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Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,745 posts, read 58,102,528 times
Reputation: 46232
I feel there are plenty of <$1000 / month retirement living options in USA also. (Excluding healthcare / owning a 'newer' car)
There are still some homes renting for under $500 / month in rural areas (but then you MUST have a car).
Gardening or gleaning and being creative about NOT spending will govern your level of success.
Basically my spending =
$100 food
$100 entertainment and clothes / supplies.
$100 utilities
$50 house insurance
$500 House payment / rent (that can be dropped in 1/2 or excluded if you own outright)
$30 car insurance
$10 car maint
Fuel = Free (veggie oil)
$80 - $100 for reasonable property taxes (mine are not reasonable)
Just don't get SICK!.
So I can live for ~$1000/ month in USA
BUT healthcare INSURANCE alone is $1300 EXTRA, and my current property tax is $1100 So I spend $2400 BEFORE living on a meager $1000
I feel there are plenty of <$1000 / month retirement living options in USA also. (Excluding healthcare / owning a 'newer' car)
There are still some homes renting for under $500 / month in rural areas (but then you MUST have a car).
Gardening or gleaning and being creative about NOT spending will govern your level of success.
Basically my spending =
$100 food
$100 entertainment and clothes / supplies.
$100 utilities
$50 house insurance
$500 House payment / rent (that can be dropped in 1/2 or excluded if you own outright)
$30 car insurance
$10 car maint
Fuel = Free (veggie oil)
$80 - $100 for reasonable property taxes (mine are not reasonable)
Just don't get SICK!.
So I can live for ~$1000/ month in USA
BUT healthcare INSURANCE alone is $1300 EXTRA, and my current property tax is $1100 So I spend $2400 BEFORE living on a meager $1000
but you are leaving almost no money for unexpected home repairs, $100 for entertainment and cloths, come on. Yes, it can be done, but you haven't even figured gas and $100 for food is at the bottom. I can easily see living on $1500 a month,but $1000 that is really pushing it.
This critical question is what I've been asking over and over on CD....for myself and others. Boy it would be wretched to be far, far away from family members at the end-stage of life (unless you didn't like your family to begin with). Many have the resources to move back (or be moved back), while many do not. Our adult kids and growing grandkids have very busy lives and little time off (with which they want to vacation, understandably, not visit us old geezers 1500 mi away.) The cost of air travel and hotels if needed is not cheap. If I had the resources and wanted to spend time in say FLA or CA, I would get a time share there and continue living close to family.
Don't ever buy a time share! Not even for zero (will wind up costing you more than it's worth). Robyn
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,745 posts, read 58,102,528 times
Reputation: 46232
Quote:
Originally Posted by nmnita
but you are leaving almost no money for unexpected home repairs, $100 for entertainment and cloths, come on. Yes, it can be done, but you haven't even figured gas and $100 for food is at the bottom. I can easily see living on $1500 a month,but $1000 that is really pushing it.
I would say we EACH have very different spending habits... I VOLUNTEER usher for entertainment, I have not spent $100 on clothes in the last 5 yrs. No need for 'house repair' set asides, as I assume retiree would have the 2yr living expenses / emergency fund, as well as house paid off,, if not... I have built all my own houses and can't thnk of a repair that would tax my savings... I can do roofs, siding, windows... I do that all the time on my rentals. GAS that stuff is EXPOSIVE! as mentioned, I drive a 50 mph car that burns (free) waste cooking oil, or heating oil, or discarded jet fuel...
Always fed my family on $100 / month.. been using the 'envelope' method for yrs. Run out of money... open the freezer or pantry.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robyn55
So how does one avoid that until the end of one's days? Inquiring minds want to know . Robyn
That too is subjective, BUT is actually very VOLUNTARY (your choice of care). I lost 3 friends the last yr who were uninsured / self insured and just made the choice to die rather than spend a pile of dough extending their presence. A 99 yr old friend just passed away this month. She had been told at 88 she needed immediate surgery, and she chose to 'wait it out'. (worked for 11 yrs...) Another friend age 95 was told same 20 yrs ago.. Not all proceedures are REQUIRED, or even DESIRED.
Since I am still well under Medicare age, I will go to Asia if I need major treatment (~$800 flight + medical costs ~ 1/10th USA). Currently I am there every month anyway. For something really serious I will wait it out.
That too is subjective, BUT is actually very VOLUNTARY (your choice of care). I lost 3 friends the last yr who were uninsured / self insured and just made the choice to die rather than spend a pile of dough extending their presence. A 99 yr old friend just passed away this month. She had been told at 88 she needed immediate surgery, and she chose to 'wait it out'. (worked for 11 yrs...) Another friend age 95 was told same 20 yrs ago.. Not all proceedures are REQUIRED, or even DESIRED.
Since I am still well under Medicare age, I will go to Asia if I need major treatment (~$800 flight + medical costs ~ 1/10th USA). Currently I am there every month anyway. For something really serious I will wait it out.
I agree with you ... to a point. Some people do anything to extend life at ALL costs. Medicine has progressed to the point where they can keep you alive long past when they should. Personally, I am afraid that they'll keep me on a machine ... my first tattoo will be a "DNR" across my chest.
The only problem with the Asia strategy is that all emergencies don't wait for a 20 hour flight.
I am surprised that you don't have a mutual insurance plan ...
but you are leaving almost no money for unexpected home repairs, $100 for entertainment and cloths, come on. Yes, it can be done, but you haven't even figured gas and $100 for food is at the bottom. I can easily see living on $1500 a month,but $1000 that is really pushing it.
We live on a little less than $1,000 a month (not including medical). We spend more than StealthRabbit on food, but less on entertainment and clothes. We have an old, very reliable truck that we spend next to nothing to maintain and drive very little. We do have an auto fund and a house fund for emergencies, but so far haven't needed to use either. We live in one of the most expensive areas in the country...Santa Cruz county, California. So, I can easily see how StealthRabbit manages on $1,000 a month. I love that he uses cooking oil as fuel for his car.
Our medical expenses are another approx. $1,000 per month. I'm hoping it will be less once we reach Medicare age.
I feel there are plenty of <$1000 / month retirement living options in USA also. (Excluding healthcare / owning a 'newer' car)
There are still some homes renting for under $500 / month in rural areas (but then you MUST have a car).
Gardening or gleaning and being creative about NOT spending will govern your level of success.
Basically my spending =
$100 food
$100 entertainment and clothes / supplies.
$100 utilities
$50 house insurance
$500 House payment / rent (that can be dropped in 1/2 or excluded if you own outright)
$30 car insurance
$10 car maint
Fuel = Free (veggie oil)
$80 - $100 for reasonable property taxes (mine are not reasonable)
Just don't get SICK!.
So I can live for ~$1000/ month in USA
BUT healthcare INSURANCE alone is $1300 EXTRA, and my current property tax is $1100 So I spend $2400 BEFORE living on a meager $1000
How do you spend only $100 per month on food? I'm always looking for ways to cut back, so I'm curious how you do it. I cook and bake from scratch, stock up when there are sales, etc., but have never had that low of a food bill.
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. Robyn
that stuff is EXPOSIVE! as mentioned, I drive a 50 mph car that burns (free) waste cooking oil, or heating oil, or discarded jet fuel...
