Create Your Own Economic Stimulus Package!

Part time work in retirement is the best way to survive turmoil in the stock market. I am fortunate enough to work as a contract healthcare consultant for a wonderful company, The Oncology Group. When you retire, consider what skills you have that others might use. If you can afford to volunteer your skills, that's great, but most people need additional income given that retirement funds have taken a hit in the economic downturn. There are always healthcare options if that's your field, or if you've been a teacher, consider tutoring on your own or for a company that provides the service. What talents do you have that could translate into work? Can you play an instrument or are you really good at photography? Teaching a continuing education course at a local community college in quilt making or scrapbooking can earn you a little travel money with a minimal time commitment. Writing and editing are also good ways to make a little extra money if you have an English or journalism background or just had a really good high school English experience! There are several web based companies that are always looking for writers. Check out Demand Studios or just type freelance writers or freelance writing in your search engine. Copy editing is another option if you have an eye for finding errors...you know who you are...you can't read a book, ad or magazine article without finding a misspelling or weird sentence! Consider jobs that compliment your interests such as working in a bookstore or movie theater. I think if I didn't have my consulting option, I would work at Chicos! I love their clothes and would love to get a discount! Many businesses are eager to get mature, part-time workers that are dependable and have skills that are desirable without the drama. Because you are retired, you don't have to struggle with explaining why you want to go back to work...just tell them you need extra money or you've gotten bored!

I have talked to many people over the last few years that have gotten bored in retirement. While they enjoy the money, lots of them enjoy the social outlet of work almost as much. If you are single or your significant other is still working, going back to work part time may be fun, especially if you choose a job that is your avocation. At one point, Woody and I thought we wanted a gallery but that requires too much commitment...the key is to determine how much freedom you are willing to give up for extra cash. If you're working too much, you can't have fun with all your extra money!

So your lesson for today...don't be afraid to go back to work if you need extra cash but think outside the box a bit. You might be tired of your "old" job, but trying something new could be just the economic stimulus you need!

Trip Planning!

It's time to hit the road again! As you know we stayed home this winter rather than leave our beautiful granddaughter! But now that she's a year old, we might be able to leave for a few weeks without having withdrawal. First trip though will be to the beach with the baby and the kiddos! This will be our first family vacation in a while...in fact...the last one I can remember was our Christmas cruise with Libby and Chris. So first stop...Panama City Beach because they have more things for Savannah to do.  Then we head out in the motor home to Brown County, Indiana, South Bend, Indiana for a wedding, then up the Lake Michigan coast...finally to Mackinac Island! We've wanted to go there for about 100 years but just never got it together. Then to Sault St. Marie and on to Door County, Green Bay and then? We haven't figured out where to go next....that's the fun of being retired and owning an RV. Of course....gas is the highest since we went to Montana for 6 months when it hit $4.50 a gallon! We just can't start a road trip without gas going up. As always there is a tip embedded here....if you shop at Kroger, you can earn big discounts on gas. We are Publix people and they just ran a promotion that gave us a $50 Shell card for $40! I think it was to compete with Kroger. So watch for specials on gas and compare pricing between stations. We have a 5-8 cent swing just in our little town.

I just scanned through about 200 channels on TV and can't find a thing to watch..it may be time to down size my Comcast subscription! It must be bad because I'm watching the Kardashian's...I am embarrassed! So I think I'll scan on to something else. How about music videos? Not a bad choice. So second tip...how many of the channels that you pay for do you really watch? I did just save about $20 on my cell phone by changing my plan a bit. So that's at least one dinner out a month at Cracker Barrel or anywhere I have a coupon. I have a purse full of dining coupons...can't remember coupons for the grocery, but I always have one or two for meals.  I guess it's the little things that will add up over time. Like making coffee at home rather than Starbucks! Or if I just have to have Starbucks, getting regular coffee with room for milk instead of a Latte.

Can you believe the floods we're having...and storms...and earthquakes...and demonstrations across the world? I am beginning to wonder if the Mayans had it right that 2012 might be all we get. Our weather here in H'ville has been weird...in the 90's one day and a high of 58 the next. My sinuses are going crazy. Our world is really in a tizzy right now...Nostradamus may be on to something. So...final tip for tonight...never go to bed angry...hug your family and tell them you love them...be kind to others...do random acts of kindness even when no one is looking...and have a little fun along the way! Have a wonderful week peeps!


