In a previous article I wrote about food waste in America even as 7 million Americans are reported as food insecure.
I occasionally feel food insecure, but not in the real sense. My experience comes from fugal relatives and friends. Have you ever had dinner with family or friends and been afraid to take a reasonable portion of the food? I can’t imagine what some hosts are thinking.
I was at a holiday dinner and when the turkey being passed around got to me only a wing was left.
I SPENT MANY HOURS reading articles and books about retirement before I actually retired. I knew I’d retire eventually because of how often I found myself out of work. Studying retirement became one more thing I needed to do so I could be successful.
Under the category of retirement, grandparenting was a frequent subject. This is understandable since many retirees are or soon become grandparents.
My situation is different. My special-needs son will not get married or have kids.
As I sit here on what the media is calling “Super Saturday” (?!?), I can’t help but wonder, am I the boring aunt? My husband and I are childfree by choice but we are blessed with five awesome nieces and nephews, consisting of 21 month old twins through 7 years old. I love the Christmas season but as a society, we’ve lost something with all the commercialism and commoditization of this great holiday. Thus, we give the kids money for birthdays and holidays.
Growing up in the 70s and 80s, the conversation around money was stressful in our home. I was the third oldest in a family of ten (seven boys, three girls). Yes, we’re Irish and Catholic. As you can imagine, the regular paycheck from my dad’s job came in and went out even quicker. Typically, all the money was spent even before the next paycheck. Despite my mom working intermittent part-time jobs, they had no savings to access.
PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME say I’m sentimental, and they’re right. I like visiting places like my elementary school, the house where I grew up and my first home away from home. They bring back fond memories.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve become more nostalgic, and it isn’t just me. I heard that the ashes of my childhood friend Brian were spread over our grade school grounds. He must have had a touch of nostalgia,
An eighteen year old girl married her high school sweetheart who had dropped out of high school to join the army. They lived on an army base. Shortly they had a baby. They were transferred to another post.
Not many months after settling in at the new base he receives orders for the first of three tours in Vietnam. The young lady and child move in with her parents while he is in Vietnam.
Upon his final tour,
Happy Thanksgiving from Kill Devil Hills, NC. This is our family’s annual Thanksgiving vacation at the beach. It started on a whim in 1995. We rented a 7 bedroom house. Twenty-nine years later we are 46 strong, and rent a 27-bedroom house. It’s a testament to my in-laws who founded a strong, loving family, who somehow manage to enjoy each other’s company. The family is also a shining example of the tenets espoused on HD –
“YOU WILL ROTH!”
“But Dad, I’m only 10.”
“Evan, it is never too early to start saving. Besides, this gives you 70-plus years of compounding.”
“Yes, Dad, but didn’t you tell me last week that I need a job and earned income to contribute to a Roth?”
“We can arrange to get you a paycheck. I’ll get a friend or neighbor to hire you. What would you like to do?”
“I like to play soccer.”
“Evan,
What creates a family tradition? Why is a certain vacation spot more special than another with the same basic attributes? Why must the family Christmas celebration repeat the annual ritual to seem authentic? Chances are, these events evoke memories of happy times, perhaps shared with loved ones who are long-gone. Traditions often become fixed in our minds as children, when we’re still learning how things ought to be done.
We’re entering the season of traditions. In the physical therapy clinic during this time,
I have mentioned previously my joy helping our grandchildren like funding 529 plans.
Now our oldest grandchild is in college. A few days ago I texted him to let me know if he needed anything.
Today I received this text. “I was wondering if you can get me a cheese burger with just lettuce, cheese and pickles, fries and a lemonade from the pizza house near my dorm and you can order online. I’ll pick it up.”
So I placed the order.
After making progress on estate planning, documenting financial records, and updating family history, it suddenly occurred to me that I should make a list of life lessons I have learned along my life journey.
Obviously, these life lessons are a lot more than strictly financial, but certainly they will contribute to overall success and a fulfilling life for the next generation.
I came up with these and put them in a document along with my financial records.
FATHERHOOD WASN’T one of my life goals. I didn’t feel like I had a wonderful childhood, so I didn’t think I had much to offer my offspring that would help them to lead a wonderful life. If children happened, okay, but it was never a goal.
My first marriage ended because I placed money over fatherhood. I thought not having kids would speed my path to wealth. My wife disagreed—and walked out.
When I met my current wife,
Jonathan asked what advice I give my children related to their retirement.
Our children are ages 54, 53, 50 and 49.
I don’t give our children advice about retirement planning or money and I don’t expect to ever be in a position to do so. But even if I was, giving any advice requires detailed knowledge of all the related facts which I don’t have. I will do my best to answer a question if asked.
Ran across this. Not HD content or indeed probably the average HDer being discussed but interesting on the general problems faced by over 60s
https://sherwood.news/personal-finance/boomers-money-secrets-millennial-gen-z-troubles/
I’ve always thought inheritance would eventually be the only way many of their grandkids would achieve real financial security but it seems some may be passing on a millstone in legacy.
BASIC ECONOMICS teaches us that scarce commodities are more precious. This holds true for metals, rocks, food—and time. Which brings me to today’s topic: Time spent with my daughter and only child has reached the rare and precious stage.
In summer 2023, scarcity was far from my mind. My daughter and I traveled to visit Grandmama—my mother—five hours’ drive south of our home. The visit itself was short and mundane, with just the usual catching up with my mother and tending to her business.