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Philosophically speaking, I am trying to do things to have everything I need of the big stuff before I retire, to get it when it is so much easier. From questions of the car on ward down.
But how do we handle for when things break as we know they will. Do we calculate a formula of slow replacement or to have enough so when we have run out of stuff, we have run out of time? Do these calculations come into that consideration of downsizing?
As it might be known, the cats broke a mirror and a crystal water dish last week. That's a replacement issue, the mirror, that is going to take some figuring. Just had another cat break a cereal (description but used otherwise) bowl. It wasn't anything special, bought a few years ago when I returned to microwave cooking, but with its demise, I am wondering about stocking dishware beyond my needs. Maybe not complete sets but rather, just have the means so my final years on the frontier is not a day to day burden.
I really don't understand but I find your question curious. Household things around here get replaced when they need to be replaced and if I wish to replace them. I don't plan for it. If my toaster breaks, I just get another one. If I can't physically go to the store, I'll get one from Amazon. I see no point in stocking extra things in case they break. If my cat breaks something even though she never has, no big deal as long as she isn't hurt.
Don't sweat the little stuff. It's not worth it. Don't make retirement more difficult than it needs to be.
Last edited by marino760; 07-29-2023 at 06:21 PM..
I don't have cats but I do have dogs and they don't break anything. I have learned to keep things away from waggy tail level.
Their water dishes and food bowls are metal and will be good for a long time.
It's mainly a matter of keeping breakable things put away when you aren't using them and making sure that your pets don't have access to them.
But how do we handle for when things break as we know they will. Do we calculate a formula of slow replacement or to have enough so when we have run out of stuff, we have run out of time? Do these calculations come into that consideration of downsizing?
As it might be known, the cats broke a mirror and a crystal water dish last week. That's a replacement issue, the mirror, that is going to take some figuring. Just had another cat break a cereal (description but used otherwise) bowl. It wasn't anything special, bought a few years ago when I returned to microwave cooking, but with its demise, I am wondering about stocking dishware beyond my needs. Maybe not complete sets but rather, just have the means so my final years on the frontier is not a day to day burden.
Well, first of all, why have glass dishes for the cats, yet alone crystal?
If you want get rid of them fine, but I think glass and pets don't mix.
Second, since the bowl was nothing special, and since you probably have more than you will ever need, why replace it?
Lastly, there is NO "formula of slow replacement".
When things cease to function for whatever reason, I assess if they even need to be replaced. If they do, I get a new one. If not, I don't.
Based on other posts of yours, I think you have enough and really don't need to be "stocking dishware beyond my needs" as you put it.
I no longer care if things match, if I drop a mug & it breaks, next time I am near Goodwill I drop by & get one for .49c. I have too many things in my kitchen so I am still in the process of weeding things out.
I would not buy something just in case. If something breaks, then if you use it often, go get a new one.
If I break something & I don't use it frequently I might wonder if I need a replacement or not.
Philosophically speaking, I am trying to do things to have everything I need of the big stuff before I retire, to get it when it is so much easier. From questions of the car on ward down.
But how do we handle for when things break as we know they will. Do we calculate a formula of slow replacement or to have enough so when we have run out of stuff, we have run out of time? Do these calculations come into that consideration of downsizing?
As it might be known, the cats broke a mirror and a crystal water dish last week. That's a replacement issue, the mirror, that is going to take some figuring. Just had another cat break a cereal (description but used otherwise) bowl. It wasn't anything special, bought a few years ago when I returned to microwave cooking, but with its demise, I am wondering about stocking dishware beyond my needs. Maybe not complete sets but rather, just have the means so my final years on the frontier is not a day to day burden.
The best way of storing up for breakables or expendables that may need to be replaced during retirement is to put some greenbacks/money into the bank, stock market, or other financial venue of your choice. Then, if/when you need to replace something, it's a simple matter of a few clicks of the mouse and you'll have it delivered to your doorstep a couple of days later. This way, you don't have to stock up on a lot of things that you may never need.
Now if you plan to retreat into a cave upon retirement and cook over an open fire that you start by striking two flintstones together, then this plan may not work. However, if you plan to live in a house or apartment that is reasonably close to civilization, then there shouldn't be any great need to stock up on a lot of stuff that you may never need.
That said, it's always a good idea to have some extra food, water, and ammo on hand just in case the brown stuff hits the fan.
Get your house, car and other essentials paid for before you retire.
Most retirees don't drive all that much - we don't - so a car lasts us a long, long time. Our cars are 08 and 90 and our lawn care equipment is about 15 years old. No replacement planned for anything.
Maintain what you have! Don't get too attached to all that breakable stuff. My favorite frying pan is cast iron; it ain't going to break and the handle is not going to come loose.
Look at the past five years and estimate what you spent on replacements of the type you are concerned with. Take the total and put in a money market account. As you use this fund replace a little of it each month.
Also set up a fund for big expenses, new car, replacement of appliances, etc.
Also a fund to carry lining expenses for a number of months if the stock market takes a dip an you have to postpone selling equities,
We just moved my 95 year old mother in law into a new higher level of care place today. She had 1000s of greeting cards squirrelled away in boxes in her closet. Yet, she struggled with us wanting to pare them down to a smaller number -- what if she needed one and couldn't get to the store, she asked us. I know she still likes to send cards out now and then, but she'd have to write and mail about 200 cards every day to use up every card in her stash.
That's when you know you don't need to buy any more of something: when you already have more than you can ever possibly use in your lifetime.
Other things you don't have a choice.
We recently needed to replace our King sized mattress. I won't tell you how long we had it, but it was long enough that we both were having trouble getting out of the dip in the middle every morning. I also have painful arthritis in almost all of my joints, and the old mattress certainly wasn't making that better.
Now, I almost laughed out loud when the mattress salesperson started droning on about the "great" 20 year warranty on a particular mattress set.
I don't expect I'll be around in 20 years.
But I needed a new mattress to improve my life while I'm still alive.
We paid a lot for the new mattress, but both my husband and I almost immediately saw an improvement in our morning muscles aches and pains. And while it hasn't "Cured" my arthritis (sadly nothing but joint replacement will), I definitely feel better as measured by how much pain meds I need to take each day just to keep my pain down to a roar.
I also sprung for a new pillow. My old pillows seemed fine, and I paid more for it than all the pillows I've ever bought in my life together. But, along with the new mattress, it's done wonders for the spinal stenosis in my neck. In fact, it's such a nice pillow that I have tossed three of those cheaper old pillows I was piling up to get comfortable out in the trash. I only need this ONE!
I guess my point is that some things you have no choice but to replace or stash away if they're going to help you health wise or add to your quality of life (a favorite cereal bowl might qualify). Spending a bit of cash on a better item (like a better pillow) may actually let you downsize sometimes as well.
Other things, (1000s of greeting cars, or 20 extra bottles of dish soap, for example) you probably don't need to maintain a long term supply of or buy more of --- those are just more things for someone else to clean out of your place some day. And, at a certain point, they add nothing to your daily quality of life.
Last edited by RosieSD; 07-29-2023 at 09:13 PM..
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