  

The Liars Club and Skype

One of the fun things about being retired is watching the "old" men solve the problems of the world. Whether it is the Romeo Club, retired old men eating out, or the Liars Club as our group at McDonald's calls themselves, you can go in any restaurant for breakfast and see them! Our bunch averages 8-20 each morning including both men and women arriving and leaving at different times. Woody and I are in the late bunch that arrives about 9:30AM...we don't like to get up early! I can remember my dad taking Woody to his club at Gigi's in Jackson...girls weren't allowed!! While there are multiple social outlets for seniors, a breakfast bunch is more engaged with each other. When one gets sick or has problems, the group rallies around and helps. It's almost like an office without the work...but yes, there are still tiffs and politics just like in any work or social setting. I tend to observe more than participate...not sure why, but I think it reminds me a little too much of high school plus I still have to work a day or two here and there so I'm not consistent with attendance.  Ed, Woody, Bill and Ron are the core of my main men...not sure who the gentleman in the back is! This 4-some runs and plays when the wives let them...exciting trips to the tool store, the KFC buffet, and to buy tomato plants on Dickerson Road...wink, wink...inside joke!

The nice thing about retirement is you can sit and chat without time constraints and really engage with your friends who are also retired...Jane and I debrief when we both show up at the same time! We send the boys off to their own table and then we talk about them. The bad thing about retirement is that your friends who aren't retired yet don't have as much time to just talk. You need to make an effort in this time of email and instant messaging to talk. We get so busy that we don't just sit down and chat about everything and nothing. This is what our grandparents used to do on the porch with a glass of tea as the neighbors stopped by...now we do good to connect via facebook and email. Our generation is losing connections that our parents and grandparents took for granted. HOWEVER...thank goodness for Skype.

I finally had to break down and buy a new computer and I made sure that it had a built-in webcam.  Then I signed up for Skype and was able to chat with my kiddos and grandkiddo while seeing them. For grandparents with grandchildren out of town, it is absolutely wonderful. And of course, it is free! You can also add a web camera to your existing computer set up. The one thing I haven't quite figured out is just how good I have to look before I accept a call! You can also schedule time to chat but that takes away the spontaneous "look at my new whatever Mimi"! I guess our kids love us regardless of no makeup and flat hair. It is so easy to Skype, but my friends at the Geek Squad can help you if you need it!

And for those of you complaining that I don't update enough...just deal with it! I have a life outside the box! Retired and loving it! Have a wonderful rest of the week and weekend...and your assignment? Talk to someone for longer than a nanosecond! Hugs!

Give me strength!

As you know, I try to avoid politics, but as a retiree, I need to stay on top of what the government is trying to "do" to me! I blog a lot and recently posted this on an MSNBC site...I'm sharing it here for you to think about and to encourage you to get active in the political party that is closest to your beliefs. If you aren't actively working to get Washington's attention, we are doomed to take whatever is voted on and dished out to the masses! So pardon my rant...but think about it.  Your health could depend on it.

"Let's see if I have this right...I will get a voucher to buy insurance from an insurance company that refuses to insure older adults with pre-exisiting conditions because the Repubicans are trying to repeal the President's healthcare law that mandates that I am insurable regardless and I probably can't afford it anyway because my Social Security is in jeopardy and corporations don't provide pensions anymore so I have to save money from my poorly paid job if I have one while trying to put food on the table and shelter and clothe my family. Corporations no longer offer pensions or retiree health plans because they are too expensive a benefit and unions can't negotiate on their members' behalf. If corporations do offer retiree health benefits, the cost is exhorbitant...mine is $900 a month for basic coverage. If I go to the hospital through the emergency department, they must treat me whether I have insurance or not. When hospitals don't get paid, they raise rates on everyone to cost-shift unreimbursed expenses to those with money and insurance. And, corporations are getting a tax break, the wealthy are getting a tax break, and the middle class and poor are paying a greater percentage of their income for necessities and taxes at a time when corporations and state governments are 1) not providing even cost of living raises but are giving huge bonuses to executives who have performed poorly and perhaps illegally, and 2) are still laying off or not hiring to squeeze more productivity out of the few employees too afraid to complain or are in a union that has no bargaining rights.


