Back in my 40's after my divorce my HELOC helped me through single parenthood. Sometimes my budget was just too tight! It was a lifesaver. Now I have one because I would rather tap it instead of my IRA for my home improvement projects for my 1955 cracker box ranch house.
I am a heavy duty Alexa user, which means my "list" is in the app. I just call out what I need to Alexa from wherever I am in my small house as an item comes to mind. I can never keep track of paper notes but I have never lost my phone! (AND I have my watch to help me find my phone if I've mislaid it😁) Then, whenever I am walking, biking or driving by the store my list is always with me on my phone! I also use my Fred Meyer app for in store digital coupons loaded to my account.
My gift to my children was not an investment book but advice on how to find a financial advisor because I had retired from that informal role when we all got a windfall inheritance. And I followed suit and hired my own financial advisor. And I send them an updated 1 to 2 page document every year with all my financial accounts, location of vital documents, account login info (email, tech stuff, etc), SSN, pension info and so on. No notebook but this should help them accomplish the necessary tasks. And they know my end of life preferences - we talk about this stuff at least yearly.
Thanks! I have had to slow down (less travel!). While I contemplate my future I have stepped up my volunteer work with seniors and my grandson's kindergarten class!
Fair warning - LONG post! I am currently 72. I retired at 62 with trepidation. As a solo parent and former workaholic (district public library manager) I have found retirement challenging, as I expected it might be. I left when the work environment and management style no longer aligned with my work style. I had taken a retirement class the previous year and the 2 financial advisors helped me see how I could retire early with some creative financial moves despite not having mega bucks in my traditional IRA portfolio. I do have 2 small state pensions (one I took early at 62 and the other I was eligible to take at 58 so no penalty for taking at 62) and I worked part time (less than 20 hrs per week) for 2 years. When I hit FRA I took a top off from my ex-husband's social security. Up until then I pulled money from my traditional IRA to cover healthcare and supplement my budget. I also had one rental property that gave me a little income. It all worked out and I switch to my social security at 70 for another budget boost. Despite a lean budget I was able to solo travel a lot in the first 5 years by using a house swapping service and renting my house through Airbnb and being frugal! When Covid hit in 2020 I gave up traveling to care for my new grandbaby! I bought and sold houses 3 times in the same area until I found a small single level fixer upper. I do need a project to keep me busy! Good timing to live in a single level house because 72 has been my challenge year due to the sudden onset of arthritis. So I am contemplating how to continue living a full life while gimping around🥴
I'm sure they were just being neighborly. BUT you'd never survive in Portland, OR. I (and many others) "Leave the Leaves" to encourage and support native habitat & wildlife. And next year gas blowers are outlawed😁. Buy yourself a Leave the Leaves sign for your yard (Portland graphic designer sells on Etsy) and take a stroll! Happy Fall!
I'm inching my way into "old age" when it comes to how I get around my city. I downsized from a 3 story town house to a small 1955 single level ranch. This is the 3rd home i've had in the last 10 years in Portland. But all of them have something in common that makes my life great for aging. I choose neighborhoods that reflect a village. I can walk or bike or bus to all the essentials. I always have a list of 5 or so items/places I need within close proximity (1/2 mile to 1 mile) when I buy a house. So yes, I have a car but most of my errands I walk or bike to. Farther away and I take the bus that is only 2 blocks away. Or maybe I even use my car 😁
FYI: my essentials are grocery store, pharmacy, coffee shop, casual bar (dive bar?), nicer restaurants.
At 72 my list of projects I can't do or don't want to do is increasing. I was on my roof cleaning my patio cover the day before I turned 72. That is probably the last time for that! As a women raised in the 50's and 60's I always felt compelled to be self reliant or at least try to do things once! Such as change the oil in my car and put on snow tires but once was enough! Hate house work so it is sorely neglected. But love being outside so I landscape and garden. But need a Task Rabbit person to dig some post holes so I can build my next fence. If I can do it (wire a light, paint, assemble IKEA furniture) I usually do to save money for more fun stuff!
