How is your personal economy?

[Rogar]

I took early retirement four years ago with a small pension and partially paid health insurance. I worked all of the retirement calculators at the time and the numbers worked out ok. So far I am in decent shape as I have a frugal lifestyle and no debt. On the plus side, I spend less than I anticipated. On the minus side, my 401k type investments are not going as well as the calculators predicted. I am conservatively invested and interest rates are not even keeping up with inflation. And the stock market is lower today than the day I retired. The retirement calculators pretty much blew it, so far anyway. I think it will all work out and cannot imagine returning to work. Life is pretty good and I feel very fortunate. I would estimate that half or more of my co-workers who retired have returned to work, either due to money issues or for the structure of work environment.

[Florence]

Our personal economy is fine right now. I retired a year ago but DH is still working full time. He is will be 66 in January so I am not sure how much longer he will work full or maybe part time. We are debt free including our home and 4 acres and have an emergency fund and a considerable amount in 403b accounts. Like everyone else though I am very uneasy about what medical expenses could do to us or what is going to happen with Social Security or what happens if quantitative easing turns into inflationary money printing. However, right now all is quite well.

[Mighty Frugal]

We are doing well but that could change soon. DH was laid off mid year but we knew it was coming. His package went straight into his RRSP and we have been living off my income since last December with no problem! Now that he is home we no long have to pay child care. Not sure how he will handle it (he's already worried about what he will do all day when the kids start school next week)

The plan was for him to stay home until I get packaged out (mid to late next year probably)

We have no debt, healthy savings and retirement savings and a well stocked EF. Being Cdn we don't worry about lack of healthcare when we are unemployed.

Our issue is dh's psychological one. He refuses to spend ANY money now on things he loves because he worries too much. He is a BIG time golfer but hasn't gone out even once this year due to the expense (in my neck of the woods a round of golf costs $150 and up) I'm not saying he sould go weekly (which he used to when we were really flush) but he can go monthly or even bi-monthly.

[awakenedsoul]

Wow! Thanks for all the responses. Seems like people who live simply are very disciplined with money. I'm relieved at how little it costs me to live, since I've retired. I keep looking for more ways to reduce my spending. If we had Zipcar out here, I'd probably use it. I canceled my land line, and have a Jitterbug plan. It's only $15.00 a month. Library books, cooking, gardening, and knitting are nice cheap hobbies. I had no idea a round of golf costs $150.00!

[Minz]

Awakenedsoul,
I'm still trying to find ways to reduce my spending. I got rid of all cable and love not having the option to turn on the TV. I recently started making my own cat food - I make a batch on Sunday and put it into glass jars. The cats love it and it is so much healthier and less expensive than what I used to feed them. I love trying to find ways to cut expenses and live more simply. My personal economy is not great at the moment but i'm working on it!

[Florence]

Awakenedsoul,
I'm still trying to find ways to reduce my spending. I got rid of all cable and love not having the option to turn on the TV. I recently started making my own cat food - I make a batch on Sunday and put it into glass jars. The cats love it and it is so much healthier and less expensive than what I used to feed them. I love trying to find ways to cut expenses and live more simply. My personal economy is not great at the moment but i'm working on it!

Minz, would you please share your cat food recipe? I would love to make food for my 3 cats!

[Minz]

Minz, would you please share your cat food recipe? I would love to make food for my 3 cats!

Sure!! The recipes are from this site: http://www.cbahvet.com/site/view/194...edCatDiets.pml. However I haven't put bonemeal in yet because I can't find any I'm comfortable with; some agriculture places have it but I don't think it is for the purposes of cat food...I'm trying to find some that is sold from a healthy pet supply store or from a vet's office. I've tried the chicken recipe and tuna recipe and they are both a big hit with my furballs! Let me know what your cats think of it. I'm looking for a homemade dog recipe if anyone has one to share.

[Simplemind]

Even before reading this thread I felt deeply blessed. I look to my right and look to my left and so many that I know have been deeply touched by this economy. I retired in June and it has been a big adjustment for me. I went early and took a penalty which almost everybody thought I was crazy to do. So many there can't leave because of health care insurance or they divorced at some point and had to split their pension. DH has a great job that I'm still shocked he got after his company went under a couple of years ago. He was unemployed for several months and then got a job as a consultant for a year and then was made permanent. He loves what he does and plans to stay for another 8-10 years which will carry us for health insurance.
I retired early because I had figured out what enough was. We are debt free which is an unheard of state within our aquaintance. We married 11 years ago and I had always lived below my means and DH had been married to a spendthrift and was willing to go the other direction. We used his salary to pay for everything but entertainment. I paid for entertainment and put the max into a deferred comp account. So for the past 10 years I was already adjusted to bringing home less a month than what my current pension is with the penalty. I figured my health and getting out early was worth more than a few hundred more a month. I am not scoffing at a few hundred a month I am just saying that I really felt getting my life in a healthy direction was much more important. We shall see how the economy goes but I don't see having to dip into that deferred comp account for many years. I have more there than I did in my pension and that pays $2300 net a month. It does feel weird to not be saving anymore but honestly................. enough is enough and I just have to learn how to sit back and enjoy after years of being an ant instead of a grasshopper. I am blessed with a husband who saw it even before I did and has supported me in letting go and taking care of myself for a change.

[awakenedsoul]

Awakenedsoul,
I'm still trying to find ways to reduce my spending. I got rid of all cable and love not having the option to turn on the TV. I recently started making my own cat food - I make a batch on Sunday and put it into glass jars. The cats love it and it is so much healthier and less expensive than what I used to feed them. I love trying to find ways to cut expenses and live more simply. My personal economy is not great at the moment but i'm working on it!

Minz,
I don't have television anymore, either. I've thought of cutting out the trash collection and splitting it with another neighbor who is also a single woman. I only put out one bag a week and I pay $23.00 a month. But, I do all my own tree trimming, and I have two large green bins I use several months a year. Plus, I really like having the convenience of it and not having to go to the recycling station. I use the yearly bulky item pick up, too. I canceled my landline and just use my Jitterbug phone now. It's only $15.00 a month! Spartana posted her expenses one time at $500. a month, and that really impressed me!

[awakenedsoul]

Simplemind,
Congratulations. That is fantastic. I agree with you about health. I find that couples seems to do better financially when one person stays home. (If they are disciplined and frugal like you and your husband.) Thanks for posting your story.