Are you financially better off or not than last this year at this time?

We has a belated senior's Christmas party today and, of course, a grab bag. That was another disaster. I got a teapot and the lid didn't match. The person that got my gift left it on the table when she departed. And if you're wondering what I put in - it was an assortment - a new Christmas themed terry cloth towel, a Hummel figurine, a selection of different teas and a balsa wood trinket box all in a decorative tin.
 

I think that people just aren't nearly as social as they used to be. In gift giving or in sending out xmas cards. I used to send out a ton of cards to both mine and hubby's families. Because I'm helping my daughter with a medical condition, I didn't have time to send out cards this year. I only received 3 from nieces and nephews. People will make excuses (I.e. it's too expensive to send out cards) but really, I don't think they want to put forth the effort.

BTW, I am better off financially this year than last. But I don't think it has to do with finances. I think society is changing.
 

We're far better off not only with investments, but I went on Medicare 16 months ago, and DW is just starting. We've had private health insurance to the tune of $1500 a month that has been drastically reduced. I may start on SS this year -- can't decide whether to let it keep increasing, or start to cash out now..........
 
retiredtraveler said:
We're far better off not only with investments, but I went on Medicare 16 months ago, and DW is just starting. We've had private health insurance to the tune of $1500 a month that has been drastically reduced.
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I will be getting a nice raise in about 1.5 years for the same reason. Getting older ain't all bad!
 
I am certainly not any better off than last year, and the year ahead will only be worse, most likely. I get $441 SS each month, which will go up to $450 in January, but then they will take that off of my foodstamps allowance, so I will have no more to live on than I did this year.
In the meantime, the cost of food and just about everything else keeps going up, and that pitiful $9 a month would not do much to offset that, even if they let me keep it.
I applied for SSI, which is a supplementary government plan for people with low income, and yesterday I got a letter back from them telling me that I do not qualify for SSI because I have too much income.
At just over $5,000 per year, I am barely half of what is considered Federal Poverty Level for 2017; so how on earth can I have too much income to qualify ? ?
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry......
 
Gifts are often symbolic of the relationship between 2 people. It's a symbol of their love or likinig or caring or perhaps it is merely an empty gesture.
A thoughtless or very cheap gift (like a mug) from a family member or good friend might suggest apathy or the attitude that they don't want to spend the time
to find the right gift. I used to get that a lot--and I am not thankful because I know that they didn't care to find my size
(and they knew my size exactly)
or something I really wanted so they put no effort into it. "I don't want to shop for you" is stated or implied.
There's no strict moral obligation but it is customary. Having gotten loads of unwanted
and useless gifts over the years,, I would rather have nothing at all--I don't need more clutter.
Then there are family members who give clothing that they know the recipient doesn't need or want,
and he/she gives it back to the giver, so she wears it!
So sometimes gratitude isn't the right response.
If someone is really broke, then that's totally different with no/low expectations.
 
A hint of why no one like my gifts this year. Apparently it is all over town that when I have to give a gift, I just grab something in my house and wrap it up instead of going out and really shop for something. I told the person that dropped the ball to me that the items in my house are probably more valuable that the things at WalMart. She replied, in effect, "Well, people want NEW stuff for a gift. Antiques are just old junk to most people these days."
 
My family and friends reached the point years ago when we all separately decided "Too Much Stuff!" Kids' gifts are okay but otherwise, it's a no-go. Souvenirs from travel trips are acceptable, however. But I'm not a tchotke-kind of person, so we only buy something if we think a friend/relative would especially like it. We're more likely to bring back food, LOL.

Gift cards are increasingly popular for a reason. Most of our friends/relatives aren't in as good a financial position as we are, so it's an easy way to help them out. We usually reserve it for BDs, however.
 
With God's blessings, I live a modest comfortable life and my nest egg has increased every year since I retired early 10 years ago.
 
Happyflowerlady said:
I am certainly not any better off than last year, and the year ahead will only be worse, most likely. I get $441 SS each month, which will go up to $450 in January, but then they will take that off of my foodstamps allowance, so I will have no more to live on than I did this year.
In the meantime, the cost of food and just about everything else keeps going up, and that pitiful $9 a month would not do much to offset that, even if they let me keep it.

I applied for SSI, which is a supplementary government plan for people with low income, and yesterday I got a letter back from them telling me that I do not qualify for SSI because I have too much income.
At just over $5,000 per year, I am barely half of what is considered Federal Poverty Level for 2017; so how on earth can I have too much income to qualify ? ?

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry......
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I feel for your situation.

If your income comes from a job, you might do the math to see if that job income is worth it.

A friend who was on early SS, also went on SSI this year... but he had zero other income.

SSI also paid his Medicare B premium. He also qualified for food stamps and meals on wheels.
Other benefits would be available like government supplemented housing and an Obamaphone.

.
 
We're better off this year than last year at this time, BUT we had to sell our lovely home in June to make that happen. We downsized from 2200 sq. feet to 1800 sq. feet. I had 4 bathrooms to clean and hubby had a swimming pool to take care of, plus we had 1/2 acre with mature fruit trees, rose bushes, and lots of other landscaping. We now have a 1/4 acre and I only have to clean 2 bathrooms. Our expenses have gone down drastically and we're able to stash an extra $1000 a month away. We like our "cozy" home and we're not constantly working to keep it up. Downsizing was good for us in more ways than one.
 

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