Comments
Back in my 40's after my divorce my HELOC helped me through single parenthood. Sometimes my budget was just too tight! It was a lifesaver. Now I have one because I would rather tap it instead of my IRA for my home improvement projects for my 1955 cracker box ranch house.
Post: Advice I give to anyone who’ll listen!
Link to comment from January 25, 2026
Check your local credit unions.
Post: Advice I give to anyone who’ll listen!
Link to comment from January 25, 2026
I am a heavy duty Alexa user, which means my "list" is in the app. I just call out what I need to Alexa from wherever I am in my small house as an item comes to mind. I can never keep track of paper notes but I have never lost my phone! (AND I have my watch to help me find my phone if I've mislaid it😁) Then, whenever I am walking, biking or driving by the store my list is always with me on my phone! I also use my Fred Meyer app for in store digital coupons loaded to my account.
Post: Grocery Shopping for the Mildly Obsessed
Link to comment from January 18, 2026
My gift to my children was not an investment book but advice on how to find a financial advisor because I had retired from that informal role when we all got a windfall inheritance. And I followed suit and hired my own financial advisor. And I send them an updated 1 to 2 page document every year with all my financial accounts, location of vital documents, account login info (email, tech stuff, etc), SSN, pension info and so on. No notebook but this should help them accomplish the necessary tasks. And they know my end of life preferences - we talk about this stuff at least yearly.
Post: Your two best investing books—and do you also keep an End-of-Life “family binder”?
Link to comment from January 5, 2026
Thanks! I have had to slow down (less travel!). While I contemplate my future I have stepped up my volunteer work with seniors and my grandson's kindergarten class!
Post: What Age Did You Retire—and What Made You Decide It Was Time?
Link to comment from December 28, 2025
Post: What Age Did You Retire—and What Made You Decide It Was Time?
Link to comment from December 28, 2025
I'm sure they were just being neighborly. BUT you'd never survive in Portland, OR. I (and many others) "Leave the Leaves" to encourage and support native habitat & wildlife. And next year gas blowers are outlawed😁. Buy yourself a Leave the Leaves sign for your yard (Portland graphic designer sells on Etsy) and take a stroll! Happy Fall!
Post: Four People, One Stupid Observation
Link to comment from November 18, 2025
I'm inching my way into "old age" when it comes to how I get around my city. I downsized from a 3 story town house to a small 1955 single level ranch. This is the 3rd home i've had in the last 10 years in Portland. But all of them have something in common that makes my life great for aging. I choose neighborhoods that reflect a village. I can walk or bike or bus to all the essentials. I always have a list of 5 or so items/places I need within close proximity (1/2 mile to 1 mile) when I buy a house. So yes, I have a car but most of my errands I walk or bike to. Farther away and I take the bus that is only 2 blocks away. Or maybe I even use my car 😁 FYI: my essentials are grocery store, pharmacy, coffee shop, casual bar (dive bar?), nicer restaurants.
Post: When My Car Broke Down, Our One-Car Plan Passed the Test
Link to comment from September 3, 2025
At 72 my list of projects I can't do or don't want to do is increasing. I was on my roof cleaning my patio cover the day before I turned 72. That is probably the last time for that! As a women raised in the 50's and 60's I always felt compelled to be self reliant or at least try to do things once! Such as change the oil in my car and put on snow tires but once was enough! Hate house work so it is sorely neglected. But love being outside so I landscape and garden. But need a Task Rabbit person to dig some post holes so I can build my next fence. If I can do it (wire a light, paint, assemble IKEA furniture) I usually do to save money for more fun stuff!
Post: DIY
Link to comment from July 18, 2025
Credit card vs debit question. Do you pay for common things like groceries or coffee with debit or credit?
Post: Quinn had his credit score lowered. I view credit cards as a necessary evil
Link to comment from July 15, 2025