What on earth can our congresspeople be thinking not to just pass a Medicare for All type health care bill so all citizens can be covered. Right now it is all about the insurance and drug companies literally spending millions of dollars per DAY lobbying against any type of public option which would cut into their grotesque profits.
This issue has had particular resonance with me since I retired and had to accept a far more expensive plan than I had before and one with significantly reduced coverage. Medicare and the VA and Pentagon health care for soldiers and veterans are all single payer plans which work just fine. The ONLY reason this isn't being proposed is due to the unbelievable influence these profit-driven companies like Cigna and Blue Cross have in the Congress of the United States.
Check out NY Congressman Weiner's proposal for a single payer plan. It is getting precious little coverage in the mainstream media, but it is the only reasonable way to go. We need to support this bill by calling our congressional representatives and senators.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Contingency Planning Important
Hello again. I just wanted to remind anybody thinking of taking "early" retirement and living on a pension or Social Security that planning for the unexpected is a very important part of budgeting.
In my very first month of retirement, I ended up having to hire a contractor to repair my vigas (wooden beams which extend out of my adobe house, a common architectural feature of many southwestern homes). I was shocked by the pricetag of $6400.
I also needed new tires, a brake job and an alignment in the first weeks following my retirement.
I should probably have anticipated all of these expenses and perhaps taken care of them much sooner before I actually left my job. I did get a lot of medical tests under the "good" insurance plan I had at work, but I just didn't think about the roof or vehicle issues. The heat in NM this summer has been intense, and I also had to get a new airconditioner.
So I'm just saying, make a list of stuff that may go wrong and take care of as much as possible while you still have a paycheck coming in. That seems like a complete no-brainer, but perhaps someone can benefit from my story of lack of good planning for emergencies.
Don't let this discourage anyone out there from taking the plunge. Just think ahead, and you should be fine.
In my very first month of retirement, I ended up having to hire a contractor to repair my vigas (wooden beams which extend out of my adobe house, a common architectural feature of many southwestern homes). I was shocked by the pricetag of $6400.
I also needed new tires, a brake job and an alignment in the first weeks following my retirement.
I should probably have anticipated all of these expenses and perhaps taken care of them much sooner before I actually left my job. I did get a lot of medical tests under the "good" insurance plan I had at work, but I just didn't think about the roof or vehicle issues. The heat in NM this summer has been intense, and I also had to get a new airconditioner.
So I'm just saying, make a list of stuff that may go wrong and take care of as much as possible while you still have a paycheck coming in. That seems like a complete no-brainer, but perhaps someone can benefit from my story of lack of good planning for emergencies.
Don't let this discourage anyone out there from taking the plunge. Just think ahead, and you should be fine.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Retiring Lady Makes Her Blogging Debut
Hello, there new fellow retirees!
I started working when I was 11 years old; I created a little backyard Saturday morning daycare center in my hometown out on the Eastern plains of New Mexico . I charged 25 cents per kid for two hours of storytelling, drawing, singing etc. which allowed the neighborhood moms a chance to have some coffee and do a few chores in peace. I was an entrepreneur then, but in my later career, I mostly worked for others. My next job was as a waitress in my aunt's truck stop cafe. I have to say that one was the most difficult of all the others which came later, including 33 years as a practicing lawyer. Anyway, my point is I worked for 50 years before deciding I was ready to make a change. I took Social Security the second it became available, even though you can get more if you keep working longer. With the government always threatening to do away with or seriously curtail these benefits, I thought the risk of waiting outweighed disadvantages of a smaller check. I also have a state pension, which is much smaller than it would have been had I waited another NINE years for full benefits. For me, it was just clearly time to do something different. My daughter and her boyfriend as well as several other friends of mine who know I enjoy writing and talking to people suggested this blog, so here I am!
I intend this site to support all those suddenly cast adrift into the scary world of FREEDOM. If you have previously been showing up at your appointed place to take orders from someone else according to their agenda, even if you were really looking forward to a brand new life based on your very own desires, you might not be completely prepared for the possibility that you don't exactly know what you're supposed to do with yourself now that you can theoretically do anything you want to do.
