| All too often, I hear about people who retired and then | | | | that is not necessary. I am willing to tell you what I did |
| returned to work because they had to in order to | | | | and why, but everyone has to make their own |
| meet their living expenses or because they could not | | | | choices. I am saying that anyone can make choices |
| stand not having any purpose in their lives.To both | | | | that will allow them to live comfortably in retirement if |
| those reasons, I say nonsense, you can retire, make | | | | that is what they want and they are willing to make |
| ends meet and live with purpose If you really want too. | | | | changes in their life and lifestyles.I do need to tell you |
| I know, because I'm doing it. To be certain, in order to | | | | that if you want to retire on a budget, you must |
| retire successfully, you must lay some ground work | | | | downsize the house you live in. Do you really need a |
| prior to doing it. In the following steps, I will tell you what | | | | 2,000 plus, square foot home with four bedrooms? My |
| I did and show you how I did it and finally, make some | | | | house is a small two bedroom bungalow with one |
| suggestions to tell you how you can do it too.1. You | | | | bathroom. This is the size of the houses most of us |
| must decide if you really want to retire. Ever since we | | | | grew up in during the 50's, 60's and even the early |
| were young, just setting off in life, we've been thinking | | | | '70's. It has a large eat-in kitchen with a walk-in pantry, |
| about a time when we would have nothing to do but | | | | an enclosed porch, and a small living room. I use one of |
| just live as we had done when we were children. That | | | | the bedrooms as an office and work area for my |
| is, we would not worry about where our next meal | | | | various crafts. Obviously when I have company it |
| was coming from, we would not worry about keeping | | | | serves as a guest bedroom too. It is easy to maintain |
| a roof over our heads, we would not worry about | | | | and it is easy to heat. The taxes are low.You should |
| taking care of others, we would not worry about bills, | | | | know that you can live without a mortgage and |
| we would not worry about what others thought of | | | | whether you retire or not, you should pay off your |
| what we said or did (within reason, of course) and we | | | | mortgage as soon as you can and avoid those |
| would not worry about not having fun. Once we | | | | constant notices that come in the mail advising you |
| settled into the 9 to 5 routine, no holidays except those | | | | that you can get a low cost equity loan on your house. |
| carefully prescribed by law, no summer vacations, the | | | | You pay for what you borrow, and you could, if you |
| facts of life set in and most of us really did not like | | | | come on hard times, lose your house because you do |
| being put in harness. But, for the most part, we wore | | | | not really own it until the mortgage debt is retired. I |
| that harness and did what was expected of us and | | | | remember a time when Americans expected to pay |
| talked about retirement. That's what most of us did, | | | | off their mortgages and that it was considered a good |
| including me, we just talked about it. We did not think | | | | thing to do so. It is still a good thing and don't let lending |
| the day would ever come and for the most part, we | | | | institutions tell you differently. Likewise, I remember a |
| did nothing to plan for it. Consequently, for many of us, | | | | time when it was a good thing for Americans not to |
| retirement seems impossible. Especially for woman of | | | | be in debt to anyone. Once again, that is still a good |
| retirement age now, we expected to be taken care of | | | | thing and don't let anyone tell you differently.Although I |
| from cradle to grave. This is particularly true if we did | | | | live in Canada and do not have health insurance |
| not have husbands to make retirement plans for | | | | worries, I believe that with planning, retirees can have |
| us.Think about the question: do you really want to | | | | affordable health insurance in the United States. |
| retire? Think about what you would REALLY do, it you | | | | Combining Medicare and Medicaid with a supplemental |
| did not have to go to work. Each of us has to answer | | | | policy (see AARP), it is possible. If I were living in the |
| these questions for ourselves. I left a good paying | | | | States, I would take a supplemental policy with the |
| consulting job in order to retire. I was not forced out of | | | | largest deductible I could get. In that way, you will |
| work by younger workers nipping at my heels or by | | | | minimize your payments and you will assure yourself |
| downsizing. I left because of the things I still wanted to | | | | of treatment. After you are on your feet you can |
| do while I still could do them. Looking back into the past, | | | | negotiate an payment plan affordable for you, out of |
