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Can only tell you what I do.
Starting with a coupon organizer....little soft wallet type thing....divided up into catagories. I arranged mine into how the aisles are set up in my favorite store.
Because most of my coupons come from the Sunday paper ( we buy two locals because the coupons invariably pay for it) I sit down, cut them out and put them in the organizer. While doing this, I get reminded as to what ones I already have and remove any expired.
I find using a small utility knife easier and faster than scissors.
Hope that helps.
Do you really get enough coupons that are good nutritious foods? Many of the coupons I see are for sodas, etc. Any "whole" foods? I'll try looking harder at these flyers.
Do you really get enough coupons that are good nutritious foods? Many of the coupons I see are for sodas, etc. Any "whole" foods? I'll try looking harder at these flyers.
That's the whole problem with the coupons. They are pushing the processed stuff which I don't eat. So I don't do the coupons for much except the occasional toiletry and paper. But then again, eating whole real fresh food is less expensive than the processed stuff anyway - even without coupons.
This morning I'm wondering about subsidized senior housing. I had to deliver some flyers to one of them in a nearby college town, and when I went into the office I was greeted by some very nice savvy women who are residents there just happening to be congregating in the office. I asked if they liked living there and they said they loved it, walkable to everything in town, etc. The only drawback is... no pets. Also it's a high rise bldg and I've never lived in one before, wonder about the smell of smoking and confinement. But the location is wonderful.
There's a little bit of a stigma about living in subs. housing around here....but I'm sure my income level qualifies tho maybe not my assets. Does anyone know of a great town, pref college town, that has nice subs housing for seniors? Something well designed maybe all on one floor(not a high rise)? If you are moving from elsewehre/not a native, can you get on a waiting list?
Curious to know what others have found or experienced...
Last edited by RiverBird; 05-27-2009 at 05:40 AM..
If this thread is still around in six months or a year I'll let you know if the coupons are worth the effort...I'm willing to try it even though my diet consists of fresh veggies, beans and fish that I get from local fishermen and I fillet and vaccum pack - plus I keep frozen Tilapia from Coscto in the freezer because it is so quick to fix and throw on a salad or with veggies on the side. I do use grocery canned tomatoes, beans, broth, steel cut oats and jarred salsa, jalpeno's, capers, simmer sauces, peanut butter, an occassional boxed high fiber cereal,and bagged tofu noodles Except for the organic almonds and rice crackers, that about sums up my entire diet. Sounds repetitive and boring but with herbs, salsa's and sauces I don't long for anything. So, we will see if the coupons work for me or not.
Coffee ... to help stymie the "cafe" buying habit ... use a $1.99 milk frother from IKEA. I LOVE it - my drinks look and taste like a special treat - sometimes I will also sprinkle some cinnamon on the top of the froth. Yum.
I do not know anything about subsidized senior housng - but I do imagine that assets would count when determining eligibility.
NE girl: Yes, DH and I are aware of the tax situation in NY State, so we've picked an area _near_ the town we chose, where taxes are much less. It's Ithaca, NY, home of Cornell Univ and Ithaca College, huge farmers market, great supermarket (Wegman's flagship store), lefty politics, the largest used bookstore I've ever seen, beautiful geography, nearby wineries, and an active local-food economy (our hobbies), outdoor activities, and other things we're looking for. Good bus system that goes out into the smaller towns around it. We'd prefer to live in Ithaca proper, of course, but we're intending to move to one of the smaller towns to save money on housing and prop taxes.
The big downside there is winter, which lasts five months. Lots of snow. But DH and I really don't mind winter, and we hate heat and just couldn't live in the South or Southwest.
As for sr sub housing, rules vary. There is sub housing in Ithaca and in the surrounding towns. There's a very cool program that builds temporary cottages for seniors on family property. Here's a link to senior housing in Tompkins County NY: http://www.tompkins-co.org/cofa/docu...ithpicture.pdf
My mom lives in sub housing in IL. In her building, pets are permitted, but smoking is not. There's a van that takes them wherever they need to go in town (dr, groceries, etc.). The bldg is in a nice neighborhood, quiet, lots of activities, even has gardening space.
As for income vs. assets, as I recall, she had to pay a percentage of the profit she made when she sold her house to go into sub housing because it was sold within two years of her move there. As I recall, it amounted to about $2,000. Then rent is 1/3 of her income and includes all utilities (including cable tv) except phone. I am not familiar with any rules involving other assets, tho; she had a small savings account, but they didn't seem concerned with that.
NE girl: Yes, DH and I are aware of the tax situation in NY State, so we've picked an area _near_ the town we chose, where taxes are much less. It's Ithaca, NY, home of Cornell Univ and Ithaca College, huge farmers market, great supermarket (Wegman's flagship store), lefty politics, the largest used bookstore I've ever seen, beautiful geography, nearby wineries, and an active local-food economy (our hobbies), outdoor activities, and other things we're looking for. Good bus system that goes out into the smaller towns around it. We'd prefer to live in Ithaca proper, of course, but we're intending to move to one of the smaller towns to save money on housing and prop taxes.
