I fear that analyses like the CRFB's will lead to a complicated solution to solve SS's approaching insolvency. Data such as in the report, however, are good starting points. If only the tax preparation and financial services lobbyists could keep away from the legislators, we might stand a chance of a streamlined solution. So highly unlikely...
I work part-time preparing lab materials at a local college. I love my little job -- a half-day or so each week, for two semesters a year, mostly on my own schedule. The work is intellectually interesting and provides for socialization and interaction with students. I also enjoy the feeling of responsibility the work provides. The position materialized soon after I retired, when a former colleague and friend related how he was doing lab prep as part of his teaching but was clearly overworked. I volunteered to help, provided the college would cover me legally. They did; I worked as a volunteer through that first semester and continued on in a paid position thereafter.
To your question, RDQ, yes, I considered inflation in my retirement planning and am prepared. In fact, I feel conflicted about claiming SS in two more years at age 70; I won't need it and would only be contributing to the problems. A good primer on fixing SS is in this month's The Atlantic: The Elixir of the Payroll-Tax Cap and Other Social Security Myths .
Along with Dana (DrLefty, below), I believe that much of our activity comes down to how we are wired. In this regard, I've long felt torn in two directions. My retirement life reflects this, split as it is between productive mornings and "me time" afternoons. And not all of it need be busy. Watching clouds drift by and ants in the grass are just as engaging and meaningful now as when I was young.
Good to know, Dana, that you are having a great retirement. With health and resources, what a wonderful life stage it can be! I, like you, retired from a full-on academic career and identity. I haven't looked back. My days now belong to volunteering, exercise, nature, a (very) part-time job, and afternoons of making art. The latter occupies my thoughts much of the time and always involves learning and problem solving. Those in turn contribute to a sense of purpose and enjoyment. In your year ahead, be open to what could do that for you.
I make my own art cards and write personal messages for people special to me. If I counted my supplies and time, the cost would well exceed $6.99. I also sometimes buy cards for less important occasions. Supporting local artists by buying their cards, typically costing around $5, always feels good and seems like a bargain.
Wonderful first post, Javier. Please write more! I would guess my relationship to money developed around family that had lived through Depression and war. To waste any resource was wrong and to save and spend thoughtfully was right. That foundation remains with me, though consideration of the planet's limited resources guides me more now in what I spend on and enjoy.
Have you considered a heat pump that would air condition in summer and heat in winter? Depending on your source of winter heat, you might recoup some of the installation costs over time in savings due to greater efficiency. You might also qualify for a rebate, too.
Comments
I fear that analyses like the CRFB's will lead to a complicated solution to solve SS's approaching insolvency. Data such as in the report, however, are good starting points. If only the tax preparation and financial services lobbyists could keep away from the legislators, we might stand a chance of a streamlined solution. So highly unlikely...
Post: Taxing Social Security benefits
Link to comment from August 7, 2026
I work part-time preparing lab materials at a local college. I love my little job -- a half-day or so each week, for two semesters a year, mostly on my own schedule. The work is intellectually interesting and provides for socialization and interaction with students. I also enjoy the feeling of responsibility the work provides. The position materialized soon after I retired, when a former colleague and friend related how he was doing lab prep as part of his teaching but was clearly overworked. I volunteered to help, provided the college would cover me legally. They did; I worked as a volunteer through that first semester and continued on in a paid position thereafter.
Post: How Did You Find Paid Work After Retiring from Your Primary Career?
Link to comment from August 2, 2026
To your question, RDQ, yes, I considered inflation in my retirement planning and am prepared. In fact, I feel conflicted about claiming SS in two more years at age 70; I won't need it and would only be contributing to the problems.
A good primer on fixing SS is in this month's The Atlantic: The Elixir of the Payroll-Tax Cap and Other Social Security Myths .
Post: About that inflation in retirement
Link to comment from July 13, 2026
Along with Dana (DrLefty, below), I believe that much of our activity comes down to how we are wired. In this regard, I've long felt torn in two directions. My retirement life reflects this, split as it is between productive mornings and "me time" afternoons. And not all of it need be busy. Watching clouds drift by and ants in the grass are just as engaging and meaningful now as when I was young.
Post: Haunted Head
Link to comment from July 5, 2026
Good to know, Dana, that you are having a great retirement. With health and resources, what a wonderful life stage it can be! I, like you, retired from a full-on academic career and identity. I haven't looked back. My days now belong to volunteering, exercise, nature, a (very) part-time job, and afternoons of making art. The latter occupies my thoughts much of the time and always involves learning and problem solving. Those in turn contribute to a sense of purpose and enjoyment. In your year ahead, be open to what could do that for you.
Post: Retirement, One Year On
Link to comment from July 2, 2026
I make my own art cards and write personal messages for people special to me. If I counted my supplies and time, the cost would well exceed $6.99. I also sometimes buy cards for less important occasions. Supporting local artists by buying their cards, typically costing around $5, always feels good and seems like a bargain.
Post: Exercising true frugality
Link to comment from July 1, 2026
A beautiful message and a tribute to you and the Dolezals.
Post: A Letter 40 Years Later: What Mrs. Dolezal Remembered
Link to comment from July 1, 2026
Wonderful first post, Javier. Please write more! I would guess my relationship to money developed around family that had lived through Depression and war. To waste any resource was wrong and to save and spend thoughtfully was right. That foundation remains with me, though consideration of the planet's limited resources guides me more now in what I spend on and enjoy.
Post: Quiet Failure: The Stories We Tell about Money
Link to comment from June 29, 2026
Apart from cost, one could consider a ceiling mounted heat pump and leave the radiators in place. Having a back-up heating system would seem a plus.
Post: The Price of a Cool Pillow
Link to comment from June 26, 2026
Have you considered a heat pump that would air condition in summer and heat in winter? Depending on your source of winter heat, you might recoup some of the installation costs over time in savings due to greater efficiency. You might also qualify for a rebate, too.
Post: The Price of a Cool Pillow
Link to comment from June 25, 2026