Thank you. I'm so glad it's not just me. 😅❤

Yes, abundance.

I have more than what I "need," and have a bit of what I want. That's enough for me.

Indeed. Yes indeed.😊

Yeah I know. I worked with rich people and lots of them are the most miserable people. Some were even suicidal they're so unhappy.

It’s game changing.

With the average monthly rent in US at $1250, I am amazed at this!

You have sure done a great job saving your money!!

You are a ROCKSTAR!!!

Wow! That is amazing. You are a motivation.

​@@traybernSounds good in theory but I had the roommate from hell. He seemed fine at first. Had job and a vehicle. That ALL changed. His truck all of a sudden had a serious problem and disappeared. I was stuck driving him everywhere in my old vehicle. He lied about just about everything. Said his half of the electric was paid/wasnt. People can and will steal medicine and money from the elderly. Ive even met nurses who steal medication. I had a neighbor in my complex who took my mail order arthritis medication.

@@traybern Or more likely live with their younger family members. These can't all be childless. Even a great uncle or great Aunt can be a valuable addition of "helping hands" in a family with young children

​@@traybernNice theory, but not always possible. Some of us have chosen to live in very small houses.

Many elderly failed to save for retirement. Let that be a lesson for all of us still young enough to learn frugality and live BELOW our means, to SAVE for retirement!

But the elderly should have prepared better I understand some of that illnesses and lost their savings but others just did not prepare for the day they could no longer work. I am 69 saving was always a priority no matter what the amount

Great! I would suggest that is people are really struggling (with money, time and/or energy) rather than trying to treat yourself, treat someone else first. That will do more for you & your well being (as well as the person you help out). 😊❤

Love this!! And I'll see what I can do about adding more personal stories!

Amen!

Funny I was always told that Lincoln said that. Either way, I believe it.

We are late 59s and We make 450 k a year. I still get a physical bank statement and go through every line against my records. I cannot believe people don’t do this. I actually do a lot if the things the lady in this case study does!

@@sw6118 Ooops...you are correct. I misspoke myself. Thanks for the correction. Diane in NC

That's an amazing benefit for fostering a pet, but how does the rescue afford that when they're bringing in new pets on a consistent basis? I'm not complaining, but I'm surprised that they pay for all the support of the pet that's being fostered!

@metalhead6526 True but low income people pay little to no income tax.

LOL, where I live, the Public Library has been transformed into a living room/computer room for the local homeless population as a change from one of several shelters. It has armed Police inside, to deal with the goings on. Can't say, I'd go there, given the choice. There is a second library in town, but it is small with little selection, and the computers haven't been available since Covid.

⁠ that’s terrible. Are used to go to the library every week but now you can reserve stuff online.

I get all my books from Neflin online....free:) @@MarilynMayaMendoza

@metalhead6526 Our tax dollars pay for it !!!

Thanks for sharing!

The life time free bus pass for seniors would be great.

Exactly like me!

I'm almost to that point now. My rent is going up so much yearly, more than my SS is, and I feel like this is going to be my last year here. I love this apartment so much, but I've started downsizing drastically, because I feel like I'm going to have to move next year when they raise the rent again. I may just trade my little car for a mini van and live in that!

Gotta do what you gotta do. Adapting and being able to adapt is a part of life. Counting my blessings each and every day and having my cat, my precious 7 year old grandson, my 4 step granddaughters, my 2 boys, my niece and other Family and Friends and God makes life a little bit better

Sounds like you have found an almost perfect situation!! Good for you!

Similar. We ordered so much take-out I told my boyfriend it has to stop. He is the cook of the house, but I buy the groceries lol😂. I said I want to move and the food is cutting into savings. Unless you want to foot the bill this is what we have to spend each week. So now we go grocery shopping together each week. 😊 I have a savings thermometer 🌡 I printed out and everything.

Because I hardly ate out during covid, and cooked at home, my taste buds changed! The few restaurants around me no longer appeal to me and I prefer to eat food I prepare myself.

