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Why does every thread dealing with a need for retired support seem to always get a blowhard response from someone about how responsible they are and sorry you and others aren't but to bad. Is it always needed? Sometimes silence is golden.
Assuming that everyone has the same ability to save for retirement as oneself is very narrow minded. The average income in this country is only $50k, after all. That means half the population is living on that or less. Assuming that if a particular person is in the category of having insufficient savings to support retirement is that way because of spendthrift ways is also narrow minded and prejudicial. There are people like that but there are also many people who simply didn't earn extra money at a very modest lifestyle to build up a retirement account. Have a little compassion.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tesaje
...there are also many people who simply didn't earn extra money at a very modest lifestyle to build up a retirement account. Have a little compassion.
or had a family medical crisis, elder care, wayward kids / spouse in therapy, or any number of unexpected things that could happen to any of us TODAY!
I wouldn't even say have compassion, I'd say get real. If you've never had unexpected and bad things happen in your life you just haven't lived very long.
I doubt you'd find more than one person out of thousand that worked as hard as I did my whole life and had financial education from the time I could walk. Nor anyone who gave so much to others.
Any number of things can and do happen which are outside our control or ability to change. When it comes down to money being more important than people that is just a bad attitude and a short sighted one.
All of the survival ideas proposed are good and an option sans the jail thing or robbing a bank. Freedom is still precious.
Yes, I've been looking at truck campers and if I can sell my place I really think that's what I'll do. It keeps me mobile in hopes of getting a job and you can boondock alot.
I've been looking at a variety of truck campers and they've come a long way.
Lots of oldsters who had their @ss handed to them in the meltdown ended up in broken-down RV's on their last wheels. Many around here are parking up and down streets in Santa Monica, but in general anywhere in So Cal where overnight parking is lax. Is this a reasonable alternative when there's nothing left; when you've lost your home, can't afford an apartment and have no family or friends to fall back on? It's just my wife and I and no family. She works and I'm retired for medical reasons. If anything happened to her I'd be alone and I mean ALONE! That's a scary thought. I hate to be a baby about it but when you get older you become a greater victim of your environment with each passing day. I'd end up in an RV on SS of about $700/mo. Going to prison almost seems an attractive alternative at my age and with my conditions. I wonder if many oldsters consider that. Any thoughts on this growing phenomenon as the economy heads further and further south?
--"Lots of oldsters " --"I'd end up in an RV on SS of about $700/mo"--
First off, why would your SS check be that low ?
I took early retirement at age 62, worked at manual labor jobs all my life , and my SS check is $1109 per month.
And that is with the penalty deducted for drawing at 62 instead of waiting til 66.
Assuming that everyone has the same ability to save for retirement as oneself is very narrow minded. The average income in this country is only $50k, after all. That means half the population is living on that or less. Assuming that if a particular person is in the category of having insufficient savings to support retirement is that way because of spendthrift ways is also narrow minded and prejudicial. There are people like that but there are also many people who simply didn't earn extra money at a very modest lifestyle to build up a retirement account. Have a little compassion.
--The average income in this country is only $50k, after all --
"only" ???????????
Regarding my above post, I have never made $50k in a year ( not close to it)
Yet, my SS is certainly above the $700 a month the OP was stating he would get.
,Maybe it isn't the wage rate that is holding his SS down, but how often in his lifetime he actually did work !
Lots of oldsters who had their @ss handed to them in the meltdown ended up in broken-down RV's on their last wheels. Many around here are parking up and down streets in Santa Monica, but in general anywhere in So Cal where overnight parking is lax. Is this a reasonable alternative when there's nothing left; when you've lost your home, can't afford an apartment and have no family or friends to fall back on? It's just my wife and I and no family. She works and I'm retired for medical reasons. If anything happened to her I'd be alone and I mean ALONE! That's a scary thought. I hate to be a baby about it but when you get older you become a greater victim of your environment with each passing day. I'd end up in an RV on SS of about $700/mo. Going to prison almost seems an attractive alternative at my age and with my conditions. I wonder if many oldsters consider that. Any thoughts on this growing phenomenon as the economy heads further and further south?
Can your wife get work elsewhere? You may be in better shape if you take an RV to a cheaper state.
Perhaps his medical condition precluded him from working more recently or for periods of time.
I'm in the same boat. My SS would be even less than his is. Our accountant who we paid to the tune of $10,000+ a yr suggested that we take the majority of our business income as dividends so that we could invest instead of paying as much into SS. Brilliant! If I could get back the money I paid him over many years I could retire in comfort.
My first piece of advice would be to see if you can muster there wherewithall to drive to a more affordable area. Santa Monica has to be expensive. Tags and insurance are probably real high and everyday items are probably killing you. That won't change until you're out of California and Arizona isn't much better. When you get to the middle of the country there ought to be decent area to live where $700 a month will get by with some food stamps or assistance.
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Have a little compassion. 
I hate to be a baby about it but when you get older you become a greater victim of your environment with each passing day. I'd end up in an RV on SS of about $700/mo. Going to prison almost seems an attractive alternative at my age and with my conditions. I wonder if many oldsters consider that. Any thoughts on this growing phenomenon as the economy heads further and further south?