What part of really messed up doesn't Congress understand? Oh wait...they get paid regardless of their productivity, they can vote themselves a raise, they take money from the corporations that subsidize their campaigns (conflict of interest anyone?), they have really good health insurance, they are only worried about themselves and the constituents that voted for them, and they have no interest in representing "we the people" unless we can do something for them.

I wonder just who can manipulate us best in 2012? Promises, promises, and no follow-through. Give me strength!"

Politics as Usual?

I wish I could just quit reading about politics! The latest vitriol about the government shut down is almost comical. We encourage our children to plan their retirement without depending on social security, but what about those of us without the time to make other plans? With companies doing away with pensions, Wall Street killing our 401(k)s with market manipulations, the loss of thousands of dollars in equity in our homes...what ever are we to do? I think the thing to do is to become politically active in our old age. Sometimes we sit back and don't get involved, assuming that someone else will vote or work to elect the right politician or lobby in our best interest. While I love AARP, I am not quite willing to turn over all my decision making to someone else. I think we've seen that the Tea Party has mobilized to take over the direction of our country and the Republicans are following quietly along with their ideas that are not in the best interest of everyone.

Yes there is waste in government and pork in every bill passed...it is not unique to the Democrats or the Republicans...or even the Tea Party! The mood in Washington is to cut as long as it doesn't affect me. When a politician is elected, he or she is elected to serve all the people not just the people who voted for that particular candidate. I think we need to do a little inservice for the House and the Senate.  Our members of Congress must serve all the people, not just the special interests or the rich. They must serve the underprivileged and the wealthy equally. And if they don't, then they must not serve.

Here's what I recommend.  For every day that Congress can not agree on a budget, they don't get paid. If they shut down the government then they are not doing their job and when I don't work, I don't get paid. Duh...several weeks without a paycheck might improve their ability to reach consensus. Congress is willing to make the elderly, the military, public servants, children and others suffer by not being paid...shouldn't that also be applied to those that caused the problem with their political gamesmanship?

Take care of your health!

We've had a rough week! One of our dear friends has been in and out of the hospital with a variety of problems. Hopefully he is on the mend now. It's a reminder that you need to take care of your health. Start with annual visits to your really good primary care doctor. Ours is Dr. Lewis Johnson at the Frist Clinic. We just went this week and got a great report including the fact that we've both lost a little weight! Be sure that you do your routine screenings including mammography, colonoscopy, prostate exam and PSA, and Pap smear as appropriate. You can't enjoy retirement unless you have your health!
Woody and I also swear by supplements. Now I can't tell you what to take, but I can share with you what we take. And never start supplements without talking to your doctor. A good multivitamin for old people is important! We use Centrum Silver. We take Osteo Bi-flex or its generic for joint health and collagen support (helps with my tennis knees!), Noni (which the Hawaiians think cures everything), an 81 mg Aspirin, fish oil capsules and red rice yeast capsules for our cholesterol levels, and Woody also takes acidophilous (a probiotic) for his allergies and saw palmetto for prostate health. We also love V-8 juice because it has lycopene and watercress which Dr.Oz says cures everything! We occasionally add watercress to salads and some sauces. I would certainly encourage you to research supplements online or at your public library. Barnes and Noble and Books a Million bookstores both have great reference sections on maintaining your health, including the use of supplements and homeopathic remedies.

Now you know I can't talk about health without talking about exercise....and I have no room to talk! I chase my granddaughter, work in the yard, clean the house, and Woody and I swear by urban hiking. But we don't "work out" in the truest sense. Oh by the way, urban hiking involves mall walking, WalMart walking and sometimes just meandering. At WalMart make your list and then go back and forth from one side of the store to the other. It takes a while to shop that way, but you get exercise and you're retired so you don't have anything else to do anyway!! And believe it or not, we still love to hike and Woody loves ziplining...yes at 65 he did the longest zipline in North America on our Alaska cruise! So get off the couch and do something...even if it's just walking around the neighborhood and spying on your neighbors! When you are old you gossip about your neighbors and this might provide new fodder for the discussion! Just kidding. 

Take care of yourself and stay healthy...and Bill you get better...Woody and Ed are depending on you to go on you for boys day out trips! The three musketeers must continue on their quest for the perfect buffet!