@@traybern Can't agree more! Your bread maker not only baked breads, it also can bake rice, chicken, cakes, make yoghurt and delicious jams. The best thing is, they are doing it while we can tend other stuff without heating the whole kitchen up with huge oven.

Home cooking is also healthier

Pre-pandemic I would go out to happy hour at least every two weeks, dinner with friends 1-2 times a month. During and post pandemic how much money I spent on food deliveries. I could buy a good used car! On my 60th birthday this year I got rid of subscriptions, automatic payments, patronage. I went back to cooking at home. Even with higher food costs, I am saving money. I just had a best pal along with son and fiance over for meatloaf dinner. The costs was $30 including desert. She brought a bottle of wine, son brought ice cream for the cobbler. Nice time spent with paying $125 for the 4 of us to eat out. I also spend less time on Facebook, got rid of othe social media because it leads to envy spending, or impulse shopping. If I buy a piece of clothing, something equal has to leave. Same with books, furniture etc. I only buy used cars because I do not drive much. For grandchildren spending time with them is important. I donate to their savings and plan outings that don't require much money and save for those occasions.

Love that!

Once my aging animals are gone, I too will foster. Today spent $100 per bag of dog food and $80 per bag for cat. Then off to vet to pick up case of wet cat food at $90 for cat with bladder issues. Ugh, how are people going to survive with kids and Animals. I fear the animals are being dumped, especially horses, as I write this since most humans can’t justify them over feeding kids. Sad world now.

@@terrifiorelli9819yes, animals are being relinquished, not yet to the point of the Great Recession but a lot. During the Great Recession we saw a lot of horses being abandoned😢

We have rescued kittens but no help One poor adult male just showed up horribly sick, we did hospice with him after trying our limited means to get him well. It was soul crushing. Plus a tiny kitten in a litter who was found passing bloody urine. She only made it a couple weeks then died horrifically too. I was just sobbing wishing for a way to end it, while I held her thru it. I’ve never been an animal rights person or greenie or anything. I just hate suffering. We had successes and actually fostered a whole bunch too. I would love to foster more animals but we’re living with others now so that’s on hold for me.

That's a great idea.

May I ask, how does she store her extras? We have a TINY 2 bedroom which we use the second bedroom for storage, including our off season stuff.

Fab absolutely fab

Any foods she knows she's going to eat, she has in her cupboards. Her sofa is a pull out with storage underneath. Her closets are also used for storage. I must say it is all very neat and tidy. She has access to the small attic with a pull down stair in her hall. Every nook and cranny is utilized. She uses her laptop if she wants to watch a movie, on KZfaq. I wish she'd let some one do a quick video and she could show what a tiny home really is. @@Jennifr1966

​@@Jennifr1966Closets, dressers, under beds (some people use risers to make more space), corners, etc. Purging things they don't absolutely NEED to make room for things they do.

I’m in a tiny home too. My bed has all the.home canned goods under it and my son gets all the store boxed goods and toilet paper under his bed. My end tables are actually plastic bins with lids that I stuff with food and throw a pretty cloth over. My closets hold food and clothes and seasonal stuff. It is a tight fit but it works😁

Agreed. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Love this❤

So true.

She's doing just fine❤️

People just do not know how to be happy for others…

That's a fantastic idea!! Wish a frjad known that before paying for a puppy. Some Seniors make reamky dumb decisions 😮... she lives on $1100 a month and had saved a little cash when she was forced to get roommates. Instead of saving it for emergency, etc., she bought a puppy. Not long after she had ti move into more expensive places because the roommates were difficult..

You got this! Thanks for watchand and Im happy it helped!

At age 42 I wrote up our first ever budget and found out how much $ I was wasting with fast food, eating out, impulse purchases, junk I didn’t need. I was able to stick to the budget with a modest allowance for each of us, and was able to quit working, then homeschooled our son. The budget was the key.