| I remembered the things that I did or wanted to do | | | | your available funds, to pay whatever is owed on the |
| before the realities of my life took over. I wanted to | | | | deductible. In addition, if I were living in the States, I |
| travel and I wanted to write. You also have to | | | | would stay on top of health care issues and make |
| consider what you want to do now if you had the time | | | | certain that the Congress becomes responsible for |
| to do it. For me, I want to be able to spend time with | | | | enacting laws that make health insurance available and |
| my family and especially my young grandchildren. I | | | | affordable for all Americans.Other than health |
| want to learn how to draw. I still want to travel and I | | | | insurance, home owners insurance and car insurance |
| still want to write. As long as I kept a full time job, I saw | | | | no one should pay for more. And I believe that it is in |
| no way to do these things as I wanted to do them: | | | | your best interest to chose a high deductible on your |
| with all my heart and full time.2. Once the decision is | | | | policies to lower your costs and to keep the money in |
| made, you must carefully figure out how you will do it. I | | | | your hands. If you want, put a few thousand dollars |
| believed that it was essential that I keep myself under | | | | into a bank account and keep it there as a buffer |
| my own roof and that I, and I, alone owned that roof; | | | | against any problem where you may have to pay the |
| not the bank, not a mortgage company, not any | | | | full deductible on any of your policies (do this while you |
| one...just me. I knew that I needed to make certain that | | | | are still getting a pay check).At my death, I will not |
| I had health insurance and that I could keep some type | | | | leave my family any large inheritance, but I won't be |
| of health insurance until I died. I also knew that I had to | | | | leaving any debts that they would feel honor bound to |
| be certain that my family would not be saddled with | | | | pay. They will have the proceeds from the sale of my |
| any debt for my burial. I knew that I needed enough to | | | | home and possessions to do as they please. They |
| keep myself fed and clothed. I knew that I would have | | | | know that I wish to be cremated in a cheap wooden |
| to make certain that I could pay my utilities. I also knew | | | | box (the box is required by law) and I want my ashes |
| that I had no retirement except for social security. | | | | scattered in the ocean near where I live (remember, I |
| Remember what I said above about women my age, | | | | wanted to live near water when I retired, and I do).5. |
| and this is especially true of those us who were single | | | | Finally, I want any one considering a successful |
| mothers and solely responsible for ourselves and our | | | | retirement to make certain that they have a good car |
| children. And there are millions of us who fit this | | | | that is fully paid. Plan to take care of the car, and if |
| description. I knew that I had credit card debt. I also | | | | you must ever buy another vehicle, face the fact that |
| knew that the bank, and I, owned a home that had | | | | you will be looking at older model cars that you can |
| accrued some equity (I did do something right to | | | | afford to pay for in cash. In that same vein, since this is |
| prepare for retirement) and that the house was too | | | | the 21st century, there are occasions when you need |
| big for my needs and was a huge drain on my | | | | a credit card or a reasonable facsimile. A debit card |
| finances.3. Once I had made up my mind that I did | | | | can be used to purchase travel tickets and to secure |
| want to retire and I had looked at what my needs in | | | | hotel, motel and car reservations for the times you |
| retirement would be, I set out to make it possible. I | | | | may want to travel. Yes, they do take debit cards. In |
| gave myself a dead line that within two years of all | | | | this way, you become your own lending authority.Now |
| this thinking, I would be retired. To start, I looked at | | | | all good plans hit snags and you must be ready for |
| where I would retire. There are some places where I | | | | them. In my case, the American dollar has lost value |
| believe retiring, on a modest retirement income, would | | | | and now it is almost at parity with the Canadian dollar. |
| be almost impossible, but then, anything is possible if | | | | Therefore, I have lost some spending money. But |
| you want it badly enough and if you are willing to | | | | these things go up and down and I can weather this |
| make trade-offs to made it so. I do not believe, for | | | | storm since I own my home and I have no debts. I call |
| example, that you could find affordable housing, on a | | | | my friends and relatives in the States frequently but I |