I got some great help from my EAP plan at work. They provided four free sessions of "transition counseling" and my kind and insightful therapist alleviated some fears I had about the huge changes inevitably involved in retiring from the regular work force.
I have also consulted several books and websites as well as friends who have already made the leap into retirement. I offer my top five suggestions based on that research:
#1: Don't immediately try to go back to formal work just because it's what you are used to and it feels weird to be completely at your own beck and call and no one else's.
#2: Make "self-care" a priority. Take your vitamins, exercise, do not neglect any medical or psychological problems--get the professional help you need.
#3: Take a trip by yourself, preferably for several weeks, so you can figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. Ideally take no phones, computers, TV's or any other technological distractions with you. It's best if the place is quiet and in a natural setting--perhaps a beach or wooded area rather than a big city or tourist attraction.
#4: Do daily meditation; just quiet your mind and see what comes up for you. At a minimum, it will help you relax.
#5: Do NOT stay at home watching TV and traveling back and forth between it and your refrigerator. Isolation is a killer. You'll also probably gain weight, and that will affect your overall well being.
Ok, so that's my first post and it feels exhilarating. I look forward to receiving comments and suggestions from readers who wish to share their own experiences with retirement. THE BEST IS YET TO COME, fellow travelers on the Retirement Road!
Retiring Lady
I started working when I was 11 years old; I created a little backyard Saturday morning daycare center in my hometown out on the Eastern plains of New Mexico . I charged 25 cents per kid for two hours of storytelling, drawing, singing etc. which allowed the neighborhood moms a chance to have some coffee and do a few chores in peace. I was an entrepreneur then, but in my later career, I mostly worked for others. My next job was as a waitress in my aunt's truck stop cafe. I have to say that one was the most difficult of all the others which came later, including 33 years as a practicing lawyer. Anyway, my point is I worked for 50 years before deciding I was ready to make a change. I took Social Security the second it became available, even though you can get more if you keep working longer. With the government always threatening to do away with or seriously curtail these benefits, I thought the risk of waiting outweighed disadvantages of a smaller check. I also have a state pension, which is much smaller than it would have been had I waited another NINE years for full benefits. For me, it was just clearly time to do something different. My daughter and her boyfriend as well as several other friends of mine who know I enjoy writing and talking to people suggested this blog, so here I am!
I intend this site to support all those suddenly cast adrift into the scary world of FREEDOM. If you have previously been showing up at your appointed place to take orders from someone else according to their agenda, even if you were really looking forward to a brand new life based on your very own desires, you might not be completely prepared for the possibility that you don't exactly know what you're supposed to do with yourself now that you can theoretically do anything you want to do.
I got some great help from my EAP plan at work. They provided four free sessions of "transition counseling" and my kind and insightful therapist alleviated some fears I had about the huge changes inevitably involved in retiring from the regular work force.
I have also consulted several books and websites as well as friends who have already made the leap into retirement. I offer my top five suggestions based on that research:
#1: Don't immediately try to go back to formal work just because it's what you are used to and it feels weird to be completely at your own beck and call and no one else's.
#2: Make "self-care" a priority. Take your vitamins, exercise, do not neglect any medical or psychological problems--get the professional help you need.
#3: Take a trip by yourself, preferably for several weeks, so you can figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. Ideally take no phones, computers, TV's or any other technological distractions with you. It's best if the place is quiet and in a natural setting--perhaps a beach or wooded area rather than a big city or tourist attraction.
#4: Do daily meditation; just quiet your mind and see what comes up for you. At a minimum, it will help you relax.
#5: Do NOT stay at home watching TV and traveling back and forth between it and your refrigerator. Isolation is a killer. You'll also probably gain weight, and that will affect your overall well being.
Ok, so that's my first post and it feels exhilarating. I look forward to receiving comments and suggestions from readers who wish to share their own experiences with retirement. THE BEST IS YET TO COME, fellow travelers on the Retirement Road!
Retiring Lady
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