Yes, being grateful for what we DO have is key!

What make an apt NOT boring? Pool, tennis court, playground? Top end finishings? Or just location?

Try to save for a house, cuz rent will always go up and won’t match your wages.

Sounds like you're doing a great job! Thanks for watching!!

Your so rightx

Yay for you. May you never get cancer or survive a fire or a car crash with overwhelming medical bills - May you never go blind. So smug.

@@elizabethhennessey6437 I’m no stranger to either one of those things. Thanks for your well wishes though!

@@elizabethhennessey6437 I don’t think she was “smug” AT ALL! She’s doing THE WORK, and doing a lot of things right! And very few of us escape illness, accidents, aging and trauma!

I was a single mom with four, worked a full time job and at times a couple of part-time ones in a week. The kids are now 36, 38, 40 and 42, at the time of being a single mom, they were 8 months, 2, 4 and 6 and they honestly have the best things to say about working together and being a happy house. Plus, all of their friends wanted to be at our place cause we had so much fun! Honestly is not about 'stuff'. My life was amazing with them, now 67 and retired, it is good. Still watching the pennies....

Me to as well

​@Connaught56 Noticed your title "Connaught". This is the name of a province in Ireland. Are u from there?

Great job!

@@christinewallace9251 The one thing I would like to add is that I feel it’s important to use farmers markets when ever possible. Supporting local farmers I believe supports the community and the families that own, have employees, that produce and provide fresh food. It’s a great way to give back to society if you’re low income like me.

There are also vouchers that seniors can get to use at farmers markets, too! I think they are a part of health insurances and SNAP.

Yes ppl don’t incl internet & phns They wouldn’t be online without them lol Plus pets are huge! If u have somewhere to take them outside n live in a decent climate, they give great joy for not much $ to feed. If they get sick tho, u have to watch them suffer for lack of vet care.

Farmers markets in many areas are only for the very wealthy. One vendor in our area charges $14 for a pint of strawberries.

YES! Thanks for the tip!

True. My library now has a collection of “things” to check out. I borrowed a leather punch to add a hole to my belt. Wonderful not to buy a tool I’d use once or twice.

What an amazing story thank you for sharing!

We got hit with medical bills over 3 years and are facing retirement years with debt. We are quite frugal, but we need more income due to the debt. Sometimes it's an inflow problem not an outflow.

@@bmarieluvstheearth3879 Yes, i was hospitalized three times in seven months. Although the bills weren't as high as I had feared, it was still kind of a struggle to pay them, added to the fact that I had to quit my part time job after the first stay.

We have three cats. Before we bought them we made sure we could afford them. At the moment we are having some ongoing health issues with them and I would have to not be able to take them to the vet. I have cancer. At my lowest point this year, recovering from surgery and side- effects from chemo, my cats would take it in turn Tim’s,eep with me. A cat, lying beside my head, gent,y purring, was deeply soothing.

@@india1422 I'm sorry to hear you're unwell. I'm glad your cats have been a comfort to you. We are lucky to have them in our lives.

Love this idea!

I do too. My spending money is not in with my household and that makes me aware of what I am spending.

I do the same! All businesses have a budget.

That's a very good observation. Thank you.

Spot on! Programs for everyday folks are a mere drop in the bucket compared to corporate bailouts, etc

It's infuriating that biden will spend billions on illegal aliens while neglecting our citizens especially veterans and the elderly 😡

It isn't the government's job - it is our job to save during our working life, for retirement.

​@@Ray7234Apparently she thinks seniors are a waste.

Each individual person is responsible for their own life. It is not a duty of a government or a society to entitle "seniors" or any other class of individuals with financial support. Many seniors are in the situation of low income or poverty because they did not plan their life well, did not get a skill or education, and did not set themselves up for financial security during their last decade or 2 of life.

