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As a retired (one year)Social Worker in the Expensive State of CA, I saw many folk on SS only getting by just fine in our small town/rural area. How, you may ask? Step one: subsidized rent apartment. Nice one bedroom for $275 a month. Or shared housing. Medical care is free due to state Medicaid along with Medicare. Food is covered by food stamps and various food banks. Church run charities provide clothes, household items, food and more. Senior center provides, food, rides and social services. And there is the informal network of the poor in our community. Funded programs to provide reduced utility and phone rates.
The poor here do ok, but it does take some effort and reaching out.
Sierra Nevada Land....I just noticed on your profile. :-) My sister and her husband live in Big Pine, CA
I am on SS but my husband still works. I am blessed - he is younger than I am and we've been married for 30 yrs. I think people can do it as you stated above but it takes reaching out for sure and knowing where to go for the help.
My husband's sister is dealing with being one step closer to being homeless. She lives in Santa Barbara and we are trying to help her get somewhere that is cheaper. She lost her job - is pushing 64 and needs help. We are doing what we can for her. It's tough out there. She is looking at Kernville as this is her favorite place. When they were kids - spent their summers there at the river. We'll see...
The trick is to research areas where the rents are low enough that you don't need a subsidy. They do exist. They may be a long drive away, and in a small rural town you won't like. But there won't be a waiting list, and it beats living in your car.
That's an idea, but plenty of urban people do not have a car, so it wouldn't work for them.
Is it better to live in a more urban area where you can make do without a car but pay higher rent?
Or live in a more rural area that requires a car but you have cheaper rent?
Also, is it easier to access government or charitable programs if you live in a larger city?
My husband has been retired for about 7 years now. We moved to a cheaper area when he did, I thought I would get work there but the economy and local job market crashed as soon as we arrived. We were in pretty good shape, but no health insurance. I was an unemployed, too aged employee unable to find work. So I applied for an early retirement with a previous civil service job. It was a good move because it came with healthcare but a small check.
We moved again to a less severe weather area, a retiree community. It was so far from everywhere and food was expensive.
We moved again and rented in 3 different places in a few months, just checking out different areas, they all had a large negative. Right now we are in place #3 and we are literally stuck here because we bought a house and even though it is for sale, it hasnt sold yet, so we feel trapped.
What happened here (Idaho-Treasure Valley) was that we could afford the budget when we got here but it seems like in the past 2 years every single item in our budget has gone thru the roof with increases almost every month on every item. We have studied the budget and trimmed as much as we thought we could but maintain the same lifestyle. We are losing the battle.
We saved hundreds of dollars 6 months ago by severly cutting back and switching companies on our auto insurance, Direct tv, internet, cell phone and a much needed home phone. We got rid of Direct TV, we even paid their blackmail cancellation fee just to get rid of them in our budget. We bought an over the air hd antenna and now enjoy free tv, my favorite thing is free. We called and negotiated a SLIGHTLY lower internet fee. We cancelled one of our 2 cell phones and severely cut back on the level of features on the one and only cell we have left. We sold our second vehicle. We negotiated with vonage back to 9.99 a mo. We went to a balanced payment plan on the utilities. We changed auto ins companies because State Farm was going up every single mo and back to geico, we called the mortgage co and asked for an escrow review, this actually increased our pmt by $2 a big mistake. So, we are selling the house, no offers yet...sadly.
We will be affected by the Obamacare "Cadillac tax" on our healthcare. Our deductible went up. Premiums went up.
We are afraid that 7 years was about as long as we could last on our retirement. I qualify for early SS in a few months but the Cadillac tax and increased property tax will eat that up.
Every time we go to the grocery store it is higher and higher.
$5 for a meal seems so high. We cant continually move every time things get too high because soon that wont be an option. If we rent, we have no control over our housing costs spiralling up. If we buy, we cant sell if we need to move away. It is a dilema for all retirees.
That Cadillac tax on retiree health plans is going to be the straw that broke our back, it will probably equal or exceed my entire ss check once I qualify for it.
I dont know how my aunt lived on $400 a month, I know she was very proud and independent and would never let us help her back then.
I dont know the answer. I know nobody planned for retirement to be like this. We have sold many things to pay for other things too. We know we have a lifestyle change coming up in our future. There will be sacrifices and decisions to be made.
I have no answers for you, just letting you know that we are also wondering what is next after we sell and move again. And this time we don't even know where we will move, every day we talk about where that will be, just in case the house goes into escrow. Only God knows.
May I suggest somewhere else?
Like southern states. Where we are looking, houses to for about $30-35k. Sure they need a coat of paint, but that is easy. Some are brickwork some are cinderblocks so hurricanes won't affect the as much, except for the roof, and I'm talking only the possibility, not a routine thing, it's a small risk and likely to bring only lots and lots of rain.heck here in NY we get hurricane backlashes.
The COL is cheap, though anywhere you go prices will go up as the national rise to the$15/ hr min wage comes along.
There are services as I noted above in my posts to help out.
One thing you may have to get used to is the higher population of blacks, but they are generally great kind people, not the hooligans you see in the news In places like Chicago.
Instead many would give you the shirt off their back as long as you treat them the same.
The weather is nice so if you can bear some heat in summer, and an occasional chilly night in winter without climate control, you won't have that expense.
The computer makes it easy to research various southern small cities where this is possible BEFORE you make the move.
You might even be able to get a part time job there.
Research various southern areas and find one you like. We have and are planning several vacations there over the next few years, that may not be an option for you, but the computer is full of accurate information.
Try Zillow or Trulia for real estate for sale s and info on what they are actually selling for. In our case they are selling for $5-10 k BELOW asking!