A Great New Find! Coupon Chief

For those of you who know me, you know I am addicted to coupons and use them all the time. I scour the papers and magazines, sign up for emails, and am always on the look out! Well, an old dog can learn new tricks. I just found a great site, Coupon Chief, where you can get the promotional codes and coupon codes that I always see that can be added when I shop online, which I do a lot! Now here's the deal...I never knew where those codes came from until just recently. One great place is to go on Coupon Chief.com and type in where you are shopping on line and tons of stores, restaurants, services and other things just magically appear with a promotional code that can get you great discounts. I have a beautiful granddaughter and we shop for her at The Children's Place all the time. Yesterday we took her to the mall to ride the carousel. She is decked out head to toe in her new spring outfit from The Children's Place right down to her matching tennis shoes! I'm getting ready to start shopping for a new computer and a few other electronic things and am going to try Coupon Chief for Best Buy when the time comes to make a purchase! I've also done a little preliminary research on dining options! You can use promotional codes to buy gift cards and then head to your favorite restaurant! So your tip for the day is to check out Coupon Chief!

Taxes!! and Evaluating Your Daily Expenses!!

One of the fun things about retirement is that your taxes should get easier to complete...NOT! I think it has something to do with working part time on your own. When you start juggling income and expenses on top of your usual personal tax expenses, it can get crazy. Despite an MBA, I have a wonderful forensic accountant who keeps me straight. It still takes all day just to get our info ready to go. It also makes you reflective as you have to look carefully at your expenses for the year! I just heard from some facebook friends that they tried using TurboTax and the online, government program and they are just as frustrated. I've heard that there are free tax services at the Senior Citizen's Center and local churches. Might just have to explore those when I am less complicated. I also think I might vote for someone who just did a nice flat tax across the board!

It's going to get even more confusing when my social security kicks in! Yep, I signed up to start drawing at 62. I did every calculation known to man, and I just can't see any reason not to start now even if I have to give some back. When you work for yourself or even as a contract employee, you may or may not have work. You may or may not stay healthy enough to keep working....and more importantly, who knows when our "beloved" Congress may decide to keep you from drawing until your full retirement age. While I feel fine now, who knows what will happen over the next four years. We've already been negatively surprised at our loss of interest income; I sure wouldn't want to find out I couldn't draw my Social Security if I needed to start unexpectedly. I've also heard that I can pay back all I've drawn and then refile to get a higher benefit....that may be an urban legend, but it's worth exploring.

Now...from my reflections on life after working on my taxes....have you noticed that there is very little on television worth watching lately? After Castle, The Good Wife and Bones, there is not much left that hits our demographic...old. At least Dancing with the Stars starts tomorrow. Woody and I have been talking about dropping our level of cable service down, but we don't want to give up Speed and the NFL channel...although the NFL channel may be a moot point if they don't resolve the work stoppage. We're going to see what we can do to decrease our cable bill. We've also not renewed our season tickets for the Titans. I just can't pay for all the games that may not be played and when our travel interferes with a good number of them if they do play. We'll just buy a game here and there if we want...there are always tickets. I've been watching the NCAA basketball tourney...boys and girls. Notre Dame is doing well in the tournament, although the game tonight against Florida State is not looking too good. Girls play tomorrow night against Temple....now, before you all correct me it's men and women...but in my day of play it was boys and girls. I just love any sport. So lesson for today? Consider evaluating the channels you pay for on cable or dish and think about streamlining the channels to the ones you really watch...I'm also paying for two internet services....cable at home and wireless for when we travel and on top of that, internet for the Blackberry so I guess that's really three...there's got to be a cheaper way to surf! I guess it's off to Verizon this week to check out the potential savings that I can negotiate. So evaluate all your communication devices and television viewing habits and there may be ways to save money...I think I'll take my own advice!

The precious grandbaby is coming tomorrow while mommy heads to Columbus to work.  Her dad gets her back Tuesday night so she'll be home when mommy gets home.  Grandad has worked all weekend on her new slide and swing. I'm not sure if he's praying or reading directions, but like most men he doesn't read directions so what do you think? We wish we could see our other grands as much, but they moved off and left us...Libby has to be close to her daddy and mommy, and by default, we get the kid! Have a great week.