@@homesteadgal4143 True. I expect no help from the government. I am a bit bitter about paying social security and medicare tax, since I know I'll never get anything from it. It's a massive ponzi scheme

Thanks so much. I appreciate you.

Thanks so much for watching!

Our expenses are more than our income, even with being frugal, due to medical debt. We use a food bank and share expenses with our daughter and SIL living in our home. It has many advantages. She likes to cook and is quite clean. She's moody, which can be a little off-putting, but it works.

It is a pleasure to share such valuable information!😊

Thanks so much. And thanks for watching!

Right with you! Do you find it hard to loosen the purse strings? We sometimes do except for the grandkids and maybe our dogs.

You also have each other which many many older ppl don’t. Companionship can make or break ur life.

No mortgage, car payment or credit card debt! I am blessed. Plus I have a sweet lil doggie. 🐕

Yeah I know. Some people don't live within their means. Then they come to you asking for money! I don't give it to them! I figure if you need help, you need to budget your money like me.

YES! All this! 100%!!!

Aren't apps free?

Oh, after age 67? This is good info!

Blessings to you and your Angel cat in heaven❤

I am 71 and have worked consistently since 66…no SS offsets…I make about 40 thou a year. It does affect your tax obligation…but tax is never 100%…I am single with no special tax advantages…I pay about 5 thousand $ a year in tax…my SS is $ 1650. A month. So there are big advantages to work…also adds structure to your life, exercise, socialization…and money. I am a 1099 worker ( nurse) so I do get write offs related to that.

I still have to count some of my SS on my income tax and I am 80 but still working.

@@virginialangford6257 I worked until I was 70 and wish I could still work. I walk with a walker now because of bad knees. I had a hip replaced when I retired. I was a hair stylist for 37 years and the foot that I pumped up the chair with mostly was the side I had a hip replacement on. The last 5 years I alternated feet to pump with.

Rhanks so much! I will pass on your kind words!

My MiL grew up in the 50s. Your parents must have done a way better job with you. She is the most wasteful person I have ever known. When she visits she asks to go to the grocery store. She is only here for three to four days (husband can’t handle longer) and somehow needs $100+ worth of special food items for that short time. I caught her dumping cans of soda down the drain when she was packing. She didn’t leave them for someone else - she threw them away. Sealed cans. Unopened yogurt, etc same story. Big shock she is always broke. She thinks being frugal is beneath her. It’s not beneath me! We don’t waste food and we take care of our things. She has a throw away mentality. I have suitcases that are twenty years old. She typically buys a new one every year.

@@BusArch42 She sounds horrible

@@BusArch42 What?? Why would she throw away food items that weren't spoiled?

@@tammiekimball8636 because otherwise she would have to admit she bought way too much and wasted her sons money. She is an addict. Addicted to gambling and to spending money. If she has a dollar it’s burning a hole in her pocket.

She assumed that since she bought the items for herself that no one else would want them.

Thanks so much for watching. I appreciate you!

Great attitude! Inspiring testimony. 😊

Now that is smart! Good thinking!

So many great tips! Thanks so much for watching!

I buy very heavy insulated black out liners from Home Depot and then I sew them as liners on to my curtains. This allows me to buy whatever curtains I like. The added weight makes the curtains hang better and they look much more expensive! Of course, they make the room more comfortable too!

Love the library so much!!

Nesara Gesara is being implemented world wide...all pensioners over 60 get around $5200 per month. All debt will be zeroed. No taxes to pay anymore. Food will go back to 1950's prices.

You believe in the tooth fairy🤔

Next your gonna tell me there's no Santa or Easter bunny come on not true😂

I follow a channel from Canada called " Thinking about Retirement" , and they sold their home and decided to rent an apartment somewhere in Southern Ontario. They don't say the name of the town but they ended up moving into an apartment that was rent controlled, and they didn't even realize it right away. They talked a lot about how they invested their money to get dividends and how to get programs available to Canadian citizens to help with finances. I highly recommend checking them out and their names are Tina and Norm!