Check it out before you just jump in the U-Haul and move.
The computer is invaluable. You can look up grocery prices by finding out what grocery store s are there, then check the computer for their weekly ads. There is always a Walmart every small city we are looking at. And a dollar tree store there too, aND credit union s.
So do some research and plan ahead this time.
Best of luck to you!
I'm single, childless and will be living on SS alone, when I get to full retirement age. However, I've worked all my life, and many years at two jobs, so my SS will not be that much less than what I live on each month now.
I own my own home and haven't had any debt for 10 years. I can easily entertain myself without spending a ton of money. I have investments and savings, but they will be for emergency use only, not something to draw on each month.
The biggest thing I have going for me is a family history of excellent health. At age 50, I still had 3 living grandparents, and only one of them took medications (old age diabetes).
For the person who asked how much Medicare will cost -- for 2017 it is $134 a month (unless you have special circumstances) and is taken out of your SS check before you get it.
What are these special circumstances? I am going on medicare in two months and losing that much will mean the budget always in emergency mode. Some of my medical costs are 'durable medical' and I should be able to get those, but in order for them to stay put (they stick on in place, and must ahere well) I have a lot of other products which I buy from Amazon, for cost since its cheaper, and as they are hard to find. These are as vital as food. My house needs some work, mostly dead plugs. And routine maintaince, like the occasional plummer.
This month I started out spending 200 dollars for food, as it was mostly out. That was basics needing replacing. I have to watch my diet andI spend 200 dollars on the first trip to the store last month, and as most of its used up, will spend more this month. I don't qualify for food stamps in this state. I buy good basic food, not packaged stuff, and cook my own, and it is very important to maintain a good diet. Mostly I pay cash for food and that deduction could represent most of it.
And when I am worried about money, when its too low too early, I don't do well in the mood department either.
The full SS payment provides fine, but take over a hundred away and it won't. So how to I explain this to them?
I have some work needed on the house too, that I can't do. I've got to have money for that.
And when I feel as if the needed basic stuff might run out before the month, I get very depressed and my moods get the better of me.
I don't do well when life gets tossed into emergency mode. I manage my budget well, but it takes the whole check. I don't do well in panic mode all the time. And FOOD is expensive here, and this state did not expand food and medicade and state services so I'd still not qualify. My needed medical supplies can cost $!00 up in addition to the ones I can order, which should be covered. Many of the other things are, and I buy them online. Losing 135 would threaten my ability to get sufficent supplies which I MUST have on hand. I buy them online since its cheaper than stores if they'd even have the stuff. These are things which medical insurence won't pay for and I must hav
There are months where I have to buy more stuff mid month and run very low on food. I also own my house and have ongoing maintaince for that, which is equally as important, especially if we continue to have strong quakes. And I have property tax. The months I pay that I barely squeek by. But with over a hundred less in the account, I might not be able to pay it.
I own my house and have property tax to pay and need insurence. I also buy my own food as my income is too high for food stamps. I also buy the assorted stuff I need for my health which are not paid for by anyone, some months close to $60. These are not negotable as I absolutely need them..
This is making me very worried and nervous. I have a talk with someone coming up about medicare and social security, but this is making me very scared. Some of my ongoing MUST HAVE medical supplies would be paid for, but in order to get them to work I buy at least 60 dollars more. So, what are these 'special circumstances'. My budget works now but there isn't much 'squeeze'. I may end up using more like 300 dollars worth of supplies some times as well.
Where can I find out about this?
Last edited by nightbird47; 03-06-2017 at 06:36 AM..
I get a little over 1k. Losing $134 would completly throw the budget intoemergency mode. This state did not expand food and medicade and state services so I'd still not qualify.
I own my house and have property tax to pay and need insurence. I also buy my own food as my income is too high for food stamps. I also buy
This is making me very worried and nervous. I have a talk with someone coming up about medicare and social security, but this is making me very scared. Some of my ongoing MUST HAVE medical supplies would be paid for, but in order to get them to work I buy at least 60 dollars more. So, what are these 'special circumstances'. My budget works now but there isn't much 'squeeze'. I may end up using more like 300 dollars worth of supplies some times as well.
Where can I find out about this?
I have to wonder what you now have for health care? Employer provided? Or just doing without health insurance? Because for most people the $134 for the Medicare Part B premium represents the best bargain on the planet and is quite a savings over their previous arrangements.
I realize that doesn't help you on your tight budget to know that the $134 is a tremendous bargain, but I am curious about your present situation so that the overall context of your post will make sense to me.
I have to wonder what you now have for health care? Employer provided? Or just doing without health insurance? Because for most people the $134 for the Medicare Part B premium represents the best bargain on the planet and is quite a savings over their previous arrangements.
I realize that doesn't help you on your tight budget to know that the $134 is a tremendous bargain, but I am curious about your present situation so that the overall context of your post will make sense to me.
I'm not nightbird, but my brother is in the same situation. $134 represents a good chunk of his current SS income. As for health insurance, he has been lucky to have good health so he opted to pay the penalty rather than pay for health insurance he couldn't afford and didn't need.
I'm not nightbird, but my brother is in the same situation. $134 represents a good chunk of his current SS income. As for health insurance, he has been lucky to have good health so he opted to pay the penalty rather than pay for health insurance he couldn't afford and didn't need.
"Good health" does not account for accidents, which can happen to anyone at any time. A jewelry store owner in our area considered himself in good health and took the same risk. He was working in his yard and the equipment he was sitting on tipped over. He had extensive injuries ended up begging for financial assistance to cover his medical bills on Go Fund Me.
We love Dollar Tree and the other dollar stores as well. Plus, you don't have to get all dressed up.
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