| very limited budget, in New York or Beverly Hills. You | | | | always use a pre-paid card for this. In this way, I keep |
| could decide to live near these cities, but not in these | | | | control of my telephone bill and pay the phone |
| cities. I needed to make certain that all my credit card | | | | company only for their basic service and for the |
| debt has been retired and I needed to learn to live | | | | Internet connection. Needless to say, much of my |
| without those cards. In other words, and to the horror | | | | correspondence with those back home is by email. I |
| of the banks and credit lending institutions, I had to learn | | | | buy fewer clothes, and frequently buy from local |
| to live on a "cash only" basis. And to the horror of | | | | consignment shops since I no longer need to "invest" in |
| those same institutions, I decided that when I retired, I | | | | high price business suits, shoes or hosiery. I shop sales |
| would live in my own home, mortgage free. And finally, | | | | in the markets and buy fruits and vegetables in |
| and this was a shock, I looked at all those notices that I | | | | season. I do more home baking which I have always |
| had been getting in the mail from social security and | | | | loved to do and now have the time to do it. I go to |
| found out what I would be living on from my social | | | | lower priced movie matinees and I eat out during the |
| security account.4. My plan called for selling my home, | | | | afternoon for the lower priced lunch specials. Actually, I |
| selling whatever over-sized furniture I owed and for | | | | don't eat out as much as I did since I have the time to |
| which I did not have some overly sentimental | | | | cook at home for my family and friends. I pay only for |
| attachment. My plan called for finding a place to live | | | | basic cable and no movie channels; after all how many |
| where I could be happy. I needed to live close to a city, | | | | times in a month can you see the same movie?Am I |
| but not necessarily in one. I needed to live near water. I | | | | happy? You bet I'm happy. Am I busy? You bet I'm |
| needed to live in a temperate climate with all four | | | | busy. I'm happy because I am living well, but not high, |
| seasons. I needed to be able to buy my house outright | | | | and I am doing what I want. I am playing with my grand |
| and to put whatever I made from the sale of my older | | | | kids when I want. I am beginning to make some small |
| home, over and above the price of the new house, | | | | profit on my writing which I do when I want. This extra |
| into savings. I wanted to be close to, if not my entire | | | | income will be put aside this year to cover the |
| family, at least some part of my family.Now here is | | | | increased costs of gasoline and heating fuel. Do I need |
| what I did that many would consider shocking. At the | | | | this extra money? Not really because I could, with little |
| age of 63, I bought a home in Canada close to my | | | | changes, tighten my belt and still live comfortably. I am |
| youngest son and his family. I reasoned that the | | | | learning to speak French, which was something I |
| American dollar would always be stronger than the | | | | always wanted to do and I am drawing and my house |
| Canadian so my retirement dollars would farther. Land | | | | is full of my own art work. My art, which is reminiscent |
| and housing prices in Canada are much more | | | | of Grandma Moses, may not be saleable, but I like it |
| reasonable than they are in the United States. This is | | | | and hopefully my family and friends do too since they |
| particularly true of the Province that I chose to live. The | | | | get it at Christmas. I travel taking advantage of the |
| house took only a little of the proceeds I recognized | | | | price savings from making my reservations on off |
| from the sale of my old home and that money is now | | | | seasons and far in advance of my planned trips.Am I |
| in the bank and is only used for special needs and | | | | glad I've retired? Absolutely and if you really want to |
| occasions. I know that some of you are thinking "why | | | | retire, you can do it too and be glad of it.Maureen R. |
| doesn't she invest that". Well, I would if I knew anything | | | | Sinclair is an American (via N.Y.C. and Lexington, KY). |
| about investments, which I don't. I do know that it is | | | | currently residing in Nova Scotia, Canada. Educated as |
| safe in the bank and will be there when I need it.Now, | | | | a Registered Nurse, she holds an M.S. in Psychology. |
| not everyone, or possibly anyone reading this, would | | | | Ms. Sinclair has traveled widely and has many |
| do what I have done with respect to leaving the United | | | | interests. She is an accomplished artist and writer |
| States. They also would not consider leaving the part | | | | currently writing for onlinecooking.net. Ms. Sinclair can |
| of the country where they have lived all their lives and | | | | be reached at: or . |