Welcome! Happy to have you and thanks for watching!

If an electrical item has an oversized plug such as a TV, "roomba" or stick vacuum, computer, laptop or CPAP it is always drawing power to be ready for a fast start. These are the items that need to be unplugged if every single watt of power used strains your budget. You will just have to wait a bit for then to "warm up."

I have wondered about unplugging the TV and its related stuff like DVD player - but do you have to reprogram everything when you turn it back on?@@daralynncameron3290

@CLord-gs7nj I appreciate that. And I guess there are a lot like me out there who might still be too embarrassed to put it out there like that. I used to be, but now I just want real answers wherever I can find any. Lol. I guess I’m just kind of in the middle of “processing” my anger about it. I know I’ll get over it and I also know that any little good thing will def help me get over it a lot better. This sick fam really is like workaholic, grandiose, entrepreneurial, money and image is everything, maximalist fake hustle culture (with a marked lack of real love) tho and I hate every bit of it. Lol. Feels more to me like I was supposed to be some “trophy child” to promote their image….but not loved. I guess you could say I was raised in overachiever land and I did excel (at least externally) when younger. And it really was more like I got to some place where I was in over my head and then crashed and burned. I def wasn’t mentally and emotionally prepared for “life” tho. You’d think great. Smart girl. Accounting degree. Passed CPA exam but I guess maybe just too plagued with imposter syndrome and after up and down and around 20 something years of it (idk. Maybe you could call it more of a feast or famine type of thing). Never married. Prego out of wedlock. And now I guess the thing for me is sort of being in a catch 22 on the tail end of the toxic fam business. I guess I feel sort of lost tho. Career wise idk even what I want or what I like and even if I do, I just don’t feel like I could ever make a decent living off of it. And now I guess it seems to also be the cat mafia. Lol. But you are right. If I had any passion for it, better to just do whatever needs doing to be happy. (Although no. It’s not gonna be daycare Bcuz I already am stressed out by the cat day care and the “adult children” I seem to be stuck with “managing” and I can say that some days I just want to go to some job part time and for it to be any job I half like so long as it’s not anyone at all after me like “mommy mommy mommy.” Lol. A job where when I come home I can forget all about work until I clock back in. I would say tho that I’d prefer a job that wasn’t high pressure or entrepreneurial (24/7) or to where people are always after me to solve their hardest problems. I’d rather just be the “assistant” lol and be able to say yah. I’ll pass that on to the boss. And then literally pass it on and not have to take it on. But well yah. Narcissistic parents. I admit. I was infantalized. Identity robbed. Isolated. So here I am at 55 still trying to figure out who I really am and how to “adult” properly. I am determined tho. And I may just be mad enough about it to make sure I don’t wind up badly off…bcuz if that happens then they “win” and I don’t want that. Lol. But there are days I totally wanna at least verbally rip into them and shake my fist at them still. God help me. Lol. That is the ultimate to me tho. When you find what you love to do and it can be financially sustainable. I just don’t know if that’s possible for me tho. I’ll be ok with decent and not too shabby and this boss isn’t the devil and if this or that job doesn’t make me want to puke. 😅😅 I’m thinking maybe I’ll just start working part time at a thrift store or something Bcuz I’m just some weirdo who loves to sort and organize things. Lol. And well big accounting job. It wasn’t really ever me. That was my robot self they made. Some role I was playing. Now I have no desire for it even tho it could actually be quite decently lucrative. And I also don’t want the stress of at least “CPA” life. I guess people wonder why the “former CPA” wound up waiting tables or being hotel front desk or just getting sucked back into the toxic fam rental business, but there was so much pain and fake and failure there that I never wanna go back to any of it. And for sure I’d def love to work as long as I’m able. But just not a job I loathe (which is kinda like the current situation. I do what I must but I’m not exactly “thrilled” with it). I just hope I can stay “able” long enough and can find something that really suits me better. Lol. And i often think like yah. I could be very happy seems like if I could ever get out of the throes of what so often feels like “identity crisis” all the time. I’m pretty skilled at many things. It just seems like none of them even come close to “lighting me up.” And the things that light me up, well they don’t so often make anyone a lot of money really. So you can’t just live in “hobby land” forever tho Bcuz the bills still have to get paid. And really tho. I could kill it and become a millionaire and they’d still call me a loser tho…simply Bcuz I refused to “get with their program” 🙄….So I may as well embrace the “beatnik” life if it makes me happy. Lol. And what does it matter? If I have a roof over my head. No burdening debt. Food on the table. Enough to have a bit of fun. Satisfying things to put my hand to. Healthy relationships. Everything else is not really all that useful or necessary. Def have to rewire my head about what is truly “rich” Bcuz I already know “more money” does not always equate to “more happiness.” And you really DO have to wonder just how many who are seemingly so “well off” are secretly miserable.

