Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A very interesting thread to me! My parents are no longer living, my father passing when I was a teen, and my mother about 10 years ago. Ironically, my youngest brother is the one being supported by us siblings, mostly my oldest two sisters and my well off younger brother. I give $100 a month to my oldest sister, who is retired, even knowing it goes to my youngest brother, who has not worked for decades, and now has health issues that would make it unlikely he'd find work, although he is 53, he looks much older.
I don't expect that my kids will have to support me. Single parent here, I've tried to do the best I can to set up a reasonable retirement for myself. Both of my children are doing very well at the moment (one is a rocket engineer, the other a 'pixal wizard' who freelances for Playstation, among others.)
If I do need to move in with one of them at some point of my life, I hope to emulate my dear mom, and be a sweet little old lady. I told them to just give me yarn and knitting needles, and I'll be good!
This post is rude and assumes a whole lot. How do you know she doesn't live in a HCOL area? 3500.00 is not a lot of money in many areas of our country and in some areas it's pure poverty level. How do you know she doesn't have health issues that eats up her money? Even if she lived in a LCOL area, maybe, just maybe her children WANT her to live comfortably with a couple of bucks to just blow.
My dad does pretty decent in his retirement and does not NEED nor ask me for my help but I STILL do things for him that allows him to have an even better lifestyle and enjoy his retirement more than he could have without my help. He worked his ass off and sacrificed to raise me and my 5 siblings up the best way he could. The very least we can do as his children is to show our appreciation for all that he gave so that we had a better life. It do not feel obligated to help my dad, it is an honor and privilege to help him.
Not rude at all. Just a reality check for the OP, to realize what a senior living in poverty actually is, and his aunt doesn't meet the definition. The aunt has a defined lifestyle that the adult children wish to maintain for her. It's as simple as that. The OP set the intent of their post by stating a $2000 per month SS benefit was "small", implying that their aunt was in dire straits financially.
I have no problem with children helping parents. But the OP painted a picture of financial destitution, when the aunt is obviously being subsidized to maintain a lifestyle.
Yes, if she's being supported by her children, she should consider it. Damaging the entire family's finances to keep someone in an unaffordable lifestyle is not right. If the children want to pay to support this, that's fine, but if they can't, she should relocate.
WOW!!!! I just don't even know what to say about this post. Yes I do, glad I'm not your mother
If you net $3,500 and are "pure poverty level," you need to move somewhere cheaper. Where I'm from, that's a solid wage for workers, and great for retirees.
There's a definite disconnect on these forums on the relative value of money, and what is an acceptable living standard for seniors.
It's interesting that moving is seldom an option for these folks. Either adult children, the government, or perhaps the tooth fairy have to subsidize their lifestyle status quo. Apparently to some on this forum, not to do so, is morally wrong. To suggest otherwise is rude.
Not rude at all. Just a reality check for the OP, to realize what a senior living in poverty actually is, and his aunt doesn't meet the definition. The aunt has a defined lifestyle that the adult children wish to maintain for her. It's as simple as that. The OP set the intent of their post by stating a $2000 per month SS benefit was "small", implying that their aunt was in dire straits financially.
I have no problem with children helping parents. But the OP painted a picture of financial destitution, when the aunt is obviously being subsidized to maintain a lifestyle.
Again, how do you know she doesn't live in a HCOL area? That money would be gone quick in SoCal. How do you know she doesnt do something for them in return (babysit the grandkids, etc)? The kids have the means and have chosen to help her out and I say good for them to help take care of their mother
Surviving on 2700 a month? Does she live in Manhattan?
I do nicely on $1200 month. No savings or investments.
Well, I could live on $1200/month since I'd also be eligible for means tested benefits, including SNAP, energy assistance, reduced property tax or subsidized senior housing, medicare premium assistance, prescription drug assistance, transportation, etc. OTOH, I think I'd rather live in a low cost trailer park and eat Kraft Macaroni and Cheese every night.
I was born in 1944 but I have always considered myself an older Boomer, even though I am aware that is not technically correct (off by two years). My sister - three years younger and born in 1947 - is a Boomer, but she and I were raised in the same era, really, under the same social, economic, and political conditions. I just do not relate to being a "Silent" even as I recognize and accept intellectually that you are correct.
By the time the younger Boomers were born, the world had changed enormously, so there is a vast difference between older and younger Boomers. That's why it's so problematic to make statements about "Boomers", and why it's problematic to talk about the generations on a generalized level.
According to Strauss and Howe you are a Boomer:
- You cannot actually remember WW2
- You reached adulthood between 1960 and 1978/9.
- You can remember the death of JFK
- You either were of an age or had older friends, sibs, etc who were of an age to get sent to 'nam
- The defining social characteristic impacting your childhood was the post WW-II "High" (aka the 1st Turning).
"Boomer" was a demograpic event, when each birth cohort was larger than the one previous. It started in 1946, peaked around 1957 and stalled out in 1960.
The rest is marketing.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
