PM
|
#284
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Collin County, TX
Posts: 9,294
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walt34
I'd also have to have a talk with DW about her paper towel habit.
|
....paper towels and toilet paper...DH rolls his eyes when I bring them in. He swears we need to buy a bigger house to store them...
My budget for this year is $40k. The total for our expenses so far for the year is $23.5k. No mortgage and retiree medical insurance keeps our costs down.
__________________
There's no need to complicate, our time is short..
|
|
|
08-19-2009, 02:36 PM
|
#285
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by bbbamI
....paper towels and toilet paper...DH rolls his eyes when I bring them in.
|
Yep. I keep telling DW her spending on that stuff is gonna wipe us out...
__________________
Numbers is hard
|
|
|
08-19-2009, 03:13 PM
|
#286
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Canada
Posts: 81
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
Yep. I keep telling DW her spending on that stuff is gonna wipe us out...
|
If I brought that up with my wife I'd end up having a crappy day
|
|
|
08-19-2009, 03:26 PM
|
#287
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,473
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by WhoDaresWins
I could subsist on $3,000 a month(one person) but it would be "good-bye" travel, subscriptions to the symphony, theater, and speakers series, buying whatever I want at the grocery/wine store/bookstore, new duds, health club, gifts, donations to charity, hairdresser at Elizabeth Arden, cable TV, gardener, etc. I would also likely have to sell one of my two paid-for houses and one of my two cars to reduce my tax, upkeep and insurance burden. But I could do it if I had to, and I would survive I am quite certain.
|
I am planning to work up to spending $3,000/month in ER though I spend nowhere near that much right now. I buy whatever I want at the grocery store, belong to a gym, have cable TV and I have someone to mow. But you're right - - the rest of that I don't have. It's one car and one house, for me. If I want the things you have listed, I am not yet aware of that. Maybe once I start spending more, I will wonder how I could have lived on less!
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
|
|
|
08-19-2009, 04:08 PM
|
#288
|
gone traveling
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 3,864
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
Yep. I keep telling DW her spending on that stuff is gonna wipe us out...
|
on a roll, aren't you?
|
|
|
08-19-2009, 04:25 PM
|
#289
|
Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,924
|
I find myself having more $1000 months. Crap, I'm not spending enough to trigger credit card rewards.
__________________
"Knowin' no one nowhere's gonna miss us when we're gone..."
|
|
|
08-19-2009, 04:28 PM
|
#290
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Khan
I find myself having more $1000 months. Crap, I'm not spending enough to trigger credit card rewards.
|
You can pay my A/C repair bill. No reason to send me a 'Thanks", happy to help you out...
__________________
Numbers is hard
|
|
|
08-19-2009, 04:38 PM
|
#291
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,473
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
You can pay my A/C repair bill. No reason to send me a 'Thanks", happy to help you out...
|
You do know that is going to cost you a $$$$ FORTUNE$$$$, right? But it sounds like you have no choice. You can't very well live in your RV until the weather cools down.
If you think it's hot at 106 in your back yard, imagine how hot it is in your attic where your A/C repairman is working. It must be at least 120 up there. I can't imagine going to work in that kind of temperature, day after day.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
|
|
|
08-19-2009, 04:46 PM
|
#292
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Pittsburgh, PA suburbs
Posts: 1,796
|
I blame a lot of my tastes and expenses on my LH. He left me with champagne tastes and a beer pocketbook. O.K. Make it a micro-brew pocketbook. Just kidding, he was a great guy. Hard to give some things up. Especially the Pittsburgh symphony and the Broadway series with really good seats. I kept the same two seats but I invite a guest. Took us years to get them in that exact location. And I can't cut off appeals from the animal shelter and the library and my church. I could scream sometimes about the house in FL but it will be sold in due course. It's a good thing the kid is self-sufficient...
|
|
|
08-19-2009, 04:56 PM
|
#293
|
Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by WhoDaresWins
I blame a lot of my tastes and expenses on my LH. He left me with champagne tastes and a beer pocketbook. O.K. Make it a micro-brew pocketbook. Just kidding, he was a great guy. ..
|
If you enjoy the life style and can afford it , go for it . We have both seen that you need to live life when you have a chance . Besides we are saving our adult children from difficult decisions . Should they buy the jaguar or the Lamborghini ?
|
|
|
08-19-2009, 05:01 PM
|
#294
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,764
|
In all reality we could pull the plug now. However, we prefer a higher standard of living. Another year or two should be enough. Nope this isn't the one more year syndrome. Still on track for an early retirement. Long as DW still loves her job. Though I can tell she isn't thinking much about work anymore on vacations
|
|
|
08-19-2009, 05:11 PM
|
#295
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Pittsburgh, PA suburbs
Posts: 1,796
|
Thanks. My son is totally unlike his Dad(or me I guess). Very geeky and parsimonious(read: cheap). He only spends money on books and computer junk. I guess you have a good idea of what surgeons are like, Moe. A bit of the showboat in all of them. I would be sitting around with six cars if I hadn't downsized a bit.
|
|
|
08-20-2009, 05:44 AM
|
#296
|
Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,302
|
That was the biggest surprise when we got married. The TP kept running out. When single, I'd buy a four-pack and that would last a couple of weeks. That much was gone in a couple of days when she moved in. I've never asked what happens to it. Some things I think it's just better not to know.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
|
|
|
08-20-2009, 06:10 AM
|
#297
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 1,543
|
Not easy to just shake it ya know.
|
|
|
08-20-2009, 09:40 PM
|
#298
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 619
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by haha
I am 68 and single, and pay roughly $5000/yr for Medicare and Medigap. The Medigap increases every year, though just for cost increases, as it is not age rated.
|
Wow. I had no idea that Medicare was so costly. Is that typical?
|
|
|
08-23-2009, 04:28 PM
|
#299
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Boise
Posts: 7,866
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by SecondCor521
I spend right around $6K per month, but about 2/3 of that is direct kid expenses and mortgage interest, so with a paid off house and the kids grown, I think I can live comfortably on $2K per month.
2Cor521
|
Hmm. I wonder what drug I was on when I wrote that.
Current numbers are about $3700 per month, with about 80% spent on kids, taxes, and mortgage interest. So I actually am living on about $700 per month aside from those 3 things.
2Cor521
__________________
"At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough, and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events, may in fact be the first steps of a journey." Violet Baudelaire.
|
|
|
08-25-2009, 01:54 AM
|
#300
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,228
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by SecondCor521
Current numbers are about $3700 per month, with about 80% spent on kids, taxes, and mortgage interest. So I actually am living on about $700 per month aside from those 3 things.
|
Living on $700/month? You're on drugs
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
» Quick Links
|
|
|