The big downside there is winter, which lasts five months. Lots of snow. But DH and I really don't mind winter, and we hate heat and just couldn't live in the South or Southwest.
As for sr sub housing, rules vary. There is sub housing in Ithaca and in the surrounding towns. There's a very cool program that builds temporary cottages for seniors on family property. Here's a link to senior housing in Tompkins County NY: http://www.tompkins-co.org/cofa/docu...ithpicture.pdf
My mom lives in sub housing in IL. In her building, pets are permitted, but smoking is not. There's a van that takes them wherever they need to go in town (dr, groceries, etc.). The bldg is in a nice neighborhood, quiet, lots of activities, even has gardening space.
As for income vs. assets, as I recall, she had to pay a percentage of the profit she made when she sold her house to go into sub housing because it was sold within two years of her move there. As I recall, it amounted to about $2,000. Then rent is 1/3 of her income and includes all utilities (including cable tv) except phone. I am not familiar with any rules involving other assets, tho; she had a small savings account, but they didn't seem concerned with that.
I love NY state, it is beautiful. I'd like to know more about the Ithaca area, as I have an old friend there but have never visited. How low is low when it comes to prop taxes?
The winters can be hard as they are thruout the NE. But I was thinking this morning, after reading posts with "must-haves," you know, as we age it doesn't really matter how much overpopulation, overgrowth is happening as long as it doesn't raise our cost of living. The most important thing is being connected with others, if not family, then a great collection of friends and other support. I'd even give up my gorgeous scenery for more day to day involvement and friendship, something I would not have imagined 10 yrs ago. It's really about connection with others.....
The most important thing is being connected with others, if not family, then a great collection of friends and other support. I'd even give up my gorgeous scenery for more day to day involvement and friendship, something I would not have imagined 10 yrs ago. It's really about connection with others.....
NEG...... this is so true. I live in a breathtakingly beautiful country area, but I miss the networking options of a larger city.
HOWEVER..... as one of the oldest participants on these threads, I'd like to emphasize that when living "up north" when one is older - one may have to endure the nagging, constant PAIN of arthritis during the cold, damp winter months When I was in my 50s & 60s I would have laughed at reading this statement; but now at age 70...... it is a reality!
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one may have to endure the nagging, constant PAIN of arthritis during the cold, damp winter months
It's a reality for me too, coney and I am still in my sixties. Not so much arthritis, but just the numbing pain from contant damp & cold during those five months of the year.
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NEG...... this is so true. I live in a breathtakingly beautiful country area, but I miss the networking options of a larger city.
HOWEVER..... as one of the oldest participants on these threads, I'd like to emphasize that when living "up north" when one is older - one may have to endure the nagging, constant PAIN of arthritis during the cold, damp winter months When I was in my 50s & 60s I would have laughed at reading this statement; but now at age 70...... it is a reality!
yes I know, I hear you about the cold, etc. But I also know that I can't move away from my 5 kids and sisters. I probably couldn't afford the West coast anyway, sigh so unless I stay in the east and move more south, I have to find ways of dealing w the cold. For me, isolation (actual and psychological) is worse than the cold. Being even nearer people I know well is my first priorty, tho I do dream of warmer climes. But to be truthful, suffocating heat/humidity and my health problem don't mix. So I may have to learn to live with the cold, somehow, taking warming herbs and doing more exercise etc. Speaking of which I really ought to join an aerobics class this summer. It would help shape me up in any event...
Ah aerobics and yoga--so wonderful to keep us flexible! My yoga teacher always says, "You're only as young as your spine is flexible."
When we moved to coastal NC from Northern California, we really felt the heat and humidity that first summer--oh it was fierce...and now? Now, I guess we've acclimated...sure, we use A/C, but I ride my bike through the leafy streets of my village even in the 90's...guess I'm creating my own breeze...and I love the lush warm tropical nights here...in No. CA there was very little sitting outside in the summer--it was too brisk and often foggy...
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to know what others have found or experienced...
Health & Wellbeing........
When I was in my 50s & 60s I would have laughed at reading this statement; but now at age 70...... it is a reality! 
about the cold, etc. But I also know that I can't move away from my 5 kids and sisters. I probably couldn't afford the West coast anyway, sigh
so unless I stay in the east and move more south, I have to find ways of dealing w the cold. For me, isolation (actual and psychological) is worse than the cold. Being even nearer people I know well is my first priorty, tho I do dream of warmer climes. But to be truthful, suffocating heat/humidity and my health problem don't mix. So I may have to learn to live with the cold, somehow, taking warming herbs and doing more exercise etc. Speaking of which I really ought to join an aerobics class this summer. It would help shape me up in any event...
