Re: Budget concerns-action steps

smoochy · ‎03-10-2010

@Mom2Dogs wrote:
@smoochy You did not mention your cell phone bill. My bill is very inexpensive. I did have to purchase outright -a new Iphone. to me it was quite expensive but I will use it until it is to old to be updated. My first IPhone was from Consumer Cellular years ago and it was refurbished and lasted for years until it could no longer be udated.

My plan is called unlimited (thru SPECTRUM) but it is not unlimited...I can only use, I think 1 gig of data per month and then after that I am charged $5.00 per gig. I rarely go over because I try not to use any data when I am out and about..if I am somewhere and need to go online I use the free wifi at the restaurant, store, etc. I just do not use my phone like a lot of people do.

My husband has a trac phone which came from QVC, it is a nice smart phone...he is like me and does not use it much when he is away from home, except to answer the phone. His plan is only $11.00 ish per month.

I know my friends cell bills are pretty big, I think a couple of them have bought the latest phone before their other phone is paid off and just bundle the charges and are paying thru the nose every month.

ahh yes. The phones. We were on a great t mobile plan, $70ish a month for two smart phones, unlimited everything. It was touted as a senior plan. At the time they said this plan is forever. Haha right. Until last summer when they discontinued it and automatically put us in a new plan. At the same time my five yr old phone had to be replaced-no more updates would be issued. So, with new phone and higher price plan, our bill is $139.

MICHIGAN STATE MOM

smoochy · ‎03-10-2010

@I am still oxox wrote:
I feel very lucky we are both retired and my husband planned very well before his retirement. .We live comfortably with enough left over for savings. we are now bringing in more money then when we were working. This is not to gloat but it is reality and I am very ahppy with his planning

Definitely reaping the rewards of advanced planning! Not everyone has the foresight to do that. Good for you guys, that you can live well.

MICHIGAN STATE MOM

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@smoochy wrote:
DH and I are on a limited fixed retirement income. Its been more than sufficient to meet our needs with some modest extras. Until recently. As the cost of everything has skyrocketed from groceries to insurance to utilities to dental to auto expenses and everything in between, we are now feeling it. Our income is not keeping up. We had a serious discussion about the cuts we have to make, in order to keep our very modest lifestyle from tanking. And to be able to pay for the necessities. Here are some of our action items.
• Give up the regular weekly dinner out.
• cut the Amazon and other online ordering. When I added up our expenditures for one month, we were both in shock 😲 non essentials, random krap that catches our eye.

Any tips to share?

@smoochy

Well, you might be able to go out once a month so you don't feel totally deprived.

Or have a takeout food night from the local deli now and then.

That's modifying, not eliminating.

nekodaisy · ‎03-10-2010

My husband retired a little over a year ago. We cut back and got rid of things leading up to his retiring. One thing is when he retired I wanted him to do more of the cooking. Outside cooking that is so just this past summer I talked him into me getting a Blackstone Griddle. He ended up loving it and cooking to boot so we spend more time making meals at home now. They taste so much better too then what you pay for at a restaurnat. Plus I am in Georgia and cooking in the house in summer is awful.

spumoni99 · ‎02-16-2019

@I am still oxox wrote:
I feel very lucky we are both retired and my husband planned very well before his retirement. .We live comfortably with enough left over for savings. we are now bringing in more money then when we were working. This is not to gloat but it is reality and I am very ahppy with his planning

@I am still oxox Wow...but no surprise. Kindness cant be bought obviously.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@Mom2Dogs wrote:
@smoochy My husband and i retired in January of this year.,,so retirement is new to us. RIght now we are living on the proceeds of the sale of our business. We always lived a low key life because we were self employed and never knew if we would have a good month or a bad month..living on one income has always been our life.

One thing we did today that normally my husband would not do is get a quote on new brakes for his car. We always have work done at our local Ford dealership, bought most of our cars there...but the price seemed so high. I encouraged him to call around and we found another local place that is several hundred dollars less, so he is happy. Last year we met with our insurance agent about our policies and did adjust them a bit and saved some money....

Do you have a financial agent? Ours is great, and they do an annual look see at our budget....the downside...they calculate our spending with inflation and calculate at what age we will run out of money, lol. Keeps us humble.

@Mom2Dogs @smoochy

A LOT of dealerships really rip people off, as many of us have learned.

What was really a good find was that the AAA Auto Club has lists of accredited mechanics that they have as a resource.

These mechanics are very good and want to keep the accreditation with AAA, so they make sure you are happy in every way.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@Puzzle Piece wrote:
@smoochy Try living in CA. Things don't look good here.

@Puzzle Piece

Gas was $6.25 here the other day.

I am very happy to have found the Kroger fuel points benefit and got 90 cents a gallon off last time I was there.

(Kroger gas stations get their gas from the same company that Costco does).

U of M Go Blue · ‎07-19-2023

@smoochy wrote:
DH and I are on a limited fixed retirement income. Its been more than sufficient to meet our needs with some modest extras. Until recently. As the cost of everything has skyrocketed from groceries to insurance to utilities to dental to auto expenses and everything in between, we are now feeling it. Our income is not keeping up. We had a serious discussion about the cuts we have to make, in order to keep our very modest lifestyle from tanking. And to be able to pay for the necessities. Here are some of our action items.
• Give up the regular weekly dinner out.
• cut the Amazon and other online ordering. When I added up our expenditures for one month, we were both in shock 😲 non essentials, random krap that catches our eye.
•reduced our life insurance amounts because the premiums keep going up to where we cant afford them
• cut off the fun but frivolous streaming services for TV and radio
•the big one, with the biggest impact on us, is when the lease is up on our suv (next spring) we will turn it in and use our older, small compact car. We can no longer afford two cars. Especially the one with the higher payment.
My DH works a part time job. We will figure out the logistics of being a one car couple.

Any tips to share?

We have gone to one car. It made no sense to have two cars. Freed up a good chunk of change. Good thing because our furnace/ air just went out.

I had more disposable income in my 30's than I do now, working 50 years.

shoekitty · ‎03-10-2010

@Growing wrote:
I agree on the property taxes thing. I was thinking how much the property taxes are for us in my big city and tiny house, older lower class neighborhood bordering a poor neighborhood. LIke sort of budgeting in my head for if my husband dies first and we still live here. It is scary honestly.

@Growing do you live in California? I have lived in my house for 38 years (it was 20 yrs old when bought it) so my taxes are lower,than my kids. At least mine is slightly under 5,000 mark. Most people where I live pay 15,000 to 26,000@yr. for property taxes....IF they have purchased home last few years. That said, I am for paying property taxes, as they have to get the money somewhere. I hate it though, and income taxes ...Geesh I don't know why I just don't give them a blank check and close my eyes and be done with it. lol

“sometimes you have to bite your upper lip and put sunglasses on”….Bob Dylan

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

Property taxes are an outdated mode of raising money for local governments. Property owners are not the only ones that benefit from the money, which should be raised from a wider base.