I hope you're safe now. I know freedom has such a high price❤ good for you getting out, and I know you're stronger for what you had to endure. No one should have to, and I'm sorry you had to deal with abuse. Thank you for sharing your story ❤

@@amandaelaineeldridge3362 Aw shucks. Thanks for bearing with me. Lol. I know I can get a bit long winded and ranty at times. Lol. Yeah. I think I’m safe enough. Most of it really was just mental and emotional so “safe” really just means on that level. They’re not after my literal life, but one could say that they def are after my soul. Just now kind of dealing with all the aftermath kind of stuff I reckon. Like when I go to make a move or to learn the next thing, all the struggles with it….which can make me angry at times Bcuz now I know why. But at any rate, I guess it’s still better to know than to remain blissfully ignorant. And then just all the stuff to do with feeling a bit lost in a foreign land and things like that. More or less stuff that makes me so frustrated (what they did and how it seems to STILL affect so much daily living) and also things like where do I go from here? (After so much controlling “institutional” life). You know the institutional grind very well, but out here in freedom land, it’s a bit harder to learn how to function. I guess something like culture shock would be a good comparison. Freedom really is a beautiful thing, but it does you little good if you don’t know what to do with it and I’m finding that “transitioning” isn’t always easy or fun and most def not quick. It is ultimately rewarding and worth it tho but it can be temp difficult to remember that during one struggle/growing pain after another. Lol. I mean just like any kid trying to learn things…like I struggled with everything. How to keep a clean/tidy house. Feeding myself. Managing money. Dealing with daily life pressures/curve balls in a healthier way. And so on. And then it’s like I’m 20 years old or such. Idk. I’m like some kid who can’t seem to quite pick a major or a path to pursue. 😅😅 And that’s ok for a kid but it can be kind of troublesome for someone my age. Seems like that right now anyways.

Make lists, so you do you planning once & then save your mental energy for carrying out those plans. In over 20 years as a gig worker with periods of unemployment each year, I learned to stretch out my resources, with the help of friends. But after caring for my late mother, I turned the experience into 8 years of caregiving. It raised my Social Security up more than the annual COLA, since many of the lower earning years dropped off the calculations. Just start now & figure that you might have 15-25 years of doing things your way beyond 60!!@@goodenoughgirl8102

Please know that you will never sound like or ever be a loser. You were dealt a terrible hand with DV and were most likely socially conditioned to accept it at the time. Please know that it's never too late to chart a different course. Tight hugs and prayers.

Use a CREDIT UNION, not bank

@@jlotoo850 yes, I only use credit unions myself, but certainly not foolproof.

And the cost of checks ($25-35) with the cost of stamps. Plus, checks have the full account number and routing number that can be stolen. Paying bills from the bank account to the service is safer and cheaper.

@@jlotoo850credit unions charge for paper statements too I only bank at credit unions

@@HLD0205thank GOD my one credit union I’ve had for yrssss and my check use is so rare they have lasted me It’s the last acct Ive bought checks for. I prob pd $20 (I get cheap ones, not from the bank) but I hate buying envelopes and stamps for sure! I do support a couple small ministries that have no overhead, incl no online presence so have to write checks.

