This Is A Tough Time To Be A Retired Boomer.

      2025 is NOT going to be a good year for us retired Boomers. How do I know? After twenty-some odd years of retirement, I just seem to get a good sense on how a retired year will unravel. When I prepared for my retirement, I estimated inflation would be at 2 or 3%. I was dead wrong. Inflation today feels to me more like 20 to 50%. Not only in groceries, as we seem to know, but in ALL our expenses. Thankfully, I always lived below my means. So, with each retirement year I had enough passive income to match the rising living costs. Eventually, I have now figured, I am going to reach my max and something will have to change.

     That change came when my husband (who luckily is 6.5 years younger than me), had to take on a job in order to make our $200 monthly deficit ends meet. (Note: that deficit is now $300 and will probably climb again come January 2026). We made all the usual budget cuts (no vacations, no dining out, no new clothes, more DIYing etc) but still faced a monthly deficit. There was only, however, so many changes I wanted to make to our lifestyle without feeling deprived. 

     So how does one get plenty at seventy without becoming the new American poor?

      For us it did NOT happen overnight. It did happen, however, through a series of life choices that were purposely made over a plethora of years thanks to our life experiences. We're not new to inflation as having gone through 7 to 10 inflationary years back in the 1970s. Throw in the Stock Market Crash of 1987, a few recessions, several housing crashes, the bombing of The World Trade Center in 2001, the massive bank failures of 2008 and our current Cost Of Living Crisis and I think it's fair for us to say: "Been there. Done that!"

     I'm a long time blogger but stopped writing about life events a little over two years ago. In 2023 I was diagnosed with breast cancer (I'm currently in remission) and hubby has some heart health issues. So, I was busy with other things I deemed to be more important than writing. Now? I'm back and must start all over again. This is a tough time to be a retired boomer but somehow, some way, hubby and I are doing just fine. How are we so fortunate? Well, that's what this blog is going to be about. If you're already retired, some of our life experiences may help you now. If you're still in the retirement planning state, you may learn a thing or two to help in your preparations. If you have any images of two beach chairs on a desolate Caribbean-styled beach, despite what the pundits state today (that type of retirement is long gone) you still may be able to resurrect that lifestyle BUT it will come with some hard core modifications.

     You may NOT get this in retirement?

     But you can certainly have this?

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