alicebillis
Dryer sheet wannabe
Yes it's been a bit over seven years since the one and only post but now that we are really in it I had to share the journey since 2012. I served as a full time caregiver to my elderly father who lived with us for the last 15 years of his life. The period from 2012 to 2018 was enlightening, troubling, challenging, rewarding, exhausting..to name a few regarding the experience of caring for a parent. I promised my father he would never go to a facility and that was his wish so I observed along with my wife the very slow decline of his life and kept the promise. He died at home on Memorial Day 2018 at almost 96 years of age. My dear mother in law died in early May 2019 and my wife took a LOA from her job to relocate back to the home she left 40 years ago to take personal charge and take care of her terminal mother who also wished to stay in her home to the end. That two month separation was the first for us in our 39 year marriage. It seemed appropriate afterwards and my wife retired for good a second time. Two weeks plus retired and she is loving her own schedule, and she has already discovered the days of the week begin to blur and each day is a Saturday. She had asked me what I thought of retirement and my view is that is was a bit like being out of school during my summers of the 60's and 70's, barefoot, shorts, no shirt, pool or beach all day every day, mowing the lawn, summer camp, etc., except it goes on day after day, month after month. Now you can sleep late, do what you want if you want, unless you have too! So now to the funding sources of this retired indulgent lifestyle. I inherited funds and the bulk is in a CD earning the measly return. She will inherit funds and wants to pay off the house. Our cars are 100 percent free and clear, as is the travel trailer, we owe nothing to creditors other than the mortgage. I'm 62 and filed for my SS retirement as soon as possible, we still have her annuity and insurance from the state of Texas, plus another from a county entity, and she will file for her SS retirement as soon as allowed and we've still not touched my 403b annuity that still earns 6% but I know the day is coming and I'll be forced to take some payout, but until then where else do you get a return like that? We figure our monthly retirement income at it's peak will be around $4800.00 . We have a great backyard and prefer a staycation during the summer, and travel the USA with the travel trailer in tow. We let the yard crew go and I've equipped myself with all the toys to take care of the landscaping. We prefer cooking and eating at home the majority of the time because its cheaper, usually always better and you know what's gone in it! I have longed ago ceased to be a consumer in all areas, and procure only out of absolute necessity, and my wife would have adored my grandmother who was tight as the bark on a tree and could get more out of a quarter than most. I wear shorts and t shirts out, but do keep a small stock of dress clothes for those times I have to look good or better. We both find that medical care, Rx's, and specialists are going to be our likely big expense. After years of used or hand me down computers, we bought our first new custom computer and we had to break down and upgrade our flip phones to the iPhone 6 but that was several years ago, but only because the older models were obsolete in all manner. Again this is an update to a really old post (it qualified for a Old Thread Warning being more than 2455 days old) but I hope to hear from others who have experienced similar and would like to hear ball park figures of what you are existing on financially. Bill