That is terrible

Contract phns can’t touch prepaid in the US I pay $50 monthly for service that uses Verizon towers and has 60G data. I just started doing a 2-line plan with my daughter so now it’s only $85 for both of us! She gets 60G on her phn too. My friends who insist on contract phns pay $100-150 monthly

@@YeshuaKingMessiah my new plan is equivalent to $35 now, before it was $80 a month without a contract, so it ends up being much cheaper here in UK committing to a contract saving me $658 a year 🤔

I will! Thanks so much for watching!

I was still paying bills by regular mail until my mail service went downhill. First I noticed I wasn’t getting some of my monthly bills in the mail but luckily I realized it and made payments before they were late. A couple of months later it happened again so I notified the post office but the problem continued. Their incompetence pretty much forced me to switch to online billing and payment.

I’m 73 and have been banking online for at least 15 years. So much easier and never an issue with accuracy. Also no more check register and postage! I don’t trust the postal service having had a few “lost mail” issues. @@TC-fx5zu

here in Toronto Canada, a small apartment cost about $2000 monthly. No way could live on $1100.

hanahudcova891 we have family/friends outside Solna, and Stockholm and one thing you Swede's do well is live a healthy lifestyle, with healthier food choices, more physical movement, less sitting watching tv etc. And you don't make Starbucks, Coke, Pepsi, processed food/junk food daily choices.

This is great! What a good idea!

I'm on a waiting list for a HUD elderly income-based apartment, which is in walking distance to shopping and my hometown's small downtown. I'm happy I need to wait, because I haven't saved up for my moving costs yet.

Yeah I am on a 7 year waiting list here in GA

​@@betsybarnicle8016 wait for senior and or section 8 is 5-7 years and of you have a few dollars over you are off the list. Don't worry though the shelters are full.

@@october50baby You're both wrong and rude.

@@betsybarnicle8016 I'm not wrong. I'm not rude. Thanks though for bringing it to my attention. I am a 73 yr old senior on the east coast. I've tried. Some of us are just over by a bit. There are some who qualify bc anything they saved is not in their name. My rent just went over 1640. That's a big chunk of my SS. Last 5 years I got lucky found data entry work from home. The dr passed away suddenly. I lost 2 months income bc his wife didn't want to pay 3 of us. It really did carry me through. Don't have plan B.

Get a smaller place. No roommates

Hard to adapt to someone when you get older unless you were already friends. Than that might end the friendship. Even Bea Arthur said the Golden Girls could NEVER happen in real life.

Roommates are key to survival Single moms have known this for a century.

@@YeshuaKingMessiah I have a small one bedroom so is affordable. Also cannot HAVE a roommate unless they are spouse or close relative.

My mom had a friend as a roommate in her house….it was great for companionship…unfortunately her friend passed away shortly thereafter…but for the time it lasted it was fantastic for both of them

@acraftersstory I'm 67, retired and on SS. Had no savings after years of being a single parent with 4 kids. I worked for a few years after retiring, but after 2 years spent recovering from covid I'm no longer able to work, not knowing from one day to the next how well I'll feel. So I've started selling on eBay to supplement my income. You might consider selling your craft items online or in a booth, when you retire.

@@pamprier4710 that's a great idea. Thank you very much. I do a little freelance writing too on a platform called Medium. So, I'm hoping to supplement my retirement that way. Fingers crossed. 😊

Thank you so much!

Great tip! Thanks!

How much power are your washer and dryer using when they are turned off? Why would they be drawing power? Mine are not digital and I don't believe they draw anything when not turned on.

I've been thinking about doing this lately 👍

I carry a check register and use it, because the money's coming out of the checking account anyway when you use a debit card. (And tap [instead of swipe] when you use it, to avoid the scammers.)